{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 03/10/2025 }

 

 

Good morning everyone, come on in and have a sit with me.  Let's get ready for our Happy Homemaker Monday and the week ahead.  How was your weekend?

 

We had a very rainy Saturday, followed by a slow quiet Sunday.  I spent most of my Sunday in the kitchen making some things for Jasmine's work.  They are having a potluck on Tuesday and she of course, asked me to make some Portuguese and South African goodies.  Yesterday I made Koeksisters, the recipe is on the food blog.  Today I'll be making Meat Rissois, a meat bread and Toucinho do Ceu, a delicious pudding like cake with coconut.  All the recipes are on the food blog, but I'll leave the links here for you as well.  

 

I have a busy kitchen day ahead, but I love cooking so it makes me happy.

 

Koeksisters

Meat Rissois

Meat Bread

Toucinho do Ceu

 

I hope you all have a wonderful blessed week ahead. 

 

The weather in my neck of the woods:::

I don't know what our weather is doing, think it's the last hoorah before Spring temperatures kick in.  It's a bit all over the place.  I'm fine with these temperatures, the only thing I don't like is the windy days because they absolutely destroy me with the allergies.  It's awful!  

Monday - Abundant sunshine, 79

Tuesday - Sunny, 85

Wednesday - Partly cloudy, 81

Thursday - Partly cloudy, 84

Friday - Sunny, 77

Saturday - Partly cloudy, 65

Sunday - Sunny, 70

As I look outside my window:::
The sun is coming up, I see some birds flying around and chirping really loudly, as well as a squirrel running back and forth from the tree, to my window sill and so forth.   

   

Right now I am:::
Sitting in bed while typing up this post and watching one of my favorite Brazilian YouTuber.  

 

 

Something fun to share (a blog, a video, a tip):::

I know some of you are still dealing with very cold weather, so here's a sweet ambience video for you to feel Spring at your fingertips.  I love these types of videos, I leave them playing on my telly as I go about my day.   

 

 

 

Thinking and pondering:::
Nothing in particular, just a running to do list in my head that I need to get on paper so I don't forget.       

 

On my bedside table:::
My book, water bottle, flower vase and my empty cup of coffee.    

On my tv:::
Last night's When Calls the Heart
Homemaking vlogs

Book vlogs

House of David on Amazon Prime 

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Listening to:::

Television in the background. 

Birds loudly chirping outside my window.

The low hum of the heater in my bedroom.

On the menu for this week:::

Starting the new meal plan on Wednesday, so as usual I'll be working on the new meal plan.  Tonight, Jasmine is coming over with Issac her boyfriend, to have dinner and pick up the food for the potluck.  My brother in law offered to pick up pizza since I'll be in the kitchen all day.  

Monday - Dominoes Pizza
Tuesday - Yogurt marinated chicken, roast potatoes and zucchini   

Wednesday - 

Thursday - 

Friday -
Saturday - 

Sunday - 

On my to do list:::
Change Bed linens

Water plants

Daily Bible reading and daily decree

Crochet

 

 
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
I've set aside the Nordic Afghan.  I am a bit of a seasonal crocheter, so don't really want the winter afghan on me, because I'm really wanting Spring to arrive.  So, I've pulled out my Cosmic CAL to continue.  I love it so much, it makes me smile.   

My simple pleasure:::
Crocheting, it relaxes me like nothing else.     

Looking around the house:::
The house is clean and tidy, thankfully, because I need to concentrate on cooking and baking today and not cleaning anything.  I do need to vacuum and dust, but those are quick tasks that I can get done early this morning and get them out of the way.  

 

 
From the camera:::
It's warm enough that I can start drying my clothes outdoors.  I always love seeing my Cath Kidston tablecloth hanging on the line. ♥     

 

 

Prayer List:::
Oh my goodness.  I don't even know where to start, I'll just say that there are so many on my list.  I have actually decided to do a week hiatus from social media, because my soul can't take all the bad things going on.  The biggest prayer at the moment is for all the Christians in Syria who are being murdered, entire villages and families, women and children just being massacred.  It's heartbreaking!   Please pray for them.

Bible verse, Devotional::: 

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"- John 1:29

{ Hiatus from Social Media }

 

I am taking a week long, maybe longer, hiatus from social media. I won't be posting on Instagram stories, won't be active on the app at all, and may even delete it for the next week so that I don't have the temptation of opening it up. 

 

Over the years, I have unplugged at different times, when I felt the need to.

