Back to my Roots and More....Post Views....23,866.

         Root veggies, that is.....
Sometimes one needs to give her brain a rest and relax with comfort cooking.  Not for everyone, but I enjoy cooking.  AND eating my cooking.  Thursday was that day.  

beef, barley veggie "stew"/
pot roast and veggies waiting for gravy

Had some suprise visitors in the evening... Zach  and Amanda.  Zach is #1 grandchild who will soon be papa of
 #1 great grandchild!  
Congratulations, Zach and Amanda!!

And #1 Packer backer living in Oregon

 Baby Berlkee took her mom and dad and flew from San Diego to Illinois and then to southern Wisconsin to meet more family!!

Bill getting back to his roots....
Uncle Burt bonding with Berklee...

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  On Friday a couple lady friends took me to check out a volunteer center in downtown Vancouver, "Friends of the Carpenter".  It is an outreach center for homeless folks to come in to work on wood projects and get paid a bit.  

a fancy painted piano with a tree up the side. 




a wooden piggy cutting board for a B-day gift.



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     On Saturday with the nice weather, it was girl time at the Vancouver open market.

Gram G, friend Taylor, Mic,Deb, Angie


    Angie in reflective mood     Double Gram G


 Street performers, 

exotic plants to take home... 

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Well.....what is Grandma G doing late Saturday afternoon?

Chemistry project?
Comfort cooking?
Cake recipe, new?

I have heard it said to NOT try a new recipe right before a special occasion.   HMMMMM.....
When asked a few days ago what kind of cake she would like for her B-day, Angie replied, "red velvet".  Oh....
So I am going to be a doting Gram and make one from scratch.  (I am trying to get away from processed foods.) 

Well.....what is Grandma G doing early Sunday afternoon?

Chemistry project?
Comfort cooking?
Cake recipe,new,#2?



Something didn't go right on the first cake....maybe wrong food coloring? maybe wrong mixing process? maybe wrong recipe?

The layers were quite flat, color was marbled, 
texture was spongy,taste was very baking soda....

What to do???? Smother it in frosting and maybe no one will notice?  Buy one?   Run around town looking for plain ol' full ounce of red food coloring?  Pick another recipe and bake again? 
(I'll decide Sunday after church....)
At 1 o'clock Sunday I stop in a store for red food coloring...Sorry they don't carry it.  I'm not too far from Joann Fabrics craft store.  Surely they have some.  Yep, they did but finding it took a treasure hunt.  

Don't know if YOU have made a red velvet cake "from scratch".  It IS close to a chemistry experiment with mixing a full ounce of red coloring with the cocoa, adding a cup of buttermilk, alternating ingredients and finally mixing baking soda with vinegar and gently folding in.  This one did resemble a homemade cake when taken out to cool.  
Happy, Happy B-day, Angie!!   

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Some celebrations last several days.....
Tuesday, today, Angie and Mic came over for a private meal of dumplings and sour gravy.  Details of "sour gravy" have been posted in the past.  It is THE FAVORITE of the Miller family. The girls helped with the prep, ate the meal, packed up the leftovers and took them home so the rest of the Millers could have some as well.
It was a fun event!!  Nice to have family to fuss over.   

Sunday afternoon while I was busy in the kitchen I heard a loud wack on the deck sliding doors.  I took a look outside and saw 2 mourning doves perched on the rail and chair.  One flew away to the roof.  The one on the chair sat quite still for a long time.  Must have been the one who tried flying through the glass....

This has been a good 7 "back to my roots" days in the life of Grandma G.

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth."  (Psalms 119:103)