Heidi's Shower

Yes, she was surprised! Paula and I met her at Marijane's to see her dress. Marijane called her for a fitting. We got there about 7:00 and were upstairs admiring her beautiful dress. Marijane and Cindy had put a sign on the door, "Shhhhhh......the bride is upstairs trying on her dress." I could hear cars coming up the driveway but everyone was very quiet downstairs. Heidi didn't notice the cars as she was not listening for them. Paula and I went down so Heidi could change back into her clothes. She was CLUESLESS until she turned the corner and saw all the gifts at the bottom of the stairs and the people in the living room. When she got there at 7:00 there were no chairs set up in the living room. In fact Alissa's (sp?) toys were on the floor. (Cindy's baby's) They must have scrambled once Heidi got upstairs. It was so fun and she got so many nice things!!! Very heartwarming and overwhelming.

1982

Sara, Jen holding Emily, Brent holding Tricia, Matt and Bryon. These pictures just make me lonesome for these little kids.

I guess I use to sew

I made this dress for Easter one year. Easter must have been late in 1981 as the weather was very warm. We got home from church and Jennifer and Matt went out to play. Jen was riding a Big-Wheel bike and her dress got caught under the tire and ripped big time! That was the one and only time she wore this dress!This was when I was into smocking. I remember having so much fun making this. (Jennifer's dress)
This one was another fun dress to make. (Jennifer's dress) Of course to Jennifer's dismay, I didn't save any of them.

I've Been Tagged

The Rules:You must post the rules before you give your answers.
You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name.
Each fact must begin with that letter.If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name.
After you've been tagged, you need to up-date your blog with your middle name and answers.
At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name.
(Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and need to read your blog for details)

I've been tagged by Heidi. This is hardly fair as my middle name has eight letters but here goes.... I have to tag 8 people before Jen!!!!

M-married for almost 32 years
A-Aunt to 100+ nieces and nephews
R-Really like to cook and bake and eat
G-great-great aunt to 9 great-great nieces and nephews
A-always enjoy a good book
R-really miss my 11 grandchildren
E-eager to finish this before Jennifer gets on her computer
T-talented side-tracker

I tag Judy, Kate, Katie, Sue, Yvonne, Kaitlin, Gretchen and Emily!

Herbed Shepherds Pie

PW I am not. How she takes such beautiful pictures of food is beyond me. I should have had Kaitlin take them. This is really a family favorite. It definately is better than it looks! I double this and put it in a 9 x 13 pan. Today is the second snow day for the kids. It sure is beautiful outside. Will post snow pictures later. Today I am making pasties. The first pans are in the oven.


HERBED SHEPHERD’S PIE

1 pound ground beef
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth, divided
3-4 bay leaves
2 whole cloves (I omit this as I haven't had them in the house)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 to 1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 medium onions, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced or chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons flour

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 cup broth, bay leaves, cloves, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Mash potatoes with milk, butter, chives and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in cheese; keep warm.

Add the onions, celery, carrot, corn and remaining salt to the beef mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and remaining beef broth until smooth. Gradually stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Discard bay leaves and cloves.

Transfer beef mixture to a greased 11 X 7 x 2 inch baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through.

There's One in Every Bunch

Then again.....maybe there's not!