Peanut Butter Money, Homemade Mound Bars . . .
And an unfortunate contraction from Mr. I-Turned-Two this month! Welcome to this edition of “Things I Love” – a post in which I shamelessly foist photos of my adorable kids on you and share links to posts I wish I’d written. Let’s jump right in, shall we?
Here Are The Things That Made My September . . .
- Honey-coated earbuds – because sometimes “the sweet life” means hiding things from your technology obsessed toddler in the honey cabinet!
- Harvesting buckets of mint to make this homemade peppermint extract and dried tea to give away as Christmas gifts. Hobby Lobby just so happens to have these adorable mini-swingtop bottles for sale right now, yay! And just in case you’re wondering, only a half cup or so is needed to make the extract. We just really like tea
- High five for kindergarten day 1 - My little girl stood in front of her Classical Conversations group and announced she wants to grow up to be a . . . MOMMY!
- Being schooled about the existence of a persimmon tree by said kindergartener in our backyard, and this persimmon ice cream
- Date night ideas that don’t require huge blocks of time or even getting a babysitter. Big thumbs up to #8, #10, #14, #15 and #17!
- A little visitor in my lap that said “Watch Micah?” over and over, making sure to laugh at all the funny parts!
Recipes I Can’t Wait To Try
- These healthy homemade mounds bars + a fabulous chocolate buying guide to make them the very best!
- Fresh oregano pesto over sourdough bread or my fave simple grain-free crackers
- This pumpkin pie smoothie with full-fat coconut milk and a few extra yolks (Katie narrowly escaped having her decorative pumpkin pureed into breakfast this week, but I WILL have this soon!)
- Whole grain crepes rolled up with chevre and bananas, then drizzled with honey and cinnamon. (For you grain-free folks try these!)
- Hash browns (who would have thought there’s a secret to making them perfectly browned and crispy!?!?!)
- And of course, this butternut squash soup because sometimes eating seasonally means finding 25 ways to eat the exact same thing
Articles That Made Me Go “YES!”
- This NY Times submission on why it’s ethical to eat meat
- And this open letter to the woman in the Safeway parking lot, because love like this is the antidote to the so-called “mommy wars.”
And A Few Other Things . . .
- Like one daughters thoughts on growing up with an unconventional mother
- Hearing my son blend the words “frog” and “yuck” into a four letter contraction (okay, I didn’t laugh right away!)
- This article on beeswax candles for allergies and asthma
- Finding my credit card in a jar of gooey nut butter
- And of course, these moments ♥
What made you smile in September?
about the author: Heather
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17 Responses to Peanut Butter Money & Other Things I Loved In September
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What made me smile? Getting my GAPS book in the mail this month, my baby starting to walk, finding out you live near MY hometown (I’m from Fairview, TN – my parents still live there, but we’re overseas), and finding out just now that you, too, are a Classical Conversations gal!
So fun [for me].
Awww, now I’m smiling over what made you smile! Love those first wobbly steps, knowing there are other mamas with songs about Latin declensions stuck in their heads and being **almost** neighbors
My husband returning home from Afghanistan after 8 months made me smile in September
I love that last picture of Katie. I was about to buy peppermint extract…do you think I could buy a good peppermint plant somewhere and just make it instead? Maybe I’m too late?
Depending on where you live there is probably still time! Mint is pretty hardy in cooler temps and grows without a lot of TLC. Of course you’ll have to wait a month or so for your extract to be done so it might make sense to buy some now and make some for later
Yayayayay! I cannot even imagine what that must feel like, Maria Castro! So glad he’s home <3
September….I smile because the 12th is my birthday. I smile because I LOVE Fall. I just pureed the pumpkins that magically sprouted in our garden this year. Thank you for the reminder to go harvest the mint soon. We’ve been busy chasing chicken and turkeys trying to get ready for our new jersey cows. September is great…apples are coming in as beautiful as the leaves change to amazing jewel hues.The Fall garden is in full swing, the air is so crisp. We love laying on our deck at night watching the stars and eating those great marshmallows of yours! Your kids are adorable and growing so fast! Enjoy your first fall up here!
Hi Leah! We are still transitioning to growing/raising our own food and this comment is just so inspiring! Happy birthday to you (the 12th is my favorite day!) and enjoy Jenni’s marshmallows. We are about to make a batch ourselves for a bonfire – would love for you to stop by if you’re close enough!
Love the post, as always. One thought for you about the hash browns…I love hash browns. Once I have gotten a lot more recovery with the GAPS diet I’d like to try them again. I insert a step in between shredding and squeezing that helps pre-digest the complex carbs which are so difficult for our guts to handle. I soak the shredded potatoes overnight in warm water, celtic sea salt, and whey or other ferment liquid. At least 8 hours, more if I have the time.
THANK YOU, Elli! I have heard about soaking/fermenting potatoes prior to making them but hadn’t really looked into it since we don’t have them all that often. With fall coming around I know they’ll be on our menu more and I will definitely try this. Such a great tip!
Oh my, Micah looks like a hottie in the 5th pic!! ;D
I loved the article on beeswax candles and found out a local farmer makes beeswax candles from his beehives! And they smell very good!
But *the* #1 thing that made my heart smile in September is my 7 week old baby boy smiling at his mama for the first time two weeks ago! I melted
I absolutely love when babies smile!!!
Me, too! I also love how they blow raspberries and fit perfectly in your arms while they sleep! So glad your are savoring your new baby bliss
Heather, thank you so much for featuring my post about my super interesting mom! I love the pictures of your seriously adorable kids. So many things are making me smile these days… We’re going to Cambridge tomorrow, and I always love exploring a bigger city. Also, getting to wear tights again, now that it’s Autumn!
Every midwife check this month, hearing that Baby’s growing well and everything looks good (2 weeks til due date!)’ last week my cat babies turned 2 years old (teenagers… mummy is very proud), one of my cat babies becoming my shadow while I’m at home, not letting me too far out of her sight (I think she knows it’s not long now) and my thoughtful husband surprising me when coming home from a grocery store run with a bunch of velvety red roses, that are sitting in a vase beside me on the table right now! They are lasting beautifully!
Awww, congrats Sandy! Wishing you a beautiful, butter birth! My kitty was the same way when I was pregnant with my first. After she was born he’d bite me if she cried and he felt I wasn’t doing enough to help her feel better – so protective! It is seriously hard to explain to a cat that you must change a baby’s blown out diaper even if they cry, though.
I love the photos! I can’t believe how big the kids are now!