Scalloped Potato Bake

This recipe does not include flour so it is gluten free.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons butter plus enough to butter the casserole dish
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated white cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Caramelize diced onion in 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a saute pan.
In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme and chopped garlic.
While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish.
Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper, sprinkle some of the caramelized onion on top.
Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the 1st layer of potatoes.
Top with some grated cheddar.
Repeat this for 2 more layers.
Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
At this point if you desire you can top the baked scalloped potatoes with a little more cheese and broil until the cheese browns.

Since this recipe used heavy cream instead of making a white sauce this dish is gluten free.

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Stonehaven

After our time at Dunnottar Castle we found our B&B just 6 miles south and checked into our rooms. Before we set off for Scotland, we had some recommendations for places to visit and for restaurants in Stonehaven. Our B&B hosts recommended the same restaurant so it was confirmed where we would have our evening meal. Truth be told, there weren’t many restaurants to choose from.

We would highly recommend Chapel of Barras B&B if you find yourselves in this part of Scotland.

We arrived before dinner service started so while Greg and I sat in the downstairs lounge area of the restaurant, Josh and Laura checked out the harbour.

Still enjoying the need for sunglasses on this great weather day!

Another shot as the sun was retreating.

We could see the tide going out during our dinner time upstairs.

Here comes the moon…

Time to eat and try some new things.

After dinner we enjoyed conversation with a local and then had some time for taking in the gorgeous moon and sunset as we walked along the harbour.

Goodnight to a long day on the road. Wednesday September 18th was complete. On Thursday we were heading south with some stops before our next destination in St. Michaels.

Truth for Today #123

Thursday November 21st

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you!

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day so we will resume Truth for Today on the following Thursday.

Isaiah 42:5-9

Thus says God the LORD,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those wo walk in it,
“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
To open blind eyes,
To bring prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
I am the LORD, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.
Behold the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

From Vera:

“Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭10‬-‭13‬

From Leonard:

Psalm 144:2

“He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.”

From Willow:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”

Rev 5:12

From Karen:

James 1:19

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Hometown Love Hodgepodge

After today, there are only 5 more Wednesdays in 2024 and the last Wednesday of the year is Christmas! Thank you, Joyce, for the Hodgepodge Questions again this week!

1. What was your favorite part about growing up in your hometown?

My hometown was a melting pot of people from many cultures that opened up my eyes to the world. Besides friendships with other Russian-Americans like myself, there were many Mexican, Jewish, Japanese, and Armenian Americans in my friendship circles. The photos are from a mini-reunion with some high school friends.

2. Do you prefer ‘material’ gifts or ‘experience’ gifts? If you answered experience, tell us about one you’ve received and truly enjoyed.

At this stage of life I’ll say the experience gifts are the best! The gift of our whole family being together is always so so good. Our 50th Anniversary weekend in Walla Walla with all our kids and grands and our Scotland trip with our oldest and our dear DIL were priceless!

3. Is brown a color featured prominently in your home decor? Your wardrobe? What’s a favorite brown thing you own? Of the brown foods listed here which one is your favorite and/or most often consumed… brown sugar, brown rice, pretzels, coffee, dates, cloves, German chocolate cake, whole wheat bread?

Shades of brown do play a dominant roll in our home especially since all of our wood furniture and chairs and sofas are brown. Our walls are Khaki Shadow. As far as foods go, it’s coffee for me.

4. Which ‘Charlie Brown’ character do you relate to most? If you’re not sure, you can take a fun quick quiz by clicking here-Which Charlie Brown Character Are You? or the one found here-Charlie Brown Quiz. I got the same answer on both.

I got Linus and Marcie and I’m really not an introvert. I don’t need a security blanket, either. 🙂

5. What’s a favorite item you’ve purchased this year?

This ‘Coo’ print we picked up at Hobby Lobby to remind us of our Scotland travels is a favorite. This Highland Coo puts a smile on my face each morning as I walk from our bedroom to our living area for my cuppa black (dark brown) coffee!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Here’s a real Highland Coo…

This one is a baby.

