Monday catch up: my tree is up ♥

Good Morning Friends! Happy Monday! ♥

As usual the weekend flew by and all of a sudden here we are again! I've got the Monday blues, and it usually takes me to Wednesday before they shake off, just in time to get ready for the weekend. Thats how it goes with me.  I'm always headed for the weekend : ) 

 The weather here in New England has gotten very cold!  I lit my first fire on Saturday and now there's no stopping me.  The first thing I did this morning was light another one.  While the kitchen warmed, I put on a pot of coffee and got dressed.  By the time I was done and having my first sip it was nice and toasty in here.  We have a lot of wood left over from last year that I'm going to burn and I love it because I don't have to run the heat during the day.  Some people say they don't light fires because they don't like the smell, but I rather enjoy it.  It smells like winter and the holidays and that's what I love.  

Very very cozy ♥

Last night after dinner I made this easy bread recipe I saw on TikTok.  I thought I'd give it a shot.  If there was a chance of having fresh bread in the morning, I was willing to risk it.  

#fingerscrossed! 

It came out amazing! My cinnamon toast tasted soooo good!! 

  

Here's a screenshot of the recipe.  I'm telling you, it was a sinch! And so worth it.  Something about homemade bread makes me feel like I'm doing something right in this world. 

 Is that too dramatic? I don't care.  It's good, so try it : ) 

Something else I want to share before I forget is I finished this book last night...OH MY! 

 Full disclosure I listened to the audiobook and I could not stop listening! I highly recommend if you like thriller mysteries!  I listened while cleaning, doing laundry, and making dinner.  I was a machine because I didn't want to stop listening.  It had 3 narrators, so it was like listening to a movie play out in my head. I really loved it.  

Anyway....on to what's really important....♥

 

My tree is up! Yay! ♥

I'm so enjoying it in the early mornings and evenings.  It's very peaceful and calm.  

My goal was to have it up by Thanksgiving and I'm happy that it's done so we can enjoy it for the full festive season. I have little bits and bobs of other decorations scattered around but I'm not fully decorated yet.  I'm enjoying the little things and decided not to go overboard. 

I had an epifamily the other day while doomscrolling making a mental list of all the home decor things I want run out and buy to make my home look like all the pretty Christmas homes on Instagram.  What am I doing?...I thought.  I already have so much and don't need anything else.  I'll use what I have and in fact, every year I tell myself I have too much (I'm talking Christmas and holiday decorations in general).  Bins and bins full!  Do I need anymore? No I don't. I put my phone down.  

I'll use what I have and it will be just fine.  I'm so easily swayed sometimes but I'm fighting the urge.  

Have you ever felt that way? Sometimes you have to stop yourself.  At least I do. 

I decided to focus more on food, family, and friends, rather than making my house look like a magazine and buying things I really don't need. 

I went on to more important things, like food! I started a little notebook that I've been writing my holiday menus and recipes in - mostly so I don't forget next year! I have purchased our Thanksgiving turkey and he's all cozy in the freezer.  Check that off the list.  In addition to the usual stuffing, mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots - I'm adding a few new things this year.  Corn casserole and sweet potatoe casserole! I've never done either but am feeling ambitious. My mom would be so proud. And remember the cranberry brie bites I was talking about a few weeks ago?  They look so easy and will make a lovely appetizer.  

Best Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe

I saw a tip that says you can mix the cranberry sauce with a little orange marmalade or apricot jam and that sounded good too.  I'm going for it! ♥

Meanwhile, outside Fall is in full bloom.  

Yesterday I was treated to visit from my duck friends who were having a very lively conversation! 

They will enjoy the river before the winter comes and they fly south.  Like all smart ducks do.  For now, I love watching and listening to them. 

 I always have ♥

And a weekend wouldn't be complete without a little baking.  I revisited an old recipe for Oatmeal bars which were very yummy. Rob has requested I make another batch for this lunch this week so that's on the agenda today! 

They were originally oatmeal raisin bars but I substituted the raisons for white chocolate chips.  

If I had dried cranberries I would have added them but unfortunately, I'm out.  

However, they are just as yummy, chewy, white-chocolatey, and delicious and you'd think they'd be.

Here's a link to the recipe.  I left out the nuts too! ♥

Oatmeal Raisin Bars - Shutterbean

They remind me of old school lunch box treats so it's funny Rob asked me for another batch for his lunch! Actually, when I first blogged about them they were for John's lunch (in 2015!!).  

