~Summer-y~

As promised, I'm here to do a little catching up-
as in, where did summer even go?!

To begin with,
 the very week of June that school ended, it seems the chaos began . . .

It all started with a dinner party and a house full of friends . . .

and food.

And believe it or not, 

that lead to having a great married couple come live with the boys and I for a couple weeks,

and in turn, that lead to a lot of rearranging and cleaning (and late nights chatting away).

Then there was the FREEZING and WET June Saturday volunteering with the boys at the Recycled Arts Festival.

And even though our extremities were numb by the end, we certainly managed to have a good time. :)

There was a lot of moving . . . moving friends to new homes, 

moving around old things in my own,

moving our bodies on long walks, 

playgrounds, 

and picking berries

(and eating them).

Sometimes, we stopped moving at all.

We went North to see family.

And West to see the ocean . . .

 and play in the sand.

And in the garden?

The good fight was fought against invaders.

And sunlight was enjoyed.

As well as shade.

And I found, once again, 

it's the self-seeded plants that thrive the most . . .

And our summer really ended with a BANG (literally)

when the Oldest fell through a carport roof eight feet to the concrete below and broke his arm!

Why was he on a carport roof you may ask . . . ?

Well . . . I'll leave that one alone for now.

 (right, Mom?)

Let's just say, he milked it for all it was worth.

Anyway- that's just an overview. A quick but admittedly surface synopsis of three crazy months. There was so much prayer and many many heartwrenching conversations and amazing moments within all of that.

All in all, it was a busy, crazy, emotional roller coaster of a summer . . .

and now . . . it's suddenly October.

Or so, it just seems sudden to me.

And it's time to transition to Autumn days,

 even though the weather here seems to think August doesn't end.

But indeed, it does- or, I should say, it has.

And what of September? What happened there?

Well . . . I have one last transition to share with you-

for better or for worse, after nine months of separation between my husband and myself,

September 1st he moved back home . . . and suddenly, we are four again and facing the Fall together.

Cheers!

~Easy Like Sunday Morning~

"In tribulation. ,misunderstanding, slander,

 in the midst of all these things, if our life is hid with Christ in God, 

He will keep us at ease."

~Oswald Chambers~

Cheers!

~Moments of Valentines~

A Valentine's Day breakfast means getting up before dawn . . .

 to set the table
slice the strawberries

 'french' the toast
pour the juice - or the coffee

 whip the cream
sprinkle it with hearts
and set out the valentine's

All before the sun is fully up.

 After the school run . . .

light a candle
sniff the hyacinth
admire the handmade valentine





curl my hair
visit with a friend
find some surprises on the doorstep

And in the evening . . .


bake the heart-shape pizza
hide the clues
find the boxes of chocolate
watch a movie


. . . end the day with LOVE.



Cheers!

~ Winter's Perfect Soup ~

The boys and I enjoyed this fantastic French Lentil Soup over the weekend.

It is the most perfect soup for several reasons: 

a). It's inexpensive 

b). It's quick 

c). A double batch makes a ton 

d). When you make a ton, it freezes like a dream and simply reheats with the beep beep beep of the microwave  

e). It's healthy and very filling

f). It's simply delicious- as in I've had it for three days in a row and I'm still ready for more!

Okay- that was more than several, but I think you get the idea- it's good.

French Lentil Soup

(from my aunt- not sure where she found it)

Here's what you need:

3 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Cups onion, diced

1 Cup celery, diced

1 Cup Carrots, diced

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

4 Cups vegetable broth (highly recommend using Better Than Bouillon)

1 1/4 french green lentils, picked through and rinsed (make sure there the french for the right consistency)

15 oz can diced tomatoes

Spices are optional and to taste:

(I like to use them all because I like flavor!)

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 - 1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder 

1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

Here's what you do:

You heat oil in a heavy sauce pan (single recipe fits a 3 quart pan) 

Over med. heat saute' onions, celery, carrots and garlic until they begin to brown- about 15 min.

Note: I like to buy Trader Joe's 'Mirepoix' - all the onion, celery and carrot diced and ready to go! 

Then you add the broth, lentils, tomatoes with the juice and the spices.

Stir and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan and reduce heat to a med-low simmer until the lentils are tender- about 35 min.

Once the lentils are tender, transfer two cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.

Then return the puree to the soup in the pan.

This step gives it a nice, thicker texture.

But it you like it 'soupier' just thin with a little more broth after the puree.

And that's it!

Note: If you want to double this recipe, be sure to puree twice as much soup as well!

We enjoyed our soup with slices of homemade bread and butter.

Just perfect for a winter's evening!

Cheers!

All the Autumn's Joys ~ Comfort Food ~

Today started out rainy and cozy- our first 'official' rainy day of Fall. Wishing I had baking on the horizon, but as it is well into the afternoon and no dishes or laundry has yet been done and we are on the last roll of t.p. and I have an open house to attend tonight, I believe the homey smells of cookies in the oven will have wait.

However . . .

We did enjoy one of our favorite meals just last night.

This is a beloved family meal always eagerly anticipated once Fall rolls around. 

I adapted it from my most favorite cookbook of all time, written by the wonderful  Susan Branch-

This was my first cookbook- see how much it's been loved?

Susan's original recipe uses pork chops, but as a 'non porker'  I use turkey.

So yesterday evening I tied on an apron, put some George Winston on the c.d. player and made some culinary coziness in the kitchen.

I peeled and boiled the sweet potatoes.

 And peeled the Granny Smith's 

(always going for the one continuous 'peel' but never quite making it)

I fried up the turkey chops, not forgetting to salt and pepper them.

Then after arranging them in a large pan . . .

. . .  sprinkled a plethora of homemade stuffing all over the top.

Dinner was then covered, slipped into a 400 degree oven, and allowed to fill the house with yummy smells for the next hour.

Then just as the sky was darkening, the table was set and the food swiftly enjoyed by all.

Of course, with my family's appetite, the days when a meal of this size and heartiness meant lots of leftovers have now passed. But all the contented sighs of 'fullness' certainly make it worth it!

~ On a side note: Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a little Autumn Giveaway!~

Cheers!


<Edited to add: Check out the comment from my Mom below. You can find the link directly to the recipe there! Thanks Mom~>