The Journey Back

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Our Homemaking Adventures

Join me at a new weekly feature

Our Homemaking Adventures

I provide prompts on Thursday night.

Feel free to add your own. On of the suggested prompts might bring something to mind!

It's all fun. Let's share our Adventures!

The Prompts and link party are over Here's

Celebrating Fall ...My favorite season. I love the colors of Fall. I love cooler temps. And a chance to cook Soups and Stews

Menu Plans

Saturday

Pork Chops, Rice w/Cream Gravy and Black Eye Peas

Sunday

Kielbasa, Box Scallop Potatoes and

Monday

Mexican Chicken, Spanish Rice and Guacamole

Tuesday

Oven Baked Mac and Cheese

Wednesday

Fresh Catch and Veggies

Thursday

Bar B Que Chicken, Ranch Style Beans, Cole Slaw

Friday

Date night (it's payday week)

The Pantry

My pantry space is two kitchen cabinets.

We live in a small bungalow.

Trying to learn how to shop and store items for our new island lifestyle

A Recipe To Share

On Monday I shared this recipe

Author Victoria Hamilton shared this great recipe! It was so good and super easy! Click Here

The Planner/To Do List

Plan and Grocery shop we do Walmart curb side for most things.

Finish writing letters/cards

Go to Post Office

Eat lunch out Wednesday and go to pier for fish

Go to an Antique Shop

'Ta Da' Moment

Starting the Fabulous Party again

Do You Have A Hobby?

I make Junk Journals

Crochet

Quilts

Something Fun To Share

I'm having a Tea Party! Save the Date and come over and link your posts.

A Blog I Like

One of my favorite bloggers is Jess over at Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth Jess writes a lovely blog about Homemaking.

Visit Jess over Here

Do you like to read?

I read Cozy Mysteries, Sweet Clean Romance and Romantic Suspense

What kind of books do you read?

Your Garden, Patio or Porch

I have a small porch garden . . .

A Bible verse to share

(Do you journal or color make illustrations? Share your work)

Journaling in my Bible. My Garden Bible Version. Have you seen Cat Woods Bible Garden? Click Here

Listening To Music

(Share a video, song, lyrics. Or maybe that line or lines you just can't get out of your head)

A Facebook friend posted . .

Thunder Rolls and these words got stuck in my head . . .

. . .3:30 in the mornin', not a soul in sight

The city's lookin' like a ghost town on a moonless summer night

Raindrops on the windshield, there's a storm movin' in

He's headin' back from somewhere that he never should have been

And the thunder rolls

Thanks for visiting. I hope you'll come by again soon. I try to post every day.

I hope you'll join me and share your Homemaking Adventures!

Linking at these parties

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Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Shortbread Recipe by Author Vicki Delaney featuring Deadly Summer Nights Great Escapes Book Tour

Your invited to o a Tea Party details below

Shortbread as Served at Afternoon Tea on the Veranda of Haggerman’s Catskills Resort

By Vicki Delany

August 2021

It’s the summer of 1953 and the Catskills are THE place to be for heat-exhausted New Yorkers.

Haggerman’s Catskills Resort is here to serve your every need. During the day you can enjoy swimming in the lake or the pool, diving off the dock, enjoying a turn around the lake in a paddle boat. Feel free to sign up for organized games such as handball or tennis, bridge or bingo, or the always popular Simon Sez down by the lake. In the evening: dancing in the ballroom to the music of our in-house seven piece orchestra or enjoying the latest in comedy acts straight from the clubs of New York City.

Haggerman’s offers three lavish meals a day plus evening cocktail party, the midnight dessert buffet, and room service at any hour.

All that plus our special afternoon tea served on the veranda at four o’clock every afternoon. The shortbread prepared in our kitchens is one of our guests’ favorite treats! Chef Leonardo believes this is the very recipe served at Buckingham Place to the new Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret.

