Friday Favorites 10/20/17

Obviously I am not back to posting on a regular basis just yet, but somehow Friday comes around and gives me that extra boost to at least write something.

Here are a few Friday favorites I'm linking up with A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals and Grace and Love blog.

1. We are making steps forward on house planning. Perc test is done. Surveyor is working on three next step for dividing out where the house will sit, and my super talented hubby is working away at finalizing the actual house plans.

2. Fall! Finally days where I've worn long sleeve shirts. Nights in flannel pajamas. But let's be real, I've been known to wear those in July. 😉

3. This one is mixed. Another friend has left work which is really sad for those of us still there. But I'm very excited and happy for her to get to a better place.

4. The sweet furry neighbor greeting me several days this week when I really needed a friendly face at the end if the day. She even saw me off to work this morning.

5. Next week I'm only at work about a day and a half. I am so happy about that fact I can't even tell you. It will be a much needed break.

That's all for now. I'm off to finish scrubbing my bathtub which our spring water has turned green. Ugh!

Happy Friday!

Friday Favorites 10/6/2017

Well, I have taken a much longer than anticipated break from here! I've been meaning to get back but life has just been crazy lately. 

I'm so glad it's Friday so I'm determined to get a little post out today. So, I'm listing a few favorites and linking up with A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals and Grace and Love blog.

1. It's Friday! Did I mention that already? Work has been wearing us all down lately. Too much drama. This sums it up about perfectly...



2. The weather is starting to feel at least a little bit like fall. I mean it still gets up close to 90 degrees most days, but the mornings have a nice chill in the air.

3. While it has been a few months filled with lots of challenges and changes. Hence my long absence here. I'm extremely grateful for the reasons behind it, which I hope to share soon. :)

4. Football. It just wouldn't be fall without it.



5. Looking forward to some days off and getting out of town this month. YAY!

Friday Favorites 8/11/17

I've been a little absent from the blogging world lately. Lots of exciting things going on. More on that in the near future. :)

Today I'm happy it's Friday and the weekend is here. Woohoo!

Today I'm listing a few of my favorites along with A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals and Grace and Love blog.

1. A low key weekend. I literally have tried to plan absolutely nothing this weekend. I just want to relax and rest. My goal is for this to be me all weekend...



2. A few hours of relaxing on the deck with my furry family members while dog sitting this past weekend.

3. Heading to the beach at the end of next week! Finally an actual vacation trip instead of part work, part fun. It will be short, but at least it will be real free time and just us. This will be my view shortly, YAY!

Happy Friday!

Homemade Date Bars

So I had some dates in the pantry from a Morrocan dish I made recently and I was looking for a way to use them in something else. 

At first I thought I'd probably find bread of some kind but as I started looking through recipes I kept seeing different versions of date bars and they sounded like a winner.

This is my version of them and we thought they turned out really well. It's a little something different from our usual but it was very yummy and I felt it could be classified with some good nutritional value since it had fruit in it! :)

I realized I didn't take any photos of the finished product, but I got a couple of the assembly.

 Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter softened

1/2 lb pitted dates, diced

1 cup water

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl combine oats, flour, salt, baking soda and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Then mix in butter until crumbly.

Press half or a little more of the mixture into the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan and bake for about 10-15 minutes (until starting to brown around edges).

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the diced dates (I used kitchen scissors to cut them up - much easier than chopping!), water and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

Stir in almond extract (you can use lemon juice if you prefer or don't have almond extract) and remove from heat.

Spread filling over baked crumb mixture base.

Spreading the date mixture in the middle

Then sprinkle remaining crumb mixture all of the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting.

Happy Baking!

What's Up Wednesday 7/26/17

Hard to believe it's the end of July already! What happened?!

I'm joining the What's Up Wednesday link up today with Mix and Match Mama, The Larson Lingo and Sheaffer Told Me To.

