Enjoyable Saturday

Audrey and I went to the Valley Mall to see Dragon 2. It was a cute second edition to the series. Hiccup and Toothless chart un-mapped territories and discover a secret ice cave, home to the Dragon Rider. There was a sad part of the movie - why I need to bring tissues even to cartoons!

This weekend was the Stake Youth Conference and they had the youth go into "missions". On Friday they started by finding out about their area and eating food from that region or country. On Saturday they went on actual splits with the missionaries assigned to our area. And then in the evening, a family would feed them dinner. That's where we came in. We drove out to the stake center, brought the two young men to our home, fed them dinner, let them teach us a short lesson, and then we drove them back to the stake center for the remainder of their conference.  We served them spaghetti, veggies, olive cheese bread and blueberry parfaits.

OLIVE CHEESE BREAD
1 loaf French bread
6 ounces Pimiento-stuffed green olives
6 ounces black olives
2 stalks green onions
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 pounds Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

Roughly chop both black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Slice green onions into thin pieces. Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning. Mixture can also be refrigerated (up to two days) and used as a dip with crackers.

Note: This was tasty. Made a lot! I would half the recipe. Plus, the French bread was really hard to cut once it was cooked (crunchy), plus cutting around the hot cheese. So perhaps putting this on sliced French bread rolls on a cookie sheet would be an easier way to bake and serve.

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE JARS
serves 6
For the graham cracker crust layer:
1 heaping cup of graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter
Combine all ingredients and "tamp" about 3 tablespoons into each jar or cup.
For the cheesecake layer:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
Place all of the cheesecake ingredients in the bowl and with a hand mixer, whip until smooth and fluffy. Divide evenly among the 6 containers, placing on top of the graham cracker crust layer.
For the blueberry layer:
1 (20oz) can blueberry pie filling
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Mix fruit filling with extract and divide evenly among the 6 containers.

Father's Day Celebrations

For Father's Day we celebrated all weekend! Saturday we went downtown to the AMC theaters to see Edge of Tomorrow. It starred Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise. Cruise played a military officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is dropped into an alien war. Killed within minutes, he finds himself in a time loop, forcing him to live out the same combat over and over. With each battle he increases his skill and begins to work alongside the Emily Blunt, a Special Forces warrior. The movie had lots of action, suspense and even some funny moments.

Afterward we headed back to where we parked, but stopped to check out the recently renovated Huntington Park. The park features viewpoints where you can see the lower Spokane Falls below the new City Hall Plaza. Signs tell you about the hydroelectric history of the region.

Next up was lunch (or breakfast) at Old European restaurant. Audrey got the crepes filled with sweet cream, I got potato pancakes served with applesauce and John ordered a club sandwich.

Because John had meetings on Sunday, we decided to do the present opening on Saturday. Sidney Kitty even decided to help. John got 2 new dress shirts and a couple of blu-rays, including the Oceans Trilogy. The bag labeled "Dad's secret stache" was full of candy bars that Audrey had bought for John.

Sunday: John asked me to make Chicken Enchiladas for dinner. This is an oldie-but-goodie recipe that I had not made in awhile. Then the Cleaver's had us over for homemade ice cream that evening. Alyx made a cinnamon crunch ice cream (with rice krispies) and a raspberry sorbet. *I'll update the post if I get the recipes from her :)

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
Grated cheddar cheese
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1 onion, chopped
1 can (7 oz) diced green chilies
1 pkg flour tortillas
1 can olives, sliced

Brown chicken, onions and chilies in a pan. Add soup, sour cream and cheese to mixture. In a greased 9x13 pan fill flour tortillas with sop/chicken mixture. Roll and fill entire pan, with seam down. Pour remaining soup/chicken mixture over top. Cover with cheese. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until well heated.

Orchard Prairie Cemetery

While mom and Audrey did their annual Memorial Day cemetery tour, John and I went to Orchard Prairie cemetery to visit my dad's grave. John felt so bad because when he was taking the arrangement out of the container, it broke in half!!

