A Cup of Energy

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

I have a little friend that sits on our counter. It waits for me each morning.

It brews me a wonderful cup of energy. The cup of energy makes me feel bullet-proof for a bit. That sounds like a drug. Hmmmm.

Yesterday…I went without my cup of energy. I felt it all day long. Today I will remedy that. My cup of energy will be pretty high up on my list of things to do.

When did I get old enough to need coffee to function with efficiency? Isn’t that for old people? People with gray hair. Oh yeah…those aren’t blonde shimmers are they?

I remember my grandparents sitting at their farmhouse breakfast table, drinking coffee out of orange coffee cups. Looking back…I’m sure that they were Fire King or Anchor Hocking. Anyway, they would sit there and while their coffee was still hot they would use a spoon and get little sips of it. They were relishing in a simple pleasure. I love that.

I hope that I have inspired you to have a “cup of energy” with me today. I hope that your Tuesday is amazing. I hope that after you drink your coffee…you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. After all, you are Dirt Roaders. Dirt Roaders…have a way of getting things done. 😉

mmmMonday! Just a few pretty kitchen faces…

29 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in Culinary Style

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Hey you all! How is Monday treating ya? Well…just don’t let it beat you up…that is all I have to say. It’s hours are numbered.

So…pretty kitchen faces on mmmMonday! Just a few shots of some things that abide in our kitchen. Maybe a little foodie talk and of course junking convo thrown in there? Okay. Let’s hit it.

Did you make a huge feast for the fam this weekend? Let’s see…Friday night I made the nachos that I was telling you about here. They were really good. All of the credit goes to Jess…the Mr.’s cousin. It’s her brain child.

On Saturday we had a birthday celebration with my dad. We partied hearty with pizza. (What is my deal with pizza? The older I get…the more I love it.) Then last night after church we had grilled burgers at the fellowship hall. Um…I think that we had junk food…ALL WEEKEND. It’s time to pull out the spinach guys. Seriously.

You know…I did make a new recipe. I took it to church last night. It’s called Cherries in the Snow Trifle. It was pretty good…if you are a cherry pie filling kind of person. I found the recipe on Pinterest here. Isn’t trifle fun? I think that this would also be good with blueberry pie filling. I might have to try that next time.

I thought that it would be fun to show you a few of the constant “faces” in our kitchen. Last Friday I decided to take down any décor that I did not absolutely love. I kept my favorites out. I can do that. I am the boss of my own kitchen. 😉

Want the low down on some of the junk in my kitchen? Okay. Here goes. That little mug holding chalk? It’s an old shaving mug that I found at a yard sale. It actually says “Father” in gold. Yeah…I turned that around. Um….the bundt cake pan (Quit laughing MIL.) was from…my MIL. It has been hanging there since our home was built. The old locker basket was picked up at a yard sale. I love those. I am on the look out for more. The hobnail glass lamp came from…wait for it……..ReStore!

If you have any questions about junk that I didn’t cover…PLEASE ASK! I love your comments. Don’t be shy about calling it “junk” either. To a true junker…that is a loving word.

Don’t let Monday get you down, Dirt Roaders. Take time to breathe deep and think about the good things. God loves you. It’s true. I promise.

Good Saturday to You

27 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in RaMbLiNgs

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It’s Saturday out on the dirt road. I know…you can’t believe it.

It’s also rainy out on the dirt road. I am so thankful for all the rain that we have been getting. It’s wonderful.

I just wanted to pop in and say “hi” since I don’t always blog on Saturday. I hope that all is going well and that you are enjoying your families.

Don’t forget to join us for mmmMonday! We will be getting our culinary on…and hopefully have a recipe or some tips that will make your life easier.

Until then…be blessed, Dirt Roaders and take time to smell the country air. Just make sure that you aren’t downwind….if you know what I mean. 😉

Happy Saturday!

p.s. Leave me a comment! I love them. How is the weather along your stretch of the dirt road? Have you been junkin’ lately? Inquiring minds…want to know.

Happy Casual Friday

26 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in RaMbLiNgs, Simply...living, Yum for the Tum

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Hey you guys! You made it! It’s Friday! So today…in honor of Friday…we are just going to do casual on the blog. No real rhyme or reason, just some pretty pictures to look at and maybe gab a little. Does that sound like a plan to you? I thought that you would approve.

