Happy Friday, Dirt Roaders!

31 Friday May 2013

You made it! You did it! Congratulations! It’s Friday. Are you glad? Of course you are. You know…it’s been a tad crazy this week. We, of course, had Memorial Day stuff on Monday and then our internet wasn’t working. I had a couple of wreath orders and then it was Friday. I was going to show you guys some pictures of Memorial Day weekend…and I still will. I have to get them loaded and edited first. So today…I’m just going to offer you a little relaxation eye candy. Shots from here and there. I hope that you enjoy.

Sheesh Suzie. Have some class.

Pool therapy. Nothing like it.

Green grass. Nothing like it.

SONY DSC

Do you have a good read for the weekend? It’s supposed to rain here.

Maybe you are going junkin’ this weekend. That sounds like a plan to me!

Maybe you are heading off to a drive in the country. That is always fun. Maybe you live in the country and you are just going to enjoy your yard. Isn’t that fun…just sitting and soaking it all in? Love that. So. Much.

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. I hope that you get to sit down with a glass of iced tea and count your blessings. God is good. All the time.

Summer Mantle

28 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in fluffin' the nest

≈ 2 Comments

Hey guys! How was your holiday? Ours was wonderful. We were busy and then we had time to relax too. The perfect balance. I might actually share some great photos that I was able to capture with my phone…later in the week. Sweet places in the country…where we go to remember our loved ones. Until then, I thought that I would go ahead and show you the couple of tweaks that I made to our mantle for summer. Fun…fun!

Would you believe that I took pictures of our mantle and forgot to take a shot of the whole thing? I will…later. I promise. Our internet has been down and I’ve been dealing with dramatic kids, so it’s just really wonderful that I’m even getting this posted today. I mean…really, what is one to do without Google? Where did we even put that dictionary? No, actually they have done really well. They are pretty creative. 🙂

I thought about making a banner that said SUMMER on it. I have seen some adorable stuff lately. You bloggin’ gals out there, are amazing. Then I remembered this sign that I made last year and decided to just use that and then make a burlap banner.

This sign and banner were both very easy. The sign is just made from leftovers that we had around the house. I found the board out in the Mr.’s garage and we had the white and red paint. I used my handy-dandy stencils. The banner is just made from garden twine and a roll of French striped burlap. I didn’t even sew it. I just ironed it and folded the top edge down over the twine and hot glued it. Easy peasey!

I left the lemons. I love them with the boxwood. Such a fun pop of color in our family room.

I hope that your Memorial Day was special, Dirt Roaders. Maybe later in the week I can show you some of the sweetness of our holiday. Of course, it was out along the dirt road. You never get very far from one in the Ozarks…and that is just fine with me.

A few little things…

23 Thursday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in Culinary Style, fluffin' the nest

≈ 2 Comments

Are you a mover and a shaker? Let me explain the question. Are you one of those people who start out cleaning and then start moving things around? Maybe you move things around and then clean. Sometimes I do this for inspiration and sometimes I do it because it just needs to be done. (When things don’t “feel” right…I move them until they find their permanent home.)

This week was one of those times. I had never found a good spot for the little (junkin’) German canisters that I bought. Then it dawned on me. They might fit…where I keep my cooking utensils, olive oil and s & P. I was so excited when they did. I wanted them on the counter…where I could see them all the time…but I didn’t want more stuff on the counter. Did I lose ya? No? I knew I wouldn’t. You are Dirt Roaders after all. You can track a rabbit…down any trail. 😉

Okay…so…then this package came in the mail. It was from Pick Your Plum. Do you know about them? Oh. My. Goodness. The best baker’s twine…in the history of ever. It’s so pretty…I didn’t even want to open it for a few days. Then I decided that I wanted it in my kitchen…not in the craft room in the basement. I mean…I wouldn’t be able to gaze upon it. (btw: Pick Your Plum is not paying me to say this…I am because I was so pleased with their product.) Anyway….I don’t have one of those twine holder thingies…so I used my Martha Stewart over the cabinet towel rack and some garden twine. It works for me.