1. What we’re eating this week
Trying to eat healthier. Monday I had a meeting where we ordered in so I had a yummy berry salad with chicken.
Tuesday we had baked chicken with couscous and green peas.
The rest of the week will probably include beef and turkey, some guacamole and other random items.

2. What I’m reminiscing about

Trips to the beach. Trips anywhere really. I am dreaming about a vacation right now. We're about to be pet sitting for family members going on vacation and I could just about cry because we aren't going too.

3. What I’m loving

Just loving life. Enjoying some swimming and other fun summer activity.

4. What we’ve been up to

We've done a little more work on the land. I have stacked logs with the Bobcat all by myself. This was my first pile.

I was very proud of my amateur self.

We've also been trying to fight bugs off the trees that have been cut, but it's challenging since we don't have a way to mill them right away, or a kiln to dry them in.

You hear the most annoying little sucking and clicking sounds of the bugs just eating away. We really want to be able to save the wood for use down the road but how do you keep the annoying critters from eating all through them after you cut them?

Anyone know? We could use some help!

5. What I’m dreading

Work. Honestly these days it is a dread, even more so than usual. I'm really looking in earnest to find some ways to work from home and be able to replace at least a good portion of the income from my current job so that I can be a little less miserable in life and actually be the home maker I want to be. 

6. What I’m working on
Still working on finding a new, reliable, legitimate source of income that doesn't make me a grumpy person all week long. ;) 

7. What I’m excited about
Lots of things. Too many to share today but sometime soon maybe. ;)

8. What I’m watching/reading
I'm about to start reading the balance of Grace and faith. Reading my Bible as always.

9. What I'm listening to

Lately worship music has been my go to. I need it.

10. What I'm wearing

Shorts and t-shirts when I'm not at work.

11. What I'm doing this weekend.

Pet and house sitting. Maybe some work on the land. House planning.

12. What I'm looking forward to next month
A vacation hopefully!

13. What else is new?
Lots of work related stuff.

Bonus Question: 
What's your favorite thing about summer?
The longer days. Love having more daylight to enjoy the outdoors. Swimming and all kinds of fun activities.

Friday Favorites 7/21/17

Friday is here. YAY!

I'm sharing my Friday favorites with A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals and Grace and Love blog.

1. It's the weekend. Need I say more? It's been such a long week and I'm ready for some time to not be at work. Amen.

2. This little cutie found a great home.

I was sad she had to go but very thankful she is going to a loving family.

3. This face occasionally greeting me when I get home from work and all I want to do is crawl under a rock.

It's not a great photo because she doesn't like to pose, but she will literally just about climb in my lap before I can get out of the car because she is happy to see me. And she isn't even my dog, she belongs to the neighbors. 

It does a heart good to have such a happy, loving greeting to come home to from time to time though. :)

4. This dish. I used it to make my homemade chicken pot pie in last week and it just makes me happy.

It's so pretty and feminine and it just makes dinner more fun! I need to make a dessert in it soon. That would definitely be fun. YUM!

Happy Friday!

Easy Homemade Cream Soup Substitute

I am not a fan of the canned cream soups. Never have been.

I always felt when I was growing up like the casseroles and things made with them just had too clumpy and gross of a texture.

I've also become more conscious of what we eat over the years when it comes to processed foods.

So these two facts led me to search for an easy way to substitute for cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup in recipes. There are so many great recipes that use them and I needed an easy go to way to make it from scratch.

I've tried a few different ways I feel like, but this one is super simple, doesn't take long, and I've been very pleased with the result.

I use it in my chicken pot pie and any other recipes that call for cream of chicken or mushroom soup and it works beautifully! 

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chicken broth (you could use other broth too)

1/2 cup milk (I use either 2% or whole)

1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
In a small skillet or sauce pan heat the butter until melted over medium heat

Sprinkle the flour over butter 1 tbsp at a time whisking each until smooth

Whisk and cook a couple of minutes until thick, bubbly, and starting to brown

Slowly add the broth and then the milk continuously whisking until smooth

Add salt and pepper and continue cooking until thick and bubbly and desired consistency is reached