Fab Finds: Themes it Seems

Yes - it's true. The birds are migrating. Summer is turning to fall and it is time that feathered friends head south for the winter. I love the reliability of these migratory patterns. I am reassured by them. I like watching the birds that stop off in our communal yard and compete with the squirrels for food. I like the last lazy warm days of summer and getting ready to tuck in my home for the winter.

I was inspired this summer by the birds that chatter and chirp in our yard to create a bird theme in my funny little garden. It seems with the hint of autumn that the inspiration is migrating indoors with my latest fab finds! I am just crazy about these bird-shaped salt and pepper shakers from Pier One. So much so, I bought two sets - one for each end of the family table. And, noting my enthusiasm for the cheeky pairs, the sales clerk pointed out these darling bird-patterned side plates. How could I resist? It will be like summer all year long.

And of course, needing somewhere to put all these finds of mine, hubby and I also purchased a new sideboard. I have to admit, it is a knockout beside the teak table and adds extra storage for serving platters and teacups. My imaginary french country kitchen is woefully short of cupboards. (I'll have to dream some up!) And what fun we are having rearranging artwork and furniture to accommodate this newest piece! (well, I'm having fun - can't speak for hubby.) It is a perfect nest for my treasures.

Speaking of treasures, my mother passed along these china mugs to me this summer. China mugs are my one weakness and these ones belonged to my Great-Aunt Helen who passed away a few years ago. She was one of the truly great dames and taught me much about life, leisure and accessorizing. Along with these lovely china mugs, I possess several of her many costume brooches and a lifetime's worth of elegant fashion advice but that is for another blog!

Summer Holidays

Deeply enjoying my summer holidays with my hubby in the Comox Valley. Sun, sea, trees and an abundance of fresh food at our fingertips. Time with old friends, family and one another. Here are a few pictures and I will be back with my regular weekely blog in a few days.

Picnic spot at Kitty Coleman park

Our view

Fresh onions, destined for EVOO and the BBQ grill

The author at rest

Eat Play Snooze

Southwestern BC is in the midst of  a heat wave and I, for one, am enjoying sweltering it out in weather that reminds me of childhood summers. I come from the Kootenays where summers are hot, winters are snowy and spring and fall are seasons of their own. Even though I have lived most of my adult life at the West Coast, I have always found it a little unnatural to pack a  sweater around in summertime and to be chilly sitting outside on a midsummer night. So, I'm loving the heat and especially loving the summer lifestyle. The temperature in the Fraser Valley went up to a whopping 39 degrees on Sunday so we sought shelter under some big, leafy trees and enjoyed a breeze from the river and a potluck birthday picnic with friends. Here are some  summer scenes:

Time to eat: A big umbrella keeps the food shaded. A blanket buffet!

Potatoe Salad, BBQ chicken, hard-boiled eggs and pretty plates. Netting keeps the flies away.

Something to read...or perhaps nap.

My summer feet - dirty ones, just like the ones I had when I was a kid.

Some pretty summer feet - birthday girl and birthday presents.

Birthday cheesecake, hand made table(ground)cloth, summer roses in a jam jar.

This was a day of lingering contentment. Time spent with friends - talking, playing bocce, napping, reading newspapers and much good eating. Our theme: Eat, Play, Snooze.

Next month: an autumn picnic - featuring sweaters, campstoves and barnesgirl's percolated coffee!

The Pleasure of Picnics

Not wanting these lazy summer afternoons to pass us by, hubby and I have been practicing our picnics by lunching in the backyard. I think there is a certain art to the spontaneous picnic. Partly, it is just being willing to move outside and sit on the grass instead of on patio furniture and partly it is having picnic accessories on hand to make it easy.  Here are my eight tips for the perfect backyard picnic.


1. Have a really great and sturdy basket handy, so you can pile things out of your fridge and into the basket.

The view from under our magnolia tree

2. Use real plates and cutlery, I like real glassware, too and little plates with french sayings on them - after all you have a sturdy basket!

3. Use cloth linens - the cuter, the better - cotton or linen with embroidered fruits and veggies on them do nicely. I also use odd linens that I buy in second-hand stores for picnics.

4. Bring a really great picnicky looking blanket, preferably scratchy wool. (ours comes from Wales and can endure almost anything).

5. Set up under a tree so the food can be in the shade and gazing upward with a full tummy is dreamy, leafy pleasure.

6. Keep the food simple - bread, sliced sausage or cooked chicken, pickles, sliced cucumbers, cheeses (and grainy mustard for a gourmet flourish). Berries for dessert.

7. Bring a jug of lemonade.

8. Share your feast with the love of your life. Berries taste better hand-fed, and even the most mundane conversation becomes poetry in the shade of  a magnolia tree!

Browsing through Books: Summer Reads

In a few weeks, hubby and I will be setting off for a week of holidays - these will be during the dog days of summer and we are hoping to enjoy long, slow days of reading, walking, cycling and - of course - cooking, canning and eating. We will be housesitting for friends who have an acreage, near the seaside. Our lucky friends are touring France and we will look after their garden and rabbits and spend our days beachcombing, picnicking and visting local farms and market stalls to check out the fresh produce, cheese, fruit and seafood.

(I started out to blog about books and ended up on food. How does that happen?) Anyway I am gathering up my summer reads so I will have a good stock of books beside me on the deck, at the beach, and on the bedside table. My picks:  The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger (a period novel is a must-have!), The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner (a kind of travel book, involving the search for happiness - for some reason, I love to read travel books when I'm on holiday - and I do love vicarious epiphanies!), The Tenth Muse, My Life in Food by Judith Jones - a memoir (about food, food-writing, Julia! - say no more) and Immunity to Change by Kegan and Lahey - (yes, this is a work-related book. I am heading to Harvard for a coaching conference in September and have signed up for a workshop with the author: Very Excited and Want to Be Prepared.)

I'd love to hear what you are reading this summer! Sign up with a google account and follow my blog and we can share book recommendations. Book club starts again the fall!

Fresh Blueberry Cake

For those of you following the Blueberry Blog, here is the recipe for Fresh Blueberry Cake (same as the Rasberry Cake!)

1 c flour
3/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

1/3 c buttermilk

1/3 c butter, melted and cooled

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c fresh bluberries ( to fully cover cake)

Crumb Topping:

1/2 c brown sugar

1 T butter

2 T flour

Combine dry ingredients. Beat egg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet. Mix well. Spread in a greased 9X9 baking pan. Place raspberries evenly over top. Sprinkle on crumb topping. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

This cake is delicious slightly warm, at room temp or cold, with fresh whipped cream or ice cream  and garnished with fresh berries. 

Eat it and swoon.