Sooo…..then I noticed that I still had daffodils on our farmhouse table in the dining room. (They were fake…by the way.) Now…that being said…if you still have some out…wonderful. It’s still spring and if you want to leave yours out all year…I respect that. It’s your house…live it up the way that you want. I just had the itch to change mine up. So, what does any self-respecting foodie do when she needs fresh “flowers?” Herbs of course. I love the way that the oregano and spearmint pop against the white. Adorbs.

Last…but not least I decided that my olive bucket needed something in it. My sweet Mr. and our kids gave it to me for Mother’s Day. I love…lovity…love it. So, I stuck some lavender in it. Impressive…I know. 😉

Well…those are just a few little things. They don’t actually make me happy because life is not about stuff. Blessings, like the grace of God, the strong hugs from my husband and the sweet snuggles of my children truly make me happy. These few little things, that I have for now, they just make me smile.

What does summer mean to you?

22 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in Simply...living

≈ 2 Comments

Summer. I love the word. I love the season. Even in the hottest part, there is just something about summer that has always inspired me. Maybe it’s because I was born in the summer. We will blame it on that.

My question today is: What does summer mean to you?

In my mind, there is something almost magical about summer. There is something beautiful about the plants and bushes that always come back, year after year. There is something beautiful about clothes hanging on the line and coming back in smelling like sunshine. (Mr. ..if you are reading this…a clothesline is still on my wish list.)

When I was growing up…summer days spent with my mom were always an adventure. She just had a way about her…and still does…that made every moment of every day fun. I look back on those days now and realize that I incorporate some of that into the lives of our children. That makes my heart smile.

One of my very favorite things about summer? Old yards. Do you know what I mean? I do not have an old yard…yet. Old yards are yards that have been there for years and have been lovingly planted and tended. Grandma yards. That is what they are in my mind. Today….I am sharing with you…one of my favorite places of all time. To me…this is the epitome of “farmhouse.” From the yard to the porch to the little fence…this is just me. This home is on the way to my mom’s house. I’m not sure if anyone lives there anymore but….to me…it is beautiful.

I could go on and on about the way that the river draws me in the summer or swimming or round bales here in the Ozarks or most of all laughing children that are home for the summer. I will save that for another day. Today…because you are my sweet Dirt Roaders…I am sharing some of my summer heart and my all time favorite farmhouse.

Smiles!

mmmMonday! on Tuesday with Dancing Chicken (Rival’s Lemon Herbed Roasted Chicken)

21 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in livin' a little healthy, Yum for the Tum

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My Friends! How are you? I hope that your weekend and your Monday was great! We have still been busy…but hopefully…things will slow down a bit now.

So…since I didn’t get a recipe or something in the foodie department posted yesterday, we are going to celebrate mmmMonday! on Tuesday. Okay with you? I didn’t think that you would mind. You are great like that.

I’m going to tell you a little story:

Once upon a time there was a mother that would hold up a “naked” whole chicken and sing and make the chicken dance. Her children would laugh with glee while the mother made the chicken play the air guitar.( It’s little wings looked so cute…strumming away.) The mother and the children then dubbed that certain dish Dancing Chicken. The End.

How did you like it? I know…it’s a little insane…but insane is fun, right? I knew that you would agree.

Would you like for me to share my treasured recipe? It’s delish. It came out of the Rival cook book…that came with my first Crock-Pot. There I was, a blushing bride of eighteen, with a new Crock Pot. (Be ready for an adventure…my Mr.)

It is not called Dancing Chicken. The real name is Lemon Herbed Roasted Chicken. How boring. Yummy…yet with a boring name. How sad. I took care of that. 😉

Dancing Chicken (Lemon Herbed Roasted Chicken…thank you…folks at Rival.)

3 to 4 lb. fryer or roasting chicken

1/4 c. chopped onion

2 tbsp. butter

Juice of one lemon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes)

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. paprika

(I add a little garlic salt too.)

Rinse chicken well and pat dry; remove any excess fat. Place onion in the cavity of the chicken and rub the skin with butter or margarine. (Butter…always REAL butter.) Place chicken in Crock-Pot. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the chicken and sprinkle with remaining seasonings. Cover and cook on Low setting 8 to 10 hours.

This chicken is so tender, juicy and yummy that it will make you want to slap your momma. Unless she is the kind that slaps back. (Ozarkian mothers would slap back…we don’t really slap our moms here.)

