Escape to the Cottage...

Dr. Bonnie Henry our official medical officer for Covid has informed us that we are in "Phase 3" which permits us to travel within our province of BC.

Mr. HB and I are enjoying a much needed week of respite at Quarter Deck Cottage on Pender Isalnd. The change of scenery is such a tonic and the fresh air walks are invigorating. We are feeling immense gratitude for this getaway.

Cottage life is relaxing and we get into the rhythm almost as soon as we drive off the ferry!

We brought some Graham Thomas roses from The Humble Bungalow Garden.

We eat quite simple meals here at the cottage.

Fresh French Radishes from our greenhouse for our salads.

Fresh from the Farm 

Strawberries, sweet tasting and delicious!

As a dessert or with my morning fruit and yogurt breakfast.

Fresh eggs from the Saturday morning Farmer's Market here on Pender.

The yolks are a dark orange colour and the flavour is outstanding.

My current book...

a page turner and a very interesting topic.

I have not read any of Jodi Picoult's books before and I am enjoying her writing.

Spaghetti and a glass of red wine from the local vineyard.

I make pasta once a week as it is my husband's favourite meal.

I make a batch of sauce that will last for two meals.

It's a very simple recipe.

Spaghetti Sauce

Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven.

add

1 medium diced onion saute until soft

then add:

 a cup of sliced mushrooms

 2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic

1 pound of lean ground beef or spicy Italian sausage

sprinkle with a teaspoon of red pepper flakes

(or to taste)

salt, pepper, dried oregano, a splash of worchestershire sauce

add a jar of good quality tomato sauce

small can of tomato paste

Simmer for about an hour.

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Top with the sauce and grate some fresh Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

The roses are wilting in the summer sunshine...

Staycations and local travel are the New Normal for residents of BC.

We must be vigilant and stay safe to avoid an upswing in Covid cases.

We have to make our own fun 

at home, at the cottage, at a resort, a marina, a hotel or campsite.

How are you doing?

What are your holiday plans?

Please share any tips you have for coping during the pandemic.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Wishing you a lovely week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Tuscany...cook eat discover tour.

I was going to publish a post about our visit to The Vatican 

but when I looked over my photos I realized that there were only a couple.

I was in awe of the place and paid full attention to what we were seeing...

BTW there are NO photos permitted in The Sistine Chapel.

We took an early morning tour with a small group of about 20 people to avoid the crowds that gather during regular visiting hours.

We stopped for a coffee in the cafe across the street from the Vatican and made the mistake of sitting while we drank it...

Let's just say it was the most expensive cup of coffee I have ever had.

(8 Euros)

And now on to Tuscany...

We arrived in the Maremma area of Tuscany by train and were met at the station.

We were driven to a hilltop medieval village called Roccatederighi.

Emily a guest from the UK and Ollie the chef and owner of Cook Eat Discover.

We got settled into our rooms and then were picked up for a welcome dinner.

My view from the terrace to the pool and valley beyond.

The week long tour includes daily excursions as well as cooking instruction.

Lush groves and cypress trees.

Quiet except for the cacophony of birdsong.

We met Martin the owner of Valdonica Vineyards in the village of Sassofortino.

He is a former doctor who fell in love with the area and purchased several hectares of forested land.

He cleared some of the land and planted grapevines.

Martin grows his vines using organic healthy practises.

 We tasted a variety of his wine...

as well as some of the olive oil that he produces.

His rose wine won a 98 point award a few years ago.

Martin runs a rural "hotel" which is attached to the property.

Martin loves the colour orange...

It features prominently in his tasting room and patio.

Another lovely pool!

Beautiful orange sunset...

Tom McGovern was a guest on the tour.

He's a professional and very talented food photographer 

you can follow him on Instagram "Food Photographer."

Tom is the nicest fellow you could ever meet.

It turns out that he took the photos for Jane Green's cookbook "Good Taste."

(I have the book!)

Water Buffalo

we visited a farm where they make buffalo mozzarella and other assorted cheeses.