Shortbread as Served at Haggerman’s Catskills Resort

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cake flour

3⁄4 cup cornstarch + 1 tablespoon

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt until well blended.

In a stand mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. On low speed, add the flour mixture in two or three additions until it forms a soft dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F

On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll the dough out to a ¾-inch-thick slab,

Transfer, parchment and all, to the baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and firm to the touch, about 40 minutes. Slip the parchment paper with the shortbread onto a hard surface. Immediately sprinkle the shortbread heavily with the baker's sugar. While still warm, cut the shortbread into 1- or 1 ½-inch pieces. Let cool completely.

Buy the book

– Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound

Visit the tour for book info.

Read reviews, guest posts and interviews. Click Here

. a Rafflecopter giveaway

If I Had A Tea Cup

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

About the book

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she's handed a strange present at the latest wedding--a 1950s magazine article of "ways to get a husband"--she decides there's nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can't get any more single, can she?

Her brother's roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love--Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it's an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she's looking for . . .

" truth. Run and get it now!" -- Carolyn Miller, author of Dusk’s Darkest Shore

"A sweet, warmhearted love story that encourages the soul and draws plenty of smiles. Readers of Christian romance will enjoy this fun, modern tale of a list that, when abided by, just might snag you a husband." -- Melissa Ferguson, author of The Dating Charade Published On: 2021-04-05

" Husband Auditions is as hilarious as it is charming! Angela Ruth Strong once again brings her unique voice and quirky sense of humor to create memorable, laugh-out-loud characters that subtly teach important lessons in love--and not so subtly linger in our minds long after the final page is devoured." -- Betsy St. Amant Published On: 2021-04-05

"Original and fun! Husband Auditions is a wonderful staycation of a book. Grab your latte and prepare to giggle." -- Kristin Billerbeck, author of Room at the Top Published On: 2021-04-05

" In Husband Auditions, Angela Ruth Strong delivers humor, romance, and a heartfelt message. Romance fans will laugh their way to a unique happily-ever-after." -- Toni Shiloh, author of An Unlikely Proposal

And I thought

Oh what a sweet and funny page turner!

And what a clever plot!

I loved that the story was centered around the How To Get A Husband list from the 50's.

The vintage list added humor to a fun story.

I enjoyed the characters. They were all encouraging and charming.

Husband Auditions is sweet clean read.

I loved turning the pages. I enjoyed the ending.

My thanks to Audra Jennings for providing me with a print copy for my book shelf.

I received a complimentary copy.

My review will appear on retail sites a Good Reads

Buy the book

Available on Amazon

Click Here

Tuesday Crafting

Good Morning Welcome to my craft space.

It seems like it's taken me months to get this space organized. Still lots to do but I can sit and glue or . . .

. . .do a little doodling. I am in a group that is challenging us to practise doodling and hand lettering.

I think I should stick with glue!

This is planner I made from a magazine.

A sneak peek for a Fall them swap

And next a Junk Journal I just finished. We were to make it Simple, and pretty . . .

I made a belly band and filled with little items. Pink punched flowers

A silk Christmas ornament my husband bought in China. There are 12. I could share.

A close up of pink flower punches and the Belly Band

I had a box of stationary I found at my mothers. The colors were my starting point . I made a paper clip for each one.

Fun papers in my color theme

A pocket filled with journaling cards

A page from a planner. A teeny tiny Coffee cup sticky note pad

I have had the velum for awhile it was in a sealed stack of papers bought on sale at Hobby Lobby. I finally found a use for it

More colorful papers and a paper clip

I used washi tape to add a paper from a journal

A journaling card. The litter birdie is cute.

This is the plain paper under the bird. Blank for journaling. I aded just a bit of color with the scalloped edge sticker.

More journaling cards

A pocket filled with lots of fun stuff!

A few stickers in a pocket .

I used a piece of thicker paper to cover the journal so it wouldn't get damaged .

I am working on my Fall theme projects this week.

What are you working on?

