To OR and Back in 72 Hours

My husband and I had the opportunity to travel to OR for the wedding of a close friend we had not seen in four years. It was a looooonnnng drive, about 11 hours each way, before figuring in food, rest, and gassing up pit stops. So we spent about 24 hours in the car, of the three day trip.
My husband was given the honor of being a groomsmen, so we attended the rehearsal dinner Friday and then spent more time than not at the church Saturday. This left me lots of time to read, play games on my Kindle, and otherwise entertain myself before the ceremony began.
The ceremony was sweet (and short). The bride looked lovely. The groom looked very sharp (he is in the Air Force so he wore his Blues). The attendants all looked great, and the littlest attendants were very cute. The reception was nice, and then the bride and groom were off.
My husband and I spent the rest of the getting some much needed rest. Travel always wears a person out it seems. Then Sunday we got up early and made the long drive back to MT.
Here are some of the best photos of our trip.

 This is neat iron statue in Ritzville, WA. There was also a frontier man, but I was too cold to take a photo of both.

 There was a very long stretch where the GPS kept telling us to go straight.

 My wonderful husband, who drove the ENTIRE way there and back.

 My husband and I waiting for the ceremony to begin.

 The colors were purple and green. (The cake was tasty.)

 The pretty broach on the bride's dress.

 The newlyweds cutting the cake!

 The ring bearer, what a cutie!

 The groom giving a toast.

 The beautiful sunrise as we drove through Portland on the way back.

We drove through some clouds and fog, and this was a tree farm along the way. It was a little creepy.

Gnocchi Mushroom Alfredo

Gnocchi Alfredo

2 lb Gnocchi (Recipe calls for frozen, but we use dry packaged)

3 Tbsp Butter, Divided

1 Tbsp plus 1 ½ all purpose flour

1 ½ C. Milk

½ C. grated Parmesan Cheese

Dash Ground Nutmeg

½ lb sliced baby Portobello mushrooms

Minced fresh Parsely, optional

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; Cook and stir 1-2 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and nutmeg until blended. Keep warm. (I like the homemade sauce, but my husband much prefers the Alfredo sauce from a jar bought at the store. Both taste good, so use whichever you wish.)

Drain gnocchi. In a large heavy skillet, cook remaining butter over medium heat until golden brown (do not burn). Add mushroom s and gnocchi. Cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until gnocchi are slightly browned and mushrooms are tender.

Serve with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

This recipe has me wanting more Every time I make it! It's so simple and easy, I can't believe it tastes so good! I like it so much I just might have to try my hand at homemade gnocchi.

Enjoy!

Kate

P.S.I found this recipe in the Taste of Home Aug 2009 issue.

Over the Holidays Crafts

It's always fun to see friends and family light up with delight after the wrapping is torn away, when gifting for any  reason and I think it means just a little more when the gift is handmade. On my end, it's a welcome change from the busy hustle and bustle of the stores, especially at Christmastime.

Here are a few of the things I made over the holidays.

 

This paper flower wreath was a gift for a friend. We both liked the look so much, but didn't want to pay what the stores wanted. I found the tutorial online at Under the Table and Dreaming and added the ribbon to jazz it up a little. I was unable to find a wreath form at a reasonable cost so I ended up choosing plastic piping from the local hardware store.

 

Such cute little birds! I have a friend who has a thing for birds, and these were so cute I just couldn't resist making her a couple!  You can find the how to at Skip to My Lou. They were fairly simple, even given my very limited hand sewing experience.

 This owl is cute as a button! He was a gift for my 5 year old nephew. He immediately gave him a squeeze upon opening the wrapping paper. So it seems he's a "hoot." The pattern was off the internet, but the directions were in another language, not very helpful. It was a little bit of a miracle that he came together okay. :-)

 These last two photos are Christmas garlands I made for my sisters and a friend. They were just a little something special to get them in the Christmas mood. I found the idea on several blogs, and I took the best the suggestions and combined them to meet my needs. I cut the shapes from felt, after tracing from cookie cutters. Then I sewed them together on the machine.I didn't like how bare they looked, sort of unconnected, so I added the rickrack, which I think was the perfect finishing touch!