Amy Artisan

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Author: Amy (page 22 of 84)

Currently…October

Ah, OCTOBER…a month of fall colors and falling temps…of shortening days…of pulling out the colder weather wear…in the midst of it all, these are a few of the things that filled my days…

Reading…a bit…plans for an October QuickLit update didn’t happen but the draft is queued up for November…unexpected work travel has given me more reading time than anticipated this month…

Tipsy discovering the magic of a ball of yarn

Tipsy discovering the magic of a ball of yarn

Crafting…continue to stitch through the Packers season on my Scorecard cowl…my “Walk the Land” cowl is off the needles and in use…some gift knits on the needles…

Spiced Pear & Apple Butter has brought autumn joy to many meals

Spiced Pear & Apple Butter has brought autumn joy to many meals

Cooking…it’s the season for cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg – pears & apples that were past their prime were thrown in a pot with these spices and simmered on the stove to become Spiced Pear & Apple Butter…continuing with some Whole30 basics on hand and prepped for quick meal success!

After work on a blustery day, the view of a favorite spot

After work on a blustery day, the view of a favorite spot

Traveling, Part I…plans for the month were very different than I thought they would be…back to back work trips to end the month – first a quick a work trip to Marinette filled with busy workshop days, beautiful fall scenery, a bit of time with the WI-family, enjoying a bit of a Culver’s Pumpkin shake and a bowl of my favorite stuffed bell pepper soup…

The view as I arrived in Switzerland for a work trip

The view as I arrived in Switzerland for a work trip

Traveling, Part II…because of course the trips stacked up, about 48 hours after getting back from WI I was headed overseas…the last week of the month was for meetings in Switzerland which meant a scramble to get my passport renewed…plans for Halloween with my Texas cuties didn’t happen so that I could extend my trip for a weekend of exploring…more to come on my Swiss adventures…

Looking Ahead…November brings my birthday, family Thanksgiving time, a time to focus on what I’m thankful for and more…

Linking up with Leigh Kramer’s monthly “What I’m Into” roundup. What are you into these days?

Bucketful of Summer…Revisited

Labor Day has passed, Columbus Day is around the corner…schools have been back in session for 4-8 weeks…the sunlight is starting to change…morning temps have already flirted down into the 40s a few times…meteorological summer has given way to autumn…leaves are falling and the season has changed. At the start of summer, a Ten on Tuesday prompt was for things I’d like to do before autumn rolls in. So, as the seasons change, a check-in on the list…

Summer Bucket Scenes

 

  • Continue to exercise konmari as I tackle the stuff in my house. I recently read “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” While I didn’t progress as quickly as I would have hoped, the #konmari is happening in my house. My bedroom and bathroom are complete. The kitchen is almost done. Next it is time to head into my office/guest room and start tackling books and then everything else. To date, a lot of things have exited the house: 12 bags of clothes; a large bag of sample and travel toiletries to a local women’s shelter; kitchen appliances & more that I “had to have” & realize now I don’t need & don’t fit in with life these days; in addition to pulling items for donation, it has also sparked joy to see some items leave my house & go to friends that will enjoy them.
  • See a movie at a drive-in theater. Our intention was good…but the timing didn’t work out to enjoy a kid friendly movie under the stars this summer…there’s always next year.
  • Take in another Iron Pigs baseball game. The last Sunday in June was a perfect day to take in a double header from the Bacon Strip
  • Add another presidential library to the “I’ve visited” list. (Truman, Carter, Reagan, Bush 2) Yes and no. The intent was to tour the FDR library as our family vacation in New York began. We ended up not having the time to tour – but post cards were picked up. It is on our list to do another time.
  • Can some jam. Definitely achieved – through 2 canning adventures. The first time was a Sunday afternoon with Gretchen and her girls at their house. Later on, a couple of hours in my kitchen yielded tomato jam. Now, I have jars stored in the closet for gift giving and meal enhancement as the seasons change and the summer produce becomes a distant memory.
  • Enjoy some family vacation time at summer camp in upstate New York. Most definitely achieved! This is a week that is staying with all of us and definitely goes in the pantheon of great family vacations.
  • Send a pack of t-shirts away to become a t-shirt quilt. My pack of t-shirts has returned to me from a visit to the textile factory in Massachusetts and is now a cozy quilt for cooler days ahead. I’ll share the quilt in another post.  
  • Achieve my “summer reading challenge” at the local library. My target is 12 books – of course, they consider summer to end on August 18th. Where’s my reading ribbon? I completed a baker’s dozen by Labor Day. Reading is a year round sport for me and I have several reads going at any one time. I set a 2015 reading goal on GoodReads for 40 books in 2015 and I’m well on track to meeting (& maybe surpassing?) that goal.
  • Spend some time coloring in my copy of “the” Secret Garden coloring book I picked up in London last summer. While I didn’t color in the Secret Garden, I have had fun coloring in the Paige Tate coloring books. This is an activity that is staying in rotation.
  • Complete a photobook for 2013 or 2014 with the Shutterfly Photo Story app. So this didn’t happen. While I have both photobooks started, I just didn’t find the spark to dive in and complete them this summer. Historically, I’ve been more productive with scrapbooking in cooler months…I’m anticipating this item will happen as the temps drop.

