You may or not have heard, but we had a huge storm over the weekend in Oregon. Actually, a tornado (WHAT!) touched down in Manzanita, a beach town about two hours away from us, and caused a lot of damage. Thankfully, no one was hurt! But in our little country town, we had a ton of rain and a ton of wind. Actually, we were afraid we might lose one of the few trees we have in our backyard with the way it was bending over from the gusts. Thankfully, it still stands, too! Needless to say, aside from running out Friday morning for Bible study and grocery shopping on Friday, we didn't leave the house again until Sunday. [Read more...]
Break the Silence - National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month
You (hopefully) see a pretty happy side from me in my posts. And that's who I am 98% of the time! I'll share stories about my kids, how I have zero time to do my nails, and occasionally, you might pop on over to Club31Women where I write a couple of times a month. I don't get super serious very often on Catz...it's like "Come read this super sad story and here's a recipe to go with it" doesn't work very well! But I do go through sad times, of course, like we all do. Times when I don't know if the aching in my heart will go away or if the tears will stop. A lot of those emotions have come rushing back this month, both because of the milestones this October represents, and because October also happens to be National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. I can't imagine how excruciating the pain must be of losing a baby you've actually met and held physically in your arms has to be, but I have experienced the hurt and sorrow of miscarriage twice. Like many of you, I don't talk about it much.
But I figured if I've hurt (and am still hurting to a degree), maybe you are, too. Maybe sharing my story can help comfort or maybe encourage someone else. Maybe it needs to be said that it's not your fault...you couldn't have prevented it. Maybe you need to hear that it is okay to just cry until you can't cry anymore. Maybe, just maybe, you need to be told that it's okay to grieve and that it will take time before life begins to resemble normal again. Because it is okay, and it's also okay to remember what you've lost and talk about it.
It's okay to reach out and break the silence.
One Pan Chicken with Autumn Vegetables
If you're looking for a one pan chicken dinner that tastes delicious, is easy, and celebrates autumn's produce, this is it. Your busy night will be a cinch!
We've been slowly easing our kids into their homeschooling year over the last few weeks. We've done a bunch of field trips they've had to write reports on, Grace began pre-algebra a few weeks ago, and this last week she's started Bible study, history, writing, French, and grammar. She's been taking her Shakespearean literature class since September, so she's pretty much acclimated at this point. Well...I think she's still struggling with getting up earlier, but hey...it's not just her and Eden - I'm back to getting up early (as in before 7 am), too!
Which is not easy! On Tuesday, I was in bed by 8:30 and ready to fall asleep. Truthfully...I do love getting up earlier even though I'm not a morning person. If I can make myself wake up while the kids are still sleeping, I can get a lot of stuff done.
Like, finish a whole cup of coffee without it getting cold. Aaahh, that's just one of life's simple pleasures right there.
Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
If you're craving cake & beautiful autumn colors or maybe you just NEED CAKE...make this pumpkin chiffon cake. It feels like fall and tastes like fall!
Can we just, for a moment, mom to mom - wife to wife? - female to female? - because this is serious...can you please tell me that I'm not the only one that has a hard time making the time to paint your finger and toenails?
Okay...probably not what you were expecting to hear right? Um, what's that a recipe for...? But, honestly...do you have a hard time just finding x amount of time to set aside for glamming up your nails? I don't remember having this problem in high school. I would double coat that silver nail polish no problem and still have time to read Seventeen magazine (do they still publish that magazine?), work on homework, oh, and go to work!
Weekly Menu For The Week Of Oct 10th
Happy Columbus Day! Do kids still get this day off from school? It's considered a bank holiday so Josh doesn't have to work, which makes today just one more beautiful family day! Hopefully that's true for many more of you - post office employees for sure (hi, dad!)!
We went apple picking on Saturday! The weather was dry and I've been wanting to go apple picking with my family for a few years now. We had hoped to get out to the Hood River Fruit Loop, but we decided to sleep in a bit and make breakfast burritos instead. Since Hood River is pretty far from where we live, we hit up our favorite local farm and picked some apples there instead.
It was so much fun and so simple! Just us, the apple trees and beautiful fall weather. I don't think we could have had more fun! If you haven't gone apple picking, it is a great activity for your family to do.
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Bœuf Bourguignon
It's classic, it's traditional, it's French, & it's absolutely spectacular. Whether you love it or have never tried it, you must make this bœuf bourguignon!
