Great meals, less time -- sounds good to me!

I enjoy cooking dinner for my family (and I sure enjoy eating), but I find myself cooking the same meals month after month. And even as a stay-at-home mom, our family schedule sometimes leaves me with little time to spend in the kitchen.

A couple of years ago I found great resource: Eat at Home: Everyday Food for Busy People. On her blog, Tiffany shares great tips and recipes that allow her to save money by quickly cooking at home rather than ordering takeout when life gets busy. And now, Tiffany has a new e-book: Feast in 15: Speed Cooking for Weeknight Dinners. Packed with loads of recipes, as well as tips, tricks, menus and grocery lists, it's an great value at just $4.99.


Disclosure: I am a Feast in 15 affiliate and will receive a commission for those who purchase through the link on my site. Thanks!

Did I mention I love fall?

I'm really enjoying the advantages of living in the North Georgia mountains in the fall. (However, there may well be a post about the DISadvanges of living in the North Georgia mountains come winter.)

At least a couple of times a week, I head down a 4-mile country road to get into town. The speed limit on this road is 35 mph, but I find there are very few places where I can comfortably get up to that speed (although others do -- and I let them pass me). But I love this -- I love that I'm made to drive slow enough to notice the beauty around me. Here are a couple of pictures I took earlier this week on that drive.

On his way to visit a client on the other side of town recently, Jeff discovered a beautiful drive. We had a few minutes after running errands late yesterday afternoon, so he shared it with us. I'm thankful there was a scenic lookout for this first one, but wish you could see the fall colors as well as we did.

As we stood there, we watched a storm roll in...

and roll in some more.

We made it to the top of the mountain before the storm arrived, and it was just beautiful.

Yes, I do love fall.

Fall thoughts

I love the fall.

I grew up in the Valley of the Sun (the Phoenix area) where fall is about two hours long. One minute, the mulberry trees had leaves, the next minute, they were all on the lawn.

Fall in the North Georgia mountains is different. It meanders in, teasing first with a day or two of cooler weather in early September. I can count on each of my family members coming to me with a big grin, saying, "Oh, I feel fall in the air!" Never mind that it's September 5. When I just smile and tell them, "Don't pack up those summer clothes just yet," they call me a fun-sucker.

But come October, fall decides to come in earnest. Each day, we look for a tinge of color on the leaves. The dogwoods, my favorites, begin to turn first. {Dogwoods are just beautiful in every season.} The sun is slower to rise, and the mornings are crisp. And coffee just tastes better.

I get the urge to visit antique stores and craft festivals (probably a hangover from the years Jeff used to hunt on weekends). AnnaKate wants to bake; Jared wants to stay in the woods until dark-thirty. Christopher likes to wear sweaters (with flip-flops). And Jeff wants to build a fire in the fireplace.

We all look forward to our annual fall pilgrimage to Burt's Farm for pumpkins and pumpkin muffins, and Hillcrest Orchards for apples, apple cider, and apple donuts ("Welcome to Hillcrest!"). When our kids were younger, we'd picnic at Amicalola Falls and let the kids and the cousins wade in the creek until their little feet turned blue. Now that they are older, they prefer to wander around the Dahlonega square, sampling fudge and seeing what treasures they can find in the shops. One year, we watched the Blue Ridge Rifles run through their precision rifle drills at The Military College of Georgia.

In the fall, we're back in our school groove. We're thinking toward family get-togethers. We're more intentional about being thankful.

I love the fall.


What do you enjoy about fall?

My Hunger Games Blog Post

So, my daughter is hosting a Hunger Games blog event this month, and she just came in and informed me that I should write a blog post from the perspective of a 49-year-old Hunger Games addict. Just a couple of problems there...

1. I'm not 49 years old.
2. I'm not a Hunger Games addict.

She said she got mixed up because my hubby / her father is about to turn 50. I informed her that when he turns 50, I still will not be 49. Math has never been her strong point.

As far as the addiction issue, here's the deal. She was loaned the books. She devoured the books. She bought the books. Then my son borrowed and devoured the books. I'm always a bit leery of "hot trend" books, so I figured I might as well read them to be sure my children were not being exposed to a demonic plot (although, knowing the family that originally loaned the books, I wasn't overly concerned). And I enjoyed them.

