Tag Archives: Food

Fave Five for Friday ~ September 5th

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story is hosting Fave Five for Friday. Here’s what she says…

“Hope you play along. It’s very simple. Just list your favorite five things from the week. It can be anything from jokes to music to food. It’s a fun way to get to know more about each other and maybe make new friends, find new blogs or new things to try. Expand our world’s a bit. Make it as detailed as you like, but the more detail the more fun! Don’t forget to link to this site and sign the Mr. Linky so I can come and read your favorites.”

For my Fave Five this week, I’ll start with Sunday the last day of August and move forward.

1. Sunday we traveled 3-1/2 hours northeast of our condo to attend an Engagement party for my cousin’s son and his fiance. Lots of photos from the event are here.

2. Too tired to cook after all that fun Sunday on Monday (Labor Day) we tried an Italian Restaurant in Old Camarillo for the first time and had a nice experience.

3. Walking each morning for an hour with Willow from Willow’s Cottage and pushing ourselves up the hills and seeing these sights.

 

4. I shared a meditation I read by John Piper this week. You can read what I posted here. This was one of my favorite parts on running the race… “The finish line is crossed in the end, not by a burst of human energy, but by collapsing into the arms of God.”

5. My last favorite thing from this week was watching Piper Palin while her mother was giving her speech. Priceless moments. This little girl was meant for the stage! :0)  You can see a You tube of part of these fabulous moments here at Light Came. OH! You’ve got to click over to Bloggin daz and see Angie who is a amazing look-a-like of Sarah Palin.

For more Fave Five on Friday visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

Engagement Party in Clovis, California

On Sunday we hit the back roads North to Clovis where my cousin Jim who married my college buddy Jeanie live (Jeanie and I met when we both were Home Economics majors at Cal-State, Los Angeles). Their youngest son Jeff asked Heather to marry him and she said YES! So because of the excitement of it all an engagement party was planned. Here’s the happy darling couple…

I told you they were darling. See that fabulous blouse she’s wearing? Jeff bought that for her while he was in Italy with his family a few weeks ago. Good taste and it looks smashing on Heather.

Clovis is about 4 hours away from us by car and we didn’t just get there by snapping our fingers so I’m going to show you some of the scenes from the route we chose to take this time. We went on a back road through Ojai on Highway 33. This route took us over and across the Los Padres National Forest.

 

It was very dry and hot (but 10 degrees cooler than Saturday). We saw lots of interesting landscape. Lots of huge bolders that looked like they could fall on us around several curves. The tunnels and canopy of eucalyptus trees were very cool. We finally made it over the winding roads through the forest to the flat lands of Central California. We went through an area of oil refineries and saw this great old oil Derick.

We arrived for the main event at Jim and Jeanies and the real fun began. Jim and Jeanie have a Spanish style home on a very large piece of property that is just perfect for large gatherings of people. They’ve done a beautiful job with landscaping and adding great features to make the house and yard invite you in.

 

There were lots of people and great food that Jeanie with my cousin Katrina’s help prepared themselves. Appetisers, Russian Chicken (MGCC recipe), Beef with aujus and salsa on the side, pasta salad, fruit salad, and rice pilaf. Yummy! One of Jeanie’s girlfriends from her Bible Study made all the cookies, heart shaped brownies and cookie bars. I love how she decorated the cookies. I asked her if she’d come to my next party with some of her fabulous cookies :0)

 

But the best part of the day was seeing old friends and relatives and getting re-acquainted and caught up a little with each other.

 

Jeanie and Ellen b. ~ Jeanie’s Swedish roots welcome sign ~ Jeanie with her sister Kathy B. ~ My cousin Katrina with her husband Andy and daughter Kristen ~ The engaged couple Heather and Jeff ~ Jeff’s older brother Ben ~ Ellen b. and Dear ~ My cousin Jim praying for the couple and meal ~ Cousins: Jim, Ellen b, and Katrina.

Hi Katrina…I know you are out there now :0)

The last time I saw Kathy B. (Jeanie’s sister) was in 2005 at a different celebration here in Clovis.

 

This face to face meeting was very special for me because since 2005 Kathy B. and I have both started blogging and I have gotten to know and love her more through our blogs. It’s just something special to meet with bloggy friends face to face. Kathy B. blogs over at Count it all Joy. She truly has chosen joy through her suffering and has a special place in my heart.

