Theres a New Peek Into Last Week Video Up~

Just a quick reminder, if you enjoyed the "A Peek Into Last Week" posts, I am now doing video versions of them on my YouTube channel! Please stop by and say "hi"👋! 

xo, TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (September 9 - 15)~

 

image courtesy: graphics fairy

This past week was mostly spent resting and recuperating from being a bit under the weather. The fatigue was the worst of it so I didn't accomplish much more than the basic household tasks. You know, just enough to keep our home running with clean clothes on our beds and backs, and food in our tummies.

I did manage a bit of decluttering of the paper piles sort, as I was able to do a little here and there, without having to expend much effort.

Well, I'm going to get back to the heating pad and antibiotics now. I hope your week was productive and healthy.

Thanks for stopping by! 

💋xo,

TJ

Livin' La Vida Nightgown~

 

I'm blushing a bit as I confess post this😳

I have been living in thin cotton nightgowns more often than not this summer, as we've had days upon unending days of triple digit (Fahrenheit), heat advisory/excessive heat warnings. I've said (ad nauseum 🫣) that I don't do well in our heat, so wearing the coolest garments possible has been my saving grace. They have literally kept me from experiencing the nausea and other unpleasant symptoms I have become accustomed to in past summers that even my coolest of dresses never helped.

Do I feel weird wearing nightgowns most days? For 'bout a split second. And then I remind myself that I am doing it for my health so that I feel good, not out of laziness (it actually has helped me be more productive this summer since I feel better more often). I then throw an apron on and carry on with my day.

Let's all take care of ourselves unapologetically (as long as we aren't hurting anyone else with our actions-I don't wear my nightgowns when I'm out & about 😆). Stay cool & hydrate!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sign me,

Livin' la vida nightgown

 

A Peek Into My Week Video Style~

 

Hello again!

I thought I would put a new twist on my "A Peek Into Last Week " posts that I had frequently done in the past here on my blog, by doing a video version! I am truly enjoying getting back into making YouTube videos as it is allowing me to flex my creative muscles in that arena. I had forgotten how much I love it but the more I do it, the more I fall in love with it all over again! (I have a now defunct YouTube channel by the same name floating around out there in cyberspace that I have been unable to access -due to my faaabulous technological skills😉. So, I had to start all over again.) 

Although I am a homebody at heart, being tethered to the home as a round-the-clock caregiver to my homebound spouse takes it to a whole 'nother level. When the world went into lock down in 2020, I honestly didn't notice a change in our lifestyle. We had been in lockdown for the 8+ years before that, and still are today. Anyhoo, all that being said, any creative outlet, for me, is a necessary survival skill at this point. A must, in order to keep some semblance of my sanity. I truly know the meaning of cabin fever!

I hope you will take a few minutes to view (and maybe even subscribe, share and give it a thumbs up?🙏) A Peek Into My Week ~ Snippets of My Days . I would love to hear what you think of it!

Thanks for stopping by!

xo,  

TJ

My Morning (Homemaker) Routine~

Happy Monday!

There's a new video up on my YouTube channel sharing a little peek into my morning routine as a homemaker. We would love it if you would join us over there!

Thanks for stopping by! 

xo,

TJ

New Video! Make No Knead Bread with Me ~

 

Hello again!

There's a new video on my TJ's Sweet Home YouTube channel, titled:

Make No Knead Bread with Me

If you'd like to pay me a visit over there, I would love to have you!

Here's a summary...

"I planned on doing a voice over but it just didn't work out🙄 I appreciate your patience as I try figuring out all this technology.

{It isn't easy making bread while looking through the lens! I was nervous, lol.😆}

I'm not a professional baker or bread maker, just an everyday home cook. I don't follow the bread making rules but the results always turn out fine.

