Saturday Meanderings

March came roaring like a lion and the snow is here to stay for a while. Dan and I went to visit Emily on Monday night and the hour and a half ride home was wild. We had no idea it was supposed to snow like this and the plows had not been out yet. So we had a white-knuckled ride all the way home.

It's been a good week to hunker down and get some things checked off my list. The biggest of these was gathering all our tax information and getting it off to the accountant. I don't know what possesses me to procrastinate each year with keeping track of housing expenses, etc., but I do it every time. And then I'm scrambling to catch up on a years worth of paperwork! So I had a different sort of white-knuckled experience on Wednesday doing that. 

I tried my hand at homemade yogurt in my slow cooker and it turned out great! This is definitely a new staple here. When I mentioned this to someone on Sunday, she asked, "Why?" and I responded, "Because I can!" 😁 

Seriously though, I love trying new things and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't and sometimes I don't think it's worth the effort. But this was so easy to do.

I've been using my sourdough starter in different recipes and this week it was focaccia bread, cinnamon-raisin bagels, plain sourdough bread and this morning I have a batch of cinnamon rolls rising. 

Ever since I was a little girl I loved cooking and baking and so many of my "house" posts center around food. I love feeding others and really do find joy testing out new things. Sometimes I get a bit embarrassed about it because I feel like people roll their eyes. But then I think that there are a lot of young women out there struggling with learning these things. They struggle to make ends meet and are looking to find ways to use what they can afford. So I do think there is value in these posts. And to be honest, the ones who roll their eyes, probably aren't reading anyway! 😂

This meal was super simple and made with just a few ingredients.

I browned ground beef in a pan, added onions, garlic and celery and sauteed until the veggies were soft. I found a few mushrooms left in my refrigerator and sliced and added them as well. I sprinkled some flour over it and then added milk and some chicken broth (didn't have beef) and simmered until it created a gravy. I added the peas and salt and pepper to taste and simmered until the peas were cooked through. You can serve this over rice or with pasta. It's simple, nourishing and delicious. 

My breakfast all week has been the homemade yogurt paired with homemade granola and sliced fruit or jam. Yummy! 

I've been trying to sew a bit each day. I have my items in a local shop but also want to participate in one of the farmer's markets again this summer. I love these table mats and it's a great way to use up small pieces of fabric. 

Today is Saturday and its one in which I have nothing planned. I was going to take a meal to my inlaws, but Dan is going to take it tomorrow afternoon for me instead since I'm headed to a baby shower. This way I can have a Saturday to focus on home which is rare thing.

So I'm off to bake some cookies, do some housekeeping as well as some sewing. Or I may do nothing and that's okay. I'm saying that as a reminder to myself. I have quite a bit of internal pressure at times to work, work, work so I'm trying to remind myself it's okay to just relax.

Have a great weekend!