Till Then Smile Often

Fall Treats – Baking Marathon

Yesterday I shared my Fall Bucket List printable and to say I am a little excited to get started would be an understatement. I have been pinning and moving items on Pinterest to my All About Autumn board to help get me started. So I am going to share the five items I am excited to start making.

One. I didn’t make it to the Fair this year so I missed my opportunity for Fried Dough or Elephant Ears depending on your area. This just screams “Bring on the Chunky Knit sweaters!”

A simple Fried Dough, crispy golden brown then sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and drizzled with honey

Fried Dough

Two. I love the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven, this Honey Beer Bread sounds amazing. I might try adding in some cinnamon or nutmeg or maybe pumpkin spice.

Honey Beer Bread -- 5 minutes, simple ingredients, ridiculously delicious.

Honey Beer Bread

Three. The search is on for a really good chili recipe. I am sure I will be trying many and making my own combination. Just experimenting with a few with be fun though!

Southwest Chicken Chili | Recipes | NoshOnIt

Southwest Chicken Chili

Four. This is another one that I look forward to experimenting with the recipe. I more than likely will add caramel to the final recipe.

apple cider

Apple Cider

Five. I normally make some sort of Apple Pie this time of year, but I am sure there will plenty of time for that later. So when I was looking for another type of pie to make I came across this Caramel Pear Pie. Since these two ingredients sound amazing together I thought this would be a really good one to make. There is always room for pie right?

Caramel Pear Pie. #food #autumn #pies #desserts

Caramel Pear Pie

Well it looks like I have a lot of baking to do in the very near future! Better get to it! Hope everyone has a very relaxing weekend.

What are your favorite Fall Baked items?

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

Fall Bucket List

I love Fall so much, from wearing scarves and boots to Football season. It also is the time for my favorite holiday – Halloween.

I dress up in full outfits to pass out candy to the kiddos and people have even taken pictures outside of the house. Did I mention too that it is my Dad’s house that I pass out candy. People were afraid when I bought my house that I wouldn’t do it at my Dad’s house so I got told I had to continue doing it. It is a lot of work but so much fun too.

I love the leaves changing, the slightly crisper air, and the smells of baking apples and pumpkins. So I created a Fall Bucket List of all the things I would like to do for Fall.

Fall Bucket List

For an 8×10 printable click here.

What would you put on your Fall Bucket List?

What are you looking forward to this Fall Season?

Getting Back on Track

After the last five or six days off for babysitting and Labor Day weekend I am feeling a little like this:

So it’s back to clean eating to get rid of some of the bloat from the weekend. It is the same as how I have been eating just getting back to it. There is going to be no cheating at all!!! I feel gross and I need to get back to the routine of clean eating.

Breakfast: My normal shake of Protein powder, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup of almond milk, 12-18 ounces of water, 1 TBSP of Natural peanut butter.

Protein Shake

Snack: One cup of grapes and 5 pre-sliced cheese slices.

snack

Lunch: Salad with 1/4 cup red onion, 1/4 cup of tomatoes, 1 oz of feta cheese and 1/2 can of tuna.

salad

Dinner: 3/4 cup of egg whites, 1 egg and 1 whole cucumber.

Egg Whites and Cucumber

Who is with me and want to re-commit to healthy eating? I would love to support each other!

Weekend of Family

I am finally back after the long weekend away! It was surrounded by family and friends. I am actually off work today in order to “recover” i.e. clean my house, do laundry and go grocery shopping. So while I prepare myself to go back to work tomorrow I leave you with my big photo dump of weekend pics.

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Off to Cape Cod for the weekend. I went with my second family. They have played such a huge part in my life.  They have taught me so much from how a marriage can work, to how to treat others, to the carrying on of traditions, to how families can get together and laugh. This is not to downplay my family just to highlight my second family and all that they have brought to my life.

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I really missed Seamus after a few days away. Bringing him home and seeing his smiling mug was the best feeling. I am going to catch up on my snuggling time.

seamus

Hope everyone had a safe and happy long weekend.

 

 

 

 

Birthday Weekend

Happy Friday!! Who is looking forward to this long weekend? Come on now I know everyone said Heck Ya!! I took Tuesday off too to allow one day to recover!! It will be needed. My Dad is watching my pup Seamus so I have no worries and I just may be able to sleep past 5:30am for at least a few nights. The bags under my eyes looks forward to it!!

As you know it is Friday so that means I am going to share with you 5 things that I am loving, liking, wanting, doing, basically anything I want to share.

One. Today is my Birthday!! I wish I could say I was 21 and look forward to my birthdays, but after hitting 30, I prefer to quietly celebrate. I will be babysitting my nieces again today and then having dinner with my family to celebrate. No restaurant singing (that embarrasses the crap out of me).

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Two. My nieces! Seriously adorable! My brother didn’t like me posted these on Facebook before their hair was brushed but neither one likes it brushed. Corinna is a barrel of laughs, always quick with a smile of a giggle but also stubborn as can be when she wants to be. Maddie is so well behaved and willing to help out, she also really loves and protects her sister.

niece-cuteness

Three. I want to try making this Tuscan Fig pizza. I am not sure where I can get the fig though. Don’t think I have ever seen it at my grocery store.

Tuscan Fig Pizza | www.elisehanna.com

Tuscan Fig Pizza

Four. Can I just order up this little guy for my birthday????? Cuteness Level out of this world!! A mix of Pekingese and Pug.

 

Buddy: Pekingese, Dog; Methuen, MA

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or this guy…

Thane (JA) LOCAL!: Pug, Dog; Barrington, RI

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Those eyes are just so expressive. So if anyone wants to get me either one as a gift I wouldn’t mind.

Five. I am loving this song lately and have played it on repeat a few times. Lorde – Royals has such a great beat and she has such a unique voice.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG