Happy Valentine's Day ♥

 

Hello Lovely Friends! Happy Friday and happy day before Valentine's Day! ♥

We are slowly inching our way through February and frankly, things are looking up.  The sun is out today and there is a slight warmth (if you can believe it) in the air. Slight meaning "above freezing" but I'll take it :) 

Every once in a while we hear huge clumps of snow sliding off the roof like a literal avalanche.  It's awesome because it means it's melting up there.  The great thaw has begun! 

But alas, it's still winter and I'm trying to embrace it. There will be more snow and cold days but it's ok. Because I know for sure....spring is coming.  It always does.  

So what's new with you??! ♥

I took my first cup of coffee back to bed with me on this Friday morning. I took a few quiet moments to sip it and wake up a bit before heading downstairs....

Ok, I'm awake now and just processing that it's almost the weekend.  YIPEEEEE! ♥

Last night I made a cinnamon coffee cake to have for breakfast this morning.  I forgot all about it until I came down and saw it sitting on the counter - just where I left it.  I thanked my Thursday night self for planning ahead. 

Yesterday I ran to the market to pick up groceries for the week.  I treated myself to a Valentines Day present and brought home this daffodil plant for the kitchen window. The floral department was just bursting of tulips, hyacinths, roses, and these beautiful yellow daffodils that were SCREAMING springtime.  I was so happy to see it and didn't hesitate to pick one up and put it in my cart.  

I'm excited to watch it bloom ♥

 

She'll wait until the time is right because she knows we shouldn't rush these things, but regardless, I'll be waiting and watching for those pretty little yellow teacups. 

Strawberries were on sale this week for Valentines Day. I wish you could smell these! I can't tell you how many times I've stuck my nose in the bowl just to take a sniff.  So good!  

Another signs of warmer days to come! 

Not only are they yummy but it's also aromatherapy! ♥

Out back still looks like this.  

I promise you there is a river under all that snow and ice somewhere.  

  It's so quiet and still.  

I love seeing the long shadows of sunlight on the snow.  I don't think I could ever live in the city.  

I need nature every day ♥

Meals this week have been very simple.  One night we did breakfast for dinner.  I made Susan Branch's German pancake which is a family favorite.  The recipe is in her Heart of the Home cookbook.  A few years ago, I made a video about it.  Give it a click if you want to see a very cringy pre-covid me with short hair making this pancake.  Feels like a 100 years ago, but the pancake is still delicious.

 And very easy to make ♥

And that's it my friends.  

Same old ordinary days around here, which is just perfect for me.  This weekend I have loads of laundry to do, toilets to clean, and shelves to dust.  Just your average life as a princess - not really!  I'll catch up on chores, read my book of the moment, and make a yummy Valentines Day dessert that involves brownies and a heart shaped cookie cutter. I'm nothing if not creative! : ) 

Speaking of Valentine's Day, remember when Valentines looked like this?...♥

How fun! I miss those days!  So simple and yet so perfect. 

Have a wonderful weekend friends and Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

I hope you spend it doing something you love with the people who mean the most to you.  And of course, have something SWEET to celebrate!  

Love you! Bye! xoxox

PS I'm still waiting on the painter.  Patience is a virtue :) 

Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

Hello Friends and Happy Valentines Day! ♥

I took myself on an early walk this morning by the ocean to celebrate and I'm so glad I did.  Was it freezing? It sure was (is!) but the fresh air was so good for my soul.  I always feel better when I push myself to get outdoors, even if only for a few minutes.  

I needed it this morning ♥

 I love the beach in the wintertime, especially when it's this cold.  The water is like glass, and everything feels so still and peaceful.  I didn't stay that long, but just long enough to let it all sink in and it was a good start to my day.  

There were icy patches all along the pathways, so I had to be careful walking.  

    

I sat on this wall for a few minutes before I got really cold and had to go back to the car.  

I'll be back soon.  That bench is my picnic spot in the warmer months.  I'll be here with an iced coffee instead of a hot one. I can't wait.  

Spring is coming ♥

Anyway, back at home I have the fire going and now I'm hibernating for the weekend.  It's been a cold and snowy week and there is more on the way.   These are the dog days of winter, my friends, and all I want to do is bake, nest, read books, and sit by the fire.  

