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 items like they used to, and she said they were only going to carry 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 usually don't feel great after 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 or wind as the hurricane approaches 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 me this cute wreath 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 an Aperol spritz were 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 it is. I love summer, but August has been very hot and humid, and so has July. 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 without my mom around. Charlotte and I spent a lot of 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 planned 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!