While I didn’t completely fill my summer bucket list – without a doubt the bucket has been filled with fun (&productive) times. As the seasons change and routines shift, I’m pulling together new items for my list – it will be fun to see what happens as the pages of the calendar keep marching onward.

What was on your list of goals for the summer? Did you achieve them? What is on your list for autumn and winter?

Currently…September

Ah, SEPTEMBER…a month of seasonal switches – shortening days – more crispness to the mornings – locally, the Papal visit has come and gone… in the midst of it all, these are the things that filled my days…

Reading…As the baseball season winds down, I finished my WWII baseball read…a Sunday afternoon was “consumed” with a ChickLit read…in the midst of The Martian and enjoying it…several books (of widely varying topics) in active read now…queueing up for a mid-October QuickLit post on the reads…

Watching…the return of some favorite shows…the jury is still out on some new season finds…choosing to watch most of them via DVR & on my schedule without commercials…football is back – some college games, all the Packers games so far (but I know there will be weeks when their game won’t be shown here)…

Having fun recording the Packers season in stitches...

Having fun recording the Packers season in stitches…

Crafting…knitting is at hand…as the Packers started the season, I started my own Scorecard Cowl to track the season’s points in stitches…after knitting a fall cowl in August & realizing that I didn’t like it for me, a version 2.0 is off the needles & just what I want as the cooler days arrive…in keeping with the cowl theme, I’m also working on another cowl for me with an unexpected skein of yarn that is oh so soft…an abandoned baby knit has been finished and is blocking before going to a new home…gathering patterns and yarns for some gift knits…

Browsing…on being challenged by watching the Pope in America…on the death of the Postcard

Autumnal JOY in a mantel vignette...

Autumnal JOY in a mantel vignette…

Cultivating…joy in my home…#konmari tidying in the kitchen yielded 2 bags of kitchen “things” that are now on to other use, so far…a new lamp in the living room…a blue (yes, blue) decorative pumpkin sparked joy when I came upon it while shopping and so it became the centerpiece for a fall vignette on the mantel…a new blanket, a new lamp, and a lamped moved in from the living room provide a bit of refresh to my bedroom…

Listeningto Mercer football games via the I Heart Radio app…The “Voice of the Bears” is so fun to listen to – obviously more so when the Bears are doing well but he doesn’t pull any punches when their play and behavior is less than it should be…

A few of my Whole30 kitchen adventures...

A few of my Whole30 kitchen adventures…

Cooking…so much! This round of the Whole30 has reawakened the enjoyment of being in the kitchen…as I move from “the 30” through reintroduction and establishing my new normal, I’ve identified some basics that I need to always prep and have on hand to ensure that on days when I’m not sure what’s for lunch or dinner I can easily make something that doesn’t go off the deep end…I’m drafting some posts for October with some of the tips and recipes that worked for me…

Traveling…not this month…I thought I might have some Florida travel but managed to take care of that project remotely. I do see some Florida travel for October.

Looking Ahead…October means Halloween – which means it is time for a trip to see my Texas girlies! With the return of fall flavors, I think it might be time to can some applesauce.