My Dad was in hospital for a few days last week.  Thankfully he's home now and feeling much better.  This visit wasn't a good experience.  Mainly because the hospital was completely FULL so he had to spend the first night on a bed in the hallway.  I kid you not.  I felt so bad for him.  The next day a room did open up and they were able to move him.  No one ever loves being in the hospital, but being in the hallway was a new low.  We were so happy he was only in there for two days!  Now being home by the fire, with warm drinks and blankets, it's makes me so grateful to have all my family here under one roof. 

You really do have to be grateful for every day and never take anything for granted ♥

The other day I baked some bread, and it was the best rise I've ever seen.  Look how happy this loaf is! 

That tells you how toasty it is in here. 

I'm taking hygge to a whole new level this winter and I'm loving it ♥

 Satisfying is the only word I can think to describe it. 

And YUM! ♥

And speaking of YUM, Rob treated us all to some Valentine's Day donuts because they are my Dad's favorite. Taking a look at this box can you guess which one I took? I bet you'd be wrong.  It's the plain one. I love plain donuts!  The plain ones are always my first choice (unless there is pumpkin spice...that's my only exception! :) 

Have you read The Boyfriend yet? Oh you must! I curled up in a chair last week and tore through it.  It was the perfect escape, and I loved it. It was one of those books where I thought I had it all figured out and I was completely wrong.  Don't you love it when that happens?! 

I made a nice pan of brownies yesterday that hit the spot.  I have to have tea and brownies to go with my book.  It's kind of a rule : ) 

So, what are your Valentine plans? Do you go out or stay in? For years Rob and I would dress up and go out.  It was fun when we were younger but not so much anymore.  Now we much prefer to stay in, warm & cozy.  I can't think of anything worse than dressing up and going out tonight.  Get out of my sweatpants? Are you mad?!!

So cooking I will. I'm making one of his (and all of our) favorites. Eggplant parmesan!  I thought that would be nice on Valentines Day.  Right now I have no dessert planned (except leftover brownies) so I might run out the bakery and see what they have. I can throw a coat over my sweats...lol 

As much as I love baking, there's nothing like fresh cannoli's from the guy down the street. Yup...I think I just made a plan! ♥

Well, whatever your plans are, I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!  

(calendar from John's room...lol)

Also on my list this weekend is watching the new Bridget Jones movie on Peacock.  I don't know if Rob will be interested in that, but love is sacrifice! 

Thanks for stopping by friends! ♥

Stay cozy!!! xoxo 

PS The bathroom project is coming along. It now looks like an actual room instead of a hole in the house.  We're getting there! Yay! By the next update we may have a floor.  Fingers crossed! 

Celebrating a birthday and welcoming February ♥

 

Hello Friends! ♥

Happy Monday and welcome February. Rabbit Rabbit! 

Rumor has it we have six more weeks of winter ahead of us.  I'm grateful for sunshine on those bitter cold days.  We have many ahead of us before spring arrives, but that's ok.  More time to dream.  I've become an expert at lighting fires in our woodburning stove.  I used to fill the whole house with smoke, but not anymore.  I've finally figured it out and I'm loving it...so warm and cozy.  Also loving shutting the heat off once in a while.  Energy costs are so high, it's nice to save when I can.  

So, how was your weekend? ♥

We had a very nice past weekend celebrating Rob's birthday.  Friday night we got takeout from one of our favorite restaurants.  Rob and I split a chicken parm dinner (because the portions are huge!)  John got chicken marsala and my Dad got salmon.  Everyone loved their meal... especially me since I got the night off from cooking : ) I did make a yummy Funfetti birthday cake that we devoured after dinner! 

On Saturday we had a lovely family dinner at Rob's parents' house.  As usual, my mother-in-law did an amazing job.  Her house is so cozy and beautifully decorated, and the food was delicious. Rob's brother and sister both came with their families.  

It was a fun night ♥

 

On Sunday we went to an early mass and then a family friend came over to have breakfast with us.  After he left it was a day of this and that around the house.  We are doing some work to one of our upstairs bathrooms.  I saw "work" like it's not a big deal, but what it really is is a complete GUT and redo (ugh).  It hasn't been updated in a very long time.  Let's just say the tile and vanity were yellow and "harvest gold" colors which haven't been popular since the 1970's. This update was overdue.

