{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/23/2024 }

Good morning sweet ladies, come on in and have a cup of tea or coffee.  

 

It is a beautiful morning, cloudy, rainy and 59 degrees.  If I were to pick the best weather to have all year round, it would probably be this one.  What can I say, I love rain and clouds ♥

 

I had a good weekend, quiet, restful, just wonderful and I find that when my weekends go like that, they seem to set the tone for the rest of the week.  

 

So, we are officially in Autumn/Fall, the best time of the year for me.  I love the BER months but October especially is a month I just thrive in, right up until the end when it gets overshadowed by Halloween which, well, you know my feelings on.

 

This year, I have chosen to once again do my 31 Days of Prayer for my Husband.  I did this previously, back in 2009 and it was a great success.  If you want to read more about it, you can look here.    First post will go up on the 1st of October, of course, and will run every day until the end of the month.  It doesn't mean that I won't be posting as usual, it will just run concurrently.  I hope you will join me this year.

 

I wish you all a very blessed, productive week ahead.  Let's get right on with our post....

 

 

 

*** The Weather *** 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday we were once again hit with triple digits, which was not fun at all, but I think we can safely say they are finally gone for good.  We got rain yesterday afternoon, and it's been raining all through the night.  We may get a few more storms this morning, but even if it doesn't rain, the forecast for this week is wonderful. 

 

Monday - Partly cloudy, 78

Tuesday - Mostly sunny, 90

Wednesday - Sunny, 86

Thursday - Sunny, 84

Friday - Partly cloudy, 83

Saturday - Partly cloudy, 85 

Sunday - Mostly sunny, 90

 

 

 *** Right now I am ***

Typing up this post, sitting in my comfy bed and watching All the Lights we Cannot See, on Netflix.   

 

 

*** Thinking and pondering *** 

This week I need to get groceries, work on some projects around the house, and some more crochet.  I also want to find some Fall recipes to try out, and need to find some that are low carb and low sugar, for me to enjoy as well. 

 

 

*** How I am feeling *** 

Really good.  This whole health journey has taught me so much.  I am slowly pinpointing and rooting out things that make me unwell.  Some I already know, others take me by surprise.  Example.....last weekend after the gym, my husband gave me a zero sugar beef stick to eat.  I should have known that anything processed is not good, but I have always been able to eat some beef jerky or beef sticks, here and there, without any issues.  This was a new brand to me, so I ate it.  Within 2 hours I had horrible stomach cramping, which then turned into full on constipation.  I spent the rest of the week uncomfortable and finally felt well on Friday.

 

This Saturday after the gym, he once again gave me one of those, and I decided to eat only a small piece because after thinking about what could have hurt my stomach last week, the only thing out of the ordinary for me was indeed that beef stick.  I ate just a small piece.  Within 2 hours, stomach cramping and constipation again.  Thankfully this time it last only a day.

 

But I can now safely say that it is in fact that beef stick that my body does not agree with.  It's enough for me to go off any kind of beef stick or jerky, for good.  This is how I figure out what I can't eat, and yes it means at times putting myself through pain or stomach issues for a day or so, to pinpoint exactly the issue.

 

 

*** On the breakfast plate *** 

Had a cup of vanilla coffee with 2% milk, and a ham and cheese sandwich on multigrain. 

 

 

*** On the lunch plate *** 

Tuna with beans, broccoli and eggplant salad.    

 

 

*** On the dinner plate *** 

Mediterranean Chicken Thighs, Curried Quinoa.     

 

 

*** On the menu *** 

New meal plan will start on Wednesday.

Monday

Mediterranean Chicken Thighs, Curried Quinoa

Tuesday 

Mediterranean Tilapia, Roast Potatoes, Sauteed Collard Greens

Wednesday 

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

 

*** What I am wearing *** 

In my nightgown still, but will change into Black Leggings and a Tank Top, with my trusty slippers of course.  

 

 

*** On my reading pile *** 

Reading Joshua in the Bible.

 

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson 

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

 

*** On my TV this week *** 

Homemaking channels on YouTube 

Christian shows on Rumble and YouTube

Fall Inspired TV Shows and Movies

 

 

*** Looking around the house *** 

Fall is littered through the house, in decorations, candles and gorgeous leaves and pinecones.  Really, really love this time of year.  

 

I need to carpet clean living room, because of the rain, and Kaia's paws in and out to go potty.  I try to grab her as soon as she enters the house but sometimes she's faster than me.  Hahah 

 

 

*** To do list *** 

Bible and Devotional time 

Reading 

Crochet 

Homecleaning

Water inside plants.

*** What I am creating ***

I had to put aside the Knitted Owl Gloves.  Unfortunately it just hurts my hands too much to continue, so I had to set it aside.  I did find a crochet owl glove pattern so will try that one, and see how it turns out.  Bummer!