Bet my dad was laughing : )

So instead of a circular wreath, we improvised:

Mother's Day Saturday

Today we went to the Browne's Addition neighborhood for the annual MAC (Museum of Arts and Culture) Mother's Day tour. Each year they choose a different neighborhood to highlight and provide the historical details of the homes. We don't go every year, but when we do go - it is a treat!

This year's tour featured six homes in Browne's Addition. Established in 1883, Browne's Addition was Spokane's first neighborhood and considered one of the oldest in Washington. For decades this neighborhood was the home of the city's elite residents. The tour included a wide array of architectural styles:

• The Campbell House (2316 W. 1st) was built in 1898 for Amasa B. Campbell, who made his fortune from the mining industry in Idaho. The home was designed by Kirtland Cutter and features elements of the Tudor architectural style including its steeply-pitched roof, wood shingles, decorative bargeboards on the gable ends, half-timbering, and diamond-paned windows. 
• The Reid House (2315 W. 1st) was built in 1899 and designed by architect Albert Held for Charles Hoffman, a real estate and mining broker. Reid House is a Craftsman Bungalow with elements of Tudor Revival. Notable features include a clinker brink living room fireplace and inglenook, a wraparound front porch, a butler's pantry and a second floor sleeping porch.  
• The Page-Ufford House (364 S. CDA Street) was constructed in 1896 for Alba and Flora Page. Page was a wealthy financier who specialized in loans, investments and mineral properties. The home features Queen Anne style including bay windows, wraparound porch, steep-pitched roof, and a turret. It was one of the earliest homes constructed in Browne's Addition.
• Westgate Apartments (2306 W. Pacific Avenue) were constructed in 1908 for the Kaminsky family and it a three-story multi-family building with six Pullman-style flats. The Pullman style is names after sleeping car trains designed by the Pullman Company in the early 1900s. The space is a long and narrow, and commonly seen in Chicago and other Midwestern cities. Built in the Spanish Colonial architectural style, the Westgate features small arches on the second floor frontal facade to each side of the large central arch above the entrance.. 
• Clark Mansion (2208 W. 2nd) was designed by Kirtland Cutter in 1898 for Patsy Clark, an Irish immigrant who made his fortune in the mining industry. The exterior of the 3 and 1/2 story home suggests Spanish and Moorish influences, including rounded corner towers and arched loggias. A few of the rooms include a French drawing room, a foyer with Moorish style influences, a dining room constructed in an English Medieval theme, and a Chinese-inspired gambling room. The home housed the Patsy Clark Restaurant from 1982-2001. Today the mansion house a law firm, but the main level is available for private events. 
• The Loewenberg- Roberts House (1923 W. 1st) was designed in 1889 by architect W.J. Carpenter for Bernard Loewenberg, owner of Loewenberg Mercantile. The stock market crash of 1893 bankrupted Loewenberg and by 1898 he agreed to trade houses with Empire Builder E.J. Roberts, the chief engineer of the DC Corbin Railway Systems and founder of Union Iron Works. The home is an example of the Queen Anne design with features such as decorative spindle work, square-cut granite foundation, a second floor gallery extending out to create a porch, and a round turret. The home is now a bed and breakfast. 

Afterward we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory downtown for lunch. I ordered the baked lasagna, John got a Roy Rogers and pasta with meat sauce while Audrey got an Italian soda and pasta with marinara sauce. We love the spumoni that comes with the end of the meal!  What a wonderful day before Mother's Day!!

Trees

I talked John into buying some trees to plant along the fence line between our house and the neighbors. I always feel like we are invading their privacy when we walk in our back yard, since we had a clear view into their yard. The part that I failed to take into consideration was that I would be participating in the planting of these trees. Hah! We purchased 18 of them.... but they do look lovely now that we are done!! Took a few days to put them all in.

