Homemaker Happenings #7 (9.12.25 – 9.18.25)
Welcome to Homemaker Happenings! I am so happy you’re here.
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All too quickly, my time in Pennsylvania is coming to a close. I blinked and it was over. I’ve spent the past five weeks catching up with friends and family. I got to go to my family reunion, ran a half marathon, and hosted a retirement party for my mom. In fact, I got so wrapped up in the latter two, I just did not have the bandwidth to create two blog posts and complete all the back-end work that goes into getting them ready. Overall, it has been an amazing time home in Pennsylvania, and I’m already counting down the weeks and days until I get to go back in October!
On a somewhat macabre note, this week has felt melancholy. Death seems to be everywhere in the media (I don’t engage often in media, but even I can’t seem to get away), and as I look around me, I feel so fixed on my and my loved ones’ mortalities. Depressing, I know. And sometimes, it’s hard to get out of that mindset, but then I remember that I have Jesus, and that this world is not my home. Hebrews 13:14-15 tells us, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” If there’s one thing I urge you, it’s to live for Jesus, because in the end, He is the only thing that matters. The more we focus on the heavenly, the less worried we have to be about the earthly.
Weekly Menu
Guess what time it is?! That’s right, it’s fall!! Ok, technically fall starts on September 22, but the weather has been cooler and the leaves in Pennsylvania are already starting to turn. If you have never experienced fall in the Eastern US, you are really missing out. This week, I thought it’d be fun to start sharing some of my favorite fall recipes I turn to every year as fall approaches. Enjoy!
Breakfast:
- The pumpkin pie overnight oats are everything delicious about fall.
- These cider pumpkin waffles have my mouth watering!
- This oatmeal apple breakfast bake has wonderful flavors and is so comforting.
Lunch & Dinner:
- I haven’t actually tried this wild rice and sausage stuffed pumpkin recipe yet, but I’m making it next week and I am beyond excited!
- Autumn salad with maple Dijon vinaigrette is a regular on my fall menu.
- These maple apple pork chops might be my all-time favorite fall recipe.
- However, this apple cider bacon chicken is basically tied for first.
Sweet Treat:
I love making these pumpkin bars with brown sugar frosting every fall. They are moist, delightful, and not too sweet. Be warned: If you bring them to a party, you WILL be asked to bring them again!
My Weekly Agenda
The Weekend
My weekend will be spent in a very mundane way: Driving 1,600 miles from Pennsylvania to Colorado. There isn’t much exciting to tell, except that I’ll be listening to my book club’s September pick on the way home. Check it out below. It’s one of my suggestions.
The Week
While the idea of being back in Colorado isn’t as exciting as I’d like it to be, I definitely am excited to get back to my house and live in my own space again. There’s something so important about having that, and it’s dearly missed while I am away. I already have plans, which include book club on Monday, and on Thursday, my friend, Emily, and I are making candles. A book club meeting and a candle making session – what could be better than that to usher in fall?? It’ll also be a week or resetting my routines and figuring out my own life again. I’m excited to see what a new season in Colorado will bring!
Books of the Week
Fiction Recommendation: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
I’m not entirely sure what to expect with this book, as I don’t know too much about it, but I thoroughly enjoy mysteries, so I’m looking forward to diving into this book on my long drive home.
Synopsis: When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
Nonfiction Recommendation: Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price
I find history so fascinating. There are so many components and facets to it, and I like to read nonfiction history books when the subject is compelling. While a story about Viking children sounds dull, when you involve archaeology, religion, and cosmology, you can count me in!
Synopsis: The Viking Age saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples into the world. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they ranged from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. But for centuries, the Vikings have been seen through the eyes of others, distorted to suit the tastes of medieval writers, Victorian imperialists, Nazis, and more.
Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology and religion, their material world. Known today for a stereotype of maritime violence, the Vikings exported new ideas, technologies, and beliefs to the lands and peoples they encountered. From Eirík Bloodaxe, who fought his way to a kingdom, to Gudríd Thorbjarnardóttir, the most traveled woman in the world, Children of Ash and Elm is a remarkable history of the Vikings and their time.
On the Hunt
Check out the fun items I’m searching for this week!
Tip of the Week
Get outside for early morning light. Taking in sunlight early in the morning not only helps to boost your mood and productivity, but it is also proven to help regulate your circadian rhythm, leading to better and more restful sleep at night.
