Hello blog friends.
I Love Bacon!
How many of you love bacon but hate making it because of the mess it makes? Well, I have a super easy way to make bacon.
You BAKE IT IN THE OVEN!
No more frying or making your bacon in the microwave oven.
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The bacon comes out super crispy and there is no mess on top of the stove or in your microwave oven.
All you need to make this baked bacon is an oven, a large pan, and bacon.
While you are baking the bacon in the oven, you can be making your eggs or pancakes on the stove!
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Yummy Spinach and Eggs Omelette with Toast my husband made! |
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This is how I made the bacon:
BAKED BACON
INGREDIENTS:
Baking Pan
Bacon
DIRECTIONS:
Do not preheat your oven. Put your bacon into a cold oven. Starting with a cold oven ensures that the bacon will cook slowly like it needs to.
Arrange the bacon slices on a sheet pan and place the pan on the center rack of a cold oven. Do not stretch out the slices. Drape the bacon across the pan. Close oven and turn the oven on to 400 degrees F.
Check bacon in 17 to 20 minutes to see if bacon is golden brown. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the bacon slices.
Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the bacon to a plate or another sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb any bacon fat.
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Yummy Bacon made in the oven! |
PLEASE NOTE: In the comments section Stephanie has a great tip. Stephanie says that she cooks the bacon on parchment paper. She also adds a layer of parchment paper over the bacon to keep the grease under control since it can splatter in the oven. Thanks Stephanie for this great tip.
I hope I've inspired you to make bacon in the oven this weekend. :)
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Have a great day and see you all soon!
Hello friends. Yay, it's Friday and the end of the week.
I'm so happy that it's the start of Spring. 🌹
Here are some of my favorite things I'm sharing with you this week.
1) Three Things Writing Series April Reminder
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Laura from the blog The Horton Family has a fun writing series that she hosts the second Monday of the month. I have participated in this the last two times and it's such a fun way to write about the prompts she gives us each month. Here is the writing prompt for April 8th. I hope you all will join in too. There is no link up but you can just post it on your blog Monday, April 8th.
2) Matcha Green Tea Protein Drink
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My husband has been making protein shakes for part of our breakfast. Whenever he makes one he will give me a glass of this protein drink too. It's a healthy drink because he adds fruit, protein powder, Matcha green tea powder, almond milk, and ice cubes.
3) The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
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I am reading this book right now and loving it. I was gifted this book for Christmas by my daughter.
Here is how Amazon describes the book:
Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love--and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.
The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.
I'm in the middle of the book now and I can't put it down as I love reading it. There are 771 pages in the book but don't let that scare you as it's a fast read.
I hope you'll put this one on your reading book list.
I hope you'll put this one on your reading book list.
4) Noosa Yogurt
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My husband and I are loving this yogurt right now. I never had this before and I decided to try it out when I saw it in the supermarket. The yogurt container is small and it has fruit on the bottom and creamy yogurt on the top. I sometimes add granola on top of the yogurt and that tastes really yummy! We usually have one of these for our dessert after dinner or a snack in the evening.
I have started my spring shopping this week. I bought these cute Tommy Hilfiger flip flops, Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses, a floral sunglass case, sandals, and new sneakers.
Have you bought anything new for spring yet and what did you buy?
6) My fur baby Bosco
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My rescue dog Bosco is such a cute and loving dog. He hates it when I want to take his photo and he usually looks away, but this time I was lucky to capture this shot of him. I can't believe that Bosco will be 12 years old in the fall.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day and weekend. :)

HELLO BLOG FRIENDS.
GOODBYE WINTER, HELLO SPRING!
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Yay! We all survived the winter and today is the first day of Spring!
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Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I love that the weather starts to get warmer and flowers start to bloom.
I also like that it stays lighter outside and it gets darker later in the evening.
I also like that it stays lighter outside and it gets darker later in the evening.
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It seems like after a long winter you see more people out and this is when I enjoy taking long walks with my dog Bosco. Even Bosco seems to have a pep in his walk and we seem to meet a lot of other people walking their dogs too.
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Spring is the time of year, when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.
- Charles Dickens
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Hello blog friends. I love celebrating St. Patrick's Day and for the past few years I've posted this recipe for Irish Soda Bread on the blog.
Irish Soda Bread is one of my favorite breads and I was so happy when this recipe was given to me by our friend and his mom who was from Ireland.
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This recipe is so simple and easy to make and tastes best made warm right out of the oven and smothered with some butter.
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I bake this bread every year and I hope you will enjoy this Irish Soda Bread recipe as much as we do.