My breadmaking story:
I began my bread making journey many years ago, first using a bread machine and the boxed bread mixes sold at grocery store. Then I ventured into trying out bread recipes in the machine. We quickly became spoiled to homemade bread! In the next gew years, I went through two bread machines, always declaring that I would NEVER knead bread dough and if for some reason we found ourselves without a bread maker, we would be eating store bought bread. When the second bread machine finally gave up the ghost, I researched the possibility of a "no knead" recipe. Fast forward to now. Fresh hot bread is made at least once a week around here, no bread machine needed.

(Full disclosure: since my son gifted us a KitchenAid mixer, that is what I use to make this dough these days but I made many loaves for a few years without the machine.)

Easy No Knead Bread

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm/"blood temperature " water (I use the hottest water from our tap)
1 tbsp sugar or honey
1 tbsp oil (a light tasting cooking oil of your choice)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (plus more as needed to achieve desired dough texture)
2 tsp salt

Place ingredients (I rarely take the time to "proof" my yeast🫣) into a large bowl in order listed then mix until the ingredients are well incorporated and has a "shaggy" appearance. Using hands, form the dough into a ball (try to get any stray flour and dough pieces at the bottom of the mixing bowl added to the dough ball. If dough is sticky, add small amounts of flour until, when you handle the dough, it is no longer sticky.). Work the dough ball into an oval shape and until it as smooth as possible. Place dough into a bread pan that's been oiled or sprayed with a baking spray. (No bread pan? No problem! Just shape the dough into a baguette-or two-OR one round shape and bake on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper OR sprayed with a bakers spray OR oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal.) You can leave the dough as is but I usually press mine in.

Now...it's time to let the dough rise (I only do one rise. Again...🫣🤫) to about twice it's size (mine usually takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours). I use my oven that I have warmed up for about a minute but you can place your dough in a warm area covered with a tea towel while it rises.

When the dough has risen, I heat my oven to 375°F (while it is still in the oven) and set the timer for 35 minutes (ovens vary so you may want to start checking at around 20-25 minutes). Your bread is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow if you tap on it.

Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for about ten minutes covered with a tea towel before turning the loaf out to cool (I turn my pan on it's side since hubby said that's what his grandma used to do.😊)

Enjoy your bread! (If you can't wait until it's cool...no shame! We've been known to cut into a hot loaf and slather with butter...SO GOOD!. The only down fall is, it doesn't cut as easily/cleanly when it's hot.

*a good serrated bread knife makes cutting easier.

🌹🐞While my dough was rising, I went outside and to my surprise, had a wonderful unexpected visit from a little ladybug. I was also excited to see a few fragrant roses on on our rose bush!"

I suppose I practice a "lazy girl" method of bread baking but if the results turn out well, why bother with extra time-taking steps? I know I could (and do sometimes) make extra special (read: pretty) loaves, but as I stated, I'm a home cook and my main objective each day is to get tasty food prepared for us, all while juggling the other tasks of the day. And I only have so much energy to spare. At the end of the day, the "rustic"😜 looking loaves taste the same as the "pretty" loaves.

I hope you enjoy the video, and as always...

thanks for stopping by! 

xo,

TJ

A Little Catch Up~

cheery daffodils are abloom in the garden

Hello friends!

I know it has been a while. The holidays and winter days were relaxing and invigorating for me. I hope yours were just what you needed them to be. 

I have been busier than usual, what with trying to get the BP Challenge figured out, sort out the direction I want this new year to go for me and just trying to keep on top of the everyday business at hand.

The challenge has had me feeling like I'm in a race each day. A race to eat the required six meals spaced 2-3 hours apart. A race to drink the amount of water I need to each day. And juggling all that, plus normal life stuff, with trying to fit in the daily workout. The discipline of it all is unfamiliar territory but that very discipline is much needed in my life. You see, after my husband became disabled and I had to quit my job to care for him full time, I slowly drifted into unscheduled days without the usual routine I was accustomed to. I slowly worked out a new normal, albeit a more relaxed, and dare I say it? A lazy one. Thankfully, the healthy meals and exercise and rivers of water I have been drinking have given me the energy to tackle it all. I posted a YouTube video about it if you are interested.

