I miss old style blogging...♥

 Hello Friends! Happy Wednesday!  This week is going by very quickly.  I can't believe it's mid week already.  All is good with me as we are getting closer to Friday every minute.  I live for the weekends!

I am looking forward to this weekend because I am seeing my friend Julie on Saturday and we haven't seen each other in several weeks.  It's always lovely to get together and catch up.  On Sunday my cousin and his wife are stopping by for coffee (and something sweet : ). They are a fun couple and we love when they visit.

Anyway, I just got home from work and I made myself a cup of tea. We are having pasta for dinner tonight but I have a little time to rest before I start cooking so I decided to hop on the computer and catch up on some blogs.  I was thinking today about old school blogging.  When I first started my blog in 2012 I followed so many blogs.  It was new and exciting and I met some of the nicest people that I'm still friends with to this day.  Back in the day blogs were real life.  They were relaxed.  Pictures were not curated and no one was trying to build a brand or sell you a product.  We were just a bunch of like minded people sharing our lives.  I guess in some cases that's still true but those blogs are few and far between.  I'm grateful for the ones that are still around because I feel like blogging is becoming a lost art.  I want to go back to the old style, blogging in real time and capturing little everyday moments.  The same goes for Instagram.  Let's bring back capturing real life moments.  A flower, a sunset, a cup of coffee, the view off your back porch.  I don't need to see a full on edited photoshoot or a video of a kitchen that clearly has never been cooked in, but I'd love to see your breakfast or what book you just finished.  If you are reading this then I know you KNOW what I mean.  I have nostalgia for those old blogs and sometimes I wonder what happened to those people.  They just left and never returned.  There is one girl that I can think of....I loved her blog. She stopped blogging in 2017 and I still click on her site every now and then to see if she's updated it. (does anyone know Dawn from May All Seasons Be Sweet to Thee?).  Some of my blogging friends made the switch to just Instagram and although I miss their blogs I'm happy to still be able to see their lives and keep in touch.  I understand blogging isn't for everyone, but this was just something that was on my mind today.  

Here's an unedited picture of my kitchen early in the morning when the sun was coming up.  I don't even think I had had coffee yet so that's why the quality is so bad. But that's real life, friends.  I'm going to try and post more moments like this from now on ♥

Hope you are all having a great week!  Love you and stay cozy!!! xo 

Scenes from a weekend! ♥

Hello Friends! Happy Monday! ♥

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend.  We were blessed with lovely weather both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, which seemed to put everyone in a good mood.  This morning I was looking at my camera roll and thought I'd show you some random snaps from my weekend.  Rob was not working on Saturday and whenever he has Saturday off the three of us always go out for coffee.  It was my choice and I picked Panera Bread.  (9 out of 10 times I will choose Panera : )  I got a scone and with my rewards, a free cookie.  Happy Mother's Day to me!  After our snack we took a walk through Barnes and Nobles.  The smell of that place is so heavenly to me.  Is the Starbucks? Is it the books? I think it's a combination of both.  I love it regardless.   Before returning home we ran a few errands.  One being the garden center to get a few things for the yard.  I picked out a lavender bush that I'm SO excited about.  I love lavender and so did my mom so it's kind of for both of us.  

Being at the garden center got me really excited to plant flowers this year.  It's still a bit too chilly so I'm going to wait a few more weeks to start planting just to be safe.  Back at home we had chicken salad sandwiches (made from a rotisserie chicken) and I made a quick pound cake for strawberry shortcake.  I was watching a movie last week and someone mentioned strawberry shortcake.  (I've been thinking about it ever since!)

We went to a lovely 4:00 mass Saturday evening and then home for dinner and movie night.  John and Rob wanted to watch Iron Claw - a true story about a wrestling family.  It was an excellent movie but very sad.  We had to watch a few episodes of Frasier to laugh a little before bed. 

On Sunday morning we had a big breakfast with my Dad.  Bacon, eggs, sausages, bagels, and fruit.  He brought me home a rose for Mother's Day and we said a prayer for my mom.  It was my first Mother's Day without her.  I tried not to think about too much, but it was definitely eating at me.  They say the "firsts" are the hardest, but I don't see ever feeling any better about it.  Its weird without her here.  Just so different.  

That afternoon John and I went for a walk around the neighborhood.  I love noticing all the flowers and trees.  Our neighborhood has tons of birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and bunnies (they're my favorite!).  We like to spot them in yards and a sometimes we see them playing.  Some of my neighbors have such cute houses and all the trees are blooming right now.  As a certified "indoor girl" I'm really loving being outdoors lately. We ended the weekend with homemade pizzas at my brother in laws house.  I wish I has taken pictures because it was so good.  Dessert was another round of strawberry shortcakes from me.  This time with heart shaped biscuits instead of pound cake.  FYI real whip is a must for strawberry shortcake. 

