Thanksgiving thoughts and Flowers...

Thanksgiving was a blur of cooking and company.
Family, food and flowers...

There are leftovers in the fridge, the silverware and china has been washed and put back for another gathering.
So much preparation is required, new recipes tested and then served with love and care.
It always amazes me how fast it's over...
laughter and hugs,
an adorable red headed grand daughter,
an 84 year old Mother who is now also known as Nana
our grown kids
a husband who generously rolls up his shirt sleeves and gets busy in the kitchen after the guests have all left...
we sip wine in between washing and drying
chatting and sharing the joy that family brings to our lives.

Family mean so much.
They are at the very core of my being.
I am sitting here with my mug of coffee, a tear in my eye and a heart full of JOY.
The Bungalow is quiet but I can still hear the sounds of the family if I listen really carefully
it's as if the walls have ears...

Lovely daughter brought these.

These roses are the last flush of Climbing Royal Sunset.

I hope very much that you have much love in your heart.

It's a great day to go out and have yourself some serious fun today.

In gratitude,

your Humble Hostess

XO

Soup and Shopping

I don't know about you but I find a bowl of soup extremely comforting especially on a cold day.
This is exactly what I was looking for when we went out for lunch.
Nourishment, warmth and comfort during times of stress.

Chicken Penne Soup with dumplings...

After lunch we strolled along the streets lined with people who were darting in and out of the retail shops.
Energy and a real mix of consumers, young and old alike carrying bags with recognizable logo's.
ROOTS, LULU LEMON, GAP, EDDIE BAUER to name a few.

On my list of things to buy this season was a new pair of Yoga pants in black and my first stop was LULU.
(my other Yoga LULU pants, in grey, look brand new and are probably about 8 years old)
The cost is higher than many brands but the value is beyond my humble expectations,
so naturally I went there first.

I ventured into the store leaving Mr.HB sitting on the teak bench outside happy to people watch.
It was a crazy busy scene inside the store and I felt like I could have been in the Robson Street location in Vancouver B.C....
Seriously not at all what I would expect for our quiet little city. (obviously I don't get out much!)
Thankfully they had lots of staff on to help customers and many change booths made for a speedy experience.

Reusable bag

capri length

perfect for a height challenged gal! 

slits at the back

anti slip headband which I also wear in the garden

hair falling in my face bugs me no end

Mr. HB and I think their logo reminds us of Marlo Thomas's hair cut 

from the 1960's and 1970's when she starred in the TV series "That Girl"

I wore these when I watched a light hearted romantic comedy 

Ghost Girlfriends from the Past

with Matthew McConaughey.

I crave comfort when I am feeling weary or ill.

Cocooning at home wearing comfy clothes stretched out on the couch under a cozy blanket

is so soothing.

Just want to say I am prepping the food for our Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey ~ Veggies ~ Crustless Pumpkin Pie

and more.

I'll be boiling the carcass and making soup as soon as possible.

Happy Thanksgiving!

MIA or White Wednesday

I have been MIA..
a little longer than originally planned.
We had a bit of a crisis as Mr. HB's 94 year old mother fell and broke her hip.
We have been worried sick and sitting at her bedside in the hospital trying to reassure her. She's' very confused and anxious and even though the surroundings of her private room are modern, clean and calming they are unfamiliar to her.
It's early days and we are not out of the woods just yet...

In the need of a wee diversion I am indulging in a
sneak peek of the newly renovated powder room.
Before the towel racks and all the fluffy stuff is in place.

it's a small room on the lower level of The Humble Bungalow

which will be used mostly by guests and the occasional quick trip in from the garden.

tiny window which needed a privacy treatment for modesty's sake

a custom made blind fits the bill

from Home Depot

at a not the break the bank price

I know what you might be thinking...

not only does the Hostess like to wear black and white she decorates with it too!

It's not the glamourous sunflower shower head like we have upstairs

the smallish acrylic shower stall does not lend itself to luxury

it's rather more like economy!

I will test the shower out when we get the shower rod and curtain installed.

 I realize that I've done a White Wednesday post 

although not a wordless one...

it's completely coincidental i assure you.

See you again when things settle down.

I'm trying to keep Mr. HB and I on an even keel in these stormy times.

So I've been busy in the kitchen turning out nutritious meals

despite the late hour that dinner gets to the table.

