Saturday somethings

Saturday...

and Donald is off work...

but he was up early 

 [very early]

he kept things on the downlow until around 8 a.m.

when he made his way to the kitchen 

and made homemade waffles

for the crew

[that was still sleeping]

I made chili last night...

in anticipation of today...

today being 

a no cooking

football watching

crocheting

kind of day...

So, I took the chili out and let it simmer more this morning...

and since the waffle iron was already out...

I made

savory sweet cornbread with onions and cheese

waffles...

to accompany the uber yummy chili....

and

because I saw someone's picture on Instagram...

and remembered how easy they were...

I made a batch of these babies...

and now...

football.

[and crocheting]

Fall stitches...

A fall-ish cowl 

completed

birthday season

Tomorrow

my baby boy

turns 11.

Amazing. 

Nourish

It's Monday...

and a holiday.

The husband is home 

and we are doing schooling lite...

I finished a fabulous book over the weekend.

Bread and Wine 

by

Shauna Neiquist....

It's a mix of faith, encouragement , recipes and about making the journey matter.

It made me think about food a lot.

and being nourished...

by life.

I loved this...

I'm realizing this after what seems like a lifetime of saying to myself, ''well, you can't be expected to do something hard on a day like this, can you?: I did expect more from myself, and I did do something hard, and I am thankful.

I had a bit of feasting this weekend.

As someone that doesn't eat sugar 

(because it makes me feel like a crazy person and makes me crave more and more and more and more...I just do better going without it)

eating it is double edged....

I always romanticize it...what I'm missing...

I remember it being so much better than it actually is...

and so  eat it-

hoping...

for a glorious reunion...

but instead 

I eat it and remember...

it's not what I thought it was going to be...

kind of like life, huh?

So, it's Monday...

and I'm back on track...

a bit of feasting...

and now some fasting...

some balance.

I started the morning reducing some balsamic vinegar by half...

i love it-on

everything.

and then I make a big pot of the simplest soup...

filling.

nourishing.

and with a splash of the reduced balsamic...

the coziest lunch...

that doesn't leave me wanting more...

or with regrets.

and water...

with lots of ice...

in a pretty glass.

day by day...

choices...

I am thankful. 

Saturday somethings...

I have two new magazines.

I have yarn.

I have a new blog to peruse.

I'm about to work on a two week menu

and 

buy some boxed hair color.

No paycheck, smaycheck ...

 if you're hair looks good-you can handle just about anything. ;)

The spacious, free life is from God,
it’s also protected and safe.
God-strengthened, we’re delivered from evil—
    when we run to him, he saves us.

Friday...ah!

Today there were spelling tests via Scrabble tiles...

and growing sugar crystals in Biology...

and leftovers for lunch (turkey and dressing) and Lilo & Stitch

and the reserving of stuff for the weekend... (this is probably one of my favorite things. I love being able to reserve it and then go pick it up later... woot!)

Tonight there will be pizza a goo cake.

for the boys.

AE and I are having a Girls Night In...

a movie...

our nails...

dressing up...

and girlie food.

Donald has new CT scans tomorrow morning and then he will head home. There will be college football all day and a lot of crocheting. 

Tomorrow is also my long walk day. 

(shooting for six miles)

Happy Weekend.

I'm looking for something in red...

Ah, today. 

Today included a very , very long school day

(it wasn't a bad school day...it was just a long one, with lots to cover and go over)

It all started with me oversleeping...

which meant the whole day had to kind of shift...

which put us walking later...

and starting school later...

and putting dinner in the crockpot, later.

Oh, yeah, there's more ...

I pull the Boston Butt out of the freezer to discover that my crockpot was cracked.

CRACKED.

I've never in my life had any such thing happen...

but today

(fittingly)

it did.

Which meant I had to leave the house and go buy a new crockpot.

Now, I have a nice ...shiny...six quart...red...crockpot....

and for dinner we had this: 

you can eat it on a sandwich...

you can make a taco...

you can make nachos...

and you can also eat it the next day for lunch. :)

We ate dinner an hour and a half late...

due to the broken crockpot/time it took to go buy another/prep

and having finished school two hours later than usual...

and the toilet was clogged..

and I did four loads of laundry...

and there was early morning (well, as early as early can be when everyone gets up late...) angst

ah, parenting.

But I'm learning...

if *I* am the common denominator...

then *I* need to work on me. 

I'm finding that honing my schedule, reveals more that needs to be honed.

I'm realizing that I can't do it on my on-

and my utter dependence is on Him.

and that where He leads me...

He has already provided .

I'm learning a lot about trust.

a beautiful quote I read the other day...

"I've learned to kiss the wave that knocks me into the Rock of Ages." 

(amen)

Tomorrow morning , early...

Donald heads up to Midland for treatment.

Prayers are always appreciated.