♥

 

Today I heard the news that a new Downton Abbey movie is in the works!!!  To say I'm excited is an understatement.  The first person I thought of when I heard was my mom and how excited she would be too.  Oh how I wish I could tell her about it. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there that do so much for us.  I learned to be a good mom because I had a good one myself.  And that's all I'll say about that...right now ♥

Have a wonderful week everyone!  I have chicken thighs roasting in the oven and it's almost time for dinner. I'm glad this Monday is over and I'm looking forward a nice week ahead.  We are supposed to see the sun everyday.  Thanks Mom.  Love you! ♥

xoxo 

Good Monday Morning! ♥

Good Monday Morning! ♥

I hope you all had a nice weekend! The weekends go by so fast, don't they? After a cold and rainy weekend, I have been rewarded with a glorious sunny day today.  I'm so enjoying Spring days lately, despite having horrible allergies, it's worth it for the sunshine and pretty flowers.  I've waited all winter for it and it's finally here.  

One of my neighbors has this pretty tree in their front yard.  I went for a little walk this morning and snapped a few pictures when I passed by.  

It doesn't get any more springy than this : ) 

 

We had a very low key weekend.  On Saturday I did venture out to the mall because Bath and Body Works was having a candle sale.  I picked up two new ones as a little treat for myself.  Lighting a new candle is one of life's simplest pleasurers, wouldn't you say?  I had Strawberry Pound Cake burning all morning and it is delightful! (run- don't walk - to B&BW and get one 🍓)

On Sunday we went to an early mass, out to breakfast, and then upon returning home I immediately put my "cozy clothes" (aka pj's) back on.  I curled up in my bed and watched a Hallmark Christmas movie for two hours.  It was just what my heart & soul needed! 

After that I thought I should get out of bed and actually do something productive so I did some light housework, cleaned two bathrooms, and baked a pumpkin chocolate chip bread.  My Dad said "pumpkin bread? In May?"  I replied, "YES Dad, in May!".  It's delicious.  No regrets ever with pumpkin bread! 

Last night we watched Unfrosted (with Jerry Seinfeld) on Netflix.  It was very cute. I really enjoyed it.  It takes place in the 60's so naturally I loved the vibes too!

And now all of a sudden it's Monday.  I heard a rumor that there are individuals out there who actually LIKE Mondays??  Who are you people?!  Teach me your ways, because I don't understand you : ) 

Have a great day my friends! ♥

PS... please enjoy this little video I made you this morning.  Do you like tea cups and pretty things? Me too.  Enjoy! 

Bye! xoxo

Happy Little Loaf of Bread ♥

Hello Friends! Can you believe it's May 2st?  ♥

Today I wanted to share with you an easy bread recipe I tried on Sunday.  I woke up very early (for some un-Godly reason) and had it in my head that I wanted to bake bread.  What is wrong with me?!  I knew I had a busy week ahead and I thought having homemade bread for toast in the morning would make my days a little less terrible.  

(So far, I've been right : ) 

So off I went to our downstairs kitchen to mix up some dough.  

The recipe comes from this ADORABLE book called  The I Love Lucy Cookbook!  Each vintage recipe corresponds with an episode of I Love Lucy. Most of you will already know it's my Favorite Show since I was 8 so naturally every recipe I make from this book is near and dear to my heart. 

(see my post HERE on the Aloha Cream Pie.  It's amazing!!) 

♥

And to make it even better the recipe comes from one of the most classic I Love Lucy episodes, called Pioneer Women where Lucy and Ethel bet Ricky and Fred $50 that they can give up all modern convivences. Whoever gives up first loses.  Lucy decided to bake bread and accidently puts too much yeast in and the bread gets so big literally pins her against the wall.  

It's the best : ) 

Thankfully, I did not make that mistake with my bread.  Here's the recipe in case you want to try it.  You need a few hours to let it rise, but otherwise it was very easy... ♥

1 1/2 cups warm water 

2 tsp sugar 

1 packet yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

2 tbls honey

1 tsp salt

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Melted butter

Olive oil (for greasing)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the warm water, sugar, and yeast.  Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, until bubbly.

Stir in honey and salt.  Add flour, one cup at a time, until dough forms into a ball.  

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. 

Grease a large bowl and a loaf pan with olive oil.  Place dough inside the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise unto dough doubles in size, approximately 2 hours.

