*Happy Homemaker Monday* 🤍10-17-22 🤍

I am joining in for the first time on,
 "Happy Homemaker Monday" Hosted by Sandra.
Click on Picture to take you there. 
Her blog is absolutely lovely!!
🤍🤍🤍

I want to tell everyone visiting a hello, and give you all a virtual hug!!!  I remember the days of "Monday Menu Plan" and I loved it so much, so I am absolutely over the moon excited to join in with this.  Yay!!

My name is Julieann and I am a wife and mother.  I have three children. 2 are adults and my youngest is 15...time flies by so fast.

I remember a quote someone had told me, and it comes across my mind often, some of you may have heard it:

"The days are long, but the years go fast"

Sunday and Monday are menu planning days.  

The weather for the week:

I have to say the weather here has been beautiful.  I run daily and my favorite thing is to feel the warm sun on my shoulders.  I am taking full of advantage of the last of the warm days.  I am now in North Georgia, and the season's change..woohoo.  I lived so long in Southern California, where we had one season, summer, and one day of rain....lol.  I love the seasons so much.
With that said, it seems this week's forecast things are cooling off:

*As I look outside my window......

 I see a beautiful blue sky with just a few clouds without a raindrop in sight.  I see lawns manicured, still green, but you can see hints of fall turning brown, ever so lightly, but you can see it......imperfectly perfect, but perfect all the same.  The trees, the sky, flowers even the pumpkin I see are all from God.  The houses in my neighborhood are all beautiful and decorated to reflect who they are that live there.  I can see two homes from my window across my street, they are red brick, with round bushes around their homes and one home on the right has a fall wreath and in the center it says welcome 🤍

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Right now I am ..........sitting in my craft room/office and drinking a wonderful cup of Gingerbread coffee.  YUM!!!!!! Writing out this post and hoping you all enjoy it🥰


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I am thinking and pondering:
I am hosting a birthday party for my Fil and I am pondering what dishes I want to make, they are going to be spooky themed ...lol.   Making my list as I ponder it..
I, also, need to make my mammogram appt, I try and always do it in October in honor of my dearest friend.

How am I feeling:
I am feeling really well.  As I am older I have realized how important it is to stretch..it feels soooo good and it is the first thing I do every morning!!!

On my breakfast plate:

Nothing is on my breakfast plate.  I have been doing intermittent fasting for many years, so I do not eat until 4.
Now, my husband is a different story, he loves breakfast.... Tee Hee.

Next week, I'll explain what is on my son's breakfast plate.

On the Lunch plate:

Chicken Noodle Soup

Buttered Crackers

Fresh Fruit

 
On The Dinner Plate:
Buttermilk Chicken 
Fettucine Alfredo

Steamed Green Beans

Fresh Green Salad
 

What I am wearing?
A summer dress with a cardigan

What I am reading?
The Redhead of Auschwitz by Nechama Birnbaum

and

Mean Baby by Selma Blair

What's on my TV?

Autumn Ambience

Buttermilk Chicken

Fettucine Alfredo

Steamed Green Beans
Green Salad

Little Cheddar Meatloaves

Homemade mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Steamed Broccoli

Cucumber and Tomato salad

Pork Chops
Twice Baked Potatoes
peas

Bread and Salad

Beef and Buttered Noodles

Roasted garlic and herb veggies

fresh bread

Salad

Family Fun Night

Saturday is takeout or leftovers

 

Steak on the Grill

Roasted Potatoes

Corn

Bread and Cesar Salad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking around the house and my to do list :
Stairs need to be vacuumed

wash kitchen towels
Toilets
Wipe down bathroom counters

Sweep kitchen and shake rugs
Prep veggies

Check expiration dates on some pantry stapes

🤍🤍🤍🤍

Diffusers going with the scent of beautiful essential oils.

Doggie basking in the sun by the glass door

My youngest doing a school course virtually.

My white board on the fridge is wiped clean, waiting for its new grocery list to start being written of things being used in the kitchen.

