Photo Contest from my Daughter-in-law....She's Amazing

Amber at http://www.everlasting-images.blogspot.com/ is having a giveaway! She is an amazing photographer and I love what she can do with the photos. All the above photos were taken by her.

Shoot (get it photo shoot) on over to her blog and check it out....leave my name cause she is going to make me look 59 going on 30 again! LOL

Here is here contest rules and I'm sure you'll love every minute you spend with her if you win the contest.

Rules from Amber
Contest!! YAY!!
Okay so I'm gonna give this contest thing a try.

Here's what you do....Leave me a comment. Tell me what you would want from me for referring your friends to me.

But that's not all! Send your friends to my blog, have them leave a comment about what they would like to receive for being a referral and be sure to have them leave your name so I know who sent them!

I will have 2 winners!

1. The first winner is whoever sends the most friends to my blog.

2. The second winner can be anyone who left an idea and will be determined by randomizer.

What do you win?!?

The first winner will get a FREE session! That's right! FREE! That's a $125 value and includes a $75 print credit!!

The second winner will get 50% off my session fee! Be sure to check out my website www.everlastingi.com and Good Luck!

Contest will end on Feb 3 by midnight, so be sure to get your comments in by then!

Tasty Tuesday - Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Once again I was on a quest to find the recipe for this oh so yummy soup! DH took me to Olive Garden for lunch "soup and salad" was the order of the day........Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I'm a very humble person, don't like to brag....but ahem....this is fantastic.....really ---fantastic! And Target sells Gnocchi ready to plop right into the pot!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil or butter

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 medium Vidalia onion chopped

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 lb. chicken cut into bite size pieces

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups half and half

2 chicken bullion cubes
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped carrots

Salt and Pepper to taste

17.6 oz of Gnocchi....Target sells it ready made!

On medium heat melt butter/olive oil in a soup pot

Add in the garlic, celery, onion and saute'

when translucent sprinkle brown sugar over vegetables

Add chicken and cook thoroughly

Add flour and stir in flour and mix well until the flour is cooked into the chicken

Next add your milk and half n' half
Add two bullion cubes

Then add the veggies(Carrots,Spinach)

Add Gnocchi last it takes 3-4 min. to cook throughout

Run Girls Run

Before I begin my moaning and groaning about why I can't/don't run, I'm here to tell you how amazing 2 of my friends are. N & N have accomplished something that I won't even be dreaming of.

N #1 ran a marathon this year and will soon be in training for another one.

N #2 just complete 8 full weeks of a running program......every dang day she ran until she was able to run for a full 30 minutes!

You both deserve many honors bestowed upon you for your tenacity....I love you both for not even thinking that I could join you. So even though no one has said Le....why aren't you running.....I'm willing to tell you! My 10 excuses.....listed in no particular order


There could be pain involved…my pain!

Elusive High that everyone talks about would be me sucking in air!

Bone crunching cartilage wearing away is not good when you are my age! Need I remind you of how "OLD" I am!

Blisters and calloused heels covering my feet and black toenails dropping off….sounds nasty! And I love my pedicurist....she already works to hard.

Joints….(no not the ones crazy people smoke)…the ones that hurt when you run!

Sweaty clothes….that means more laundry for me!

Wearing short shorts is for those good lookin NBA players that won’t even wear them anymore….I’m not showing my thighs to anyone!

I love to take long hot showers and if I get into the regular running program….I’ll surely run up the hot water bill at our house!

I really like to sleep and if I’m running I’m sure that by the time one o’clock in the afternoon rolls around I’ll be curling up with my pillow and blanket sleeping away the day, because running makes me tired!

****Shoes…..now there is a good reason to run….those pricey good lookin’ running shoes! Okay 1 out of 10…..guess I can give it a try!
Can I wear the same shoes and just walk?

Fishing with My Dad

Little Girl and Her Dad Fishing

Today I'm remembering back to my youth and the many opportunities I had to spend time with my dad, who thankfully was willing to spend many hours with me.

Dad was a great fisherman and I thought of myself as a great “Fishergirl”…. The problem I had was….and still is, when the time would come to put a worm on the hook I would squirm (you know like the worm itself)…. I'd pretend that I couldn't do it right, so Dad would always hook the worms for me. Thanks dad.

