College Football ~How About Those Bison ~Championship Game ~An Exciting Finish to a Most Successful Season

Hubby and I do enjoy watching the

North Dakota State University Bison play football.

From the first game of the season at Target Field in Minneapolis...

To the atmosphere inside the Fargo Dome...

To the comfort of our Family Room...

We try not to miss a game.

I have a Pinterest Board of recipes for Football Food

to prepare when we are Homegating.

This Cheesy Herb Garlic Bread is Easy and Delicious.

And this recipe for Loaded Tator Tots is a keeper.

How can something that is so bad for you, taste so good?!

We always have plenty to cheer about...

the Bison were undefeated this season.

Under the leadership of a new quarterback,

redshirt freshman, Trey Lance.

So impressive that he was the Walter Payton Award Recipient

at the FCS Banquet on Friday Night.

Saturday Morning is Game Day.

When we get up, we all get dressed in our Bison Gear.

Everyone has their own special seat in the family room.

This game was intense...

I mean, the game was really intense!

But our quarterback remained calm, cool, and collected

and led his team to another National Championship.

And for the eighth time in the last nine years,

Hubby has taken our flag off the patio

to wave it at the end of the driveway.

Yes, it is winter in the Dakotas,

the temperature outside is in the single digits,

and my hubby is wearing shorts.

But that doesn’t stop him from showing his Bison Pride.

Congratulations to our Coach, our Quarterback,

and to the entire Bison Team that played

their hearts out..all..season..long.

Take care,

~Natalie

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year ~Christmas 2019 ~Where the Week Went ~Planning and Prepping

As I clean and organize the bedrooms & family room

I occasionally come across a few treasures...

like this precious photo.

This was what our Christmas looked like 26 years ago.

No, we women did not send out a memo to wear green,

And yes, our daughters are wearing matching,

home-sewn, Christmas Pantsuits.

I can’t wait to all be together again this Christmas!

While my days have been spent enjoying holiday preparations,

we do take a break to watch some Bison Football.

(I have yet to master the art of taking a bathroom selfie)

We all get into the Bison Football Spirit here.

My grocery list was so long it filled a legal pad.

I could not figure out why the supermarket was so busy...

and then I turned the corner into the liquor department.

It was their monthly Wine Sale, complete with samples!

I also enjoyed a little pampering for the holidays.

Thank you, Diane, for making me look young again!

This is why we are referred to as The Hub City.

A freight train is a frequent reminder to stop and just breathe.

This photo was in my Facebook Memories.

It is the last time I celebrated Christmas with my mom.

We had traveled to visit her at the Assisted Living Facility.

We brought a gift and some sweet treats.

She loved looking at the photos on my laptop

and I showed her how to take a selfie.

This photo, also in my Memories, is our old Farmhouse...

you remember that it was surrounded by water, but

we were able to drive out there over the ice.

This is before the vandals shot out all the windows

and broke in to steal precious family possessions.

While my Bison Tshirt is my Saturday attire,

this Tshirt is appropriate every..other..day..of the week.

Hallmark Christmas Movies do help

to make the Season Bright.

I have also been having some fun in the kitchen.

I made a big roaster full of Party Mix

for those that like a Salty Snack.

And a big roaster full of Homemade Granola

for those that like a Healthy Sweet Snack.

There are a few more tasks on my ToDo List,

but Hubby and I are enjoying planning and preparing

to have our family all together...

in just a couple of days!

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

Looking for my Blogworthy ~Countdown to Winterfest~Five Days #WinterfestAberdeen

It’s been a while since I have posted an update here.

Whenever that happens, I check my photo albums

to see what has been blogworthy in my life.

I feel like all my posts have been the same lately.

*Winterfest Projects

*Bison Football

*What’s for Dinner

*What Lizzie is doing

You can see I have finished the little Snowmen

and this Rafter of Turkeys.

Hubby used his Wood Turning talents to create pedestals

for my Vintage Wool Bluebirds.

These Snowmen are also created with Vintage Upcycled Fabrics.

We enjoyed a Bison game on Veterans Day weekend.

I tried a new recipe for Chicken Mushroom Pasta.

I added fresh herbs and cream cheese to make it rich and tasty.

Then there’s Lizzie, my helper cat.

She plays hard...

Then, sleeps hard.

Her new favorite place to nap is on the rug by the kitchen sink.

She discovered a heat register there.

Who can blame her?!

I should have more Santas and Snowmen finished

and ready to show you tomorrow.

Local Friends,

We hope to see you this weekend.

Take care,

~Natalie

Where the Weekend Went ~Spending Time with Friends ~Bison Football Report

A weekend highlight for us was having dinner with this couple.

We’ve been friends for decades,

so it was great to stop on our way home

for a visit and to catch up.

Of course, we all take watching Bison Football very seriously.

At home, we don our Green and Gold attire

and settle into our favorite chairs in the family room.

We make our favorite Football Food.

I have a whole Pinterest Board just for Game Day Snacks.

For NDSU home games, we make the quick trip to Fargo.

Saturday’s weather was perfect for tailgating,

unlike last weekend when we were in a Winter Storm!

Our seats were way up near the rafters in the dome.

Luckily, my fibula has made a full recovery

and I could handle all of those steps!

In the fourth quarter, we can usually find some seats

that have been vacated closer to the field,

where we can watch the actual players,

instead of watching them on the Jumbotron.

The Bison remain undefeated this season.

Our Furocious Fan is looking forward to the next away game,

so she can watch with us.

I hope your favorite Football Team won this weekend.

Take Care,

~Natalie

Here’s our first attempt at a Family Selfie.

I guess we need to try again...

Where the Weekend Went ~Lots of Rain ~Live Jazz Music ~Great Friends ~Bison Football ~Good Food

It has rained here for three days straight.

We have had about 4 inches of rain in this area.

(I saw it on Facebook so it must be official, right?!)

No complaints here, it was a nice gentle rain.

Our thoughts are with those that have suffered

from the effects of Hurricane Dorian.

We kicked off the weekend with

the Jazz Group playing at the Ward.

This is what it looks like when your hubby is the drummer

and you get there early to set up.

That’s the venue’s owner and the bartender to the right...

I had a choice of the best tables.

The band sounded great...

they hadn’t played together for a while.

Lots of folks came downtown to listen.

We enjoyed visiting with some friends that 

we haven’t seen for a while.

Saturday was Game Day...NDSU vs. UND.

The oldest Football Rivalry in ND History. 

We did house chores early so we could be ready for kick off.

Lizzie was in her Game Watching Chair early...

Then hubby and I joined her,

But not before preparing Football Snacks.

A favorite...Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders.

I cut strips of Chicken Breast and coated them with seasoned flour.

The second bowl is olive oil and garlic.

The last bowl is Panko Bread Crumbs,

Parmesan Cheese, and Herbs.

If you would like the recipe, look for it on my Pinterest Page.

With these in the oven, I could focus on a new recipe...

Homemade Mac & Cheese Bites.

Stir the Roux so it doesn’t scorch.

Once it bubbles and is slightly thickened,

you can add the sharp cheddar, cream cheese,

and an egg for binding.

Bake in a mini muffin tin.

Here are the Chicken Tenders with a little dipping sauce.

Here are the Mac & Cheese Bites with a Fresh Basil garnish.

Lizzie was soon bored with the game.

But we Bison Fans had plenty to cheer about.

I hope your favorite team won.

Take care,

~Natalie