We then drove to an Organic Tuscan Rice Farm

Tenuta San Carlo

 where we purchased the risotto for our cooking lesson.

Agritourismo is an important part of farming life in Italy.

Visitors can stay on the farms and participate in farm related activities.

These guests help to subsidize the farmer's income.

We explored the picturesque lanes in the village of Roccatederighi.

Loved the pots and charm of this stone home and garden.

The Village "community kitchen" 

we made our risotto here.

Flo served us bubbly and appetizers atop the rocky outcropping 

in the setting sunlight before we ate the risotto.

In the next post I will share some of the pastas that we made.

~ Be well and Be Kind ~

Summertime Snippets....from Quarter Deck Cottage

Jude the Obscure 

a David Austin Rose 

my favourite rose.

summertime beach reads

both set in Paris

Perfect for the week at the cottage

I read them both in a couple of days 

so I needed to get to the bookstore asap!

Fortunately I found a fabulous book.

I am halfway through this novel and do not want to put it down!

Friends came by for drinks on the deck...

fresh strawberries from the Farmer's Market

assorted cheeses and crackers, 

grapes

pepperoni

I like to keep it simple here at the cottage...

I give myself permission to relax by not making any meals 

that are too labour intensive.

Making more time to read, walk, swim and knit...

or just gaze out at the sea.

The pretty flower baskets hanging by the pool 

are frequented by numerous swallowtail butterflies.

The weather has been hot so the pool has been a great spot to cool off.

Jude is wilting in the heat!

It is cool on the deck after the sun sets.

A great day at the beach...

we found all this sea glass to add to our collection.

The jar is already half full!

Award winning rose from the local Sea Star winery

perfect with a summertime dinner.

grilled lamb chops

fresh carrots from Raven Rock Farms

sweet nugget potatoes with butter and mint leaves

Views of the Salish Sea and the setting sun...

I found a broken oar on the beach...

I plan to distress it a bit more and will keep it at the cottage.

You never know what you'll find on the beach.

I love to explore and keep my eyes open for things washed up on the shore.

I've got some things that I need to tend to here in the Humble Bungalow

deadheading the roses for a start!

so I will close for now.

How is your summer going?

Are you planning a holiday somewhere exotic or do prefer to spend time at a cabin or cottage? 

Perhaps camping or glamping is on your radar...

or a staycation.

Whatever you choose I hope that you will have fun.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Cooking lesson with Julie...Aglio e Olio

Our friend Julie came over to visit at Quarter Deck Cottage on Pender Island.

We went for a walk, tootled around the island, saw the sights, went out for lunch, and we visited the antique shop.

I found a Lalique piece of glass at the antique shop.

Which I planned to use as a candle holder 

it was quickly re purposed as a wine coaster!

The Rioja Spanish wine was Julie's suggestion...

I had never tasted it before and it's really a nice wine.

Julie is a friend, whom I consider to be a real  "foodie" 

she is passionate about cooking.

I would call her a gourmet cook. 

She has a catering business...

if you have been a long time reader of my blog you may remember that she catered my 60th birthday party.

So when we perused what was fresh at the grocery store we had many options...

but I was swayed when she described the simple pasta dish Aglio e Olio 

which she described as Italian Fast Food!

I was already salivating!

Here is the link to Chef John's version of the dish.

Thinly sliced garlic cloves cooking very gently in a good quality olive oil.

The pasta water is already boiling on the back burner.

We pounded the chicken breast quite flat, 

coated it in flour 

seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper

before sauteing it in a small amount of oil.

(The pasta is added to the pot of boiling water so that everything will be done at the same time.)

We flipped the chicken breast after it was golden brown...

cooked it on the other side

then added it to the sheet pan with the roasted cherry tomatoes.

We drained the pasta and popped in on top of a platter

added a generous handful of arugula 

sliced the chicken breast

and added it

then

squeezed a half a lemon over top 

drizzled the entire plate with a wee bit of balsamic vinegar.

Here is our tasty dinner.

Thank you to Julie!

Hope you try this recipe and if you do, I would love to hear from you.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~