One of the really great parts of fishing is learning the art of casting. Dad told me I could cast like an expert. I loved that feeling of throwing the line way out into the lake, then just sitting back in the boat and simply waiting for a fish to nibble on the worm. I really believed I was an amazing caster….is that a word, sure it’s someone who can cast!

The next part of fishing is waiting patiently. Waiting was not easy as a child, but the sights and sounds of life on the lake were so beautiful. The waves of watering lapping up against the side of the boat, birds soaring in the air, and the sun warmth shining on us made life grand. And yes I learned to wait quietly and patiently for minutes that sometime seemed like hours without a nibble.
Fishing was only one of the many opportunities I had to be with my dad. But most of all today, I'm thanking God for my Dad who took the time to lead his only daughter to the lake fishing, to teach her some of the greatest lessons of life while waiting for the fish to bite. The lessons I learned sitting next to my Dad, in the fishing boat, are a treasure in time that I will cherish forever. I hope and pray I have passed many of those lessons onto my own children and now grandchildren. I am so thankful they have all had the opportunity to fish with the greatest!

Could I Please Request A Pilot for My Next Flight?

If anyone has scattered sunshine into the lives of so many....our hats need to be off to Captain C.B. Sullenberger, US Airways.

Although this happened 12 days ago, I'm still in awe at the amazing skills of this "57" year old pilot. Lyrics from Paul McCartney and John Lennon state it so eloquently "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?".....yes yes and a big YES....I want you to be my pilot when you're 64.

This week I was told that at 59 I need to pass the baton to the younger generation, because they are where it is now! Retaining talented, motivated (old) people is vital to the success of any company, I'm sure US Air will see to it that Captain Sullenberger is retained as a valued employee for many years to come.... and the 150 passengers on board Flight 1549 are still singing the praises of their "Old" capable pilot.

Thank goodness US Airways didn't throw Captain Sullenberg under the bus.....

Verse 4 ~ Living Infinitely

The Tao is empty

but inexhaustible,

bottomless,

the ancestor of it all.

Within it, the sharp edges become smooth;

the twisted knots loosen;

the sun is softened by a cloud;

the dust settles into place.

It is hidden but always present.

I do not know who gave birth to it.

It seems to be the common ancestor of all, the father of things.

Wayne W. Dyer ~ Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life.

This passage brought my thoughts to our nations economic state of affairs. We all know the economy is a disaster, with some even going as far as to call it a Recession. But it’s a common belief that the Universe and Our Higher Power, can give us whatever it is that we need.

We are not put on this big ball of land and water to suffer or worry. We are here to learn life’s little lessons. It may be time for us to begin to experience the inter-connectedness and inter-dependence of all things.

The roadblocks we encounter on the way to reaching our destination are actually gifts if we will treat them as challenges that we were meant to experience and learn from. They are like small tests, hidden but always present, that the universe presents us with, as if asking:

How bad do I really want this? Can Sky Imitate Water?

"We are not in a position in which we have nothing to work with. We already have

capacities,talents, direction, missions, callings." Abraham Maslow

Wordless Wednesday

Cheese Pizza for Tasty Tuesday

I admit it …..I can make terrific homemade pizza! The trick is to turn out a crust that the texture and the chewiness are great, and that it will cook up golden and crunchy! Our family recipe does just that. The shocker is…..it’s almost completely effortless to make.

After a little research into what I should make for Tasty Tuesday Inauguration Night, I discovered that President Obama's favorite food is Cheese Pizza from Italian Fiesta Pizzeria in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL., thus we are having pizza tonight in honor of this memorable day.

DS- J get’s credit for the recipe…..since his name is on it in our “Famiglia di Buffo” Collection of Secret Family Recipes!

Basic Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast
½ cup warm water
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon honey

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl (also warmed). Stir in half of the flour, oil, salt and honey. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl; turning to coat all sides. Cover and let rise in warm place 20 minutes.

Punch down dough. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but no longer than 48 hours.

Put on your favorite sauce and toppings and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. J also loves cooking his pizza on the outdoor grill, it tastes like it was cooked in a wood oven!

Yes We Can

In compliance with a custom that is as old as our government, on what will be a historic Tuesday January 20th, as many as four million people from around the country will converge on the national mall, with tens of millions more scrutinizing from home, all with one purpose: pay heed to what the newly-inaugurated President has to say.