Punch down the dough, then place in the greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise for another hour.  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake 25 - 30 minutes, until the internal temp is 190 degrees (f).

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.  Let cool completely.

Enjoy! ♥

I cut into thick slices.  So good toasted with real butter! ♥

♥

I have been enjoying toast all week and it's been wonderful. Now I just need to make some homemade jam to go with it ♥

Have a great day, friends! Thanks for stopping by!  

xoxoxo

Pots de Creme: a quick little sweet treat ♥

Hello Friends!  Happy Friday! ♥

Despite it still being cold, the sun is shining today and I'm happy about that. 

Today I wanted to quickly share with you a delicious chocolate dessert I made yesterday for the first time.  Lately my sweet tooth has been ravenous!  That's a strong word but trust me, it's fitting!  I seem to need something sweet every night.  Is it my age? I don't know, but I'm craving dessert all the time! 

♥

This past week I started a project of flipping through all my cookbooks and bookmarking recipes I want to make.  I had a busy work week, but made sure to carve out some time to make a dessert because time in the kitchen is my therapy.  I find on very busy days if I do something for myself, even something small like make a quick dessert, it makes the day special and is not all about work or chores or adult stuff.  It's about me. Even better if chocolate is involved.  

This recipe comes from Susan Branch's Sweet's to the Sweet cookbook.  It's the most darling little keepsake dessert book and one of my favorites.  I picked this recipe because it looked easy, had very little ingredients, and looked like the perfect little sweet treat for my family.  

(I was right ♥ )

Here's how to make it:

It will literally take you 5 minutes and is so worth it. Plus it sounds very French : )  

3/4 cup whole milk

6 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped fine (I used chocolate chips)

1 lg egg

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tsp vanilla 

pinch of salt 

3 Tbsp rum 

whipped cream

Heat milk slowly, just to boiling point.  Put all other ingredients except rum & whipped cream into a blender.  Slowly add hot milk and blend for 30 seconds. Add rum and continue blending for 1 more minute.  Pour into serving dishes & chill.  

Top with whipped cream (I used Cool Whip) and enjoy! ♥

Add sprinkles for magic ❇

I served in my mother's beautiful depression glass dessert dishes which made made my heart happy.  

She loved chocolate as much as I do ♥

YUMMMMM!!!!

I only used 2 Tbls of rum instead of 3 and that was plenty for us.  I image you could just leave it out if you prefer.  In any case,  the chocolate was so creamy and delicious!!!  This made 4 servings which was perfect for us, and quite frankly I'm glad there were no leftovers because I would have eaten it all.  

Susan Branch continues to be my fairy God mother : ) 

*I also made a little video of me making this in my kitchen yesterday which I'm upload soon.  I'll let you know when I do*

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, filled with sunshine, flowers, and sweet treats! 

I won't tell you how I have to go back into battle looking for a car tomorrow because my exhaust was blowing black smoke yesterday....  For now, let's just think about chocolate!

 That's fine with me! ♥

10 Things I Love: Today ♥

 

Hello Friends! Happy Saturday! ♥

I usually don't blog on Saturdays but this afternoon I am finding myself cozy at home instead of car shopping, which was the plan.  It turned out to be a very rainy morning and do you want to know what's worse than car shopping? It's car shopping in the rain.  The good news is that we have it narrowed down to what we like, now we just need to find the best "deal."  It's progress.  And so it continues.  Stay tuned...(and pray for me:)

So last week I ended up having a busy work week.  I spent most of it at my desk, frustrated, with my face buried in my computer. Not exactly what I love, but sometimes you have no choice in the matter. I found myself complaining more than usual about the littlest things.  After a good night sleep last night and the decision not to go car shopping this morning I had the idea of doing a "10 things I love" post because it reminds me to appreciate all the little things in my everyday life that make me happy.  There are certainly more of those than there are things to complain about.  Its an exercise in gratitude (of which I have a lot of).

 So without further adu, here are 10 very random things I love, today:

1. Weekends! Ok that's a given.  Everyone loves weekends. But after a work week from hell you love them even more!  A slow Saturday morning is something I dream about.  This morning I drank 2 cups of coffee on the couch with a blanket while watching a Reelz documentary on Marilyn Monroe.  The rain made it extra dark out so I lit a candle and plugged in my twinkle lights and it was blissful.  