Have a wonderful day, Dirt Roaders. I hope that you have lots of wonderful Dancing Chicken meals. I hope that your decide to try this instead of picking one up, already cooked, in the deli. They are so much better homemade. Now…go forth and make those chickens dance!

p.s. The folks at Rival did not pay me for this post. I am truly grateful to them however for this wonderful recipe. I have fed it to my little family over and over. 🙂

Whew! We are breaking out in SUMMER VACATION!

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in sCoRiN' some JuNkItY JuNk

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Are you terribly excited that it’s summer vacation? Around here…school is out. We attended our last graduation of the year, last night. Today, I think that I am just kinda chillin.’ Chillin’ and thinking about summer projects. How fun is that? I know…fun.

Yesterday…my MIL called and said something very precious.

Me: Hello?

Mother-in-law: I found an old door!

Woo Hoooooooo! Are you excited? Okay…let me explain. I had told my MIL that I would love to have an old door to hang on the wall in our master bedroom. I was going to add coat hooks to it. She has been on the hunt since…so you can imagine our excitement. You can also imagine our excitement….because said door was in an old house that was going to be dozed and we were going to go poke around in it.

It was time for an adventure. We constantly cautioned each other to watch for copperheads and poison ivy. I got to see my mother-in-law grab a hammer and get down to business beating an old shutter and some siding apart. I gave praise to Jesus…when the nail that could have went up through my foot…just stuck up the side of my shoe. (That was close.) People that drove by probably thought that we were nuts, hoisting that old door into my husband’s truck. Yes…we have muscles and we will use them…to heave junk. (Have I mentioned that the living room had hardwood flooring? Yeah…sad. I could just see it…polished up.)

After I got this well-loved beauty home, and looked her over… I think that I’m going to just prop it up against the wall and add two coat hooks. I love the farmhousy feel that it has. It needs a good bath but I’m not sure about repainting. I’m kinda in love with its chippyness. It even has a little patch of blue. Be still my little junkin’ heart.

Are you wondering about the coffee bean sacks yet? Those are just a little sneak peek of what may become curtains. I thought that you might like to see a bit of what was up my sleeve for this summer vacation. We also have a paint project that I’ve mentioned before. I need to start it pretty quick. I have two precious ones…patiently waiting on that one. (To my Mr.: Are you ready to trim?) 😉

Have a wonderful weekend, Dirt Road Sweeties. I cannot wait to share our summer and our projects with you… from along the dirt road.

Smiles!

mmmMonday! Herbin’ it up!

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in Yum for the Tum

≈ 2 Comments

Did you party it up big on Mother’s Day? We really did. Between what we did here in our own little family and getting together with the moms and our Sunday morning church service…we partied hearty for Mother’s Day. I hope that it was a good day for all of you.

So….we are back to mmmMonday! You know…I contemplated not blogging this week. Please don’t cry. (I kid…I kid.) This week is just so crazy-busy for us. Is the merry (crazy) month of may like that for you all? We have three graduations to attend this week. It’s exciting and “whew” all at the same time. We are also having our annual fellowship meeting at church this week. Whew…whew. School also gets out so…throw a few award ceremonies and end of the year activities. Whew…whew…whew.

Anyway…I didn’t want to leave you hanging. We are friends, right? Right. We talk foodie things on mmmMonday…so that is what we are going to do. We are going to herb it up a little.

Are you guys crazy about herbs? I. am. I have been for years and years. I am crazy about their color, shape, texture and smell. I think that I have even shown you pictures of my little herb bed out back. I actually started out growing them when we lived in town. My first little lavender plant grew by our front porch steps. I would go out side and rub the leaves and then smell my hand. Very….therapeutic.

Do you love to cook with fresh herbs? In my little herb bed…there is dill weed…just waiting to hop into my summer pickles. Sometimes I run out there for a sprig of oregano for a sauce or I grab a few chives for a topping of some sort. I don’t use the spearmint much…and it is really fortunate that I let it stay. The only reason is…the Mr. and I love the smell. When he uses the weed eater out there…it smells wonderful. Spearmint is very invasive though…you have to keep it in it’s boundaries…or it takes over. I’m talking…growing up through your kitchen floor. (No…not really. Why did I say that? Just making sure that you are paying attention.) 😉

When we were younger and before we had kids…we were house hunting. We looked at this house that had a wonderful (overgrown) herb bed. Herbs appeal to the side of me that kicks off my shoes and runs barefoot with the kids through the grass. (Am I a hippie at heart? I was born in the late seventies. Hmmmm……) They just seem wild and free. They aren’t only pretty but they serve a purpose. I love that.

