Currently in October

 It's the first Wednesday of October  and time for the Currently link up with Jennifer. This month we're talking about what we're currently loving, looking forward to, wearing, reading, and cooking. 

loving-- Our weather and our hikes. Evan and I have been hiking nearly every single day, every single week for the past couple of weeks and I am loving it!








looking forward to-- We will get to see Alec 3 weekends in a row this month! We have parent's weekend coming up this weekend and then the next 2 weekends in a row he's supposed to come home so he can work (he made a deal with his old job that if they trained him to cook breakfasts he'd come home for a couple of weekends in fall when they're busiest and work the breakfast shifts-- they agreed to give him a salary increase when he did!).

wearing-- Our weather has turned pretty chilly this week so I've broken out all the sweaters, pants, long sleeve shirts, etc.... and apparently a lot of burgundy! 








reading-- I'll have a full summary of all the books I read in September up on the blog tomorrow but I'm currently working my way through 2 more books-- By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult & Bad Reputation by Emma Barry.



cooking: A whole variety of dishes and treats.  A lot of them are new recipes we've been trying from around the web and I'm working on pulling a whole "recipes we've been making lately" post together. 

We made this Heath cheesecake for Evan's birthday

I made another batch of marinara (our sauce looks orange because we had yellow and orange tomatoes to use up)

We grilled steaks and roasted potatoes and broccoli served with some steamed corn and salad for Evan's birthday dinner 

We tried a new orzo dish with chicken

And a new sausage/pasta dish. 

A yummy new pearl couscous & chicken one dish bake with a side of zucchini and mushrooms.

Then pulled together a double batch of my chicken fajita chili with some cornbread-- though I ended up changing the recipe quite a bit so I'll have a new improved recipe version up on the blog soon.



I also made some sandwich bread from scratch--OMG! It was so good!




Linking up with: Fine/Whatever,








Comments

  1. Maria RineerOctober 2, 2024 at 5:17 AM

    Your food pictures look so good- I want to eat that steak dinner and a loaf of your break and I am not even hungry right now! Glad your weather is cooperating for walks. It looks so pretty there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 2, 2024 at 11:06 AM

      Aw, thank you! We have had really beautiful weather for walking.

      Delete
  2. Denyse Whelan.October 2, 2024 at 5:48 AM

    Yummo Jo! Lovely post. Denyse #TeamWWWhimsy

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 2, 2024 at 6:05 AM

    Thats a great deal Alec was able to negotiate and you get to see him as well. Yay! Your food pics look so good!
    Ruth@playworkeatrepeat

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  4. Kathrine EldridgeOctober 2, 2024 at 6:24 AM


    Loving all these nature pics and the bread looks so delicious!

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jennifer GoodwinOctober 2, 2024 at 6:26 AM

    I'm impressed over your sandwich bread! I love your outfits and meals for the month. I wish it would get cold here! We never have much of a fall, it turns out. I'm so ready for sweaters!

    ReplyDelete
  6. BriOctober 2, 2024 at 7:55 AM

    Your hiking photos are so pretty! That cheesecake looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  7. LyssyOctober 2, 2024 at 8:11 AM

    I've been loving this weather too! So nice not going for a walk and coming back all sweaty.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Heather{Our Life In a Click}October 2, 2024 at 8:33 AM

    Burgundy seems huge this fall! You are right in style! Loving the outfits. The food looks delish. How fun to see Alec 3 weekends in a row! You are doing great with your reading. I'm slow! I love seeing the seasons changing all the leaves on your hikes. That bread looks amazing. I'd be toasting it up to have with butter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 2, 2024 at 2:16 PM

      Aw, thank you! I did make toast with it one day and had an amazing grilled cheese with it another.

      Delete
  9. Dara @ Not In JerseyOctober 2, 2024 at 8:39 AM

    The food looks great! Hope you're liking the Jodi Picoult!

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    Replies
    1. Joanne October 2, 2024 at 2:17 PM

      Thank you... but I ended up sending the book back unfinished. I was enjoying it well enough but found I dreaded picking it up just for the sheer heft of it and the fact that I wasn't loving it. To read a book that long it has to feel unputdownable and this one just did not.

      Delete
  10. Kim CarberryOctober 2, 2024 at 8:49 AM

    Your hikes sound wonderful! What lovely weather for them.
    How lovely that you are getting to see plenty of Alec.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Billie JoOctober 2, 2024 at 11:46 AM

    Hello! I am visiting from Jennifer's and am happy I stopped in! Your food looks so good, as do your reading selections. I am going to add you to my reading list. Looking forward to visiting again soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 2, 2024 at 2:18 PM

      Aw, thank you so much! That is such a wonderful compliment!

      Delete
  12. Tanya October 2, 2024 at 1:02 PM

    Yum, all your food pics look so good. I bet this is perfect hiking weather up there!

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    Replies
    1. Joanne October 2, 2024 at 2:19 PM

      Thank you! It really has been wonderful weather.

