The Week In Review

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest weeks of the year in my house. Not only are we preparing a big feast, but Christmas decorating begins immediately after. This year was slightly different than most, and I'm sure the year 2020 will go down in history as the year when nothing was as it should be.

Ever since my kids were little, I decorated for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. To even insinuate that we could start decorating earlier was received with all manner of disapproval. Thanksgiving deserves our respect! Besides, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house, which meant putting out additional tables and chairs for the larger than usual group. Typically there were 25 of us, sometimes more. To put out  Christmas decorations in addition to everything else would create a cramped and uninviting space, which no hostess ever wants.

Fast forward to 2011. J and I had separated, and for the first time Thanksgiving was just the four of us: myself and my three kids. And it was so special. We ate, we played games, we watched movies. We told stories and laughed and had the best time, and we promised to keep Thanksgiving simple from then on. 

That's how we've done it since. In 2017 my (then) daughter's boyfriend C joined us. And this year we have the privilege of adding my new daughter-in-law AB to the family and to the Thanksgiving celebration. Yet even adding two new members to our family has kept our Thanksgiving small and intimate. This year is no exception - as a matter of fact, just about everyone kept Thanksgiving down to 10 people or less per CDC guidelines. I'm not upset about it either. For the first time in decades many families focused on thankfulness instead of shopping or football. 

There was one change to our yearly tradition, one that I felt was unavoidable. I put up the Christmas tree the Monday before Thanksgiving. The reason for this is simple: my daughter and son-in-law planned a trip to Georgia for the Thanksgiving weekend, and she asked me to sit my grand-dog Kuzco. He's an absolute cutie, and a good, quiet dog, so I said yes. The only problem is, he follows me around everywhere. I knew putting up the tree while he was underfoot would be next to impossible, and I didn't want to wait till they got back to do it. So instead, I broke with tradition and put it up early. 

Step one was to move one of the bookcases over to a different wall so the tree could go in front of the sliding glass doors in the living room.

 Right between the kitchen and master bedroom entryway is the perfect spot. 

Step two, put the tree together. We have an artificial tree thanks to our allergies. 

I've had this tree since 2004; it originally was pre-lit but the lights went out years ago. I was going to replace the tree several years ago but oh my word, trees are expensive!! I got this tree on a Black Friday sale for just $114. It's a 7.5 foot tree, very full and beautiful. My daughter and youngest son did me the enormous favor of removing the old lights so I could keep the tree, and here it is 16 years later. 

It was my intention to take pictures as I decorated the tree, but I ran into a slight snag. I would buy the regular clear lights every year from Walmart or Target, and every year I had to replace a few strands because the lights would go out. The box of lights is only about $3 but if you have to replace some of them every year they really aren't such a good deal. I bought the Costco LED lights this year because they have a 5 year warranty. I got four boxes, figuring I'd add these to my existing lights and replace as those went out. I started with the LED lights to see how they look, and oh my! This picture doesn't do them justice. They are pure white, the brightest lights I've ever had on a Christmas tree. They're gorgeous! I put up all the LED lights but as this is a 7.5 foot tree and I had only 400 lights it wasn't enough. So I got the clear lights from my stash. There were four strands, one of which only half the lights worked. I grabbed one of the strands and started putting it on the tree. To my horror, I realized these older clear lights looked yellow next to the pure white LED lights. It was absolutely awful! I had to drop everything and run to Costco where thankfully they still had boxes of lights and I picked up a couple more. It was worth it, though. My candy cane tree makes me smile all day long.

The next few days were Thanksgiving focused. I brined and roasted the turkey, made the dressing the night before, got up early Thursday morning to make the chocolate pudding pie and put the turkey in the oven, then made mashed potatoes and crescent rolls. My daughter made sweet potato casserole and a pumpkin pecan bread, and my oldest son and daughter-in-law brought cornbread and cookies. There was lots of food (and leftovers!). We had a great time together visiting. 

While they were all here, my oldest son gave me my birthday gift. My birthday isn't till next month, but since he won't be here he decided to give it to me early. Not to be undone by their older sibling, my other kids also gave me their presents. 

My youngest son E gave me a gift off of my Amazon wishlist:

I saw one of my favorite YouTubers, Mandy in the Making, using one of these rotating graters. I immediately added it to my wishlist! I'm not the biggest fan of pre-shredded cheese, but shredding by hand is no fun either. This takes the hard work out of shredding cheeses and vegetables. I'm so excited to use it!

