I don’t know if it’s because
fall is in the air, or it’s just the mood I’m in, but I have been feeling very
domestic lately.
I’ve been reading magazines and cookbooks and finding myself staring off into space, dreaming.
I like to collect pictures and quotes from books and magazines and I paste and/or scribble it all in a scrapbook.
These are some quotes I found the other day from an old issue of “Country Home”:
*a warm welcome that makes friends and family want to stay
*a simple place to relax and get away, not pretentious
*treasures of a lifetime, whatever brings a smile and evokes a memory
*fondness for the old and a creative touch that blends the new
*the sound of birds and the smell of flowers through an open window
*lots of good food to share” Feb. 1998
And, speaking of food:
I found a fantastic recipe yesterday. It was so satisfying that I danced around the kitchen, provoking wide eyes and a comment from my 3 year old, something about being crazy. I’m thrilled with the recipe because it reminds me of the wonderful, fragrant, homey, and filling Amish cooking I had in Lancaster County, PA.
Beef and Noodles 
salt and pepper to taste 1/2 c. butter
3 to 4 pound beef roast 3 T. flour
3 T. vinegar 3/4 c. cold water
3/4 c. warm water 16 oz. medium egg noodles,
48 oz. can beef broth uncooked
Salt and pepper both sides of the roast; place in a slow cooker. Add vinegar and warm water; heat on low setting all day, about 8 hours. Shred with 2 forks; set aside. Pour broth from slow cooker into a Dutch oven; add beef broth and butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer. In a small bowl, whisk flour into cold water; gradually stir into broth mixture. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes; add noodles. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes; stir in shredded beef. Heat until noodles are soft. Serves 6 to 8.
“We enjoy everything we have, and we like to look at it every single day”
“Cruise, no. Fancy dinner, no. We said, ‘Let’s go antiquing!'”
wonderful place to live.
Every morning we start out the day sitting on the porch,
watching the geese on the pond.
I have a sign that says, Be Thankful
and every day we say we’re thankful
that we’re here.”
Good to be Home 
We need to go antiquing together. I wish we had gone through some of the old cookbooks that we left in this house for me. They were Roger’s mom’s. She has some old grange and PTA cookbooks and some have notes written in them. You would have really enjoyed them! I guess I’ll have to save that for our next visit.
Thanks so much for coming by and commenting. I finally updated my profile. Thanks for letting me know. I had completely forgotten about it…haha. Come by again soon. I love meeting new people!
Great post! The beef and noodles looks yummy! I’ll have to pick up a roast and try it.
I just opened a xanga site and was browsing around and found your site. I absolutely love your site! That recipe is great, I have one like it from my grandmother and I make it all the time, my family loves it.
Have a great day.
~Dawn
Love your post today. I want to get back to simple things, simple pleasures of enjoying my family, my home. God has truly blessed us.
Sounds like your nesting! Are you pregnant!!! Enjoy the coming Fall Season.
ha ha ha haM is for Mommy~no I am not expecting #6!!! Thanks for making me laugh out loud and making my husband nervous!
Nesting… funny! I can just imagine… :)Anyway, the recipe looks really yummy. I think I am going to have to try it. I love this post. There are so many things I want to get done in this house, I just have to stop putting them off and do them.
OH YUMMY thanks for sharing the recipe, I can’t wait to try it. I wish that domestic feeling would move alittle this way, I sure need some right now. I like your new layout. Have a wonderful weekend.~Michelle
Looks tastey! I am hungary just looking at it and it is already 10:35pm…..I have been hungary ALL DAY!! Now I think I have to get a snack….thanks Shanda 🙂
See you soon!Bridgette
praying for you
I am so hungry! We were out of the hosue all day and all I had for dinner was a funnel cake so this was too much!!!
Gooseberry Patch puts out some great stuff, and their books always put me in the exact mood you described so well above.
Is that a fiesta plate? Pictures looks great..my stomach is not happy with you! LOL!
Great idea about the pinecones, the ribbon on it is what made it perfect for home…I can just picture it!
I had to come back as I was clicking off your sote I noticed you profile pic…LOVE IT!!! Are you at home or in a book store? Who took it R. or J.? It has such great color to it, you look perfect!!
very well written. You truly accomplished your goal: I am sitting here in my beautiful home in the country, feeling EVERYthing you are saying. You make me want to jump up and start cleaning and redecorating and doing all those fun “little” inspiring things we women do. Or even just sitting on my porch breathing in the fresh air. Its funny, because as odd as this sounds I just yesterday prayed for the Lord to renew my zeal for life- to be excited about the little things. Its been so long, it seems I’ve been bogged down with life and life has been passing me by. Thanks so much and I absolutely love the picture of the rocking chair on the porch. It set the mood perfectly and was so artistically done. is that taken of you or someone else?
I am inspired! Again, I love the pictures!!!!!! And I love your thoughts, I try to make our home like you mentioned…..flylady helps, but usually I don’t take time to relax and just enjoy nature in the morning, and I really miss that. Will try to get some of that in this week.
Janet, that picture is of me on the porch. Jacob took the picture and I cropped it and used sepia.Jo, yes the plate is fiesta, you get super friend points for that! 🙂 The new profile picture is of me at home and I took it w/my self timer while Rich was out w/the kids. I was reading that book ALL afternoon!I had to laugh about this post and comments. I started thinking that I probably made you all more HUNGRY than inspired! Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Thanks for all of your sweet comments.
I am definitely trying out that recipe! It may be because I am hungry while reading this, but you have my mouth watering! Thanks!
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