This past week we had some heavy thunderstorms along with tornadoes that touched down not far from us. Actually, the tornadoes did heavy damage in a city I lived in twenty years ago so I was particularly concerned for those affected. The worst we got of it was a little flooding in our neighborhood and our backyard. 

reflections of a stormy day

The sunset the day before the storm was absolutely gorgeous however!

I hope you are having a wonderful winter season and many beautiful sunsets and sunrises!

I will see you soon.

Thanks for stopping by! 

xo,

TJ

Daily Selfie 2023 ~ Dinner Prep

 My daily selfie saga continues, lol. And quite honestly, for this normally camera shy girl, that's no small feat. I'm fluffier than I want to be (working on that!), older than I've ever been (thankful for that!) and living a life that by most people's standards is quite uneventful. So, what is there to post? And who would care to see it? The answer to both of those questions is,  "I don't know." but nevertheless, here we are. As I stated when I said was going to post a selfie a day in 2023, I think it will be interesting to document how my face has worn my life in the upcoming year. And why the heck not? It's for fun. I try to never take myself, or life, too seriously. 

Here's today's selfie with a little commentary...

fridge pov aka how the inside of my fridge sees me 

Dinner prep, fridge POV, 2:56 PM. 

I've been aiming to start dinner early for the past several weeks rather than wait for the dinner hour. Usually by then (around 5PM), our west facing kitchen is at it's warmest and I am just not in the best of moods (tired🥱? hungry😖? HOT🔥? {I'm a lady of a certain age, after all😉😓}. ALL OF THE ABOVE.) to face making much of a dinner. So, I try to be mindful to start early taking steps to get a decent meal ready by 6 PM at the latest. Last night, I plopped all the ingredients for a meat sauce in our mini slow cooker to simmer overnight for our pasta tonight. The meat was cooked the night before THAT and ground up in my old school Ninja blender last night-mama don't have no patience to stand over a hot, steamy stove breaking up ground beef into bitty pieces I'm lazy like that. Today, I boiled the noodles, mixed them in with the meat sauce, topped with some mozz pieces and stuck the whole shebang in our 8 quart slow cooker to heat up for tonight's din. 

Steps. Baby steps.

"Baking" in the slow cooker. Trying to not heat up the kitchen. 78°F with 71% humidity so...NOPE. No oven tonight. I placed a small casserole dish with the pasta inside of it into my 8 quart slow cooker with about an inch of water in the bottom, pressed "slow cook" to heat it up so it will be ready for a nice, warm, tummy filling meal at 6.

What's for dinner at your place?

Thanks for stopping by! 

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (December 10 - 16)~

 endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

I'm so glad you're here! Come on in and set a spell. How has your week been? Tell me all about it while we grab a nice wintery beverage-hot chocolate? Coffee? Or maybe eggnog is more to your liking?-and gab a bit. I'll go ahead and start things off while you warm up and gather your thoughts~

Holiday Happenings~

This year is the first year that I can ever remember not putting up a Christmas tree or decorating for the holiday.  It is a bittersweet thing for me. Our home is still in disarray from the water damage we had earlier this year and I couldn't find the enthusiasm to have beautiful decorations competing with the backdrop of all that. 

That's not to say I don't have the warm, cozy glow of the spirit of Christmas within. I have surrounded myself with other holiday delights to "make merry"...

What I'm watching/reading listening to~

(still A Christmas Carol-ing and Little Women-ing 😆)

I've been enjoying listening to an assortment of Christmas music (including the Little Women soundtrack, lol😁) on Spotify this week. Mannheim Steamroller is always a favorite, along with Michael Bublé and of course, all the good old classic songs of the season.