DURING

AFTER

A Busy Weekend

John went with the young men / varsity scouts to the Mountain Man Rendezvous. They had a great turnout (Dakota, Michael W, Zach, Michael A, Derek, Hudson, Lance, Garrett and leaders John, Dave A, Craig S). They left Friday night and stayed through Saturday.

 I sent them with s'mores cereal bars. John said they did not last long at all.

S'mores Cereal Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows
1 (12-ounce) box Golden Graham cereal
1 (10-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips
Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan over low heat, until marshmallows are melted - roughly 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Carefully stir in the cereal until evenly mixed, then allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Press into the prepared pan. Then press the remaining chocolate chips on top. Cool completely, then cut into squares.

While John was camping, I went to the Stake Women's Conference and accompanied Becky Stevens on a song. Stayed for the luncheon (yummy sandwiches, chips and cupcakes), then headed to Lydia's wedding and reception. She had a western theme and had a catered dinner (hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, beans, and a lemonade stand). Her mother (Molly) made her cake - cake stand was a tree trunk - and decorated it to look like a birch tree. It was pretty cool.

Finally, the place we stayed in New Mexico to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary? They were featured in the Martha Stewart Living magazine, so I had to go pick up a copy.

Easter

Easter Sunday morning was spent at church. I accompanied the choir on their two numbers, "In the Silent Garden" and "He is Risen from the Dead". After church we went home and enjoyed a simple meal of deviled eggs, church potatoes, and a new recipe - Orange Pineapple Fluff. I would call it a dessert - almost.

Of course we had to check in our Easter baskets - if you zoom in you can probably guess whose basket belongs to who...

Church Potatoes
2 can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. grated onion
1 package (32oz) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed cornflakes
Additional melted butter, about 4 tablespoons

In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, 1/2 cup butter and the onion. Stir in potatoes and cheese. Transfer to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Toss cornflakes with about 4 tablespoons melted butter; sprinkle over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Orange Pineapple Fluff
1 (8oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 pkg (3.4oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup mini-marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 and 1/2 cups thawed whipped topping

Mix first 5 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Stir in whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Captain America

We went to AMC theaters and saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier today. Great movie - lots of action and adventure! Plot follows Steve Rogers as he works to embrace his role in the modern world. He battles a new threat, the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

April Activities

We had a free movie ticket so went to see Muppets Most Wanted on Saturday evening (4/5). It was "ok". Not my favorite Muppets movie. In fact, John fell asleep! The plot had the Muppets on a world tour and found themselves wrapped into a jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike.

John started a mini-yard project. The paving blocks that surrounded a flower bed (between the cement patio and deck) had settled over the years. He removed them and then put them back after leveling the base.

April Fools Day

Today while at work I got a call from Cindy, our warehouse admin, letting me know that I had a delivery. I certainly was not expecting anything and was extremely surprised it was from ProFlowers. When I saw they were from John, those in her office wondered what the occasion was. I had no clue! I took the box back to my office to open the card. Here is what it read: Happy Un-April Fools day. LAJ. They look great with my Easter table decorations. Thanks honey!!

Relief Society Dinner

We had the adult Relief Society dinner tonight. The meal was served "family-style" where a bowl of the chicken enchilada, flour tortillas, chips, cowboy caviar and sour cream sauce was on each table. The centerpiece was a pie that one of the sisters had brought, so each table had a unique flavor of pie. There was some "trading" at the end if another table had a pie flavor you had a hankering for. It was nice to have time to visit and eat without worrying about standing in line. After the meal there was a short program. I accompanied Molly as she performed a vocal number.

Chile Lime Sour Cream Sauce
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp Chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
Juice of one lime
Combine ingredients and refrigerate overnight.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Recipe
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
10 oz enchilada sauce
1 yellow onion, diced
1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken and shred in a bowl.