With his acceptance speech, President-elect Barack Obama’s catchphrase

“YES WE CAN” captures the essence of what makes America great—our can-do optimism—and we certainly know Obama will weave that theme into his presidential inaugural address just as he did on election night when he said,

“I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years—block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.”

Followed by --“Even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime—two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”

I for one am very optimistic about the future with Obama as our president. I’m optimistic that we’re going to be in a better place four years from now than we are today.

Rosa sat so Martin could walk......

Martin walked to Barack could run....

Barack ran so our children can fly!

Moccasins ~ Today It's UGGS

My memories of moccasins when I was a little girl, take me to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. My mother bought a pair of moccasins for me on a family vacation trip sometime around 1957. I wanted to wear those moccasins for the next 20 years - I wanted to wear them rain, snow, sleet, hail or sunshine. Most comfortable footwear I had ever had. I still remember how they looked, buckskin-hide color with the cutest fringe I’d ever seen. Yes, we bought them in Jackson Hole and I begged Mom and Dad to go back every year to get me a new pair.........I think we made several trips before I grew out of the "I have to have moccasins" stage! Now bring me a pair of UGGS and all will be well!

Hayhurst B & B ~~ What a Saturday Morning

Here we are again at the beautiful Hayhurst B & B. Louise and Jim are the most congenial host you can ever imagine and we always feel so comfortable when we settle into our Bunkhouse room. We really miss our friends the McKellars this year. They have joined us the last two years, but we knew last year they were not going to be joining us again this year.....sad for me, but I understand.... maybe next year????? Mary Clare is not with us either this year. She is home in bed with the dreaded FLU...sorry MC we miss you.

Hayhurst is up for sale and we weren't even sure that any of us would be lucky enough to stay for another season. So the trek was made yesterday afternoon....a long 5 hour drive! When we all get checked in there are a gaggle of us~~ Gary *missing Mary Clare, Frosty & Cindy, Mike & Lisa, Dan & Jill, Joe & Joy, Kim & Tara, Joey & Mary Ann, Theresa & Algie, and of course Al and Moi'.

Dan, Gary, and Frost - strike up the band!

Cindy always has a deck of cards

Joey and Al -----relaxing by the fire!

Jill and Joy ---ready for the day!

Dan telling Louise what a fabulous job she did on breakfast.

The Bar

Gary ----still missing Mary Clare!

Verse 3 ~ Living Contentment

Putting a value on status
will create contentiousness.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.
By not displaying what is desirable, you will
cause the people's hearts to remain undisturbed.

The sage governs
by emptying minds and hearts,
by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.

Practice not doing...
When action is pure and selfless,
everything settles into its own perfect place.

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer "Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life"

Taking pride in ones accomplishments is a natural thing to do, but being boastful and arrogant about our work is not. My dad has always said.....and I quote him on this often....."the rich don't talk (Brag) about how rich they are.....they don't need to."

If you are able to share your accomplishments without bragging, without being boastful, and without arrogance, then you will have truly become a leader that others can strive to emulate in their day to day efforts, be it building a business, building a family, or building a legacy. The practice of gratitude is what leads to a contented life.

Perhaps the only thing we really need to do is focus on the truly important things in life. When we start looking at all that we have outside of our possessions, outside of our position, and outside of our circumstances, we can see that we have been given so much.

We have been given a family.

Wordless Wednesday

Lovely Lasagna

I really love lasagna and although making it from scratch is a tremendous challenge for me, the adventure was a breakthrough for my cooking skills. This recipe is fabulous, makes the kitchen a mess, but the aroma and mouth watering deliciousness are worth every minute it takes.

Ricotta and Besciamella Lasagna

Marinara Sauce:

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Dash dried oregano, to taste

Dash dried basil, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Besciamella Sauce:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

7 tablespoons flour

Pinch salt

2 cups milk, scalded

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch white pepper

Filling:

15 ounces ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Lasagna sheets boiled

Grated Parmesan

Grated Mozzarella

First, make the Marinara sauce:

In a sauce pan, drizzle a little olive oil and add chopped garlic cloves. Cook until transparent. Add crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat down and simmer, stirring often. While that is cooking down, make your besciamella.

Besciamella Sauce: In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk constantly for a few minutes, careful not to burn it. Add a pinch of salt. Pour scalded milk into the flour mixture all at once and continue to whisk another 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add nutmeg and a bit of white pepper. Lay aside.

