Happy Homemaker Monday - 08/26/2024

 

Good morning ladies, and welcome to the last Happy Homemaker Monday in August.  Can you believe that?  I am so happy to see this month come to an end, even though it's my birthday and anniversary month, the heat is unbearable.

 

So, last one for August, and then we are into the BER months....yay!

 

I had a good weekend, it was laid back and relaxing and just what I needed.  Got a lot of crochet in, which felt so good to do, it's been years since I've done that, so it's great to be back on track with that.

 

Last week was a bit of a hit and miss when it came to posting, but I explained why in my last post, which you can see here, The Past Week in Pictures! 

 

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and are ready for a new blank slate, week ahead.  I pray God's blessings over you and your families.  Now, let's see what is happening around our homes. 

 

 

 

*** The Weather *** 

We are over the triple digits, at least for the foreseeable future, thank the Lord above.  We got up to 113 and haven't seen any rain for well over a month or two, and are desperately needing a reprieve.  Thankfully it looks like we are getting just that heading towards the end of this week.  Can't wait! ☔

 

 

*** Right now I am ***

Just said goodbye to hubby as he went off to work.  I am starting to work on getting this post up, and am also watching random videos on Youtube, not really paying attention to anything specific. 

 

 

*** Thinking and pondering *** 

Actually meal planning is on my mind since I need to get groceries on Wednesday, but I'm struggling to find inexpensive meals.  I am hoping to get a meal plan down that will maybe just give me a little break from the expensive groceries.  It's not easy either when you have some family members that don't eat specific things, it makes it harder to plan.  But, we will get there.  I think I may look through Clara's cookbook and find some inexpensive meals that everyone will eat. 

 

 

*** How I am feeling *** 

It's the Monday after a good gym workout, so as always, I am sore.  I have started incorporating exercises for my glutes (behind) and I'm certainly feeling them. 

 

 

*** On the breakfast plate *** 

Just had a cup of coffee and one of my healthy banana pancakes, I left you the recipe last week, if you're interested in giving it a try. 

 

 

*** On the lunch plate *** 

Not really sure, I mighty stick with a simple tuna salad with lettuce and boiled egg. 

 

 

*** On the dinner plate *** 

Slow Cooker Beef Ramen Noodles.  I will eat something different, as I don't want to eat noodles.  It's hard to eat as well lately because the cheaper meals are usually pasta, rice, potatoes, all things that I have to eat very little of.  I'll figure something out for myself.  

 

 

*** On the menu *** 

Meals just for the next two days, then the new meal plan will kick in.  

Monday

Slow Cooker Beef Ramen Noodles 

Tuesday 

Chicken Enchiladas, Rice, Beans (didn't make it last week)

Wednesday 

 

*** What I am wearing *** 

Grey and white striped nightgown.  Will probably put on some leggings and a top later. 

 

 

*** On my reading pile *** 

1 Samuel in the Bible.  

Finished A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and also finished Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Started The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey

 

*** On my TV this week *** 

Homemaking channels on YouTube.  

Kanatsiz Turkish Show.

Time Team on Amazon Prime (one of my favorite shows ever and there are 20 seasons, although on Amazon you only have seasons 11, 17, 18, 19 and 20)

 

If you don't know what it is about, it is a group of specialists who dig deep to uncover as much as they can in three days about a U.K. site's archaeology and history.  It is absolutely fascinating to watch and so interesting, and informative. 

 

*** Looking around the house *** 

The beautiful golden morning sun, is streaming in through the windows.  I love morning light, it gives everything such a magical hue.  There are a few Autumn decorations here and there.  I pulled out my decorations on Friday and have started bringing out little pops of Fall here and there. 

 

 

*** To do list *** 

Housework 

Bible and Devotional time 

Reading 

A row or two on my Cosmic Blanket.  

Meal plan and grocery list

*** What I am creating ***

Cosmic Cal Blanket from Crystals and Crochet.  By the way, the yarn I got from JoAnns last week?  Wrong color, totally wrong color.  *sigh*

But, I did find the right one on Amazon and it arrived on Saturday, and I'm already using it on the new row I just started.  I need to do better at keeping track of of yarn brands and colors per project.

 

 

*** From the camera *** 

My yummy refrigerator pickles. 

  

 

 

*** Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses *** 

Why fear when God has already given you, in Christ, everything you need to be what you're supposed to be and to do what you're called to do?  - New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp

The past week in pictures!

The past week, I have spent indoors.  I didn't have anything that required me to leave, or go out and face the heat, and so I chose to remain in the cool air conditioned home, bake, cook, do my housework and read.  I finished two books this week, which is incredible for me knowing that just two months ago, reading was the furthest thing from my mind, and I had neither the yearning nor patience to sit and read anything.

