Bungalow Blogging: Dinner in a wok, a G&T and a Thrift Shop Find.

Start with a great wok...mine is in Lime by Le Creuset

A variety of fresh veggies: I used mushrooms, celery, onion, pea pods, yellow peppers

Noodles, Braggs, Sweet Chili Chicken sauce

Small amount of protein: You can use Tofu, beef, chicken or pork.

I used skinny slices of lean pork.

In hot oil saute 3 cloves minced garlic gently...do not brown or the taste will be bitter!

Put noodles into boiling water for 1 minute and drain, set aside.

Saute veggies

Add pork and stir fry

Add noodles and stir fry some more...

I serve with extra Braggs.

   All that chopping and frying can make a girl thirsty!

G&T 

P.S. Look what I found at the thrift store!

I was buying a gift certificate at the restaurant near the thrift store for one of our staff who is retiring and I thought ...just go in for a minute and peek.

Denmark, circa 1959

Take it with a grain of salt........Piet and I have some things in common!

Salt mill of choice Peugeot

The salt we use in our mill

All the salts

French salt sifted from the sea...

Imagine the salters in the blue waters of Geurande wearing Breton shirts and berets netting grains of salt for me to use here in the Bungalow!

C'est impossible!

It's O.P.I......when it comes to fingers and toes...

O.P.I. base and nail varnish

Colour...Peru-B-Ruby, 

I love the names of their products.

Lovely daughter thinks that it would be a fun job to come up with the names!

(I don't Boliva Peru-vit!)

This is a challenge for me...feet were up on the bench, head bent down, lights turned up, glasses on, ready steady go....these crazy toe things hurt!

I love having pedicures but I hate chipped nail varnish more and that's what happened...

  Hostess to the rescue.

While I was in the mood I did my fingers...

Fingers are easier as the varnish is clear and very forgiving...no "orange stick" required.

Maybe I should wear a toe ring and no one would notice if there was a smudge...at least the Yoga gals wouldn't notice unless they were peeking while posing, which our instructor reminds us... 

"to keep our eyes soft, averted and looking inward."

I'll put my best foot forward when I am doing the warrior pose!

Namaste

Is the Hostess domestic...or just going through the motions?

Dinner tonight:

A "Hearty" Salad

Spicy Italian sausages

Mac n' Cheese

I am keeping it simple as I have had a very busy day.

I got lots accomplished and feel satisfied.

I helped out my mother, had tea with her and a long visit.

Took dinner to my son and DIL as they are both ill with colds.

DIL is looking radiant with only 8 weeks to go in her pregnancy!

I tackled weeding the driveway, which is gravel, luckily it is only about 20 feet long.

It was sunny this morning when I woke up and now it is drizzling rain and the skies are dark and ominous looking.

I did some ironing and for me that is a big deal.

I am not very good at keeping on top of it, I let it pile up and then do it all at once.

Ironing= Procrastination in the Humble Bungalow.

I have a great iron, and a portable board,

so no excuses...

 I do dislike the screeching sound when I open it up, maybe that's off putting enough that I ignore the wrinkled shirts hanging around the laundry room.

I even iron tee shirts!

How does one iron this puffy sleeve?

What was Ralph thinking

maybe a steamer instead of an iron?

It really doesn't matter, I iron most of the shirt and skip the pouffy bits.

I still love this shirt and it is 3 years old if memory serves me.

I love easy peasy dinners after a busy day.

What do you cook on a busy day?

Bungalow Comfort-Family, food and furnishings

We have been eating homemade Mac n' Cheese since the children were young. 

It was a budget stretcher and a well loved casserole.

Back in the 80's I had a habit of shopping for arts and crafts furniture and pottery using the food budget money!

The kids were active participants in my escapades.

Partners in crime!

I'd buy some new piece and have it in the Volvo, the 3 of us would bring it inside, rearrange the furniture, put some fresh picked flowers or greenery in some vases, and I'd make dinner...mac n' cheese.

When Mr. HB came home I'd have a drink ready for him and would hand it to him as soon as he took off his coat....that was when he would look around and say OK...what's new?

