Sep 9

So Far, So Good

We are starting the third week of the school year, and so far things are going pretty good. Agnes is doing a bit better this week. She is starting to enjoy kindergarten more, and she is also waking up a bit better in the morning. Dylan is feeling better, and he is really enjoying the third grade. Thade is also having a blast at middle school, which is just awesome.

And then there is me… I have been busy getting everyone up and out the door, and then trying to get the house back in order. I haven’t started any major projects (yet), but a deep clean and declutter is in order, and soon. It has been pretty nice having a little bit of quiet during the daytime, but the day goes by in a hurry. Just when I am settling in for a crochet break, it is time to go and get the kiddos from school.

I am happy that we are all settling into a decent school routine. After the crazy long Summer, I thought we wouldn’t ever get it back together. Well, time to call it a night, the alarm will ring before I know it.

 

 

Sep 5

Favorite Photos: August

Summer break came to an end, school began, and we had to say good-bye to a dear old friend. August was filled with it’s ups and downs, and I have many photos to share with you.

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Thade started the sixth grade. He is off to a fantastic school year so far.

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Dylan became a third grader. He really likes his new school, he is off to a great start this year too.

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Agnes started kindergarten, and she also lost her first tooth.

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We enjoyed the lazy days of Summer, and the tiny kiddos played outside on several rainy days.

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We still have lots of pretty blooms in the garden.

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Okra blossoms are one of my very favorite blooms around.

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Miss Mia kept us busy. That pup seriously loves to play fetch.

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Miss Lula arrived, and we nursed her back to health. She has grown, and she is happy, and very playful.

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Sadly, our dear friend and kitty Loki passed away. He was sixteen years old, and we miss him terribly.

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I’m ready for Autumn leaves, cooler weather, and rainy days. We’ll see what September brings our way.

Sep 4

Monthly Crochet Review: August

August flew by. I spent time working on several crochet projects. I also finished crocheting two more blankets for Christmas.

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Here is a tiny Miss Lula mewing at me to stop joining hexagons, and play with her instead. She is a really noisy kitten, but seriously adorable.

I’ve got three big projects in the works, and all of them are for Christmas.

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Two grannysquare blankets, for two adorable ladies that should be arriving this month…

And a really big multi-stripe blanket for somebody awesome.

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I keep this project in a laundry basket and take it all over the house. I work on it a row at a time, whenever I get a minute.

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The three blankets are coming along nicely.

I finally finished these two.

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The granny-burst blanket is done!

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I loved how this blanket turned out. I think I’m going to have to make one for our house.

I also finished the multi-hued Hexagon blanket.

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This blanket turned out beautifully.

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I love all of the different colors.

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The blanket stack is growing. Three more to go before the holidays.

Sep 3

August’s Veggie Meals

August was a tasty month filled with lots of garden goodness. I tried out a bunch of new recipes, and tried my hand at some vegan baking too.

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First up I tried out a batch of vegan vanilla rice pudding.

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I also made a batch of vanilla chia seed pudding. This dish has quickly become one of my favorites.

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One new recipe I made was for an amazingly tasty Polish dish called Haluski. Oh my goodness, this was absolutely delicious, and I will have to make it again.

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Roasted Chickpeas and Steak-fries. Filling and vegan.

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Since I had Chickpeas hanging out in the fridge, I decided to roast them for a snack. This batch I flavored with Chex Mix ingredients, and they were really good. Perfect snack, even though the kids still wouldn’t try them.

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I made some tasty Panko Fried Okra with okra from our garden. I also was lucky to receive some tomatoes and cucumbers from my garden buddy. So tasty!

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Homemade Cheese Pizza. Some for the kids, and some for me.

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I can’t get enough Roasted Veggies. Again, this dish was vegan and filling. I also finally used up all of the chickpeas hanging out in the fridge.

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O.k. so I’ve been thinking about baking, well vegan baking. I’ve been adjusting recipes, and veganizing them. First up was a batch of oatmeal muffins. I used Chia seed as my egg replacement, and Almond Milk instead of regular lactose free milk. The muffins were sweet, delicious, and baked up perfectly.

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I finally finished up the last of the veggie soup that was hanging out in the freezer.

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One more dish I made vegan, was Homemade Pizza, and now my eleven year old will never trust me again. This pizza was amazing! It was light, crispy, and filled with garden goodness. Again my garden buddy brought me over a giant tomato, and red bell pepper. Crazy good!

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I’ve been craving take-out, and this homemade veggie stir-fry hit the spot.

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Simple and delicious vegan Red Beans and Rice. I slow cooked beans (for chili) all day in the crock pot.

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We even had a few late season Green Beans from the garden. We are still picking a few okra here and there.

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I tested out a batch of vegan dinner rolls. They turned out perfect, and they were light and fluffy. Everybody really liked them too.

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One more batch of roasted veggies. This batch included roasted okra from our backyard.