Getting Ready For Fall

I am so ready to welcome the season of Fall here in Ohio. This is my absolute favorite time of year, I find the coolness invigorating as the weather changes from the long, hot summer we have experienced this year. I love the Fall colors and comfort food that I love to make.

To me, call Fall brings to my mind how I will be working on my "nest", getting my home ready for my favorite time of the year. Here is a little look at what I have been doing around our house the past couple of weeks.

First of all, I have been doing some deep cleaning. I want my home to be inviting, comfortable and clean so my home can be a place of hospitality, and and cozy place to cocoon in the winter for my family.

I have began a grand mission of organizing my home. I have started with my linen closet, took absolutely everything out, with all goal of weeding out unwanted items.. The garage will be next before it gets too cold. It would would be great if we could get two cars in there this year! I have done my own closet, and was able to give away an entire garbage bag of cloths. I intend to empty out my kitchen cupboards, wash them out and get rid of items I have too many of. Our basement and attic will be last, getting rid of things I have been holding on to that should really be pitched or given away. I am on the lookout for some more totes and easy shelving to organize everything.

As I was cleaning my own closet, I am in the midst of bringing everyone's wardrobe up to date. Out with the summer gear, in with the nice fuzzy sweaters and warm flannels! My daughter alone got ready three trash bags of cloths for donation. Now, we know what we need when we go shopping. I like get some sort of update for each of our wardrobe each year. It is not always financially feasible to do so, but it always is best when we know what we actually have that fits and what we needed to get rid of because we had outgrown them or simply have worn them out!

Outside, I have been pulling out my garden. The snow will be flying before you know it, so I have been pulling everything that is done in my garden, and taking my deer fencing down. I am thinking about trying to grow some salad greens before the winter gets here.



I absolutely love bringing out all of our fall decorations. I got a hay bale and put pumpkin out top for our front door. I have nice burgundy mum that I have next to it. I LOVE mums, and have them all around the outside of my house. I have much success with them coming back year after year. I usually like to buy one a year to have in the house, and when I am done with that, I just put it in the ground. Next year, it will usually bloom in the Spring and in the Fall. I have brought out my big orange tote full of Fall decorations, and have begun decorating for the season. Already, I can smell the aroma of pumpkin & spice candles burning in our home. I suppose I should have waited until my cleaning and organized were complete, but I get too excited and seem to always but the buggy before the horse when it comes to decorating!





Now that the cooler season is upon us, I have been putting much thought into our menus. We adjusting from our Summer B-B-Q menu to the comfort foods that we love so much. Soups, pies, and homemade bread is now on my mine for the upcoming weeks ahead. I have already made a pear pie from the tree that was growing in my parents yard. I have frozen several "pear pie in a bag", so in the winter all I have to do is to make the pie crust, throw the pears in, and bake!

Lastly, I want to make some fun family memories this Fall. It is so important to make warm memories for your children that will last. This weekend I hope to take the kids to our yearly trip to the apple farm. In a couple weeks, we will be looking forward to a hay ride and some warm apple cider!! I just purchased some new candy molds with my 40% off coupon, so my children and I will be making some fall chocolates together this year as well. This wonderful season will be over before you know, take advantage of it while you can!

Our Family Friday Tradition - Homemade Fish Fry

Although we would love to be able to attend church fish fry on a weekly basis, it does not fit in our family budget to make it a commonplace event in our lives. Living on one budget, the $40.00 a week bill is hard thing to make happen.

We use to live next to a wonderful Catholic family who had six grown children. Along with all of the grandchildren, a weekly visit to a fish fry would cost them hundreds of dollars each week. So, their family would get together before lent and make hundreds of perogies for the freezer and host their own family fish fries, moving it house to house each week. Then, they would go to Church for the Stations of the Cross. I always admired them, they are a close family, one that I hope ours would be like in years to come as my children grow.

A few years ago I decided to start my own family fish fry tradition. I get out the deep fryer, first I cut tortia's in triangles and deep fried them, then dusted them with cinnamon and sugar for dessert. I have a french fry cutter and make homemade deep fried french fries that the kids just love. After I get those out of the fryer, I deep fry a couple pieces of fish. I get the fish from Gordon Food Services, a box that lasts us all of lent only cost me $18.99. We did this last night, and afterwords, went to church. Yes, it is a lot of work for mom, but I think well worth it! I hope in years to come, as the children get older, I will have other hands pitching in to help.

I am a little behind this year, I did not get a chance to make the homemade pergoies, so yesterday I just used store bought ones. Next week I will post a picture of our Friday homemade fish fry, as well as recipe's for the perogies, lazy-mans lasagna, and noodles and cabbage. You can change your menu around every week, I promise this is a tradition that your entire family will soon look forward to!

Family Super Bowl Party

I have to say, I am not the biggest fan of football. But, I do enjoy creating traditions and memories of what we do as a family. So with three men in the house, having s Super Bowl Party is a simply a must! This week, I am making my lists and checking them twice: wings, pulled pork, nacho's & cheese, brownies in the shape of footballs. . . In short, we will be feasting on everything that is not good for us this day. I have picked up through the years at discount & party stores different parafanlia like bowls and serving dished in the shape of footballs. Today is a family day of fun, no "real" meals, everything is kid and dad friendly, a day to throw the old diet out the window and just have some family fun!