What's cookin...

A bun in the oven!

We are happy to announce we are expecting our first little one around Halloween and could not be more excited!

Snausage Fest

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A couple of weeks ago we ventured down to Uniontown, WA for the 57th annual Sausage Feed. I had never heard of this event before and we were not quite sure what to expect. Josh, Fay and Lyla and I all piled in the car and took the 2 hour car ride to the Palouse.
The "feed" was quite the event, taking place in the community hall. It included a beer garden and vendors selling lots of random items, like this find...
Thank goodness, because we waited in line for 2 hours before we got to the sausage eating part (and had consumed about $50 worth of beer). We met lots of random interesting people in line too and with the Mills' being the Chatty Cathy's they are, it was quite entertaining. People from small towns are so nice and friendly! However, we did meet an older couple from Spokane so looks like we weren't the only ones who drove 2 hours to eat sausage.
We learned that there are a few locals who get together the Wed-Fri before the Sausage Feed and make sausage for three days straight. Every year they make a new recipe so it's always a surprise what you are going to get. About 1500 people come out for this event every year! I didn't think that many people even lived in that community!

The sausage is served with mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and a few accompaniments like applesauce and sauerkraut. They don't hold back. Did I mention it's all you can eat!? Little helpers walk around refilling your beverage, loading you up on more sausage and bring you pie. It was quite the experience and I highly recommend you try it next year. Here's my feast:

Shab to Fab...my clock revamp

There's a second hand/ junk store on Monroe that I've been wanting to go inside forever. It's the one with the crazy looking metal animals out front. I want to say maybe a dinosaur or zebra, or something else similar but completely random.

Anyway, I finally made it in there over the Holidays and I'm so glad I did. Not only did I find the coolest old trunk (that now serves as our "new" coffee table in the basement) but I found this beauty...



And I had to have it! It was screaming for a makeover. Kindof hard to tell from the picture, but it's rather large. I had to put it in the bathtub to clean it...


I think I was drawn to the intricacies of the details. Initially, I wanted to paint it black but decided to really give it some personality with a bold color. Then I painted the face and gave it some updated numbers. I think it turned out pretty well, although I have not yet hung it up and won't be surprised if I paint in black in a couple of months! It will have it's home in the basement on one of the many bare walls.

Yummy Nog

Mmmmmm...eggnog. This has to be my favorite Holiday food...yes, food. I try not to buy it becuase it only lasts about 2 days, which is sickening when you look at the nutritional label. I do allow myself 2 Starbucks eggnog lattes (which I had already redeemed by Thanksgiving) every year to get my fix and it's a day I celebrate when Starbucks brings out the red cups at the beginning of "the season".

You can imagine my excitement when I came across a recipe for eggnog pudding. Seriously, why didn't I think of this before!? This has been my saving grace for getting my eggnog fix the past month and thought I'd share the recipe so you can make it too. It really does taste like eggnog, I was pleasantly surprised!

1 package instant vanilla pudding (I used Jell-O sugar free, fat free)
2c. Milk
1 tsp. rum extract
1/4c. cool whip

Wisk together the pudding, milk, and rum extract until well blended. Fold in cool whip. Put in the fridge until pudding has set (2 hours?). Enjoy eggnog bliss.

Snow!

Fake snow that is! I love to decorate for the Holidays, even if I don't get too elaborate with my decorations, the smells and sights of the Holidays make me very happy. It's been my tradition for the past few years to break out the Christmas gear (sans tree) the Sunday after Thanksgiving...I respect the turkey.

So, I discovered fake snow at the craft store while doing some Black Friday shopping in Wenatchee. I did not know this stuff existed. It was only $2.99 so I thought for that price I had to have it and would find something fun to show this stuff off. I was in "need" of a new centerpiece for the dining room table and thankfully my snow gave me inspiration to come up with this festive number.

I purchased this fabulous glass candle holder at TJ Maxx and the little ornaments came from Target's 75% off after-Christmas rack last year. Although, I noticed them in Target's ad that was just in the Sunday paper. Anyway, here is my fun, snowy centerpiece...I love it.

Case Sale time!

Arbor Crest has my favorite wine of all time, Cliff House Red. I couldn't really tell you what's in it but I love it. I'm sure it's a blend of all their left over red wine varietals, but it tastes oh so yummy!

When we got married we served Arbor Crest wine at our wedding. Since I love a deal, I discovered they have a sale twice a year and sell their cases for half off! We're talking $7 bottles of wine here! So we stocked up and were able to serve delicious wine at our wedding for half the price. We've since gone back the last 3 Novembers and purchased wine during their case sale, which is exactly where we headed today. You can't beat the price, or the yumminess of it all! Too bad a case doesn't last us too long.

Dream Big

Today was a big day for me. I went in for my 6 week post-op visit with Dr. Barrow and he gave me the go ahead to start walking in my big walking boot! I am so happy to ditch those darn crutches and be mobile again!

I have to say, this whole experience has really given me a new appreciation for those who cannot walk. After not being able to for 6 weeks, I really see how debilitating it can be and how much we really rely on our feet for our day to day activities and getting around. I also have an appreciation for handicap bathroom stalls and will definitely think twice before using one in the future now that I know how great they are when you're "handicap". I would be so humiliated to walk out of one, only to realize someone in a wheelchair is waiting to use that stall!

So, I'm excited to be up and at it again. I'm thinking I'll celebrate my new freedom tomorrow by walking the two blocks to the bus stop and taking the STA downtown...dream big!