My daughter knows my love of Disney so she indulged me with this:

Isn't it sweet?! I'll show off better when I post my Christmas home decor tour. 

My oldest son surprised me with something I've wanted for awhile. 

I was floored! My doorbell stopped working for I don't know what reason, and I wanted to get one of these video doorbells so I don't have to run downstairs whenever someone is at the door to see who it is. I haven't set it up yet because I have a four-legged shadow that goes nuts the minute I go near the front door, but I'm super excited to have this up and running!

The rest of the week was spent in decorating for Christmas and a small grocery shopping trip on Friday after my son R and his wife left for Central Florida where they live. I'll do a separate post on all the Christmas decorating because, as per usual, it's a lot! Have a blessed week y'all.

Recipe Time: Chocolate Pudding Pie

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! It's the big day, and everyone is feeling thankful despite 2020 and all its mishaps. Many are having smaller than usual Thanksgiving Day festivities and keeping it simple. I'm glad; hopefully we'll stop focusing on football and Black Friday and start focusing on thankfulness and family. 

I want to share a quick and easy crowd pleasing dessert: Chocolate Pudding Pie. I can't take credit for this one; it's off the book Quick Fixes From Brand Name Mixes. It's also a recipe that's probably all over Pinterest. Some call it pudding pie; this book calls it Creamy Chocolate Pie. Regardless of the name, it takes just a few minutes to put together and stick in the fridge, and on a day like today where there's so much going on, simple is often the best way to go.

To make this pie you will need:

1 3/4 cups cold milk (I use Lactaid 2% but any milk will do)

2 pkgs. chocolate or chocolate fudge pudding mix, the 4 serving size

1 tub Cool Whip (or in my case, Great Value whipped topping. It's all the same)

1 pie crust - graham cracker or chocolate flavored, your choice

That's all you need. You might even have these things in your cupboard, but if you don't they're easy to find in your grocery store. Let's put it together.

Step 1: Pour your milk into a large mixing bowl.

Add your pudding mixes and beat with a wire whisk. You can use your mixer if you prefer, but I didn't want to dirty more than I had to.

Get it as smooth as you can, but keep in mind it's gonna be thick.

Fold in the whole tub of Cool Whip or whatever whipped topping you're using. If you have the time you can make some homemade, but this is supposed to be quick and easy.

It'll look kind of like a chocolate mousse whenever you're done. Avoid the temptation to eat it straight out of the bowl.

Instead, as a special treat (and because it's Thanksgiving) get yourself an Oreo pie crust. I found this one at Walmart for just $2.00. Again, you can make your own, but why?

Spoon the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out. I like to put a dollop of the filling right in the middle as a decoration, but you can line the top with Oreo pieces, chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, anything you like. Once again, keeping it simple here. Once you're done, put it in the fridge to set.

Keep in mind that this pie needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours to properly set. Overnight is best. It took me all of 10 minutes to grab all the ingredients, make the filling, put it all together, and clean up. And what did it cost? Like I said, the pie crust was $2.00. The Jello pudding boxes were $.98 each, and the whipped topping was $.82. I already had the milk on hand, so I spent a grand total of $4.78 to make the boys in my family very happy. And they are worth every penny and then some. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

The Week In Review

I'm so far behind on my week in review post! I think I'll blame Thanksgiving and all the preparation for the upcoming holidays. So many distractions!

On Monday I went to TJ Maxx to see about some bottlebrush trees for my Christmas village. I'd seen some at Hobby Lobby but I wanted to see if I could find them cheaper anywhere else. I'd already confirmed that Amazon had them but for more than double the price. No bottlebrush trees, but I did find this:

I have been wanting a floor lamp for ages, but they are pretty expensive. I'd found one on Amazon for $86 but it was out of my budget for that month. I waited till the next month, when the price rose to $130! No thanks. I waited again to see if the price would drop, but it never did. I saw another one at Target that I liked, but it was $119, still more than I wanted to spend. As I went around TJ Maxx, I spotted this lamp all by itself, with no price tag anywhere. When I inquired, I was told it was $69.99. I knew that price was way better than anything I'd seen anywhere else, but there was a bonus: Mondays are Senior days at TJ Maxx, and I could get an additional 10% off my purchase. So this lovely came home with me for $62.99! It is a perfect addition to my office.

