We are coming up on the end of summer. So, I want to send some links your way on how to relish these last remaining hours in August. 8 links for 8 last days in August!
Here are some lessons someone learned while blogging for almost a decade. I’ve been blogging for 9 years and here are my brief thoughts: Its fun. Its challenging. Life isn’t perfect. And if you are going to be real and share life on your blog – then most likely you will offend someone. Don’t let it stop you from sharing and being real!
Summer is usually a time to read books. Isabel over at 9th Letter Press is reading and designing. I love her covers – especially one of the ones she did for Jane Eyre. You need to check out her whole store. One of my favorite letter press companies!
If you are into theology and how loving God intersects with every day life – go check out Tim’s post on some great blogs by and for women.
While I won’t be doing theseuntil 4 days after August, they just look too good not to share – and you can make them now if you want!
My husband and I adopt a debt free lifestyle: meaning the only debt we have right now is my college and a recent surgery I had to have – which is really so low. That’s right: thankfully no house and no cars. Hopefully we will have a mortgage again one day – but that’s fair. No consumer debt. I love this post that talks about a thankfulness in our hearts that we should have – and teach our children to have.
I will be making this in the coming week to put in some carrot and zucchini muffins for the Mister.
Given my love for egg dishes recently, think this might definitely be a go-to for the last week of Summer.
Speaking of reading – I love to sit down with a good cookbook and read it from cover to cover. Here are some ones you can pick up this week and read before August gets away from you
Quiche – the brunch delight I once thought was only reserved for the dainty tea-drinker types – how wrong I was. Quiche is so good and healthy (proteins and vegetables galore) and so versatile! I make a new one regularly and my whole family (including the two toddlers) enjoy them. You can serve by itself, or have a side salad, fruit, and/or bread with it to round out the meal. This is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Brunch and Linner. Brunch or Brinner. Whatever you wanna call it – its delicious.
I love asparagus. When spring hits and I see those tall skinny luscious green stalks all bound together – I can’t wait to get home and roast them simply with sea salt and lemon zest. That’s what made me think of this quiche.
Hope y’all enjoy!
Asparagus, Ham, and Mozzerella Quiche
Recipe Type: Quiche
Cuisine: Brunch
Author: The Charming South Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 8
A hearty quiche with asparagus, ham, and mozzerella!
Ingredients
1 frozen deep dish pie crust, thawed
1 lb asparagus, end removed, and chopped in 1 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced ham (aim for low sodium regular ham)
Bring on the Fall. This week seems to be one of the hottest in the whole summer – just when I’m thinking of pumpkin lattes and vanilla and sweet potatoes.
I look forward to evenings when I can snuggle on the couch under a blanket with my hubs – watching a movie – after the boys go to bed – knowing that it is getting cool outside!
Patchwork Butternut Squash, Kale, & Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Author: the charming south kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
A fall flavored pot pie with chicken, butternut squash, and kale
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T unsalted butter
2 T evoo
1 1/4 cup diced butternut squash
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 massive handfuls of chopped kale
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 pie crust, torn in pieces
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350.
In cast iron skillet, heat oil and butter. Add in onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for about 1 minutes
Add squash and cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove from pan.
Cook the chicken in same pan until done.
Combine the vegetables, chicken, spices, and cheese.
Pour into a deep dish pie pan. Cut strips of pie crust and make a lattice or patchwork pattern out of them. Layer on top of pot pie.
Cook for about 45-50 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.
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I’d never made a pot pie until I moved back to Raleigh in 2010. My boss’s wife – and friend – made a delicious one and said it was so easy – well, this one is too and has wonderful Fall flavors!
This life throws so much at us. I live in metro ATL and every day I could worry about my Mister as he drives to and from work. I could worry about how my sons are going to turn out and if they will love Jesus one day. I could worry about our finances because my Mister is in a commission job. I could worry about friendships and blog readership and if I will ever fit in the size 8 skirt that I love?
But, all of that wouldn’t be believing God.
At the beginning of this year I really wanted to be daily reminded of the fact that God wants me to BELIEVE HIM. Not only believe IN Him but, to also wholeheartedly believe Him. This year has definitely been trying – and God is allowing me steady contact with Him to help me with my unbelief – making it believing!
Combining two of my loves – my boys and food. What could be greater?
Usually we go go go out of the house, but when Daddy is home, we like to chill and do something fun together. So, I saw a post from a NC blogger and new that if I could talk my Mister into it, then we would be doing this. My Mister loves to be neat and not get messy, but I convinced him to put aside his neat and tidy ways to let us all have some fun and then we would dump our boys into the bath! So, an adventurous morning we had!
My boys are all boys – which obviously that morning didn’t involve finger painting. What did they do? They headed straight for the rocks. That is all they cared about. So, bring on more rocks!
With this edible finger paint – you don’t get art (because it doesn’t harden) but you do get fun times in the back yard!
Items you need:
Small containers to put the finger paint in (I used tupperware small square containers)
Sweetened condensed milk
Food coloring
Newspaper or tarp of some sort
Diapered kids (better than ruining clothes)
Spoon
I poured some of the condensed milk in each of the container and put in some food coloring into each one, stirring it up, and gave each boy his own containers so there would be no fighting over them. That helped.
Then we laid out newspaper on our back porch (read slab of concrete) and stood back to see what would happen? Neither of them went for it. I helped BabyBach a little but Elibuddy was definitely more interested in the rocks.
So, what do we do with the extra? We are giving it to our neighbor who has two little girls. She said they love to color.
This can be a great way to get to know your neighbors who have young ones. Just bring them all to the back yard and let the silliness begin!
Then we just took their diapered little selves straight to the tub and gave them a long soak and scrub.
So – how do I think about this as shepherding my boys: God is a beautiful creator and has given us many things to enjoy : finger paint and rocks! Let them get messy, be creative, and have fun. Its a way we were created to worship!
