Mid-August

Hello everyone!  I hope you are enjoying the summer.  It's really hard to believe it's mid-August.  We've stayed close to home this summer with a few day trips here and there, but mostly home.  I'm definitely missing normal life, and I hope that next year brings more normality our way.  I'm planning to homeschool our daughter for fifth grade.  We are going through an online classical Christian school program where she will have live classes throughout the week.  This will start up in September.  I'm excited for this new adventure.  We feel that it is the right choice for her and us for this upcoming school year.  

I made a strawberry cake, which was just delicious!  I ordered a new lampshade and matching pillow cover from Peony and Sage.  I just love it!  Also, you will notice in the last photo that little Rosie had her first grooming appointment and got a nice summer haircut.  She's feeling much cooler now, which is nice since it's 90 degrees almost every day.  

 

Take care and stay safe!

 

Happy July

Happy Fourth of July, friends!  It's very hot here - 90 degrees to be exact.  We are celebrating at home today.  I made sheet pan chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches - they are currently in the freezer and will be dessert tonight.  We are also planning to grill burgers for dinner and watch fireworks on TV a bit later.  What are you up to on this Independence Day?  

Holiday Baking

The first week of December, I decided to bake cookies for some family and friends just as a little early Christmas gift.  I ended up with eighteen dozen cookies and four dozen bars.  I made Chocolate Crackle Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies, Coconut Meltaways, Frosted Sugar Cookies, White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies (my favorite), and Chocolate Layer Bars from the new Smitten Kitchen Every Day book.  It was so much fun and made the start of the holiday season feel extra special!

What are you baking this holiday season?

Catching up

Hello friends!  It's been a while since I've had a chance to update my blog.  Life has been very busy since Charlotte started back to school last month.  We are back into our routine which feels nice.  Third grade has been a big transition from second grade for Charlotte and myself, really.  The children are expected to be much more independent this year.  She seems to be happy and adjusting well.  

I've been cooking/baking quite a bit which has also been very nice.  One of my favorite places to be is cooking away in my kitchen!  I made our favorite  chocolate cake and topped it with buttercream icing.  Twice a month, during the school year, I make this chicken noodle soup and stash it away in the freezer for school lunches and a quick dinner here and there.  I also made these delicious pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  I'll definitely be making them again this fall.  And the granola bars are a weekly staple in our house.  I almost always have these on hand.  They are perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. I add chocolate chips, raisins and pumpkin seeds to mine.  I also made dutch oven bread to go along side spaghetti and meatballs last week.  Lately, my lunch several days a week has consisted of leafy greens with olives, pumpkin seeds, Dubliner cheese and a big scoop of quinoa topped with lots of olive oil and it seems to keep me full all afternoon.

Hopefully, fall is beginning to arrive where you are.  We are still waiting on cooler weather, as it has been hot here since May.  Once it fully arrives, it will be much welcomed.  I am not a hot weather person.  Fall and winter suits me just fine!

Hurricane Florence has been making her way through our area over the weekend with just some off and on rain and wind - thank goodness.  I made brownies and cozied up on the sofa last night to watch a new Hallmark movie and it was delightful.  Yes, I'm a Hallmark movie junkie!

Snow Day

We enjoyed another cozy, snow day this past week, our second one this winter.  I love to watch the snow fall.  We are having a true winter this year and that makes me very happy!  So, basically I cooked and baked the whole day.  I made a big batch of homemade chicken noodle soup and a yummy chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting topped with fun sprinkles per Charlotte's request!

Also, I found an adorable new lamp at Target last week and I found the perfect spot for it.

  We are headed to Crate and Barrel tomorrow to pick up a few new things - dish towels, a new pot for a house plant, a white serving platter and maybe some other fun things.  And to Paper Source, so Charlotte can choose some cute Valentine cards for her classmates.  I'm excited!  Hope you are having a great weekend, too!

Happy New Year!!

Hello!  And Happy New Year!!  Just dusting off my blog a bit - it's been almost Two years since I last posted.  Wow, I suppose life just got really busy and then there is Instagram, so I seem to be posting mostly there these days.  But I miss blogging and hope to pop back in more often this year.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families and a very Happy New Year!  Oh, and I made some yummy dutch oven bread this past week which has been perfect toasted and topped with butter.  Also, making lots of soups and chili and spaghetti with homemade meatballs, as the weather has been very cold and blustery for the past few weeks.  We've also written thank you notes for gifts and bought a new lovely calendar for the kitchen.  It's winter and I love it!  Hopefully, we will get another snow before it's over.  My eight year old has her fingers crossed!

Lately

Hello!  I am so far behind that I don't know where to begin, so for now I will just update you on the last few weeks.  

The weather has been pretty amazing lately, a bit warm for October, but still very nice.  We took a day trip to Blowing Rock last week, and the weather was perfect, and the leaves were gorgeous!  I believe this is my very favorite time of year.

  I've also enjoyed getting my groove back on in the kitchen.  I made pumpkin muffins last week and minestrone soup.  Ina's chicken pot pie is on the menu for tomorrow with homemade biscuits... Yum!  And I'm planning to make smitten kitchen's spiced applesauce cake this week.  

Charlotte had the day off from school yesterday, and my husband and I took her to the zoo in Columbia - she had a great time!

December

December has been a very busy month so far!  A visit to the gingerbread house, baking cookies with friends, lots of hot tea for mom, lots of hearty soups and stews simmering on the stove, Christmas shopping, and Christmas parties.  I got sick last week with a yucky upper respiratory/sinus infection which put me a bit behind, but I'm catching up this week.  I've finished my shopping, and just need to finish wrapping our gifts.  

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas filled with lots of family and friends, joy and laughter, peace and happiness, and good food!!