Rob has been enjoying the demolition!!  I can't wait until it's done.  We are adding a washer and dryer as well, which I'm very happy about it because it's currently in the basement and this will be much more convenient since this bathroom is right across from my bedroom.  

So here is its current state.  Let's call it the "before" picture.  Hard to believe this was/is a bathroom!  Anyone else feel like your entire house is disrupted when there is a project going on - even though it's contained to one small area? Doesn't matter.  I just know there is chaos up there and I can't look it at ; ) 

Anyway, while all this demo was going on upstairs, I was cleaning downstairs.  I dusted and moped the floors, made a chicken pot pie for dinner, and put some Valentine decorations out because I almost forgot it was February.  Poor February.  Everybody hates her and I'll admit, she gets on my nerves too, but at least we get to decorate hearts and pink things, and pretty vintage cards.  And candy of course. 

That, I love ♥

Today I've been sitting at my kitchen table all day working.  I've drank waaaay too many cups of coffee but that's what keeps me going.  

I hope your week is off to a good start! Time to start thinking about dinner.  

Have a great day, my friends!  ♥

Hi, how was your weekend? : )

Hello Friends! ♥

It's Monday already. The weekends go by so fast, don't they.  I'm so scatterbrained lately I can hardly remember what I did this morning, but I'm going to have a cup of coffee and share a few bits of my weekend with you. 

Dare I say it, I'm not a huge football/Superbowl person.  Not to say the people that live in my house are not - THEY ARE - but....put it this way...I tuned in to see Reba sing the National Anthem, checked out, then tuned in later before bed to see Taylor hugging her beau and that was that. I'm good.  But congratulations to KC and SF for making it that far.  I can only imagine the amount of pressure they must feel.  I for one could never handle it! 

I did make chicken wings for dinner and viewed a few of the commercials this morning which I enjoyed, so I'm not a complete humbug when it comes to the Superbowl : )  

 

 I had a few carrots in the fridge that I wanted to use up so I decided on carrot cake muffins.  I saw someone making these on YouTube last week and I couldn't get them out of my head.  I know it's Valentine's week  and I should have chocolate on the brain but these are so good and put me in a spring mood!  It was 55 degrees and sunny on Saturday!  GORGEOUS! Is spring around the corner? Apparently not because there is a snow storm on it's way predicting 6-12 inches of snow to be dumped on my front lawn tomorrow.  Ugh.  

Anyway, back to the cupcakes...♥

I did have these cute little cupcake wrappers tucked away in my pantry and I decorated them with red and pink sprinkles.  Honestly, a dessert is a dessert around here and it's gonna get eaten no matter what it looks like, so despite them not being chocolate, I called them Valentine cupcakes! No one seemed to mind : ) 

The recipe is from Sally's Baking Addition.  Everything she does is GOLD.

*Recipe here*

Thank you Sally. They are yummy! Especially the cream cheese frosting ♥

Yesterday I had the loveliest afternoon catching up with an old friend.  When I say old, what I mean is she's my oldest friend. We were neighbors since birth and probably spent everyday day of our childhood together, playing Barbie Dolls, riding bikes, swinging on swings, and doing all the fun things kids used to do before electronics, for years and years and years. There's something very special about a childhood history with someone, don't you think♥ 

We went to a kindness seminar together and did a craft afterwards.  We spent the whole time chatting and catching up.  It was so fun and filled my heart with joy!  

In other news....and I apologize if this is TMI but I think it's important to talk about... I survived my first colonoscopy on Friday.  Did I enjoy it? NO.  Was it pleasant? NO.  Am I glad it's over? YEEEES!  

I had rescheduled it for one reason or another at least 3 times over the past year.  I finally bit the bullet and got it over with.  I'm so relieved it's done and I'm happy to say I got an A+ on my report card! 

