EASY MEXICAN GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

 Tuesday recipe 

•  1 Tablespoon oil
• 1/2 onion , chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper , chopped
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes 14 oz
• 1 can pinto beans 16 oz
• 2 cups tortilla chips crushed
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup black olives sliced
• 1 cup Monterey Jack shredded
• 1 cup cheddar shredded
• 1/4 cup green onion chopped, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375F

Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook, breaking it up as you stir, until cooked through. Add the onion and jalapeño. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.( Pour off grease if needed). Stir in the taco seasoning, then the diced tomatoes, and beans. Simmer for 5 minutes.. Sprinkle the tortilla chips evenly into the bottom of a 9×13″ casserole dish. Layer the meat mixture over the tortilla chips, then spread the sour cream over the meat. Finally, top with olives and cheese.. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with green onion and serve

Home journal

it's journal time ,and all about home .

I found this is my book collection  from 1973

And used the title and picture from the book in my journal. With paint wash background and black and white sticker to pull it together. 

Apple pie candle

Today at Home I'm making candles 

I am using small mason jars recycled from homemade jams. Add wix to jar with glue dot. 

Soy wax chips melted and colored with red crayons . And then apple pie fragrance oil . Then pour wax into jar while making sure wick stays centered. Let harden over night. 

Package with tag and school items. 

Ps you can add apple cinnamon or cider fragrance for a fall candle.

National Thrift Shop day

It's National Thrifty day 

Some great thrifty projects 

its the newest trend I'm seeing. Pin chusions made from old tea cups.

All you need is fabric, glue and poly fil. 

These are made from spare lids and wire.

Baby blue draw turn into a plate holder on the wall. But you could also make into a bed tray or servings tray. 

What have you found at the thrift store lately? Or me in my GG and Mom's cabinet.  Lisa

StarFAMILYfeature 8/17/26

 

Welcome to week#3 of the August 2026 "You're the Star" Blog Hop!

Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share this post from my blog:

My Sunday fellowship with Bible journal, recipe and kids crafts.

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WELCOME to FAMILY feature week of the
August 2026 "You're the STAR" blog hop!
Meet your hosts 

This week is FAMILY feature week
Swing by the hosts' blogs:

Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal

Lisa @ At Home With Lisa

Kris @ Kris and Larry . com

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

Colleen @ Butterfly in the Attic

This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU!

There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories.  Just to be clear - this is NOT a themed party - you may link up ANY family-friendly blog posts any day of each month. 

The "theme" occurs in our weekly features:

WEEK#3 FAMILY - parenting, fitness, health, finances & inspirational (this can include anything about children like: education ideas for children, also self help, beauty etc -  anything family friendly)

(These features were chosen from the July 2026 "You're the STAR" blog hop)

Splish Splash - This Week's Summer Spotlight by Our Grand Lives 

America 250 Family Celebration by Debbie-Dabble Blog

Frozen Yogurt Fruit Bites by Cindy's On-Line Recipe Box

Seven Days Seven Snaps by Life Captured

If you've been featured then please grab a STAR button below:

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All Hosts/CoHosts will post this blog hop on every Monday of each week.

Please link up your family friendly blog posts below!

It wouldn't be a linky party with YOU!

(IMPORTANT NOTE: by linking up you understand that you might be featured next month and if so, we will use some of your photos from your post - rest assured - we will always link back to your lovely blog.  We might also share your fantastic posts on social media.  Also, you may link up as many family-friendly posts as you like & YES - other blog hops &/or giveaways are welcome {giveaways and blog hops will NOT be featured though}  Thank You & ENJOY! )

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Murder at the Apple Farm

 

Murder at the Apple Farm (Maplewood Bay Cozy Mysteries Book 10)

A charming apple farm.

A dead investor in the cider house.

And one harvest weekend rotting from the core.

Blakely Monroe expects Hollow Brook Apple Farm’s Harvest Weekend to mean overflowing guests at Oceanspray B&B, cider donuts, and maybe a pie-contest disaster or two. Instead, she finds a body beneath the antique cider press—and steps straight into a nest of debt, secrets, and buried grudges.

With Bobby reading the land like it’s trying to warn him and Scout nosing out trouble at every turn, Blakely starts following the clues. Tessa, the orchard manager, was openly battling the victim over the farm’s future. Wren, the farm baker, has plenty of old hurt and fresh anger of her own. But the deeper Blakely digs, the clearer it becomes that someone is stripping the orchard from the inside.

Now the harvest lights are glowing, the suspect list keeps growing, and if Blakely misses the truth, Hollow

Book Review .... 

Murder at the Apple Farm was exactly the kind of cozy mystery I love picking up. The apple orchard setting gave the story such a warm, seasonal feel, and it made the mystery even more enjoyable. I could almost picture myself walking through the rows of apple trees while trying to solve the case.

I really enjoyed following the investigation and piecing together the clues. Every time I thought I had figured out the culprit, the story took another turn that kept me guessing. The mystery was well-paced, and I liked that it challenged me without becoming overly complicated.

The characters were easy to connect with, and I appreciated the sense of community woven throughout the story. The cozy setting, combined with the twists and a touch of humor, made this a book I looked forward to getting back to every time I had a chance to read.

By the end, I was completely satisfied with how everything came together. This was a charming, entertaining mystery with a wonderful setting, memorable characters, and just the right amount of suspense. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.

Sunday fellowship

Today Bible journal 

Proverbs 30:5  Every word of God is pure

Our fellowship recipe 

It's Kids church and crafts.....