Linking up with Leigh’s monthly “What I’m Into” roundup. What are you into these days?

A Taste of Fall

For this Tuesday, ten tastes of fall I look forward to as the seasons look to move from summer to autumn. As I’m 17 days into this Whole30 round, I know that some of these recipes won’t be made until the calendar flips; however, some can be enjoyed in the coming weeks.

The changing of the seasons was evident at Saturday's farm stand stop!

The changing of the seasons was evident at Saturday’s farm stand stop!

  • Chili – My “go to” now is the Chocolate Chili recipe from Well Fed. I have the ingredients here at home and plan to make a pot of it this weekend.
  • Nantucket Cranberry Pie – A recent addition to the fall desserts, this has become a new Thanksgiving time dessert (and maybe breakfast for the leftovers).
  • Baked Oatmeal – whether on the sweeter side or the savory side, this is a hearty breakfast for cold mornings.
  • Fresh made applesauce – peeled apples & a few hours in the crockpot – nothing beats homemade applesauce! Sometimes I might add a dash of cinnamon & spice…other times, just pure apple!
  • White Chili – a chicken & potato variation that is a hearty bowl of goodness on a cold evening.
  • While I enjoy sweet potatoes year round, I’m “excited” for the return of the frozen mashed sweet potatoes at Trader Joe’s – I stock up on these bags for an easy base for meals throughout the year. (In fact, just today my lunch included some of the last “pucks” from the freezer – BBQ pulled pork on a bed of sweet potatoes was easy and delish!)
  • “Endless” french press pots of coffee on the weekend – I’m much more of a hot coffee gal in cooler weather.
  • If I happen to be near a Culver’s, a pumpkin shake or concrete mixer is such a fall treat!
  • Stuffed Acorn Squash – I’m planning to try a new stuffing combo with the ones in the picture over the weekend.
  • Mulled Wine and/or Spiced Cider – An enjoyable mug of warmth that is just as delicious to smell while it is simmering on the stove.

What tastes of fall are you most anticipating?

A bit of the weekend

As we get back to work after the long Labor Day weekend, today’s Ten on Tuesday prompt is simple – things from the weekend. The long weekend around here was a nice combination of busy/productive and low key. On Monday night, I was rested and also felt like I accomplished a lot; however, I’d take a couple more days like this. From among the hours, a few highlights:

Fast & Fancy Monday Dinner

Fast & Fancy Monday Dinner: Seared Scallops with Pan Fried Zoodles & Oven Roasted Tomatoes

  1. Knitting on a new cowl for me – as my August cowl knit came off the needles, I decided that “as knit” it wasn’t for me so I cast on for a 2nd one and am modifying the pattern for me.
  2. Reading – finishing up Yes, Please by Amy Poehler; making progress on a couple of other active reads; enjoying long spans of reading time peppered throughout the weekend.
  3. Winding yarn for my knitting project to accompany the upcoming Packers season – details to come in coming weeks.
  4. Listening to “the voice of the Bears” call Mercer’s season opening win against Austin Peay State University via the I Heart Radio app. Welcome back, college football.
  5. Tweaking a favorite broccoli salad recipe to be Whole30 compliant. Broccoli + bacon + homemade mayo + golden berries + chopped pecans = a tasty version that hits the spot
  6. “Finally” taking the Edge for a much needed carwash & clean. Once the windows were so clean, it was time to add the “ADK” oval sticker to the back windshield to remember a great family vacation.
  7. Catching up with the Texas girlies on the phone on Sunday morning – hearing about how 7th grade, 5th grade & kindergarten are going. When did they all grow up so much?!?
  8. Lots of food prep to keep me going with the current round of the Whole30. The fridge is filled with all sorts of things to easily grab & make meals this week: oven boiled eggs, roasted tomatoes, cooked bacon bits, homemade mayo, buffalo chicken, pulled pork and more.
  9. Finally putting my t-shirts in a box to mail off for a Project Repat quilt.
  10. Continuing the kitchen #konmari in the hall closet (extended kitchen storage) – among the accomplishments, all stained tea towels have been culled out of the basket.

As the temps around here this week try to give us our 6th heatwave of the summer, it doesn’t feel like the end of summer. What did you do on this “end of summer” extended weekend?

 

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