Prepare the ricotta filling: Mix all ingredients together to combine.

Assembly: Start by putting about 1/2 C marinara on bottom of pan so the lasagna doesn't stick. Layer the ingredients, repeating until the pan is full: pasta sheets, ricotta, besciamella, marinara, grated mozzarella. Repeat in this order ending with the pasta layer. Then top with marinara, grated Parmesan, mozzarella, fresh parsley, and a light drizzle of olive oil.

Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. Lasagna is done when a knife comes out clean. After the first 40-45 minutes, uncover to brown the top.When done, cover and let the lasagna rest at least 30-60 minutes before serving. This gives it time to set.

Let's Start with Dessert

I couldn't resist posting this today, so this is an extra tasty tuesday recipe. Mom is having DUP in April (I know a few months away right?)....we must get prepared you know. We are testing several ideas here and this is the one J come up with on Sunday! Bananas Flambé, Italian Style...

Pizzelle can be found at almost any celebration across Italy. It is a rare Italian wedding that does not serve pizzelle at the sweets table. These cookies are closely associated with family; in fact, pizzelle irons have been fashioned with the pattern of a family's crest.

We don't have a family crest on the pizzelle iron......but what an idea! On to the next quest! Bon Appetit

Making Momma Proud

That's my girl!

Colors of Success anti-gang initiative honored by FBI
Gang suppression

As one program receives accolades, other groups brainstorm how to broaden gang prevention reach

By Melinda Rogers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Lorena Rivera wanted to quit high school.
Feeling lost and lonely during her sophomore year at Ogden High, the teenager started hanging out with gang members in an effort to fit in. Her grades plummeted along with her ambition.

"I was one of those kids who had very little aspiration to graduate," Rivera said. "I was going to be another high school drop-out statistic."

Instead, the now 18-year-old ditched her gang ties, improved her grades, graduated last spring and is working as a nanny with hopes to one day become a counselor for at-risk youth.

The difference in her turnaround? A program called Colors of Success, which targets troubled youth in schools and pairs them with mentors and programs that steer them away from the gang world while building self-esteem and character, program organizers say.

Created more than 20 years ago, Colors of Success serves 13 schools in the Salt Lake City School District and eight schools in Ogden, said executive director Duane Bordeaux.
With gang activity simmering to new levels across the Salt Lake Valley, there's a renewed sense of urgency for anti-gang initiatives like Colors of Success, said Bordeaux, who accepted a community leadership award from the FBI on Thursday on behalf of the program.

"With a downturn in the economy, violence is on the rise," said Bordeaux, noting the nonprofit Colors of Success will keep its "nose to the grindstone" and continue to sponsor a string of school-based prevention and intervention services for youth.

The program's recognition from the FBI this week comes as discussion continues on how to quell gang activity in Utah.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker have separately formed task forces to address gang problems in the state and its largest city, respectively.
Becker's Gang Reduction Forum consists of representatives from the criminal justice system, Legislature, school districts, nonprofit organizations and community groups who are in the process of creating a "framework" to address Salt Lake City's gang problem, perhaps best highlighted over the summer by the death of 7-year-old Maria Del Carmen Menchaca. The girl became the unintended victim of a gang-related shooting outside her Glendale home and ignited a firestorm in the community over how to stop neighborhood violence.

The forum is examining existing gang reduction models used in Salt Lake City and studying other alternatives that could be implemented for gang prevention, intervention and suppression. One committee has recommended bringing the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program into all Salt Lake City elementary schools for the 2009-10 school year and hiring a gang prevention specialist in the city.

The mayor is reading through proposals from forum participants and will soon hold additional meetings to develop a gang response plan for the city, spokeswoman Helen Langan said Thursday.

Meanwhile, Huntman's task force will meet for the second time on Jan. 22. The group -- led by Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller -- is composed of members from law enforcement, the court system, treatment providers, schools and community groups, who will try to pinpoint gang activity in every corner of the state and develop a plan to quash it. Part of the statewide task force's mission is to figure out how to bring resources to rural areas that aren't used to dealing with gang issues.

Colors of Success, which is primarily funded through the State Office of Education, works to suppress gangs in several capacities, Bordeaux said. The program assists schools with developing safety plans and helps out with security during the school day. Colors of Success staff also educate school employees about how to intervene with high-risk youth.