 

I think it's one of the reasons I am so grateful to God, that I am not an influencer and needing social media to earn my living.  I would have a very hard time doing that, I don't like the pressure, I don't like the feeling of being forced to be on something constantly because I need to.

 

Unplugging for me is much easier than maybe for most.  I am not a person that goes with the crowd, never have been, matter of fact I am the type of person that if everyone is loving something a certain month, I will immediately dislike it.  I have never liked the hive mentality, feeling like everyone needs to like something, do something, dress the same way, read the same books, eat the same things.  I dislike it with a passion, honestly.  It's quite funny actually to think of the visceral reaction my body has to things like this.

 

Anyway, I have been finding that lately, no matter which social media app I open, it is just filled with bad news, horrible things, death and dismay and it's starting to affect me.  I am constantly sad, anxious, worried and it's not a good way to live.  As always, the Holy Spirit steps in at times like these, and prompts me to look elsewhere, and to unplug and that is what I'm doing.  I started on Saturday and I have to say, just one day of not constantly grabbing my phone, has done wonders for my soul.

 

So, you won't see me posting on Instagram at least for this week, maybe longer, I am not sure, I will wait until Saturday to see how I feel.  But I just wanted to let you know, in case you follow me over there too, so you wouldn't wonder where I suddenly disappeared to.

 

I am devoting my time now to reading, praying, crocheting and blogging.  All things that make me happy and fill my soul with joy instead of dread.  

 

Here's to a week of soul searching, contentment and happiness.  

 

{ Spend a rainy Saturday with me }

The rain began last night. At first just a few heavy drops here and there, followed by loud thunder, bright lightning and the constant barrage of millions of raindrops pounding down on the roof.  

 

The temperatures dropped, meaning the blankets I had already folded and put in the basket near the couch, were pulled back out to warm my achy bones.  Arthritis, my arch nemesis.  I never in a million years would have thought that I would develop osteoarthritis, especially before I even turned 50, and when it appeared I was quite sad about it, but I have learned to live with it and to accept that things happen, we don't control all the ailments that come upon our bodies as we age, and some things, just become part of the aging process.  It's ok.  

 

It's a Saturday morning, the slowness of the weekend has arrived bringing with it a laziness that has become synonymous with naps, slowness, pottering around, snacking, drinking coffee and tea, reading or watching a show on the telly.  I'm all for it.

 

So I'm bringing you along on this rainy day, from morning to night.  You might want to grab a cuppa and settle in, there are quite a few photos in this post.

 

 

:::: MORNING ::::

Before the world starts stirring, I am up.  I am an early riser, I guess because I go to sleep every night, around 8 or 8:30, so by 4:30am, I am wide awake and ready to start the day.  Week days or weekends, it doesn't matter, I am up.  You may think it is too early, but I find that I get so much more out of my day when I am up this early.

 

I make my coffee, I sit on the couch under a blanket and I read a little and then watch some quiet slow vlogs.  This morning however, I had the added ambience of a thunderstorm, some lit candles, and just the coziness that comes with this kind of weather.  

After about an hour, I start waking the house up.  While everyone else sleeps, I open the front door, open the curtains, and head into the kitchen to make my breakfast.  I love eating my breakfast back on the couch, while watching something on the tv.  

It's the slowness of the day that I really enjoy.  Dark, quiet, just me and my kitty.

I start a load of laundry and fold the one that just came out of the dryer.

Tidy up the couches, fold blankets and put the dining table back to order, runner, flowers and lamp and put back in place after being removed the night before for dinner and family games.

 

Some nights I get to do this before retiring for the day, but other nights I am the first to head to my bedroom, and the boys stay up playing, so this kind of chore moves to the morning.

I also water the plants.  I have recently set up our little indoor greenhouse with some of the first veggies and flowers we have started. 

As the sun starts rising, and the day starts waking up, I open the back door, light the scentsy warmer and fluff up the pillows on these couches. There's a sense of accomplishment when the day starts with the house fresh and tidy for the day.  No matter what comes our way later, everything seems to just fall into place.

 

:::: AFTERNOON ::::

 

The rain continues, sometimes a slow and steady drizzle, other times bringing all it's force with loud thunder that comes out of nowhere, making you jump out of your skin.  Yes it happens to me a lot.  

 

I do like stepping outside during the storms, to just smell the wet earth, to listen to the rain and to take in nature in all it's glory.  I love being outside in the rain, well, not exactly out in the rain itself, but sitting on my porch, just listening and taking it all in.

