There is only one more weekend in October - I cannot even wrap my head around that! Honestly, I know I say this all the time but I feel like October just started and now it's almost over. Where in the world does the time go?!?
Friday after work, my parents and I grabbed a quick supper at Arby's and then my Mom and I headed back to my church (Abundant Life) for the Lavish Women's Conference. The speakers on Friday night were excellent and the worship music was great and it was a really good time...and when the night ended and the doors of the sanctuary opened, there were gentlemen with trays of Milano cookies, Lindor truffles, Ferrero Rocher truffles...all the good things, ha-ha! They know what women like!
Saturday morning I ended up sleeping in until almost 9:00 - which I haven't done in weeks! I'm telling you, the past few weeks have been long and busy and even though I've been sleeping fine, I just haven't necessarily felt restful but I definitely did get plenty of sleep on Friday night! I sipped my coffee and watched a couple episodes of Lore before getting ready for the day. We headed to grab a late lunch at 50/50 Taphouse - a burger joint in Winchester that has 50 beers on tap and 50 burgers on the menu - I had the Green Bay (swiss cheese/cheddar cheese/beer cheese/drunken onions) and it did not disappoint!
I made a stop into Old Navy to pick up a couple pair of my favorite jeans - I quite literally wore one pair out last weekend and since I'm planning for jeans to be a big staple of the wardrobe I take to Italy in less than a month, I thought it would be best that they didn't have holes in them! We also grabbed the ingredients to make Brunswick Stew for supper and then headed home, where we essentially dropped off my Dad and picked up my pup and headed for the Arboretum for just a bit.
Saturday afternoon was absolutely gorgeous and the temperature was pretty perfect - cool with a gentle breeze - and so I knew Watson would love racing around the Arboretum in the sunshine and breeze - and I was not wrong! There were still some flowers in bloom and the main point of our trip was to check on the Gingko Biloba trees; they turn a brilliantly vivid shade of golden yellow every year but only for a few days and it's not to be missed. They haven't quite started turning yet, so we'll have to check back next week and see what they look like...
That didn't stop me from getting some pretty pictures - and one excellent snap of Watson. He hops up on every bench and rock wall he encounters to sniff, seek out and investigate every nook and cranny and in one such instance, I told him to look at me. Now - he hates having his picture taken (I guess I take it too often...oops) but for just a second he looked back at me and I managed to snap the perfect picture. And then he didn't pose for another picture again all day...ha-ha!
Once we got home, I made myself some hot tea and went outside to sit on the deck. The wind was starting to whip up and so I wrapped myself in a blanket...and tried to share with Watson. He wasn't sure about it but he did enjoy being outside...and I enjoyed being outside, being cozy and sipping my tea.
We had the most delicious Brunswick Stew for dinner - we have a restaurant near our house that makes the most flavorful stew and so we decided to hunt Pintrest for a recipe and give it a go. What do you know - the very first recipe we tried was a winner! And so - I'll share it here for you! It's perfect for the upcoming cold winter evenings, it's thick and filling, warm and delicious!
What You Need
- 2 cans chicken; shredded
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb. shredded pork
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups peeled & chopped potatoes
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen lima beans
- 1 (12 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
- 1 (12 ounce) package frozen white shoepeg corn
- 1 cup mirepoix (diced celery, carrot & onion; sauteed in butter)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 quarts chicken broth
What You Need to Do
- Saute the mirepoix in butter for about 2-3 minutes until mixture is becoming translucent
- Add in all ingredients and stir together; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the stew reaches the desired thickness.
- Remove and discard bay leaf - serve & enjoy!
It was delicious y'all - so freaking delicious! It's extremely filling though, I am big on soups and stews but after just a bowl and a bit extra, I was absolutely stuffed! And this recipe makes a ton of stew - so maybe invite over some friends for dinner!
Sunday after church we headed to Zaxby's to get our free chicken (seriously - we ate lunch for free) and then headed home to chill a bit and change before heading to the theater. I saw A Star is Born on my birthday but my Mom has been dying to see it and asked if I'd see it again with her (of course!) and so we went to see all that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga goodness. It was just as good the second time! As we left the theater my Mom exclaimed "who knew Lady Gaga could act?!?" Ha!
Sunday evening was filled with football (the Saints won!) and my ritual Sunday night bubble bath before watching Poldark. I was pretty excited to crawl into my toasty bed on a brisk (it was 31 last night) Sunday evening and I'm excited to see what this week has in store!
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