Thank you to all who visit here and double thanks for leaving a comment.

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Dunnottar

After lunch at the Flying Stag in Braemar we continued east on the A93 to a slugroad for a coastal route that would take us to Dunnottar Castle. GPS is a wonderful thing.

The history of Dunnottar castle can be found here. I also found more of it’s history here that I’ve quoted below.

Perched atop a 160 foot rock and surrounded on three sides by the North Sea, these dramatic and evocative cliff-top ruins were once an impregnable fortress of the Earls Marischal, once one of the most powerful families in Scotland.

Scotland has some magnificently located castles. Think no further than Stirling Castle or Edinburgh Castle, both built on top of rocks that allow them to dominate the landscape for miles around. But if we had to pick just one to trust with our lives in a time of great danger then it would without any doubt be Dunnottar Castle. No other Scottish castle comes close in terms of a sense of sheer brooding impregnability. This is a castle which looks across to the nearby coastal cliffs and whose presence, even today, conveys a very simply message: “Don’t mess with me.”

At this point we could see we would have a long downward descent before we reached a steep climb to get to the castle grounds!

Down, down, down and then soon we’d be going up again!

Given Dunnottar’s obvious defensive qualities, it is no surprise to find that it has been home to fortifications of one sort or another for most of the past two thousand years and probably much longer. The very name “dun” is Pictish for fort and it is believed that St Ninian came to Dunnottar in the late 400s, converting the Picts to Christianity and founding a chapel here.

In 1715 the tenth Earl Marischal backed the losing side in the Jacobite uprising and was condemned for treason. His estates were forfeited and Dunnottar Castle was sold to the York Building Company, who removed everything that was transportable and usable. The difficulty in accessing the castle probably saved it yet again: it seems likely that if it had been readily reachable by cart, far more of the structure would have been demolished and taken away.

The drawing room was restored in the 1920’s.

Dunnottar’s darkest moment came in May 1685 when 167 Covenanter prisoners, 122 men and 45 women, were locked in the Whig’s Vault below one of the buildings in the Quadrangle. Some died of starvation and disease, while others were killed after trying to escape. The survivors were transported to the colonies as slaves (where most died of fever) after two months in the castle.

We made it with time to spare before closing. Thank you, Lord, for our timing, the weather and the strength to walk and climb and descend all the stairs!

We headed a little south along the coast to find our B&B for the night, to check in and get a recommendation for dinner. The day wasn’t over…

Colville Catch-Up

It’s time to share some happenings right here in our neck of the woods. We had a Big foot sighting in early November.

Our Colville family all together on a beautiful fall day.

At our Country Bungalow we had our Monday fun time with JJ. He enjoyed some time with marbles before our outdoor time pulling and running down weeds with his big wheel.

On their mountain both Addy and JJ had a time to climb up to the tree stand and see a different perspective of their property. Both were very brave.

On Saturday we enjoyed Addy’s Basketball game time in town.

While we were sleeping on Saturday into Sunday our higher elevations got a nice dusting of snow. Nothing stuck to the roads or lower elevations.

I took the photos on the way to our church service. On the 17th we had our first Sunday with two services. Our sanctuary has been overflowing so this was our only option for now. We gathered at the 8:30 am service. Our second service starts at 11 am. In between we have Sunday School. It will take a little time getting used to this new schedule.

Hope you all have a good week ahead.

Sunday Prayer ~Knox

You Only Give Us What We Need

We give you thanks, Lord God, for all the benefits we continue to receive from your generous hand.

You not only give us what we need in this life, but in your free mercy you have fashioned us anew into an assured hope of a far better life —declared to us in the gospel.

So we humbly ask, heavenly Father, do not let our affections be so entangled or rooted in these earthly things that will not last.

Instead may we always have our minds directed to you on high, always watching for the coming of our Lord and Savior, when he will appear for our full redemption.

To whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, forever and ever. So be it.

