A quick hello

 

Hello friends! Just a quick hello and a few pictures from the week. The sunset was gorgeous on Monday evening after it had rained all day. I just started reading the cutest, holiday rom-com. I love sitting out on our back deck reading in the warm, afternoon sunlight. And also, my afternoon cup of tea - matcha today. Are you a fan of matcha green tea? I've tried so many different brands, and I can say Pique is my favorite. Ryze also isn't bad - it's a mushroom matcha so it has more of an earthy taste.

 Okay, so I need to go start on dinner - Swiss Chard and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells in Marinara Sauce.

It was a good week. Have a great upcoming weekend!

Vote!

 

Tomorrow is Election Day here in the US.  I voted early a few weeks ago. Pray and vote, my friends.

Glorious October

 Hello friends! Oh my goodness has this been the most gorgeous month! Blue skies, sunshine, and comfortable temperatures every single day. October is usually our best weather month here in NC. After our hot and humid summer, it's a breath of fresh air literally. I'm spending as much time as possible outside, going on daily walks, and soaking it all up. 

Recently, we spent the afternoon in Blowing Rock enjoying the gorgeous weather and going out for dinner. Sorry, I didn't get any pictures of our meal, but it was wonderful. We also visited my favorite garden center The Mustard Seed for pansies, violas, and pumpkins. It was a really great way to spend the day. 

I've been spending lots of time in the kitchen, too. I made a wonderful turkey chili amongst lots of other things. I bought a new non-toxic Caraway frying pan which I love and would recommend if you are in the market for a new one. If I'm buying healthy foods, why would I want to cook them in something that could potentially release toxic chemicals into my food? It's not something we often think about, but we must be aware of what we are cooking with. I mostly cook with Le Creuset cookware - I love their Dutch oven and brasier, but I wasn't a fan of their frying pan - everything seemed to stick. Le Creuset is an investment. It will last you for many years to come. I cannot say enough about the quality of Caraway though. I'll likely be buying more.

Oh, and if you have slipcovers is there anything better than a freshly washed slipcover? I recently washed my sofa cover and it feels so clean and fresh.

I've also been watching lots of cozy autumn Hallmark movies in the evenings. They are the best!

Charlotte and I had a fun girls day out and about last Friday and I didn't get any pictures. We went shopping at J Crew Outlet and she found several cute, new things for fall. I found the softest, coziest cardigan. Afterward, we went to lunch followed by Barnes & Noble - I could spend hours there, Williams Sonoma and Trader Joe's which is always fun. It was a much-needed, fun day. Charlotte has been working super hard this semester so she was ready for a nice break. 

Have a wonderful day! Enjoy this beautiful time of year.🍂

Easy and healthy lunch recipe

 

Hi friends! I hope you all are well and are enjoying this gorgeous October day. I'm praying for the state of Florida and all who are in the path of this horrific hurricane that is headed your way. Please stay safe! 

I wanted to share my lunch with you today. Actually, I make this lunch for myself quite often. If I don't eat enough protein with each meal, I just end up overeating and snacking to make up for it. I also love garbanzo beans! They are packed with protein and fiber and help keep you full. So, here's my easy salad recipe... I use mixed salad greens, but you could use any type of greens or lettuce you like. Preheat your oven to 325 F. I drain a can of garbanzo beans and lay them out on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan - drizzle them with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, and roast them for 22-24 minutes.  I usually toss in kalamata olives, and sometimes cucumbers to my salad. I also love to add fresh parsley when I have it on hand. Top your salad with the roasted chickpeas, your favorite dressing, and that's it! Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Dutch Baby

 

Hello friends! Happy October! It seems like September absolutely flew by. Okay, I've made this recipe four times in the past month! It's wonderful for this time of year as it is apple season. It's perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast and I hope you make it this weekend. Your house will smell amazing - like apples and cinnamon - like fall! And it's really easy to make! Be sure to top it with a good drizzle of pure maple syrup and eat it as quickly as it comes out of the oven. Your family will be so impressed!

I wanted to thank you all for the kind comments on my last post. Thank God my brother and sister-in-law are safe from the hurricane, but so many here in Western North Carolina are suffering from the devastating Hurricane Helene. Please continue to pray for the people who have lost their homes, businesses, and sadly their loved ones. 

