Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello dear Friends 🍁🧡

I treasure this date. I know in my last HHM post I mentioned that it's funny we have 2 anniversary dates because of needing to get married at the courthouse to get the correct wedding license. But I think of today as our official anniversary as it's when we had our magical wedding and said our vows in front of our family and friends. And my cousin, who officiated, brought Jesus to the party too. So as of today we have been married 2 years and together for 5 (thank You Lord!) but dream on the many more to come!

This past weekend we went and spent time with my Mom and step Dad Friday and helped them with some things in their apartment. Then Saturday we went to church in the evening and then went out to celebrate our anniversary by going out to dinner, walking around a beautiful rose garden park at sunset, and then came home and sat by a cozy fire on our deck. A perfect anniversary evening with my Hubby in my book. Tonight, per our tradition, we will watch our wedding video. ❤️

Then yesterday I went to a fun outdoor Fall event called Gourd Days with my Bestie, Mrs. C. We shopped and snacked and had Autumn beverages. And then later in the day both her and Mr. C came over to watch the big Packer Vikings game. Unfortunately, the Packers lost spectacularly. No one was happy about that but Mr. C - the big Vikes fan. Boo! But it was still fun watching with them and hanging out and having pizza delivered for dinner. 😊

Today it's so very gray and feels like it gets darker every hour that goes by. It's going to rain so I guess that only makes sense. But I didn't sleep well last night so this gray day is not helping my energy level! Lol Oh well, a new week begins, pep or not...

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

 

coffee with protein creamer and a little granola cereal

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

Ruby lab appt, errands, projects to get done around here, hospice work

THINKING ABOUT: 

Another fun thing this weekend was that I accomplished getting out my Fall decor around the house. I haven't done things outside yet, as I still have some flowers blooming and hanging in there. But I will decorate outside soon too. It's so cozy around the house now. I have many things on timers that pop on and give a soft glow at night. With these chillier nights (it has been in the 40's some nights and early AM's) it feels so wonderful to have that cozy Autumn feel everywhere. Here are a few peeks:

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

When my hands are cold but I make a hot cup of tea and wrap my fingers around that ceramic warmth and breathe in the steam.  

CURRENTLY READING

I've been truly terrible because I have either been watching shows, looking at magazines, or working on crafts I'm giving for gifts. But I have some fun Fall books lined up!

 

ON THE TV TODAY:

Big Brother (& still old seasons too), Ted Lasso, Need to finish the series Ride or Die we've been watching, I need to check the Fall tv lineup - haven't dont that yet. Jeopardy, Taping Halloween Baking Championship 

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY - leftovers from the weekend

TUESDAY - skillet apple cider chicken,  salad with sourdough croutons

WEDNESDAY - creamy potato soup, veggies, rosemary onion sourdough bread

THURSDAY - marinated chicken Matt will grill, cucumber salsa (in a cucumber flavored balsamic I have) to top the chicken, asparagus

FRIDAY - out for dinner 

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

working on holiday and other gift projects 

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

 

FROM THE CAMERA:

perfect anniversary evening with the Hubs 😍

chilly Fall mornings means hot coffee in Autumn mugs

Wonderful day out with my fellow Fall loving Bestie (there she is living her best life 😂) I caught that pic of her while I was in line for my pumpkin latte with pumpkin cold foaM. 😋 She was nibbling a croissant but had gotten us a bag of pumpkin spice mini donuts to share a few (& she brought the rest home to Mr. C) 😉🍁🧡

Are you ready for some football? Why yes....yes I am! Go Pack Go!💚💛

This day 2 years ago ❤️

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear, especially everything going on in the middle east right now. 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 my friend Sandra and her brother's healing right now. For Matt & I to have many more anniversaries ahead. 🌻💛

For the Lord's love and peace to fill all ❤️'s.

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

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

❤️❤️❤️

Blessings to you Friends. 

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

Cooking Thursday: Healthier Ham Tetrazzini

 

Hello Friends!

Happy Thursday to you. 😊💗

That means it's recipe time again. And today I thought I'd share this ham tetrazzini I made the other day. It was a great use of leftover Easter ham.  I had looked at a few different recipes and then made my own recipe with some healthier ingredients. It turned out great! And was even yummier the next day reheated too. While I was cooking the sauce it brought Matt right upstairs (he works from home in our lower level). He said, 'If you could bottle that smell you'd make me a rich man.' So I guess that's a good sign, huh? Lol And then he went on to call me Carrie Crocker and say how he's already a blessed rich man with my cooking. Aawww - I know I sure am blessed to have that ray of sunshine in my life. 💛

But before this gets too sickening 😂 let's move on to this delish dish!

Most tetrazzini dishes have a cream based sauce and use spaghetti or linguini. I did things differently based on what I had and the healthier ingredients I wanted to use. Also, this made a 13x9 pan - as we are sharing some with my Mom. But I think you could easily halve everything too. 