I spent the week cleaning and preparing for Thanksgiving, while at the same time placing orders for Christmas presents. As soon as they come in, they get wrapped and hidden. I've got a neat little stash, but there's still more to go.

Another thing I've been doing is applying to jobs. I haven't worked since we moved to the new house. My old job was part-time, and since I live about 45 minutes from my old digs, it didn't make sense to keep working there. It was my intention to start looking for work once we were settled in this house. Then a pandemic hit. I've put off looking for work but I really can't anymore. Of course there isn't a whole lot out there, and there's a lot of people looking for work. I'm leaving this in God's hands; He has always come through for me, and I know He will come through again.

Friday was grocery shopping day, and time to get everything I needed for Thanksgiving. I took my weekly trip to Walmart with shopping list in hand.

I'm making the Pioneer Woman's Green Beans which are my favorite, so I bought a big bag of fresh green beans. The chocolate pudding, Oreo pie shell and Cool Whip are for a chocolate cream pie, the boys' favorite. I also got potatoes for mashed potatoes, fresh herbs for the dressing, and yes, a jar of turkey gravy. I'm perfectly capable of making gravy, but with so much food to make, I'll take a shortcut here and there. This is one of them.

There were regular groceries to get as well. Most of it was salad fixings and fruit. As I run out of stuff I like to pick up whatever else I need.

I didn't buy the turkey till Sunday. I don't have a lot of freezer space and I didn't want to try and stuff a big turkey in there (pun intended). I always get my turkey from Publix, and I was so glad to see them at $.49/lb. I got a nice 15+ pounder for under $8. While I was there, I also picked up some sweet tea because Publix sweet tea is the closest to homemade I've ever had. And yes, I'm perfectly capable of making sweet tea too. Shortcuts people, shortcuts. Besides, it was BOGO - can't pass that up!

Oh, and I went to get my hair cut on Saturday. I should have taken a selfie but I didn't think about it. Us older folks forget about those things because we didn't grow up with a phone attached to our hand. My hair was getting really long - it was all the way down to my shoulder blades. It's just on my shoulders now and I'm enjoying having it shorter. It grows like a weed so it won't be short for long.

And that was my week. I've started decorating for Christmas - can't wait to share that! Stay tuned!

Mid-Week Trip To Hobby Lobby

 One of my favorite areas to decorate is my Christmas village. I used to have a very elaborate village. It started near the front door, went around the corner till it reached the Christmas tree in the living room, then continued on as a gingerbread village in the dining room. Ah, those were the good ole days, when my house was decorated to the nines! I keep it much simpler now, partly because my kids are grown, and partly because it was a 4 day affair to get all the decorating done. I'm not about that life anymore. I still love to decorate; I just don't have the energy I had back then.

My Christmas village is smaller now, but I still want it to be special. I've been watching village tutorials on YouTube, and one of them mentioned using lots of trees to make the village look more realistic. I have trees, but I wanted to add even more. I'd seen a set of bottle brush trees at Hobby Lobby for $12.99, but since all the Christmas decor is 50% off it would be $6.49. Whenever I'm looking at something to buy, I try to compare prices to be sure I'm getting the best deal. I tried logging on to Amazon while I was in the store but I couldn't get a good connection. I decided to leave and check prices when I got home.

That was a week ago. Amazon's prices started at $13.99 with no discount. I went to Walmart but all they had were single trees that were $1 - $2 each. Target had nothing. TJ Maxx didn't either. Bottom line, Hobby Lobby had the best price. Period.

So, off I went to Hobby Lobby this morning, expecting to get 1) a set of bottle brush trees, and 2) a small Christmas tree for my entryway. That's it. I was determined not to spend more than $25 if I found anything else, but I didn't expect to find anything else. 

Well, I was partly right...

I found the bottle brush trees; they'd moved them from where they'd been originally and I almost had a crying fit, thinking they'd run out. It brings 7 trees and 2 small bushes, and they match the ones I already have. I also got the little Christmas tree for the entryway. It was $4.99 after the 50% discount.

I decided some lights would look cute on the tree, so I got a small box of fairy lights.

Lights are only 25% off, so the lights cost almost as much as the little tree. But I really think twinkly lights will make all the difference.

I walked around the store and looked at all the gorgeous Christmas decor, but I resisted getting anything else. I admired, I ooh'd and ahh'd, but I kept walking. I was strong. Till I got to the fall clearance section...

