Past Peak

This morning while Ada and I were waiting for the bus, we saw the most incredible rainbow. Many of the leaves have now fallen, but the colors looked amazing next to what's left of the fall foliage. Have you ever seen a rainbow in autumn? I hadn't. Definitely high up there on the experience list. I didn't snap a photo or anything. Some things just need to be experienced in the moment.

As the title suggests, we are now past the peak with all the leaves. Our backyard looked like this before the rainy, cold weekend. Now? Most of these leaves are waiting on the ground to be raked. But it's soggy outside, so I'll wait a while to even think about doing that sort of work.

In other news, the end of fall means the beginning of some home improvement stuff for us. Hooray! Stephen only has a couple weeks left of coaching until track starts in the spring. The outdoors will be calling us far less often when the cold and snow kick in. (Oh, please let there be snow this year. Please!)

And -- YES -- I know how trite shiplap walls have become. Or have been since like 2014. I know, I know. But guess what! We're installing them in our dining room right now (with the hope of extending to the living room by Christmas or so). I am immensely excited for this project. Our home is great for so many reasons, but it doesn't have much inherited character.

Here's the start:


Stephen went out and got everything at Home Depot, but I'm doing most of this project myself. The plywood "planks" are light enough for me to hold myself while I nail. And I'll have to let you know how it goes. So many tutorials instruct people to sand the planks impossibly smooth and to cover all the nail holes with putty.

When I look at the Gaines abode, I like their rustic look much better. Obviously what they have is original and well-worn. But I like to pretend. Plus, it'll be less work. That's always a plus.

See? Nobody was spacing those intricately with a nickel. Nope.


I'm sure shiplap will be the pine paneling of our time. In 40 years, it will look like the equivalent of this living room to all the younger folk. But I don't mind. I think it's fabulous. I can't wait to share the progress as we make our way through the first level.



Are you as obsessed with Fixer Upper as I am?

I know I've brought it up from time to time on this here blog. But the love is real. I bought the journal. I am buying the book. I am looking forward to my nursing sessions so I can catch up on last season. I even plotted a road trip to Waco, TX. I mean, we'll see on that last one. It's quite literally a day away (24 hour drive -- and I don't feel like flying after watching Sully. LOL!).

Hope you're having a great day. I'm off to finish some freelancing work before Eloise wakes from her first nap. More soon!

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October Stuff

Fall is here!

// I recently made these vegan Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Ada. We frosted them with chocolate frosting and covered in a thick layer of sprinkle leaves.

// I also made yet another batch of the Apple + Butternut Squash Soup in my slow cooker last night. It's just waiting in the fridge to be blended for tonight's dinner.

// After a month of consistent workouts, long runs, etc., I took three days completely off from exercise. I've been burning the candle at both ends with Eloise's poor sleep lately, so it felt good to rest. Back at it today with some Barre3 and HIIT stuff. I would also like to go for a 3-4 mile jog in the crisp afternoon breeze.

// Despite not having a lot of family time, we've been kicking activities off our bucket list.

• Visit a pumpkin farm
• Visit the cider mill
• Visit the country farm store
• Go apple picking
• Make a fire in the fire pit
• Jump in a leaf pile
• Go to a Halloween celebration
• Make autumn cookies
• Make pumpkin pancakes
• Watch a Halloween movie 
• Decorate with pumpkins and mums
• Cook with squash 
• Carve Jack-o-Lanterns

// I wrote up my Country Store Essentials post, I decided I really do need to get a good, deep skillet for our kitchen. And then I need to make all these 25 vegetarian dinners in it.

// Do you guys watch Shark Tank? It's one of our favorites. Anyway, those Night Runner 270 lights! Have any of you runners or walkers tried them? I may take the plunge because it's getting super dark in the morning, which is my only time to run these days.

// What are your kids going to be for Halloween? Ada is going to be a witch. Eloise, a strawberry. If I could dress up, I'd want to be El from Stranger Things. Heck, I can dress up, right? I mean, I'd love an excuse to eat lots of waffles.

// I may or may not have binge-watched the latest-released season of Portlandia last week.

// And speaking of TV and internet, we finally got the courage to quit Time Warner Cable. Well, we ARE quitting as soon as we can get Earthlink to hook us up. Our bill had been $110 for internet and the extreme basic cable channels (because it is somehow cheaper with television added on).

