Hello! I will get right to the point since the title of this post tells you exactly what is happening.  Yes, I am closing down this blog.   I wanted to say to each and every one of you - thank you so much for being here!  I am still amazed that over 3,000 of you continue to stop by daily.  What started as a way to share our lives with family and friends scattered around the world turned into a place where people I had never met stopped in.  I had never imagined it would turn into that!   I have been sharing bits of our lives here since 2009 ..read more

  There will be a common theme throughout the winter LWOTH posts and that is....snow.  We received snow last night and earlier last week, although not much.  We also received rain, so our driveway and walkways were cleared (after we shoveled, of course) and the snow has remained everywhere else on the property.  It's so pretty to look at. One of our trees was loaded with robins one day.  We don't usually see that many at once in January.  They were loving the berries the tree provided.  After we saw them, we realized that we haven't seen any woodpeckers ..read more

  I'm sharing a recipe today that my husband really enjoys.    It's a very adaptable recipe.  For instance, it includes spinach, but you could definitely leave it out if your family is not a fan.  Want more cheese?  You can add it!  Don't have an egg?  I've made it without, and it turned out fine.  Want to add mushrooms?  You can do that too!  Chop them and cook with the onions and sausage.  I cut this recipe down by 3/4 all of the time - no issues at all. **A quick printing note: Blogger (which is the host for this blog) does not ..read more

  This scared look is Jack's default look when the camera is pointed at him.  It's very difficult to get a good photo.... Snow!  We have snow!  I appreciate when our snowfalls come during the day so I can fully enjoy it, but that just doesn't always happen.  This one started Saturday evening just after 6.  Too dark to enjoy so I was excited for Sunday morning.  And the forecast ended up being correct this time in that we enjoyed a light snowfall for most of Sunday as well.  It was so pretty.  Don't you just love when it coats the trees?  ..read more

  We are officially decorated for Christmas.  I'm not sure we've ever been completely done this early before.  Of course, that doesn't include the years where we've barely had any decorations up at all because we just didn't prioritize it with all of the busyness of life.  Thankfully, that is in the past. I requested that we try to get everything done between Thanksgiving Day and the day after, knowing we have a few busy weeks ahead.  We don't put up a ton of decorations, mind you, but it all takes time.  Sure enough, we were done by Friday night with ple ..read more

This is an incredibly easy and very delicious snack cake.  I use the base recipe for so many variations throughout the year and this one is perfect for fall. Notes on the ingredients: Flour - I have tried this recipe using 1/2 all-purpose flour and 1/2 white whole wheat flour and it worked perfectly.  I have not tried any other flours or combinations. Sugar - I have only used granulated sugar for this recipe.  I do cut ours down to just under 3/4 cup and I'm sure you could cut it down more if you desire. Milk - you can use water in place of the milk (dairy or non-dairy ..read more

  November 12-19, 2023 Last Monday was our chilliest morning so far this fall.  A cool 18 degrees Fahrenheit is how we started our day.  The frost was beautiful though, so I ran back inside to grab my camera for a couple quick pics when I was out with the Coop Girls. I did a little grocery shopping last week since I avoid the grocery stores the week of Thanksgiving.  I went to purchase my "free" turkey from BJ's.  You received one for "free" if you made a $150.00 purchase the week before.  We assumed they would offer this again this year and held off pu ..read more

  It's cranberry season and I try to incorporate them in some of my favorite dessert recipes.  This quick and easy bread is a regular in our kitchen.  It's moist, delicious, and bursting with beautiful red tangy cranberries coupled with the perfect complement of fresh orange.  I hope you enjoy it too! A few notes about the ingredients: Flour - I have not tried any other flour in this recipe. Sugar - I have not tried any other sweetener in this recipe.  1 cup of sugar is a lot, I understand, but it's to offset the tartness of the cranberries.  It really is ..read more

  October 29- November 4, 2023 Hello!  I hope this finds you doing well!  Sweater weather has officially arrived.  We've had a couple light frosts and a hard frost (26 degrees Fahrenheit) and highs ranging from 41 - 55 degrees this past week.   As I type, I have split pea soup cooking away in the slow-cooker, spelt bread dough rising in the warmth of the pellet stove, and a hot turmeric latte next to me.  It's one of my favorite things to drink in the cold months. November and December seem to fly by, unfortunately.  I try to take the time to e ..read more

  Sunday was chilly.  There's no other way to describe it.  Our farmer's market is outdoors through the end of October, which is nice since we love being outside, but it does start to get a bit cold as fall progresses toward winter.  The temps just barely made it to 50-degrees Fahrenheit and tack on the wind chill to bring the "feels like" temp right back down into the 40's.  Not bad, but when you are standing in a booth all day, it's chilly.  So that means I was fully dressed in winter wear.   I don't know if I've touched on this before here on the b ..read more