Separate programs aimed at keeping girls out of gangs, life skills courses and sports activities are also sponsored by Colors of Success. At the center of every program are counselors who try to be involved in kids' lives, from attending school events to speaking with teachers a student may be having problems with, said Eileen Nicholas, a teacher specialist in student and family services for the Ogden School District.

"It's a matter of building, positive, strong relationships with these kids," said Nicholas.
"Gang life starts when these kids are born, for a lot of them. Some are in a family with more than one generation of gang members," she said.

Third District Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Valdez, who serves on both the governor's and mayor's gang task forces, said he has ordered several juvenile defendants to participate in Colors of Success as part of their probation, which has proven effective. He said he would like more parents to become aware and involved with Colors of Success, which would influence children to choose a healthy path.

Rivera said her life took a turn for the better when she connected with Colors of Success worker Ali Thompson during a difficult sophomore year in high school. She found solace in after school meetings, where homework help and advice on how to deal with problems with family, friends and teachers were available. Soon, Rivera was drawn to Colors of Success activities and quit getting into trouble with gang associates, she said.

"I straightened out and my grades were good," Rivera said. "A lot of kids in high school, they don't have an adult figure they can look up to or trust. If Ali wasn't there, I think I would have been in a juvenile home or something."
She said she's hopeful other teenagers who feel trapped into joining a gang will find Colors of Success for their social outlet.
"If other kids feel like they don't belong, don't go to gangs," Rivera said. "There is a greater program that can help you."
mrogers@sltrib.com
Colors of Success, a gang prevention initiative offered at 21 schools in Salt Lake City and Ogden, was honored by the FBI this week for strides made in gang prevention.
Statistics show most students who were part of Colors of Success' caseload during the 2007-08 school year improved their grades and stayed out of trouble with the court system.
In Ogden:
--93 percent did not receive a substance abuse violation
--89 percent did not receive a school safety violation
--93 percent did not receive a new juvenile court charge
--59 percent improved their grades
--82 percent attended school regularly
--83 percent reported a "positive change" in family life
In Salt Lake City:
--97 percent did not receive a substance abuse violation
--93 percent did not receive a school safety violation
--67 percent improved their grades
--89 percent attended school regularly
--96 percent reported a "positive change" in family life
Source: Duane Bordeaux, Colors of Success

Skating on Ice

Memories of childhood days take me back in time here on Sentimental Sunday.
Today I’m remembering back to when I got my first pair of ice skates “Champions”. They were white with white laces and huge yarn pom-poms. I was thrilled.

I like to think that I was a quick learner….only falling a few times. Dad took me around the Stockyard ponds for hours on end and I loved it. Provo Boat Harbor was another one of our favorite spots…..with plenty of thermos filled with hot CHOCOLATE!

Vivian Park also had an amazing ice pond in 1960…they even played music as you skated round and round. I can still hear “North to Alaska” loud and clear.

Mom taught me how to make my own pom-poms with a piece of cardboard, so the color of the pom ---could match whatever sweater I was wearing! Wonder if that is why I have so many shoes that match so many clothes…oh that is another memory for another day!

Across the Street

My neighbor's house looked so beautiful after a heavy snowfall. I made this picture into a 5 X 7 and put it in their mail box. Guess if she reads my blog she'll know who's the picture fairy!

Verse 2

Isn't J's picture amazing...you can read his thoughts on Verse 2 here:
Jason http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetj/3164306946/

Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty,

only because there is ugliness.

All can know good as good only because there is evil.

Being and nonbeing produce each other.

The difficult is born in the easy.

Long is defined by short, the high by the low.

Before and after go along with each other.

So the sage lives openly with apparent duality

and paradoxical unity.

The sage can act without effort

and teach without words.

Nurturing things without possessing them,

he works, but not for rewards;

he competes, but not for results.

When the work is done, it is forgotten.

That is why it lasts forever.

Wayne Dyer "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life"

Journey calmly through this life. Enjoy the having of things, but don’t feel entitled to them. This is the key to understanding the more complex relationship between these opposing concepts; old and new, crooked and straight, difficult and easy, long and short, high and low, beautiful and ugly.

We are at the moment of the closing of the old year, celebrating the birth of the new. We have all taken a moment to pause here in the darkest days of the year. After this brief dark night of the soul, the New Year is now with us. Peek into the future of the New Year without putting away the past, step into the new complemented by the old, realizing that our days will run both crooked and straight.