Not cool. They didn't budge and give us any sort of better deal. Earthlink is going to be $29.99 for six months and then $42 after that. Score. And the REAL irony? They said on the phone that our service will be through Time Warner Cable at that price. It's criminal, really. We'll save nearly $800 this year.

That's all for today! 

I'll be back with some thoughts on working from home and our budget tomorrow.

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Country Store Essentials

My mom and I went to the sweetest little farm store over the weekend. It's only 10 minutes from my house, but it was my very first visit! Stephen and I have these grand visions of moving to the country. Someday we will, I just know it. But the timing is off and Ada's loving her new school, etc. Still, I love dreaming about having an acre or two, an old barn, chickens, and the whole shebang.

How perfect is this place?

I thought it'd be fun to replicate my shopping experience for you.

Each and every corner of this place was packed with the most wholesome ingredients (including the farm's produce!), cozy home accents, and other country fare. I filled my canvas bag pretty full with decorative gourds, dry soup mix, apple turnovers, and a block of NY maple cheddar.

Checkered pillow 

Bourbon Maple Syrup

Petspotters Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Cider mulling spices

Wheat grass wreath

 

Stanley Travel Mug 

Cast Iron Deep Skillet

Organic Goat Milk Soap

Stonewall Kitchen Red Pepper Jelly

Frontier Veggie Soup Mix

Large Waldorf Building Blocks

Pumpkin Cheese Ball Mix

Solemate Mismatched Socks

Beeswax candles

Rustic Chalkboard

Hope you enjoyed our little jaunt into the country today. I already need to head back to this place to get more of that maple cheddar. It was absolutely perfect in a batch of cheesy apple cider biscuits I made to go with some slow cooker potato + leek soup for supper last night. Yes. I just typed supper. I'm from the mountains of Pennsylvania, after all. Anyway, those recipes are coming later this week.

So, stay tuned!

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Apple + Butternut Squash Soup // Slow Cook

For dinner last night, I decided to go easy on myself and simmer together a soup in the crock pot. I mean, is there anything better in autumn than smelling something yummy cooking all day long? And this soup has a healthy dose of spices that make it extra comforting.

You may have missed all my gushing last year, but I got a new slow cooker. I used to have one of those $10 varieties, and it worked quite well. If you're on a budget, I really recommend going with whatever you can afford because crock pot = easy dinner. My new baby? Still affordable! The Aroma 3-in-1, which is a slow cooker, rice cooker, and steamer in one convenient package.

I recommend using Granny Smith apples in this recipe. They have an extra edge that my McIntosh didn't this time around. But whatever you have should still do the trick.

APPLE + BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 2 apples, cored and diced 
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons Better Than Bullion*
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or mix of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk

* Don't have this stuff? Try using 2 cups of vegetable stock in place of the water, cider, and bullion. Also: That price on Amazon is horrible. I linked so you can see what it looks like. Pick it up at your local market.

Method . . .

1. Toss the butternut squash, apples, onion, garlic, cider, water, bullion, spices, salt, and pepper into your slow cooker. Mix well.
2. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. Then let cool slightly and stir in the soy or almond milk. 
3. Transfer to your blender in two batches and blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

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New Beginnings

Summer is drawing to an end, everyone. I mean, I know the date on the calendar might disagree . . . but my Facebook feed is full of back-to-school photos, pumpkin recipes, and more. I've been slowly collecting a new wardrobe of clothes (that actually fit my body) full of leggings, long-sleeved shirts, and sweaters. Over here, we're at t-minus one week till early kindergarten starts.

I'll miss our sunny mornings on the deck:

Some of you have been confused about Ada's grade in school. I'll clear it up. Our district offers what's called "primary sequence" where there's an early kindergarten, kindergarten, transitional first, and first grade. Where you start (and go) has to do with testing + preference. Since the NY state cutoff for school is December 1st, we really wanted to give Scorpio Ada an extra year before getting on with proper kindergarten. So, she's doing a full-day early kindergarten program that has many of the same goals as regular K -- just in a different configuration (think not sitting as long at desks, getting a bit more rest time, etc.). She'll do regular K next year.