Thanks for the wonderful party Jim and Jeanie. Congratulations Jeff and Heather. It was fun celebrating with you! May God bless you and the uniting of your families with His love and joy!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

Friday’s Fave Five

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story is hosting a new Friday meme called Friday’s Fave Five. You just have to post 5 favorite things from this past week and link back to her blog. She’ll have a Mr. Linky so you can join in easily. Here are my Favorites from this past week.

1. Having our daughter visit us with her boyfriend. They arrived at the Long Beach Airport on Monday morning and I picked them up and we did some sight seeing on the way home.

2. Meeting up with my walking buddy and having a walk in Old Towne Camarillo with some Antique shopping and thrift shopping along the way.

3. Going to Disneyland and meeting up with family for some fun.

4. Eating out with family. This photo is from Naples Ristorante in Downtown Disney where 8 of our extended family met up to eat and enjoy each other around food again.

5. Last favorite was being able to catch several Olympic Soccer Games and especially the Gold Medal Win by the U.S. Women’s Team. Hope Solo was amazing in goal! Well done ladies!!

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Fun with Friends and Family

 

We have had some fun and fulfilling days this week with family and friends. Yesterday we headed to Dave and Jody’s house in Edmonds overlooking the Sound for swimming and food.

 

I had a little stroll about Jody’s garden and watched the bees enjoying it.

Finn charmed us with his cuteness. At one point in the evening, when no one was watching, Finn went into the bathroom and had fun with lots of toilet paper and grandmother’s lipstick!

We met and held sweet little Josee (pronounced JoeZay). She is 2 weeks old.

We also met for the first time, sweet Juliet, who is 4 weeks old and Josee’s cousin.

As if with all this sweetness we needed the desserts I brought (Recipes to follow soon)

Creamy Cheesecake and

Fruit Pizza (thanks Bernideen for the recipe) The recipe will make 2 round medium size pizza’s. I chose to do 1 large rectangular one.

Dave and Jody served Soft Fish Tacos made with barbecued Tilapia (Yummy) and Jan brought fruit. We always eat well when we get together.

 

The Sun going down beyond the Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Penninsula. Thank you Dave and Jody for another wonderful time in your company!

Besides all this fun the guys have been busy, busy, working on our continuing basement project. I love it when my 3 guys are together working, laughing and just hanging out…

Dear and Dan assembling the new wheelbarrow they needed for mixing cement.

 

Josh mixing up the cement…

Dear and Dan pouring the cement down into cinder blocks with limited access.

Time flies when you’re having fun.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Downtown Seattle

On Thursday Dear, Katie and I decided to spend the day in Downtown Seattle.

 

We thought it was high time to drag Dear far away from the Basement Project that he has been putting many hours into while he’s been in Washington.

 

He’s been working on upgrading some plumbing and electrical and structural issues. He is also doing some preventative water proofing.

 

This is the Hammering Man outside the Seattle Art Museum. I wanted to take a picture from this side so I could get the building in the background that looks like a roll-on deodorant. That’s the building where Dear worked for Immunex before Amgen bought them out.

Our first stop in Downtown Seattle was the Seattle Art Museum. Every first Thursday of the month you can visit the museum for free. We toured the regular exhibits and then headed south to Post Alley at the Pike Place Market to go to the Perennial Tea Room to buy some Earl Grey loose leaf tea.

 

For lunch we headed to Pioneer Square and parked and then walked a few blocks to Fado. Fado is a nice Irish Pub in Seattle. We enjoyed some Fish and Chips, Sheepherder’s Pie and some Lamb Popsicles. Of course someone had to order a Guinness while we were in Ireland an Irish Pub far, far away from Eire.

 

We discovered a beautiful waterfall right in the heart of Pioneer Square across the street from the Fire Station #1.

 

 

Seattle is home to the Utilikilt. We also have Native American Culture that permeates our environs. I would love to just walk around Downtown sometime and take photos of all the great architecture. The Pergola in the last square of this collage had to be rebuilt after a truck plowed into it and destroyed it a few years ago.

 

Before we headed home we stood in line for a very long time to get into Salumi. Salumi is Mario Batali’s father Armandino Batali’s Italian Restaurant and Deli in Pioneer Square. We wanted to buy a couple chubs of salami. We bought the Salumi Salami and the Finocchioni. They produce these artisan meats themselves and let me tell you if you are going to be bad and have fatty, salty, yummy salami this is the stuff you want!!

