Happy Homemaker Monday (on a Tuesday)

Hello, happy Tuesday, and Happy September to you Friends!!

🍎📚🍁🌻🧡

Yay, we've begun the "BER" months...the best months of the year in my opinion. I love the Autumn season so much. And it's the season of our wedding anniversary (1st one under our belt very soon!) ❤️ 

And then all the fun holidays also show up under this time frame too. Not to mention the beauty of changing leaves, cooler temps, and cozy hibernation with the ones we love. 

Did you have a lovely weekend? (holiday Labor Day one for my friends in the states) We did and that's why I'm posting late. We were at the lake cottage until last night. We went up and helped Matt's folks out some more. His Dad is healing well from his hip replacement, which is wonderful! And it was actually lovely weather this time so we were in the lake pontooning and swimming! Matt's Mom and I did almost a 2 hour workout in the lake. 💪🏻 It felt great! 

I have been enjoying a lot this summer and fell off from tracking my calories and working out as often. Matt has still been doing great and has kept off his goal weight which was losing 30-35 lbs. I have maintained my initial 12-15 lb weight loss...but I want to lose far more. 

So I made a pact with myself to move every day this month. Even if not always in a miles kind of way (like I did in my workout this AM), even if it just involves toning or yoga or going golfing.  Just doing something that benefits my physical well being in some way every day. And I'm logging all of it. Calories, exercise, water etc. The ways I have always lost weight is when I keep track, hold myself accountable, and do a calorie deficit and maintaining it. The benefits are not only weight loss but my joints and arthritis hurt less; I sleep better; my brain feels better; and I can do all the things I enjoy doing without pain (ie: go on long walks, golf etc). 

Don't get me wrong...I never stop enjoying baking, meal planning, cooking yummy things. Especially with the fun baking season ahead! But I keep track of it all and make sure my calories stay below a certain amount in each day. 

 

 

 

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

hot protein coffee (no more iced for me...yay cozy season!) with 

sugar-free cookie butter flavoring and almond milk, part of a puff built brownie protein bar 

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

dinner with my Mom & step Dad, bank & other errands related to my last name change things (I finally got my license & social security card in my new married name, yay!), get groceries, finish my wedding scrapbook before our anniversary so I can add anniversary page, start prepping for Fall and decorations (Autumn chores of cleaning windows, dryer vent from outside etc), hospice work

THINKING ABOUT: 

Matt's ex-wife's cousin is an art teacher. She had the recent Annunciation school/church shooter (Robert/Robin) in her class many years ago. She posted this on FB and had a lot of incite to share about things. I found it very moving and I think she brings up some great points if you'd like to read...

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

Sipping hot tea on a chilly day while watching out the window as it rains and leaves swirl in the wind.

CURRENTLY READING

I've decided to finish all the Dream Harbor series before moving on to my other books. I finished another one and I think I only have 2 more to go in the series :) 

ON THE TV TODAY:

 Americas Got Talent, The Office, Big Brother,The Last Kingdom, I think we may both watch the House of Guiness when it comes out later this month (I think on Netflix)

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY -  ate at the lake

TUESDAY -  pickle pizza on whole wheat crust, broccoli slaw

WEDNESDAY - maybe protein pasta with marinara and Italian chicken sausage, veggies

THURSDAY - I think we will do dinner with my Mom & step Dad that we didn't do last week and bring them something 

FRIDAY - maybe out for dinner?

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

work on fun projects, go for long walk with Hubby, read

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

I saw this on social media and think I want to try it this season: they steeped a tea bag in their oatmeal. I like to have oatmeal once in a while when it gets cold outside. And I think it would be so neat to add more flavor along with the boiling water into easy oats. For example, steep a chai tea in a an apple cinnamon oatmeal. Or steep earl grey in berry flavored oats and add a little splash of almond milk. Yum! 

FROM THE CAMERA:

Ten Mile Lake (that our cottage sits on) is so clear. The first pic is looking down off the dock about 5-6 ft down. 

Such a lovely day for pontooning. Ruby LOVES the boat and she also loves snuggling with her Mom. ;) 

There's an area on the lake with a sandbar and families love to anchor there as it's shallow and they picnic and have their kiddos swim there etc. You can see the line up of boats there. 

Of course when we got back home Bubba was full of "I missed you" lovies and snuggles. I had made some yummy meals and treats for the weekend...including these banana split cookies that I will share the recipe again this week.  

We stopped in at a furniture store having a Labor Day sale and I got these cute wood mushrooms for Fall. We also purchased a lovely new Amish dining room set that will get delivered in the future. The set we have now was one I bought quickly after my divorce for something new. It was a cheaper set and the chairs haven't held up well at all. It was time to get something sturdy that will last us a long time! 

Still completing our wedding scrapbook. I've been putting in our engagement story, all of the wedding details including our invite and other keepsakes and even our wedding vows. I will share it when it's all done. I plan to take pics of each of our anniversaries and add that page each year. 💝

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 real change to happen to prevent another shooting from ever happening in our schools again. For all the students, faculty and families suffering from the Annunciation shooting. 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way. 🙏🏻

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

Sending you my love dear Friends...and wishes for a wonderful rest of your week. 

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Cooking Thursday: Slow Cooker Curry Chicken and Italian Meatball Soup (comfort food time)

 

Hello Dear Friends! 

