January 26, 2022

PRACTICING WINTER HYGGE....PIE, PODCAST AND DECORATING

 

Welcome to Estelle's morning news....
Old Man Winter has arrived and we are doing our best
to make it cozy...
you can count on a hot breakfast, 

after waking the house up about 5:30 AM


I have always been a morning person.....how about you?
I think I must have inherited that from my Daddy
as he was always happy in the morning and would
often come into our rooms singing....."wake up you sleepy head...."


It's that time of year for cute little hats and scarves....
I ordered this lovely deep green beanie back in November....


Y'all....I have jumped on the bandwagon finally
and decided to order an essential oil diffuser.....


I think I absolutely love it!
I placed ours in the foyer for now and our home
is filled with this subtle, yet wonderful aroma,
the vaporizer is also supposed to improve air quality, lift your mood
and relieve stress..how lovely is this during the winter doldrums!!!





We enjoyed a lovely weekend visit from our youngest
who had a few days of rest and relaxation....
he was able to connect with long time friends in Dallas,
and watch the Cowboy game with us on Sunday afternoon...
we all had high hopes for the Cowboys to win a playoff game,
but alas, it was not meant to be.....a rather big disappointment!


We also have a new family member.......


Meet Otis!
We are so happy that these two have found each other.....
We will be meeting Otis in March as we are
finally getting to travel and use our saved tickets
from the cancelled trip back in 2020 when
the pandemic started and we had to cancel our trips
to both California and Atlanta!

Anytime an idea pops into my head, I'm grateful!
The Divine MISS M and Luke the Duke are coming
for a visit next month, and I'm busy planning menus
and decorating to entertain them!
We are beyond exited for their visit!
The wheels are in motion for creating
the last of Winter tablescape....stay tuned!
It feels like Christmas....we can all be together
except for the California kid. and one grandchild.....
I'm hosting a family dinner of Lasagna
a fresh Honeycrisp salad and Italian bread...


I'm also creating a cozy coffee corner for her.....
It's my practice to incorporate family heirlooms
in my vignettes, and I added my Mother-in-Law's
pair of these darling brass deer.....I have always loved these....


Do you enjoy creating a little cozy corner
for coffee..it can actually be rather fun
to choose a theme reflecting the season.
I love using pine cones in both fall and winter....
the house I grew up in was surrounded by
tall, majestic pine trees...they will always remind me of HOME!.


The robins will let you know, when winter weather is about
to move in........

I baked the best homemade Blueberry Pie on this winter afternoon.....

Everyone is happy when eating pie......

TCM has three series of Podcasts called, The Plot Thickens...
Lucy is the third in this series and it is absolutely marvelous!
Do yourself a favor and enjoy these episodes which
are narrated by Ben Mankiewicz, telling the entire
history of Lucy, Desi Arnez and Desilu productions!
You can download the Podcast to your I Phone or also
listen to the series on You Tube!

The Divine Miss M and Luke the Duke
went to see the new Spider Man movie on his day off school....
she's the best Mom ever!


We have been doing alot of this lately.......
and, I think it's a lovely way to spend a winter afternoon.....
What are y'all up to?

January 22, 2022

BAKED ZITI.......ANOTHER DELICIOUS WINTER RECIPE

Good Morning Lovies!
Oh I am thrilled you stopped by the blog today...
Winter is the perfect time for comfort food
and this recipe puts together the very best aspects of 
an Italian classic, Baked Ziti.....pasta, sauce and cheese..all the best
of a hearty casserole!


Baked Ziti
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 lb ziti pasta
4 T. butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 T. parsley
1 t. sweet basil

1 lb. Italian Sausage
1/2 onion, diced
14 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups Marinara Pasta Sauce


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water, just about 7 minutes.
Toss ziti with butter, add eggs and Parmesan.
Place pasta in baking dish.
Combine ricotta cheese, and herbs. Spread mixture over pasta.
Brown sausage and onion, Add tomatoes and pasta sauce.
Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Spread over Ricotta cheese mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Top with Mozzarella and
bake an additional 5 minutes.




January 17, 2022

QUIESCENCE OF WINTER

I would like to thank each of you sincerely,
for your kindness and encouragement
for Estelle's....it came as quite a surprise
and warmed my heart....
I am grateful for your friendship and
lovely words....You are such a gift to my life......



Hello Sweet Friends....I'm so glad you dropped by
for a short visit today!
You know Texas weather is never, ever boring....
we can enjoy a sunny January day by the pool with temps in the low 70's
and the very  next day, embrace a blustery day with elements 
that resemble snowflakes....it can be quite enchanting actually...


Sunday morning snow in Atlanta

I have put on a few touches of a winter casual vibe
in our kitchen, and I think pretty things do help to
brighten the mood of cold January days!