From my camera:
A picture of flowers I drew last night

 

*Devotional: James 4: 8 - 10

     Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

God needs access to us.  I open my heart and fully love and trust our Father.  I am God's girl and I tell everyone.  He has been with me through it all.  He has smiled when I smiled and he has counted my tears and held me even closer.  I love him and without him I am nothing.  When I think of what Jesus did for us, it literally brings tears to my eyes.  I thank God everyday for being so loving and kind to me and helping me through each and every day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had so much fun doing this post and sharing. I hope you all enjoyed reading it.
 Thank you so much, Sandra for hosting this,
 "Happy Homemaker Monday"
  Please everyone go over to Sandra's Blog,   
"Diary of a Stay at Home Mom" 
Let me know if you have any questions.

As always, until my next post, I will see you soon

XO
Julieann

*WEEKLY MENU PLAN*

 

Buttermilk Chicken
Fettucine Alfredo

Steamed Green Beans

Green Salad

Little Cheddar Meatloaves

Homemade mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Steamed Broccoli

Cucumber and Tomato salad

Pork Chops
Twice Baked Potatoes
peas

Bread and Salad

Beef and Buttered Noodles

Roasted garlic and herb veggies

fresh bread

Salad

Family Fun Night

Saturday is takeout or leftovers

 

Steak on the Grill

Roasted Potatoes

Corn

Bread and Cesar Salad

Video Menu plan

Simple Moments of my Days....Vlog Style

 

I put my little vlog up on youtube and I am also sharing it here!!

May you find happy, simple and lovely moments of your days.

When things seem to be a little tough to deal with, take a moment and just breath and write things down.  Then crumble up that paper and throw it away.  Don't let negativity take up space in that beautiful head of yours!

XO XO

Julieann

Minestrone....Soups for a Great Fall!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup chopped carrot

¼ cup chopped celery

3 garlic cloves, chopped

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed

1 (14 ounce or so) can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 pound of freshly snipped and snapped green beans

1½ cups chopped zucchini

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 cups cooked orzo

½ cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

(Photo courtesy of my kitchen...tee hee)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the onion,

carrot, celery, garlic, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes.

2 Stir in the broth, water, cannellini beans, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, and vinegar.

Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the zucchini is just tender about ten minutes or so. Check for the tenderness of the green beans also.

Stir in the orzo.

Top with the shredded Parmesan. Salt to taste

 

Kale and White Bean Soup......

 2 c. onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
48 oz of chicken or veggie broth
16 oz. bag frozen edamame, thawed
16 oz. can white northern beans
2 lg. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
6 oz. frozen or fresh kale or baby kale
16 oz. fresh baby spinach
1T. cumin
1T. oregano
A few twists of freshly ground pepper from the pepper mill

In 8 qt. pot, sauté onion and garlic. Add all other ingredients. Heat to boiling and simmer 30 minutes until everything is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.

This is also excellent in the crockpot....put everything in on low for 8 hours or high for 4.

It is a very forgiving recipe :0) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I want to talk a moment about how much I love kale. It is an absolute staple in my kitchen. Not only do I put it in soups, but I juice it every single day. It is soooooooooooo good for you!!

Kale Health Benefits

*Courtesy of Google 

Vitamin A (important for eye and bone health and a strong immune system), vitamin C (aids in cold and chronic disease prevention), and vitamin K (good for blood clotting and bone building)
Folate, a B vitamin that's key for brain development.
Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.

Edamame!!! They are immature soybeans....tee hee, and oh, so good!!!!

Cracker Barrel #Crackerbarrel

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store!!

The very first Cracker Barrel Old Country Store opened on September 19, 1969, located on Highway 109 in Lebanon, TN.

The store, I can wander around the store for hours.  I love everything, especially during the Holidays...it is so special and beautiful in there

 

The candy from childhood.

The drinks that you can not find in regular grocery stores.

The clothes and jewelry and knick knacks.

This place has wonderful gift ideas too.

This coffee cup was HUGE!!!! 

As big as a small child...lol

The menu!!

The beginnings of very good things!

Our family fun night last Friday was here at Cracker Barrel.  What an experience it always is.  I love this restaurant so much.  It is just always so happy!!  You all know, I love to be in my "Happy." How could anyone be in a bad mood at Cracker Barrel?  It is a little piece of nostalgia and wonderful food all wrapped together for a delightful experience.

5 dollar items!!!

Kid's menu

Veggie sides and so much more....are you hungry, yet?

Fall Favorites Y'all

Barrel Bites.....MMMMMMMM  MMMMMMMM GOOD!!!

Ambience as always, with a lantern with a real flame....get the kerosine ready folks!!!

Peg Game anyone???

