Hockey & This Holy Weekend

Hi Friends

First, an update. Matt finally made it home Tuesday - yay! and thank goodness. And we were able to go to Annie's hockey banquet together this week. I can't believe my baby is a senior and this wraps up the sports I've been following her do since she she was almost 4 years old. 😢 But I'm beyond proud of her. She received some special awards. Then the seniors all got up and said some words and Annie looked at Matt and I and thanked us specifically and talked about her hockey career at her school and the connections there. She was so eloquent and Matt & I both had to wipe away some tears. Pretty cool moment. 

💗💗💗

But today, Good Friday, is about this for me. Time with my Lord and thanking Him for all He did for my sins. I will be fasting all day, doing more devotional time, and working in hospice today in His name. 

Saturday will be a time of anticipation. We will clean and tidy and I'll prepare some of the menu ahead for Sunday. And I will continue in deeper devotional time.

And then Sunday will come and shine bright (it's actually supposed to be in the 40's and sunny - yay for melting the snow!) ☀️ And we will go to church and worship and rejoice. And then come home to host family for Easter dinner in the afternoon. My Mom & step Dad, my Brother & my SIL Jill, my kiddos (+ Aaron's sweetie, another Jill), and Matt & I will all gather and eat ham dinner with all the sides, visit, laugh, have dessert, play games and enjoy a wonderful day together. I even have little easter basket goodies for the kids (can't help myself). I'm so grateful for abundant blessings in my life thanks to He who saved us all! 😊💕

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Easter if you celebrate. Blessings to you always!

✝️🌷🐰 

**images courtesy of Pinterest

Happy Homemaker Monday

Happy Monday Friends 

I hope you're starting the week with a smile and some sunshine!

That is definitely not the case here. March came in so lovely and it felt  like wonderful early Spring was here, almost the whole month! Until yesterday. 🙈 Snowmaggedon decided to show up. We've already gotten like a foot or more of snow. And another foot is expected today. It's "pouring" snow, if that's a thing? So March came in like a lamb...but it is going out like an absolute lion. Geesh! We were even on the Today show for a second to show our area getting slammed. See pic below

But I know it won't last. And I'm grateful it hasn't been like this all month. I just feel badly for all the lovely green things that had started popping up, and the sweet little critters all in tune with Spring - and now getting slapped in the face with all this crazy blizzard weather. It sounds like tomorrow freezing rain is going to join the party and it's going to be quite something around here for another few days. Not that we aren't true northerners and we know how to deal with it...but it doesn't make it any less of a pain. 

The other bummer part for me is that my sweet Matt has been out visiting and helping his folks in AZ. He's supposed to fly in tonight. I'm not sure that's going to happen and he may be delayed a bit. 

Enough whining. I'm truly trying to embrace it since there's nothing else I can do. I was out shoveling this morning so Ruby would have a place to "go" that isn't all over the deck. So I went an shoveled a path on the deck and a potty circle out in the yard. And then I throwed snowballs she loves to catch and eat. And I even made a snow angel! If you can't beat them, join them right? I feel SO grateful that my body has been feeling so good and that I'm capable of all of these things again. I keep exercising faithfully and I'm getting stronger in every way and I LOVE IT! And I have been sipping tea and reading my book and trying to finish my cross-stitch and working on home projects. Embracing the cozy of it all. 

Another blessing is that my sweet Annie had been on a trip with her dad and she got home this past weekend. So she got quality time with her dad and her Brother - which is so good. But she made it home in time before the bad weather. And school was canceled today - maybe even tomorrow. So we get extra bonding time. 💗

I believe attitude is everything so I chill about the things I can't control and choose to embrace the rest. 😊💕

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

I think we've practically had 3 inches already today - another 5-8 predicted tonight. Sigh

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

yogurt, coffee

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

Annie's hockey banquet, Easter dinner groceries & errands, hair appt, a few things to do at the rental house, hospice work, book more excursions for upcoming Europe trip, home projects, more shoveling! Lol

THINKING ABOUT:  

Spring where did you go??? 😢🌸

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE

It's cozy and peaceful. I can hear the hum of the humidifier as we've still been in the season of heat running - so it helps the rooms not feel too dry. Even without the sun it feels bright because of all the white fluffy snow outside. It's looking like a winter wonderland out there for sure. I have soft Celtic music playing from alexa in the kitchen and I'm playing a pretty johnnie lawson youtube video from Ireland with a forest filled with blue bells and birdsong. It just makes me feel better. :) 

Ruby and Bubba are both napping. 💕

CURRENTLY READING

 reading Ready or Not by Cara Bastone 

This is still such a good book. It reads like a movie and I love the characters. I'm finally taking time to read more so I should be done with it in another day or 2. 

ON THE TV TODAY:

Jeopardy, Call the Midwife, LPBW, The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy,  Survivor, The Rookie, Password, Love on the Spectrum (I watch this one myself - it just makes me smile so much), New season of Blown Away on netflix (glass blowing competition show Matt & I like)

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

*supposed to start Hello Fresh this week and get delivered today. We'll see how that goes?? Lol

    MONDAY -  just Annie & I (at least until late) so we will probably have mac & cheese Lol (healthier kind - Annie's brand) and some frozen grapes, veggies and dip

TUESDAY -  Creamy lemon spinach ricotta ravioli w/ bell pepper and parm, salad (HF meal and one of Annie's faves)

WEDNESDAY -  hockey banquet night

THURSDAY - caramelized onion meatloaf sandwiches w/ potato wedges & horseradish dijonnaise, I might add salad/fruit (HF meal)