I went to Anthropologie yesterday in search of a new cute fall mug or dish towel and sadly found neither one. I asked the sales associate why they didn't have any cute seasonal things like they used to and she said they were only going to be carrying clothing from now on. Why?? I mean you can order more things on their website, but it was always so much fun to look at everything in person. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I hope the weather truly feels like fall where you are. I'm planning to do some fall baking and watch some cozy Hallmark movies this weekend. What are your plans for the weekend?🍁

Hurricane Helene

 

Hello friends. My family and I are safe from the hurricane - thank God! Although many people in our town do not have power, thankfully, we do. These pictures were taken by my brother at their home way on top of a mountain in Linville, NC. His area was hit so hard. Western North Carolina was hit really hard with tornadoes and so much flooding.  Certain areas received thirty inches of rain in twenty-four hours! The area (Chimney Rock) where my daughter went hiking with her youth group last Saturday was completely flooded and washed away. The restaurant where they had lunch is gone along with all the others in that town. It's just so sad. So many people have lost their homes and businesses. 

My brother doesn't have power and cell service is very spotty, but they do have a generator running sparingly in the evenings. He had a kind neighbor stop by today to help clear all the debris off his truck and make a path through the yard so they could leave tomorrow. His driveway is a complete mess. Thankfully, his home wasn't affected by the hurricane or tornadoes, just the grounds. They likely won't have power restored in his town for at least a week. They are planning to go to Charlotte which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from where they live and rent a place until they have power back. Praying they don't have any issues getting out tomorrow as so many roads are closed now.

Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic destruction to so many in Western NC. Please continue to pray for the people who were affected by this horrific natural disaster.

**UPDATE - My brother and his wife were able to get in touch with a friend who lives in Blowing Rock which is about forty minutes away from where they live. She has power, running water, and cell service at her home. They are heading there today and will stay with her until their power is restored. They should have power restored no later than this Friday.

Bouncing back

 

Hi friends! I didn't mean to be gone for so long. September has been busy with homeschooling and getting sick... ugh. Charlotte came down with strep throat and a sinus/upper respiratory infection a week ago Friday and I, unfortunately, came down with the same thing last Wednesday. She kicked it in about five days and is feeling back to normal now. I'm getting there just not as quickly as her. I still have a bit of a sore throat and took an hour nap again this afternoon. I'm not a napper, so I'm usually not feeling great if I nap. I hope to be feeling back to normal very soon!

Charlotte recently completed her second embroidery and it turned out beautifully! It's a fun hobby and she really enjoys it. She's working on a new one for Christmas. 

My flower garden is still going strong, thankfully. Hopefully, we don't get too much rain and wind with the hurricane coming up our way from Florida. I'm ready for true autumn weather. Our weather lately has felt more like summer than autumn. It's been warm and humid. What's the weather like where you are? Have you bought pumpkins yet? We planned to last weekend, but that didn't happen. Hoping we get around to it this weekend. I'm excited to add some more autumn to our front porch!

I'll be back soon to share the recipes I promised to share in my last post. Isn't Rosie the sweetest snoozing with her little paw up by her face? Well, I'm off to make another cup of hot tea. Have a great week!

Happy September and Back to School

 

Hi friends and happy September! It feels like early fall today - sunny, low humidity, nice breeze, 74 degrees - perfect! My summer flower pot looked really sad, so I picked up a gorgeous mum and replaced it over the weekend. I also hung my fall wreath on the door. My dear mom gifted this cute wreath to me a few years ago and I love it! Is it feeling like fall where you live? Have you decorated for fall yet? Usually, I don't decorate this early in September, but I felt very ready for this new season.

Also, it's back to homeschooling today and we are super excited and ready for this new school year. It's my daughter's first day of high school! Yes, I said high school. She's in 9th grade this year and I can barely believe it. I'm praying it doesn't go by too fast. I'm so thankful we can homeschool and that it works really well for our family.

I'll be back soon with a few new recipes I want to share with you. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Out and About

 

Hi! Happy Tuesday. A cool front came through last night, bringing much lower humidity and temperatures. Yay for some nicer weather! I'm planning to take a walk later today.  

Thank you for all the nice and thoughtful comments on my last post. They are very much appreciated!

Recently, we spent a late afternoon/early evening in uptown Charlotte. We visited the Modern Art Museum along with the Mint Museum. It was a scorching day and we were looking for something cool to do and this worked out perfectly. The museums were so nice and cool. I didn't get any pictures inside, but there was so much to see. After we finished up at the museums and walked around uptown for a bit, we stopped in a new-to-us adorable French restaurant. We weren't very hungry from all the heat, so a charcuterie board and Aperol spritz was the perfect summer dinner. I love the energy of being in a city. It really energizes me. What about you? Are you more of a city mouse or a country mouse? I'd say I'm more of a city mouse for sure. We live in a suburb of Charlotte. We are about a forty-minute drive from uptown Charlotte. It was a great way to spend a hot, summer afternoon!

