MAKING THINGS FALL & GREAT COOL WEATHER RECIPES

Hello Everyone!  I am turning over a new leaf (definitely a pun intended here).  I have to pick up the slack with posting and I think that may not be hard to do with the shorter days and me being all comfy and cozy in my PJ's at 7:00 p.m.  That gives me plenty of time to watch CNN, the Chicago news, and then an episode of The Real Housewives of ----, or a Hallmark movie (depending on my mood).  

I wanted to get back on here just a few days after my last post, but I didn't feel I had anything new to share.  The truth is, I haven't been using my camera very much and I need to work on that, so subsequently, I can't seem to weave my words together without that.  Tonight I decided I'd share some of my recipes that I have posted in the past focusing on cool weather fare, and I'll bring you all up to snuff on happenings in Blondieville as I go along.  You will find the Save icon on each photo to add them to your Pinterest boards

This first recipe is simple (as long as chopping isn't a chore for you).  I happen to find it therapeutic.

Beef Noodle Soup with Soy & Ginger

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1 T grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup carrots, sliced matchstick style

2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced

2 cups broccoli florets

1 quart beef broth

3 T soy sauce

1 t toasted sesame oil

S & P

4 oz. noodles (spaghetti, Soba, egg noodle...your choice)

Cook the onion, ginger, garlic and scallions in the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat 5 minutes.  Add the carrots, cabbage and broccoli and cook another 5 minutes.  Pour in the broth as well as 2 cups of water, soy sauce and sesame oil.  Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.  Let simmer 10 minutes and add noodles.  Cook 5 minutes or until they are tender.  Serve with a pinch of sliced scallions sprinkled over the top.

This cooks up very quickly as you can see but the chopping takes awhile.  I happen to love chopping, it's relaxing for me.  You may want to prepare the veggies earlier in the day and then the whole soup will go together super quick in time for dinner.  

**********

Indoors I haven't been doing a whole lot in the fall decorating department.  I brought up a box of odds and ends from downstairs last week and it's still sitting on the counter.  And I have so much more.  I'm trying to purge this insane, disorganized, and cluttered room in my basement that's filled to the brim with holiday and seasonal decor.  I really feel I will chuck most of it but I'll set aside some things to bring to a local thrift store.   I've actually been on a sorting, purging and organizing mission...shoes, boots, purses, clothes.  I do feel much lighter in my heart when I donate.

I loooooove stuffed peppers but I wanted something  different than the tried and true ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce.  You can cut the heat in this filling by the type of peppers you use.

Jane's Spicy Stuffed Peppers

These were fun to make, and I just made it up as I want along.  I had a bit of an uncooked piece of center cut pork roast.  I used 1/2 of a piece of Chorizo sausage that usually comes in two lengths per 12 oz. package.  You can control the spice when using the Cajun spices and jalapeño peppers.  I've also been using farro as a go to for rice as it is slightly lower in carbs and all around healthy.

2 bell peppers, sliced in half and seeds removed
1 small piece of pork, about 1 1/3 cup,  chopped a little less than the size of a dice. 
3 oz. chorizo sausage, pulled apart into small pieces
1/2 cup farro
1/2 T canola oil
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced  
1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 plum tomato, seeded and roughly chopped
1 c black beans
2-3 T Cajun seasonings
1 T oregano,
2 c Mexican cheese, divided
S&P to taste

Cook the farro in a good amount of water approximately 20 minutes until tender.  Drain  and set aside.  Meanwhile, sauté the pork cubes in the canola oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring and tossing occasionally.  Add the remaining ingredients including the farro, and 2/3 of the cheese.  Cook 5 minutes until well mixed and the flavors starting to meld.

Trim the bottom side of the bell pepper very thinly so that they will sit steady in the baking dish.  Spoon the sautéed  mixture into the four pepper halves, pressing it in firmly.  Top with the last bit of cheese.  Place the pepper halves in the dish and pour a scant bit of water around them so that they will stream.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side.


