Christmas is almost here so I am closing out the year with some new art up at Lady Fern before I have to finish up some Christmas presents.
Read morePolish Casserole
I don’t know the origins of this recipe other than that my Mawmaw used to make it. It was a favorite dish, so we still make it and think of her. With cool weather in full swing, Polish Casserole is sounding really good. Maybe you would like to try making it also?
Leftovers are just as good as if it was just made!
Sliced:
4 lg russet potatoes, 1/2 head green cabbage,1 yellow onion, polish sausage- fry a little after slicing
Mix together & cook til thickened:
1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 c milk
Layer in sprayed 9x13” pan:
1/3 cabbage, 1/3 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 sausage. Continue until done then pour sauce over top. Cover with foil. Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hr 15 min, uncovering for last 15.
Reheats really well!
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is thirty miles outside of Moab, Utah, and in my experience, far less crowded than Moab’s nearest park, Arches. Canyonlands looks something like a Western movie set, so of course I have a few pictures saved in my to- paint folder.
Read moreArches National Park
Arches National Park is one Cory and I have been to several times, and while I think each National Park is special, I feel like posting about the ones I’ve been to that I have photo albums of as they are a source of inspiration in my work. As of my time of writing this I have been to Arches three times and Cory has five. It is in Utah, just outside of Moab, so is a place we have been able to go while on road trips to see family, and have made a point to while on vacation. Arches has the densest concentration of natural arches in the world- more than 2,000 - per nps.gov.
Read moreGrand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is located right next to Yellowstone in Wyoming and is Cory’s favorite. When we went together we took the boat ride across Jenny Lake to hike on the other side. We hiked to Hidden Falls and up to Inspiration Point. The air there smells sweetly of pine and the views across the lake to the mountains are unmatched. Each lake in the park is beautiful. I can see why it’s Cory’s favorite!
Read moreYellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is America’s original National Park, and it’s my absolute favorite. The landscape is so colorful, at times noisy, even smelly in parts, both sweet and stinky. It’s a rainbow you can walk in and as a painter I daydream about it often. I’ve painted several scenes from my trips to Yellowstone, and I believe I will continue to paint scenes from there for a very long time.
Read moreOlympic National Park
Olympic National Park is HUGE. It covers a large chunk of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, and has snow-capped mountains, Pacific beaches, rainforest, rivers, with little road access except from the edges. We have been to Hurricane Ridge, a popular spot that leads to many mountainous hikes and even more mountain views , and Staircase, a section of the park that takes you along the Staircase Rapids of the North Fork Skokomish River.
Read moreMt Tabor
Mt Tabor is an extinct volcano in Portland, OR that is a park, surrounded by neighborhoods. It has historic reservoirs, hiking trails, a dog park, kids’ playground, all in the middle of the city. You never quite know what you might see there- dance parties or wildlife.
Read moreTryon Creek State Park
Here in Portland I am fortunate to have many options to get outside. Tryon Creek is one such place and is a state park close enough to where I live that I am able to go most any day after work, or work it in to a busy weekend. We go there in most all weathers, enjoy the seasonal changes of flora and fauna, and though the parking lot may get crowded, we often have the trail pretty well to ourselves.
Read moreFt Clatsop
Ft Clatsop is where Lewis and Clark overwintered on the Oregon coast near present day Astoria. There is a reproduction of the original fort there with hiking trails, a visitor center that has a museum inside, and it hosts speakers on different topics relevant to the area. Part of the National Parks system, it’s good to have a pass to go for a visit.
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