I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! We celebrated a friend’s birthday yesterday and today we’re going to church and then a family bike ride before a celebratory end of school dinner and ice cream. We’ve been continuing with a loose school schedule through the summer but I want to make sure we take the time to celebrate some of A and C’s big achievements – Augustine finished Good and the Beautiful Level 1 Math and Corinna finished her Kindergarten Prep. I’m so proud of those two. We’re all looking forward to a little break from lessons before we start up again in September.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Corn Chowder with Chile, Lime, and Cotija– so delicious and felt perfect on the night of a surprise summer storm. We’ve been loving the leftovers all week.

TUESDAY- Beets and Greens Phyllo Pie- I’ve had this package of phyllo dough sitting in my freezer for the last several months so I was so happy to find this recipe in a favorite cookbook. The combination of beets with feta and brie cheese in a crispy phyllo crust was so yummy!

WEDNESDAY- Spicy Stir Fried Pork with Green Beans and Tomatoes – also from this cookbook, although if you have an NYT acct I saw it here. This dish came together incredibly fast which makes me think it will definitely be a repeat! Plus, the flavor was so good and reminded us of a delicious takeout meal.

THURSDAY- Gourmet Hot Dog Bar with Oven Roasted BBQ Potato Salad and Watermelon – we had friends over and this was a great, easy summer dinner! The potato salad is so good and different because the potatoes are roasted so they hold their crunch without being mushy.

FRIDAY- Meatloaf and leftover potato salad- another repeat of ours because the kids will eat it all up!

SATURDAY- an easy pantry pasta for the kids and then a late night date night sushi for me and Matthew

SUNDAY- Grilled Fish Sandwiches with tomato, avocado and tartar sauce

That granola bowl above has become my favorite mid-morning snack. Strauss yogurt + pecan granola + raspberries and nectarine + local honey and bee pollen

My neighbor made the most delicious almond flour chocolate chip cookies for us the other day and she used the Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate baking chips…wow so so good!

SALES TO NOTE

American Eagle– 30% off all Jeggings and Slim Jeans + 25% off all Jeans

Ann Taylor– 30% off your full-price purchase

ON MY MIND

I’m getting my hair cut this week and I’m so looking forward to it! My thoughts right now are that I’m going to get bangs again, but I’m also a little worried that maybe my post-partum hair growth might make them look odd. So we’ll see what happens there. I haven’t been in over a year so it will be nice to just sit in a chair for a few hours and read a book/listen to a podcast.

Last week we had a few days that felt like fall (including that random storm day). It made me realize I’m so not ready to say goodbye to summer. This upcoming week we’re supposed to have a few 100-degree days so I’m hoping to take the kids to the splash pad at the park (finally!)

This week is going to bring some change too. My mother-in-law who has been living with us this past year will be back after being gone for the past 6 weeks, and then Matthew will be heading out of town for work. We’re going to miss him so much since it will be the longest time he’s been gone for at least the past 3 years. I know the kids will be happy to have some grandma time, though, so that will provide a little distraction.

Our chickens are now all laying! I didn’t mention this little project of ours that kept us busy this spring, but we raised chicks. It was actually a lot more work than we expected but it was a light during the end of winter bleekness and something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. The eggs have been so cute and tiny but are starting to get a little bigger.

I’ve been keeping up with my elliptical workouts which has been so good for me. I’m using that time to watch bits of a show and even though it takes multiple workout sessions to get through an episode, it’s just the motivation I need! When Downton Abbey came out Matthew and I loved it so much but for whatever reason (maybe we weren’t able to stream it?) we stopped watching after Season 2. Over the years we’ve heard some of the big spoilers so I didn’t feel as big of a desire to start watching it again, even if we could have. Just recently, though, I noticed that all the seasons were available for free on Amazon Prime Video so I picked up again where we left off. I am so happy I did because, even with some of the spoilers spoiled, it’s still so enjoyable!

Have a great week!!

xox

Hello, friends! We took it easy this weekend and I tried to get a bunch of chores done on Saturday. I love starting the week feeling ahead and not behind so it’s been a process lately to really organize my time and stick to my To Do list goals. We enjoyed a bike ride together though and Corinna and I baked granola which was so fun. I love how the smell of freshly baked granola fills our house, although it did make me think of fall because of the spices.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Not So Fried Chicken Salad– this has become a repeat for us!

TUESDAY- Zucchini and Feta Fritters with Avocado Crema (from this cookbook)- the fritters were a huge hit which I was so happy about!! They’re a great way to use up all that zucchini crop! (p.s. this recipe looks similar)

WEDNESDAY- Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Shallots and Fennel (also from this cookbook but found here with a video)- I wish I had taken a photo but it was probably the best thing we’ve made in awhile. It seriously tasted like a dish you could get at a fancy restaurant. I need to write it down for my recipe book.

THURSDAY- Asian Steak Salad (from this cookbook) – the almond sauce dressing was so good and I love a salad with fresh mint, basil and cilantro. It tasted so fresh and delicious!

FRIDAY- Grilled Shrimp and Caesar Salad

SATURDAY- Burger Night!

SUNDAY- Soba Noodles with Charred Broccoli and Spicy Almond Sauce – a leftover concoction that will hopefully turn out!

I always love a cheese board! This one was super simple but very good.