It would be so easy to resort to junk or fast food but I cannot abide this habit in times of stress.

I crave warm good food, home made of course.

Be well.

Humble Bungalow Tour Day!

All the cleaning and gardening has been done and we are ready for the arts and crafts tour from Seattle.
I grabbed my camera and snapped a few images of how we look before the tour bus arrives.

Thankfully there are still some blooms in the garden.

I found some cheery mums at the garden center.

Yellow looks good against almost any backdrop.

Yellow on the front porch

Welcome to our Humble Bungalow!

Hey Jude!

Jude the Obscure has a few flushes of flowers.

wilting autumn crocus and drooping limelight hydrangeas

still they add a bit of interest and some colour

a dear sweet rose whose name I have long forgotten

soft blush pink that fades to white in the sunshine

lime coneflower sits atop the French garden table

not yet completely finished laundry renovation

laundry room clock

cyclamen in a matte green arts and crafts vessel

in the powder room

dining room

close up on the roses

more cheery yellow

This is how our wee Humble Bungalow looked when we first purchased it!

She's come a long way baby...

I think she looks pretty good for 100 years old!

I'll be taking a wee blogging break 

 I think Mr. HB and I deserve to have the rest of the weekend to relax!

Thanks for stopping by...

~ ~ ~

Hostess

Eleventh hour Chicken ~ fast and tasty!

We had a roast chicken on the weekend and I served the leftover vegetables, chicken and gravy on the Monday night. Come Tuesday there was still some chicken left waiting for some inspiration...
After two cups of tea and perusing my cookbooks looking for a miracle meal I rolled up my sleeves, put on my apron and got busy chopping.

Eleventh Hour Chicken was created out of sheer necessity and a desire for some comfort food that could be made with what I had on hand.

Onions, garlic, red peppers, green peas, chicken meat cooked and cubed, coconut milk, red curry paste, sugar and fish sauce.

Basmati rice.

I love my rice cooker!

Perfect rice every time.

I sauteed 2 thinly sliced onions, a couple of cloves of garlic and thin strips of red pepper until soft.
Pour in 2 cans of coconut milk, whisk until it boils, then add 2 tablespoons of red curry paste, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce.
Reduce the temperature and stir well to blend.
Next the chicken to heat through, and lastly the frozen peas.
Simmer on low.
(I would have used green beans instead of the peas if I had some and I would have added a can of bamboo shoots to make it more like a Thai coconut curry)

The aroma of the coconut milk is scenting the Humble Bungalow kitchen

and wafting beyond...

red curry paste is a great thing to keep on hand in the fridge as it adds so much flavour

love these prep bowls and use them lots

Mr. HB gave them to me one Christmas

he's pretty creative with his gifts especially when he finds himself in a fabulous kitchen shop!

waste not want not 

chicken day #3

Cost of free range organic chicken $30

3 meals

 2 lunches 

chicken stock for the freezer

this makes good economic sense to me

Yum this smells so good!

oops

I forgot to wipe the sides of the bowl!

Bon appetit

dinner fast and easy

and this one is good enough to serve to guests.

~ ~ ~

What fast and easy way do you deal with leftovers?

Olive wood...or post 700!

Mother and I went to the Home Sense store and trolled the aisles for a few items.
Home Sense is a bit farther than Mother likes to drive so she has made it clear to me that anytime I plan to go I am to ring her and see if she wants to tag along.

I replaced the curtains for my closet as Chester shredded my other pair and we found some new kitchen gadgets for Mother...
her things are starting to break and fall apart, I suppose after 50 plus years of use one should expect this to happen. Most of her wedding appliances are still in use and show no signs of fatigue. I think that we are on our second or third set of most electrical things and we have been married for 38 years. I suspect things are made to be replaced and not designed to last forever like they used to be.

I did come home with something that was not on my list and I'm quite pleased with it as it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well as functional.

Olive wood Italian cheese board.

What a wonderful way to use up the wood of an elderly olive tree.

With grain so interesting it would seem a shame to use it as firewood.

The instructions are very simple to keep it looking good

wash with a mild soap and a bit of water and occasionally oil it with...

Olive Oil and buff with a soft cloth!

I'd love to get my mitts on a large board like this one for bigger chopping jobs.

I'd even consider leaving it on the counter in plain view.

Mette has fabulous taste.

