Grand Ledge

Bob and I had such a fun day last week. There's a place in Michigan that I always wanted to go to and when I saw a friend had been there, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather we've been having and take a day trip there.

The place is Grand Ledge, which is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from our home. It's in the middle, lower section of the state.  It's known for the sandstone rock ledges along the Grand River - the same river that is near my house.

It was a foggy morning, and it looked like this for most of our drive. It suddenly cleared as we approached Grand Ledge.

We arrived at Fitzgerald Park, the place with trails by the ledges. This building was built in 1894 as an Opera House, and is now used as an event space.

We started walking the trail and made it down to the river,

and soon made it to the sandstone ledges.

They were incredible!

The golden leaves added to the beauty.

Look how tall the ledges are!

I'm always amazed by the way tree roots can grow in the rocks.

We came across this train trestle spanning the river.

More beautiful trees.

The path was lined with dry, rustling leaves.

After we finished hiking that area, we went on another trail that took us to a dam on the river.

The view from the dam.

What a beautiful day!  If you are ever near Grand Ledge, it's worth your time to check it out!

Friday Funny

 

Cooking Thursday

This is a recipe I made recently to bring to a family from church who had a new baby.  This is something that's kid friendly but also liked by adults.  It's easy to make, and freezes well, so when I make it for us, I split it and freeze half.

Grandma's Pasta Hot Dish

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 cup sour cream
1 bag thin egg noodles, cooked as directed
12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Dried parsley for garnish

Brown and drain the ground beef with the chopped onion. Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper. Then add the marinara sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes.
While that simmers, stir together the cream cheese and sour cream. Grease a 9x13 pan. Spread 1/2 of the cooked egg noodles into the pan, then dot with 1/2 of the sour cream/cream cheese mix.
Spread 1/2 of the meat mix over top and then 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese.
Repeat layers - noodles, cream cheese mix, meat, mozzarella. Then sprinkle the grated parmesan over top.
Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Sprinkle dried parsley over top to garnish.