August

 

A stormy August sunset, a sweet and cuddly Rosie, and our favorite chocolate chip cookies! That about sums up August so far. We are at that point in the summer when I'm ready for school to start back soon. Charlotte is ready, too. Online homeschooling actually begins on September 3rd. I miss having a schedule. Some days I have to ask myself what day is it? I love summer, but August has been very hot and humid, and July, too. I'm slowly getting ready for fall and some cooler weather. I actually like fall, just not what comes after it - winter. What about you? Are you ready for a new season?

This summer has been very different for us not having my mom around. Charlotte and I both spent so much time with her, especially during the summer when school is out. There's definitely an emptiness there. And it's hard to believe it's been five months since she passed. She's very much missed that is for sure. 

I had another post I was planning to post today from a recent day out and about, but I just felt like venting and sharing what's on my mind and how I'm feeling at the moment. Thanks for listening dear friends. I'm very thankful for all of you!

I have an acupuncture appointment tomorrow which I am looking forward to and we have a fun day of shopping and lunch at Charlotte's favorite restaurant - BrickTops planned for later this week. Be back soon!

Baked Ziti Recipe

 

Hi! Happy August! I wanted to share this easy and delicious baked ziti recipe with you. I hope you make it soon. It's perfect alongside a salad or toasted baguette. It makes a lot which is great for leftovers the next day. 

What are you up to this weekend? Charlotte has belt testing for karate tomorrow which is exciting! This time tomorrow she will be a Blue Belt. She's very dedicated and has worked very hard - we are so proud of her!

Have a great weekend!

S'mores Bars Recipe

 

Here's the recipe for S'mores bars I promised to share this week. Okay, I know this is not a great photo, and I only took one as we devoured them as soon as they came out of the oven! These are made with maple syrup, coconut sugar, and coconut oil. They are a healthier version of S'mores bars and they are delicious! You can make your own marshmallow topping or just buy them. I used these as they are free from corn syrup, gelatin, and artificial flavors. I hope you make them! My daughter is begging me to make another batch. They were a big hit! 

Hope you have a great day! It's pouring rain here as we've had so much rain lately and I'm missing the sun!

My Summer Garden

 

Hello! Happy Sunday! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. How's the weather where you are? It's warm and very muggy here with afternoon thunderstorms most every day. I love summer, and I'm not bothered by the heat, the humidity is another story. My wildflowers are loving this weather, though. I planted all of these from seed. They are really showing off this year! Flowers bring me a lot of joy. It's also nice to have a cutting garden out my back door. 

I wanted to share a recipe for homemade S'mores bars. However, my laptop is being stubborn and will not download the photo I wanted to share. So, I'll share it a bit later. Have a great week! See you here again soon!

Happy 4th of July!

 

Good morning and Happy 4th of July! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating. We will grill hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner and make homemade chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches for dessert! Then later this evening we will go watch the local fireworks display.

Have a fun and festive day!

God Bless America!

What I've Been Cooking Lately

 I hope you are staying cool wherever you are. It's 90 degrees where I live today. We are still in the middle of a heat wave, with highs expected to top off around 96 degrees on Wednesday until we cool off a bit on Thursday. Although it does cool off some in the evenings, so we can sit out on the front porch or back deck, as I'm doing now. I love sitting outside and hearing all the sounds of summer. Currently, I hear birds, crickets, and cicadas. Oh, and I see a few fireflies flying around. I love that it's 9pm, and it's still somewhat daylight! The AC can't seem to keep up with all the high heat, though, and the house is relatively warm, especially if I turn the oven on.

As you can see, I have a few times. I made our favorite meatballs, which are rather easy, and I don't have to turn the oven on for this one. I tried a new pasta dish from my new cookbook. It's a corn pesto pasta, and it was just ok; the corn made the dish too sweet, and I'm not a fan of anything sweet with my pasta; I probably won't make this dish again., but it wasn't bad. I don't have Valerie Bertinilli's new cookbook yet, but I plan to pick it up soon. I came across one of her recipes from the book here. It's the four-cheese baked ziti, and it was delicious. Everyone loved it, and we had leftovers for dinner the next day - even better. I also whipped up a very easy cheesecake from Smitten Kitchen, which was quite good. I know it's not the best picture, and it's supposed to get very dark on top, but it was nice, light, and silky and was delicious topped with a drizzle of homemade hot fudge, our favorite; seriously, I could eat this stuff by the spoonful, and I do! Other things pictured here - I still like to have a cup of hot tea most days, even during a heat wave! I picked up some peach iced tea bags, which are perfect for these hot summer days. Peach tea just says summer to me. It was not homemade by me, but a delicious loaf of cinnamon raisin bread from the farmer's market. So, how are you staying cool these days? Are you doing any cooking/baking/grilling? If so, what are you making? I'd love to know. 

Charlotte and I have a girl's day planned for tomorrow—pedicures, lunch, and some shopping. It'll be really fun, and we are looking forward to it. I hope you have a great week!