We're really excited! I'm not so thrilled that (including bus time), she'll be gone from 8-4 every single day. Yeah. That kind of bums me out, actually. I'm trying to find the positives. She'll be in a great, invigorating environment with friends. She'll learn a lot. I'll have some one-on-one time with the baby. It'll be good. Keep repeating that, Ashley.

I haven't been in the mood to write much lately. Everything is about to change. Though transitions can be good -- it's all felt a bit overwhelming. I've started some freelancing again, and despite having trouble finding the time -- writing has been great. Ada has stopped napping. She would still happily nap two hours each day, but we had to wean her for school. Stephen will soon have his hectic teaching and coaching schedule on Mondays through Saturdays. And Eloise is in a constant state of transition for the foreseeable future.

Many days, I feel like I'm not accomplishing much at all because, well, I have been nursing every 1.5 to 2 hours. Other days, I feel like I have a grasp on what needs to get done. Like, I'll get all the laundry and dishes done along with writing an article and exercising. And then by night, everything is a disaster again. I know I should be present -- living in the moment. I try. But I am a person who craves order. As much as everyone starting school will be kind of awful . . . I am craving a bit more control when it comes to my own days. When it's just me an Eloise, I think we'll manage to get into some sort of rhythm that isn't possible with two other people around.

All of this is to say that I probably won't be writing a whole lot on this blog of mine until the second week of September. I want to soak in as much time left with Ada as possible. I also just have a lot of stuff I need to get done for this transition to go smoothly. And work assignments! (Hooray for paychecks coming in again!) I have also scheduled a few Hello Fresh boxes for September to help with dinners -- we'll need it.

Best of luck with all your new beginnings. Let's meet back here soon, OK? I don't have plans to stop blogging anytime soon, but I have seen a dramatic shift in what my readers want. For example, I started as a recipe blog. Though I don't post tons of recipes, the ones I do post get like very little attention. I want to know what you guys are interested in reading so it doesn't turn into a blog of my boring ramblings.

What are you most interested in reading about? Family stuff? Food stuff? Exercise stuff? My boring ramblings? Leave me a note in the comments!

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Operation: Cozy Food

I recently wrote an article about the 9 foods you should add to your cart if you want full autumn immersion. Since I haven’t posted much about food in this space lately, I wanted to recap some of my favorite fall recipes for you. I admit the recipe archives aren’t the easiest to navigate, so some good stuff gets lost in the shuffle.

Here are my top 10 picks for fall flavor + coziness.

#1: Pumpkin Hot Chocolate for 1

#2: Butternut Squash Pizza Sauce

#3: Apple Cider Dunkers

#4: Potato-Stuffed Acorn Squash

#5: Apple + Pumpkin Spice Stew

#6: Mini Bittersweet Pumpkin Pies

#7: Savory Corn Pancakes w/ Brussels Sprouts

#8: Apple + Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup

#9: Maple + Pecan Chocolate Chippers

#10: Spiced Applesauce Biscuits

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Pumpkin + Pecan Apple Crisp

My mom had certain desserts she liked to bake. I remember a few out of the rotation best. Chocolate chip cookies, of course. Then there was chocolate chip cookie pie (oh, I cannot wait to recreate this recipe sometime!). And apple crisp was probably the healthiest of the bunch.

After our epic apple-picking adventure this weekend, I knew I wanted to make up some apple crisp. But I wanted to try something new. (Check out Basil Apple Crisp.) So, I decided to add some pumpkin, pecans, and make the recipe bigger than my normal batches.

And I’m currently eating this dish for breakfast.

PUMPKIN + PECAN APPLE CRISP

What you’ll need . . . 

• 10 small to medium apples, peeled + cored 
• Juice from one fresh lemon
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar*
• 1 (heaping) tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon (or more) ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 1-1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (uncooked)
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar*
• 1/4 cup flour (or more, depending)
• 1/2 cup pecans (pulsed into a meal in your food processor)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or butter, substitute, etc.)

* I used Better Body’s Coconut Palm Sugar, but you can substitute in brown or granulated sugar.