(btw: To all of you newcomers….WELCOME! We are so glad to have you join us on this little faith filled, farmhousey, junkin’, gardening, cooking and whatever else we feel like doing…adventure. You can also follow us on Facebook here. We would love to have you join us.)

Do you have big fun-filled plans for the weekend? Maybe you are just going to wind down from a long week. Both options sound like a good idea to me.

Tonight I am going to make nachos for the fam. I love Friday night suppers. They are so much more relaxing because we don’t have to rush around to fit in baths, homework and then devotions before bed. We can take our time. Life is so fast…it feels good to have a minute to slow down. Agreed? I thought so.

To all of my super-healthy friends…please close your eyes and scroll down. I am getting ready to type something that will make you uncomfortable. Processed Cheese Food. Are you still with me? You are brave. We love Rotel, Velveeta and ground beef nachos. It is so wonderfully creamy, meaty and tomatoey and peppery. My husband’s cousin Jess makes them this way and it is sooo good. Healthy people…it will be okay. We will start eating spinach again soon. It’s Friday night…live a little. 😉 (If you do make this, add two cans of Rotel. It’s scrumptious and soupy. I don’t like it when it’s thick like pudding. If you do…we can still be friends.) 😉

Whatever you do I hope that you enjoy it. I hope that you take a few minutes just for you. I hope that you find a quiet place to reflect on all that you have been blessed with. I hope that you feel the love of God…warming your heart from the inside out.

Happy Weekend, Dirt Roaders!

Sigturquoise

Spring/Summer Mantle (and of course a little junkin’)

25 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in fluffin' the nest, Simply...living

≈ 2 Comments

I seriously do not know what my deal is with lemons. I have been crushing on them…since…well…Christmas. Remember when everyone was talking Christmas décor and I was planning what I was going to do after the tree came down? I was thinking on…you guessed it, lemons.

(Just a side note: I love Christmas. I love the Christ of Christmas. I love the message of Christmas. It’s the frenzy that makes me long for January.)

So…as soon as the New Year rolled around…I had these big, wonderful faux (Let’s call them faux…because fake just sounds so…well…fake.) lemons under a cloche and on our breakfast nook table. My kitchen sink faces that way so I could look at these wonderful “faux” lemons often.

Maybe it is because Ol’ Man Winter has been creaking around and not getting in any type of a hurry. The length of winter makes me long for the bright and cheery. Bright and cheery is good. It makes me feel…well…bright and cheery.

So…what was I talking about today? Ahhh yes! The mantle. The urn thingys were picked up at a yard sale. I was so excited that they had two. I had been wanting two of something to put on each side for a while now. Junkin’ really pays off if you love that kind of thing. I love…lovity…love that kind of thing, as you know.

I thought that the little urns were the perfect place for my lemons. I love the look of a little boxwood (faux) in there with them. I am crazy about white but I love bursts of color in there too. Cheery…ya know? 😉

Have a great day, Dirt Roaders! Our Spring/Summer mantle isn’t fancy. It’s actually pretty plain and simple. I like décor that makes me want to take a deep summery breath. How about you?

Would you like to come home with me little chest?

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in fluffin' the nest, sCoRiN' some JuNkItY JuNk

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If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time…you have figured out that I am all about junkin’ for a bargain. That means…going out and looking for great cast offs that “fluff the nest.” Not everyone loves this style…and I respect that. It is however…me. I love to take a “well-loved” something home and incorporate it into our everyday lives. I think that there is something to be said about finding worth in the cast offs. After all…I was one and Someone found worth in me.

So…last Friday I was out junkin’ with the moms. (Mine and his.) We went to this yard sale and we were fixing to leave and this guy pulls up with a pick-up load of wonderful junk. My mom spotted this little chest of drawers. (When I was a little girl…I thought that it was “chesterdrawers”… all one word. My apologies to you Chesters out there.) Well…it was pretty chilly out and no one wanted to get back out and ask him how much he wanted. When we finally did….I think that he said fifteen dollars. We then, drove on to our next sale.

Do you ever drive away and think “Why didn’t I buy that?” Well…I kept saying that and the moms kept telling me to turn around. I didn’t and we kept junkin’. Why oh why did I leave that little farmhousey chest behind?