 

I will be making the crochet ones this week and also trying to finish the Nordic Winter Blanket.

 

*** From the camera *** 

I've been enjoying my lattes the past 2 weeks.    

 

  

 

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

I keep talking about the unprecedented times we are in.  If you don't understand it, we are in a spiritual war, raging all around us.  It does us no good to deny it or to try and bury our heads in the sand.  We have the power of the Lord behind us, and we need to pray.  

 

I saw this daily devotion this morning and I feel that it needs sharing.  

 

There is power in the occult, but it is no match for Jesus’ name. The power you have in Christ does not work like a magic spell but works by taking God at His word. If you have dabbled in the occult, confess, and find forgiveness in Jesus’ name. - Dr. John Koessler

{ Cooking Thursday - Pineapple Cookie Cake }

 

 

 Good morning everyone, welcome back!

Today I am doing another Cooking Thursday, because I really want to share the simple but yet delicious, Portuguese recipe for this Pineapple Cookie Cake.

I know it may sound a bit weird when I tell you to dip the cookies in coffee, but the coffee and the pineapple actually go really well together.

 

Portuguese Pineapple Cookie Cake

Maria Cookies (you can use any plain cookie, shortbread or even lady fingers)

Brewed instant coffee

16 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tablespoon sugar or more to taste

Box of pineapple jello, 3oz

Chopped pineapple (I used crushed pineapple, but you can use slices or chunks, just chop it into small pieces), about 1/4 cup

 

Make the pineapple jello according to the box instructions, then place in fridge to set.  Once set, cut it into small pieces.

 

Line the bottom of a spring form pan with parchment paper.  I believe mine is an 8 inch, but if you have a bigger one that is fine too, the cake is layered so you can always make more filling if needed.

Brew some instant coffee, then carefully take the cookies and dip one at a time, then cover the bottom of the spring form pan.

 

In a kitchen-aid mixer, whip the heavy cream until thick, adding the sugar while beating.  When it's ready, add the chopped jello and pineapple.  Stir to mix well.

 

To the cookie layer in the pan, add a layer of the cream mixture.  Top with another layer of cookies.  I like to overlap the cookies. 

Repeat layers, finishing off with a layer of the cream.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.  

When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the cake, then open the spring form pan, and carefully slide the ring out.  

 

 

This makes a delicious, simple dessert that everyone will enjoy.  It's quite refreshing on a hot day, and since we are still having some of those, now is the time to make it, right?

Hope you enjoy it, let me know if you try it and what you thought.

 

{ A day in the kitchen }

 

 

The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home!

 

I think we've all heard that quote, and I for one am a firm believer in that it is absolutely true.  It is where we cook meals for our families, where we bring family together and where we sustain our bodies with nutritious food.

 

I love being in my kitchen and love spending time in it, pottering around, cooking, or doing dishes (I know that sounds weird, but I find doing dishes by hand, very relaxing).   Most of the time, you will find me in that room, in my happy place, where I feel the most at easy and calm.

Cooking is something I have enjoyed since very little.  I've told the story, I think a few times, of when I first started being interested in pots and pans and cooking.  I was just 5 years old, sitting at my great grandmothers feet.  I wanted so much to have my own set of pots, so my grandmother took me to the local store, in a small village in Portugal, and bought me a set of play pots and pans.  

I still remember it as if it was today.  They came in a big transparent bag, with a knot at the top, and I proudly carried it all the way home.  I wouldn't let my grandmother carry it, I was so proud of that set, that I wanted it all to myself.  Hahahah

When we got back home, my great grandmother was sitting at the kitchen table peeling potatoes, for lunch.  I sat at her feet, pulled out one of the pots, and asked her if I could cook too.  She passed me a small peeled potato, which I asked her to chop into small pieces and she obliged with a smile on her face.  I popped it in the pot, added water and salt and pepper and said I was going to make a soup.  She just smiled through it all, encouraging me.

So, as you can see, cooking has been ingrained in my soul since a very young age, and I think that's why to this day I absolutely adore being in the kitchen cooking for the family. 

So come into my kitchen with me.  I had my family over this weekend, and I decided to surprise them with some Portuguese desserts.  The first is for Bolas de Berlim, which if I were to translate would be Balls from Berlin.  Not exactly a great name, but it apparently was brought over to Portugal by German Jews fleeing World War II, and since Portugal was a neutral country, a lot of Jewish people immigrated there.  

 

Anyway, these fried donuts, filled with a delicious egg cream, are typically sold not only in bakeries throughout Portugal, but you will find them all over the beaches during the summer.  They are very reminiscent of our childhood in Portugal and one of our favorite desserts.  They do take time to make, and of course since they're fried and full of sugar, it's not something I make very often at all.  

 

I think the last time I made them was years ago.

