Cozy Days

 Hi everyone! We've been having the most gorgeous weather lately. It's been sunny for days, and while the days have been a bit warm, it cools off nicely at night - perfect sleeping weather. Really, the perfect weather if you ask me. How's the weather where you are? 

Let's see... what have we been up to - homeschooling, lots of walks outside every opportunity we get, buying gorgeous dahlias from the farmers market, making lots of cappuccinos and cups of hot tea, decorating the porch for fall, taking a trip to the mountains over the weekend, and spending lots of time in the kitchen for me. It's honestly my happy place, and with so much going on in the world right now, I'm finding I want to spend even more time there. It's so relaxing and comforting to me. I made our favorite lasagna for dinner tonight, and a batch of pumpkin muffins with a cinnamon glaze for snacks and breakfast. They are perfect alongside a cup of coffee. I'm looking forward to having one in the morning! 

I have to admit I've already jumped on the Hallmark Christmas movie train. Hallmark began airing Christmas movies last Friday, and I couldn't wait to start watching. Although I'm not at all ready to decorate for Christmas anytime soon, I'm beginning to get excited about it. What about you? Are you beginning to think of Christmas, or are you in full fall mode?

Hope you are having a cozy day!

Happy Autumn and What I've Been Cooking

 

Happy Autumn! I hope you are enjoying this new season and that the weather feels cooler than it does here. I think it's in the mid 80's today. We've had a few somewhat cooler days here and there, and I have taken advantage of each one by being in the kitchen. There are so many cozy meals I love to cook, but not in hot weather. I have entered my cooking season. It's my favorite time of year to be in the kitchen, really, from now through the holidays.

So, in order from above, I'll list what I've made, but won't include the recipes. Please leave a comment if there's a particular recipe you would like, and I'll be sure to get it over to you.

First up: Homemade Meatballs in Marinara Sauce - a favorite around here, next is a Honey Cake which was delicious, Another favorite is Baked Ziti with Ricotta, Apple Crisp which might just be the best apple crisp I've ever made, Skillet Ravioli with Spinach - very easy and delicious, and last, Zucchini Pesto Lasagna which was time-consuming to make, but very worth it in the end.

So, what have you been cooking/baking lately? I'd love to hear about it. 

Late Summer

 

Hi friends. I hope you have all had a nice summer. I'm seeing signs of late summer all around me. Although it's still very warm here, everything is beginning to slowly fade, and the sun is setting earlier in the evenings. Autumn is just around the corner. In some ways, I'm ready for it, and in others, I'm just not quite there. I will miss the longer days, but I also love the coziness that comes along with autumn. I also love cooking in autumn. It's probably my favorite time of year to cook all the warm, hearty meals I love to make. I couldn't wait any longer and whipped up a batch of pumpkin cupcakes this week, and they were spot on. So, as you can see, I'm slowly warming up to the fact that autumn will be here before I know it. Are you ready for the change in season, or are you holding on to summer for as long as possible?

Above: Photos from our family card game night, which is always so much fun! A well-deserved beer at the end of a very long week two weeks ago. Sweet Rosie is cuddling her favorite toy. And Rosie was freshly groomed with cute bows that only lasted about an hour! Late summer garden. A cute new mug, which I treated myself to. Also, not pictured, but I'm happy to say I received good results at a follow-up appointment earlier this week. Thank you, God, for an answered prayer.

We will begin homeschooling again on September 5th, just about two weeks away. We are excited and looking forward to getting back into a daily routine. We are also trying to get in a few day trips here and there over the next few weeks before the busyness of school takes over. Happy late summer!

I hope to get back to more regular blogging. I'd like to start posting more meals I make and baked goods, along with recipes. I'm planning to make a meatloaf for dinner tonight, along with roasted potatoes with pancetta. Sounds perfect for a cozy Sunday evening dinner, doesn't it?

 

Happy 4th of July!

 

Happy 4th! I hope you are having a nice day celebrating and staying cool at the same time. We will be grilling hot dogs later this evening followed by strawberry ice cream topped with blueberry sauce and whipped cream - I can't wait! And then we'll go watch the local fireworks display. Happy Birthday, America!

Sunshine and Palm Trees

 

Hi! We are back from vacation in sunny South Florida. This post is full of blue skies, palm trees, and sunshine - my favorite things! We had the best time, and it was so nice to get away. We swam, took lots of walks, ate most all of our meals outdoors, enjoyed warm weather and sun every day, and just had a lovely time. 

It's Been A While

 Hi! Hello everyone. Just wanted to pop in and say hi to my blog friends. Sorry, I've been missing from this space for a while. I didn't intend to be gone for so long. My daughter and I both celebrated birthdays over the past few months, along with little Rosie, who turned three in April. 

Spring is always such a busy time, especially in May, which is the last month of school. Charlotte had finals this year, and she did amazing. We are so proud of all of her hard work. We had a wonderful year of homeschooling and are looking forward to doing it again next year. 

I've been cooking a lot lately, along with gardening - two of my favorite things! Above is our dinner from a few nights ago. A Mediterranean salad with roasted beets, lots of dill, olives, and feta cheese - I served it with grilled salmon. It was so good. I've been visiting our local farmers' market on Saturday mornings and buying so many wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables. I feel that I eat so much healthier this time of year. For dinner tonight, I made pasta with basil pesto and asparagus, grilled chicken, and a pavlova for dessert, topped with strawberries from the market this morning. Sorry, we ate it so quickly that I didn't get pictures! So, what are you cooking these days? Do you also have a local farmers' market that you visit?

Last week was Charlotte's first full week of summer break, and for the most part, we took it easy and just relaxed. We are slowly easing into summer, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We have one vacation planned for this month and, hopefully, another one in August, which we are looking forward to. I love the slow days of summer without much of a schedule. 

Feel free to leave a comment. I love hearing from everyone! Happy summer!

And I have to admit I'm squinting a bit too much as I write this post. I think it might be time to invest in a good pair of readers!

I'm so happy it's almost spring!

 

Hello, everyone! I'm loving the extra daylight in the evenings. And I'm happy that spring will arrive next week. Yay for spring and longer, brighter days! The winter really got to me this year. In the dark and gray days, I just have to say, I wasn't feeling it at all. Winter usually doesn't bother me very much, but for some reason, it just felt very long this year, and we didn't even get snow! The older I get, the more I feel the need for bright, sunny days. It motivates me. I keep telling my husband that maybe we should consider moving to Florida at some point. He didn't say no. 

Anyway, enough about the weather. Charlotte has the week off from school for spring break, and it's been so nice not to have a daily schedule. We've shopped, gone out to lunch and brunch a few times, slept in, and really did whatever we wanted to do - it has been really nice. Oh, and she got her ears pierced yesterday! Her birthday is coming up on Sunday, and she decided it was time, and she was ready. She looks so cute with her ears pierced. We are taking her out to dinner on Saturday night, and I'll be baking a cake on Sunday to celebrate with her grandparents. It's so hard to believe my baby girl is going to be fourteen!

Well, I guess that's it for today. I hope you all are doing well! Are you as ready for spring as I am?