Festive season snippets..all is calm, all is bright.

The festive season is in full swing...
socials, lunches, parties, shopping, baking, gift giving, concerts, Christmas Carols, decorations, egg nog lattes and gingerbread houses are just a few of the highlights that I savour and enjoy.
It is a busy time of year.

Maintaining balance and calm we like taking a drive in the country and having a healthy lunch in a waterfront bistro.

These beautiful swans look pretty content nibbling in the farmer's field.

You can see the pumpkins in the back ground and the raindrops on the window of Mr. HB's car.

Caesar salad with kale and romaine lettuce.

Served at Haro's waterfront bistro in the Sidney Pier Hotel.

I spy with my little eye a wee kitten in an Advent calendar...

in one of the shops along Oak Bay Avenue.

Felted animals...

I have a serious crush on these charming wee cute and cuddly creatures!

Christmas Tree in the lobby of the Laurel Point Hotel where we took in the annual decorated gingerbread house display.

The baking and decorating of the gingerbread displays is quite impressive.

I remember trying to make one years ago and it listed so far to the right that it fell apart!

Neighbours are decorating...

the streets looks quite bright and festive.

Oops 

a gold bauble blew down in the gale force winds...

I stopped on my walk to capture the image not realizing that I would be visible in the reflection.

I'll be posting sporadically over the next weeks as there are so many wonderful and engaging activities to enjoy.

Right now I have my nose firmly planted in Louise Penny's latest novel 

the Inspector Gamache mystery series..."The Nature of the Beast" is brilliant!

If you have never read Louise's books start with the first in the series and work your way up.

She uses the same characters and they develop over time.

Thank you for stopping by...

OOTD what I wore to a party.

Tis the season to be sparkly...fa la la la la la la la la.

OOTD

Vintage Woodwards sequin top

Black Nygaard velvet pants

Stuart Weitzman patent shoes with gross grain bows

Hand sewn sequins = Holiday sparkle.

Ready to go...

I had my hair cut and few layers put back to free up the natural curl.

I opted for bright Red lips for the evening...

Hand hammered sterling earrings...vintage.

Standing by the fridge so that Mr. HB could take a picture for me to text to lovely daughter.

My arms are so short that a selfie would not have worked.

The food was catered by Julie.

The Tapas were delicious and  totally amazing.

She kept them coming hot out of the oven...I don't know how she does it!

The tasty skinny bread sticks were a big hit.

Tapenaude, stuffed dates and fig spread, assorted cheeses, nuts, crackers, a frittata type tarte.

Smoked salmon, beef tenderloin, crispy cubes of pork belly.

Lox, cream cheese and caviar...I enjoyed several of these tasty morsels.

Love how the caviar "pops" a salty sensation when you bite into it.

Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and grilled.

My favourite were the Lamb "Popsicles."

Fresh off the BBQ and drizzled with curry sauce.

Vikram Vij has a recipe for these in his cookbook.

later on in the evening...

With a fun group of people

good food

great conversations

a present exchange 

bubbly

wine

Single Malt Scotch

we had all the ingredients for a Party.

They all came together to make for an enjoyable evening.

Thanks again to Julie!

Walking in between the Windstorms...

We had a brief respite from the storms that have been pummelling our coast and the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky.

What a lovely view!

The blue sky was such a gift after so many days of gloomy grey.

I felt so much energy walking along the seafront.

I found myself smiling to myself and to those that I passed by.

This seagull let me get quite close to take a photo.

The sun illuminated these trees and cast an amber glow.

The shoreline was littered with large logs washed ashore from the storms.

They are tossed around like match sticks in the winds and some land on the sidewalk and the road.

The pavement was full of rocks and pebbles that had been thrown up by the cresting waves...

it was a walk where I had to look down often so as not to trip.

It felt wonderful to breathe in the salty air and have the sun beam down and warm my face.

There was not even a hint of a breeze...

on the way back home the sun was setting into the sea

another day done.

Earlier in the week 

on one of those ghastly windy days 

I splurged and had a facial.

I have not had a facial for ages and ages...

it was a lovely experience being pampered.

It was my first visit to Sapphire Day Spa.

The lovely young woman who takes good care of my feet in the spring and summer months moved to this spa which is located downtown.

She used a line of organic skincare products called Eminence.

I love the variety of products that are targeted to individual skin care needs.

I purchased a couple of "Starter kits" with smaller sample sizes.

I will be switching over to this new line as the products are remarkably effective.

While I was out buying a few gifts, I found two new bras 

(which I needed)

 Olga and Triumph bras at bargain basement prices.

Then on the way to the check out I zigzagged to the clothing racks...

