Tag: cooking homemade meals

  • Ye Olde Homestead

    Ye Olde Homestead

    Signs of life observed this week: Buds on the hydrangea. Arugula sprouts. Unknown flower bulbs. This weekend I really just wanted to pretend I was on a homestead (after watching several videos during the week about people buying farms in Ireland, Portugal and more — Tom’s idea). It kinda worked. I strode about the backyard…

  • Sunny Sunday

    Sunny Sunday

    After a rainy, gloomy week, the sun came out Sunday and the temperature hit 71 degrees. I spent some time outside topping off a planter and adding compost, and then sowing three types of carrot seed (Scarlet Nantes, Royal Chantenay and Little Finger). All the straw on the strawberries — I brushed that off. I…

  • Sewing, Birding, Jamming

    Sewing, Birding, Jamming

    What a difference a week makes. We had a high of 57 on Saturday and we made it to March. Hurray! Can I just say how much I love sleeping in a little on Saturdays, then coming downstairs to sunshine pouring in the windows. Slowly making coffee and toast, not rushing. Jotting down a few…

  • Birdie Birdie

    Birdie Birdie

    Finally seeing some birds at my feeder! I think the blizzard made the food and shelter attractive! Today we had dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, and Carolina wrens visit! I honestly can’t tell you how excited Tom and I were when we woke up to the photo notification. We are getting old. We also woke up…

  • Literally Dreaming of Spring

    Literally Dreaming of Spring

    Maybe we should have bone-chillingly cold weekends more often. Being stuck in the house made me very productive. This weekend I have made meatballs, gravy, stuffed shells and banana bread. I have all the ingredients for pasta fagioli and was contemplating knocking it out, but will push that to tomorrow night. I’ve done three loads…

  • Hearts and Flowers

    Hearts and Flowers

    The random urge to craft struck me again this weekend. I was taking down our remaining Christmas decorations and wishing for something to replace them with. Inspiration struck in the form of the Baker Creek seed catalog. I had wanted to make a garlands of hearts for the fireplace mantel, but had no red paper.…

  • Pho and Snow

    Pho and Snow

    Happy three-day weekend to those who are so blessed. I have many small fulfilling things to report this week! Perhaps the most important is that I refinanced my car loan yesterday. Now my interest rate is more than 4% lower and I also shortened the term. It told me how much I was saving —…

  • Hold Still and Hope January Doesn’t Notice You

    Hold Still and Hope January Doesn’t Notice You

    Seriously, no sudden moves, no bold proclamations. January is a trickster. Everything is going pretty good, the weather warmed up a bit, it’s still a little light out at 5 pm, you’re feeling cautiously optimistic and then BAM! someone spikes a high fever. And it pours rain for 12 hours straight. Am I envious of…

  • Plans for 2026: Garden, Travel, Scrimp, Party!

    Plans for 2026: Garden, Travel, Scrimp, Party!

    My goal was not to be sick on Christmas, and I wasn’t. But most of us had strep throat this week. I guess it’s better than a cold or flu since once you get the meds it goes away. I resent having to pay $135 to urgent care so far. (But grateful for urgent care…

  • Cozy Christmas

    Cozy Christmas

    My homemade, handcrafted holidays are finally over, though I’ve still got time off coming up to enjoy. Last Tuesday and Wednesday I was on my feet a lot, and definitely had moments of “never doing this again.” Two of the kids were sick and thus I didn’t have a lot of help in terms of…