Bread with the Brisels

How in the world is it October tomorrow?! This weekend we moved from our "fall" decorations to our "Halloween" decorations and it made me a little bit giddy knowing that the next round of decor will be Christmas. I love fall, but the cozy Christmas season has my heart. Since we're at the end of a month and the beginning of another, it's time to check-in for a little reflection. 😉 My goals for September were... 1. Make time to enjoy the season  I feel like we have spent time outside, we've made pumpkin muffins, and lit all the pumpkin scented candles. Now I'd just like the weather to cool down a bit to feel more like fall.  2. Get into the groove with school I think that I am finally starting to feel a bit less "frantic" and a bit more settled. I've never had a rougher start to a school year before, and I can't believe it's taken about 6 weeks to get into a routine.  3. Take a minute for myself Ugh. I'm struggling in this ar...

And just like that...it's the last week of the month! Time for What's Up Wednesday with  Sheaffer  and  Shay .  What We're Eating this Week... Fall weather is officially upon us, so I'm craving warm, comforting meals. This week's menu is... Sunday - Meatloaf and green beans Monday - Chicken Pot Pie with a green salad Tuesday - "Smash Burger" tacos  Wednesday - BBQ Chicken bowls Thursday - Spaghetti  Friday - we're grilling up the Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar Chicken sausages...so good!  My boys have been eating a lot of pumpkin muffins this week. I had to make a second batch this evening because Sammy ate 5 (5!) in one day.  We're basically eating pumpkin in whatever we can these days, which is why I made these pumpkin sourdough discard bagels. A warm bagel + pumpkin cream cheese from Trader Joe's = a little slice of heaven. 😊 What I'm reminiscing about... As always...this time last year. Look how small and squishy Baby Jack was!  T...

Here's a quick and easy side dish for your week: Broccoli Salad. We had ours on Sunday evening alongside meatloaf and it made the perfect light lunch for myself on Monday. I love it when that happens. 😊 Broccoli Salad Ingredients:  1 head of broccoli, washed and cut into bite sized pieces  1/4 cup of red onion, diced finely  1/2 cup of dried berry mix (mine had craisins, golden raisins and cherries)  1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I like Primally Pure - it's so clean!)  3 tablespoons of vinegar (I used white balsamic but apple cider vinegar would work well, too)  2 tablespoons of sugar  Salt and Pepper to taste  Directions: In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir in your mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper. Mix until combined.  Stir in your broccoli, red onion, and dried fruit.  Store in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Yum. 

Happy Monday! Last week was BUSY, friends. And the thing is...I think life now is "busy," but I'm certain I will think back on these days when the boys are in high school and think, "you thought that was busy?!" I think it's all relative. 😉 We had the best, most rejuvenating weekend. Nothing spectacular was on the agenda, but it was the perfect mix of productivity, fun, and down time. Mid-week last week Sammy was feeling some big emotions. He said, "why are there so many days until Friday?!" Ugh. Same, buddy. We needed a quiet weekend at home to gear up for another week. 😊 Last week was Homecoming Week in our town. Sammy LOVES a parade and couldn't have been more proud to wave at the Newton Cardinals football players wearing... Dustin's old jersey. 😊 Our church had it's annual Fall Festival. There was a blow-up inflatable, tattoos, crafts, and cotton candy. Sammy was happy to indulge in all of the above while Jack watched from his sp...

Even though the weather is refusing to cooperate, I've declared it's soup season. I love when a soup is simmering in the crockpot all day and you walk in the door to the smell of dinner already prepared. This recipe is incredibly easy with minimal ingredients.  Busy Day Hamburger Soup  Ingredients: 1 lb of lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled  1/2 white onion, diced  3 stalks celery, diced  1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (the one I use has corn, carrots, and green beans) 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes  1 8 oz can of tomato sauce  1 carton of lower sodium beef broth  Salt and Pepper  1 capful (about 1-2 tablespoons) of  this seasoning Optional Garnishes: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onion, oyster crackers Directions:  Dump all of your ingredients into your slow cooker and mix thoroughly to combine. Stir throughout the day.  When you're ready to serve, ladle into bowls. Top with your desired garnishes. ...

It's official - we've got a walker on our hands! This weekend, Jack officially decided that he prefers to be vertical and not horizontal, and he's been walking all over the place.  His record is about 8 steps before he falls down, but he's getting more confident each day! Sammy's favorite thing to do is to "practice walking" with him. Here's a cute little video of the action. 😉

Happy Monday! As I write this, it's Sunday night and I'm recovering from a weekend that was packed to the brim. I'm not much in the way of creativity tonight - so check back in tomorrow. XX