One the way back to drop my mom off, I drove by the sale again. It was still there. They had the little chest out trying to clean it up. (btw: Did you know that a little ammonia and water is great for cleaning up old painted furniture? Especially if it’s a little mildewy from storage.) So…I stopped…jumped out and asked the lady, doing the cleaning, how much she wanted for it. After much thought…she said ten dollars. (On the inside…I’m flipping out…and the wheels are turning.) I told her that I would take it and I called the Mr. about transporting it home after work. It wouldn’t fit in my Expedition. (Although, my mom stuffed a ginormous wreath in there.)

FYI: Did you know that if a long strand of steel wool is hung in a keyhole on a chest…and you just grab it without thinking that it will slice right through your index finger like the slimmest of razor blades? It will. Been there…bled that. All better.

I almost forgot to tell you that I put up with much heckling from the moms when I got back in the truck. They had been talking about me while I was out there wheeling and dealing. They both already knew that my wheels were turning and I was dreaming about the little chippy chest living with us. Am I THAT transparent? I believe so. 🙂

Have a wonderful middle of the week, Dirt Roaders. I hope that you enjoyed the junkin’ trip with us. Oh…one more thing. The added bonus that came with the chest? It had been an olive green in a former life. How wonderful is that? Olive underneath and chippy white on top. This is where the rub (steel wool) came in. Yes…you may roll your eyes.

mmmMonday! Aunt Sandy’s Meatloaf

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in heart and soul, Yum for the Tum

≈ 2 Comments

Hey gang! Hope that mmmMonday! is treating you fine and dandy. I am finally getting around to sharing our meatloaf recipe with you today. I hope that you enjoy it. The girls and I had a blast in the kitchen making it. (Your are welcome…future sons-in-law.)

This meatloaf is very special. After we had been married about four or five years…my husband tells me that his Aunt Sandy made an awesome meatloaf when he was a kid. Now keep in mind that for all this time he had dutifully eaten my attempts at meatloaf. He didn’t put mine down…he just bragged her meatloaf up. Smart wife that I was (am) I gave ol’ Aunt Sandy a ringy ding and asked for the recipe. It was and is very good.

Aunt Sandy went to be with Jesus a few years back and my husband actually preached her funeral. It was such a solemn time…but it was precious when my husband mentioned the things that he remembered that Aunt Sandy used to cook. We don’t realize how important the little things are do we? So…today…this blog post is for you Aunt Sandy. I’m teaching others what you taught me. I’m paying it forward. I’m also teaching it to the girls…so their husbands won’t have to endure bland meatloaf for four or five years. 😉

Aunt Sandy’s Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs

1 envelope of onion soup mix

chopped green, red or yellow pepper

saltine crackers

salt/pepper

Country Bob’s steak sauce (I was out of this so I used Worcestershire…which was fine.)

ketchup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put ground beef in a large bowl that gives you plenty of room for squishing. Beat eggs and then add to beef. Add onion soup mix. You can chop as much green pepper as you like and then add it to the bowl. (Some people may like less or more.) As for adding the crackers…you kind of have to eyeball it. Maybe about half a sleeve and then if it’s still a little too moist add more. You need to crush them up into fine crumbs. (I think that Sandy told me to use oats…and I have done both. Which ever you like is fine. It doesn’t alter the taste.) Salt and pepper….just a dash of both. When adding the Country Bobs…you might just do a couple of tablespoons. You don’t want to add too much moisture. Also…it’s totally okay to leave this out. It’s good both ways. Then……just SQUISH…and squish and squish…until everything is incorporated. Shape into a loaf and then brush ketchup on the top. I do a pretty thick layer. Pop it in the over for forty-five minutes. Take it out…add another layer of ketchup and bake fifteen more minutes. YUMOLA!

I hope that you have a wonderful day! I hope that you make this meatloaf and then have the leftovers on a sandwich the next day. The next time I make it…I’m using three pounds of beef. There were NO leftovers last time. Boo….hoo. Now…go forth…and meatloaf, Sweet Dirt Roaders!

Blue Boy

18 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in heart and soul, sCoRiN' some JuNkItY JuNk

≈ 2 Comments

The Blue Boy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Boy

The Blue Boy (c. 1770) is an oil painting by Thomas Gainsborough. Perhaps Gainsborough’s most famous work, it is thought to be a portrait of Jonathan Buttall …

To me…the Blue Boy was always something that hung in my grandparents farmhouse. I had no idea why….for years. Kids are like that aren’t they? You just know that things are familiar when you are young and don’t really question their presence. Ahhh…the simplicity of youth.

