Love, Marriage, Baby Carriage

BRIDE & BABY BRUNCH - Saturday morning, cooking for 40, I said to Fred, "I'm glad we're only doing this once!"  Jaclyn and Michelle decided that since the wedding and baby's due date were only 3 days apart and they each were planning the other's shower; they would just have them together!

It was a great time - beautiful and every seat occupied.  Thank you Jodi Perez for letting us use your home!!  Thank you Justina Slonaker, Nicole Andrews, Erica McCarthy, Jessica Sandros & Diane Karenko for all your help with setup and clean up!!  Thank you so much to all the family, friends and co-workers who blessed my girls with your presence, gifts and well wishes....



Seating for 36

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It did take awhile to open all these gifts!  Beautiful!

 

At each table was a breakfast casserole, plate of sticky buns and a fruit salad.  Recipes below:

I love this recipe!  I can half or double or triple.  I can freeze ahead and thaw overnight on the counter.  I can add spinach, I can use rehydrated potatoes, I can change out the sausage for ham or bacon.

EASY BUBBLE RING from Tami Slonaker

1 loaf of Rhode's bread dough, thawed and chunked (about 30 from one loaf)  Spray a bundt pan

 ½ a 3 oz. butterscotch pudding mix (cook and serve/not instant)  Sprinkle over bread.
 Melt ½ c. butter and mix with ½ c. brown sugar.  Pour over rolls.  
 Sprinkle w/ cinnamon. Cover with saran wrap.  Let rise overnight. 
 Bakes 350 for 15-20 min. 
 Invert while hot and drizzle w/ pwd sugar icing.  

She has used vanilla pudding and white instead of brown sugar, sprinkled with orange peel and used orange extract in the icing.

This is also called monkey bread, pudding rolls, vulture rolls and has a lot of variations in cookbooks.  I used homemade whole grain dough for the rolls at the shower.

GOD'S NOT DEAD!!

We joined Fred's siblings for a movie this week at the new Village Cinema.  $5 movies on Tuesday evenings!!  Low prices always make a Slonaker happy.

God's Not Dead was great!!  Quality acting, good story line and lives made new by faith in Jesus Christ.  I would like to own the film just to review the three apologetic presentations by a college freshman in a hostile philosophy class..

The hit song by the same title, sung by the Newsboys, was a real treat!    I hope you get a chance to see this film as well.

For a movie review visit:  http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/gods-not-dead.aspx

Family, Family

Since we got home from our cross country drive I haven't even thought about posting!!

It's shower week in the Slonaker family so lots of gatherings and things to think about, prepare for....

I am very thankful that we live here and can participate in all the comings and goings.  Our niece Hilary's baby shower was last Saturday and Fred's sister Sheryl arrived to surprise her!  Since then we've had our grand nephew Owen's Dedication to the Lord on Sunday and three evenings in a row of family gatherings.  I love it!  But my mind is stretched :-).

Our days this week are full of shower prep for Michelle and Jaclyn, watching Owen and preparing for our first community group meeting on Wednesday.

I'm excited to share with you the details of our spring Bible study.  The title is "Come Celebrate the Feasts of the Lord".  We will be studying the Old Testament feasts of Passover through Pentecost and Jesus' New Testament fulfillment of those same celebrations.  More on that next week.

Our son Kurt and his wife Justina will arrive Thursday to be here for all the weekend fun!  I am getting old, I don't even think about taking photos when there is conversation and happenings.  So no current photos :-(.  Here's a photo of our big, loud, silly family at Christmas time playing soccer together. 

The HOME stretch!

Yesterday was a snowy, nail-biting drive for at least 300 miles. I added some photos to my previous post. We saw a truck and two cars in the ditch after they passed us. Too much slush in the passing lane. 

Well, today, we are excited to get home!! On the road by 5:30am. We actually saw this sign in the dark (so used a Google image).   Stopped in Ogden area for a donut and coffee and are clicking off our last 300 miles. Home, here we come!!