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm the self-proclaimed Queen of Clearance. There was no way I was gonna pass up these sweet deals.

I saw these eucalyptus stems whenever Hobby Lobby first put out their fall decor, but they were $9.99 each. Yes, everything was 50% off, but I had already picked out some fall goodies and I was at my budget max, so I'd left these behind. When I saw them again today in a bin marked 80% off, my heart skipped a beat. That's right, I paid $2 for each. I'm stoked y'all!

Then I spotted these beauties:

It is such a pretty bouquet! The original price was $14.99, but I snagged it for only $3. Three dollars y'all! And I knew exactly where I wanted it.

On the little wooden shelf in my entryway, I put this monogrammed pumpkin next to the plant that is always there. I decided some fall florals would be much nicer for this spot.

I put them in this yellow pitcher first. I liked it, but I didn't love it. They didn't fit properly in this pitcher. Besides, this pitcher gets used on our Thanksgiving table. I wanted these here on Thanksgiving day. I wondered what other vase I could use for my flower arrangement. Then, as I went up the stairs, I saw the answer.

I got this gray pitcher from Kirkland's several years ago. The color and size were perfect.

I love how it looks with the monogrammed pumpkin! I've found myself going downstairs a few times just to look at it. Yes, I like it that much.

This is what I see now when I walk in from the garage. It makes me smile. And did I mention? My total bill was $24.58. I kept right under budget. Yay me!

I realize my fall decor will only be out for another week or so, then Christmas decor goes up. But fall will come again, and I can always put these florals back up after Christmas for a short time. Meanwhile, I am going to keep enjoying my new bargains. 

The Week In Review

 You know the holidays are approaching when I keep thinking I want to get a post up on my blog but it doesn't happen. I like the busyness of the season but it can distract me and stress me out.

And this week has been stressful. After Tropical Storm Eta literally blew in from the Gulf, my allergies went into overdrive. It always happens after a big storm, especially one as windy as this one was. All the dust and tree debris gets blown everywhere, and even though we got massive amounts of rain, it wasn't enough to totally clean all the allergens out of the air. Hence I've been dealing with itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and worst of all, asthma. I'm feeling better today but the dry cough persists. Which is annoying whenever I go anywhere because anyone coughing gets people's attention. I want to scream out, "Y'all, it's not coronavirus okay?!"

On Tuesday I put up the shelves I'd bought the week before from Ross. The guest bathroom went from this:

To this:

And finally to this:

I haven't really decorated it because in a couple of weeks I'll begin decorating for Christmas so I wasn't too concerned about getting it perfect. 

By the way, I'm so excited to begin decorating for Christmas! Now that my oldest son is married I needed a stocking for my new daughter-in-law. I checked Amazon first but I didn't find anything I liked that didn't cost over $20 or came in a set of 4+ stockings. So instead I went to Hobby Lobby. They have such a good selection of all different styles, and right now everything is 50% off which is right up my alley. This is the stocking I settled on.

The stocking I have for my son R has a reindeer on it. I wanted something similar but this was the closest I could find. It's super cute, and was only $5. I thought about getting all matching stockings for the whole family but that would be an unnecessary expense in my opinion. I'd rather spend that money on gifts.

Since I was already at Hobby Lobby I looked around and found this very pretty poinsettia arrangement for $6.99.

It's kind of hard to see against the granite but it's white and gold, which I think will look beautiful in my bedroom.

I wanted to get a few more small picks for the Christmas tree. I like using them as fillers and to make the tree look a bit more realistic since our allergies don't allow for a real tree. These were just $.99 so I got 5 of them.

They're small pinecones and greenery that's flocked. My tree isn't flocked but I like adding some little accents like this.

Finally, I found the cutest little pillow:

I got a red and black buffalo check throw for the sofa last year, and I think this will look adorable with it. I wanted to see how it looked with my new Costco pillow as well:

I love it! Then I remembered: the big pillow in the back is reversible! So I tried that out too.

Now I'm really itching to start decorating! I'll have to see how the three pillows look against the red and black throw but this is just so stinkin' cute! 

I was looking at some tutorials for Christmas villages on YouTube. I'm wanting to up my village game this year. Miriam's Manner gave me some really good ideas for adding more snow to my village and how to put it on so it looks full and realistic, and I knew that's what I wanted to do. So I took a trip to my local Super Walmart because the artificial snow on Amazon was ridiculously expensive. I'm not paying $25 - $30 for fake snow. 

This value size bag of Buffalo Snow was $5. I've used it before and it lasts. I also got some snow flurries to sprinkle around for more effect. While I was there I did my grocery shopping and picked up a few more items for Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, I can make pie crusts. I've done it before. It's not rocket science. But when you've got a turkey to roast, plus mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, salad, crescent rolls...y'all, I will take shortcuts wherever I can! Boxed pie crusts it is, LOL! I'm thinking of making a pecan pie and maybe an apple pie. My boys will all want a chocolate pudding pie I'm sure. And the day after Thanksgiving I like making turkey pot pie. It's pie season y'all!

I also went ahead and bought the Stove Top stuffing mix. I'd gotten a couple of boxes of the Aldi's brand but even though it's pretty good, it doesn't compare to Stove Top. This twin pack box was $2.97, and the other boxes of stuffing will get eaten, trust me. We love us some dressing with our fried chicken.

Ladies bible study was on Friday. We studied the parable of the Great Banquet found in Matthew 22:1-14. It was an impactful study. This coming Friday is our last session, and I'm going to miss having this study time with my group.

Then Saturday our new church has a Friendsgiving day brunch for all the children's ministry volunteers. E and I had such a sweet time of fellowship! We both sat by ourselves because with our allergies we didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable if we sat near them and started coughing or sneezing. Well, a couple of ladies came and sat with us and we had some uplifting conversations with them. It was like God was showing us that this is where He wants us right now, and I'm thankful for the confirmation.

That was my week! I hope y'all had a blessed week as well. This coming week is Thanksgiving prep. I'm so excited!

The Week In Review

I'm sitting in my living room listening to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack, while outside my window the wind howls and pouring rain continues to fall. I'll get into that in a bit.

This week I found out that my neighbor has been calling the police on me, accusing me of doing construction in the early morning hours and throwing things on the floor so he can't sleep. I found this out because on Tuesday a police officer came to my door to ask if there was any construction going on in my house, and when I said no he explained why. I had to tell him what's been going on and that in fact it's my neighbor making all the noise. Thankfully the officer told me they'd already determined that the complaints were unfounded. Still, I had to call the police twice that day. The second time he was apparently playing some kind of racing game on his Play Station. It sounded like the Indy 500 in my dining room. The officer who came the second time was a woman. She told him she could hear the noise outside it was so loud. He called her a liar and began yelling at her, and ultimately slammed the door in her face. He's never done this to the male cops, which says a lot about him. What the officer told me was that the HOA needs to get involved. The police can keep coming but it's a temporary fix. The HOA needs to come up with a long term solution. I emailed the management the very next day. Their response? The HOA contacted their attorney, who told them this is a civil matter and they couldn't get involved. So now I've contacted my attorney. I'm hoping and praying we can come up with a solution to this situation. In a strange twist, his next door neighbors on the other side are remodeling their master bathroom, which is connected to his master bathroom, and they've made lots of noise this week with their demo and tile cutting. Poetic justice? Perhaps.

I've started on Christmas shopping and wrapping presents. Most of the items I've purchased through Amazon. On Thursday I had to go to Walmart and Costco for groceries, and while I was at it I figured I'd stop by Ross to see what they had. I went to Ross whenever the stores began opening again but it was bare. I hoped it would be a little better this time round.

I bought my normal fill-in groceries at Walmart plus a few fresh herbs to have on hand for Thanksgiving. Then I headed to Costco to get some allergy medicine. They have the Zyrtec knock-off for a good price. I also wanted to see if they had any cooking utensils. Mine had seen better days. They were not only old and dull, since they were plastic they'd melted in a few spots. I didn't find any cooking utensils, but something else did catch my eye.

Y'all, I got so excited whenever I found this pillow! Last year I got a new tree skirt, throw blanket and table runner, all in the black and red buffalo check pattern. My eyes went straight to the stocking on this pillow, but the plaid and the green check are also gorgeous and perfect for my very traditional decor! The sherpa fabric is cozy and soft. The best part is the price. $9.99 y'all! Now I want to hurry up and decorate for Christmas!

As happy as I was to find this sweet pillow, I still had the dilemma of not finding cooking utensils. I really hoped Ross would be my answer. They did not disappoint.