 

So before I got to work on those, I quickly got dinner in the crockpot, so I wouldn't have to worry about it.

Then I got to work, and oh my word, the result were delicious perfect looking Bolas de Berlim, which my stepmother actually thought were bought at a bakery.  What a blessing and a wonderful compliment to me!

I may have a recipe on the food blog already, I'm not sure, I will check and if I do I will leave it linked here for you, but if not, then I'll be sure to get these on the blog this week.

They take some effort but are well worth it.

The recipe called for 12 but I actually ended up with 28 because I made them a bit smaller and doubled the recipe.  We have a big family of 16, so always need to make more.

The recipe I just linked for you above is not the recipe I used, this one came from an old Portuguese cooking magazine which I have collected for many years.  Teleculinaria!

Gorgeous!!!  (although I will say, I am regretting eating 2 of these, because I'm still paying for it today and that was Saturday that we had the family over lol)

I also made another Portuguese dessert which is kind of like the Portuguese Cookie Cake which I've shared here before.  You can find the recipe here if you want to make it, and I do suggest you give it a try because it's delicious.

This one however, is made the same way, but instead of a buttercream filling, it is layered with whipped cream that is mixed with pineapple jello and pineapple chunks.  It is so refreshing and easy to make and yummy too.  

I don't have this recipe on the blog yet, so this one will be going up very soon.

I ended my day in the kitchen, with a yummy dinner of Coney Island Hotdogs, and two amazing desserts to serve to the family.

They were a hit, and nothing was left, not a crumb.  

There is a pleasure that comes from serving your family, and seeing everyone enjoy your food.  It's a blessing for sure.

Thank you for joining me in my kitchen.  I hope you all have a blessed Wednesday.  Take care friends ♥

Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/16/2024

Good morning friends, welcome back to Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

 

It is a crisp and cool morning, and as of this moment (7:12 AM), the sun has yet to make an appearance.  We are definitely approaching Fall, with the mornings taking longer to get bright, and the evenings getting darker earlier.  I must say, I don't quite enjoy this part of the season, but I still love it.

 

I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend with your families, and as we all prepare for a new, full week ahead, I pray that you are blessed, that you are productive and that you are safe.  My week will be filled with crochet, reading and other random jobs around the home, intermingled into the usual daily homemaking tasks that go with running a household.

 

Wishing you all a blessed week ahead ♥

 

 

 

*** The Weather *** 

It's been wonderful but this past weekend we once again saw triple digits.  Texas always reminds us that summer isn't quite over in September.  It has a way of tricking us into cooler temperatures only to bring them back every few days, letting us know who is in charge.  Such nonsense.  Hahah

 

Monday - Partly cloudy, 94

Tuesday - Sunny, 95

Wednesday - Sunny, 98

Thursday - Sunny, 100

Friday - Mostly sunny, 100

Saturday - Partly cloudy, 98 

Sunday - Mostly sunny, 93

 

 

 *** Right now I am ***

Sitting on the bed and working on getting this post up.  Also watching Julie Green on the TV.   

 

 

*** Thinking and pondering *** 

I have so many projects that I want to do, crochet, knitting, sewing, reading, it's just a jumble in my brain at the moment.  I love being creative but if you're a creative person, you will understand what I mean when I say that, sometimes, it's a bit overwhelming.  Your brain goes a mile a minute with a ton of new ideas and all the things you want to make, but there is clearly not enough hours in the day.   

 

 

*** How I am feeling *** 

I'm doing good.  Stomach is a little off because once again I ate sugar this weekend.  We had family over and I made two Portuguese desserts.  I know that sugar is not good for me anymore, but yet I fall into the trap each time then pay for it after.  Entirely my fault, but what can we do?    

 

 

*** On the breakfast plate *** 

Cup of Caramel Pecan Coffee with skim milk, healthy waffle (1 egg, 1 tablespoon peanut butter).

 

 

*** On the lunch plate *** 

Green beans and tuna salad.  Have leftover green beans from Friday's dinner, so will add some tuna, tomato and onion.   

 

 

*** On the dinner plate *** 

Greek Shrimp with Orzo, Spaghetti Squash.   

 

 

*** On the menu *** 

Monday

Greek Shrimp with Orzo, Spaghetti Squash.

Tuesday 

Chicken Broccoli, Basmati Rice (cauliflower rice for me)

Wednesday 

Oven Roasted Fish with Potatoes and Peppers, Bean Salad

Thursday

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta, Garlic Bread, Salad

Friday

Frozen Pizza for the boys, Grilled Tomato and Onion Sandwich for me (multigrain bread)

Saturday

Green Bean Soup, Sandwiches (I will just eat the soup, since I'm having a sandwich the night before)

Sunday

Pampered Chef Taco Ring

 

*** What I am wearing *** 

My summer nightie at the moment.  Leggings and tank top when I get changed, as I will be working out today. 

