The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Apple Cheesecake Dip

Good morning! I was working on a different post for today, but it’s not ready, so I’m going cheat a little and offer a quick recipe instead. But I think you’ll like it! Apple Cheesecake Dip!  This recipe came from the Real House Moms blog several years ago (I need to check and see if they’re still around!), and I love serving it as a snack, appetizer, or dessert during the fall season. It’s sooo good! Country Girl and I whipped up a big ‘ole batch last week for our Bible study group, and because we doubled the recipe, we enjoyed snacking on it throughout the weekend. Apple Cheesecake Dip 10 ounce apple pie filling 8 ounce cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: Company’s Coming!

Around here, Friday is the day to "fluff the nest", which is just a much cuter way of saying "clean the house". Am I right? So my Friday posts are all about tidying up and getting the house fresh and in order for the weekend. Some weeks my nest-fluffing comes more easily than others. I need motivation each Friday. I’m really excited today because this week I did the bulk of my Friday cleaning on Wednesday afternoon, so today’s cleaning will just be a lighter fluffing! It’s pretty easy to get motivated for the Friday fluff knowing it’s not the big one for the week! We’re hosting our Bible study group for the month of October, which meets weekly on Wednesday evenings. It’s been a crazy week ... Read more

Butterscotch Pie

Hello, friends! Earlier this week I attended my cooking club and the theme this month was “Family Favorites”. I took Cottage Pie and Butterscotch Pie. The Cottage Pie is a scrumptious meat and potatoes dish which I posted Tuesday. Butterscotch Pie is nothing less than a sweet dream on a plate! Butterscotch Pie has been a favorite at our house for more years than I can remember. In just a minute I’ll tell you where I got the recipe from. It’s kind of cute, so stick around. I already have a few pie plates in my cabinet, but none of them were ideal for pudding pies. I had been looking for a new one that was deep, but with a good slant to the sides so the crust would not sink down. I found ... Read more

Cottage Pie

I’m in a cooking club that meets every other month with a different meal theme each time. Our group is called The Mixing Bowls. Isn’t that cute! I told my kids I must be getting older now that I’m in social clubs that have cute names like that. Haha. And I’m totally embracing it! It’s so much fun getting together with the ladies to eat, talk, and laugh for an entire evening! I love these women and I always come home with a full tummy and lots of great new recipes! We met last night and our theme this month was “Family Favorites”. I took Cottage Pie because, not only is it a favorite meal at our house, but it represents a favorite destination of ours as well: Disney World! We’ve eaten this ... Read more

Autumn Apple Cookies 🍎

Hello, dear friends! Well, I promised a happier post today, and a cookie is certainly a happy little thing! If you followed my old blog, you might remember that I pretty much devoted every September to all the apple recipes I could squeeze into the month. I’m reposting one of my old favorites today, so for some of you this will be a repeat. My apologies. 🍎 ☺️ I’ve been making these apple cookies cookies since I was a teenager, so it’s an oooold recipe and a very memorable fall tradition for me. They are a delicious, almost cake-like cookie that makes your house smell amazing while baking! AUTUMN APPLE COOKIES  1 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup shortening 1 egg, beaten 1 1/2 cups all-purpose ... Read more

Sweet Lottie

Last week our family said a tearful goodbye to the sweetest dog ever. Our poor Lottie suffered from a brain disease, seizures, and multiple orthopedic disorders, and that’s just scratching the surface of her problems. Having loved this dog as much as we did, and having lost one of our bunnies over the summer, I was concerned about how the kids would hold up when her time came. However, I was the one who sobbed and sobbed when she passed. Yep, me. The mom. (We each cried. Mine was the ugly kind.) Despite the numerous pains and discomforts she experienced on a daily basis, our Lottie girl loved and protected our family fiercely. Joel and I never worried about the kids when Lottie was ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: Laundry Room Spruce Up

Around here, Friday is the day to "fluff the nest", which is just a much cuter way of saying "clean the house". Am I right? So my Friday posts are all about tidying up and getting the house fresh and in order for the weekend. Some weeks my nest-fluffing comes more easily than others. I need motivation each Friday. ***** Whether you live by yourself or with ten other people, one of the weekly (maybe daily!) tasks of your hands is LAUNDRY! Several things motivate me to tackle laundry, but my drab laundry room was definitely not one of them! So in my effort to spruce up some work areas of my house this summer, I decided it was time to paint my laundry room. Below is the before photo, and as ... Read more

The Transitional Wreath

I love a wreath! I love front doors and porches and the welcome they offer. A pretty wreath and swept porch communicate to our guests that we’re anticipating their visit and we’re celebrating the current season! Being in between seasons can sometimes create the dilemma of not knowing what to display at our home’s entrance. Currently, we’re transitioning from summer to fall. Nobody is more ready for fall decorating than my girls and me! We delight in the rich oranges, browns, and plums of autumn. But with temperatures still in the high nineties (blahhh), I’m just not feeling pumpkins and mums yet. But I’m also so ready to move on from summer. Really really ready. My solution: TRANSITIONAL ... Read more