IRISH SODA BREAD RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups regular flour
1 egg
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 stick margarine
1 cup raisins
1/4 box caraway seeds
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
(Dash of nutmeg or cinnamon - if desired)
DIRECTIONS:
All ingredients at room temperature
Use shallow greased 9" baking tin. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring raisins to boiling point only. Drain and cool. Sift together all dry ingredients. Rub in margarine. Beat egg and buttermilk together. Add to mixture using a wooden spoon. Fold in raisins. Mixture will be on the dry side- light dough. Roll into baking tin. Smooth top with spoon. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool on rack thoroughly. Glaze with melted sugar (2 tablespoons) in 1/2 oz. boiling water. Top of cake only, sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar. Slice and serve with butter.
Enjoy!
** NOTE: I did not use the caraway seeds or the sugar glaze on top of bread that the recipe calls for, and it still tasted amazing.
Have a wonderful Friday and weekend.
WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
Click HERE to see the great parties I will be linking up to!
Julie
Hello blog friends. Welcome to Three Things March.
I am joining Laura from The Horton Family for her Three Things Series. Laura doesn't have a link party, but we all write and answer the writing prompts for each month. It will be posted on the second Monday of the month.
I am sharing mine today since I co-host with Jess on Monday's the blog party Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
I am joining Laura from The Horton Family for her Three Things Series. Laura doesn't have a link party, but we all write and answer the writing prompts for each month. It will be posted on the second Monday of the month.
I am sharing mine today since I co-host with Jess on Monday's the blog party Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
Here are the Three Things Question and Answer Prompts.
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Yes, I believe in luck. What I believe is that we make our own luck. I really think that your approach and attitude to life makes a big difference in how things will turn out for you. If we are an unhappy person or have a bad attitude than bad and unlucky things will happen in your life. I believe that if you are a happy person, have a good attitude, then good things will happen to us and we will be a lucky person. I feel so lucky to have a fun loving husband, daughter, and friends. Of course, I also feel so lucky to have you as my blog friends.
My favorite thing was going out for breakfast with my husband to a local Italian eatery. They have the best food and desserts and it's a favorite spot for many in our neighborhood. I enjoyed spending some time with my husband and catching up with what is new. I had for breakfast a spinach frittata and my husband and I shared a toasted prosciutto bagel with coffee. Needless to say, it was a favorite day for me!
It's been very cold and snowy where I live. One night recently I just curled up on the couch with my dog Bosco. The crocheted blanket that I'm wrapped up in was made by one of my husband's aunts. This blanket is so old but it's so warm and cozy. I enjoyed cuddling with Bosco while I watched TV.
Hello blog friends and Happy Friday!
Here are some of my Favorites I'm loving right now!
Here are some of my Favorites I'm loving right now!
1. Green Book Movie
My husband and I went to the movies last weekend to see Green Book. We both enjoyed seeing it after knowing that it won for best picture at the Oscar Awards. If you have not seen this movie yet, I would suggest you don't miss this one.
2. Estee Lauder Matte Liquid LipColor
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I was so happy when I discovered this Matte Liquid LipColor back in the fall when I visited the Bloomingdales store. I knew I wanted to buy some new lipstick and I headed straight for the makeup counter. The sales associate at Estee Lauder helped me pick out this bright pink lipstick. This color is called Pink Zinc and the price is about $28. I like how this liquid matte lipstick stays on my lips throughout the day and doesn't wear off. I usually wear a nude shade lipstick but I'm glad the sales associate suggested this bright pink color. She said that it's good to wear bright lipstick during the winter months to brighten up your face.
3. Rimmel Scandeleyes Mascara
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I don't know if some of you know this, but I am obsessed with mascara. I decided to give this Rimmel mascara a try and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this over the counter mascara works. It made my lashes look really long and it was so easy to apply. I bought this mascara at Walgreens and I also liked how inexpensive this mascara costs.
4. Bath & Body Works Handsoap
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During the holidays I bought some Christmas presents from Bath & Body Works. While I was in the store I decided to treat myself to new hand soap. I thought this bottle looked so cute with the snow scene and I have this sitting on our main bathroom counter. I always smile whenever I use this soap.
I will be swapping out this bottle of hand soap soon to a spring bottle.

I will be swapping out this bottle of hand soap soon to a spring bottle.

