Fabulous Family Fun

Thank you Brian Johnson family for a fantastic reunion. We had a blast. We are excited for next year....well, maybe not as excited as we would be if we didn't have to plan it, but still the energy is high. A few pictures of our great weekend. Does anyone have good Thursday or Saturday photos? Here would be a great place to share them.


You may comment as you like on the pictures. Why didn't I take a picture of the Dutch Oven judges????

Thanks to all who came and helped so much with the Alan and Helen Johnson family reunion! We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone! We look forward to next year when we can get together for a few days again! We have a great family! Love you all, Brian and RaeLynne

In Memory of Michelle

I'm participating in Relay for Life again this year. The event is on Friday. Michelle is my reason for participating. If any of you would like to donate to my efforts you can do so through this link. Michelle blessed our lives in so many ways. I'm grateful that I can do this little bit to help other people in her honor. Thank you so much for supporting me. You are a wonderful family!

Party Recipes

Here are the two recipes I promised to post. First Julie's delicious Banana Bread...I hope I remember all of it. Julie- leave comments if I get it wrong.
Banana Bread
4 smashed bananas
1/2 c (? sorry Steve didn't say what the 1/2 was!) soft butter- Julie melts this
2 eggs
3 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c crushed walnuts Julie uses lots of these!
Mix the nuts and sugar together and put half of it on top.
1 tsp vanilla
Mix it up and bake 350* for 1 hour.

Oriental Salad
Originally from my bestest friend-Lesley. this recipe can also be seen at Pass The Salt on the links in my blog.
2 pkg coleslaw
8 tsp. sesame seeds toasted (I just poured them in the pan, who measures?)
1 c. almonds toasted (I used cashews and added a little more)
4 green onions sliced
1 pkg. Ramen noodles, crushed no seasoning packet

Dressing:
3 T. Rice vinegar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. sugar
I doubled this because I had two bags of coleslaw. The original recipe calls for one bag.
Loved seeing everyone. We definitely don't get together enough.

Relay for Life

I am participating in Relay for Life this year. I'm doing so in remembrance of Michelle. I know we are all struggling right now, but if any of you would like to donate please visit my personal Relay for Life page. Just copy the address below and paste it into your browser. Thank you!


http://main.acsevents.org/goto/laceyjunejohnson

Home Made Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup

I made these last night. It is a recipe that comes from Great Grandma Pitman. These are seriously the BEST noodles ever!

1 egg, well beaten
2 Tbs. milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1 1/4 cup flour

Mix the egg and milk.  Add the salt and the flour, making a really stiff dough. I cheated and used my mixer for this part.
Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes, and then roll it out flat and thin. Use a pizza cutter and cut into 1 inch wide strips. They have to dry for a couple of hours. Add these to your chicken noodle soup and cook for about 5-7 minutes.


I'm grateful for delicious family recipes. These are special to me - I know that my dad enjoyed them, my grandma, my great grandma... and now I am making them for my little family. You just can't beat something that is made with love. :)

What Counts as a Blessing

This is a ditto of the Hulse Blog. I am challenging some of the authors to post a blessing that they notice that might otherwise be uncounted. I will even start. Color. Isn't it amazing the beautiful colors we are looking at these days. I think it is even great that we have green for a season, so we don't get tired of the vivid reds, oranges, golds and shades of brown. I have a lovely burning bush with a background of gold and dark green. I love being in my backyard and seeing that bush! Are you glad for the variety of colors around us?