Create~

I dug through my ever ready crafting bag and pulled out the supplies needed to turn an old Christmas card into several bookmarks. I enjoy doing this with beautiful cards that have been sent to me. It's a lovely reminder of that person each time I settle in and open a book to happily while away a few relaxing moments.

the longer bookmarks will be used for standard sized books

the short bookmarks I will use in my traveler's notebooks 

Homekeeping ~ 

This past week's homekeeping focus was the bathrooms. I cleaned in there a little deeper than the everyday type cleaning, really getting into the nooks and crannys (and rewarded myself with lots of bubble baths!).

I also continued to declutter and am considering whether I should try and sell a few of the items and if so, how and where I should list them. Facebook (for miscellaneous household items)? Poshmark (for clothing. Do they take other types of items?)  Are there other, better places to list online? These are the questions swirling about in my head surrounding this subject right now, lol.

It was also a great relief to have two big (and heavy ) boxes full of items for donation picked up after much procrastination in the matter. (I don't know why it takes me so long to schedule the pickups. I think I'm trying to make sure they are getting a "haul" worthy of their time, effort and expense to pick up but then that means we are left with the growing collection-and the temptation to dig through and pull things back out.🤫😊)

What I'm cooking, baking and eating ~ 

I haven't done a lot of cooking lately but when I have, it has been fairly decent sized batches that we can eat for several days that week with enough left over to freeze for future meals. Like the Garlicky Chickpea Soup I made this week. It's faster fast food, as in: it's faster than getting out and driving somewhere to pick up something when I'm feeling lazy(-er than usual) and uninspired to cook up something. Plus, it's definitely healthier and more economical than takeout and it has that special ingredient that you just can't buy anywhere...l♡ve.🥰

Well, as always, it was wonderful visiting with you! Take good care of yourselves, your hearths and homes and let's meet up again real soon.

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (December 3 - 9)~

 endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

Some weeks are more relaxed and low key than others. Truly, they all are pretty relaxed and low key for us at this point in time. Some are pretty dreamy though~

Even though I had a doctor's appointment for an ultrasound and some labwork, it went smoothly and quickly.

And there was the time and beautiful weather for more wonderful walks in the neighborhood.

Mid-week my allergies started acting up but it gave me the perfect excuse to take it extra easy, enjoy our blessings and just be.

One evening, after hubby and I left our vaccine appointments, we splurged and ordered takeout from our favorite Mexican restaurant 😋. It was delicious and it was such a treat to not have to cook but there was just one problem: it put us into a carb coma...

And then we woke up a bit later with a bad case of bedhead...

There was also plenty of time to snuggle with my buddy, Galahad...

I'm still watching every version of Little Women and A Christmas Carol that I come across that interests me. They are my favorite Christmas time movie traditions that I always make time for. I'm always surprised that there seems to be a new version of them both each year.

In the kitchen, I tried a new hot chocolate mix recipe and have been absolutely enjoying it (sprinkled liberally with chocolate chips that I stir into it to make it extra decadent🤫) as part of my cozy nighttime routine.

I hope you had a great week with plenty of time to do all the things that you find makes your week dreamy !

Thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (November 26 - December 2)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

Welcome back!

What I'm cooking, baking and eating ~ 

Chicken veggie noodle soup, asparagus fritatta (using asparagus bought on sale back in the Spring and then blanched and frozen), salmon salad (made like I do tuna salad) served on a bed of greens, blueberry breakfast (or anytime!) cake (I just added a few frozen blueberries to a Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix and baked in an 8" pan), bacon and egg breakfast burritos 🌯 😋, Toll House Cookie Bars.

Homekeeping ~ 

This past week's homekeeping focus was the kitchen. In addition to the daily tasks, I focused on cleaning the face of the cabinets (where do all those tiny splatters come from?!😄) and the edges of the floors where the floor meets the walls and cabinets.

Highlight ~

Walks!!! Lots and lots of walks in the neighborhood. We've had some gorgeous, cool weather that just begged us to get out and enjoy nature. And we did!