When we built our own home I remembered Blue Boy. He had long since been stashed in a spare bedroom closet in my grandparents brick home in town. They had sold the farm several years before. I actually drove by the farm a few days ago. It will always have a special place in my heart.

So would you like to know why Blue Boy is in my possession? I kind of left that unfinished. Are you wondering why I cherish this print of this little guy in satin clothing? I will tell you why.

When my dad was a teenager…his sister, who is a few years older, had a job. She worked at a department store here in our hometown. I guess since she was making a little money they decided to decorate his bedroom. (Are we seeing some decorating genetics surfacing here?) Low and behold…they painted my dad’s bedroom….navy blue. I wish that I could have seen it…or rather…pictures of it. My aunt purchased the Blue Boy print to hang in his room. ( They were also into spraying gold spots on furniture to “antique” it. I think that it’s great. I love creativity.)

So…there you have it. My Blue Boy print hangs in our entry right now. (I got permission to bring him out to our own farmhouse.) I love his blue duds with the white wall behind. Blue is actually my favorite color. I wonder if Blue Boy influenced me with his shiny blue clothes…all those years ago? Thanks Blue Boy print. You are a treasure…that is probably only worth something…to me.

Thank you for stopping by, Dirt Road Friends! I would love to hear about some of your wonderful or quirky treasures. Your comments DELIGHT me! Leave me a comment or twelve. 😉

Have a wonderful weekend!

A little junkin’ therapy…

17 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in heart and soul, sCoRiN' some JuNkItY JuNk

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Do you ever have those crazy times in life where you feel frazzled from your crown to your pinkie toe? Of course you do. You are human. You are flesh and bone. These things happen to us all. We have stuff pile up all at once.

There is a song that says “It won’t rain always.” I think that I have told you that before. Did you need to hear that today? Do you need to know that God loves you? Yes…you. He is very concerned about….you. What a wonderful thing to know.

Sometimes when life seems a little overwhelming…I take a few minutes for myself. I putter around at the thrift store, or like yesterday, I go to the antique mall and pick up something that I found last week…but didn’t buy.

Sometimes we just need some quiet when our souls are overwhelmed. Time to reflect and contemplate. Sometimes we just need to get away and breathe deep…even just for a few minutes.

This morning I ran across this verse in Lamentations: “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” (Chapter 3 vs. 26) I love the encouragement and the promise in that. I also love the “quiet.”

I hope that you have a wonderful day, Dirt Roaders. I hope that you find a quiet place that breathes peace down into your soul. You deserve it….yes…you do.

mmmMonday! Good things to Come

15 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Kelli in Yum for the Tum

≈ 2 Comments

Good mmmMonday! to you, Dirt Roaders. I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend. Ours was a little crazy. That is okay though. Better a little crazy…than a lot crazy, in my opinion.

We were gonna talk meatloaf today…but due to craziness, we may put that off until next week. I try to be a woman of my word…so in case you were looking forward to it…keep hanging on. You will? Okay…thank you.

I thought that I would leave you with a picture of good things to come today. This is a little bounty from last year’s garden. The Mr. got ours all plowed up on Saturday and it looks so good. (Thanks to the MIL for spotting that awesome Troy Built Horse in the paper last year. btw: MIL…that skirt that you had on at church last night….ADORBS!) He also got our yard mowed and the kids and I got the flower beds and herb bed weeded and ready for mulch. (Lots of antibiotics and allergy meds on my part….the pollen is nuts here.)

I hope that you have a wonderful mmmMonday! I hope that it’s filled with all things bright and wonderful. I hope that you feel the love of Christ warming your heart from the inside…out today. You deserve it….He said so. 😉

Along the Dirt Road

Monthly Archives: April 2013

A Cup of Energy

mmmMonday! Just a few pretty kitchen faces…

Good Saturday to You

Happy Casual Friday

Spring/Summer Mantle (and of course a little junkin’)

Would you like to come home with me little chest?

mmmMonday! Aunt Sandy’s Meatloaf

Blue Boy

The Blue Boy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A little junkin’ therapy…

mmmMonday! Good things to Come