I've been working on loading my vacation photos, but I have a lot, and my phone is slooowww right now, so today, just for fun, I thought I'd just share some sourdough loaf photos that I already had in my blog's media file. I have a lot of fun with sourdough and trying new shapes and designs has been a bit of a new hobby for me the past year. I feel as though I am using my art degree and feeding my family at the same time, ha! The above loaf can either be seen as Christmas trees or leaves--you decide! Below is a regular sourdough loaf with cherries, honey goat cheese, and dark chocolate folded in. This is a delicious breakfast loaf! I've also enjoyed making seasonal ... Read more
Are You a Chicken Salad Chick?
I love to eat at Chicken Salad Chick! It began in Auburn, Alabama which isn't too far from us, so it arrived in our city pretty early on (2012, I think). My brother-in-law gave it a try first and told us how good it was, so we went soon after that. After our meal, my daughter, who was much younger at the time, filled out a customer survey card and when it asked, “Who told you about us?”, she simply wrote “Uncle Derrick”. So cute! I'm sure the manager got a good little chuckle from that card, having no idea who this Uncle Derrick was. Since then, it's been a family favorite--yes, the guys too!! It's great for a night that Mom isn't cooking but we don't want heavy, fried fast food, and ... Read more
Pretty Things
Happy Monday, friends! I've been a little lowkey around here for a few months but not because anything is wrong or because I've been too busy. Actually, we had such a pleasantly slow spring for the first time in several years! As I entered my fifties a few months ago, I told my husband that I just wanted to be quiet for a bit and listen to God, slow down, block out other noises, think, and be purposeful moving into this new decade. I truly like where I am in this season of life! I enjoy having grown kids and I also enjoy still having a young one. I've been blessed with more time with my husband, more time with some friends, and even a little time for myself. I'm not talking about spa ... Read more
Bath, Body, and Beauty Products I’m Loving
Hello! I have some product recommendations for you today! Here are a few new-to-me items I'm currently loving for bath, body, and beauty. Eucalyptus and Spearmint Bath Soak My wonderful husband surprised me the week of my daughter's wedding with a "wedding week survival basket"! I know, he's the best! One of the items in the basket was this bottle of essential oil-scented Epsom salt from Bath and Body Works. A soak in the tub with a few capfuls of this stuff really soothes my aching back and neck. After using the first bottle and raving about it so much, my husband went back during Bath and Body Works's summer sale and got me 2 more bottles! Flamingo Razor The ... Read more
The Simple Pleasures of Tea and Coffee
A month or so ago, a friend asked me how I was doing with the busyness and stress that comes along with this season of life. I told her that while it's been exhausting, God has been so kind to bless me with little pockets of rest and refreshment here and there. Nothing extravagant, but just a few minutes to sit in the van and return texts while waiting on a child at soccer, reading a few pages of a good book before bed, or listening to an inspiring podcast during my morning walk. Those brief moments of calm do me a world of good! One of my favorite simple pleasures is the opportunity to sit down with a cup of hot tea or coffee for a few minutes. Ahhh, the calm it brings to my day! Such ... Read more
Ten Reasons to Love Fall!
HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL! I could not be any more excited about autumn's arrival! When I started jotting down my favorite things about fall, I quickly came up with 20 things on my list, and I wasn't even finished! There's just so much to love about this glorious season! For this post, I'm going to cut my list short and stop with 10 favorite things which means I'm still leaving out some fun ones like football and travel, but I have to stop somewhere. So, here goes! 1- Fall Flowers 2- Warm Drinks 3-Baking! 4-Soups 5- Scenic Routes 6- Fall Scents 7-Fall Decor 8- The Great Outdoors 9-Chilly Evenings 10- ... Read more
Happy Almost Fall!
Lately we have caught the fever--the fall fever! We are still more than a month away from the first day of fall and even then, here in the deep south, it'll be a while before those crisp, cool days make their appearance. So yesterday we had a "Let's-Pretend-It's-Fall" day! Nothing extravagant, just a few autumnal pleasures to tide us over for the rest of summer. We lit a deliciously-scented apple candle and whipped up some pumpkin muffins with butterscotch chips. I found some fall cupcake liners left from last year. I've been on a detox diet this summer so, sadly, no muffins for this mama. BUT, I did stir some pureed pumpkin and maple syrup into my steel cut oats and it was ... Read more
Italian Cream Cake
One evening last week, the mothers and daughters from our small group got together to celebrate the upcoming arrival of the baby of our friend Rivers. This family has been such a blessing to our group so we ladies wanted to celebrate with Rivers and her two sweet girls. We planned a meal of salads, followed by a few desserts: Italian cream cake, raspberry white chocolate almond bars, brownies, and coffee. This Italian cream cake is my most requested cake by my family or when I'm asked to bring a dessert to a special occasion. It suits any holiday or celebration any time of the year! It's unique from most other Italian cream cakes in that it doesn't call for pecans or coconut, so ... Read more
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