Christmas Morning -

With all the hustle and bustle that goes along with the Holidays, all the wishes, hopes and pleas to Santa, all the "extra good" kiddies doing nice things and hoping that list gets checked twice -

It's nice to know Santa got it right again ---- PRICELESS!

Merry Christmas to all -

Grandma B -

I am "Grandma B" to all my grandkiddies (and a number of other's who I am also honored to have call me that), except to this little one -My Cate calls me "Gammy O". It took us a little while to figure out that's what she was calling me, but sure enough - to this little one, that's what my name is.

Little Cate has a real "Grammy O", it's her other Grandma, whom she also affectionally calls "Gammy O", here she is with her grandkiddies -

Despite the many "corrections" she receives from her family she still calls me "Gammy O", and I have come to adore it! It may not last as she gets older but until then, I can't think of anyone else I would want to share a name with! I hope we share the same place in her heart!

A GRAND Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving this year was a return to "The Grand" with the whole family for their yummy buffet. The kids especially, LOVED their own buffet table - here are just a few pictures Jamie and Nixon (his 1st Thanksgiving)
Grandpa & Grandma with our little guy -

Guess who LOVED the Chocolate Fountain?????

Even Cate - here she is enjoying a big chocolate covered strawberry

Ah, yes, there were chocolate smiles everywhere!

The Bohn Family

The Olson Family -

Cousin's who LOVE each other

Another nice thing about the Grand is their free family pictures. We ventured over to get one, and here we are, the whole family. Please notice our little Cate, you probably had to be there to really appreciate the whole thing but let's just say we were really lucky to get a picture of her peaking her head out from behind the cushions she stowed away in.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Ours was "GRAND" and we hope yours was too!

Tear in my eye proud -

So, remember a few posts back about my "attempts" at growing cauliflower this summer and how disappointed I was over my lack of gardening skills? Remember? Here's a picture of my gigantic plants -

Well, when I went to pull up my garden to prepare for winter, low and behold, nestled and well hidden, guess what I found

Yes, CAULIFLOWER! Three of them to be exact -

There they were! I was so excited I'll bet the whole neighborhood could hear my shouts of joy! Yes, they were small (one was very, very small), but none the less - SUCCESS!

Oh, just LOOK at them! I'm still amazed!
It's like they just popped up overnight! Anyway, I was very thrilled - they tasted SO good.

While glancing over my pictures, I also found these pictures I had taken this summer of my brothers garden. I think he has a "garden whisperer"

Don't you agree?

Maybe if I "talked" to my garden in the same manner, it would be more productive, like his -

Maybe I'll try a "garden whisperer" next year to see how much more productive my garden can be (how about it Michelle?)

Sink your teeth into this....

I have - its SO yummy!

Halloween Peanut Butter & Toffee Bark
1 LB Bittersweet chocolate chips
3 2.1 oz Butterfinger candy bars (cut into 1" irregular pieces)
3 1.4 oz Skor or Heath toffee bars (cut into 3/4" irregular pieces)
8 .55 oz peanut butter cups cut into 8 wedges
1/4 c honey roasted peanuts
3 oz high quality white chocolate (i.e. Lindt)
Reese's Pieces and peanut M&M's coursley chopped

Line baking sheet with foil. Sitr chocolate chips in medium sauce pan over low heat until melted and warm (NOT hot). Pour chocolate onto foil and spread to 1/4" thickness (about a 12 x 10-inch rectangle). Sprinkle with Butterfinger, toffee, peanut butter cups and nuts, making sure all pieces touch melted chocolate to adhere. Put white chocolate in small saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until chocolate is melted and warm. Remove from heat and dip spoon into chocolate, wave spoon from side to side over bark creating zigzag lines. Scatter Reese's Pieces and peanut M&M's over, making sure candy touches melted chocolate.
Chill bark until firm, 30 minutes. Slide foil with candy onto work surface, peel off foil and cut bark into irregular pieces.

Good luck Sister Forman -

This is Sister Ali Forman, our niece. She is leaving Wednesday to serve in the Washington Kennowick Mission (Spanish speaking). We are so proud of her and want to wish her good luck!

We love you Ali, and will see you in a "little while!"

Breakfast with the Witches

We got to have breakfast with the witches before Halloween - and it was lots of fun. They weren't scary at all, in fact, they were quite fun and put on a yummy spread!

As you can tell, Annie DID NOT like the attention from any of them, however, they were all full of life and laughter anyway. These witches had talent and put on a nice program to entertain us, complete with a rat choir and a rousing, active take on "Dem Bones"

Afterward, we did the usual, walked around and browsed shops (with the million other people). Annie asked if she could take some pictures with my camera and I let her. While looking through my pictures, I laughed at this feather on the floor she was so fixated with

But hey, look at the rest of these -

Lots better than I think I could have done. Here is the little photographer herself -

Happy Halloween !!

Master Gardner....NOT!

I have a garden that I tend to every year. It's not big - but is sufficient for our needs, you know. We plant the usual things, tomatoes, beans, squash, colored swiss chard, onions - you get the idea. This year I thought I'd branch out and introduce a new item to the usual - some cauliflower. I've even grown it before and it didn't turn out too bad, small - but it grew and produced. Well, I've been nurturing my little cauliflower plants all summer long and been SO excited about how big and beautiful this vegi was getting until I discovered...no fruit - or I mean, no vegetable whatsoever, no where. But --- I do have big, huge, beautiful cauliflower leaves:

4 of these babies to be exact. We have managed to find other uses for the leaves, like a fan - Cate, still loving the playhouse, grills them now and again - We use them to line baskets to hold pretty flowers - Even as plates to hold our BBQ's Just this year, we won't be eating any of this Well, we'll be eating it - just not fresh, from my garden. Maybe next year -

Miss Cate gets a new DO!

Marisa and I took little Cate to get her first "official" hair cut last week - she wasn't all that excited - but did like her little pink car

She also needed a little hug (reassurance) from mom part way through (I think mom needed it to!)

Introducing our little Miss Cate -sporting her new look

Breakfast - Part 2

I made another yummy breakfast I thought I'd share. This is a "one dish wonder" and was really easy to make. This recipe only made 2 servings, but it certainly is easy enough to just double - or triple - or whatever.

First, preheat the oven to 400 degress. Cook 4 slices bacon until crispy (NOT burnt)

Drain on paper towel and pour off drippings from skillet, but save them. Add 3 - 4 oz. fresh spinach (or chard, since I have a ton of it in my garden and I like the pretty colors!) to the skillet and sprinkle with black pepper - toss over medium heat until spinach begins to wilt -

Transfer spinach to a strainer set over a bowl (or in the sink) to drain. Brush 2, 1-cup ramekins with bacon drippings. Crumble bacon into small pieces -

Place 1 toasted English muffin half, split side up, in each ramekin.

Split the spinach between ramekins and place on top of english muffin -

Sprinkle with crumbled bacon

With back of spoon, shape a well in the center of each ramekin and "gently" crack 1 egg into the well - keeping yolk intact.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon cream over each egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Pop into the oven and bake until whites are just set, but yolks are runny - about 14 - 16 minutes

ENJOY!