No more rolled silverware, now it is in brown bags...fun!!

I just love the decor....

I wonder if this was a child's bat and glove from back in the day...they look like they were loved.

Fun 

FRIED PICKLES!!!!!!

Vegetable Plate with yummy dumplings

Did someone say, "FRIED CHICKEN!!!!!"

Cracker Barrel's Famous Hashbrown Casserole:**
**My copycat version:
Tee Hee

Ingredients:

32 ounces frozen shredded hash browns defrosted

½ cup melted butter

1 10 ¼ ounce can of cream of chicken soup (I sometimes use cream of mushroom)

1-pint sour cream

½ cup onion finely chopped

1 cups jack cheese grated
1 cup cheddar cheese
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl reserving ½ cup of cheese for topping.

Place in a greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with reserved, yummy, shredded cheese cheese.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until hot and bubbly...and the cheese is almost golden...yummy!!!!!

*~~~~~~~~~~*

Cracker Barrel Green Beans
*My copycat version*

1 pound of fresh green beans cleaned and snapped, then blanched.
 5 slices Bacon
½ Yellow onion diced
Fresh ground pepper
Cook Bacon, put aside

Add green beans, and pepper.
Stir to combine.
Place onion on top of the green beans.
Cover with a lid and bring to a light boil.
Turn heat down to low and simmer for 45 minutes. 
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Croutons

*My copycat version*

Ingredients:

⅓ cup butter, melted

1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon vegetable oil

6 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300’

Combine melted butter, Italian seasoning, and veggie oil in a large bowl; add bread cubes and toss to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the bread cubes; toss to coat. Spread onto a baking sheet evenly.

Bake in preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Tater Tot Casserole

 Ooooooey Goooooooey

Good!!!
Preheat oven to 425'
1 package of Tater Tots. I used Trader Joe's
2 cans of Mushroom Soup mix, organic preferably
Shredded Cooked chicken 
½ an onion chopped
1 Tablespoon of diced jalapeños from a jar
2 overflowing cups of mixed cheddar and jack cheese
Hold one cup back

Mix all together

Put in greased casserole dish
Bake for about 25-30 minutes 

Take out of the oven and put the remaining cup of cheese over the casserole.

put back in oven for about ten more minutes...

pure ooey gooey goodness!!!!

*Weekly Menu Plan* #MENUPLAN

 

Tater Tot Casserole ½ chicken ½ vegetarian
Green Beans
Cesar salad
Fresh Cheese Bread

French Onion Pot Roast
Carrots
Steamed Broccoli
Mashed potatoes and Gravy
Fresh Buttered Bread
Salad

Nachos with the leftover shredded beef and refried beans
onions, tomato, lettuce, black olives
Jalapenos
Sour cream, avocado

Pork Chops
Loaded Baked Potato
Steamed Peas
Salad


Creamed Chicken over Rice
Steamed Broccoli
Salad

*Family Fun Night*

Leftovers or Takeout

Potato Soup......Soup for a Great Fall ....#SCRUMPTIOUS

 POTATO SOUP

Serves 4 Ingredients:

5 slices bacon

2 cups potatoes, diced

½ cup celery

½ cup onion, chopped

¾ to 1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup mile

½ cup flour

3 cups milk Directions:

In large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from saucepan. Set aside.

Add potatoes, celery, onion, salt, pepper and ½ cup milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat;

cover and simmer ten minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a 1-quart jar with a

tight-fitting lid, add flour to remaining 3 cups milk, shake well. Gradually stir into

vegetable mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, tor 15 minutes or until

thickened (do not boil). Garnish each serving with crumbled bacon.

Taco Soup......Great soup for a Fall

 Taco Soup

Serves 6 to 8 Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced

1 pound ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

1 large can tomatoes, with liquid, I try and use organic when I can

I can corn, with liquid

I small can Ortega diced chiles

½ cup Pace Picante Sauce

2 cans (14 oz.) stewed diced tomatoes

1 can (14 oz.) tomato sauce

2 large cans pinto beans, drained

Sauté onion and ground beef; drain. Add taco seasoning. Add tomatoes, corn, olives, and kidney beans, all with liquid. Simmer 30 minutes. Serve with garnishes: sour cream, green onions, grated cheese, avocado, and tortilla chips. This would also be great in the crockpot, for CROCKTOBER tee hee!!!