                                                               *******


I'm still a little behind the eight ball in decorating for fall.  My planters and window boxes are still looking good and I hate tossing something that's living.  We are however, having nights that go down to the 40's, so I'm contemplating their demise within the next few days.  I want to add some spring bulbs to fill in some areas in the backyard, and I'm thinking of trying my hand at planting some lilac bushes.  The Husband grew up with them in his childhood home so I think he'll like this.  I hope to get out this week and pick out some pansies, bulbs, and a mum or two.  When I take Poppy for her  walks I love to look at all of the pretty homes in my neighborhood and soak in the inspiration.🍁

Cheese & Onion Herb Spread

1 c. shredded Asiago (or Parmesan) cheese, divided

2 c. finely diced yellow onion

1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt

4 t. olive oil, divided

2 T. minced garlic

2 t. dried rosemary or 2 T fresh

Salt and pepper to taste

1)  Sauté onions in 2 t. olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft.  Set aside.  

2)  In food processor or blender combine beans and yogurt.  Pulse until smooth.  Add S & P, remaining 2 t. olive oil, garlic and rosemary and 1/3 c. Asiago cheese.  Pulse until smooth and creamy. 

3)  Transfer bean mixture to a shallow ovenproof dish.  Top with half the onions, half the remaining cheese and then repeat.  Bake at 450 for ten minutes.  Serve hot or at room temp with crackers, toasted bread or crudités.  YUM!!!!

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

I loved making this last fall, very simple and fun and a big hit when I brought it to my son's engagement party back in 2015.  Here's the recipe if you missed it.

8 oz. cream cheese

10 oz finely chopped sharp cheddar

1/4 c  blue cheese crumbles

2  t Worcestershire sauce

1/4 t celery salt

1/4 t  onion salt

 Mixture of approximately 1 cup finely chopped walnuts and 1 T paprika

*****

Mix first 6 in a standing or hand held mixer.  Roll into a ball shape and chill 1/2 hour while you grind up walnuts and mix with paprika in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Place the ball of cheese on a large piece of parchment paper.  You will need to shape the cheese into a pumpkin shaped form.  Bring the parchment paper up and around the cheese ball to keep from making it sticky and shape it into a round larger from the middle down.  Once done,  pat the walnut/paprika mixture all over.  Using a butter knife, score the 'pumpkin' like the real deal from top to bottom in a curved fashion.  Add a real stem (wrapped in plastic at the bottom) or a piece of celery for the stem.  Chill an hour before serving with crackers.  I doubled the recipe to make the cheese pumpkin you see in the above picture.  Serves about 12.  Maybe more. 

Simple Granola with Fruit and Nuts (Blondie's Version)

*****

3 cups oats

3/4 c slivered almonds

3/4 c raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/4 c canola oil

1/2 c maple syrup

2 t vanilla extract

1 c dried cranberries

1 c dried apricots (chopped)

(you may substitute any dried fruit you like chopped uniformly)

2 T honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a large bowl mix the first 5 dry ingredients.  In a small bowl stir together the oil, syrup and vanilla.  Drizzle the syrup mixture over the dry and mix thoroughly.  Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes, stirring every once in a while to brown evenly.  Remove and toss with dried fruit.  Drizzle with honey and let cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Warm Bacon and Blue Cheese Dip

This is a hot dip your guest will remember, and if you bring it to a gathering, everyone will want to know the recipe.  Be like me.  Don't hand it out.  It's yours.  Guard it with your life.  Unlike I have just done here.  

******

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese

2 T half & half

7 pieces of cooked bacon, coarsely chopped (reserve 1 T)

1 T chives

2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

4 oz blue cheese

2 T chopped walnuts

Beat cream cheese and half and half in a mixer until somewhat smooth.  Stir in bacon, garlic and blue cheese.  Spread in a medium size casserole or pie dish.  Top with chives, garlic and blue cheese.  Sprinkle walnuts and remaining bacon pieces over and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Serve with crackers, pita chips, or small toast squares.  Be prepared for compliments.