We went to the gym in the morning, not even the rain would keep us away.  I find though that the days we go to the gym, I am always slower and tired and just want to sleep the afternoon away.  I don't do it, but it definitely tires your body out.

 

This afternoon, I chose to turn on the fairy lights on the bookshelf, and settle in bed with a warm blanket, and my Ellliott asleep nearby.  If you don't see him, he is right on the bottom of the picture, under a blanket.  He stayed in my bed all day long, under that blanket, only getting up once to use the litter box and eat some food, and then went right back to his spot.  He loves rainy days as much as I do.

 

:::: NIGHT ::::

 

As the evening rolled around, I start the preparations for dinner.  Since it's been raining all day, I had a craving for chili, so after the gym this morning, we went by the base commissary and picked up what we needed.  I came back home and popped it all in the slow cooker.

 

There's nothing quite like a rainy day, with the scent of a delicious chili bubbling away in your slow cooker.  I get to go about my day without worrying about dinner.

Every night before dinner, and while I actually get dinner finished, I have my apple cider vinegar shot.  I've mentioned it before, but basically, I do 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon, then I fill the rest of the little measuring cup with cold water.  I think it's about 8 ounces all together.  

It helps me a lot with my stomach.  I used to have horrible issues from perimenopause, constant stomach cramps, runny tummy, gurgling, indigestion and just unwell stomach most of the time.  This mixture has helped me a lot.  You can look up the benefits of taking apple cider vinegar every day, and remember that with everything, talk to your doctor first, don't take my word for it.  I am merely sharing what I do and what works for me.

I made some homemade pita chips for myself and anyone else that wanted, because I don't eat tortilla chips or chips of any kind.  These are a great way to make homemade chips that are much healthier than store bought, and they go great with a chili or soup.

 

We had our delicious chili, played a game of cards, and I retired to my bedroom.  Took my wonderful shower, and by 8:30am I was asleep.  

 

The rain continues pounding outside and will more than likely go all night.  

 

I sure do hope you enjoyed spending the day with me and having a peek at what I do on a weekend day.  

{ March Reading list }

March has quickly crept up on us.  I blinked my eyes in February and the month was gone, just like that.

 

So here we are, a new month, a blank slate, a chance to catch up on all the books we've been wanting to get to, but haven't yet managed to.  I didn't read much in January and practically nothing in February, I may have managed one book, if I'm being honest.

 

But since March arrived, and albeit it only a few days ago, I have already made it through 2 books and am well into my third.  I tend to go through phases, some months I read non stop, other months I hardly touch a book, and that's ok.  

 

It used to bother me, I couldn't figure out why I could read so much and enjoy reading, and then be ok without a single word making it from a page through my eyes and into my mind.  But just like normal life with it's ever changing phases, so goes reading for me.  I've embraced it and so now, when the reading bug bites, I enjoy it as much as I can.

 

So, here are my books for this month.  This is just a general idea because I do have some books coming in the mail from Paperbackswap.   I've had 4 credits sitting there for a while, and was able to use them last week.  Those books will either be added to this list, or moved to April.  We will see!

The first one, which I'm actually already reading, is The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James.  I am quite enjoying it.  I am a huge Jane Austen fan, I have all her books and have watched every movie and adaptation of each movie available.

 

But in this book, we are privy to Jane Austen's personal life, as she takes us through her younger years, pre famous book author, to even talking about a mysterious gentleman that may have been the love of her life.  There's always been rumors of this, but never anything concrete to prove or disprove.  A few years back, apparently the lost memoirs of Jane Austen were discovered behind a wall at Chawton Cottage.  The author created a fiction novel but based on those memoirs, giving us an insight into Jane Austen.  It's fascinating and like I said above, I'm really enjoying it so far.

I get pretty much all of my books, at Thriftbooks online and Paperbackswap, with very few books purchased new. I know most people prefer new books that no one has ever had, but I love old books, and don't mind used books that have been loved by previous hands. I think it gives them a certain kind of charm. 

 

Recently, I also came across Book Outlet online which is like Thriftbooks. I haven't purchased any books from there yet, but will be giving it a try soon and will let you know what I think. What are you reading for March? Do you have a stack of books or do you prefer to just read as your fancy strikes?

{ Cooking Thursday - Bread Lasagna }

 Lasanha de Pao is your typical lasagna but using bread slices instead of lasagna noodles.  The slices are nestled between spoonfuls of delicious meat sauce and homemade bechamel sauce.