Also know that we will sometimes be charitable for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones, and be grateful for the time given to us, knowing that it is precious because it is limited. The sun shines on all things without favor and does not discriminate.

Pinecones On It's Branches

Gnocchi Di Patate ~ Potato Gnocchi

This recipe comes from our family cookbook, "La Dolce Vita Famiglia di Buffo". My cuz Cathy shared it with us. We really like gnocchi. This one is of course meatless...you know the veggie thing at my house!

Ragu (Sauce)

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1 small onion

10 ounces fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and seeded

2 ounces panchett or bacon

3 ounces butter

10 ounces beef tenderloin fillet, cut into cubes

1/4 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper freshly ground pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Gnocchi (Potato pasta)

2 pounds baking potatoes

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 egg

salt

For the sauce:

Cut the vegetables and bacon into small pieces. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and meat (oops...you get to I don't), browning the meat over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes more. Add wine and tomatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat for 2 hours. Push the sauce through a sieve. Do not puree.

For the gnocchi:

Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender. Drain and peel them. Put potatoes through a food mill held over a board or other work surface or mash potatoes well. (Lucky me I have a potato ricer.) Add the flour, gather the mixture into a mound and make a well in the center. Break the egg into the well, add salt and knead until the mixture forms a smooth, firm dough

Cut it into pieces and use the palm of your hand to roll each piece into a long sausage shape. Cut these into 2 1/4 inche cylinders, separting them. Roll each of the gnocchi over the concave part of a grater or the prongs of a fork pressing down lightly with your thumb, and drop them onto a floured board.

Cook the gnocchi a few at a time in boiling salted water, lifting them out with a slotted spoon as soon as they rise to the surface. Spoon the sauce over them, dot with the remaining butter, and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve at once. Serves 4 to 6....if I'm not there!

A Meme for Me on Monday.

Monday will be my day of just a simple musing about anything and everything in my life and happenings. This collage was done by putting the answer below to the questions in google images or flickr and finding a picture that comes up with your answer. It was very entertaining....but I probably know that I shouldn't be spending my time doing this sort of activity....you know dishes, laundry, house cleaning....all of that can wait!



Here are the questions if any of you would like to venture into this project in your spare time!



1. What is your favorite drink?.........don't freak out at my answer "OF COURSE IT'S NON"
Arnold Palmers
2. Where did you graduate from High School?
SFHS
3. What is your favorite dessert?
My mom's Banana Cream Pie
4. What attribute do you wish you could overcome.?
I'm compulsive
5. What is your favorite color?
Blue
6. What movie star do you wish you could meet?
Denzel Washington
7. What is your name?
LeAnn
8. What is your dream job?
I wish I was a Rock Star...maybe just a singer!
9. What is your favorite food?
Pasta
10. What is most important in your life?
Grandkids
11. What is your nickname?
Leander
12. Where would you love to go on vacation?
Italy


Yes I cheated on #10....because they are so important in my life.... I wasn't about to just put any old picture of that!

Viewmaster ~ Do You Remeber?

The 3D View Master used to be a must have when I was growing up and indeed I had one of my very own. It was by far one of my favorite toys. I wouldn’t actually call it a toy, I would like to think it was more of an educational experience.

Every time we went on vacation, I would get a reel of the locality. A few of my favorites were Yellowstone, Zions, Bryce Canyon, The Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde. Of course I also had several of the cartoon characters.. Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… oh my collection was amazing. And I enjoyed every squeaky click of that little viewer.

My kids both had one of their own, but I just don’t think they felt the same way about theirs. Technology has taken over their generation.

Feed the Birds ~ Tuppence a Bag

For years I have watched my dad feed the birds in his backyard as part of his morning routine. As the sun is rising he pours out several cups of seed. Then they have the birds with them all day.

He always gets a great variety. I even think the birds can hear him coming as they start calling to each other "Come and get it! Food glorious food!"

My scatter sunshine Saturday is to have DH (it's his job in the winter) fill the feeders in our backyard. We now have a great variety of birds visiting our yard. Yesterday we had a peregrine falcon (dang him - he captured a member of his own species)! This morning we had beautiful mountain jays and several varieties of finches.... I love the songs they sing.

It makes me feel like I am more in touch with the natural world.

Okay, that is a little out there, but bird lovers you know what I mean.