While driving this final stretch we have had much discussion about two previous vacations through this area. In June 2013 on our cross country Harley trip this was also our home stretch. On that morning we took advantage of the scenic hwy 89 from the Wyoming border to Ogden. A great motorcycle ride!  And in July 2010 we rode the Harley to Park City UT for a three day vacation. That day we took the East Canyon Rd between I 84 and I 80. Also a great motorcycle ride!  This summer we hope to come through again on a Harley National Park tour. 

(Showroom clean - Fred says he will clean today before anyone sees it!!)

Thank you Lord for a safe trip!! Thank you for a great visit with Ken, Courtney and family in Toledo OH. 2000 miles from front door to front door. 

Weather?

Well, we will see. The western sky and the forecast say wind, rain, snow. 

We are 1000 miles from Toledo Ohio, halfway to Boise. We are 2150 miles from Breaux Bridge Louisiana, our starting point. 

Typical truck to follow in Nebraska :). So glad the convertible roof is up!! Hay has been blowing around us for miles. 

We are headed for Rock Springs, WY today, 607 miles from Grand Island, NE, our starting point. 

We did encounter WEATHER!!  The freeway remained open in spite of poor visibility. Western NE was the worst of it. Once we entered Wyoming there was still snow but in patches. 

Once we were past the worst of it Fred wanted to just keep driving so we actually went 720 miles, clear to Evanston WY which means we have less than 400 miles tomorrow to HOME!

Clipping the States!!

Interstate 80 is crossing America's heartland. We went from east to west along the northern edge of this state. 

We stayed Sunday night in Ottawa Illinois. Culvers famous butterburger and frozen custard was next door so had that for dinner and awoke to under 15 degrees this morning. The wind chill reminds us of our January 1987 visit to Chicago. Fifty below with the wind chill factor. Michelle was 2 months old. Quite an experience but you're not really interested, it's in the scrapbook :). 

We detoured through the Quad City area to find a walk in clinic for Fred. He has walking pneumonia :(. Sad but was an easy experience so will be crossing this wide state today. And now....

569 miles today. Looking forward to pizza tonight in Grand Island, NE. Tomorrow is a long day!! 607 miles to Rock Springs WY.  The car is running great!! She prefers warm weather. In the south we were averaging 33 mpg but 30 is not bad for 70 mph on the freeway. 

"Mugged" in "Chicago"

Actually it wa Highland Indiana but we did pick up our last You Are Here mugs at Starbucks and essentially drive away from any trace of "big town" USA. 

It's actually good we are done because this tiny trunk will not hold anymore!

It's going to be challenging enough to get our bags out and back in for 3 more nights!  Tonight we stay in Ottawa, IL

On the Road again!

After a great weekend with my brother Kens family, we are going west! My nephew Caleb says, "the Wild West?"

We had so much fun with the boys!! And an awesome visit with Ken and Courtney.  As you can see they still have winter in Toledo Ohio. 

So today we drive on a "turnpike". A pretty foreign concept to us westerners. My brother asked if we were carrying enough cash!

We picked up a ticket here ......

And will pay our toll at the Indiana state line. 

Look at the sunshine!! A great afternoon to drive. Oh and another mug picked up. Only room in the trunk for one more mug stop - Chicago!

Day 3 March 14, 2014

We are in our third state today!! It wasn't far north of Nashville that we entered Kentucky. 

And... After two hundred plus miles north.... over the Ohio River and the edge of the city of Cincinnati, we've crossed into the state of Ohio.  It's a steep decline from KY into OH.   See the Bengals stadium downtown?

We lost an hour :( but are 30 minutes from giving our nephews a big hug!! And my brother and sister :) !!  We have driven 1120 miles in two days from Breaux Bridge LA to Toledo OH. 

Here we are!!

You Are Here mugs

March 14, 2014

We went clear through Mississippi yesterday!! From bottom to top, south to north, down to up!!

At the northern border of Mississippi is.....Tennessee!  And right over the border is Memphis. 

Now, I have to admit our visit to Memphis on the Harley last year left no desire to return; however, this trip has a side goal of collecting Starbucks You Are Here mugs for my girls and niece Jessica. 

Unfortunately Starbucks isn't at the highway rest area. However, a Smartphone is smart, correct?  So, after making a reasonable choice we exited the expressway during rush hour traffic, waited fifteen minutes for a train, went right to go left, skirted two traffic accidents and stood in line for a box just arrived to get four of these. This one wasn't easy but it sure is pretty!!