Black and Blue with a touch of mustard yellow = leopard

This Chaus top is just what I needed to "perk up" my black and grey wardrobe.

I bought some new skinny jeans with a "higher waist" 

Mom Jeans 

(so much more comfortable now that my mid section is wobbly)

The waist is not tight at all, the spandex in the jeans acts as a tummy tamer!

Hope that you are pacing yourself and enjoying the Christmas preparations at a reasonable speed.

Give yourself permission to reduce any unwanted stress...

take away anything that is not necessary.

Christmas will still happen and everything does not need to be "picture perfect."

Please do not exhaust yourself...stay calm.

Be realistic and choose to celebrate traditions that are most important to you and your family.

Ask for help, delegate some of the jobs or cross them off your list!

"Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life."

~ Marilu Henner ~

Parisian lunch...

Last Spring when I visited Paris I savoured the delicious food served in cafes and restaurants.
The breakfasts consisted of croissants, yogurt and fruit served with strong coffee and steamed milk.
They kept me going while I walked for many hours exploring the various arrondissments.
When I needed a rest I would stop at a wee sidewalk cafe for lunch...

I took a cooking class at La Cuisine and learned how to prepare duck.

I have not made it yet since coming home but it is on my "list of things to do!"

This cookbook is full of great recipes and there are stories and snippets that go along with each section.

I love his simple recipe for making omelets.

Beat 2 large eggs and add 1 teaspoon of cream or full fat milk.

Toss in some herbs, salt and pepper.

Lay a handful of Arugula or Mesclun greens on the plate.

Dress with a little vinaigrette.

Melt butter in an omelet pan on medium high heat until it foams and bubbles.

Pour egg mixture into the pan and cook until the edges are set.

Top with a little grated cheese.

Here is the basic recipe as seen on Page 133 of David's book.

You can see that I am a messy cook dripping bits and smudging the pages...

I think these little "splodges" left behind show which recipes are used most often.

Slip a large flipper underneath the omelet and flip carefully...

roll over on itself and out of the pan onto the plate.

Lunch is served.

Low in calories, filling and with every bite I recall the sights and sounds of the Parisian Cafes.

Taste and food can transport you back in time...

A beautiful Hellebore flower seen on my walk.

I managed to get out for a 5K walk yesterday between the windstorms...

right now as I write this the winds have whipped up again and the trees are straining and bending with the sheer force of the gusts.

I'll be back with some more photos from the walk but right now I have an appointment and I do not want to be late!

Cooking and Shopping...an antidote to cabin fever.

With the windstorms and the rain I have spent a lot of time in the house...
I am not walking as much due to flying twigs and snapping tree limbs
plus my walking partner has been pre-occupied with ailing family members.

What have I got to complain about?
in a nut shell, nothing!

I am just feeling a tad bit grumpy...and I want to shake this unsettling feeling asap.

Maybe I have "cabin fever,"
I am not sure...
that is what my Grandmother called it when she stayed in for a long time...

We actually chatted about this on the phone when she was alive...
I was home with toddlers...she with arthritis and a dodgy hip.

When your cat stares at you for a long time...

you wonder what he is thinking.

I am not one that has truly befriended idleness 

so I tie on my apron and get busy.

Cooking and cleaning are so therapeutic...

Store made BBQ chicken and salads were an easy peasy Saturday night dinner.

(after the neighbour's Cookie open house)

The next day it was transformed into a Chicken Pot Pie.

 It was not a Weight Watchers friendly supper...

BUT 

it tasted darn good.

I lapsed 

and did some online shopping at L'Occitane.

I rarely do this but Mr. HB was watching hockey!

I got a gift card and some small hand lotions as a bonus for shopping the site

plus there was free shipping...

In the frenzy of activity and between storms I popped over to the club.

Where there is a quiet spot to sit for a cup of tea

before

Mah Jong, Bridge lessons and games.

Eggplants were on sale at the market...

I have always been fascinated with them and I prefer to call them Aubergines.

I have no clue what to do with them so I posted on Facebook asking my "friends" what recipes that they might share with me.

One particular friend suggested I try Eggplant Parmigiana.

So I did a Google search

and then Martha Stewart's recipe popped up!

I served this to my Mother and Sister as a side dish for dinner.

Delivered some at lunch time for our amazing DIL 

and 3 gorgeous children to sample.

Took time out to take tea.

I feel infinitely better when I sit and have a cup or two.

Not so crazed after quiet time...feel like a new woman.

ready to take on new challenges and boldly go....

Just saying that this is my kind of Fur! (FIR)

I am hoping to get out for a long walk later this week but in the meantime I am keeping busy.

Hope that you are having a great week!