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 in baking pan (I used glass) and set aside.
2. Once you peel, core, and chop your apples, toss them with the lemon juice, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, cinnamon, flour, and arrowroot powder in a bowl. Pour this mixture into your prepared pan.
3. Using the same bowl (with all the pumpkin-y leftovers from the apple mixture), toss together the rolled oats, coconut sugar, flour, pecans, cinnamon, and then work the Earth Balance into the mixture with your fingers until it’s crumbly. You may want to add more flour if the mixture is too wet. I added a few more tablespoons until it was still crumbly, but not greasy.
4. Distribute the topping over the apples, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the top to be golden brown and the apples to be cooked through.

Enjoy!

RELATED RECIPES

Basil Apple Crisp

Apple + Pumpkin Spice Stew
Apple Oat Bars
5-Minute “Baked” Apples
Morning Glory Muffins
15-Minute Applesauce
Spiced Applesauce Biscuits
Applesauce Coffee Cake

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Weekend Scenes // Apple Picking

How about that moon, right? We watched the different stages of the lunar eclipse last night, and it was super cool. Then I woke up randomly in the middle of the night and looked outside. I shot straight awake because it was so bright. Whoa. Did anyone else check it out?

Here are some scenes from this year’s apple-picking fun:

I’ll be back soon with some delicious apple recipes. We got 15 pounds in all!

Anyone else go picking this weekend?

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DIY // 5-Minute Fall Wreath

I’ve taken our fall decorating to the extreme this year. Between the Indian corn, decorative gourds, pumpkins, and mums . . . I think we’ve covered. I’ve always had this vision of hanging some indoor wreaths in our living room, so I went to Michael’s yesterday to check out prices.

Whoa, nelly! Even with a 50 percent off promotion, they were like $20 to $35 per wreath. And I need TWO. So, I decided to take a trek and see what I might find to DIY. Here’s what I came up with for just $10 and five minutes of my time!

DIY FALL WREATH

What you’ll need . . . 

• 16 inch grapevine wreath ($4.99)*
• Bundle of blooms ($4.99)
• Chalkboard tag ($1.99)
• Yarn or twine
• Chalk

* ALWAYS take a coupon to stores like Michael’s, A.C. Moore, etc. You can find coupons right on the website. I got 40 percent off the wreath, bringing my project cost to just $10.

Method . . . 

1. First and foremost, there’s no right or wrong way to do this project. 
2. I found that blooms with longer stems worked well because I didn’t need to glue them into place. I just poked the stems through the wreath and tucked in the leftovers. If you don’t like how it looks, take it out and start again. I arranged all the blooms on the bottom of the wreath, but you can do whatever you like.
3. You can also hot glue acorns, pine cones, and other free stuff from nature onto your wreath. Go wild.
4. Then wrap some yarn on the top and loop your tag through a few times to secure.
5. Tie of off in the back and then add another small segment of yarn to create a hanger.
6. Draw something fun on the tag. A heart is really unoriginal, but I like it.
7. And you’re done!

Thanks for weighing in about our painted piano situation. As a musician, I understand some of the concerns with regard to the instrument’s timbre, etc. But honestly? It’s not the best sounding piano, it’s actually got a wood veneer on it versus solid wood, and from what I’m read -- any impact would be minimal. I was going to try chalk paint but have decided to just use chalkboard paint instead (you have to use wax every few months on the chalk paint -- ehhhh).

I’ll be back soon with some thoughts on sibling age gaps and more musings.

More fall essentials:


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A List of Autumn Essentials

Tuesday was our eighth wedding anniversary, and as I wrote on Instagram -- September 1st = fall in this house. I don’t care if the temperatures are still in the upper 80s, I can sense the crispness in the morning air and have been delighting at the very first falling leaves.

I haven’t done a shopping post in a while, but I enjoy them. If you have birthdays, housewarmings, back-to-school, or any other special occasions coming up, I hope you find this list of “fall essentials” helpful. And bring on the socks, sandals, and sweaters!

// PS: See more shopping posts.