Cowboy Caviar
1 can black eye peas, drain and rinse
1 can black beans, drain and rinse
1 can whole kernel corn, drain and rinse
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
3 TB minced garlic
1-2 TB lime juice
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 each avocados - just before serving, dice and add to recipe

Dressing: Mix and pour on mixture overnight or several hours before serving
1 dry Italian seasoning mix packet
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vinegar

Church Things

2/2 - Audrey is now the Relief Society secretary under President Ronda Fosburg.

2/9 - Sam played a piano duet with Dan Cutler, "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" from this website
http://www.defordmusic.com/sheet-music/alphabetical-list/my-heavenly-father-loves-me/

2/9 - John and Sam are now the Temple Prep teachers.

2/13 - Relief Society Activity at the church - Waffle Bar

2/23 - Visiting Teaching Open House with Chocolate Fountain at the Fosburg's.

Monuments Men

Went to Riverpark Square and saw Monuments Men today. The movie was directed by George Clooney. Starred George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balabn, Hugh Bonneville and Cate Blanchett. "The Monuments Men" is a group of men (in real life around 350, and in this film 7) who are tasked with finding and saving the historically and culturally significant fine art, monuments and archives that had been stolen by the Nazis during World War II. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the film and the stories of the main characters. It was interesting to me as it was not something I was aware had happened during WWII.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was a Friday this year and also the start of a 4-day-weekend for many, so John and I decided to celebrate early and went to Black Angus on Wednesday 02/12 instead. Happy birthday Abraham Lincoln!

Audrey says I have a "problem" - - see below...they had a sale on my very favorite candy so I had to stock up!! Russell Stover Dark Chocolate covered marshmallow hearts are the best. At Easter, they have marshmallow eggs. The shape does not matter, but must be Dark chocolate (rather than milk). Yum!

Super Bowl 48

Super Bowl XLVIII was the first Super Bowl played outdoors in a cold-weather city (New Jersey) and the first game that I watched in its entirety.  The Seattle Seahawks played the Denver Broncos. The game featured the top offense (Denver) against the top defense (Seahawks), something that last occurred in the 2003 Super Bowl.

Here we are ready for the game and decked out in our Seahawks gear! Even the kitty has prepped herself by taking full control of the remote!

On the first play of the game, 12 seconds into the game, the Broncos snapped the ball, it flew past Peyton Manning into the end zone, where Seattle picked up a safety. The quickest score in Super Bowl history (2-0). Scoring results by quarter: Seahawks - 8|14|14|7 and Broncos 0|0|8|0 .  The Seahawks defeated the Broncos 34-8, the third largest point differential in Super Bowl history. This became the first Super Bowl victory for the Seahawks!!

I thought the game was enjoyable to watch, but true football fans felt it was a tad boring. However, it was the most watched television program in US history with 111.5 million viewers! The halftime show featuring Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers was entertaining. And of course we had to have our snacks ready. We had chocolate football cupcakes, Ruffles with onion dip, Spinach Dip with French bread, Little Smokies in BBQ sauce, and Hot Cheese Bean Dip with tortilla chips.

Hot Cheese Bean Dip
1 can (16oz) refried beans
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup green onions, diced
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2/3 cup salsa (extra liquid drained)
1 can (4oz) diced green chilies (drained)
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Mix everything together. Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 45-60 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spinach Dip
1 package (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (16oz) container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix (the yellow package)
3 green onions, chopped finely

Make sure spinach is thoroughly dry. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Optional: can add diced water chestnuts if desired. Serve with French bread.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

We went to see the new Jack Ryan movie with John's brother, Steve, while his wife (Angela) and daughter (Katie) saw another movie (Saving Mr Banks).

I did not know this, but the Jack Ryan character has been around for awhile - Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October; Harrison Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger; and Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears. This movie stars Chris Pine as Jack Ryan with Kevin Costner and Kiera Knightley in main roles. Jack as a covert CIA analyst uncovers a Russian plot to crash the US economy with a terrorist attack. It was a enjoyable way to spend a Saturday!

Free Cafe Rio !

