SALAD AND PIE....TO SHARE

As the sun sets in the West...it's suppertime... again.

So... what are you going to fix tonight? What do you want?

I don't know, what do you feel like? Well somebody

better do something...I'm starving!

Come on you lazy dogs, it's time to shake a leg!

Mom needs some help with supper...come on!

It's too darn hot to do a bunch of cooking so...

How about a pasta salad? Great idea, get that pasta in the pot!

Chop up a piggy full of asparagus....

And a piggy full of small carrots....
(and stop eating so many!)

Add some frozen peas and get those marinated artichokes off the shelf....

Now, get the lemon juice and dressings out too...

Hey Mom...I know I'm an outside cat but can I come in and help?

I promise I won't get in the way...remember me, your poor little

special needs kitty?! I've been so sick and broken and you've been

such a good mom nursing me back to health...OK...just let me in!!!

No Jack, I've got to get supper ready...I'll sit out on the deck

after supper and you can sit on my lap then ok? Love you Jackers!

Now where was I? Oh yes, chopping up a piggy full of artichokes...

Now, draining the pasta and veggies adding everything together,

putting it all on my cookie sheet to go into the fridge to cool for a half hour.

Take it out...mix in the dressings and ooh la la...supper's on the table dear!


" Chicken Veggie Pasta Salad "

1/2 lb. rotini pasta
S.&P. and a bit of oil
Heat a covered 4 quart saucepan of water
with the S&P and oil
Add pasta and cook 8 minutes

1 bunch asparagus
trimmed and cut into
one inch pieces.

1 cup sugar snap peas,
trimmed, strings removed,
each cut in half.

3 large carrots,
cut into 1/4" thick coins

As pasta has cooked for 8 min.

now add the asparagus and carrots
cook 2 min. longer.
Then add the snap peas,
cook one minute longer.

Drain all and pour out onto a big cookie sheet.

Add 2 small jars of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bring out, pour into large bowl...
Pour over salad;
1 cup ranch dressing and
1 cup roasted onion parmesan dressing
2 T. lemon juice
S.&P. to taste
Toss til evenly coated...serve

(I added 2 cooked chicken breasts too)
(And I didn't have any snap peas, so I used frozen)

And for dessert how about...

" KOOL-AID PIE "

1 pkg. (60z.) any flavor Kool-Aid
(I used lime)
1 can Eagle brand
(sweetened condensed milk)
I added a squeeze or two of lime.
Mix these two together.

Fold in: 1 80z. Cool Whip
Pour into any kind of a pie shell
Refrigerate..1 hour
Serve with a dab of cool whip.

Oh honey, that was so good!
Why thanks sweetie...
How about that foot rub now?!

Hope you are enjoying your summer suppers...
And yes, we are still waiting for that baby...
Our daughter is officially...OVER DUE!!!

DINNER... in the... MOUNTAINS

This is our darling grand daughter Megan...she has the bluest eyes,

and she is a tree climber and a little Princess/Tomboy type of girl...

the best kind of a little girl to be!

Megan, her big brother Britton and their little
cousin Brody... (look at that cute face!)

They had to show grandma all their forts and castles

they'd found while camping in the mountains.

We went up to join them, and a couple of our other kids

for dinner together on Boulder Mountain. See my marshmallow...

perfectly roasted, if you like it that way...some love them burnt!

As it was starting to get dark and we'd packed up to leave, we saw this

sweet deer right close by to us, I was amazed at how calm it was.

As we came off the mountain, the sun was setting...

This time of night always makes me feel so peaceful and calm.

We pulled into our place and stopped to shut the chickens in for the night.
I loved the headlights

spotlighting our old wagon wheel that leans up against the coop.

********


"Something easy....Something good"

" FRUIT TURNOVERS "

1 can refrigerated 8 count crescent roll dough
1 (210z.) can pie filling (apple, cherry..whatever)

Heat oven according to directions on dough can.

Separate dough triangles...
lay out on a cookie sheet.

Place 2 spoonfuls of pie filling in center of triangle;

Lay a second triangle over the first and
crimp edges together with a fork
or your fingers.

Bake 8-10 minutes

GLAZE
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3-4 tsp. water

Drizzle over turnovers
Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if desired.

They are mouth watering good and the only

problem with them is, they don't last very long!

OK...I just had to add this....I just think it's funny! :D


I seem to be posting more than usual...
I think I am restless waiting for this new
grand daughter to be born... worrying about
my daughter being so uncomfortable.

My bags are packed but I live 2
hours away from her at best!

I know it will happen in it's own good time...
Keeping my fingers crossed that it will be soon now!

WHILE WE WAIT....

Ron and I went for a ride...stopping at antique shops along the way...we ended up here...at the Rockin R Ranch in Antimony, Utah...about 45 minutes from our home.

This is a big working ranch...they raise lots of hay and horses here.

It is also a dude ranch where kids can come and spend some weeks

out of the summer learning ranching and the cowboy way of life.

This is Princess...she runs the place...inspects all the guests...and keeps everyone in line.

The lodge is decorated with big rock fireplaces and elk

and everything that is Cowboy and Indians.

A tall tree go's right up the middle of it's floors of rooms.

It's filled with light and comfy furniture.

They take everyone for old fashioned hayrides on the

big hay wagon.. Such a beautiful team of horses.