Now there's a movie coming out in the spring. And my kids and their friends talk about the books, the movies, and the characters. Often. The only other book/movie series I've seen generate this much discussion between them has been Lord of the Rings (and, for the record, HG is no LOTR). Among my daughter and her friends, most of the discussion goes like this:

AKJ: Peeta is the best, most true, most courageous character EVAH!

Friend: No way, Gale rules!

AKJ: For pity's sake, go over to my blog and read all my reasons why Peeta is the best, and you will be converted forEVAH!

I have talked about Hunger Games with my friends, as well. The conversation has gone more like this:

Me: Did AnnaKate loan The Hunger Games to (your child)?

Friend: Yes.

Me: I hope (your child) enjoys it. Want to get some coffee?

Now I've written my obligatory post on The Hunger Games to fulfill my maternal blogger obligations. And I feel almost 49 now.

A Sweet Fall Sunday...

What a beautiful fall day today. I had the opportunity to hear my favorite pastor preach the Word at a small Presbyterian church in Northeast Georgia. We enjoyed meeting some sweet people and shared some good Mexican food with one church family. Before heading back home, we discovered lovely downtown Clarkesville, Georgia. Most of the stores were closed as it was Sunday, but we did hang out a a cute little coffee shop for a bit.

About halfway home, we finally succumbed to the call of one of many antique stores along the country roads. By the time we came out (just before they would have shooed us out for closing), the sun was beginning to set, highlighting the beginnings of fall color. So when we passed a beautiful stone barn, my wonderful hubby turned around to take me back to shoot a few pictures while the light was still magical.

All in all, a very good day.

A warning for parents

Convicting. True. Read if you dare.

Not just for homeschooling parents, no matter what it's titled.

Why I Make My Bed

I was thinking the other day about how many chores have to be done over and over each day. Like making the bed.

A few years ago, I remember a sweet newlywed friend laughingly telling me that she loves to sleep in, and if she got up to get a drink or something, her hubby would hurry and make the bed so that she wouldn't get back in it. An unmade bed didn't bother her at all (in fact, she found it quite welcoming!), but her military-trained husband liked things neat and tidy. (Now this sweet friend has three children, so her sleeping in days are over!)

Then I remembered a homeschooling seminar I attended once on managing a household and homeschool with many kids. Even though I was only homeschooling three, I figured I'd hear something helpful. Can't remember exactly what I gleaned from that seminar, but I do remember the speaker saying that making beds was a waste of time -- her kids just crawl back into them to do school, anyway! (Another tip from this homeschool mom: don't sort laundry, just throw in whatever you've got and wash it all together! I passed on that one, too.)

So why do I make my bed? 

1. It instantly makes the room look neater. Even with a little clutter, a made bed looks infinitely better than an unmade bed.
2. It minimizes distractions for my hubby. Our current bedroom is quite large, so it doubles as a home office / study space. Jeff prefers neatness, so making the bed removes one distraction for him.
3. It helps with my laundry. The laundry room is in my bedroom closet, so I usually just carry things from the dryer to my bed and make a neat pile for each person to carry to their own room. I just can't do that on an unmade bed.
4. It feels nicer to sleep in a bed that's been made, don't you agree?
5. It promotes discipline in my life. It's not something I enjoy doing (although I do enjoy it once it's done), but it's something I need to do. So I do it. Most of the time.
6. It sets a good example for my children. I expect them to make their beds daily. Why would I not do the same? And I've noticed that if one of the kids happens to come down to my room while I'm making the bed, they often offer to help me.
7. It's good stewardship. Our home is currently up for sale, and I'm sure our landlord appreciates anything we do to make the home more appealing.
8. It only takes two minutes. How many things can give this many benefits for just a two minute investment?

In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that my hubby makes the bed at least half the time... probably more often than that. If he sees it needs to be done and has a moment to do it, he just does it. Thanks, Jeff. And thanks to his mom for raising him that way.

Photo credit: Microsoft Office Clipart