********

I sometimes wonder how this house here in the city sits so patiently while I'm at the lake.  And in the brief bits of time I come home, nothing much happens but a good cleaning and laundry.  I've been back now for a few weeks and it's been a whirlwind of appointments, get togethers with family and friends, stocking the fridge and cabinets, and doing all that purging I mentioned.  I also got us moving in redoing one of our bathrooms.  It's not a full gut, just the flooring, a new vanity top, and light fixtures.  The floor is done, and I'm almost decided on the light fixtures, then I'll call an electrician.  I'm also having some rooms painted to freshen them up, and little things here and there.  I like that The Husband is a little more laid back on me making some of these decisions, I don't feel I was very much interested in the past as to the bare bones of our houses, but I'm enjoying the process of changes.   I'll keep you posted.  

I'm sharing a recipe for my very own tried and true stew and I promise, if you make this version you will never go back to the one you've been doing.  As always, you can substitute veggies and seasonings. Use what you have on hand.  

Jane's Beef Stew

1 lb. beef stewing meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/4 c. flour

2 T veggie oil

1 c red wine

 1 48 oz. box of beef broth

1 c each chopped onion, celery and carrots

1 medium red potato, cubed

1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed

S&P to taste

1 T dried oregano

1 T dried thyme

2 t. cinnamon

2 t nutmeg

1 bay leaf

Toss the stew meat with the flour in a large bowl while heating oil in a large oven proof pot or dutch oven.  Brown the cubes on all sides over medium high heat, turning when meat loosens from bottom of pot.  Remove to a plate and set aside.  Carefully add the wine and stir, scraping up bits of meat off the bottom of the pot.  Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Add the meat, veggies and spices and continue to boil 5 minutes.  Stir well, cover the pot with a lid and place in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours.  Remove and adjust seasonings to your liking.  Serves 4.

You will love this! Don't omit the cinnamon, it adds a bit of smoky but smooth flavor that's almost indescribable.   In this particular stew I used some Brussels sprouts sliced in half.  Use up what you have in your veggie bin or just switch things around as you prefer.

******

In other Blondie News, the newlyweds, Abby and Tom bought their very first home.  They haven't fully moved in as they are having all the rooms freshly painted, the wood floors stripped and stained a darker shade, and one of the baths is being gutted.  It really is exciting.  Not only were they storing everything from their apartment on the Northside of Chicago while they lived at Tom's family home,, they had gotten tons of shower and wedding gifts that they can finally enjoy.  I spent a few hours there today where Tom was able to have all of "the boys" over for the Bears game.  Emily helped unpack dishes and I stood around making suggestions--ha ha.  No--seriously, the backyard is small, but the previous homeowners grew veggies in raised beds and Abby said, "I don't know anything about gardening, come on over whenever you want."  This is more exciting to me than my own home!  I'm eager to get started.

That's it for now except a photo of my Poppy.  Expect a lot of these as well as reports on her antics. 

She's cute, even when she's sleeping with here favorite toy,  Lamb Chop.  Don't you love all of her spots? ❤️❤️❤️

See you soon.  Let me know if you like any of these recipes enough to try them!

Jane

***I apologize for all of the changes in fonts and size of fonts.  I copied and pasted most of my recipes and I have no idea why some worked and others were funky. Let's just have a laugh! 

POPPY LOVE &THE START OF FALL DECORATING

Poppy.  8 weeks old

If you follow me on Instagram, you may know by now that a little baby girl has entered into my life and stolen my heart.  Meet Poppy!

I have some really cute pictures to share, but I tell you, it's hard because she is growing at warp speed.  This first picture I took of her was on the first night she came home with me.

I had spent a whole lot of time at the lake this summer and I not only had time to really bond with Layla as an "only" dog, but I was slowly able to look again at videos and photos of Milo...just a little. The shift came when I started to follow some animal shelters on Facebook.  It wasn't always easy to look at the faces of these kittens, puppies, dogs and cats, behind a metal cage door.  But there was hope that they could and would be adopted.  And finally, I stopped thinking if I could ever have another dog, and realized it wasn't about me and my grief, it was about giving one of these innocent souls a home.  

Abby and Poppy. 8/22/19

There's a shelter in a rural area not far from where I grew up.  It was one that I was following on Facebook.  One night I looked at a video of three pups in a cage, and that's when I just knew...

This shelter gets by on a wing and a lot of prayers.  It's not fancy; it smells and the barking is anxiety invoking, yet the animals lie on piles of old towels and have fresh food and water, which is sometimes the best care they've ever had in their lives. 