After not eating for over 24 hrs every meal feels like a feast to me.  Even tea and toast.  I picked myself up some delicious marmalade last week that I am obsessed with on toast.  I ate it twice over the weekend. Pure comfort on a plate ♥

 

My sweet sweet IG friend Marica sent me the most generous care package with some lovely books in it.  We've been talking a lot about life and loss and grief lately.  She is a treasure, so it's so appropriate that she sent me this DARLING book of tiny pleasures!  

I've been pouring over it for days ♥

Every page makes me smile! ♥

And lastly I will leave you today with these lovely vintage Valentines that I have scattered all over my house.  

The Victorians really knew how to make things pretty, didn't they?  ♥

Have a wonderful Monday my dear friends! I'm off to get Valentine cards for my family and a nice big box of Russell Stovers Chocolates for my Dad.  Like I said, we are supposed to get snow tomorrow so I need to get all my errands done today so I can keep cozy during the storm.  Hopefully, we'll all have a snow day.  

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you are well! ♥

Cast Iron Garlic Chicken Recipe and Catching Up! ♥

Hello Friends! Happy February! ♥

It's hard to believe January is over but it's happened.  On to a new month and a fresh calendar page. 

Time marches on.  One day closer to spring, I say! 

Today is a rainy, slushy, mess outside.  It's predicted to freeze so John has another day off from school.  I was so happy not to have to go out this morning and drive him.  We are all safe and cozy in our cocoon today.  Even Rob is home from work, so nothing for me to worry about.  I am all stocked up on food so no one will starve this weekend and I finally bought the ingredients to make blueberry sweet rolls for breakfast on Sunday.  A recipe I've been wanting to try since Christmas. 

 I'll let you know if they turn out "blog worthy"...haha :) 

♥

This highlight of the week was on Monday we celebrated Rob's 50th birthday.  

We stayed in as he didn't want any fuss. We had an easy low key dinner of steak and potatoes, with a yummy chocolate cake for dessert. 

It was perfect. And no fancy dress required! 

Rob is very down to Earth.  He hates anything fancy and I kind of love that about him.  He lives by the motto of simplicity. 

For example, when choosing an appliance, he'll always go for the one with the least amount of buttons or options.  More opportunity for things to break, he'll say.  

And there.  Now you know my husband ♥

January was cold, snowy, and dreary.  

This was a constant view out our back window.  Somedays I would stare at the beauty of it all.  Other days, I would roll my eyes in discust. That's the rollercoaster of January.  It's pretty....but is it over yet?  Yes it is!  Hot coffee on dark mornings, Frank Sinatra playing in the kitchen while I make yet another pot of soup....January days are long and cold, but they always end with Rob's birthday cake on the 31st! 

Hello to February ♥

What's for dinner??? ♥

Anyway, I want to share with you a delicious recipe today.  I think I mentioned when I posted the skillet pear cake recipe (which is soooo yummy btw) that I've fallen in love with cooking with cast iron.  Here's another one of my favorite cast iron recipes that I've been making once a week for at least two months. If you are a garlic lover (and we are!!) then you'll love this dinner recipe.  The garlic butter sauce to T.D.F! 

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

4 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried parsley

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Salt & pepper the chicken.  Set aside. 

Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or oven safe skillet) over medium heat.  When the skillet is really hot add the chicken. Sear until golden, about 2 minutes on each side.

Add the Italian seasonings, parsley, & garlic to the melted butter.  Pour the mixture over the chicken.  

Place the skillet in the oven and bake 20-30 minutes (until chicken is cooked through).

Remove from the oven and serve.  Don't forget to spoon some of the garlic butter from the pan over the chicken.  It's very garlicy and divine! 

YUM!!!!! ♥

I love this quote because cooking makes my soul smile and luckily I get to do it every day!  Don't get me wrong, some nights I'm tired...but for the most part I really love it : ) 

                                                      So what are your weekend plans? 

Mine include organizing my closet and sorting through my clothes.  I'm very interested in the concept of a 10 piece capsule wardrobe.  Have you heard of this?  It's basically getting rid of everything except 10 good, quality, mix & match, pieces.  It clears away the clutter and you utilize what you HAVE. The more I think about this, the more I like it. My dresser and closet are stuffed with things I never wear.  It's time to clean house! 

Have a wonderful weekend friends! 

Stay cozy...spring is coming ♥