Monday, April 20, 2009

Feeling At Home!

Two of my quilting friends and I went off to ND, not to just visit family, but also to go to a retreat at our friend Jan's house. Sherry came to my house and we left for Chris'. We had a fabulous smorgasbord for supper and she made a wicked sausage pie for breakfast!



The difference between her pie and mine, is that she makes hers with bread and layers it different than mine. Mine starts with cheese on the bottom! Instead, I use bisquick in the egg mixture. Both are excellent dishes that it would be hard to judge!

Here's my favorite recipe.

Healdsburg Inn Quiche

5 eggs
1 cup of milk
3/4 cup of bisquick
2 cups of grated chedder cheese
1/2 Tbs. of olive oil or cooking spray

oil the bottom of a baking dish and layer cheese on the very bottom. Sometimes I will mix grated parmesean cheese in this or another flavorful cheese. Then you can layer your favorite ingredients. It could be ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions or any other favorites. In another mixing bowl, I mix the eggs, the bisquick and the milk. Pour over the top of the other ingredients and bake 45 to 50 min.


I will post Chris' when she gets settled. I must say that I have had the most wonderful food this whole trip. Jan loves nothing better to do than bake, entertain and sew! Jan also sent us to many a quilt shop along the way! My favorite was one in Rogers, Mn. It was fabulous! I got some of the yummiest batiks there for half price! What a find! Fayes' Henhouse in Maysville ND was also a great one to shop at!



When we got to Jan's we barely settled in and I did a workshop of doing doll faces, so by the time I went to bed, it was after midnight. I was the last to go to bed and the first to get up in the morning. It's somehow always more exciting when you are elsewhere. Jan made a fabulous breakfast and then I prepared to get ready to teach the purse class. Here are some of the guests.



Here is one of those quick noodlebox purses they made. This one was made by Babe. She raises peacocks and used this batik fabric. By the time I went home, she gave me the most lovely bunch of peacock feathers! What a treasure! I LOVE Peacocks!!



Three of the girls worked on the same quilt. Gail is on the left, Jan on the right and Chris in the middle. What fantastic work, girls!



Jan was so sweet to let me use her vehicle for me to make the extra 2 1/2 hour trip to go visit my middle sister, my mom and my niece. I hadn't been home in 4 years. Time sort of gets away so was glad to have the reunion. My niece, Jenifer and her husband Terry are expecting their first child in Sept. I found out the day before I left that it's going to be a boy! The viking outfit will be just perfect!!! We had a mini shower since I won't be able to go back and it will give her a chance to put other things on her baby registry.



Jenifer and Terry


My niece Jenifer and her mom (my sister, Veda) in the background.


Mom hates getting her picture taken, so had to grab the shot when I could. lol



My mom. She loves to bake too! You can just bet that I didn't leave home hungry!

Mom has a few cats and a couple of cockapoos. I really didn't much care for two that she had while growing up, but this sweet little guy loves every body. His name is Buffy. He loves his treats and is spoiled rotten!




This gorgeous cat is Manny.



Below is his sister, Patches who also lives with my sister. She's beautiful but a fiesty thing!



This gray guy has the best personality, a true favorite and loved to sleep with me. His name is Furbie.



My mom also has a day care center so I helped sit for some of the kids when I was there. What cuties! I sure miss small kids being around.



This Native American girl's name is Ayana. She's 3 and loved cuddling up to me watching cartoons:)



This little guy's name is Hunter. He is just the happiest baby!



This is Gracie. She's 2 and Hunter's sister. Just a sweetheart!



This is Zeus! He's 3 and 100 % busy boy!

The funny thing is that when I was there, they all called me grandma! LOL Just too bad I wasn't! I would claim them all in a second!

Finally the day came when I had to go. Mom felt I was going to starve to death and showered me with 3 boxes of canned food items. I also stopped by the processing plant and got some of the best sausage that I remembered from home. I also picked up a couple of packages of bison burger. I can get it in Ohio, but for some reason, this is so much better, so it must be the feed in the rich dark soil. Our trip lead us back through Fargo where all the flooding still is. I took several photos along the highway and to believe that all of this water isn't even the river photos! The whole area still stands with water everywhere!





Even though the land is very flat where I live, and even with distruction about, I still couldn't feel but a little homesick. Maybe not for the land as much as it was the family. I will just have to go home more often.... or when the waters receed! I only had an hour with my youngest sister in Fargo, but that perhaps gives me another excuse to go back again soon!

7 comments:

morningDove said...

wow you were a busy girl. thanks for the quiche recipe. hubby loves quiche. wonderful reading all about your time at home. mom is very pretty, aren't you glad you were able to snap that pic. sound like a wonderful time with girlfriends and family all rolled into one. its amazing how quickly water can build and then stand over the land when flooding. reminds me of a flood at home where waters came up to threshold of our home but not in the house. i was a teenager, people and animals died then. we are so better informed today in the news.

debmck said...

Oh!Wanda, Wow, sounds like you had an amazing trip! I know how nice it is to go "home again" to visit. I'm so happy you got to go! Sure am gonna try your quiche recipe. One of my favorite dishes! Glad to have ya back!

callmelacie said...

What an adventure! Thanks as always, for sharing!

Those quilts and fabrics look amazing.

HElen said...

Sounds like you had a great time.
Like the purse that was created! Beautiful work! And quilts - just wonderful!
Love all the pictures, kids friends and animals, Manyy has some roayl look to it :) Thank you for sharing!

Norma Soulet (AZArtist) said...

Wow, so happy you had a fun trip to see the family and friends. I love those quilts and the purse. I also loved seeing all those cute little children. :)

Hugs,

Pattyskypants said...

What a wonderful travelogue!! I haven't been home for five years and I am missing everyone SO MUCH! I have five new nephews I've never met. Also, it was a pleasure to meet the kittehs! So KEWT. xxoo Patty

Unknown said...

great recipe and I love that noodle box bag....that is so cool! Ok, when you visit whidbey island, go to "quilting by the sea" a cute little shop with a retreat place upstairs...for the best food ever eat at Gordons on blueberry hill in Freeland...the food is awesome and they have a great lunch menu too...if you head to Anacortes you will see the beautiful Deception Pass bridge and there are two quilt shops there too that are fun! Have a great time and let me know how it went!!!