I learned fairly soon that this shelter is transporting as many dogs and puppies they can up from Kentucky where they are used as cattle dogs on farms.  Litters are sent off to kill shelters there, and the caring people from the shelter I've been following has been working hard to take in these pups using the little money they have to do so.   

The Husband and Poppy at the lake

He is in love with her!

Poppy at the lake, 8/30/19

After seeing this cute and somewhat shy little pup on the video, I took a leap of faith and went the following morning after finding out she was still there.  She had arrived via transport from Kentucky three days earlier.  When they handed her to me, I knew there was some sort of preordained connection, and I would unconditionally give her a home and a life at the same time my own heart was healing and growing.

Poppy 9/25/2019

At 13 weeks now, she has a loving and crazy personality of her own.  Affectionate, playful, mischievous, and smart, she has stolen all of our hearts.  We are not quite sure what sort of breeds she comes from, but most of the people who adopted dogs that came from Kentucky agree they are at tops--hounds of some sort.  I think it's a little uncanny that from the neck down she is a black and white version of Milo with the long body and tail, and random spots. Terrier indeed. In the photo above, taken last week, I was bowled over that her ears stood up.  Even my vet predicted her floppy ears would never stand!  But they do when she hears or sees something that captures her attention.  

You'll be hearing a lot more about my Poppy girl, that's for sure.  It hasn't been all roses and
rainbows in getting her housebroken (about 75% there), and having her stop relying on Layla as a play toy.  😉

   

Fall pillows and throws at the lakehouse

We have a lot of fall cleanup and winter prep at the lakehouse, but for now I'm parked here in Chicago for various reasons.  I did enjoy two weeks at the lake with my new girl, but it was a juggling act in getting her outdoors every hour and needing to use a lead line so she couldn't make a run for it.  And I never leave any of my dogs alone outside on a lead.  Its absolutely heaven here in the city to have a large fenced in yard where she can roam, sniff, play, run, and her new thang, digging up walnuts and chasing the squirrels that store them.  Milo would be proud.

Before I left Michigan, I did a little fluffing and adding fall touches here and there.  I don't decorate much for holidays or seasons, except maybe summer, because I don't want the clutter in the one place I can say I don't have clutter!  And most of my time is spent outdoors or pursuing good times, I just don't need much to make me happy from season to season.

Throws and pillows come in handy and I actually use the muted orange color year round to balance out the blue I have in the sofa and loveseat.

Fall whimsy at the lakehouse. 9/15/19

The Elusive Red Fox

After I had Poppy for about a week, I was anxious to bring her to the lake.  I don't know why...maybe to acquaint her with the life she is going to have.  As I drove around the bend to our house, I saw a dog heading toward me from around the corner so I slowed.  As we got closer I knew immediately that it wasn't a dog.  Long legs, fluffy tail, a perky face, and large ears, even though I had never seen a fox in my life, I knew.  It stopped next to my driver side door, no more than ten feet away, and stared at me for a second, then it continued on like no body's business.  

Well, good 'ol red has been spotted  all over the lake.  And its likely there are more than one, including little ones.  I'm on a lake Facebook group and like the above photo, which isn't mine, they've been spotted everywhere. I won't share all the pics.  One man took a video of a fox carrying a rabbit into the woods.  Like many wild animals, they won't usually attack you or your pet unless threatened.  They do however, sometimes attack small pets in confusing them with smaller animals like rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, etc.  So I'm always vigilant about keeping Layla and Poppy safe.

I found this quote awhile ago and it resonates with me.  After spending at minimum, three months at the lake on my own this summer, I've learned a lot about this good 'ol life of mine.  Sometimes I feel like that young girl in her early twenties, flying off to California to stay on the ocean for the very first time, alone and very happy.  The same girl who flew to Boston several times a month for a whirlwind long distance relationship.  The girl who packed up her clothes, pillows, and cartons of journals to live alone in a studio apartment in Lincoln Park.  I feared nothing.  I was curious about everything.  