But as the temperatures have soared into the triple digits, and the heat advisories have flooded in daily, I have found myself turning to things that require less strenuous activities, therefore, reading and crochet have kicked into high gear.

My blanket is coming along nicely, though I did have to rip back two rows once I realized that somewhere along the way, I had miscounted my stitches and nothing was making sense.  Having to redo a crochet row is usually not a big deal when you're working on a small project but when it is a full sized blanket, it means another full day of playing catch up.  But it was done, and I'm on the next row.

Also, speaking of crochet, remember I mentioned not finding the right color and then seemingly finding it online?  Well guess what?  It WASN'T the right color.  I almost gave up on it, but then managed to find it on Amazon (I think), it is on the way and we will only know when it's actually in my hand.  I'm praying it's right, if it isn't, I will just have to move on with the blanket, leaving out that specific yarn.  Not what I want to do, but I am not going to lose a whole project over one yarn color.  

Lesson learned though, from now, I have to keep track of the yarns, their names, their brands and so on.  No more aimlessly crocheting in the dark.

The two books I finished were A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier.  I am now starting Spindle's End by Robin McKinley.

Have you read any good books lately?

This week, I also made a big batch of Refrigerator Pickles, to use up a ton of cucumbers that I had.  It's one of our favorite pickle recipes and they're super easy to make.  These are not canned pickles, they are kept in the refrigerator and I don't worry about them going bad, because they usually don't last long enough for that to happen.

I do have the recipe on my food blog, since I've been making them for many years.  You can find the recipe here.  I also have a recipe for some Freezer Pickles which are divine as well.

I baked some Whole Wheat bread for us, mainly for me.  Though I do eat a lower carb diet, whole wheat bread or multi grain bread is quite healthy, and is my go to, and when you make these breads at home, it's even better for you.  

I made a plain Whole Wheat Loaf and a Cinnamon and Raising Whole Wheat Loaf.  They both turned out amazing.

I am still getting in my daily workouts and weekend gym sessions with my husband, and in between I'm keeping up with healthy eating.  I have however started incorporating some things back into my diet, just to see how I do, and I must say, the immediate reaction my body has to certain things is crazy. 

I will never be able to full go back to eating full on carbs, or as much sugar as I used to.  It's just not good for my overall health and my body immediately lets me know.

The biggest reaction for me, is the loss of energy and the midday sleep slumps.  It's just insane.

I am almost down 40 pounds, I started at 165 and am now 128, so just 3 pounds shy of 40 pounds weight loss.  It's been crazy seeing myself lose this weight and just by making small adjustments to what I was eating, and making sure that I'm getting those 10 000 steps a day, and at least the minimum of 10 minutes walking workouts or 20 minute cardio full body workouts.  

Anyway, that has been my past week, I apologize for the lack of posts, to be honest when it's this hot,  my energy goes down tremendously and I don't want to do anything.  It feels like the slightest of effort in anything, makes me hotter and sweatier and annoyed.  I can not wait for the fall temperatures to arrive.  I'm over the 115 degree weather, it's like living back in Phoenix, Arizona.  Yuck!

Have a blessed weekend friends, and I will be back next week with more posts, and as things cool down, no doubt more active posting.

Oh and before I forget.....craziest thing.  Remember the little baby chicken our hen Puffy hatched in April?  Remember we thought it was a hen?  Well said hen started crowing yesterday, meaning it's not a hen but another rooster.  Lord help me!!! 

Happy Homemaker Monday - 08/19/2024

Good morning ladies, and welcome back to another Happy Homemaker Monday!

 

I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend, mine was good, relaxed, went to the gym and caught up on a Turkish show I've been meaning to watch for a long time.

 

I don't have much planned for this week, so am thankful for a slow, quiet week indoors and away from the horrible temperatures we're having.  I hope you're all staying cool as well.

 

Now, let's get right on with our post, which is going up a little later than usual, sorry about that.

 

 

 

*** The Weather *** 

I am not even going to comment on it, I'll just leave you the temps and go cry in a corner somewhere.  

 

 

 

*** Right now I am ***

Eating my breakfast and trying to get this post up as quick as I can. 

 

 

*** Thinking and pondering *** 

Nothing specific, just a running list of what I need to do or want to do this week, and hoping to get it all down on paper before I forget.  

 

 

*** How I am feeling *** 

I'm well, though a bit sore from the gym workout this weekend. 

 

 

*** On the breakfast plate *** 

Cup of coffee with pumpkin spice seasoning, and a banana healthy pancake.  

 

1 banana, mashed

1 egg

1 tablespoon almond flour

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)

Stevia (optional, depending on how sweet the banana is)

 

Mix it all and make one big pancake.  It's so tasty, healthy, you get your protein, your healthy fats and so on.  And it's a great quick breakfast too.