Tuesday morning

Little things...

Today I built the first fire of the season.

No, it wasn't actually needed.

But it was welcomed.

There is something terribly cozy about a fire.

The gentle warmth...the crackle and pops.

I built a small fire and  one of my kiddos proclaimed...

"and thus begins the winter season''

"Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the air."

Welcome to  cozy.

I put out a few candles and some small fall decorations.

The twinkle lights are up all year. (they make me happy)

All this 

and chicken pot pie for dinner.

 Little Things.

Life is a special occasion.

Saturday Sanctuary

Donald has always worked odd hours or shifts, working most holidays too. So, the traditional weekend never really held a lot of significance for me. But, somewhere along the way I fell in love with Saturday morning.  I still get up early. (but not as early as during the school week) I have the house to myself. It's quiet. 

I drink coffee and just ''be''

In Montana, I remember, sitting there drinking coffee and reading Nie ... long before her plane crash or book deal. I loved the life she lived...the little touches she added...how she made each day special. I would also spend time at Apartment Therapy. I lived in a house. But, again, just the ideas...the beautiful spaces....all made my Saturday morning time. 

Along the way, I stopped reading blogs...I still don't read any regularly...

but I'm taking my Saturday mornings back.

There is something about a Saturday morning...and I want to get back into the habit of appreciating it. :)

So, this morning...

I had coffee...

I went for a long walk...

I planned out my day...

I'm finding , lately, that little adjustments are making the biggest differences...

This week, I posted about my swirly scarf. This is the handwarmer... well, there will be two...and , if I am honest...this is NOT one of them. This one is completed...but I am going to tweak things a little . But I should finish them up this weekend. :)  

See those beauties? I baked them for an hour and now they are sitting in my fridge ready to be made into homemade tomato basil soup for Meatless Monday.  I found the recipe that I love using for this soup over at Annie's Eats.

and that...which , honestly, doesn't look like much there...is currently bubbling away in the crockpot. Donald's very favorite soup. Zuppa Toscana. 

I browned off the sausages in a skillet and then added some water and a diced onion and let it cook for about 15 more minutes.

I sliced them and then added the sausages and the onion into the crockpot.

Along with 5-6 chopped up potatoes.

And 32 oz of chicken stock.

I added a bit of water-just till everything was covered...

Then I added a liberal sprinkling of black pepper .

That will cook till the potatoes are done (4 ish hours on high...)

and about 30 minutes before we eat I will mix some milk (or cream...but I'm using milk) with flour and add that to the crockpot.

Along with some kale.

I'll let it cook on high another 30-45 minutes.

And voila.

Zuppa Toscana. :)

Donald brought home donuts this morning. Do you contemplate how to spell doughnuts? I go back and forth. ;)  But, anyway, Donald brought home donuts ...which means the kids were very happy. I made the two ingredient banana pancakes for me. They are my very favorites but today I added a splash of coconut flavoring-fabulous!

I'd planned on making some banana bread today. Using this recipe. Alas, I don't feel like it. So, I took the VERY READY (as in they reallllllly needed to be used today) bananas out of their skin...and dropped them into freezer bags (4-5 to a bag...I had two bunches READY) and popped them in the freezer. Did you know you could do that? Yep. Now, when I get around to making the banana bread, I just have to take them out and let them thaw and proceed with my recipe. :)

So, there you go... 

My Saturday...

still left...football

and supper

and laundry 

(always laundry)

and maybe

another walk...

Happy rest of the Weekend. :)

Mid-week

Today I finished a scarf. An uber soft and fun...swirly, twirly, heather grey beauty. I'm making it for the auction we're having over at Middle Places to benefit Rapha House. I'm going to make a pair of equally soft and snuggly handwarmers to accompany it.  When the auction goes live, I will link ...I'd love for you to bid and to make a difference in the lives of those that Rapha House helps daily.

Do you love that I put what the above picture was... Ha. I mean, really, did I need to do that? Probably not, but it's fun...so there you go. ;)  Yes, Chicken Noodle Soup. I have a sick husband and three kiddos , all battling a summer cold. See, you might think, don't you mean a fall cold? Well, no, I don't. It was 92* here today-we are still full on summer. So, I made a huge pot of chicken noodle soup with tons of garlic and hopefully this stuff be exiting our home soon. 

Ah, and we made this today too! We did a little study of Johnny Appleseed. (brought on, by the fact, my 3rd grader had no clue who he was....so, um, yeah...lol) and then made this tasty apple crumble pie. Everyone loved it!

I was talking to a friend tonight about the shutdown and she summed it up beautifully. 

God  > Chaos

If I choose to look at what my eyes can see. If I grab on to the worry and the wondering...I will waste so much time--trying to fix something I have no power over.  I have to trust that God is able , more than able to care for us. We are essential to Him. :)

Here's to a great rest of the week!