This is the lodge and there are other buildings here too.

As we stopped in for dinner there was a big family that had

rented the whole place for the weekend. My husband knows

the people who own this so we had a free dinner with them.

This is the name of this place and this is the entrance gate.

One of the gift/antique shops we stopped at....

I had a chat with the owner and he gave me some real good deals too!

...S ' MORE BROWNIES....

1 box of Brownie Mix
6 graham crackers
2 cups mini-marshmallows
6 (1.5 oz.) milk chocolate bars,
coarsely chopped.

Preheat oven at 350*
Prepare mix as to directions,
spread out in a 9x13 pan
Bake brownies for 20-25 minutes.

In a med. bowl, break graham crackers
into small pieces and toss with marshmallows
and milk chocolate...set aside.

When brownies are done, remove from oven
and sprinkle the s'more mixture over the top.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Make sure the marshmallows aren't
getting to dark. When a toothpick inserted
in the middle comes out clean, remove them
from the oven...allow to cool before cutting
into squares. Serves around 20

Note:
Instead of graham crackers. you could use
Teddy Grahams...Honey
chocolate chips...cinnamon
Mix it up a bit with whatever you'd like!

My daughter made this chart showing the 9 months of her pregnancy.

I thought it was really cool...and yes, we are still waiting for little Sophia

to be born! It has got to happen this week or the doctor will most likely

start her. She's had it and says she just can't stretch anymore...I think

we can all relate to that!

Say a prayer for her will you my friends?

Thank you...sending out all my love to each of you...have a good week!

If you don't hear from me...You'll know where I am :D

MY HERITAGE...

Today is a special day in Utah...it is our Pioneer Day.

I have been thinking about how very grateful I am for
my pioneer heritage and of the great souls that came before me,
they that prepared the way that I might not only live in freedom
but be blessed to have religious freedom, which is such a great blessing to me.

I am grateful for my good parents who carried on these blessings

to me that their parents gave to them. They taught me to love and

respect my ancestors who gave up everything they had in search of

religious freedom....And here in Utah, they finally found it...a place
where they could worship and serve not a King or man but their God,
the creator of Heaven and earth.

This man is...Charles A. Harper and this is his wife Harriet...

they my great great grandparents.

He left Scotland, his homeland, to join the Mormon church.

He came with the first company of pioneers seeking a place of religious
freedom. He was the companies wagon expert and a great cook too.
It was a tough and arduous journey over many miles of plains and mountains.

Brigham Young was the leader and president of
the church, he had seen a vision as to where they were to go.

When they came out of the rugged mountains he said;
"This is the right place!" And so they settled here.

It was a barren desert and they knew they wouldn't be
bothered here, so they went to work and made it blossom as a rose,
into the beautiful Salt Lake City that it is today.

On the back of this statue is listed all the names of those

who were in that first company to enter the Salt Lake Valley.

My great great grandfathers name is listed there. I am so

grateful to him, for now I can have that great freedom in my life.

An original picture of some pioneers coming into the valley.

My grandfather went back at his own expense and brought

many more companies to Salt Lake City. He served all his life

setting up settlements all over Utah.

He died at the age of 83,

pretty old for a pioneer of that time. I am so thankful for him

and other family members who had so much to do with settling Utah.

The pioneers...they were a hearty bunch of wonderful diverse people.

They came with many talents and gave all they had to live the gospel

they loved so much. They came out of every country you can think of,

some of mine came from England, Norway, Sweden,Scotland.

I am so thankful for them because now I can live here...

a place that means everything to me.

The pioneers built the Salt Lake Temple...

this beautiful building in the back ground here.

It stands today and will forever stand
as a testament to these great people.

I still can hardly understand how they did it.
As one stands and looks up at it, it is so stunning!

Built out of granite stone, carved out of the near by mountains,
you wonder.... how did they do it?!

It would be a monumental task even in this day
with all the knowledge and power tools and heavy
machinery to do it.

They were amazing people...our pioneers.

Can you imagine coming across mountain passes like this...

in the winter time...with wagons...and clothing that was not

warm enough and not enough food for man or animal?


Being driven by what you believed in so strongly, seeking to live it in freedom.
Knowing that God was your guide, trusting in him for protection and care.

Salt Lake City today...a most beautiful, clean city...

It has blossomed as the rose.

The... "This is the Place"... monument. It stands at the mouth

of the canyon that the pioneers came through,

as a testament and tribute to all of those great souls.

~Another view of the mountains that surround Salt Lake City~

When the pioneers first got into the Salt Lake Valley,

they were directed by Brigham Young to start a choir.

They were refined people from many countries all over

the world and it was so important for them to continue

on with all they things that they loved.

This is the same choir that you know as the famous

world choir... or... America's choir,

"The Mormon Tabernacle Choir."

So today as every year since the pioneers came, we celebrate.

We celebrate them and us and the joy of living in Utah.

We celebrate with a huge parade and rodeo, and families

gather together to remember their precious ancestors and their

families of today...with hearts filled with great gratitude for blessings unnumbered.

The president and prophet of our church today...
Thomas S. Monson...saying Hello to all from the parade route.

I am so grateful for my pioneer ancestors and I love them
with all my heart for all that they did to bless my life today...

~HAPPY PIONEER DAY~