I'm not young anymore, but I still long for adventure and new journeys.  A phone call or text, a weekend visit from The Husband or kids makes my day.  Sometimes I get a little lonely and then I know it's time to head home.  For me, it's not that life is short, its that the world is so big.

Sending love to all of you,

Jane❤️

A JULY WEDDING : ABBY & TOM PART II

Hello friends!  I wanted to share more of Abby and Tom's wedding, and then I'll be back on track with more of the normal and yet crazy posts expected from me.  So...this is our ground floor room at the Abbey Resort where the three day "destination " wedding took place.  Located in Fontana, WI., just 15 minutes west of Lake Geneva, it was a beautiful setting for a wedding, and we had the most perfect weather.  Our room faced the harbor and had a great view of the gorgeous boats and yachts docked there.  And even better, the pavilion where the actual wedding took place was a stone's throw away.  The block of rooms booked by guests either faced the harbor or the pools (there are three).  I really enjoyed sitting on the chairs outside our door reading my latest book and just enjoying my view.  Funny how my life seems to be wrapped around lakes and water.  

Guests in the wedding party, as well as close family and friends, arrived on Thursday for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  After the practice round we headed over to a large patio where a spectacular Midwest barbecue kicked off the first night.  Later many of us headed to one of the bars in the resort, and then back outdoors to the fire pit.   So much celebrating and overall fun.

Early the following morning my niece, Lizzy, led a yoga class under the shade of the trees.  She recently got her multi-style certification in yoga after a month of hard work in Bali, no less.  Oh, how I wish I had that confident sense of adventure when I was her age.  

The rest of Friday was spent poolside, and we mostly gathered at the one that was child friendly.  So many cute kids, too many to count, including the four ring bearers and four flower girls.  Chairs in the sun and tables in the shade offered something for everyone.  There was a little hut where simple fare was available as well as cold drinks. Sitting with my feet in the water and sipping a Corona with lime was true indulgence.  Most of the guys, and maybe a few ladies--not sure, hit the golf course for eighteen holes.  Here's Abby, the bride to be with my granddaughter, Elsie.

Here's a shot of daughter Emily, Mike, and that little cutie, Madelyn.  Have I mentioned that their baby girl due in November will be named Lucy?  I just love that name.  

Dinner Friday night was outside one of the inn's restaurants.  A sweet family shot.  We had friends from Louisville, Canada, and England make the trek to see Abby and Tom marry.  And there is Papa on the far right.  The highlight of the three days was seeing him have a dance with Abby at the reception.  We all stood around clapping, and Papa even got a little fancy with a some twirling!

 On Saturday morning we met in the bridal suite to have our hair and makeup professionally done.  Abby had gifted me, my sister in law Megan (who was the ceremony minister), and the eight bridesmaids with monogrammed pajama sets and robes.  A huge breakfast was brought in which included eggs, ham, potatoes, bagels and cream cheese, and fresh cut fruit.  A mimosa bar was set up on a dresser.  It's so great to feel pampered like that, and of course, bond with all the ladies.  

Abby received a beautiful gift of jewelry from her Godfather, Jack, who came all the way from Vancouver.  So much family love all around.

Some candid shots just prior to the ceremony.  Here is son, Kevin, with his two precious girls, Elsie and Patsy.  I really need to update my sidebar with more recent pics. 

And this is my grandson Brooks; son, Jeff, and his wife Deidre's little guy.  He and Madelyn look like they are up to mischief, or at least doing that terribly shocking thing of showing what they've eaten, in this case, veggie straws.  Jeff and Deeds are expecting another baby in December.  Our family is growing at an astonishing rate.  

Pics from the ceremony were shared in my last post.  I love this photo of my girls, Emily and Abigail. They are as beautiful inside as out.  I'm beyond happy and blessed to have them and that they have found really wonderful people to marry.

My brother and his wife, Mary Jane, came up from Louisville.  They made a little wrong turn and ended up driving through downtown Chicago during rush hour.  This made their trip over eight+ hours.  Like the troopers they are, once they arrived we took a long walk, had cocktails and dinner, and then mingled.  They got to see some my grandchildren which they had only seen in pictures, and met some of the super nice people in Tom's family.  My brother is a retired high school teacher and coach.  He taught sociology for just over 45 years and coached baseball and football.  He's in the Indiana Hall of Fame for leading his baseball teams to an insane amount of championships.  So it's a happy coincidence that Tom is in high school education and a football coach as well.  It's hard to believe John and MJ are in their early seventies.  No way, right?  They have a tons more energy than me, that's for sure.  