Lasanha de Pao - Bread Lasagna

I love a good lasagna and I learned how to make it the traditional way, which is using lasagna noodles.  I'm not saying that I don't still do that, but when I have leftover bread that has gone stale and needs to be used, the last thing I want to do is be wasteful.

This is a great way to make a much loved family favorite, but also use what you have on hand.  The rest of the recipe remains the same, use your favorite meat sauce, use white sauce or ricotta or whatever you wish, but I'm going to show you how I make mine by kicking it up just a little notch.

Other lasagna recipes you may enjoy:

Zucchini and Bacon 3 Cheese Lasagna
Skillet Lasagna
Hot and Spicy Lasagna
Meat Lovers Lasagna

I'm not going to show you all the steps to this lasagna because there are so many different ways, and people have their favorite meat sauces or fillings.  I'll just basically show you how I made mine.  I make my own meat sauce from scratch, as well as the white bechamel sauce, and you can find the steps to those in my previous lasagna recipes above. 

Lasanha de Pao - Bread Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 and half pound meat sauce (use your favorite, homemade or store bought, your choice)
White Bechamel Sauce
Sliced Ham
Sliced Cheese
Sliced Bread (I used my homemade bread)
Shredded Cheese


In a baking dish, add a little of the meat sauce to the bottom of the dish.  Cover with bread slices, then spoon half of the leftover meat sauce, half of the white sauce, cover with sliced ham, sliced cheese and add another layer of bread slices.

Top with the remaining meat, remaining white sauce and cover with shredded cheese.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted and brown.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

{ Wordless Wednesday }

 

{ Musical Throwback Tuesday }

This is one that takes me back. I remember hearing this song so many times on the radio, it's always been one of my favorites. Love will keep us together - Captain & Tennille 

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 03/03/2025 }

 

 

 

Good morning ladies, welcome back.  Today is March 3rd, so our very first Happy Homemaker Monday post for this new month.  How are we already in the third month of 2025?  The older I get the more I want time to slow down.

 

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend, and I wish you a very blessed week ahead.  

Now let's see how our homes are faring, shall we?

 

The weather in my neck of the woods:::

I don't want to jink anything, but we've gone past the super cold days, and have been enjoying warm weather, with temperatures in the 70s.  I am thrilled for it.  

Monday - Cloudy, 78

Tuesday - Partly cloudy, 64

Wednesday - Sunny, 62

Thursday - Cloudy, 72

Friday - Sunny, 72

Saturday - Showers, 51

Sunday - Sunny, 70

As I look outside my window:::
It is cloudy and rainy.  We had rain yesterday and are supposed to have a little more this morning.  Everything looks wet out there, but I love this kind of weather.  

   

Right now I am:::
Sitting in bed, working on this post and watching a video on YouTube. 

 

 

Something fun to share (a blog, a video, a tip):::

I really enjoyed watching this.  We step back in time to the 1930s with a look at what an apartment would have been like in those days.  

 

 

 

Thinking and pondering:::
We started our garden, well, the indoor greenhouse and our berries, fruit trees and veggies.

 

I am thinking about the outside garden and where it will go this year, what needs to be done, the beds I need to put together and all that stuff.  I love planning the garden, this year, along with the usual veggies, I want a flower garden and an herb garden too.  So that will take some thinking and planning.     

 

On my bedside table:::
A water bottle, some kleened, my Nivea cream and the tv remote.  Also, I almost forgot, but my current book that I'm reading, which is Edenbrooke.     

On my tv:::
Last night's When Calls the Heart
Homemaking vlogs

Book vlogs

House of David on Amazon Prime

Listening to:::

Television in the background. 

The filter in the turtle tank.

The clacking of the keyboard keys as I type. 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - Layered Eggplant with Ground Beef, Salad
Tuesday - Tilapia roasted with tomato and onion, Garlic Couscous, Tomato and Cucumber Salad  

Wednesday - Chicken Marsala, Rice, Greek Salad
Thursday - Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, Garlic Bread, Steamed Broccoli

Friday - Moroccan Meatball Tagine, Mashed Potatoes, Bean Salad
Saturday - Fend for yourself or leftovers

Sunday - Pizza (Cauliflower pizza for me)

On my to do list:::
Change Bed linens

Water plant

Daily Bible reading and daily decree

 

 
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Nordic Afghan

Reading nook

Garden planning

My simple pleasure:::
The smell of olive oil, garlic and onion cooking on the stove.    