2. 80's sitcoms.  I love an 80's sitcom.  There were so many! Lately I've been watching The Facts of Life on Tubi.  I love it. It's better than the news, that's for sure.  It takes me back to when I was kid and for every night of the week there was a TV line up. Remember that? And you had to be home or you would miss your show.  I loved watching Cheers, Taxi, Family Ties, Threes Company (which was slightly inappropriate but I never noticed back then), Happy Days, and Lavern & Shirley. It feels very nostalgic to watch these shows again and reminds me of my childhood.  It's the same reason why I love Peanuts and I Love Lucy.  TV shaped me and it wasn't a bad thing.

Plus they all had catchy theme songs.  Especially this one.  I know you know it....: ) 

3.Walking.  I'm still going on my daily walks.  It's usually after dinner with John.  Twice around our neighborhood is one mile and usually takes us about 20 minutes.  Sometimes after a big meal or if we feel extra energetic we go four times, that's 2 miles, which is big for me.  I often think of my mom who was in a wheelchair for the last few years of her life and who would have loved to have been able to walk just a few steps.  I feel privileged  to be able to do it.  John and I also have some of our best talks while walking which I am also very grateful for. 

4. Cottage cheese and avocado on an English muffin.  Oddly specific, yes - but I've been having this for breakfast lately and am thoroughly enjoying it. I know some of you may have an aversion to cottage cheese, but personally I love it. It's a nice alternative to yogurt in the morning.  I've been sprinkling it with Everything but the Bagel seasoning and YUMMMM is it good : ) 

5. Otters.  Ok, another one that's oddly specific and maybe just plain ODD, I know.  But have you ever looked up otters? They are so cute! I made the mistake (or maybe it wasn't) of liking a video on Instagram of a mama otter hugging her baby otter and now my "for you page" is loaded with Otter content! I'm not mad at it.  The videos and pictures make me smile and naturally I forward them to John who likes them too!  Treat yourself and search Otters on your Instagram.  

You're welcome : ) 

6. Spring in New England.  Color is starting to appear.  Buds are budding and my whole neighborhood is yellow from forsythia bushes and daffodils in peoples yard.  The trees are starting to turn green and in a few weeks we will have tulips.  In the early mornings (when it's not raining) I am happy to see rays of sunshine in the kitchen as I pour my morning coffee.  We like this time of year.  It means summer is coming too, which if fun to think about.  I've put away most of my heavy sweaters and pajamas and am dressing a bit more lightly.  I can get away with just a cardigan when I go out and you know how much I love a cardigan.  LOTS! ♥

7.  Real butter on toast, very sharp cheddar cheese with Ritz crackers, my Dad's homemade brownies, take out eggplant subs from the place down the street, pink grapefruit fizzy water, and chocolate covered pretzels.  You think these things mean nothing but they really mean something when you're hungry.  That is all : ) 

8.  Cookbooks. I love my cookbooks.  I read them like books.  I enjoy flipping through the pages and looking at the pictures.  Would I ever consider making my own Cheezits? Of course not.  But Valerie Bertinelli says I can and it looks so easy!  This week I pulled out a stack of my favorite cookbooks, some new some old, and bookmarked a bunch of recipes I want to make in the coming weeks.  It will be fun to blog and video them for you.  Stay tuned for that! 

9.  Visits to the library, going to Panera Bread with Rob & John, listening to podcasts while I'm working, cracking the windows on a cool day and letting the fresh air come in, working on my puzzle (same one, I'm determined to finish), and taking my first cup of coffee back to bed with me and slowing drinking it while I wake up.  It's a nice way to start the day.  I love all those things. 

10.  The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh.  I adore this painting.  I can't remember when I first saw it, but I just know that I've loved it forever.  I love the way it looks and the way it makes me feel.  And then one day I heard a song by Don McLean called Vincent and the first line was "starry starry night, paint your palate blue and gray...." and I almost cried because it was so beautiful.  A few years ago I visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston when they were showing a Van Gogh exhibit. I saw so many of his paintings, including Irises, but not The Starry Night.  Where is it? The last time I googled it, it was located at the Met in New York. 

 It's a wish of mine to see it in person one day, and I will ♥

And there you go. 

 10 random things (plus a few more) I'm loving today and I feel grateful for each and every one ♥

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.  We are off to 4:00 mass tonight and then I'm making pizza for dinner.  It looked like the rain has stopped so maybe I'll get my walk in tonight after all.  

Hopefully. 

Stay cozy friends! Enjoy your Sunday. Byeeeeee...xoxo 

Spring arrived over the weekend! YAY ♥

Hello Friends! ♥

Happy Tuesday (that feels like a Monday!). I hope you all had a nice weekend.  

Ours was very nice. 

Saturday morning I got a haircut and then treated myself to a new pair of glasses so the weekend started off good for me.  I was due for both! : ) 

 

I made a quick pitstop at our local library and had to stop and take a picture of the courtyard because it looked so pretty.  The flowers are in full bloom and was such a pleasant sight to see.  