I found this sweet little sugar and creamer on Amazon
and absolutely fell in love with them......
this pattern also has a few other pieces
that I may pick up at a later date!


I sure find it wonderful to use seasonal florals
year after year....and a touch of red berries in amongst
frosted branches is just lovely!


This candle is Flannel, from the Bath and Body Works....
Notes of crisp Autumn air, Bergamot,
Heirloom Mahogany and Soft Musk


How sweet is the Toile creamer...just love
the old-fashioned scene of winter......


The Winter season gives us time to rest and reflect
within our homes, planning meals and intimate gatherings
for those we love....it can add so much happiness to our lives!
These are two winning comfort food recipes I have made
the past few weeks that I highly recommend!


The creamiest, richest Rice Pudding ever......



A decadent loaf of fresh Cranberry Orange Bread with Orange drizzle......


I probably snap a photo of Mae Mobley 4 or 5 times a day....
I mean she can just be napping or bathing or playing and 
she is just so darn loveable!!!!!

In other news......


Miss Elizabeth took this photo out on her ranch
which is right before she put the horses in the barn
for the night....her rancher neighbor needed a spot
for some of his cattle, so they have proved to be friendly company
for the horses....a cold January day......


The time has finally come for our grandson Noah,


to relocate out to Montana to begin his college career....
they flew out a few days earlier so that they
could enjoy a family ski trip....
he has a football scholarship to the University of Montana.....
go Bobcats!
Due to Covid, this new class of Freshmen will
begin the Spring Semester, rather than the normal Fall....
I think like everyone,,,,we are all quite weary of Covid....


The view from their beautiful Air B and B.....


After a day of skiing....time for grilling out in the snow.......

I hope 2022 is a year for all of us to
Relax, Restore and Refresh.....
It is our time to be grateful for each day, find the beauty in nature
and realize the importance of being on good terms with all people.







January 10, 2022

A LOOK BACK AT 2021

Hello Kindred Spirits...welcome back to Estelle's.
This will be my 12th year of blogging....that's a pretty long time...
I told the darling toward the end of 2021, that I thought I would
probably close down my blog...the inspiration had left me...
If I didn't feel creative, then I had nothing to share.....
his reply was, "I think you should keep at it...."
Perhaps the pursuit of happiness is one of the defining motivations
in our lives...We are drawn to a range of attitudes and activities
that are designed for comfort and happiness in security and simplicity.
A life well lived is making connections with friends and family,
showing care and concern for others and taking pride in where we live.
I believe in this...you must put effort into your life if you want to
reap the rewards....if you put little effort into your life, there's not much
to look back on...each day is our gift.....let's don't miss the ride......

Estelle's is about a lifestyle...celebrating the seasons.
We strive to stay relevant in our retirement
and enjoy life as best we can.....
We adopted a hygge way of approaching food and entertainment,
the holidays and seasonal activities, in the spirit
of family...we're glad you're here!
This is a snapshot of Estelle's in 2021 and what was accomplished each season!

Celebrating Spring


We created  floral arrangements for Easter


Celebrating Summer


Lunches on the Patio


Planting seeds in the flower pots around the pool


There is joy to be had when growing something beautiful
from seeds.....


Capturing the glorious blooms from the Vitex tree
on a warm summer afternoon


Making sure that sweet summer fruits are on the table
for a light afternoon snack...can't you just taste those
dark, sweet cherries!!!


Turning summer's sweet strawberries into the
darling's favorite pie!


We made homemade peach ice cream for the first time


I learned to make my very first Dutch Baby


I also perfected the best Coconut Cream Fried Pie we ever tasted!

CREATING COMFORT


The bedrooms were transformed by adding new quilts....


Creating warm and welcoming comfort foods.....


Learning to perfect the Midnight Quiche


We made homemade soups....the BEST French Onion Soup....


And, homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup for two....


I hosted a lovely ladies Book Club
and featured the book, Tea with Jane Austin!

Celebrating Autumn

We made dried apple slices for decorations.....

We dressed the FARM HOUSE table for the season.....

We had a ball creating a welcoming Fall from entry.....

We carved a Jack O' Lantern

We scattered fall décor on the patio
creating a lovely seasonal vibe....

We made the fall afternoons outdoors special.....

We added small touches of the season to bring coziness to the soul....

We added a darling fall leaf banner to the mantel....

We dressed the piano in Autumn splendor....

We created a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner together as a family....

We created another beautifully decorated Christmas tree.....

So, that's what Estelle's is about...
a small blog that strives to bring you something interesting
to bring into your home as we share and connect .....
embracing the simplicity and pleasures of everyday living!