2015 October | Bohemian Cottage

Magical Samhain Night

We made these enchanted candles to give a magical touch to our festivities.

One of our favorite holidays to celebrate is Halloween or Samhain. Sometimes we get a little carried away with decorations and treats, but it sure is fun! More is more! We had fun making some crafts, spooky flying fairy skeletons, enchanted candles like in Harry Potter and ribbon garlands to hang over doorways in Halloween colors and patterns. Food. We also made lots of tasty food. Spooky food. Ok, maybe not so spooky, but creative and festive for the occasion. I got lots of ideas from magazines and pinterest. Check out my Halloween board to see some of the inspiration. I discovered ways to take the inspiration and make it my own, and in some cases improving on the ideas. (read more)

8 Symbols of Happiness

My good friend Arianna has recently launched her blog, seekingabetterlife.com, that explores her journey in uncovering the truth about nutrition and health. She recently shared her 8 symbols of happiness and challenged her readers to come up with theirs. The concept is based on her favorite writer, blogger and podcaster, Gretchen Rubin’s The 8 symbols of happiness which was inspired by the 8 Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism.

My 8 symbols of happiness are…

Heart. I think without love there would be little that would make me happy. Romantic love, parental love, love for kindred souls, friends and my family… (read more)

Kale and Zucchini Torte

Gluten Free Kale Zucchini Torte with a Potato Crust

Kale and Zucchini Torte with fresh garden herbs and a potato crust.

We recently had a lovely brunch in my dear friend Rosie’s garden to show our support for the elimination of the pesticides that have been linked to the decline in bees. This fabulous Torte included ingredients that were pollinated by bees and grown in our garden. We grew the kale, zucchini, dill, thyme, and chives. There is just something about making food from what is readily available in the garden that feels so satisfying. This dish is a looker with it’s potato crust around the rim too. I did take mine out of the springform pan and then decided to reheat it, putting it back in, which in turn made the sides not stay in place as well. Don’t be like me, just serve it room temp if you take it to a potluck, it is just as tasty. I made this the night before our brunch. The flavors of the herbs and cheese was so fresh, light, and yet just a tad rich too. Mix it up, add different herbs, or cheeses, or veggies, add meat for your carnivores if you like. In true bohemian style, make it your own and get creative with it. Here is how I made it… (read more)