 

 

*** On my reading pile *** 

Finished 1 Samuel in the Bible.   I have learned to go into prayer and ask God what He wants me to read, which book He wants me to go to next.  I did that and sat there for 5 minutes waiting, then Joshua popped into my mind.  It wouldn't leave, it was like a big neon sign, constantly Joshua, Joshua, Joshua.  So that is the book I am starting today.

Still reading Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson, physical book.

On the Kindle, I am reading The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen.  Really enjoying Klassen right now, she is just the type of author I love reading.  Here is how she describes herself:

If you love romance, British accents, Jane Eyre, or anything by Jane Austen, then you and I are soul sisters and I write for you!

Well, yes, yes and YES!

 

*** On my TV this week *** 

Homemaking channels on YouTube.  

Catching up on All Creatures Great and Small

 

 

*** Looking around the house *** 

The sun has just now started to come in through the windows and as always, it is my favorite time of the day, when the golden light hits every wall inside, and leaves everything looking so magical.  

 

I just need to do the usual Monday cleaning and tidying.     

 

 

*** To do list *** 

Bible and Devotional time 

Reading 

Finish one of the knitted owl gloves I started. 

Vacuum and dust.

Mop all floors.

Water inside plants.

*** What I am creating ***

Knitted Owl Gloves.  I made some many, MANY years ago.  I haven't knitted in years and just picked it up again, it hurts my hands more than crocheting though, so I'm not sure just how much I'll be able to enjoy, but I'm hoping to at least finish this pair.  

 

Also still working on my Winter Nordic Blanket.

 

*** From the camera *** 

The fabric pumpkins are so cute.  I love making these.  ♥  

 

  

 

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

Pray!

 

Just pray.  We are in unprecedented times, and need to be making sure to put on the full armor of God daily, cover ourselves and our families and homes with the blood of the lamb, and stay connected to God.  

 

Sewing Day

Good morning! 

 

I've often talked about my sweet grandmother and the fact that she was a seamstress, and taught me how to sew from a very early age.  I've also talked about how in those days, I felt frustrated because as much as I enjoyed spending time with her and learning new skills, I wasn't really wanting to spend hours sitting next to her while she worked on wedding dresses, and I was delegated the unpicking chore.  

 

If you sew you know what that means, it means taking the seam ripper and taking apart sewing stitches.  Boy did that annoy me, but if I had known then what I know now, I would have kept quiet, done it with a huge smile on my face and not complained one single second.  Why?

 

Because the tools that she passed onto me, are something I treasure so very deeply and am extremely grateful to have.

I don't often get to sew, as much as I love it, I find that I don't have the space to really get into it.  Sometimes I wish I had a studio where I could have all my yarn and fabric neatly packed and show cased, with a long table where my sewing machine is always plugged in and on display, an overlocking machine set up next to it, space to lay fabric, cut it out, a spot to iron and so on.

I don't.  At least not for the moment.  When Jasmine moved out, the plan was to make her bedroom into my studio/guest room.  But, that is when we found out that my brother in law was returning from Korea and staying with us until he bought his house.  So, that was set aside, and once he moves out, then I will work on that room.

Honestly can't wait, but I also am not rushing or desperately waiting for that to happen, so it will happen in God's timing.

With that said, it shouldn't hold me back from sewing.  I have so many projects swirling around in my head right now, with many things I want to make and sew.  So, even if the setting is not perfect for it, I think every week, I will set aside a day for sewing, use my desk as I have done here, and just go for it.   

 

Now, the first thing I wanted to make were some mushrooms, and I even got everything cut up and ready to go, but once I made the first stem, I realized it was just not working for me, they were far too small.  I'm going to do the tops and then find a different pattern for the bottom stem.

 

Since I couldn't do those, I set them aside and just went for the fabric pumpkins.  I think I may have far too many handmade pumpkins already, but I can't help it, I just love fabric and crocheted pumpkins.  They're perfect as decorations for this time of year, and super easy to make.

There are many, many tutorials online, both on google and YouTube, some are no sew using hot glue, and some are sewed, I much prefer sewing than doing a whole project with hot glue, but that is a personal preference.

Here is a good one from Aubree Originals.

I didn't use hers, because I've been making these for years, I think the first I made was back in Arizona when we were stationed at Luke AFB.  I don't remember where I got the tutorial from, maybe it's mentioned on the post, not sure, but you can check it out here.

 

Here are the finished pumpkins, I love them so much, they are the cutest.

Maybe I should do a Works in Progress Wednesday, and show you each week what I've made or what I'm working on, whether it's sewing, knitting or crocheting.  

Anyway, just wanted to quickly show you the fabric pumpkins, hope it inspires you to make some of your own.

Have a blessed day! ♥