I love revisiting old blog posts to see where I was at that time.  It was winter and I was in full nesting mode - ironing things, making chicken pot pies, and planning a spring garden.  John was taking swimming lessons and I was deep into 1980's sitcoms and Downton Abbey!  Aside from the swimming lessons, not much has changed! LOL 

I also love seeing our old house.  I used to put white twinkle lights around our kitchen window in the wintertime.  I miss that window! (go back in time HERE : )   

Well, that's all the catch up I have for you today, friends!  I have lots of computer work to do today and I must get at it or I never will.  Thankfully, it's lunch time so this Monday is half over! 

 I hope you find your peace this week ♥ 

 Thank you for visiting me today.  I'll be catching up with you all too! 

Stay cozy! ♥

Byeeeee! xoxo

Butternut squash & cranberry risotto ♥

Good Morning Friends and hello lovely November! ♥

The older I get, I have a whole new appreciation for November. I used to not give her that much thought, as she served just a bridge to December.  But really, November deserves her moment.  It's a month of calmness before the chaos.  A month of anticipation and preparation. I hope she takes here time because I actually love her. 

 And she's pretty too ♥

The colors are in full bloom now and every day it looks like it's raining leaves.  

Nature is prepping for winter ♥

 And so are we.  It's freezing. Have you put your heat on yet? I held out as long as I could but we had to do it.  The house is toasty and I'm looking forward to many cozy fires this season.  

I didn't get as many trick or treaters as I'd planned for.  It was the least amount we've had in years!  Has "truck or treats" squashed old fashioned trick or treating? I'm not sure, but what I do know is I have way too much candy left over and that's not good for anyone around here.  Especially since we're about to enter the biggest eating season of the year.  Ugh!  

Somebody stop me! ♥

*Breakfast of champions*

Right now I'm in that weird state of savoring every last bit of cozy fall while simultaneously being so excited for Christmas and wanting to decorate and do all the things!  I'm slowly putting away pumpkins and a bringing out holly and twinkle lights.  I want to have the most Christmassy Thanksgiving we've ever had.  I've started to make my menus and lists galore! Have you ever heard of baked brie cranberry bites? Me either but I want to make them :)  

Yes it's early, but I don't care.  The tree is going up soon. The music has started and so has the decorating and the shopping.  It doesn't mean I don't care about Thanksgiving.  It's only making it better in my opinion.  The holiday season is so short as it is, so why not start early. 

♥

Here's a weird thing about me... I find it very comforting to scroll Pinterest for DIY Christmas gifts that I will probably never have time to make, while listening to David on QVC talk about kitchen products that I'll probably never buy.  Why do I love that so much? I don't know but it's my happy place and I do it almost every day.  Do you watch David?  He's been part of my life my years.  I adore his commentary and kitchen tips.  

And speaking of kitchen....♥

Today I wanted to share with you a yummy recipe I posted years ago but deserves another moment.  It's a very easy butternut squash and cranberry risotto.  I make it as a side dish but I could easily just eat this for my meal.  It's perfect for this festive season! 

 

1 butternut squash (medium size)

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cups chicken stock

6 tbsp butter (3/4 stick)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup risotto (Arborio rice)

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

salt & pepper

Peel butternut squash and remove the seeds.  Cut into 3/4 inch chucks.   Cook in microwave (on fresh vegetable setting) until tender.  (*could also be roasted in oven*)  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a covered saucepan.  Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and saute the onion - about 10 minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter.  Cook for 2 minutes.

Add two ladles of stock to the rice (about 1 cup) and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 

Stir and simmer until stock is absorbed, 5 - 10 minutes.  Continue to add stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes.  Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. 

Continue until the rice is thoroughly cooked (and you are out of stock), about 30 minutes total. 

Remove from heat and stir in the cooked squash. Then stir in the dried cranberries. The mixture will be thick and creamy. 

Transfer to a pretty dish (because that is what this risotto deserves to be served in) and enjoy!

Have a great day my friends! I must get some work done now and do some Christmas dreaming.  

Need more coffee too! ♥

Stay cozy! xoxox

Happy Halloween! ♥

Happy Halloween, Friends! ♥

 

Today happens to be a cold blustery and gloomy day, which is very fitting for Halloween.  It actually feels like Halloween today. It's in the air.  

John and I treated ourselves to a McDonalds breakfast this morning (because it's been a week and we really needed it : ).  It was soooo good! ♥  

This afternoon we'll carve our pumpkin and I'll cook up the seeds.  Something I do every year!  He's off to a friends house tonight but I'll be home with Rob and my Dad giving out candy to the trick or treaters.  We have a lot of kids in our neighborhood so I'm sure it will be busy.  I made a big pot of soup last night that we'll have for dinner tonight with some crusty bread I got from the bakery.  I really wanted to make mummy dogs like I used to but since John isn't even going to be here I don't feel they will be appreciated...lol 

Right now he's in the other room watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I just can't bear it.