I sauteed veggies and aromatics in some olive oil and butter. I then whisked in the ingredients to create the sauce. And once the sauce was well incorporated - I stirred in the ham and peas. 

While I was making the sauce I had a pot boiling for the pasta and made that, drained it, put it back in the pot and had set it aside. Once the sauce was done I stirred it into the pot of pasta to stir everything together. I then poured all into a greased 9x13 and topped with cheese and baked it. We had ours with a green salad. 

I tried to remember measurements (or guess them when I didn't measure). I'm not always good about worrying about measuring in cooking...so thank you for your patience. But here are the ingredients and how I made this dish to the best of my memory. I used protein pasta, fair life milk (more protein instead of regular milk) and greek yogurt instead of heavy cream. All to be a bit healthier and less fattening rich calories. I know I talk about high protein, but if you read up about it - it's especially beneficial as we age to maintain our muscles and strength as we lose a lot of this as we get older. It's also so good for bone health and immunity. So there are real benefits - not that I'm following a fad. Lol Plus, I've been working out and lifting light weights regularly now and want to support those efforts! 😉 I need to keep fighting this old lady arthritis stuff. 

But I believe you should use whatever ingredients work for you and I'll include what some of the more traditional ones would be as well. 

INGREDIENTS:

10-12 oz of pasta (traditional is spaghetti - I used high protein rotini)

2 c. or more of cooked cubed ham (could do chicken or turkey too)

1 & 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella, divided (could do 2 c. if want cheesier)

 1/2 c. frozen peas

1 c. chopped peppers (but could do more traditional which is mushrooms - we just don't like them)

1/2 of a medium onion, chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic (to your taste)

1 c. chicken stock

1 c. milk 

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. greek yogurt (or you could do heavy cream)

seasonings to your taste: I did salt (but remember lots of salty ingredients with ham and the cheese so be sparing), pepper, thyme and fresh grated nutmeg (so good in cream dishes)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350*

Put pot of water on to boil pasta according to the box directions. 

While waiting, or while pasta is boiling, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp each of olive oil and butter. Saute onion and peppers until getting softer and browning a little. Add garlic and saute a minute more. Deglaze pan with the chicken stock. Whisk in the greek yogurt, milk, and the cream of mushroom soup. Season to your taste. Once incorporated well and bubbling, turn down the heat to low. Stir in 1 c. of the shredded cheese, the ham, and the frozen peas. 

Whenever pasta is done, drain and put back in pot and set aside. When the sauce is done take off the heat and stir all into the pot of cooked pasta. Pour all into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with 1/2 c. more shredded mozzarella (or do another cup if you want it cheesier). Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes - broiling the last minute until brown and bubbling. 

Enjoy with a salad or side dish of choice. 

We loved it! It was rich and creamy and was so good leftover too. 

We will definitely make this again and I think I'll use chicken next time. 

Enjoy!

xoxo

Cooking Thursday and a Special Day

 

Hello dear Friends! 

I head out soon for my Mohs surgery, but I wanted to pop in with a quick post with a few items. 

First - how beautiful was this sunrise this morning? The first few photos are looking out our kitchen window. The third photo shows the frost that was on the deck this AM (it was in the 20's). And the 4th pic is of some trees in the back of our home out our bedroom window -still holding onto their leaves. 

Next, I wanted to share that exactly 4 years ago today I met Matt for the first time. I met him online. Here are a couple of his profile pics from that time. We met on a dating site and I thought he seemed cool and was cute, but too young for me and lived a distance from me, so I was ready to swipe him aside.  And I only actually talked to him because he was raised in Illinois and was living in MN, but was a Green Bay Packers fan. So I responded to his profile to tease him. True story...the Packers are the primary reason I'm now married to this man. Lol (Well, God had His hand in it too). But thought I would share on this historical day, as the rest is history. 😉❤️

And lastly I thought I would share some pics from the recent dinner we had over here with my Mom and step Dad over. I made my Mom's favorite pot roast, a salad, biscuits and spiced peach pie. I sent them home with leftovers, as well as some of the pumpkin cream cheese bread I had made. And I'll connect a direct link to the recipes under my recipe tab, and the bread I found on a website.  Wonderful Fall comfort food! And it was fun to get a sneak preview for Thanksgiving with my new placemats and dishes. I love them and think they're so pretty. :) 

pumpkin cream cheese bread

easy spiced peach pie

slow cooker pot roast

The pot roast recipe includes how I make a gravy when the roast is done cooking. I use some of the juices from the slow cooker - so good! And for the pie I now add a little pumpkin pie spice, along with the cinnamon, to make it even more Autumn inspired. 

I won't have time to visit now, but I'll check in with you Friends later. Thanks again for the all the prayers and support about my little surgery today. Blessings! xoxo