I got a set of cooking utensils, a set of tongs, and a set of rubber spatulas, and each was $6.99 and under. I needed the rubber spatulas because the one I had for years finally broke in half. 

Since I was already there, I looked at the bathroom decor. I've been looking for some bathroom rugs that aren't too pricey. 

This pretty set of two rugs were $9.99. I would've spent more than that on one rug at Target so I was super pleased. But it was the last item I was most excited about.

I've been eyeing some shelves at Hobby Lobby for the guest bathroom, but they were so much money. Even when they're on sale, the ones I liked were $30.00 and over. I'm glad I waited, because I found this at Ross for $19.99. That's more along the lines I was hoping to spend! I haven't put it up yet but when I do I'll be sure to post about it.

Saturday was a special day. Some of the ladies in our women's bible study group met for breakfast at Panera. This group is from my old church, which is a 40-45 minute drive, but my sweet friend who organized the breakfast chose a city that's more central, so it took about 30 minutes to get there. We had the sweetest time of fellowship and catching up. You don't realize how much you need that time together till you've been isolated for months thanks to a pandemic. I'm so hoping we can do it again soon.

Of course, soon won't be this weekend. If you've watched the news, then you know Tropical Storm Eta is heading towards Florida. As of right now, it has gone over Cuba and is in the Florida Straits, where they're predicting it will head west towards the Florida Keys, but most of South and Central Florida are gonna feel the effects. The system is massive! I think of the people in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, who took this on as a category 4 hurricane earlier this week, and my heart breaks for them. It's a real rainmaker, and we're looking at local flooding all over South Florida. We've had so much rain the past month that the ground is saturated. An additional 3-5 inches can be dangerous. Schools have been ordered closed for tomorrow and so have a lot of businesses. We are praying for safety and that this storm doesn't intensify nor slow down.

And that's what my week was like. The coming week will be a wet one: we're expecting the rain to continue into Tuesday, and after that we'll get a better idea where this storm is headed. Weather channel says it's supposed to swing back around to Florida whenever it gets into the Gulf. Pray for Florida y'all. It's been a rough year all around. God bless.

Recipe Time: Italian Lentil Soup

Whenever I was a little girl, I didn't like soup. Didn't care for it one bit. Now, as an adult, I love me a nice, piping hot bowl of soup, and Italian Lentil Soup is one of my favorites. I don't remember where I found this recipe so I can't give credit to the original creator; it's been years. Last year my daughter gave me an Instant Pot for Christmas and it has been a game changer; I can whip up this delightful soup in under 30 minutes. Whenever I make this soup I like to freeze half of it for those dreary days when I don't want to cook. My two younger kids aren't fond of lentils, but that's okay. More for me.

To make this soup you will need:

 2-3 tbsp. olive oil

1 carrot, peeled and diced small

1 celery rib, diced small

1/2 onion, peeled and chopped small

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

1 cup dried green or brown lentils

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup small pasta, cooked (such as orzo, ditalini, elbows or shells)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Step 1: Chop up those veggies. I use garlic from a jar but you can mince your own.

Of course you can do this in a food processor, but I like chopping them by hand.

This is my very pretty Pioneer Woman Instant Pot. It makes me smile.

Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the olive oil, then the carrot, celery and onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until soft. Next add the garlic and seasonings.

One teaspoon of each, then get ready - your kitchen is about to smell heavenly.

Give your lentils a quick rinse...

...and add them to the Instant Pot.

Cook on sauté for 30 seconds, then add stock, salt, and pepper.

My favorite chicken stock is the Kirkland brand from Costco. It is organic, delicious, and very affordable.

Once everything is in the Instant Pot, put the lid on, set to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. You can use the soup/broth setting if your Instant Pot has one. I will usually let it slow release whenever it's done but if you're in a rush you can quick release it too.

While that is cooking away, boil your pasta noodles. I typically use elbow noodles because I buy them for macaroni and cheese as well.

To serve, I first put some pasta into my soup bowl.

Next, I pour my soup over the pasta.

Lastly, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the top. You can use Romano cheese as well, if that's your preference.

Y'all, I could eat this for days. It is so delicious! But what if you don't own an Instant Pot? No problem. Use a soup pot. Follow all the same steps, but instead of cooking for 8 minutes on high pressure, you'll cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes on low heat until the lentils are tender. Still just as delicious and nutritious, and perfect for the dreary fall days ahead. Enjoy!