How many more of these stops do

you think Fred will be willing to make?

2008 Pontiac Solstice

Well here it is!!

Fred looked for this car for over a month all over the country. We had a good internet purchase experience. He found this car on autotrader.com and with carfax and regular communication with the dealership the purchase all came together. It's a little apprehensive until you see it but the paint looks good and Fred is pleased. 

Now to drive 3000 miles home. Today, our goal is Jackson Tennessee, 532 miles north.  Tomorrow? My brothers family in Toledo Ohio! Snow and all!

Bayous of Louisiana

Yesterday Fred and I flew to Baton Rouge. We are here to pick up a car and begin the drive home. 

This morning a driver has picked us up for a 80 mile ride west to Breaux Bridge where the car is waiting. 

We just crossed a bayou on a 26 mile bridge!! This photo doesn't do it justice but it's close. 

OWEN!!

I spent the day with a very handsome young man!! He is so sweet!!

Honestly, he was getting ready to fuss here but it looks like a smile. 

Such big, beautiful eyes. 

I had to get pretty low to get this photo. Isn't he the cutest?  And he likes to cuddle!!

Lord, please!

EASY Parmesan Bake

Enroute from Wenatchee to home yesterday I found out the family was coming to our house for dinner....so, I begin trying to remember what was in the freezer.  After switching from one idea to another I decided on Chicken Parmigiana.  I was going to cook pasta to put the chicken and sauce over......

When I went for my recipe card to see what was needed for breading etc., I found this recipe from my daughter-in-love Justina.

I thought, whew!  Less oil, less time, let's do this!  We still served it over pasta which made some at the table wish there was more sauce so next time I would double the marinara but I would also leave the croutons (maybe crushed a bit) and last layer of cheese until the last 10 minutes or so.  Last night they seemed to soak in some of the marinara sauce.

Easy and good!!

Thanks Justina!  You know how I never seem to make something the same twice so I appreciate the good idea for a TWEAK!  Love you, Mom

going to OHIO!

March 14, 2014

Today, we will arrive in Toledo, Ohio, home of the MudHens and my three nephews!! It is pretty cool that we have visited them twice in one year. This will be our first visit with Luke. He joined the family from South Korea last July, just two weeks after our visit last June. 

But first, NASHVILLE, for another Starbucks mug. We have been contemplating trunk space this morning. There isn't much of it but at the price of these mugs in the coffee shop vs Amazon I can ship some clothes home! 

Have you ever seen 15 cars in a Starbucks drive thru at 10am?  We just did!! They claim to have the fastest drive thru in their 80 store region. Well anyway, this was a much quicker "in the city and back out" and Fred was pleased. We do have 601 miles to go today!!

A Cupcake Rainbow!!

For some time I have wanted to make a Cupcake Cake!  This idea was in the Sunset magazine CAKES!! (I also saw on Pinterest). My girls spent a couple hours helping me bake and decorate. We did have to clean the frosting tube between colors but that was the most difficult part. 

The bakers and decorators!!

The recipients!!  This was our first quarterly birthday party for our RKidz 3rd-5th grade girls children's church class. We had 15 girls birthdays to celebrate. These five were able to attend and another 10 classmates helped celebrate. We put each birthday girls name on a flag in the cake. 

An UP CLOSE look!!  Three arches of white cupcakes. Twelve in the outer row, ten in center and eight inside. We used our widest frosting tip and made two strips of each of six colors and sprinkled mini marshmallows on the frosting. The following buttercream frosting recipe was enough for all six colors. Tint more red than purple because of amount needed. 

MY FAVORITE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING from Cooking classy.com

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature (3 sticks)*

·         4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

·         3 Tbsp heavy cream

·         1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (use clear if desired)

Directions

·         In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle or whisk attachment whip butter on medium high speed (if using whisk attachment whip on high speed) until nearly white and very fluffy, about 7 - 8 minutes, frequently scrapping down the sides of the bowl. Add in powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes, frequently scraping the sides of the bowl. Immediately spread over cooled cake or cupcakes.