And after an abundance of fresh air and sunshine, we mayyy have needed a little nappy-poo.

Enjoy the upcoming week and...

thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (November 19 - 25)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

Homekeeping ~ 

This week's focus was storage or the laundry room so I continued to focus on decluttering the "storage" (lol) of excess and miscellaneous items. I am a self professed pack rat and work diligently to avoid crossing over into hoarder territory. Admittedly, I do have a hard time letting some things go. Sometimes it may take me several passes of an area before I can release something. A fact I'm not proud of.😊

What I'm watching/reading ~

Each winter holiday season I love to watch all the various versions of A Christmas Carol  and Little Women. It has begun! This past week I watched the 1994 version of LW movie with Susan Sarandon. 

I don't have a favorite version of either movie, I love them all!

Highlight ~

Thanksgiving of course! And...

a brisk walk in the park with my Dollface was one of the highlights of the week! It was a chilly, blue skies kind of day and absolutely beautiful! 

I hope you and yours had a most delightful Thanksgiving.

Thanks for always joining me here in my quiet little corner of the world. I appreciate it more than you know!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (November 12 - 18)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

It has been a slow but uneventful week here. With a few glitches thrown in 😆. But, we carry on!

Homekeeping ~ 

 This weeks focus was the office, desk and paperwork. I managed to wade through a stack of old paper and toss, file and shred most of it.

I continue general decluttering and organizing. 

What I'm watching/reading ~

I enjoyed spending some time reading up on some of the fascinating history and fun facts about the great state of Texas, where I was born and bred, on this site. I occasionally recall my ex-husband (may he rest in peace) saying I couldn't be more "Texas" due to the fact that I was born in Texas City, Texas. I had never thought of it that way, lol.

Garden~

snow peas

It always fascinates me to go out to the garden and discover the seedlings that appear seemingly out of nowhere! And the never-ending self seeding abundance of basil at my fingertips year 'round!

basil and blue skies

Highlight ~

This little secret garden pathway that developed organically is definitely one of the highlights of my week. I imagine fantastical, enchanted  garden loving beings using it in the twilight of the evening! 

I hope your week was filled with things that brought you joy! And I hope that every day of every year you find something to be thankful for, not just during the month of November or on the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving day itself. Each day is a gift, and that in itself is enough to be thankful for. May you have a wonderful, safe upcoming week!🦃

Thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (October 29- November 4)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

Hello again!  So glad you are here ❤️ I hope your Halloween was safe and fun.

What I'm cooking, baking and eating ~ 

Chicken Tomato Cilantro soup, baked potatoes with assorted toppings and ranch dressing. 

 blondies

Mostly, we enjoyed a lot of precooked and frozen meals that were easy to unearth from the freezer, defrost, heat and eat.

Homekeeping ~ 

This week's homekeeping focus was the living room, entryway, and front porch. It was the perfect time to remove our Halloween decoration and attack the mountain that grows from a molehill on our entry table.☺️

What I'm watching/reading ~

I am doing a refresh reading of Younger Next Year for Women by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D.. I first read the original Younger Next Year, which I found at a thrift store before finding YNYFW, also at a thrift store. There are just some books I like to read and re-read to let the message really sink in. When it comes to the subject of health and wellness, I need all the refreshes I can get (especially the older I get)! I find it encouraging to stay on top of my health and take care of myself, regardless of how old I get and how it can sometimes be so tempting to sit in my easy chair and rock my life away, lol. NO! I plan on fighting the uphill battle all the way to the end!💪

Highlight ~

I am so thankful for being able to take advantage of the privilege of voting. And early! There was only a short wait and the entire process went smoothly. It was heartwarming to see very young first time voters and the very old and/or disabled, who made it by walker, cane and wheelchair. All were welcomed and accommodated! 

Did you vote early? How were the polls where you are?