I'm going to end with the father-daughter dance.  I get a tear in my eye just looking at this.  The Husband is the best father I could have ever imagined for my kids.  They look up to him for his values, beliefs, warmth, and wisdom.  Look at those smiles!

So this is it.  Again, if you missed Part I of the wedding, go here.  

I can't believe that I've been such a lazy bum and I haven't written about this pretty great summer I've had (so far).  I'll share some of that in my next post, and some very exciting news!  

Take care,

Jane x 

A JULY WEDDING: ABBY & TOM

Okay...so I'm popping in really quickly because I am always waiting to write the most perfect post, and this especially, about something so heartfelt as my daughter's wedding.  But I'm not going to postpone a lot at this point.  My blogging habits are sincerely going to change.  And that starts with photos of this happy day on July 13, 2019.

It tugs at my heart that Abby and Tom met just after high school after living in the same neighborhood in Chicago all that time.  To their credit, their relationship was on a steady course throughout college...hundreds of miles apart, stints living separately in the city while stretching their wings, and then together in an apartment with their rescue dog, Squall.

The wedding was a culmination of ten steadfast and loving years.

Abigail was surrounded and supported by her friends and big sister as bridesmaids.  There is so much more to share about the days before the wedding, and on the very day when these girls prepared and helped prepare Abby for her big day.  I'll share that soon.

The gowns were simply lovely.  I loved that they were long, silky, and so flattering on all of these pretty girls.  The flowers were spectacular against the simplicity of the dresses.

,

Finally, a little peek at the tables at the reception which was held inside the grand dining room of the resort. 

There are so many details I want to share, as well as candid pics.  But I'm always on a writing deadline crunch and I really have to get some discipline going here.  I know you understand. We also know how well that works in summertime! ;-D

I'll be around soon.  Just wanted to share a bit to all of you lovely friends!

Jane x

AND SO IT GOES

Madelyn being Madelyn

I absolutely do not know where this post will go.  I can however, guarantee it will not be long, so unlike Blondie.  The upcoming destination wedding of my daughter is both joyful and stressful, I think those of you that have done this know exactly how this feels.  Then again, I'm highly neurotic and even stress out over my stress.  In one week, Tom and Abigail will be husband and wife.  They'll fly off to the Bahamas for their honeymoon and peace will prevail. :). I'll share pics.

Other exciting news, Emily and Mike are going to have the stork deliver another baby girl, a sister for Madelyn.  I am beyond excited, but not as much as Mad apparently in this photo.  And my son, Jeff, and his wife, are also expecting a month later.  Our family is growing and it makes me so, so happy.  

Swan Lake

I've been at the lake since the end of April and it's like a National Geographic show over here on my little bay.   The swans are here yearly with their little brood.  The big daddy has had several altercations with the geese families.  He naturally senses a threat to his family even though the geese are naturally nonthreatening. Swans can be very aggressive, and you don't want to be on a kayak or paddle board when the male is watching over his babes. He will charge you and flap his wings, some swans have a seven foot wingspan.  Thankfully they have sailed on.  We also have turtles, some the diameter of a trash can lid, sunning themselves on docks that have been almost submerged by our endless rain.  Ahhhh...nature.

Mayberry

 Of course, it's never perfect here by any means, and I have to deal with many issues with our house on a daily basis.  Our front porch, which looks so pretty here, has to be torn down as well as the balcony above.  It's an inevitable fact of lake life that harsh Michigan winters do a lot of damage to homes  I hope the renovation will start after the wedding and not have a lot of glitches.