APPLES!!! #Apples

 

To me, nothing says fall more than then apples....okay, pumpkins scream fall, but apples I think just represents fall in so many ways.  I've learned to make really good caramel apples, the no nut version....I can make apple sauce.  They are really good to juice, they provide a lot of juice......they are beautiful and colorful and there are so many varieties.

Apples are deciduous!

Apples are tasty!!

Apple pie is yummy, especially my Martha Stewart's version.

Here I put theses beautiful apples in a wooden bowl with leaves and they are on my kitchen counter.

An all natural decoration that just says Fall :0)

*Apple Sauce Recipe *

4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut in cubes.
Use apples that are good for cooking, such as Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Mcintosh, Fuji, Jonathan, or Golden Delicious.

Apples vary in their sweetness level, depending on the variety and how late in the season they are picked. The amount of sugar you will want to add will depend on how sweet your apples are, and how sweet you like your applesauce.
You can omit the sugar altogether. If you do, you want to add less lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or omit it.


Instead of sugar, you can use honey, stevia,monk fruit, agave, or another sweetener of your choice.

Ingredients:

4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped

¾ cup water

1 teaspoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

¼ cup white sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
*Combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan; cover and cook over medium heat until apples are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

*Allow apple mixture to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher until it is the consistency you like.

_________________________

Did you know there are 7,500 varieties of apples????

So many types of apples....

Fuji
McIntosh
Red Delicious
Gala
Braeburn
Honeycrisp
Jonagold
Granny Smith
Pink Lady
Cortland
Empire
Ginger Gold
Ida Red
Rome Beauty
Jonagold
Paulard

Fall is Definitely in the Air #autumn #fall

 Fall has arrived in Georgia.  The air is cool and crisp in the morning and some mornings have a cold bite.  The weather warms up but there is still the feel of fall.  The weather is warm, but not a summer warm.  The sun has a different feel on your face.  I noticed all around me, that the leaves are falling and starting to change.  Oh, how beautiful the colors are.  Here is a picture of the leaves on my lawn.  It isn't much, but it is a sign that summer is leaving and fall is coming.  

Here is the sky, the beautiful blue sky,  with touches of baby blue, pale turquoise, vibrant steel blue and lovely cumulus clouds that look like white fluffy cotton ball clouds. 

Breezy, lovely  

A Haiku by Julieann

Colorful autumn
cozy breezy, lovely fall
whilst waiting for peace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



I started drawing and realize how much I love it. 
 Last night when all work was done, I grabbed my sketch pad and drew a pumpkin....

I have laundry going and I am ready to switch loads over. Oh, how I love laundry.  I love the smell of clean clothes and crisp, clean, sometimes ironed clothes hanging in the closet or folded nicely in your drawer. I am at the moment washing whites....how lovely white towels are when they are clean and bleached and smell so nice.  I get my towels mostly at Costco and also at Target and Kohl's  They all have nice towels. I like white because I can bleach them.  Bleach is my friend at some instances....just regular bleach.  The cleaners that have been around forever work sometimes the best.

For example, there is this....I love this stuff so much 

Dinner tonight is going to be 

"The Oogie Boogie Worms" for dinner

out of my very special, "The Nightmare Before Christmas Cookbook"

Have a beautifully, lovely fall day and watch the leaves fall and notice the colors that they are.  Pick a leaf and put it in a book and close it.  One day you will find that leaf when you open the book and it will make you smile...promise!

Let Them Eat Cake ... #CAKE

I made this delicious vanilla cake on Monday. 
 I used a box cake but I switched up the ingredients.
  I used milk instead of water, and 3 eggs plus one yolk. 
 I used orange frosting in the middle of the cake.
switching up a few ingredients in any box cake can give it the homemade taste that everyone loves.

 

Weekly Menu Plan

Steak on the grill

Homemade Mashed potatoes

Sautéed Asparagus

Salad with all the wonderful fresh veggies

Steak Quesadillas

with all the yummy fixings or accoutrements 

Baked Onion Chicken

Roasted potatoes

Peas

Oogie Boogie Pasta Worms

Courtesy of my new cook book

Italian Meatballs

Bread

Tossed green salad

Kielbasa

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Sautéed Asparagus or Broccoli 

Family Fun Night

Leftovers or takeout

Click the video too ----->

Navy Bean Soup.....Soups for a Great Fall