Times have changed : ) 

 

♥

♥

♥

After all the kids are gone I'm looking forward to settling in for the night in the most cozy way.  Watch a movie and get a good nights sleep. 

 Because....tomorrow....it begins...

Have a happy Halloween, my friends! I'm wishing you all the milk duds and snickers bars you can bear! 

Have a great weekend!

It's also daylight savings weekend so don't forget to set your clocks back tomorrow night too.  

Cozy season is here. No turning back now! 🎄

Ordinary October Days...♥

Hello Friends! Happy Friday! ♥

October is in full bloom here this week.  I had a quiet week working at home, but at least I had a nice view!  We started with rain early on, but once that cleared and the sun came out, I was treated to some nice colors outside my window. 

This is my favorite time for this view.  A close second would only be when the river is frozen and all the trees are frosted with snow and ice.  I know that sounds horrible to some, but it's really quite pretty.  It will be a marshmallow world soon enough.  For now, it's Fall I love and I'll enjoy the days for as long as I can.  I still have to get some pumpkins and prepare for Halloween next week. Next week?! Wow, that came fast, didn't it? 

The mornings are actually very chilly now.  I have an old cardigan sweater that I wrap up in as I shuffle off to the coffee pot first thing.  While the house is heating up and the coffee is warming me up, I take a peek outside and see what's happening.  It's a little more golden than it was yesterday.  

So what's new???   

This week I've been reading What Alice Forgot for my book club.  It's wonderful! Have you read it? A few months ago I started a book club with three of my friends. Our kids grew up together and now that they're not in school together anymore we miss each other! We all love to read so it's a great way to get together every month, eat snacks, and catch up. OH and talk about books.  We take turns hosting and picking the books. It's been fun! 

I also started a little cross stitch project that I've been working on in the evenings.  I went to Michaels and picked up something beginner level to get me started. It's a learning curve but I love it.  I'm settling into cozy season and it's helping my stress levels go way down. 

And I've found it to be slightly addicting : ) 

Last week my friend Jen and her family were visiting from out of state.  We've known each other since first grade! She only comes back this way a few times a year, so when we see each other, we really make it count. 

We had the best time catching up over a long breakfast, which turned into an afternoon of talking and laughing for hours. 

It was a great day that was so good for my soul ♥

My Dad is feeling very good this week! He's the best he's been in months (thank you God!) and I'm so happy about that.  We've got all his meds and diet on the right track and it's really showing.  I'm really hopeful for a better holiday season this year. He'll be able to enjoy it more.  We're hosting Thanksgiving again and I already said he's carving the turkey.  We miss my mom so much and it's still so unbelievable that she's gone.  With the holidays approaching it's especially difficult, so I'm trying my best to stay positive and give my Dad (and me) things to look forward to, probably to an annoying degree :) 

  I know he's sad, but somehow life goes on.  

This weekend Rob and I have a coffee date Saturday morning (something I look forward to all week).  Something about us...we are coffee shop people! We are happiest in the morning having coffee and pastries at our favorite local spot. Then we go for a long drive, listen to music, and talk. We prefer that than going out to dinner on the weekends.  I'd rather cook (or get take out...wink, wink...) and stay in and watch a movie on a Saturday night.  Especially when it's cold out and I can snuggle up in my pj's and cozy blankets, with no place to go ♥

John has a band rehearsal here tonight, so the house will be full of music. My Dad actually loves this the most because it's very entertaining! (and thankfully it's good music!) Saturday he's going to a Haunted House (John, not my Dad! lol) which is a tradition he's been doing for years with his friends.  The place is scary! There are live people dressed up that wander around the parking lot....to get the scary vibes going I guess.  I got chased to my car one year dropping him off and haven't been back since. That was enough for me.    

 On Sunday we'll go to church and then I plan on a nice walk and some fall baking while the rest of the house watches football.  Sounds good to me! ♥

What are you up to? 

And that's about all the excitement there is around here, my friends.  Just ordinary October days.  Today I have applesauce in the crockpot (checked that off my list!) and I really want to make soup for dinner.  Who doesn't love soup and sandwiches on a Friday night? Hopefully not my family because that's what we're having! 

Have a wonderful weekend friend!  Stay cozy and enjoy the little things!  ♥

Wednesday Wisdom: cursive writing & magazines ♥

Hello lovely Friends!  Happy Wednesday! ♥

The sun is shining today after three days of heavy, heavy rain and I feel like October is smiling on us today.  

