My new favorite salsa...courtesy of Whitewater Cooks.

My newest cookbook is chockfull of healthy and tasty recipes.

I am experimenting with more vegetarian dishes as I will be making some meals for my son and his wife when she has the baby in a few weeks.

I made this salsa and I believe it is the best salsa I have ever made!

It is a recipe that takes some time but it does make 4 cups,

 so I was not daunted by the task.

The ingredients are not exotic or hard to find.

They are full of wonderful colour.

Cilantro and red onion chopped.

Frozen niblet corn 2 cups

 with a large seeded red pepper, 

a wee bit of olive oil and brown sugar 

stir to coat

roast 20 minutes at 350 degrees in a roasting pan.

Dice the red pepper = 1 cup.

Zest and juice from 2 limes

a teaspoon of cumin and a teaspoon of chili powder and mix.

Homemade Bungalow salsa meet the Whitewater Cooks Salsa!

Shall we dance?

The power of suggestion...the internet...a long distance telephone call...a volcano...and air mail.

Something arrived in the mail...from Finland...look at the cute stamps!

metscan blogged about her donuts...

 (known as scrunchies here in Canada)

I am growing my hair and like to keep it out of my face when gardening, cooking, baking and boating.

I called mette's friend Tua in Helsinki and she arranged to have these sent to me...

there was a slight delay due to the eruptions of the Icelandic volcano,

 and here they are!

one green and one blue!

As an internet shy shopper this was a foray into murky waters for me.

I am pleased at the ease of the transaction. (so far)

I have obtained a money order from the banking institution and have popped it into the post.

Fingers crossed that Tua gets it...

after which I shall breathe a little easier.

Hermes scarves a luxe treat...and bittersweet.

I have been drawn to Hermes scarves like a moth to a flame...

I think it hearkens back to when my aunt was alive.

She donned only the finest in clothing, jewels and scarves.

I need to give you a bit of background here.

She was born into a wealthy family who were privileged and established...Old Money.

After her formal education she was sent to a finishing school abroad.

 She later returned and married my uncle, an officer in the Canadian navy.

 (I was the flower girl) 

High mass in an Anglican church and a catered garden reception...at their home.

I vividly remember that I very nearly fell into the pond trying to pat the ducks!

 (I was all of 5 years old)

My uncle retired from the forces and went back to college getting a teaching degree so he could spend more time at home with his growing family.

She kept most of her her money in the bank and lived humbly on his salary.

It interests me that my uncle managed to save money every year in order to give her expensive jewelry  at Christmas.

 She only bought the very best of clothes and scarves were worn tucked into the neck of her fur jackets.

She was very quiet, polite and proper.

Never over did things, showed restraint and class.

Unfortunately she developed lung cancer and died much too young.

When she passed away my uncle called me up and suggested I come over and look through her collection of scarves and choose one or two.

I felt too emotional to even consider the possiblity and I do regret that I was not brave enough to do this.

 I suppose my love of scarves runs very deep.

Hermes and the signature orange colour.

My first Hermes...

It happened in SanFrancisco!

I'll never forget...

my aunt.

I've been very naughty....

Sometimes....once in a blue moon, I want to eat something really naughty.
No, it's not chocolate, fries or chips....

Take some Rice Krispies....

some marshmallows...

some butter...

follow the directions...

and chill.

My mother never made these...

but as a teenager I did...

it's like a nostalgic trip back in time.

I'm taking them to school for treat day.

It's "May Munch" for the staff in the Library today!

White shirt basic and as versatile a garment that ever was...and then a polyvore collapse...

I have several white shirts...love all of them...so basic, so versatile, and can wear them as a shirt or a casual layer over top of a tank or camisole.

I like to layer pearls and beads at the neck, roll up the collar and cuffs.

This shirt is from Talbots, crisp cotton with even top stitching and buttons which are placed well and do not gape.

I can wear white shirts with just about anything...

Dressy black wool trousers from Precis Petite

Wool lined skirt from Joe...

I have worn this layered over a black tank,

and with the shirt under a black cashmere V neck sweater

and simply classic as the white shirt tucked in and worn with a skinny black belt and black boots.

DKNY jeans, old, faded soft as silk...

this image looks funny! 

the pants look like they are hiked up too high...LOL

(I am short waisted!)

They actually sit lower on the hips.

I cannot part with these...they are so old and worn, 

pants of memories, 

feel good pants, 

possibly related to the pants of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants!

I hope they are not too scary!

Here's another funny image...bow legs?

Giddy up!

OMG this is too silly!

I have these skinny jeans which are a great basic, slimming and they are BFF when worn with ballet flats.

Gap wide leg cuffed striped pants...

Hermes taking liberty as a belt...

I have so much respect and appreciation for those of you who can put together the Polyvore on the floor, 

the vignettes on the divan,

I am in dire need of polyvore tutorials!

I have tried but alas failed miserably...

look only if you need a chuckle

Silk lined skirt, good start.

meets vintage bakelite clamper bracelet...

sparkly top...and then it goes sideways...

how to fit it all in....

lose weight, buy smaller sizes?

 pretend...make the top look skinny, 

layer over the skirt, 

add bracelet as a belt...

burst out laughing...

give up and put the kettle on!