*confession-I voted for the very first time at the age of 35 for excuses I won't bore you with. The moral of this story is...it's never too late!

I hope the upcoming week is a delightful one for us all~thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (October 22-28)~

 endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

there is beauty all around us!

Hello! I hope you have had a wonderful week! It has been a week of gorgeous fall weather around here! It is the type of weather that energizes me to dive into all things home with wild abandon. 

Let's head on into the kitchen...

What I'm cooking, baking and eating ~ 

whirly, swirly cinnamon roll cake goodness ready for the oven~

Cheeseburgers, baked chicken leg quarters, chicken salad, cinnamon roll cake, granola, cinnamon raisin bread

Homekeeping ~ 

This week's focus was the master bedroom and closet. I spent time cleaning, organizing a decluttering my dresser and nightstand drawers.

What I'm watching/reading ~

Dark

 Netflix says about it: "A missing child sets four families on a frantic hunt for answers as they unearth a mind-bending mystery that spans three generations."

Althougj I enjoyed the series overall, it was a bit complex for me. It is one of those series I would have to watch more than once to be able to (possibly) grasp all of it's nuances. 

It has subtitles and contains language, nudity, and suicide.

Highlight ~

 

Soaking in, and appreciating, the beauty of my environment! 

Have a fabulous, safe and happy week ahead! 🍂👻🍫🍬🍭🎃🍂

Thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (October 15-21)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

a walk in the neighborhood on a cool autumn day reveals the nicest surprises! 

Howdy! So glad you are here! 

We have had several glorious days of cool, almost chilly, temperatures. My kind of weather! I hope your weather has been nice as well.

I must confess, I don't watch the news (too depressing😭) so I don't know what the weather has been like in other parts of the country (other than the hubs exclaiming that it was snowing in the U.P. of Michigan one day, lol. I lived there for a while in another lifetime so I guess he thought I'd be interested.😊). 

What I'm cooking, baking and eating (besides the usual) ~ 

•  chicken broccoli "fettuccine"- made with jarred Alfredo sauce that was in the pantry, bought on sale several weeks back. And spaghetti noodles that have been in the freezer since I stocked up on pasta last November. I always keep chicken and frozen broccoli on hand as they are major components to my Dollface's homemade dog food.

•  chana masala served over rice. I keep an assortment of legumes in the freezer along with rice that is bought in bulk and divided into smaller portions. I used a sweet potato in place of the russet as that's what I had available. The rest of the ingredients I had on hand in the freezer (chopped onion and tomatoes leftover from previous recipes) and pantry (spices, herbs and seasonings). I had fresh cilantro,  lemons and ginger on hand. Since I had previously soaked, cooked, portioned out and froze the chickpeas/garbanzos for ready access, I made the recipe in a large skillet rather than in the slow cooker. My husband is not a fan of this type of food (more for me!) so I ate a portion for dinner and then divided and froze the rest for future meals.

Even though I'm trying to cut back on sugar,  hubby still enjoys sweet snacks. Rather than buying as many prepackaged snacks as we have in the past, I have resolved to doing more baking again.

•  enchilada casserole - this time I used chicken, pinto beans and a red enchilada sauce. 

•   Lemon Crazy Wacky Cake with an Easy Lemon Glaze (I only used 1 tablespoon of milk for a thicker glaze)

•  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars (I used only 1 teaspoon of vanilla in order to conserve on this pricey ingredient, and all semi sweet chocolate chips since that is what we had.)

Homekeeping ~ 

This week's homekeeping focus was the bathrooms. Outside of regular cleaning, I spent extra time going through and wiping down cabinets. I checked expiration dates on medications and made note of anything that needed to be added to the shopping list.

Garden~

I sowed carrots seeds. 

Highlight~

 It goes without saying that the cool, chilly days we enjoyed were one of the highlights of my week. SO grateful! 

I hope your week was wonderful! 

Thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