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Friday, October 17, 2014

Mmmm Mmmmm Mmmmmmm

Dinner with friends. It was so nice to sit and talk.

I combined two recipes for delicious chicken enchiladas with this being the main recipe. The change I made was to make the alfredo sauce from this recipe instead of the heavy cream.

Then I cheated and asked Jesse to make rice.

Best cheat ever!

Green beans saute with onions in a little butter.

Then crush up potato chips and mix them in.

Cannoli Poke Cake

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Frozen Fun

The Apple Orchard had a Frozen Frenzy Day.

Ayva loved meeting Elsa and Anna.

Javie liked riding the train and horses.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Wednesday Cooking

We were busy yesterday so we couldn't have our cooking day. So we picked the kids up yesterday. We had so much fun, even if Papa had to go help his friend.

Javier and Ayva took turns with the apple peeler/corer. They liked making the peel come off in one long piece. Then they ate them. We made the best apple crisp and named our bakery The World Famous Bakery.

The apple crisp was extra delicious

Topping
Combine in Food Processor
1 cup flour
3 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 TBS cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg

Add through opening 1 tsp at a time

2 sticks unsalted butter - save 3 tsp of the butter for the apples

Apple Filling
15 apples
1 TBS cinnamon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
the 3 tsp of saved butter from the topping

Peel and core the apples and slice very thin. Toss the apples with the sugar and cinnamon and nutmeg. Put in 9 x 13 pan or larger. Dot with the butter. Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until bubbling.

They each made a menu. And we talked about what they should say to Grandma Caroline, Grandpa and Aunt JoJo when they arrived.

Javier pounded the steaks so they would be tender. Then they went outside to collect leaves for decorations.

Ayva put the leaves on the table. She asked, "Nana, did God make pink leaves so I would pick them? " I answered, "Yes of course."

We put candles on the table which invokes the Nana rule: No burping or farting at the table. I know how terrible that sounds to some of you but it has worked for about 16 years.

When our guests arrived for dinner they were welcomed to our bakery and asked how their day was.

Pound steak

Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar

sprinkle with garlic, Mrs. Dash, salt, pepper, thyme

Grill 4 minutes on each side

We had a delicious dinner of steak, smashed potatoes, broccoli, green beans, salad and apple crisp. The hit of the evening were the green beans that I sauted in butter and olive oil. Added dill, salt and pepper and then when they were done and I was looking for my small bowl and realized it still had potato chips in it from the kids afterschool snack. I crunched them up and added the green beans - yummy! Then clean up and Aunt JoJo helped Javier with his math homework.

What a great day.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Thank You St. Anthony

Caroline asked me yesterday where she could get crates to make book shelves. I told her we would watch estate sales. I said to myself, "Maybe St. Anthony will help us find some."

Today we found eight. Thank you St. Anthony.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Blessings

You would think I would be sad because Robbie received his certification and we weren't there to see it. But instead I am so happy that his mother's best friend was there with her husband cheering him on.

We were so happy that Robbie was assigned to technical school so close to Marina and Jason. It just made everyone feel that he was safe and secure, close to people who love him.

A big thank you and hugs to both of them.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

U.P. Color Tour

What beautiful color! For the last several years the fall colors have been so dark. This year the vibrant pops of color intermingled with the green pines have been a joy to see.

We stopped overnight at Mr. Lepeak's in Grand Marais. Even with the rain we love the drive. The tree trunks are jet black and they set off the oranges, reds and yellows.

We brought dinner with us and sat at the kitchen table drinking his famous raspberry wine. It was delicious. We heard all about his family and Grand Marais. He just had his 89th birthday and was proud to say he had just been certified again for the coast guard auxiliary.

He took us to breakfast at the new bakery/restaurant in town. It is a beautiful place with pine siding, fireplaces, unique tables and delicious food. He pointed to the wall and told us he gave them an antique set of snowshoes he had laying around the shed.

A very nice visit.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Tuesday Cooking

Javie, Ayva and Sheala came over to cook. Sheala and Ayva made dessert. Javie and I made fettuccine. Both turned out yummy.