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill finally came to Spokane! Thanks to someone posting on Facebook, I was able to snag a coupon for a pre-opening event held this evening. The coupon entitled 2 people to order free food. Since the 3 of us went, we just ordered two meals - the 2 taco plate and the enchilada style burrito plate, plus an order of Tres Leches cake. Come to find out when we handed her the coupon, we could have ordered anything (and everything) on the menu - it was basically free food to those in the restaurant. But sharing the two meals was plenty of food, since they came with rice and beans and drinks. The restaurant was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, so running into a ton of friends from church was not a surprise! Every time someone headed to Utah, they always had to get their Cafe Rio "fix". It was fun to see the Cleavers, Nelsons, Conrads, and Whalens. Thankfully we got there pretty early - - the line snaked outside the door and into the parking lot!!

Busy Weekend

John's weekend was busy with the Klondike Derby on Friday night and all day Saturday. Who thinks of this stuff.... camping in the snow? He came home with everything soaking wet and smelling like a campfire. I know it is to teach outdoor survival skills, but perhaps the bigger lesson is a grateful heart for the warm clothes and home to return to?

While John froze, Audrey and I went downtown to Aunties Bookstore to pick up a particular journal Audrey needed in one of her EWU classes. Then we drove by the Display House and stopped to check out their going-out-of-business sale. The store has been in business for 30 years and was always a fun place to browse or purchase party supplies and costumes. With other retail options available to consumers, they have had to cut back in recent years and finally close their doors in early 2014. We were able to buy some fun costumes at a great deal (Muppets, Munsters, Werewolf).

When we got home from our errands, we had a message from the Thompson's inviting us to see the Saratov Approach at the Garland. The Saratov Approach recounts the true story of two missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were abducted in Russia in March 1998. While following up on a teaching contact, Elder Tuttle and Propst arrive at an apartment, are jumped and beaten by two captors and taken to a remote location. The missionaries find themselves in the middle of a terrifying hostage situation with a $300,000 ransom. Even though I knew the outcome, it was still interesting to watch the plot unfold. After the movie they had a Q&A session with Andrew Propst. It was interesting to hear his answers to some of the questions that were not addressed during the film. Thanks to the Thompson's for inviting us!

Belated Birthday Celebration

December certainly gets busy, so we held off on my birthday movie and lunch until today.  Saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (second in the series) at AMC. Loved it! Of course Audrey made me watch the first movie (An Unexpected Journey) before we went so I would be "caught up". I had read the J.R.R. Tolkien story as a youth so was familiar with the plot line. Knew the spiders were going to make an appearance! Audrey laughed when I was squirming in my seat.

Then we went to Clinkerdagger's for a late lunch. They seated us by the window.

Audrey ordered the fettuccine and John ordered the turkey combo sandwich. He started eating before we could snap a picture! Audrey thought hers was too spicy (it was) so John traded with her halfway.

I ordered my favorite, the open-faced crab sandwich with the Broadway pea salad. Yum!

Christmas Eve

We went to mom's for Christmas Eve. Everyone brought a couple items to add to the menu of appetizers and desserts. Note for next year - we each only need to bring one thing... way too much (yummy) food!  We brought Cougar Gold cheese and crackers; pimento cheese stuffed celery; Jalapeno Popper Dip; and two types of meatballs (Swedish and BBQ). Recipes are at the end of this post. Yup, we could have brought less food!! Note John taste testing the cheese? He's wearing his new Christmas t-shirt (Chile Dogs) that we got in New Mexico. See the green and red chiles on the dogs? Refers, of course, to the "Red or Green" salsa question you have when eating in New Mexico.

