Homey Thoughts

Home. 

My goal... no, my pleasure... is to make it a place my family looks forward to returning to at the end of the work/school day.

I want our home to say, "I'm so glad to see you again.  Come on up and have a seat.  I missed you!"

 

Forget about the problems of your day.

Just look around at the beauty surrounding you here, your home.

 

Flowers on front porch trellis

 Mr. Shadow will lazily take his bath on the welcome mat while you unwind.

Take a cue from him, don't be in a hurry.

Take your time.

Slow down.

Relax.

Enjoy each minute.

 

 

 

Won't you join me in my tucked-away reading nook?

I'll tell you about my newest fluffy read.

Or better yet, I'll listen as you tell me about your day.

 

Reflect on your blessings while you are at rest.

The beauty is all around you if you just look for it.

 

Read the story of our home's Cross here.

 

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Why don't we stroll around to the backyard?

The beauty spills over to there too.

 

 This is the miracle I see when I look outside my kitchen window every time I wash dishes.

It never fails to cheer me if I remember to actually see the flowers.

 

 

My Square Foot garden's beauty has multiplied as she has matured this summer.

I can't help but wish the same thing for myself.

 

 

She may not be in her youth anymore but she's still supplying the family with beautiful flowers

and fresh produce.

 

 

With pomp, power and glory the world beckons vainly,

In chase of such vanities why should I roam?

 

While peace and content bless my little thatched cottage,

And warm my own hearth with the treasures of home.

  

 ~  Beatrix Potter

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I love a rainy day!

I guess summer's officially over for us.
My youngest son started back to school today.  Already year three of college for him.

We woke up to a dark, rainy morning in our little corner of Alabama.
But that means it's a Stay at Home, Play in the House day for me!

My favorite breakfast of buttered toast and apple-cinnamon jelly reminds me that I've opened my last jar of jelly and I can't run out of that!

So, I gathered my supplies and made up a new batch today.  I see many happy mornings in these little jars.

Apple Cinnamon Jelly recipe here

 

The rain is still coming down so I can't go out and play in my garden.  I'm TIRED of my garden anyway! Actually, I'm just plain tired. I don't mean to complain but I've canned 88 quarts of tomatoes this summer and put up hundreds of peppers.  I'll be happy to pull out those jars of sunshine this winter though when making batches of chili or vegetable soup on a cold wintry day.

 

So what should I do now?  Well, I guess I should get my dusting done.  But first, I think I'll bake up something to satisfy my hankering for something gooey, rich, and chocolaty.  Seriously, I've had this craving for months now and haven't had anything that's satisfied it yet.  That's because I've fed it everything except what it really wants. 

 

I search through my recipe books and boxes looking for THE recipe that will cure my hankering and come up with the perfect prescription: Chocolate Sheet Cake.  It sounds pretty innocent but believe me it is as rich as they come.  Mama used to make these sometimes when I was a girl and oh my, it's a cake you don't soon forget. 

 

So, to the warm smell of cinnamon that's already circulating through my home because of my jelly making, I now add the delicious scent of a chocolate cake baking. 

 

The cake is all made, iced and waiting on the kitchen counter to surprise my guys after a supper of pintos, fried potatoes, stuffed eggs, and cornbread.  It sounds like a meal from my childhood to me.  Heavenly!

 

I wish I could show you a picture of the cake but no-can-do on this dark, unphotographic day.

I will give you the recipe so you can make your own though. 

Enjoy!!!

 

Chocolate Sheet Cake

 

Sift together in a large mixing bowl:

2 cups sugar

2 cups plain flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

 

Put in a medium saucepan:

2 sticks butter

1 cup water

1/4 cup cocoa

 

Bring to a boil.  Stir constantly (will burn easily).

Pour over flour and sugar mixture; stir well and add:

 

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, slightly beaten

 

Mix well.

Pour into a greased 9" x 14" pan.

Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

 

Icing

Put in saucepan:

1 stick butter

1/4 cup cocoa

6 teaspoons milk

 

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

 

Remove from heat and beat in:

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts

 (I roast the nuts in the microwave one minute on high before adding)

 

Spread on cake.

 

Note:  It's okay if the cake rises high in the center and cracks.  Just mash it down and add your icing.

 

 

Another note:

Don't step on your bathroom scales for a few days after eating this cake!

 

 

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Shopping my Closet

I want something different to wear to church on this cool, fall-like, Sunday morning.
I don't want to spend any money.
I know, I'll take Missus Smarty Pants' advice to Shop My Closet !

Where do I start?
I want to wear my favorite and most comfortable pair of shoes.

I love to wear them but I didn't think I had much to match.

I posted about these shoes before.  But just in case you forgot or don't want to visit that post, here's a quick run-down.  They are vintage Salvatore Ferragamo and were my very first purchase from Etsy. (I've made one more purchase since then that I'll tell you about it in a later post. :)  I got the shoes from a sweet lady named Nancy.  You can visit her shop here. ( I hope she doesn't mind that I kept the picture she made of them and used it again today. It was such a flattering picture of the shoes. : )

So, to my closet I go to put together an outfit starting with my ruby red shoes.

I chose a white, pink, and red striped camisole that I bought in the very early spring at Walmart.  To that I added my handmade white skirt and my thrifted Style & Co. short sleeve lacy cardigan.

I already had the vintage black and white brooch pinned on my handmade purse, so I decided to carry that along.

Since I was feeling pretty spiffy in my "new" outfit, I persuaded sweet hubby, Neil, out of his comfy chair to snap pictures of my outfit before heading out to church.

I think he had too much fun laughing at me this morning.  Okay Neil, thank you but that's enough pictures!

I look forward to a worshipful morning at church and say along with the Psalmist David,

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I will sing to the Lord,

for He has been good to me!

Psalm 13:6

This post is linked to:  Visible Monday?, Sunny Simple Sunday

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