2# stewing beef

2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS garlic paste

1 TBS parsley paste

Make sure the dry herbs look right! Cover the entire surface so all the meat is falvorful.

1 TBS Oregano

1 TBS Mrs. Dash

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups water

1 pkg wide noodles

1/4 cup Parmesean cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella shredded cheese

Heat oil in dutch oven. Pat stewing beef dry. Add to hot oil. Add everything but water. Brown meat. Add water, cover and cook on low for one and a half hours. Remove meat from pot and boil juices until reduced in half.

while reducing sauce cook noodles

put noodles on large platter

Add cheeses and mix well

Top with meat

pour reduced juices over all

Sheala and Ayva's

Mexican cheesecake on Pinterest

Lunch with Friends

I went to lunch with friends from work yesterday. I sure do love seeing them. Two still work at the City, one retired and started working somewhere else and two of us won't ever work again!!

It was fun catching up and laughing with them. Finding out what their kids are doing - what travels there have been. How things have changed and how some things will never change.

You are all precious to me - what a great time.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

MADONNA DELL'UVA

Pierre Mignard is the artist of

Madonna of the Grapes

I love the playfulness of Jesus playing peek-a-boo

with the Blessed Mother's veil

Tuesday Night Cooking Lessons

Javier said when we were camping, "Nana you are the best cook, I wish you would teach me." So, Tuesday we started lessons. We picked up Javie and Ayva at school.

We also invited Sheala to come over to bake.

First on the menu was meatballs. We had to hurry because religion classes would begin at 4:15. So after a quick snack they donned aprons and followed my directions for meatballs.

Now little miss Ayva HATES blood. So mixing those meatballs with her hands was a BIG thing. She did it! Javie had a blast. We formed about 60 meatballs for me to bake while they were at class.

Thankfully their classes are at St. Stephens so we only had a few blocks to go. While registering the kids Sheala called to say she was at our house.

When Pat and I got back Sheala and I made pumpkin cupcakes. Then after those were baked we put the meatballs in the oven. After those were baked I put them in the sauce and ran to the car to go get the kids.

I let the kids play on the playground for 10 minutes. KIDS NEED TO PLAY! When we got back everyone was there. Caroline, Jessie, Romeo, Tino, and Joanna. No one had started the water for the pasta. Now to be fair I didn't ask anyone. So we had to wait for water to boil. I made a salad - adding blueberries and raspberries after Ayva asked for fruit. At the last minute remembering to put the garlic bread in the oven.

SUCCESS. Everything tasted yummy. The meatballs were spiced exactly right. The pumpkin cupcakes were moist and soft like pumpkin pie. The kids and Sheala loved spraying on the whipped cream from a can (much more than if we had learned how to make whipped cream - we'll leave that lesson for another day!)

I will be pinning the recipes each week. CLICK HERE.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Romeo is Two

Romeo blowing out the candles

Ayva laughing at Javier

Cookies his Mom made and the cake his aunt made

Friday, September 19, 2014

Monarch Butterflies

Phil Odum took this picture on Wednesday

at Tawas Point State Park

It was posted on Facebook

That day we saw a butterfly go past our campsite

at least one every 15 seconds

it was an amazing afternoon.

Up North

We are enjoying the crisp cold evenings and some of the days have been sunny. Yesterday was a bit cold. But we drove around a bit on the two tracks and when we got back we had a big fire.

We went to the lighthouse and the lightkeeper gave me some information to put in the next book. I can't wait to weave his stories with mine.

It has to do with this door leading to the staircase to the tower.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Rainy Days

Best plans sometimes get changed and we have fun anyway! Javier and Ayva spent the night. We tried to go to the balloon festival in Midland last night, but it rained. So we took Sheala with us to eat in Freeland. Then we took Sheala home and played in the living room.

Javie slept on the love seat and Ayva and I slept on the couch. Then this morning I made cinnamon roll cake for breakfast.

Now we are playing school and making tents.