Tick Tock....

I have been pretty quiet on the baby front...

I am getting much more excited!

Lovely DIL looks radiant. 

She is naturally a little weary.

The baby's room is complete and all is in order.

Now it's a question of when the babe will decide to arrive!

I'll be blogging that news for sure!

Monday...a bit of everything really.

Here is the vintage birdcage from my BFF that I recently painted...

on the front porch with an ivy inside.

Atop my country cupboard in the unfinished laundry room.

Here it is again downstairs in my unfinished room.

I had to take Stickley the Bungalow Cat to the vet for her claw clipping and some dematting. Her arthritic joints are making it hard for her to groom herself. She hates the cat kennel carrier and lets me know by meowing at the top of her kitty cat lungs during the 10 minute car ride. When we enter the vets she must smell the other cats and dogs and she stops immediately. She is happy that the trauma is behind her and found a sunny patch on the carpet to curled up and went to sleep!
I met lovely daughter for some grocery shopping and then a sushi lunch. We thrifted for a bit and I got a large wicker basket to put my backyard veggies in when I harvest them. I  also found a vintage black leather clutch and a book on backyard makeovers all for under $10.

We stopped in at a second hand cum antique shop and I found a large black vintage tin tray for $10....to add to the black theme I have been chasing!

Domestics are nearly done, I am taking a tea break and blogging.
I have to get chopping as I am making a vegetable rich dish with beef shanks which will be simmered for several hours...it is bascially onions, celery, carrots sauteed until soft then brown the beef shanks in oil and add stock and simmer for 2 hours...its easy peasy and tastes great!
While the meal simmers I plan to read a bit...have been so busy gardening that I forget to sit and read...besides my muscles are a wee bit sore...so a good excuse...wouldn't you agree?

Weekend colour...not black and white...it's food this time!

I love colourful food!

It tastes good to the eye.

Carrots, beets, garlic cloves, rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil...

ready for roasting.

Mr. HB and I planted the raised beds with veggies yesterday.

Beets, carrots, bok choi, zuccini, basil, swiss chard, corn, and yellow cherry tomatoes.

I love being able to harvest some fresh veggies from the Bungalow garden.

The smell of fresh basil, rosemary and the tomatoes are intoxicating.

My local farmstand has great produce with that just picked smell and freshness.

I go there for seasonal vegetables that I do not grow here at home.

This is my market basket full from the Farmstand visit last June.

I usually spend about $25 and have a weeks worth of assorted veggies for Mr. HB and myself.

If I am entertaining, I buy lots more.

 I go over the top with a variety of dishes that scream of colour!

There's something special that makes the food taste better when you've tended and nurtured the seeds and seedlings, and watched them grow and mature.

If you don't grow your own, try to shop the local farmstand.

The farmers need our support.

My favourite local market has a line up of at least 20 people waiting for them to open up at 11 am...if you don't get there early you may not get what you want...and there is nothing more disappointing than eyeing up the patty pans or the sweet cherry tomatoes from back in the line and when it's your turn they're sold out.

Friendly banter and chatter among the waiting customers is common...

we bring our own baskets, boxes and bags...

it is encouraged to eye up each others baskets and bags...

we are practising the 3 R's

(Reduce Reuse Recycle)

  conversation develops naturally, 

laughter is common,

 children usually run in and out of the line up amusing and entertaining us.

I feel part of something, a connection with the grower and the earth.

It's a good feeling and I embrace it joyfully.

My Mother's Day bouquet is still looking lovely.

My giveaway date of June 17th seems faraway...

I should have chosen a different date, I apologize for making you all wait!

If you haven't yet entered please go here

Bungalow Books...storage angst and solutions.

Mr. HB and I are readers...he keeps most of his and rereads them.

 I take mine to the local bookstore in the village where they give me credit to feed my habit!

I keep a few choice books but as a resident here in the Humble Bungalow (read as space challenged)

I cannot keep much of anything.

I got tired of looking at a shelving unit down in the unfinished portion of the basement that had books stacked haphazardly this way and that.

I set out to find a solution and look what I found.

This is an improvement, neatens up the space and I can walk by without wincing.

Warning look away...

The drywall mud is still scary!

 I want to have the unfinished part of the house finished...

I hope it happens before I retire!

Now I need to tackle this mess...

"The Wave" was painted shortly after we returned from Tofino last May. 

I was inspired by the storm watch and the surfers as they rode the curls...

if I had a beach cottage it might be hung there...it's far too big for the Chris Craft!

Spring weather inspires me to de-clutter and pare down.

The sunshine illuminates the cobwebs that have gathered in the dimly lit days of winter,

hence the cleaner in me is awakened!

It's a renewing of interest in the domestics on the homefront that spur me on and fuel my actions.

The garden needs weeding and the edges need trimming and how fortunate that the sun is shining!

 I am planning to go to the nursery sometime this weekend and choose some vegetables to plant in my new raised beds.

Enjoy your weekend,

Hugs from the Hostess!