You can check out their website and even order online.

We clocked a good 9000 steps and rewarded ourselves as usual with lots of good food and drink. Hope your evening and Friday are wonderful. We’re headed to another wedding Friday night…

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Ruby Tuesday ~ Country Village

 

I took a little trip to Country Village in Bothell, Washington last week. There was an abundance of red to photograph here! Here’s what their website says about the village.

 

Shop, dine and feed
the chickens …

Over 40 shops and restaurants clustered among beautifully landscaped gardens, ponds, wandering paths, picnic and play areas.

Everything from fabulous home decor and original art, to antiques and innovative toys!

 

You can even find anything you need for Belly Dancing at the Ottoman Trading Co.

My favorite find on my visit was not red at all but predominately blue. Madame Fifi’s Tea Room and Bakery. I had a lovely lunch topped off with some delicious scones.

For more Ruby Tuesday head over to Maryt’s at Work of the Poet.

To read more about Country Village you can click over to their Website.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Madam Fifi’s Tea Room in Bothell

 

What a lovely discovery I made today on one of my adventures, Madam Fifi’s Tea Room and Bakery located at Country Village in Bothell.

 

The Tea Room was decorated with all this lovely blue.

 

I enjoyed a half-sandwich with a salad and Earl Grey Tea. I was surprised when a plate of scones came out at the end of my meal. So surprised that I took a bite before I could photograph it. All the food I had was delicious and fresh tasting. The scones were melt in your mouth perfect with just enough cream and lemon curd. Hmmm, I wonder why I’m not losing weight!? :0)

 

 

 

There are lots of tea accessories for sale in the Tea Room, too.

 

 

I would recommend Madam Fifi’s Tea Room. Lana, I’d love take you here for your birthday!

To see the menu and hours go to their website.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Crockpot Ranch Chicken

I was on a quest to make a meal with my crockpot while in Washington because that is where my crockpot lives. I looked around some blogs and found this one and now I’m ashamed to say I can’t find/remember the blog I heisted this recipe off of. I thought it was Susanne’s but when I went back I couldn’t find it. If this is your recipe let me know and I’ll give credit where credit is due…

 

Crockpot Ranch Chicken

12-18 drumsticks or thighs skin removed. (I used 12 thighs)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons bottled ranch
2 tablespoons flour

Spray or oil the sides and bottom of the crock lightly. Very lightly salt the chicken pieces and place them in the pot. Combine soup, sour cream and ranch dressing packet and pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Remove chicken carefully with slotted spoon. Mix bottled ranch and flour then whisk into the liquid in the crockpot. Put chicken back into pot for 30 more minutes. Serve with Rotini noodles.

This was so easy to make and it was very tasty. I would make it again. Both my son and daughter enjoyed it, too.

Blog Hop ’08 ~ Hopping Rice Krispy Bars!

Welcome to Blog Hop ’08 with ellen b. Info all about me is in my profile button on my header. I’ve been bloggin a little over a year now. I’m keeping this simple and offering you a great recipe that kids and adults enjoy. Blessings on you!

I’m reposting my Peanut Butter ~ Chocolate-Butterscotch Rice Krispy Bar Recipe here for Blog-hop ’08. It’s a wonderful quick treat for blog parties, barbecues and picnics. Robin at Pensieve is hosting this party so click on over and check it out. You can visit more party posts from her site!

To make these wonderful bars you will need 1 cup sugar, 1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup, 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, 6 cups Rice Krispies, 1 cup Butterscotch Chips and 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

 

Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup karo light syrup just to a boil mixing well. Take off heat and add 1 cup peanut butter and mix till smooth.

Add 6 cups Rice Krispies and mix till all the krispies are coated well.

 

Put this mixture into a well greased 9×12 pan and press down evenly into the pan. Mix both the butterscotch and chocolate chips into microwaveable bowl and microwave at 3-30second intervals, mixing well after each 30 seconds. Mix together till smooth. (You can use the double boiler method to melt your chips if you prefer). Pour entire mixture on top of the pressed down Rice Krispies and spread to cover.

Give it some time to cool and set then cut and serve. Enjoy!

While you are waiting for the bars to set up here’s a Margarita, your choice a double or a single! Oh and for those of you joining the party early in the morning these margaritas are probably grossing you out so here, have a nice cup of french press coffee!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed your visit! Thanks Robin!

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.