Just lounging in the grass after a good roll on the beach

Layla is missing her big brother.  She sticks close to my side, and recently sat straight up in the kitchen while I prepared food for our holidays-- Memorial Day and the 4th of July.  I, of course, return that affection and attention that I'm so sad to say, I mostly only gave to Milo, especially in the last eighteen months.  I know she feels his absence.  And at this point in time, I can't talk about him.  I can't look at pictures or videos of him.  I just can't face that hurt yet...maybe I'm the odd man out, but I shut out pain.  I'm grieving in my own way, and really trying to face each day by looking forward.  I will write about him soon and perhaps his last few days.  I'm grateful those days were spent at the lake.

Total peacefulness 

And here is will you will find me on those best days ever.  Plowing through books and enjoying a glass of wine in those golden hours in the evening. Can I ask for anything more?

Well, have you seen a post this short from Blondie ever????!

After Abby and Tom's wedding I hope to get back into my love, writing my musings on life.  I hope you are all hanging in there with me.  

Happy July!

Jane x

MILO

Milo. 9/23/2003---5/7/2019







Please, please watch this video.  I simply can't share my emotions right now but I think you, my friends, will know and understand if you listen and watch.

(Skip ads and enlarge screen, then turn volume up high. Minimize screen to exit)

Love to all of you for your support and kind words over these last 18 months.

Taking a little break. 

A CHICAGO BRIDAL SHOWER & SO MUCH MORE!

Rustic Herb Pot Tray

Hello friends!  And happy almost May.  In spite of snow yesterday, the sun was back out today and temps were around d 55 degrees.  That gets a big yay from me.  Spring fever is on my mind.  It's hard to believe it's still April; the anticipation for spring and summer has been much more on my mind than past years.  Maybe it's because I'm currently trying to get my ducks in a row at both houses.  Here in the city we need some new fencing and gates for the backyard, and I need to work on getting some perennials along the back fence.  I also have some areas to reseed and others to mulch.  It's all heavy stuff so I'm not too sure how I'm going to get it done. Maybe like the ant and the rubber tree plant?

I gave up trying to start plants from seeds indoors although I did give it a respectable try years ago.  I'm loving this little wood tray with pots that I can just plunk herbs down in.  It has a cute chicken wire top.  I do have an herb garden but this is sort of convenient in the kitchen just to snip and use.  I bought it at Antique Farmhouse a few years ago.  If you haven't been to the website, go have a look/see.

My Daffs

The daffodils are up and blooming and since I snapped this, I also have tulips.  Every spring I wish I had added more bulbs the previous fall.  I just want to fill in some gaps.  And along this wood fence I want to add more plants as I mentioned earlier.  I get a lot of sun here. :)

Shower Flowers


Abby's bridal shower was two weeks ago and everything turned out just lovely.  I sometimes felt like the running around would never end but it was fun coming up with ideas and working with the other gals involved.  I shared more pics on my Instagram account, which you can see here if you have a feed.  

I bought these mercury glass containers at Michael's.  They are actually meant for candles.  I think I bought about eight in different shapes and sizes.  I ordered mini carnations from a florist.  Abby wanted one single color, very simple.  I then added baby's breath and eucalyptus to fill out the bouquets.  

A View of The Room

This is how the tables looked.  I also included clear glass tea light holders with the same glittery stones around the edges.  The shower was from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.  We had a buffet of heavy appetizers, cocktails, and the pub's signature red and white wine sangria.

Tabletops

Tom's sister, Katie, made these cute little pots of succulents as party favors.  They made for cute decorations on the tables.  I was lucky to bring a few stray ones home and can't wait to plant them in a shallow dish.

Gift Table

My daughter, Emily, did a great job decorating the the table set up for gifts.  We requested them to not be wrapped so it was a great display.  Em also made a banner of pics of the happy couple over the years.  Since they have been together for just over ten years, right out of high school, you could really see how they had changed!

You might recognize the book bundle from this post.  I found them at this Etsy shop.  I also had napkins monogrammed with the same words.

The Buffet

The buffet provided various 'heavy' appetizers.  I mentioned this was a casual evening affair so we wanted guests to feel free to sit at a table or mingle with small plates.  The fare included Caprese Flatbread, Santa Fe Chicken Rolls, Flame Grilled Mini Burgers, Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls, and Mac 'N Cheese Bites, to name a few offerings.  