      Delete
  13. csuhpat1October 2, 2024 at 1:25 PM

    Wow, such a beautiful hike. So very lovely. And the food looks good.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kari October 2, 2024 at 1:39 PM

    Yay to seeing Alec three weekends this month!
    Our weather turned cooler yesterday. I am loving it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Pat @ Mille Fiori FavoritiOctober 2, 2024 at 1:51 PM

    Your food projects all look so delicious, Joanne, especially the big loaves of bread! I'm still eating low carb and look at bread and pasta wistfully these days...sigh. Love all your fall outfits! I look forward to having real fall weather we are still in the 90s out here--such unusual, hot weather and it's breaking weather records. It has also brought drought--nit a good thing becaiuse of wildfire danger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 2, 2024 at 2:21 PM

      Aw, thank you! I try so hard to resist bread and pasta and fail miserably at it... We have a major drought right now too but we don't have that same threat of wildfire. I am hoping for a bit of rain though. It's not nearly as much fun hiking near dry creek and riverbeds.

      Delete
  16. CathyOctober 2, 2024 at 3:27 PM

    Your meals look so good, especially the bread. Your outfits are really cute too. All the photos from your hikes look so beautiful...beautiful views and exercise...can't be that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 2, 2024 at 3:29 PM

      That is one of the reasons I enjoy hiking so much!

      Delete
  17. MarshaOctober 2, 2024 at 7:35 PM

    Your hiking photos are always gorgeous! Did you get much rain due to the hurricane? Do you often bake bread from scratch? I've only done it once. I really do need to come up with some new meals, too. We've been thinking about subscribing to a meal delivery service because it wouldn't be that much more than I spend on groceries since it's just the two of us.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 3, 2024 at 6:39 AM

      We got no rain at all! We badly need some though. I bake bread from scratch enough that I know what the dough should look like but not so much that I could ever make bread without a recipe to follow.

      Delete
  18. jodie filogomoOctober 2, 2024 at 7:41 PM

    That's so impressive that you get out.Every day and hike period I bet that's not only good for your muscles, but it's good for your mental health!!
    Xoxo
    Jodie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 3, 2024 at 6:40 AM

      Aw, thank you! We did take a break from hiking yesterday since both our legs and feet were so sore. We had two days in a row that we hiked for just over 2 hours.. and we were feeling it.

      Delete
  19. Min - Write of the MiddleOctober 2, 2024 at 8:01 PM

    Hi Joanne, I'm envious of your hiking trails and ability to hike every day! Also loving the look of the meals you've been cooking up and that bread you made looks incredible! Thanks for linking up with #WWWhimsy - all the best for a great week ahead! xo

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  20. EllibelleOctober 2, 2024 at 10:39 PM

    All the food looks so delicious especially that Heath cheesecake!! And such wonderful foliage you are having. The leaves have started turning here too. I got half my sweaters up from the basement where I store out of season clothes but really need to do a closet cleanout to straighten it up. Your sweaters all look so cosy. My favorite is the first one in burgundy with those fun sleeves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 3, 2024 at 6:41 AM

      Thank you; that is one of my favorite sweaters too!

      Delete
  21. HollyOctober 3, 2024 at 8:01 AM

    I was so surprised to see you have chilly weather. We have been lucking out here- not sure why- chilly mornings but getting hot in the afternoons and I am loving it- we are still sleeping with the windows open too! Your food looks amazing as always-very impressed with your bread!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne October 3, 2024 at 2:20 PM

      It was 40 here this morning; so no sleeping with the windows open for us! But it did warm up to nearly 70 this afternoon.

      Delete
  22. mireilleOctober 3, 2024 at 8:16 AM

    Already sweater weather? Not here for us yet, lol! We are hoping for a little overnight with the boys tomorrow but my 13 year old is a little under the weather today. Hope he feels better quickly! Love all of your hike pictures.
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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    Replies
    1. Joanne October 3, 2024 at 2:21 PM

      Oh yes, not every day as we still have some warm afternoons but it is definitely feeling more and more like fall.

      Delete
  23. JenniferOctober 3, 2024 at 11:59 AM

    There really could not be a more perfect time to go hiking. If pretty places (like your photos) were easier to get to...I would love to hike every day! Hooray for your college man coming home two weekends in a row!!:)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Soma @ InkTorrents.comOctober 3, 2024 at 5:34 PM

    That woodland walk and your photos of it are amazing! Home-made bread tastes so good and smells good too. Yours look delicious. Happy Birthday to Evan. Have a wonderful time with Alec.

    -Soma

    ReplyDelete
  25. SlabsOctober 4, 2024 at 5:34 PM

    Firstly thank you for telling you readers that you link up with ES #WW, much appreciated.
    As a foodie, love your baking and that bread does look divine.
    Thanks so much for participating and sharing your post at #47 #WW (Words welcome). See you Wednesday at #48

    ReplyDelete

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