(John Knox in Grace from Heaven)

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Braemar

Continuing on our journey through the Cairngorms on Wednesday September 18th, our lunch stop was in Braemar. This was a very busy village with tourist buses and many visitors. We found a parking spot in front of the Fife Arms, a 5 star hotel in the Highlands.

We were early for lunch so we walked about the village.

The Parish of Braemar and Crathie is one of the largest, highest and most remote in Scotland. It is set in the magnificent Cairngorms National Park, more or less equidistant from Aberdeen, Inverness and Perth, and on any given day the number of visitors to the area may exceed the resident population.

Christianity probably came to Deeside in the fifth century when monks from a monastery at Whithorn in Wigtonshire travelled throughout Scotland.

Later groups of missionaries came to the area from Northern Ireland and from Glasgow and after 400 years of work, by 900AD, Celtic Christianity was well established.

On August 17, 2019, Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II visited Braemar and Crathie Parish Church in Aberdeenshire.

Braemar church is built in the shape of a cross with a very prominent pulpit which reflects the significance of the preaching of the word by its founders.

The communion Table is made of oak and came from the original Parish or East Church. The Font bears the inscription “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism”.

There were several banners around the church. This one struck a chord with me.

It was easy to see that the church needs some repair work done.

We crossed over the Clunie Water to see more of the village.

Laura saw this photo opportunity!

We planned on eating our lunch at The Fife Arms, a 19th-century hunting lodge on Clunie Water. This ornate hotel is a 2-minute walk from central Braemar, 15 minutes from Braemar Castle and 8.9 miles from Glenshee Ski Centre.

We waited for lunch service to begin at The Flying Stag and enjoyed our surroundings. On this very warm day air conditioning would have been appreciated. Windows were opened and we had some cooling.

Remember my theme for the Cairngorms or the Highlands? Antlers abound everywhere we turn.

We couldn’t dilly dally here since we were on a quest to reach Dunnottar Castle on the North Sea before it closed for the day. After lunch we headed east from Braemar and passed the many acre Balmoral Estate with not a glimpse of the castle. The castle can be visited from April until the beginning of August. Leaving Braemar, we were only halfway done with our fun experiences for this day in the sunshine.

Our weather continued to be exceptional for our driving days for that we again were very thankful. We did reach the castle in time and there are many photos to share so this post will come to an end here.

Currently here in Colville we have experienced rainy days with some snow showing on the mountain tops around us. Hope all is well in your corner.

Truth for Today #122

Thursday November 14th

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you!

Philippians 1:27-30

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents–which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

From Vera:

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭84‬:‭10‬-‭12‬

From Aritha:

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13: 7-8

From Nikkipolani:

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.

Psalm 119:37

From Karen:

I John 4:1

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Artful Hodgepodge

History and art is something I enjoy together. I took this photo at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. spring of 2011. George Washington in our National cathedral with the stained glass window and sunlight adding some highlights!

If it’s Wednesday it must be Hodgepodge. Thank you, Jo!

1. What’s something you think is under appreciated. Explain.

The work that policemen have to do dealing with people who are mentally ill, drug addicts, and other people who have no respect for their authority is under appreciated. Policemen are important in restraining evil, for the health of our country and the safety of our citizens. I appreciate our Border Patrol Agents in the same way.

2. As winter approaches how do you stay productive?

It helps me to stay on top of things if I have company coming. Winter does make things harder when the snow and ice appear. Keeping my lists and ticking off the items is a good motivation for me.

3. What’s a popular food you don’t like?

Sushi

4. What do you think is more interesting-art or history? Elaborate.

Seeing works of art in an amazing historical cathedral is very satisfying to all my senses.

I find history in art very interesting. It’s enjoyable to connect some historical facts to the places we travel to. Art is more interesting when I know something about the artist. Modern art has no appeal to me.

Children’s story illustrations/artwork are a favorite of mine, too.

5. What advice would you give to someone half your age?

Don’t put off traveling. Plan the trip and go!