I made a raspberry frangipane galette (from this cookbook) with raspberries from our neighborhood farm and it turned out so delicious! We all agreed I need to make it again soon!

WHAT I WORE

Baby Beatrice has been fighting her second nap of the day so I’ve been wearing her in my Ergobaby Embrace carrier. It’s so soft and comfortable and I appreciate how easy it is to put on.

Messy braids and pretty Doen blouses for homeschooling days.

My favorite tee is currently on sale! I have the heathered oat color and it really goes with everything!

This gingham Hatch dress is sadly sold out, but linking in case it comes back.

SALES TO NOTE

LOFT– 30% off tops & $49 jeans and pants

Nordstrom– last day of the Anniversary Sale

Everlane– 25% off Best-Selling Styles

ON MY MIND

I know it’s still the beginning of August but it already feels like summer is ending. It feels a little bittersweet because while I’m looking forward to fall, I’m not ready to let go of these long summer days. We’ve developed such a sweet little routine of going on morning walks together, and I think I’ve mentioned that I’ve also been taking evening walks by myself which has been such a highlight. Once the sun starts setting earlier, those evening walks will sadly come to an end, so I’m hoping I can replace that time with something just as fulfilling.

We’ve also been going berry picking at our neighborhood farm and that has been so enjoyable. I’m not joking when I say I’ve realized a goal of mine is to have a mini orchard with lots of berry bushes. There’s just something so rewarding about picking the freshest berries and eating them. Makes me think of one of our favorite Robert McCloskey books.

I hope you all have a lovely week!

xox

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! Yesterday was probably my favorite day of summer so far. From start to finish it was so special that I hope I never forget it. We were invited to our friend’s property to pick blackberries so we started the day in the dreamiest garden. The blackberries were the most amazing ones I’ve ever had – so perfectly ripe that they basically melted in your mouth.  Then Augustine and I went on a bike ride together, just the two of us, which we have been talking about doing for so long. I haven’t been on a bike in years but it was “just like riding a bike.” For dinner Matthew made the best cowboy burgers ever (loaded with cheese, onion, cilantro, paprika, and garlic) and then I made a blackberry thyme cobbler for dessert.  I was able to sit out on our porch after the children went to bed and enjoy the sunset while eating my dessert. It was such a treat!

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken– This was really flavorful but did feel a little rich for the summertime. I can’t wait to make it again in a cooler month, and I think frozen corn would still taste great!

TUESDAY- Sheet Pan Jalapeño Pineapple Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Garlic Sauce– This was delicious and so easy! It will definitely be a repeat over here.

WEDNESDAY-  Cauliflower Shawarma with Green Tahini and Fried Halloumi– this came together easily because I had made hummus. We all love halloumi because of how sweet it gets when fried/grilled.

THURSDAY- Ginger Sesame Crusted Salmon Bowls– this was good but we all prefer this salmon bowl more

FRIDAY- Herby Avocado Steak Salad – from this cookbook

SATURDAY- Cowboy Burgers (this recipe but with ground beef) We’ve made this several  times with turkey but we couldn’t believe how much better it was with ground beef.

SUNDAY- Spaghetti Vongole with fresh sourdough and a caprese salad

a strawberry mint mojito and burgers outside! Long live summer!

I made a lentil spaghetti for the kids the other day and while they thought something was different, they still ate their whole bowls. Success!

WHAT I WORE

I got a few pieces of clothing from Darling which are so darling. Do you remember their magazines? I was so excited to hear how they’re doing and they have put together a very versatile capsule wardrobe collection. They sent me this tank and this slouch cardigan. I braved the heat and tried both on with my favorite Everlane white jeans (here’s a similar style).

With our 90-degree days, shorts outfits feel like a must around here. I’m thankful we haven’t had too many 100-degree days but August is coming!

SALES TO NOTE

J.Crew– 30% off Wear Now Styles with code SHOPNOW

Abercrombie– 25% off almost everything

Nordstrom– Anniversary Sale is still going strong! Have any of you shopped the sale?

ON MY MIND

We’re still in the middle of summer but I’m also working on planning our fall schedule. I’m currently reading the book Know and Tell and getting excited for Augustine to start his first year of formal homeschool lessons.  I feel like each year we’ve added to our curriculum from our Teach your Child to Read book, to our Math curriculum and then this year will be History, Geography, Natural History, and more Literature. I’m following Ambleside Online’s program which is modeled after Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education which I have really connected with over the years. Corinna is also going to be doing ballet again and Augustine is going to continue with his music lessons which will make for a fun fall.

For the past 3 Augusts we’ve spent time in San Diego and we’re all missing the salty beach air more than we can admit. I wish we could make a trip out this summer but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Maybe in Fall, but hopefully for sure in winter when we need a break from our cold weather!

My evening walks have been so incredible and life-giving! I look forward to this time so much and I’m going to miss them come winter. The two photos right above were taken around 9:15pm if you can believe it. I haven’t really loved our late summer sunsets because it’s hard getting the children to bed, but with them not taking naps, they’re asleep earlier so I have time to sneak out for these walks. I love how much cooler it is and, oh, our beautiful Idaho sunsets are something else!

I hope you all have a lovely week ahead as we say goodbye to July and hello to August!

xox