Good Morning

Monday, September 6, 2021

Menu Monday Beef Stroganoff by Author Victoria Hamilton

Hello. Welcome to a new week!

Fall is around the corner and I can't wait. I love cooking Soups and Stews. One pot wonders!

I have a great recipe to share but first here's the Menu . . .

Saturday

~~Chicken Nachos and Guacamole~~

The neighbor brought over dinner!

Sunday Mac and Cheese

Monday Mixed Grill-Chicken legs, Kielbasa and Mini Smockies, Deviled Eggs and Oven Potatoes

Tuesday White Chicken Chili and Corn Bread

Wednesday Pizza maybe. Last week was so fun we had a picnic on the seawall!

Thursday

Beef Stroganoff over Egg Noodles and Green Beans

Friday

Snapper, Pasta Alfredo and Green Beans or Brocolli if we get to the store

And here is that awesome recipe I teased you with. I can't wait till Thursday to try it!

Ingredients

1 lb Ground beef

8 oz Cremini mushrooms (baby Portobello and button mushrooms are the same and can be substituted… I forgot to photograph them for the ingredients, so they get their own photo!)

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 small chopped onion – OR – half a large sweet onion

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

3 stalks parsley

3 – 4 cups beef broth

8 oz egg noodles

½ - 2/3 cup sour cream

Method

Prep the veggies! Slice the *mushrooms however you want… I like mine thin-ish, but thicker works too.

Dice your onions and chop the garlic ahead of time too… this meal comes together very quickly.

(*A word about mushrooms… when you fry mushrooms, make sure they are dry and go into a hot pan and that you don’t salt and pepper until they have started to brown. That’s how you get perfect mushrooms every time!)

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil until it starts to spit, then add the mushrooms (make sure these are dry) and cook until they are tender and slightly browned. This will take just five minutes or so. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Heat remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook on low to medium heat until translucent… another five minutes or so. Stir in the garlic and cook over low heat very briefly, then add the ground beef, breaking it up as you add it to the pan. Continue to cook until it is browned and cooked through. This is when you decide how big you want your ground beef bits to be, larger clumps or smaller bits. Sprinkle in the paprika, stir to combine.

Pour in the beef broth and the noodles, bring to a light boil, then turn way down and cover the electric skillet. Continue to cook, stirring it often, until the noodles are done to your liking, probably 10 to 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the mushrooms and sour cream, incorporating completely.

Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of the fresh chopped parsley. I like it with a side dish of green beans, simmered and then dressed with butter and chopped garlic!

Thank you Victoria Hamilton &

Mystery Lovers Kitchen for allowing me to feature Victoria's recipe.

Click Have to read the post.

Meet Victoria Hamilton

Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. Victoria is the bestselling author of three mystery series, the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and the Merry Muffin Mysteries. She also writes a Regency-set historical mystery series, starting with A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder.

Website

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Twitter

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Instagram

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Goodreads

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Pinterest

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Amazon

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Sunday, September 5, 2021

Happy Homemaker in Texas

Welcome to Happy Homemaker a weekly blog party hosted by Sandra.

The weather . . . It's been hot but Fall is just around the corner. It's cooling a bit. Not much rain. It's usually 80 in the morning warming up to 90. There is always a breeze so unless there is no shade it is pleasant.

What I am wearing . . . Just a wornout cami and tank top and shorts. Staying around the house today.

On the breakfast plate . . .

The Smokies were o.k. I cooked in water. Not a good plan. But I did a couple for the doggies. They will love them!

Right now I am . . . Sitting in my little shabby chic chair. We only brought one of the pair with us. I usually have to fight Domino for it! She loves this chair!

My Ta Da Moment . . . One of the times I barely made it through the week without screaming or throwing something. The only reason I didn't throw anything was I holding my only wine glass and I would have to clean up the mess.

Caregivers need Love

Caregivers need help

Caregivers need a break

Something fun to share . . . The invite is out! Save the date!