Let Them Eat Cake

First Abby wanted doughnuts on her dessert table.  I checked some of the top doughnut shops and bakeries in Chicago, and although the flavors sounded insanely good, they didn't have any sort of visual loveliness.  We then looked at individual mini cakes  and pastries sold at one of our better grocery stores.  She wasn't too keen on those.  So we settled on Nothing Bundt Cakes.  If you have the chain in your area, I highly recommend it.  I ordered the Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Strawberries and Cream, and Raspberry Orange.  Each cake serves 18-20.  I ordered these little cake boxes and printed labels from The Stationery Studio, and guests were genuinely delighted to take a piece of cake home.  I was happy that none of the cake went to waste.  I would recommend having some of these boxes on hand for any occasion.  They can hold cookies, candy--any sort of take home sweet.  They come flat and easy to fold and close.   

Let The Games Begin

Emily put together three little games, mostly revolving around how well we knew the future bride and groom, and how well they knew each other.  Katie made up cute little gift bags filled with fun beauty and pampering items for the lucky winners.  

Yes To The First Dress

Apparently its not just about the wedding gown anymore.  Abby found about four dresses for the shower.  This is the one she chose.  I have always thought that she has beautiful style and this not only complimented how pretty she is (if I do say so myself!), it was gorgeous!  Now she's on the hunt for dresses for the rehearsal dinner, a night on the town near the resort, poolside wear, and the Sunday breakfast.  Me?  I have nothing so far.  Ugh... 

A Winner of a Recipe

Emily made this salad awhile ago and I always wanted to try it.  This is utterly simple to make and looks absolutely beautiful on your table or buffet.  It's tart, creamy and just delicious.  I served it with my Easter dinner buffet.  Enjoy!

Emily's Grape Salad

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

2 t. vanilla

2 lbs. seedless red grapes

2 lbs. seedless green grapes

3 T. brown sugar

3 T. chopped pecans

1)  Beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add grapes and toss to coat.

2)  Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and chill.  Before serving, sprinkle over the brown sugar and pecans.  

A Bowl of Olives

I love finding books shared by bloggers.  My friend Monique, who writes the blog Le Table de Nana, is not only a talented gardener, cook, lover of family and friends, but a talented watercolorist.  She shares many of her paintings and hand lettering creations right on her blog.  Go have a peek.  She shared this author, Sara Midda, on her Instagram account and I was intrigued.  Off I went to Amazon and found this gem of a book.  It's a work of art and if you love watercolors and hand lettered books (Susan Branch is a wonderful example), this is a keepsake of a book.  Here is the link. 

Molly on the Range

This sweet girl has a show on the Food Network--I just discovered it.  I am so charmed by her vibrant  personality.  She's a young and talented presence much like Rachel Ray offered us in the mid 2000's.  I watched the whole season, Pinned some recipes, then found her cookbook, Molly on the Range at Amazon.  I really like the straightforward recipes, uncomplicated but creative.  And you can't help settling down to read her stories of living in the Midwest (Yay!), moving to New York, and then a farm in Minnesota.  She is also an award winning food blogger and you can find her website here.  I give everything she does 5 stars!

April Snow

Yeah, we had this white stuff a few days ago.  I like to think that it looks like a nice spattering of baby's breath.  It's hard to believe that a few days prior on Easter Sunday, we all gathered outside with the grandkids and extended family to toss around a ball, nosh on after dinner appetizers and sweets, and raise a few glasses.  And I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter...I think I sort of skimmed past that.  

Okay!  I'm all caught up and I'm going to sign off now.  I'm off to the lake later this week with so many ideas, work, cleanup, and happily-- some decor fun.  Moreover,  time for myself, and time for Layla and Milo, who is in the end stage of his disease.  He's going to have some great outdoor (and inside) time and  at the place he has always loved.  The Husband is going to have an additional ten weeks of daily antibiotic infusions so we are up in the air as to how we are going to work things for now.  The main thing is to try to clear up this infection and his pain.  He's comfortable as long as he can lie down once in awhile and not do any heavy lifting.  Please keep him in your prayers.  

It's a Dogs Life

This is my guy, around 2005.  He took to the water and sun like a true lake dog!

See ya soon!

Jane x