If you have not met up with her on the blog metscan please do yourself a favour and pay her a visit.

Her kitchen is a work of art and her philosophy is rather like William Morris's

~ ~ ~

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. 

William Morris 

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

Pasta salad, a post surgical meal.

One of my colleagues recently had to undergo emergency surgery and will be off work until after Christmas so a bunch of us are prepping and delivering meals to her home so that she rest up and focus her energy on healing.
There is a great array of dishes that people have chosen to make and many she will be able to freeze.
The deliveries will be once a week by a designated co worker so as not to tire her out with all of us keeners ringing her doorbell.
We all wish her a speedy recovery...

I have mentioned her before on the blog as she is the chic French femme who eats her burgers with a knife and fork and could wear a paper bag and make it look like haute couture. If you could see how she dresses and ties her scarves you'd know in a heart beat that she is as feminine and French as can be.

I chose to make a simple but nutritionally packed pasta salad.
She may decide to eat this for her lunches or add it to another main course.

It makes a large bowl and is really tasty.

It's a great dish to take to a pot luck dinner too.

Bon appetit!

If you can help someone in need ~ please do.

~ Bungalow Beautification ~

Living in a 100 year old registered heritage home comes with responsibility and means keeping on top of the maintenance and is not for the faint of heart.
There is always a long list of things that need doing and we take on a few projects every year.
Mr. HB has been quite busy around here in The Humble Bungalow this month. Besides priming and painting downstairs in the laundry room he's been working on the front porch.

Here is the new front door made by a talented local craftsman Percy, an exact replica of the former 100 year old one that was seriously delaminating. The hardware is new and in the Craftsman style from Classic Brass.

Mr. HB has been busy down in his workshop testing out stain colours to get just the look and shade that we like.

The original bevelled glass was saved and used in the new door.

Mr. HB painted the old house numbers black as they were corroded from the salty ocean breezes.

For the same reason we replaced the porch light...

Waterglass Studio 

had an arts and crafts style lamp suitable for the porch.

There will be a bus full of arts and crafts enthusiasts coming through our Humble Bungalow this month.

We have been busy cleaning, tidying and tending to the garden 

 putting our best face forward.

Do you remember the glove?

I read Faux Fuchsia's post this morning and was astonished to read that her "baby" is now 18 months old!

I remember clearly the day she announced that she was expecting him and it seems like yesterday.

Time marches on...

Chester napping and groggy after his surgical procedure yesterday.

Poor little fellow...

we had to entice him with treats so we could give him the pain medicine this morning.

When one adopts a rescue kitten part of the agreement is that you will have them spayed or neutered.

I am keeping him company and blogging from bed.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it!

Hope that you have a fabulous weekend!

Hostess

XO

Do you judge a book by it's cover?

Technically speaking this is a magazine not a book
I did buy it based on the cover...

Modern Women: why we need to take control now

Amazing Fashion Under $100

Spend Less, Look Great

131 Flattering Styles

Stop Emotional Eating: Here's How

and the best

slow cookers

concealers

fitness trends

September 2012 Real Simple $5.99

The tea is steeping

the sun is shining

dinner is planned and I am taking a wee break after a busy day...

it's just me and the cats here in The Humble Bungalow.

Pepper is happy as she got some cuddles and treats

Chester just loves the sunshine

he "helped" me put a load of laundry in the washing machine.

He'll be around to help when it's time to fold it too!

Not too much is happening here but that's OK with me

I don't need or crave drama or excitement.

I like the simple life.

How about you?

Eating local ~ morsels of goodness.

Tasty, juicy and sweet.
Three words that sum up Nature's late summer offering / gift ~ freshly picked local black berries...

alone or with some cream

 Mr. HB prefers his

 atop of some Coconut Dream "ice cream."

Any way you choose to serve these morsels

they are delicious.

One of Mother Nature's late summer harvests

so worth buying 

or if you are lucky enough to find a bramble 

picking your own.

Look at the size of these beauties...

I've had some on hot oatmeal

and a few stirred into Greek style coconut yogurt.

I can't quite say I've had my fill of these yet.

I hope this sunshine sticks around awhile longer and ripens the rest of the crop.

Is your mouth watering yet?

I do hope that your week is off to a fabulous start.

Please tell me what fabulous things you've got planned.

~ ~ ~ 

Hostess