FRIDAY -  light salad or even fast the whole day as it's Good Friday

  

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

read, cross-stitch, work on our bedroom (clean/organize - going through my clothes to donate lots)

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

*I will often do this if there's a "chore" I really don't feel like doing. I don't race it necessarily. But I set the timer and think that's how long I'll work on this project and let's just see how far I can get in that time. For some reason that is more motivating for me. Lol

FROM THE CAMERA:

Matt enjoying March madness in AZ and getting time with his folks and lovely sunshine too! Not that I'm jealous or anything. Lol

But he sends text like this out of the blue and I'm a happy girl 😍

Finally moved a bunch of books from our bedroom to the office room (still in progress room) and organized the bookcase a bit. Love a bookcase with other interesting bits besides just books. ;) 

A working out momma on the regular 💪🏻

Although Annie is trying to sabotage me bringing back my favorite candy bars from Canada (where she was on her trip) And they went to an Ottawa senators hockey game and it was their pride game and she grabbed an extra shirt they had there - so I could have one too. ❤️🧡💛💚💙

Sweet babies and they have been SO snuggly on me when I was the only human here with them for a while. 

embracing the cozy with ambiance and soft music, Ruby on my lap and reading

I took this pic just last week before these horrible blizzarding days showed up!

Now it's more like this out my windows. 

Ruby's potty zone. Lol

chairs before and after

that is a lift bridge on big Lake Superior (not very far from me) on the today show this AM 

But in this house still thinking all things Spring and bunnies and Easter ahead. 🐰🌷💚

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For His Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere.  For healing for both of Matt's parents as they continue to deal with their health issues. That Matt's dad have good results from recent tests. 🙏🏻💕

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. Stay cozy wherever you are Friends. xo

Old Fashioned Lemon Bars

 

OLD FASHIONED LEMON BARS

Hello dear Friends and happy Thursday to you. 

I had a girlfriend over the other night so we could catch up on life together. She's also a neighbor of mine, but we haven't gotten together in months and we were overdue to connect. So she brought some wine and dark chocolate. And I cleaned out some nibbles from my fridge and made up some charcuterie. However, I knew I wanted to make a little dessert too. My Mom and step Dad are coming over for dinner in the near future, as well, and I thought I'd make some lemon bars as they are my step Dad's favorite (really almost anything lemon is)...and I knew it'd be a great dessert for that night too. So 2 birds 1 stone kind of thing. 

Here's the nibbles I made for my gf and I. I know I'm a nerd and cut out the sausage and cheese with a little flower cutter. (Yay Spring!🌸) Just some veggies and dill dip, sausages and cheese, and taco dip...

To go with the medley of different taco chip offerings. Lol

And some leftover boursin cheese I had in the fridge to go with a few types of crackers and some fruit. Not in the pics, I had also made up a batch of frozen grapes that you toss in sugar-free jello before freezing (about 20 minutes)...and it makes them taste like candy. A healthier treat! They are so good and you can use whichever flavor jello you like. I did orange flavor. It was all a very yummy "girl dinner" Lol 😋

And then I made the delicious lemon bars. 

I have had this recipe for years. I initially got it from my former MIL - and she had gotten it from a great Aunt of my former FIL's. (you with me on the family connection there? Lol). Anyway, the point is it's a tried and true old fashioned recipe and they always turn out soooo good! And I always think of them this time of year. They're so bright and Spring-like in flavor. Wonderful for an Easter dessert too. 🐰 🍋

**side note: follow my directions for how I tweak them a little so they're not too sweet. You'll see the note in the directions of the recipe.

I thought I had already shared this recipe here before...but I was looking at my recipe tabs and couldn't find it. So I thought I'd share it with you today.

I halved this recipe to make a smaller pan (8x8) and they turned out awesome. Otherwise, for this recipe make them in a 9x13 pan and lightly spray with cooking spray. 

Preheat oven to 350*

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. flour, plus 4 Tbsp later

1/2 c. powdered sugar, plus extra for on top

1 c. cold cubed butter

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 c. sugar

6 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

For crust:

 Blend together the 2 c. flour, 1/2 c. powdered sugar, and 1 c. cold butter. I blend mine with a pastry blender - but you could use your hands too. Pat down into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until starting to get a little golden. 

While that bakes, beat the eggs lightly. Add the sugar and fresh squeezed lemon juice. **(I always do a tiny bit less sugar and about 1/2 to a whole extra tbsp lemon juice, otherwise I find them too sweet and less "refreshing" But do them according to your taste, you can't go wrong.)

Blend the eggs, sugar & lemon juice well. Then gently fold in the extra 4 tbsp of flour and the 1/2 tsp of baking powder, until it's fully incorporated into the wet mixture. When the crust is done, take it out of the oven and let cool only about 3-5 minutes and pour the wet mixture over the hot crust. Gently put back in the oven. Bake another 20-25 minutes until the bars are set and a little golden brown on top. Take out and let them cool completely. Once cooled, sprinkle a lovely amount of powdered sugar all over the top. Cut into bars and serve. 

There it is in all it's gloriousness. (that's a word, right?) The crust is kind of crispy and super buttery. The middle is gooey, bright and has tons of lemon flavor. I'm puckering now looking at it! And the powdered sugar on top makes them perfection. Just don't laugh, talk, or sneeze when you're taking a bite! 😁 

I don't urge you to make these - I COMMAND you to, they're that good.

Enjoy!

I'm going to share this tomorrow with the blog Shabby Art Boutique and her Create, Bake and Grow party. You can find her here. Go check out the fun here. Have a blessed weekend ahead. 

xoxo

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