Bungalow Dinner and Decorum

I am hosting the Annual Christmas Dinner at the Humble Bungalow. I now need to polish the silverware and get the groceries!
My organic free range turkey will be ready on Wednesday morning at the butcher and I have just realized that I need new dinner napkins. So tomorrow I go shopping!

The table will be set with the gilt edged Royal Albert china in Lavender Rose, the crystal will be the Flamenco pattern, the flatware, Rogers and Co. Silvery Lace circa 1974...the year of our marriage!

I am happy to host, I love my family. It will be loud, there will be laughter, and so much chatter that one cannot catch it all.

We have Christmas crackers, wear the paper hats, read the jokes and trade the wee prizes.

On the menu:

Cocktails

English Cheddar, Gone Crackers, Italian Olives, Candied Smoked Salmon Candy

White and Red BC VQA wines

Turkey Stuffed with Bread crumbs and Giblets with Sage

Gravy

Whipped Potato Bake

Sweetlet Peas

Maple Baked Sweet Potato Dish

Roasted Brussell Sprouts

Baby Roasted Carrots

Scissor Buns

English Trifle

Coffee, Tea, Drambuie, Bailey's

Rum Balls, Scottish Shortbread

followed by

a reading of the individual "fortunes" in the Christmas Crackers

And possibly games!!

Scents and (S)cents-ability

 

I love fragrance and have a few favorite scents.

Lavender, maybe my #1 in my repertoire of scents. I grow it in the garden and have sachets in my bedroom and bureau. Soaps are a great way to enjoy Lavender. Harrods makes one that lasts a long time and scents the bathroom. (or your lingerie, if you keep it in the drawer with your lacy knickers!)

Rose, not from a bottle, but from a bloom, Abraham Darby, Jude the Obscure, Constance Spry, Gertrude Jekyll, among others. Citrus, heady, old fashioned, and sweet.

Beeswax candles as they warm and illuminate. I have enjoyed scented candles but I always come back to beeswax. I buy them locally, they are a Humble Bungalow staple.

Coffee, especially in the morning! French or Italian.

Fresh boughs, balsam, cedar, pine and fir. Crisp simple and earthy.

Potted paperwhites, strong, heady and sweet.

Scents are evocative, they bring back memories,....my mother wore Shalimar, my father Old Spice,  and my grandmother Noxema!
One Christmas I received a gift set of Evening In Paris, cobalt blue bottles of eau de toilette and parfum and that was the beginning of my journey into the world of scent.
I have worn quite a few, some that come to mind are Ma Griffe, My Sin, Paris, Rive Gauche, Tresor, L'air de Temps, and 24 Faubourg.

My mother wears Chanel #5 exclusively now.

What scents speak to you? Have you travelled the heady world of parfum?

 Mulled wine scents and intoxicates the bungalow as it steeps on the stove.

Recipe for Humble Bungalow Mulled Wine
1 large orange studded with 12 whole cloves
2 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. demerera rum
24 ozs. dry red table wine
Roast orange studded with cloves for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.
In a large pot heat the wine until almost boiling, add the sugar, rum and the clove studded orange. Simmer on stove top to keep warm.
Ladle into heavy glass mugs.
Enjoy!

I have doubled this recipe when hosting an Open House. Popular and inexpensive...scents and (S)cents -ability!

Humble bungalow at Christmas

Welcome to the Humble Bungalow!

Dard Hunter doormat...we wore out the WELCOME on the last one!

Our front door at the Humble Bungalow.

Dining Room

Family wreath made from vintage glass balls and vintage rhinestone brooches.

Vintage silver glass balls in a trophy in the family room.

Fresh holly and greenery beside my orchids in vintage matte white pots.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Random Acts of Shopping!

Casino Royale

Monte Carlo conjures up images of the fashionable and the chic jet set.

 James Bond is OO7

Click Clack

The sound that the heavy lucite makes as the chips drop.

                                

 I purchased this stack of Plaques in a local shop.

I believe they were used for Baccarat.

I have been unable to find out much about the Casino or if they are genuine or a reproduction.

I do not mind either way.

               

Houseguest

I have little time to blog at present as we have a houseguest for a few days. She is snug below stairs in the small but cozy space that was our daughters bedroom. I redecorated as soon as our daughter moved out. Mr. L says I was pushing her out the door with one hand while painting with the other! Not quite true!

I try to be a good hostess and supply comfortable accommodation, food, conversations and spirits! Outings about town are planned and  tonight we are taking in a film, as yet to be decided. Dinner out, restaurant as yet to be chosen! Last evening we dined in and had a simple supper of ham, scalloped potatoes, salad and broccoli.

 I have a very busy week at school before the annual Christmas vacation, today is the pancake breakfast for the students and families. The 3rd annual Nog N' Nosh is on Thursday and this event happens at Nutrition Break in the Library. My co worker and I set up festive tables, bring in home made appies and baking, we serve egg nog and teas.  Friday early morning we have the staff breakfast at school and we all sign up to bring something, I am doing organic, artisan sausages with a variety of relishes. One will most certainly be Branston Pickle, a Humble Bungalow staple.

Must get breakfast organized, fresh fruit salad, coffee, Liberte yogurt, and bagels. Then I am off to work...guest has house keys and she is off for a hair appointment and then a pedicure today.