It was a beautiful sunny day! ♥

Because of that I had to do a little inspection in the yard at home and I was happy to notice some buds budding.  Yay! ♥

And this pretty tree in our front yard has started blooming. 

Spring has finally arrived and I thought it would never get here.  

I also saw a red cardinal on Saturday! It flew by me so fast I couldn't snap a picture, but it made my heart soooo happy to see it ♥

On Sunday morning we went to mass.  We got there early and I snapped this photo as I was admiring the sun reflecting through the stained glass windows.  

It felt so peaceful and beautiful ♥

After mass this happened!  John drove us to breakfast.  He's doing great.  I'm a mess. 

We made it safe and sound! He parks better than I do and he's only been driving a few months.  

We had a yummy breakfast and then it was on to car shopping...ugh.  

I won't bore you with the details but we came empty again.  I did see one that I kind of liked but the dealer wasn't open and I think I could probably do better elsewhere anyway.  We are going back out into battle next Saturday, so my car lives on for another week....hopefully! I'll just ignore the noises and the smell (I'm not even kidding!).

Yesterday we were all home and had a nice relaxing day.  I'm hoping the ease of the weekend carries throughout the week.  John is on school break this week and is taking full advantage of some much needed down time.  Last night my Dad made spaghetti for dinner and we watched several episodes of Cheers. Can I just say, don't you just LOVE an 80's sitcom?! I do! They don't make shows like that anymore : ) 

Have a wonderful day Friends!  Wishing you all a fabulous week! I'm off to make myself a cup of tea and visit some of your blogs!  ♥

Byeeee! xoxo 

A New Week ♥

Good Morning Friends!  ♥

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.  I'm having a bit of breakfast this morning, taking advantage of some leftovers we have from our brunch yesterday. You can always tell the day after a holiday because the fridge is stacked : ) 

We had a very nice Easter.  We went to a beautiful Easter vigil mass at our church on Saturday night. On Sunday my family came for brunch around 11. John and my Dad hid eggs for the little ones which was really fun.  Yes, it was strange without my mom.  I was trying to keep busy cooking and serving food, but it was always in the back of my mind that she wasn't there.  However, I know she would be so happy (she IS so happy) that we were all together carrying on traditions, especially for my Dad ♥

  Anyway, I was so busy I forgot to take pictures!!  We had eggs (which Rob cooked for me - he was the egg guy!:), fried potatoes, maple bacon (which I almost burned but I didn't), ham and cheese sliders (which were a hit), and baked French toast.  I loved the French toast.  I got the recipe from my friend Jan who brought it to a brunch our friend Lisa's house a few months ago. I splurged on the Brioche bread but seriously, it made all the difference! I'll link the recipe here.  We had fruit and tons of desserts too.  After everyone left and we cleaned up the house, we went for a long walk around the neighborhood, which was so nice.  It was actually a beautiful, sunny day (which is rare lately) and it felt good to get some fresh air and process the day. 

And now I can't believe it's April 1st!  I have a very busy work week with meetings and two training sessions that will done over zoom.  On Friday night my nephew is making his confirmation, so we'll be going to that and dinner afterwards.  Rob is his sponsor : )  This weekend I unfortunately have to start seriously looking for a car.  I say unfortunately because I hate car shopping, especially when it's something you have to do, not WANT to do.  My car has been acting up for the past couple of months and I had a feeling something was not quite right.  Apparently my engine has something called "blow-by" which I don't really understand, I just know it's bad.  It has to do with compression in the engine ????  Basically I'm on borrowed time! If it were up to me I would just have Rob go by something and bring it home.  I'm not picky. But he insists I go with him to endure the torture.  Too many choices.  I like it simple (and affordable: ). So we'll see what happens.  Saturday is the day.  I told him I require a large coffee to take with me while we "shop around." UGH. 

I'm planning burgers and salads for dinner tonight and want to stop working by 4 this afternoon so I  can have a little tea time with me and my book.  I've been reading The Wife Upstairs and I'm really into it.  I've also been thinking about maybe reviving my YouTube channel.  I would like to maybe do some recipe demos, so I'm going to jot down some notes.  It's been a few years since I filmed anything but looking back it was something I enjoyed.  I'm trying to be better at taking time for myself, so we'll see. It's a new month and my head is full of new ideas and wonder. I'm strangely motivated and I feel like I should go with it before it disappears! lol  

Have a great Monday, friends! Thanks for stopping by today.  

I hope wherever you are, you have sunshine! ♥