5. The Righteous Butter Body Moisturizer by Soap and Glory
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I absolutely love this cream! I was gifted this cream a year ago for Christmas and I have used it on my hands every night before bed. This cream makes my hands feel so soft and this is not a greasy feeling cream. Since I ran out of this cream recently I am looking forward to buying this again.
I was happily surprised when I went to visit Barnes & Noble Bookstore for my monthly knit/crochet meetup. The first floor of the store was decorated so nice for Spring and Easter. There were so many different bunny decorations and assorted spring wreaths, Easter books for children, baskets with decorated Easter eggs. It just made me smile when I looked around at the decorated tables knowing that Spring is right around the corner.
Have you tried any of these products?
Wishing you all a Happy Friday and weekend. :)
Wishing you all a Happy Friday and weekend. :)
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Click HERE to see the great parties I will be linking up to!
Julie
Hello blog friends. I hope you are all staying nice and warm even though Spring will be here in two weeks. When the weather is cold I like making comforting meals for dinner.
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One of the ways I can make a quick meal is with the Instant Pot. I love using the IP for making a lot of weeknight meals.
I have made this dish, Tuna Noodle Casserole in the Instant Pot so many times. You can see in the photo below, it's still in the pot and just made.
I just added in 4 cups of fresh spinach leaves instead of peas.
You can make this dish with peas, spinach, or any veggies that you like. I wanted to change things up a bit and use spinach instead of the peas.
I hope you'll enjoy and try out this delicious and easy recipe for IP Tuna Noodle Casserole.
Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole Using Spinach
Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole Using Peas
Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole

Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 1- 7oz. can - drained tuna
- 1- 12 oz. bag egg noodles
- 1- 15oz. can - drained peas or 4 cups of fresh spinach leaves
- 2- 10 1/2 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 1/2 cups water
- Place pasta in the Instant Pot and cover with water. Add tuna, peas or fresh spinach leaves, and soup on top of the pasta. Cover lid and place on Manual High Pressure for 4 minutes. Do a quick release. Next stir in cheese and mix all together.
- Done.
Hello blog friends. Happy Friday and Happy first day of March! I'm happy it's the start of March because that means in just a few weeks it will be the beginning of Spring. 🌷
Last weekend we went to Rhode Island to visit our daughter who is a freshman at Providence College.
Providence College had its Alumni and Family Weekend.
Last weekend we went to Rhode Island to visit our daughter who is a freshman at Providence College.
Providence College had its Alumni and Family Weekend.
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We usually stay at the Dean Hotel when we come to visit.
The Dean is a boutique hotel that's located in the heart of Providence's historic district. They are a dog-friendly hotel with no additional fee, which we love so we can bring our dog with us. This time Bosco didn't come on the trip since we were going to be so busy for the weekend.
We left early Saturday morning and arrived in time to go to the Dunkin Donuts Center for aThe Dean is a boutique hotel that's located in the heart of Providence's historic district. They are a dog-friendly hotel with no additional fee, which we love so we can bring our dog with us. This time Bosco didn't come on the trip since we were going to be so busy for the weekend.
basketball game.
We met my daughter at the game and Providence College was playing against Marquette. Unfortunately, PC lost the game but we had a great time since it was our first time to a basketball game at the Dunkin Donuts Center.
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We all went back to the hotel room to hang out for a while and take a rest. My daughter needed to get her eyebrows threaded so we took a short walk to the salon.
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My daughter was very happy to have her eyebrows all groomed and shaped nice.
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At that point, we were really hungry so we stopped into Friskie Fries to get some fries.
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Friskie Fries Menu |
We decided that we would all share the fries. We picked #8 Fowl Play.
The fries had Crispy Chicken, Mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and Marinara sauce in a Chinese takeout container. All three of us devoured the fries. :)
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Then we went to the hockey game at 5 pm and PC was playing against UMass Amherst. This was such a fun game and we were happy because Providence College won the game 3-2!
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After the hockey game, we went back to the hotel to hang out for a while.
My daughter and her friends hanging out in the lobby. We all had a fun time taking photos of each other.
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Next, we all had dinner at the restaurant Red Fin Crudo + Kitchen which is a very yummy tapas restaurant. I didn't get any photos of dinner since we were all having such a great time. It was so nice to see the girls laughing and so happy to be eating REAL food.
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We met my daughter on Sunday morning on the campus at St. Dominic Chapel for the Alumni and Family Weekend Mass.
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After mass, we all went to Rebelle Artisan Bagel for breakfast. My daughter and husband shared their bagels which consisted of a spinach frittata and bacon on a bagel.
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A cream cheese and lox bagel shown below. I had a fried egg on a bagel which was so yummy that I forgot to take a photo of it. LOL.
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It was such a whirlwind weekend and we had such a great time visiting with my daughter. It was time to head back home to get Bosco.
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Have you ever visited Providence, Rhode Island?
Thanks for visiting and hope you all have a Happy Friday!
Click HERE to see the great parties I will be linking up to!
Julie
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