 

 

*** On the lunch plate *** 

Not sure, I don't know what I feel like.  It's been so hot lately, that I've sometimes just have a smoothie.  

 

 

*** On the dinner plate *** 

Salisbury steak, basmati rice, sauteed squash.

 

 

*** On the menu *** 

Monday

Salisbury steak, basmati rice, sauteed squash 

Tuesday 

Chicken Cacciatore, Penne Pasta, Salad

Wednesday 

Moroccan Fish, Arabic Rice, Sweet and Spicy Cabbag

Thursday

Chicken enchiladas, cilantro lime rice, beans (using leftover chicken from the cacciatore)

Friday

Hamburger Helper, Mixed Veggies

Saturday

Fend for yourself

Sunday

Slow Cooker Beef Ramen Noodles

 

*** What I am wearing *** 

Still in my nightgown, I am moving a bit slow today since my legs are so sore LOL  But I will get dressed into some blue and white striped shorts and a blue tank top. 

 

 

*** On my reading pile *** 

1 Samuel in the Bible.  

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

 

*** On my TV this week *** 

The usual YouTube homemaking channels.  

Kizim Turkish Show

 

 

*** Looking around the house *** 

The house is clean, I gave it a good clean and tidy yesterday.  Today I just have to do my usual week prep and dusting.

 

 

*** To do list *** 

Housework 

Bible and Devotional time 

Reading 

Water plants on the porch

A row or two on my Cosmic Blanket.  

Week prep

Make Refrigerator Pickles

*** What I am creating ***

Working on my crochet blanket.  I managed to find the yarn that was missing, at JoAnns.  Or at least I think I got, but it is arriving tomorrow so I'll have to see.  Hoping it's the right one.

 

I'm also creating a reading journal, it's been fun to just draw and write and make it cute.  It's relaxing and calming for me.

 

 

*** From the camera *** 

I love this blanket so much, and am having so much fun working on it again.

  

 

 

*** Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses *** 

God's care comes in many forms.  Fellowship is God caring enough to put people in your life to encourage, rebuke, and comfort you. - New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp

Upcoming Period Dramas for 2024

Ooh it's been a while since I did one of these posts, hasn't it?  Maybe it's because I haven't been watching as many as I used to, also because I feel there aren't as many good ones out there to pull me in.

 

But there are a few that I have my eye on, and really want to watch, so I thought, it's time.  It's time to do another Period Drama post to add to the other dozen or so I already have on the blog.  Also need to update the lists.  

 

If you're a fan of this genre, and have not yet seen my posts, I do have a running list of period drama series, movies, books and documentaries, which you may be interested in.  It's on the sidebar to the right ---------->

 

But if you don't want to go looking for it, you can just click here:

 

Period Drama Series

Period Drama Movies

Period Drama Documentaries

Period Drama Books

 

I don't have many to share today, there doesn't seem to be a lot of new period dramas out there, but I'll keep an eye out for more to share with you all.  For now, these should give you something to watch, or look forward to.

Where can I watch period dramas?

Well, there are a few places aside from the obvious BBC in the UK.  You can watch good period dramas on quite a few streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, PBS, Britbox, Acorn TV and many more.

 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the story of Jewish Holocaust survivors Lali and Gita Sokolov. After arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, Lali (Jonah Hauer-King) was made a Tätowierer (tattooist), and charged to ink identification numbers on fellow prisoners’ arms.  

Here he meets Gita (Anna Próchniak), leading to a love that defies the horrors around them and a determination to keep each other alive despite the constant presence of volatile Nazi SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay). 

Around 60 years later, recently widowed Lali (Harvey Keitel) meets aspiring writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey) and finds the courage to tell the world his story. 

 You can watch for free on Peacock TV.

 

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We Were the Lucky Ones 

A Jewish family separated at the start of World War II is determined to survive and reunite.

 

 

 

You can watch now on Hulu. 

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Miss Austen

 

Miss Austen takes a literary mystery – Cassandra Austen notoriously burning her famous sister Jane’s letters – and reimagines it as a fascinating, witty and heart-breaking story of sisterly love, while creating in Cassandra a character as captivating as any Austen heroine.

 

Series will be released later in 2024 in the UK on BBC, and in the US on Masterpiece.

 

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Leonardo

 

Exploring the secrets and drama behind the genius of Leonardo da Vinci -- his life, his work and his personal struggles set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy. LEONARDO follows da Vinci as he grows into an unparalleled genius and renowned polymath whose work overturns the established order. 

 

His restless curiosity about art, science and technology is driven by a profound quest for knowledge and he's determined to unfold the mysteries of the world around him. The series unlocks the enigma of this extraordinary man, through an untold story of mystery and passion.