It's a nice chilly low 60's today and it gets me so in the mood to think comfort food thoughts. I'm picturing moments I loved last Fall:

We would take Ruby for a beautiful long walk. The air crisp and cold enough to need a sweatshirt. The trees really putting on a show with their glorious colors. And I'd have something in the slow cooker back home that had been simmering all day long. And we'd come in from the cold and smell the wonderful aroma of whatever was cooking and know that something comforting was going to warm us and feed our souls. 

Here are a couple of recipes that would be warming and comforting to make this Fall. 🍁🧡💛

The first is this slow cooker curry chicken recipe we had several weeks ago. I found the recipe on instagram and I don't remember exactly where? It was so flavorful and comforting and we both loved it! It reminded me so much of a takeout curry I used to get from a favorite Asian restaurant that isn't around anymore. It will definitely be a go-to on repeat over the season ahead!

slow cook the chicken and yummy veggies in a chicken broth that includes peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk, onion, garlic etc.  

take out the chicken towards the end and shred it...

then add in some sliced red pepper and cook a little longer and serve over rice of your choice (we had it over cauliflower rice) and we topped ours with some chopped peanuts for extra crunch

Here's the recipe for Curry Chicken:

The next recipe is one I made just last weekend up at the lake. It was a chilly 60's kind of weekend and this soup was perfect for it. I had taken a pic from this cookbook I had gotten in one of my Taste of Home boxes. 

Here it is cooking away in the slow cooker at the lake - I didn't take an after pic but the recipe shows part of a pic of the finished bowl. We topped ours with some parmesan cheese to serve. And we ate it with crusty french rolls right out of the oven with the pats of butter melting inside. The were perfect dippers for this tasty soup. Another one I will definitely make again! 

Here's the recipe for Italian Meatball Soup:

On a side note: please pray for MN. The horrendous shooting yesterday continues to sit on my heart. This one hits so close to home because it's only a few hours from where we live. And my son lives right next door in St. Paul. Also, the fact that I'm Catholic too. 

My heart breaks for those poor families and that this continues to happen and nothing changes!! What lawmakers are doing now isn't enough as it continues to happen with far too much regularity. I pray for real change to happen in some form - to at least try something different that may help with this constant terrible problem in our country. 😢🙏🏻

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello and happy new week to you sweet Folks! 

I hope you had a great weekend! It was a relaxed one here. We hibernated in a lot because it was so hot and muggy (90's and humid). We had a work crew here cutting 14 - yes 14! dead trees around the property. The ash borer beetle had killed most of them. Some were in spots that we were worried about them falling on the house or our shed in back. So they were the main ones needing to be dealt with. We had them take several others though too. They did such a great job and had amazing equipment and even put down tracks in the yard so as not to hurt it. They cleaned up and hauled all the wood away and I can't say enough what an amazing job they did! So that's a great job done. 

This weekend we also went to church and out for dinner and ran errands - kind of the usuals. And we went to a beautiful rose garden in our area which I like to visit each summer. But mostly we hibernated in and watched some movies and the olympics. 

I agree with many who were appalled about the opening ceremonies display and mockery of the last supper. I understand that the opening ceremony often shows the host country's culture, music etc. But I don't get how that would be part of their culture seeing as France has always been a very Catholic country? I know people who were saying they were going to ban watching the olympics and I completely understand your anger and standing up for your faith that way. I support that fully.  I was outraged too - but I guess I view it differently as I don't feel the amazing athletes that worked years to get to the olympics, and had nothing to do with planning the opening ceremonies, should be banned from being watched and cheered on. I think the committees that put together the opening ceremony should be to blame and punished - so I direct my disgust there. So Matt & I have been watching the games and it's been fun to see our amazing athletes doing so well already... especially in the women's sports! 💗 

But I will say I sure pray for our world every. single. day.  

 

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

sugar free iced coffee with a little protein creamer (fasted)

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

hair appt, run to furniture store, other errands, home projects, yard work, hospice work

THINKING ABOUT:  

projects I'd like to accomplish this week

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE

It rained this AM but sun is out now and I can tell it's going to be another warm one! Keeping the blinds shut - like I did all weekend - to keep it a cooler sanctuary in the a/c.  

CURRENTLY READING

Nora Roberts trilogy starting with Awakening - only kind of into it - might switch to something else?

ON THE TV TODAY:

 Olympics, House of Dragons, Grantchester, Bachelorette, HGTV shows, Big Brother, jeopardy

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY -  BLTs, corn on the cob, green beans w/ lemon, watermelon

TUESDAY - blueberry wild rice stuffed brats on the grill, asparagus with lemon, fruit

WEDNESDAY - chicken crust pizza with lite caesar salad on top (we didn't have it last week)

THURSDAY - might go to the local fair and split something fun?

FRIDAY -  veggie + egg breakfast burritos (low carb wraps), fruit

  

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

work on organization home projects, watch shows, read in some Fall cookbooks, do diamond art

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

they're so good to throw in smoothies too - or to use as a binder/sweetener in healthy sweets

FROM THE CAMERA:

it's right around the corner! 🙈

daisies are a fave of my mom's and I recently made and framed this diamond art for her 💛

rose garden beauty:

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 and help the world find its way. 🙏🏻

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

Praying for peace and blessings for you always Friends. I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.