At the Cottage ~ November 4, 2023

    Cool weather is finally here in South Texas!  I know I have said it before, but fall is my favorite season.  It is such a respite from the brutal heat of our summers.  I am a little surprised at how early in the year it has come, though.  It is not unusual for us to still be sweating well into December.

    We have not had a freeze yet, but it did get close a couple nights.  I'm relieved because my garden is still going strong.  My zucchini plants are huge and I am getting zucchini from them!

    John's zinnias are beautiful- the star of the show.  We have been cutting them for bouquets to adorn the house.  John is so pleased.

    I had been worried that many of the seeds I had planted weren't viable.  Turns out that they just needed a little cold snap to germinate.  I have carrots coming up.

    And cabbage.

    My little chicks aren't chicks anymore!  I've introduced them to the big girls and they all seem to be getting along.

    Inside, I have been doing a lot of baking.  It is such a cozy feeling to have something delicious in the oven or on the stove when it is cold outside.  The coffee pot is used multiple times a day.  

    I made apple cake for when we had company one evening.

    Blueberry muffins with streusel topping...

    Caramel pecan cookies...

    And finally something healthy: soup!  I love soup and that is going to be my game plan for healthy meal prep during the fall and winter months.  This one was sausage, potato, and kale.

    I know that planning and having something convenient to grab when I am hungry can make or break any efforts towards my dietary goals.  One morning I made a large batch of sausage, egg, and cheese "muffins" for something quick during the week.  They are not pretty but they taste good!

    I have not done much crafting, but I did manage to finish the cleaning cloths I had started.  I ended up with fifteen.  

    I am doing what I can to switch to more reusable things, both for economical and preparedness reasons.

    I am also working towards opening my Etsy shop back up!  I had been praying about it, and then out of the blue, I had a returning customer contact me to tell me how much she loved my work and ask if she could buy some more cards from me.  My shop has not been open in over two years, so this was amazing!  I have some things made- it is just a matter of getting them listed and sorting out some tax things.  To give you a sneak peak, these are the cards she wants...

    What have you been up to?  

    I hope everyone has a good, productive week building up their homes and caring for their loved ones. 💕