Hello and HAPPY FALL! I'm so happy we can officially say it's fall now! Today's post will be my last of the September apple recipes. I have 2 new recipes to share and then I'll give a quick run-down of all the apple recipes on my blog so you can have them in one post. Ok, here goes! Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie Anyone opposed to starting with dessert? Good because I've got a delicious one to share today. It's Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie and I try to make it sometime during the fall or for Thanksgiving. It is just heavenly! This recipe is by Brown Eyed Baker, and you can find the link here. Next is a savory Apple and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken that I love to make in ... Read more
Fruit Yogurt Smoothies
Smoothies are a favorite in the breakfast rotation around here. My daughter takes hers on-the-go so she can drink it on her way to her preschool job. My son likes his with a muffin or some toast before we begin our school day. I'll usually save mine to sip on throughout the midmorning while we're doing school. I recently had a request to share my smoothie recipe (Hi, Laura!). I know some of you may already have a favorite smoothie recipe, but if not, here's our quick go-to smoothie! Fruit Yogurt Smoothie In a blender, combine: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (regular yogurt works too--just use less or no milk) 1/4 cup milk (more if preferred thinner) 1 frozen banana, broken ... Read more
Back to Kombucha! (and sourdough)
Any kombucha fans out there?! A few years ago, my oldest daughter started drinking kombucha, and then not long after that, my younger daughter got hooked on it as well. I'll admit that it wasn't my favorite at first, but after learning of its great health benefits (probiotics through fermentation) and trying different flavors, I grew to enjoy a cold glass of "the BOOCH" every now and then. But y'all! It's not cheap! So, it was reserved for treat days. Until.... Our friend, Beth, from church found me one Sunday and asked if I was interested in learning how to make kombucha. Well, yes mam! And knowing that I homeschooled my 2 younger kids, she invited us all over for a lesson. You ... Read more
Irish Tea Party
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Two years ago, I gifted my oldest daughter a subscription to Tea Time magazine and the first issue she received included recipes for an Irish tea. This magazine along with some newly thrifted green and gold teacups inspired her to host a St. Patrick's Day tea for our family and her then boyfriend, now husband (nothing like some good cooking to seal the deal, right!) As you'll see from the photos, she put on the loveliest tea time complete with a delightful menu served at a beautiful table! She cooked all afternoon and then set the table, pulling anything green from around the house. Each teacup held an Irish Breakfast teabag (except for my son's since he ... Read more
School Day Breakfast and Beverage
I mentioned in a post about our first week of school that, because we didn't have as much as much expense in curriculum and other materials this year, we got our two homeschoolers a back-to-school gift. Each gift cost $25 at Target, and both gifts make the work of our hands a little lighter when it comes to school morning breakfasts! Our son loves a good breakfast sandwich! My husband bought him a breakfast sandwich at a drive thru one morning on their way to the city dump, which is a total guy thing! Ever since then, he's enjoyed making them at home. So when my husband and I were on a date at Target (because our dates are either to Target or Dollar General these days), and he spotted ... Read more
Swiss Family Robinson Feast
For a summer read aloud with my son, I chose the unabridged Swiss Family Robinson. I LOVE this book. The unabridged version includes so many amazing details that abridged versions omit. It is packed full of inspiring adventure and countless character-building lessons. I’d need a week of posts to cover them all! We read this with my girls one summer when they were younger and concluded the reading with an island party that included a seafood feast, oceans crafts, silly lobster hats, and watching the Disney Swiss Family Robinson movie. We’ve held such fond memories of that summer read aloud with our girls, that I knew I wanted to read it again with my son. Of course, we repeated the ... Read more
One Week. Six Meals.
I love menu-planning! But sometimes I get into ruts and find it helpful to look at menus posted on other blogs and Instagram. Seeing what other women are cooking really inspires and motivates me to get in the kitchen. Last month I participated in the 31-day "Happy Homemaker Challenge" on Instagram, hosted by Whitney at Come Home for Comfort, and one of the photo prompts was called "On the Menu". So after posting my menu for the week, I thought I might as well snap a photo of each night's meal and post them here. Our weeks are pretty busy, but I still want to put healthy meals on the table. These are a few of my easy go-to's for quick, healthy weeknight meals. Monday~ Greek turkey ... Read more
Summer Farewell Tea
It seems so hard to believe that summer break is drawing to a close. My kids and I have been trying to get in all the last bits of summer fun with individual groups of our friends and family before school schedules start. We make a point to get together with my niece and sister-in-law, and another mother/daughter duo a few times a year to enjoy artsy teas, outings, and lessons for the purpose of indulging our inner hopeless romantics, haha. Realizing we'd not yet managed to work in a summer activity with them, we quickly pulled together a back-to-school tea. We all homeschool (except for my oldest daughter who is in college), and both my niece and our friend are beginning their senior ... Read more