Wishing Everyone a Wonderful Weekend
The sunshine and clear sky this past day brought a lift to our spirits, reminding us how much we appreciate the arrival of warmer Spring weather, which inspires me to tidy the garage, arrange the back deck, and add some bright Spring decorations.
I compiled a selection of links that might prove useful while you remain at home during these days.
I hope these offer both helpful, practical suggestions and some fun ways to pass the time.
Twenty Activities for Staying In
Prepare Delicious Meals
Even though I'm not a big cook, I've shared the sudden urge to bake and prepare wonderful things with many of you; these are some of my favorite recipe suggestions.
Breads and Quick Breads
Why is baking bread so appealing to all of us? (I'm right there with you!) I have several incredibly tasty bread recipes that we've personally tested and approved for our family. They include:
- Cast Iron Caramel Buns
- Swedish Tea Ring (This is perfect for brunch, Mother’s Day, Easter morning, or Christmas day!)
- Overnight buns – Prepare these in the afternoon, shape them in the evening, and bake them the following morning. They are delightful!
Should you have difficulty sourcing yeast locally, consider checking out:
- Rolled Biscuits (These are fast and make a superb accompaniment to soup.)
- Sour Dough Bread – Although I haven't made this, friends have shared excellent feedback!
Meals to Freeze Ahead
Meal planning has become a strong focus for me recently, and I've resumed this habit with great enthusiasm; find a detailed guide on how to plan meals and cook them for your freezer. Yesterday, we successfully stored 12 meals, feeling quite accomplished!
Curious what we prepared? (Thanks for asking!) Here is what we put into the freezer yesterday:
- 4 servings of beef enchiladas
- 2 servings of Chicken Tortilla Bake
- 2 servings of marinaded chicken breasts, ready for the barbecue
- 2 servings of Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- 2 servings of Chicken Gnocci Soup (we won't freeze this, but we'll enjoy it this weekend.) A similar recipe I used is provided here.
Appetizing Baked Delights
My baking aspirations currently include these treats:
- Muffins with Blackberry or Blueberry Streusel
- Mom's Peach Crisp is next on my list; I plan to detail this delicious recipe in a post!
- These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies are simply wonderful; I must resist the urge to consume the entire batch!
Browse your needs available via the web
Note: This content features affiliate links to aid your shopping. Should you purchase or register via my link, I earn a minor commission without any added cost to you (and I appreciate it greatly!);
Although we were hesitant about online shopping before, we now value this convenience! When a small item is needed that doesn't require a weekly grocery trip, checking online options is perfect. I recently joined Amazon Prime.
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You can start a complimentary 30-day trial of Amazon Prime by clicking here.
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Explore New Craft Projects
When the stay-at-home period began, I gathered watercolor painting materials. Watercolor has become my daily source of joy. I found a comprehensive set of free online learning materials for novices like me—it's so enjoyable!
Additionally, Bluprint is offering its online craft instruction for free until April 16th! There are over 1300 creative lessons spanning sewing, cake decorating, knitting, photography, and more; it looks superb!!
I never anticipated homemade face masks would be a popular craft; this week I crafted this no-sew Norwex Face Mask, and this technique converts one Norwex window cloth into 3 or 4 face masks. My friend Julie compiled excellent tutorials for various face mask projects.
Hopefully, these suggestions provide you with useful inspiration for your home.
Also, one final tip…
If you wish you could visit a hairdresser but cannot, here is a method for creating twist braids in short hair; it's my new hairstyle solution!
For additional home inspiration
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