Do you want to know something very random that I've been thinking about?  I think it's so very sad that kids aren't taught cursive writing anymore. It suddenly dawned on me (for reasons unknown!) that the generation after John will never know how to properly write cursive and it's basically become obsolete.  He was taught in first and second grade how to write the alphabet and sign his name, then it stopped.  The kids were given computers and that was the end of that. These days everything is electronic and at the doctor's office or CVS we sign our names on a pad with our finger.  Am I the only one who thinks this is sad.  Technology is a great thing I know, but somewhere along the way we've lost our charm.  

Kids aren't even given schoolbooks anymore because everything is downloaded on a device.  We broke our backs walking home with book bags that weighed a ton and you know what?  We didn't have to worry about Wi-Fi or low battery or technical difficulties. And it was so fun to see whose name was written in the book, so you knew who had it before you : ) It all seemed so much simpler.  And with the disappearance of cursive something inside me feels like we're going backwards instead of forwards. I guess I'm a dinosaur, but these are the things I ponder.  My Dad told me that at some point the penny is going to disappear from existence as well.  WHAT? Are you telling me my grandchildren will never know cursive wiring or know what a penny is?! I can't even fathom it.  

 All I can say is that I'm thankful I grew up in a world with cursive writing, heavy book bags, and pennies. Because those things are important. 

And while we're on the subject of my never-ending nostalgia, did you know that you can borrow magazines from the library? I didn't either until just recently. Last week I accidentally wandered over to that section and found all my old favorites that I hadn't seen in ages.  Gosh I love the library! 

I used to love magazines!! One of the best parts of going to any appointment was the waiting room with all the magazines!  Once we got phones no one seemed to care about them anymore and once Covid hit they disappeared from waiting rooms entirely. Have you even been to a doctor appointment and didn't have your phone? I have and it's terrible just sitting there with no People or Us Weekly to flip through like in the old days. 

The other thing is magazines are expensive now. One can cost up to $10 and that's just crazy. Probably because they want to us read them online.  But doesn't that defeat the whole purpose?  It's so satisfying to flip through a good magazine!!!  

And thanks to my local library, I can! ♥

And that's all I have to say about that!  ♥

Thank you for listening to my rant : ) 

Have a great Wednesday, friends!  xx 

My weekend and a little holiday decorating ♥

 Hello Friends!  ♥

Happy Monday from wet and stormy Massachusetts! 

 I hope you all had a lovely weekend and your Monday is off to a good start.

We are having quite a rainstorm today.  It's windy, dark, and gloomy, but as long as we're cozy inside I'm not minding it at all.  In fact, I rather like it. I have a pot roast in the oven that's been simmering away all afternoon.  I usually cook pot roast in the crock pot but this way the kitchen stays nice and toasty and it smells good in here too  ♥

I'm nothing if not practical :) 

 Anyway, how was your weekend?  They go by too quickly, don't they?  

On Saturday Rob and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary! (I know!).  We went to lunch and a walk on the cape cod canal.  

Most of the seafood places in the cape are closed now but we found one right across from the bridge that's still open. They were closing the next day! Lucky for me because I had the best lobster roll of my life. 

We took a nice walk and watched the boats go by ♥ 

Cape Cod off season is so much nicer than peak season.  Same scenery and food. Less heat and crowds.  

I'm in  ♥

Looking like Fall and I'm loving it!  ♥

On Sunday I decided to go after that shelf I was telling you about. Is it a bit too early to bring out the Christmas village? Yes, of course it is.  Did I do it anyway?  Yes, of course I did! 

October 12th...and so it begins!  ♥  

fa la la la.....

You have idea the amount of DUST that was up here!  I took all teapots and knick-knacks down, cleaned them, and wrapped them up for storage.  

Then I unwrapped all THIS.  That's when the fun started  ♥ 

 Now I realize it's not even Halloween yet and I by no means am trying to rush the FALL or wish it away, but I cannot even begin to tell you how happy seeing this little village makes me.  

Plus my Mom loved this village.  It was the highlight of our Christmas decorating.  Next to the tree, this was her favorite thing.  I felt sad doing it by myself, but happy at the same time because I know she would have loved it.  My Dad said so too. 

My goal was to have it done by Thanksgiving.  

Ok, so I'm a little early, but now it's off the list.  One less thing to do when the holiday rush starts.  

I thought I was going to get a lot more teasing from my family than I actually did.  I think everyone around here is ready for holiday season.  Last years wasn't the best so we're hoping for a much happier (and healthier) one this year.  Why not start a bit early? I'm ready ♥

Well, I'm off to check on my pot roast.  What are you having for dinner tonight?  

Have a cozy evening friends!  Make a cup of tea, curl up under a blanket, and watch something comforting tonight.  If it's still stormy I might just read my book and go to bed early  ♥ 

Cause adults can do that.  Byeeeee! xo