FOR HER

• Birkenstock Paris Clog for stylish comfort
• KAVU Heritage Bag because I just bought this one!
• Carharrt Waffle Henley for lightweight warmth
• Carharrt Slim Fit Canvas Dungaree because they’re somehow sexy
• Field4U Wool Socks to keep feet toasty + dry
• Canvas Corp Apron for when you need it
• Fair Isle Cotton Cardigan for when the weather changes
• Fitbit Charge to keep track of all those long walks + runs
• Woolrich Flannel because I have 4 flannels in my small wardrobe

FOR HIM

• American Apparel Organic V-Neck because it’s soft
• Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle for soups and stews at lunch
• Birkenstock Arizona Unisex because Stephen loves ‘em
• Large Bento Cube for more snacking
• Carharrt Watch Hat to protect unsuspecting ears
• Timex Weekender Watch to track the time
• Pendleton Board Shirt for huge deal w/ the right size + color combo
• Kirkland Trail Socks because guys have feet, too!
• Mountaineer Beard Care Kit for budding + established fall beards

FOR KIDS

• Fluf Lunch Bags because Ada has this same dinosaur
• Yak Pak Classic Backpack for lugging stuff to/from school
• OshKosh Denim Overalls since they’re my favorite of Ada’s clothes
• Hatley Raincoat for fall rain and snow showers
• Merrell Chameleon Hiking Shoe to trudge through the trails
• Melissa + Doug Seasons Tree Puzzle to do on cold afternoons
• Brain Quest Cards to support school activities
• Berenstain Bear Books because they’re Ada’s favorite
• KidKraft Sling Bookshelf for keeping rooms tidy (+ currently in my cart!)

FOR HOME

• Lodge Cast Iron Griddle for pancake breakfast traditions
• Crock-Pot Slow Cooker to simmer dinner with ease
• Buffalo Check Woven Throw to ward off chills
• Autumn Harvest Wreath to decorate for the season
• 3-Tiered Hanging Produce Rack to hang your CSA goodies
• Portable + Electric “Wood Stove” to keep your feet warm
• Anthony Stoneware Mug to drink your tea + hot cocoa
• Handmade Beeswax Candles to set the mood
• Stoneware Mixing Bowl Set for all those batches of cookies

* Links are Amazon affiliate links. I also like to note that I link to things we either already own or ones that are very similar to things we have tried. Thanks for your continued support of (never)homemaker. And happy shopping! For previous frugal gift lists, click here.

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Back Into the Swing // Fall

I have a bit of a rant about secondary infertility coming your way soon (I guess you’ve been warned!). But I’m not really in the mood to polish it off today, if you know what I mean. I thought I’d give you some up-to-the-minute updates instead. More fun, right? Stephen is coaching cross country this year. He’s in charge of the high school boys, and his schedule is going to be insane.

So, Ada and I are getting a head start on our return to the fall routine. Here’s a bit from our morning. I’ll probably elaborate on some of these things in other posts. Especially the command center. I cannot wait to see if this helps us stay organized this year.

#1: We filled the fridge with food. 

From Wal*Mart. I haven’t shopped there for groceries in ages, but since I was on that side of town, I thought I’d try. Wow. Not impressed with prices. Even Wegmans has them beat on a lot of stuff. The yogurt might be better priced, though.

I got all the watermelon Chobani I could carry.


#2: I made a green smoothie big enough for our whole family. 

I’m sipping the tall one right now!


#3: We’re created a command center.

I’ll try to snap more detailed shots once we actually put stuff on there. I’ve seen these on Pinterest for years. I want to organize our activities, meals, bills, obligations, and everything else on here. I went to Target and picked up a whiteboard weekly planner, a large cork board, and some magnets/pins/pens/etc.

My favorite part? The magnetic container. It’s the Biggy Perch by Urbio! When I looked it up online, I discovered that people use Urbio containers to make indoor gardens. Really cool.


#4: I’m making a fresh batch of laundry detergent.

I haven’t used Kirk’s Castile before, but I couldn’t find any Dr. Bronner’s on my search this morning. If you haven’t made your own DIY Laundry Detergent yet, you really should try. It’s changed how we wash our clothes.

Less crap in the water and WAY, way, way cheaper.


#5: My kitchen.

Yeah. I think it’s time for me to hop off and go clean this monster. I have a lot of cooking I want to do. I need to make a new bulk batch of Veggie Burgers to freeze. I’m getting ready to simmer the season’s first pot of Homemade Applesauce. And I’ll probably make a good number of Freezer Waffles for our busy mornings.

Yeah. We’re slowly getting back into the swing, and it feels good.

What’s on your back-to-school to-do list? 

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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