The kids would be giggling and waiting for his reaction. I would be somewhat sheepish, crossing my fingers and hoping that he would approve of the newest item.

Those were the days when arts and crafts furniture was uber trendy and Barbra Streisand was paying top dollar for her Stickley pieces at auction.

I found most of our furniture in local shops and was a recognised collector. 

I patronized the various establishments on a weekly basis.

I splurged and bought a lovely glass fronted china cabinet which cost $500.

  That was the year of our 10th year anniversary, July 1984.

I remember the date because Mr. HB gave me diamond studs!

We were frugal in some areas and that allowed us to slurge in others.

Bungalow Mac n' Cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain.

Grate strong cheddar cheese, set aside.

Make a white sauce or roux.

In the same pot that you cooked the pasta add 1/2 c. butter melt, and whisk in 1/2 c. flour until blended and smooth, add 2 c. milk, and cook stirring 5 -10 minutes and then add 2 c. cheese.

Whisk until blended.

Remove from heat and put pasta in a casserole, add cheese sauce.

Top with panko crumbs and scatter on top 1/4 c. cheese.

I put foil on top of casserole to keep it moist while cooking.

Put into the oven 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 Bungalow Mac n' Cheese is very nostalgic nosh.

It transports me back a few decades.

I smile when I remember the mischief that we got up to in those early days of home ownership, and the joyous days of raising our family.

I revel and cherish the memories of when our children were young.

The adventures and simple joys in our daily round.

  Most activities were free or cheap.

We made our own fun and laughed a LOT!

We had to, that was what sustained us, and bound us together, it was the glue factor.

Are there comfort foods in your home?

Do they stir up memories of times past?

Flattery...will get you everywhere!

FCUK leather ballet flats, I swoon! 

(and my feet are very happy too.)

                      Made in India

I am back from the getaway with feet planted back on terra firma.

What a whirlwind weekend!

There was a slight delay due to the extreme winds but we arrived safe.

(Mr. HB is in the Bungalow garden replacing the roof on our shed as it blew off while I was away!)

Is it legal to enjoy one's self as much as I did?

Just the simplicity of getting away...so refreshing as new views are like new eyes.

There is an energy and excitement that accompany travel.

 You need not go far and it doesn't need to cost the earth.

We shopped and explored and dined.

I am so fortunate that lovely daughter shares the same taste in food. 

We shared starters and salads and then each had an entree.

She is very portion conscious, and I am striving to adopt that tactic.

It is interesting to me that I am learning from her as she once learned from me.

 The goal of the getaway was to relax and buy some fun things for her.

She cat sat for us several times and we feel indebted to her and wanted to show our appreciation.

She will also be celebrating her birthday in a couple of weeks and will be starting a new job in 6 months as she will be transferred.

She got a great assortment of wonderful clothes at a remarkably low cost.

A trench coat, a green safari type jacket, several tanks, some trendy tops, a buttery soft leather pair of what I would call spectator or oxford shoes, sox, and a mocha Marc Jacobs cross body bag as seen here

I admire and am in awe of how she chooses and wears the artful combinations of clothes.

(She is the lucky one who inherited the fashion gene from my mother.)

Lovely daughter in law is also gifted with the fashion gene.

I did see lots of sumptuous shoes...Loubouton, Tod's, Vivier, Ferragamo, Chloe, and so on....

I am hard on my shoes so for me to invest $600 on a pair of flats just goes against my grain.

I did follow LD into FCUK...doesn't that remind you of a curse word?

They have the cutest garb...LD loves their line....I browsed too but the cuts are too lean for my body...but not for my feet....what's this? shoes!

Oh my, and aren't they just as buttery and soft and ooh la la, they are like a soft bed for my toes!

Did I mention that we walked about 8 hours both days?

Great exercise and a lot of fun!

I have caught up on my blog reading and I am off to stock up on food and am flaunting my new flats... content and grateful to be back home in the Bungalow.

Hope that you all had a Happy Easter Weekend.