Bœuf Bourguignon. If you're like we were, you've never tried it. You've heard of it, of course...and wondered, it's "beef" right? What is "bœuf" anyway? Or maybe your menu French taught you that much, along with œuf and fromage. Perhaps you're actually unlike we were, and you have tried it - it does show up on the occasional restaurant menu now and again, even if you aren't in the habit of frequenting restaurants gastronomique français. Made famous in the States about fifty years ago by the incomparable Julia Child, it's a centuries-old French dish that made another pop culture splash with its big scene in Julie & Julia back in 2009.
And it's outrageously good.
No, I mean it. Chels and I both came into this with high expectations (it's French food, after all!), and even our lofty hopes were completely blown away by how ridiculously fantastic the flavors of this dish are. Stupid good, as they say in more refined society. Now, before we go any further, I should clarify - this is not Julia Child's recipe. This one is a very slightly modified version of Ina Garten's, and you really can't go wrong following Ina's lead either!
Zucchini Pancakes with Cornmeal
Try zucchini pancakes if you're looking for a healthy, budget-friendly dinner that will not only taste delicious, but also new & unusual...in a good way!
I'm going to be real with you for a second. Sometimes, all of that weekly meal planning I do falls through the cracks a bit. I can't tell you how many times over the years I've had to skip to plan B for a meal because I was sick or because I forgot that one specific ingredient I needed when I went grocery shopping or something was moldy (I hate that!) or life simply got in the way and didn't leave me with enough time for the allotted meal for that evening!
Even though I work hard on my menu every single week and mean to follow it diligently Monday to Sunday, it doesn't always happen. We live out in the country a bit and it's not super easy for us to run out and just grab something if mom messes up. Our options for fast food are basically McDonald's, a taco truck, and Papa Murphy's (Notice that the last two aren't fast food! Also, one is a taco truck. So, that's actually pretty rad.). But 25 minutes and 15 plus dollars later, I always regret that choice (Except the taco truck - because you never regret a taco truck!). I know I could have made something better with what I already had on hand and saved the time and the money!
Tuesday's Tidings for October 4, 2016
Hers
1. Last week I talked about how Josh and I got sucked into Designated Survivor - which, by the way, got picked up for the whole season (can I get a whoop whoop?). This week, like I think a lot of other people, I'm enjoying This Is Us! I think Mandy Moore is a great actress - did anyone ever catch that Grey's Anatomy episode she was in? And Milo is fantastic as well. But the storylines and relationships of the characters remind me of Parenthood (which I miss) so I feel like this show will be around for awhile. Josh has watched the first two episodes with me...not sure if it is his thing or not, but so far, he's indulging me. :) And - love the plot twist last week!
2. If you read our Fiesta Chicken Casserole post (or follow me on Instagram) then you know we went to the Casting Crowns concert on Friday. You guys, their new album is so good and they put on such a fantastic performance. I don't go to many concerts because I usually leave with a headache, but this is one band I would make the effort to go see every time. FYI - I didn't get a headache this time either, so that was a plus!
3. Can we just talk about how gorgeous this pumpkin cake is? Almost, too pretty to eat! [Read more...]
Weekly Menu for the Week of Oct 3rd
How were all of your weekends? Did any of you hit the pumpkin patches yet? It was a bit rainy here over the weekend, so we haven't gone yet. But, we did take the kids to OMSI yesterday (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, for non-local folks!). Admission is $2 per person the first Sunday of every month and they've had a "Journey to Space" exhibit we really wanted to take the kids to for a field trip. So, we did that yesterday - it was a lot of fun and the kids enjoyed it (and hopefully learned something!).
It really is beginning to feel like fall here. Of course...I'm loving it! I even pulled out my coat the other day because of how much colder and rainy it was here. What's the weather doing where you are at? Does it feel like fall, or do you live in one of those places where it's basically July until December? Sometimes we envy you...sometimes not. [Read more...]
Fiesta Chicken Casserole
Fiesta Chicken Casserole is one of those excellent, handy recipes you make mostly with pantry staples and leftover ingredients from other dinners!
I don't know if it's because I'm a parent or if it is just because I'm an adult. But...I have a hard time staying up to watch TV shows and movies anymore. I think I've probably mentioned this before, but I was reminded of this fact the other day when I tried to get through the day without falling asleep with three cups of coffee in my system.
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