 

 

Unfortunately it is not available to stream in the US but those of you overseas can watch.  I will update this post when and if I find a link to watch here in the US or online.

 

 

 

Cabrini 

Arriving in New York City in 1889, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini is greeted by disease, crime and impoverished children. She soon sets off on a daring mission to convince the mayor to secure housing and health care for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world has ever seen.

 

You can watch on Angel Studios, Prime, YouTube and Apple TV.  Unfortunately neither of these is free, but there is a small fee to rent the movie. 

 

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Blitz

Follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.

Movie will be released in November of 2024.

Grocery shopping, also known as Crying Day!

You guys, I am just so beyond tired of the grocery prices.  It's disheartening to go into the store and realize that even if you pick up the bare minimum to eat, you are still going to walk out with almost $500 in groceries.   

I understand that it differs for every family, of course, and I'm speaking for myself and mine.  I remember being able to do a bi-weekly grocery shop for us all, for $200.  Now?  I spend $450, don't get nearly as much as I used to, have cut back dramatically on meats and other products, and feel completely defeated.  Not to mention, I am having to do top up shops at least once sometimes twice a week, for things we run out of.  I guess if I really look at it, it's not just $450 but way more, once you add in those little trips to the store for top ups.

*sigh*

I just can't wrap my head around this.  I look at the bags and that's about half of what I used to get.  Maybe it's just me, but that amount of bags should not be the price it is.  What is happening?

I've cut back, I've redone the grocery budget, I menu plan and try to make cheap healthy meals.  I have redone the budget itself many, many times over and I am stuck in a rut of juggling food and bills.  I know I'm not the only one, but since this is my blog, feel I can vent a little, or a lot.  Right?

Would love to hear from you all, how you are getting around the constant rise of grocery prices, meals and so on.

I've actually started pulling out some cookbooks to try and come up with a plan of attack, in case things keep going up the rest of the year.  Also been watching many videos on YouTube about depression era cooking and cheap meals.  It's a fight after a battle, constantly, but I believe we can do it.  The important thing is to acknowledge that there is an issue and then work on a solution, so I'll remove my head from the sand and stop pretending nothing is happening, and just come up with a way around all of this, or a way through it rather.

Can I just say that I really don't like Ramen Noodles?  I know, weird, strange fact to throw into this conversation, but just noticed them in the picture and it reminded me how much I dislike them.  But, my husband and son love them as a quick lunch, so I try to keep some on hand.  Those will last all month long and they're also pretty inexpensive.  

I think it's easier for people who like or enjoy things like that, whereas for me who is trying to maintain a healthy way of eating and also doesn't like those kind of meals, it makes it even harder.  The healthy food tends to be the most expensive, so for me I'm sticking with yogurts and fruit, a multigrain sandwich or some scrambled eggs for my lunches.  

I thank God every day for making my dream come true, of having chickens.  We get a daily supply of eggs which is wonderful and certainly helps with the food budget too.  Just need to plan more a garden year round to try and cut back on grocery store purchasing of fruits and vegetables.  Well, vegetables at least, we have some fruit trees but they're not producing yet, and I don't have a banana tree which I would love to.

Our local nursery is amazing though, and I've been following them and looking into purchasing a banana tree to try and get it growing in my yard, it can be done in our area and that would certainly be a learning project for me.

One thing I do at the store, is to purchase some of their sale items, especially fruit which is going ripe, and use that for my breakfasts or for banana bread, or sometimes I bring them home and freeze them.

That bag of apples you see me adding to the fruit basket above, was on sale for a little over $1.  It contained 6 apples that still looked good, just had some bruising here and there.  They will get eaten pretty quick here at home so there's no risk of them going bad.

Sometimes the commissary has bags of peppers that also need have a little spot here or there, or a wrinkle, so they put them out for very cheap, and I bring those home, chop them up and freeze them.  They're great to add to meals or salads.

Honestly I find feeding my family easier during the winter months, because I can do more stews with minimal meat and more vegetables, or soups and some sandwiches.  Summer time for some reason, has always been harder, it definitely reflects on my budget.

So, I'm very much looking forward to the cooler months, not just because I'm sick and tired of these horrid temperatures, but also for the warm filling soups and stews.  Pair them with a slice of fresh homemade bread and that's a meal that will leave everyone satisfied and full, and be lighter on your pocket too.

I'm already planning for the cooler months, getting ideas and preparing meal plans and grocery shopping lists.  

For now though we will continue shopping and crying, at least for a few more weeks right? Hahahah

I would love to hear from you all, how are you getting around these prices, are you planning, have you had to change your meals accordingly, or cut back on certain items?

Let's chat in the comments, maybe we can help each other with great ideas.