The Cougar Gold cheese is a great story. I tried to pick some up at the WSU Spokane bookstore and they said they would be out of stock until January. I sent an email to my Safeway store manager in Pullman asking if he would know how to get some. He (Ray Stirling) and the Assistant (Rob Knapp) went to the WSU creamery, bought 2 cans ($30 each), brought them up to Spokane and then would not let me pay for them! Said "No.. drop it....we love you". Sweet!  PS - as an interesting side note, John reminded me that while we were in New Mexico in the gift shop at Los Poblanos, they had WSU Cougar Gold cheese in their cooler. They had to include the cost of shipping, so their retail was $49. Interesting to see a bit of the Pacific Northwest on our trip to New Mexico.

Cheyenne entertained us with some piano music. She does not look thrilled, but I think she enjoys sharing her talents. I thought this picture of Mariska and Cheyenne was great!!

Below are pictures from our gift opening. Top photo: tree in library, Grandma, the girls - Cheyenne, Mariska, Audrey. Bottom photo: Tyler and Mariska, the group (Dakota, Mom, Audrey, Shaune). Grandma got Audrey a Susan Boyle CD, a WSU Cougar key chain and some earrings. She gave John pistachios and gave me some earrings and a light aqua, (very soft), knitted scarf. We gave her some DVDs for her movie collection and some lavender items from our Los Poblanos stay.

This was the first year that we did not do a gift exchange between families (only to/from grandma), so we made sure to have some activities to keep everyone entertained. One of the activities was a clay thumbprint showman ornament. Supplies included Polymer clay (white, black, orange, and assorted colors for scarves), eye-hooks, and thumbs!  Roll three balls of white clay. Stack them closely together. Press the thumbs evenly into each of the balls. Add decorations. Insert the eye-hook. Bake the ornaments according to package instructions. Cool. Optional: Paint a thin coat of glaze over ornament. Mom's is the red scarf, mine is the blue scarf, Cheyenne's is the pink scarf. Then Michelle got off work and she and Mariska made the cutest ones - the ones along the bottom.

Then things started getting silly. Dakota was heard to say "Someone had too much eggnog". Cheyenne was heard to say "Grandma, your butt fell off" because her ornament needed some TLC before going into the oven.

Dakota and John played the slapping game. John is quite good, but I think Dakota gave him a run for his money. John was heard to say "Tell me when you've had enough".

Michelle had specifically asked if we could do Whoville hair like Cindy Lou Who on the Grinch movies. Michelle started with my hair - I thought she did an awesome job! Then Mariska did Cheyenne's hair and then Michelle and Cheyenne did Grandma's hair. Michelle was heard to say "Shaune, I need some wire cutters" as she made her way to Grandma's tree....shhhh!!

John was heard to say "Shaune, nice nuts!"

Cheyenne scared me with this fake mouse

We had a great time, a crazy time, a goofy time. Let's do it again!!

Grandma Whisler's Pimento Cheese Stuffed Celery
1 (4oz) jar diced pimentos, drained
Mayonnaise
Cheddar cheese, shredded (small shreds best - mixture of medium/sharp cheese is good)
Celery

No amounts - this recipe is by taste. Wash celery, pat dry. Mix pimentos, mayo and cheese in a bowl. Spread mixture on celery stalks. Cut into chunks. Can use leftovers on bread or crackers, but tastes best on celery.

Jalapeno Popper Dip
2 (8oz) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese (divided)
4 oz an chopped green chiles (not drained)
40 can chopped jalapenos (not drained)
1 cup Panko bead crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
Dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Using an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, Mexican blend cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, green chiles and jalapenos. Mix until smooth and totally combined. Spread the mixture into the casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix together Panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley and melted butter. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over dip filling. Bake for 20 minutes (on the middle rack). Do not overcook. Topping should be golden brown and the dip should be gently bubbling around the edges. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Swedish Meatballs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup butter, cubed

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Crumble beef and pork over mixture; mix well. Shape into 1.5 inch balls. In a large skilled, cook meatballs in butter in batches until no longer pink. (Or bake in 350 degree oven in rimmed cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until no longer pink). Remove and keep warm.

Dill Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dill seed
In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients until blended. Stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over meatballs.