Lesson learned the past week:::
That the closer I get to menopause, the more my brain seems to be malfunctioning Hahaha

I swear, the forgetful brain thing IS a thing, my doctor told me about it, I read about it but now that I'm in it it is driving me nuts.

 

I feel scatterbrained at times.  I forget stupid things, like grocery list items, or I do dumb things, like reach for the pan in the oven without my oven gloves.  Goodness!        

Looking around the house:::
The house is very quiet at the moment, which makes me happy.  I love the look and sound of an early morning house, where the sun is just starting to rise, and slowly waking up the sleepy home.  It's like watching everything come to life before your eyes.

 

 
From the camera:::
Homemaking and the joy it brings me.  Something simple as tidying the dining table, makes me happy.    

 

 

Prayer List:::
My stepmom.

Bible verse, Devotional::: 

 Matthew 7:13-14

 

{ Spend the weekend with me }

The sun streams through the windows and the softest of breezes plays amongst the sheer curtains.

 

After a much needed cup of coffee, I get myself ready for the day and start tackling the homemaking chores that await me.  I go into these with a smile on my face, knowing that it's not just about cleaning, or doing laundry, it's about putting my love and my joy into every task at hand.  It's about looking at them through rose colored glasses, not because I hate doing what needs to be done, but because over the years I have come to love every single aspect of being a homemaker.

 

 

♥ Dishes ♥

 

One of the tasks that seems to be never ending.  Is there such a thing as an empty clean sink, for longer than 5 minutes?  If there is, I have yet to come across this elusive thing. 

♥ Laundry ♥  

 

I have come to really enjoy laundry.  I don't know why, but the whole process from sorting the clothes, washing and folding, brings me peace.  

 

Putting them away is another story, I will say that I'm still working on embracing that part of the process, and not looking upon it with such disdain.  Why is this part of the task so annoying?  I don't know, I have never been able to figure that out.  Maybe one day I will look upon it with fresh eyes and a grateful heart, but for now, it will remain the last part of the laundry work, that makes me want to throw my hands up.

♥ Cooking and Baking ♥

 

I don't think I need to say how much this part of homemaking, makes me happy.  I love cooking and baking.  I never used to enjoy the baking part as much, if truth be told.  It took me years for me to even want to do it, especially break making, but I've since found a love for it too.  

 

It's still something that I push myself to excel in, and I still have my flops, but not as many as I used to back in the day.

 

I made some two ingredient bread rolls, which were a huge hit.  I also made a fresh batch of beans for our dinner and for the freezer.  I like having cooked chickpeas, lentils and an assortment of beans, always in the freezer, always on hand for a quick meal or lunch. 

Also made Islak Burgers, which are a Turkish specialty and they were not only a huge hit, but have been requested to go on our favorites list.  Such an easy recipe but so yummy.

 

I will be adding these to my poorly neglected food blog.  I know, I know, it's been left to it's own demise for a while, but I'm hoping to remedy that soon.

 

♥ Setting the house to order ♥  

 

I move slowly around the house, from room to room, picking up things that have been misplaced, replacing things that have gone missing, folding blankets, fluffing up pillows, picking up after the furry babies and things of that sort.

 

There is always something to pick up, tidy or clean up.

♥ Spending time with the Lord ♥ 

 

I'm still doing my daily Bible reading, and usually during the week I get it done early in the morning, but weekends throw that schedule off a bit, because everyone is home and I am usually busy with Curt, we're running errands or working on the yard, or a project indoors.

 

I still make sure to get my daily reading in, but sometimes it doesn't happen until right before bed.  I will say that is not my favorite time to do it, because I'm tired and ready to fall asleep on my feet, but I push through and give that moment to God, after all He deserves it.

 

♥ Random bits and bobs ♥  

 

There are things that I need to do every day, some homemaking tasks are daily, meaning, even if you take a day off to rest, they still need to be done for the home to function effectively.

 

And then there are those that are ever changing, never the same daily, it's just whatever shows up to be tackled is what I do.  Below are just a few pictures of those random bits and bobs around the house, the random things I do mingled in with the must be dones.

I hope you enjoyed spending the weekend with me and seeing a bit of what I do around here.  Not shown are the gym trips, the start of our indoor greenhouse, veggies and flowers, the trip to Walmart, the trip to the game store downtown to exchange a game that wasn't working, the time I took a little nap, the reading I did, and the random games of Wii as a family.

 

It is all part of life and part of my day, even if I don't show it all.

 

I hope you've had a blessed, restful weekend, and I'll see you back in the morning, for the first Happy Homemaking Monday of March 2025.