I have a friend named Pat. She is very passionate about herbs. When we start talking about them…we are both in the zone. Isn’t it fun to have a variety of friendships like that? With each person it is something different that you connect over. God is good…to put things into motion like He does.

Whether you like to cook with herbs or just look at them…they are a wonderful addition to your yard. They are also lovely as a little cut arrangement to grace your counter. I love that. They stay green and perked up in water for days. One of the hashtags on my Instagram is #greenmakesmehappy. (If you want to join us on Instagram…we are alongthedirtroad) Truly…there is something about all of this green around us…that God created…that does a special work down deep in my soul. Seeing the creation…kindles worship in me…for the Creator.

Have a wonderful day, Dirt Road Friends. Don’t forget to stop and smell the spearmint!

A little junkin’…just for you.

09 Thursday May 2013

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

≈ 4 Comments

Hey Sweet Dirt Roaders! I have been a tad out of pocket. I didn’t forget you though…I’ve just been busy. As promised…I did take a little time out for junkin’. Yeah…I know…it’s a heavy cross to bear, but someone has to do it. (winky-winky)

So…today was kind of a date day for the Mr. and I. He had an appointment in a little neighboring town and much to my delight, there is a wonderful store there. A honey-hole of sorts. It makes a trip to the “back cracker” feel like a holiday.

The little store that we visited is a junker’s paradise. There is stuff everywhere. It’s the little store that I have told you about before that used to be a hotel in the 1800’s. It’s so old that the floors are crooked. I love it. They even have stuff stacked in a tiny kitchen. That is where I found the canisters. They have been well loved and there are only two…and one is missing the lid but they whispered to me. ” Fraulein…fraulein….please take us home with you.” (They were made in Germany.)

I can imagine these canisters in a sweet farmhouse kitchen. Can’t you just see a little woman making soup and needing a scoop of barley? I wonder what happened when she broke the lid? Maybe she cried. Maybe she was kind of like me and realized that stuff is not as important as the feelings of the people that break things.

When I first spotted the canisters and their adorable little feet…(so adorable)…my husband pointed out that the one remaining lid was cracked. I didn’t care. I knew that they were perfect for me and I…for them. I told my husband, in the little kitchen…in that ancient hotel…that I am all about grace. Things that have been broken…can still be useful. I love that. I have been broken…and Someone still sees value in me. I am amazed…by His grace.

Have a great weekend! I’m gonna decide what goes out…because I brought something “new” in. Clutter and I don’t jive. It overwhelms me. I have to have a balance or I start threatening to throw stuff out in the yard. I know…I know…therapy would be useful. Party on…Dirt Roaders!

A little visit from the dirt road…

07 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in RaMbLiNgs

≈ 2 Comments

You know what? I don’t have a project today. I don’t really even have a topic. This one will definitely go under the Ramblings category. You see…the pollen is kicking us swiftly in the backside. Just about the time that we start to see though our allergy glazed eyes…something new buds or blooms. We aren’t complaining. We are smiling through our Benedryl…because we have been waiting ~~patiently~~ for spring. I have a chick in the nest today…due to the high pollen count.

Okay…enough whining. What have you all been up to? Are you itching to start a DIY? I have one on the back burner. It’s something that I have never attempted before…so hopefully it won’t be an epic fail. I don’t want to spoil it…but I will tell you that it involves paint. I know. You are shocked.

Okay…so I couldn’t resist the pajama picture. When my little ones are home…it just seems cozy. Are you like that? See! I’m not the only one.

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you a little tidbit from the home front…or the garden front…or whatever. My husband told me yesterday that…..wait for it…..our green bean plants are up. I know. You are so excited. I am excited right now…but I won’t be…so much…when the sun is beating down on the back of my neck as I bend over the green bean plants this summer. The major upside to all of that? I still have green beans from last year. They have lasted us all winter. I feel really thankful when our bounty is all put away. God is good…to bless our little crop like He does.

Well…I have yacked and blabbed and now I am done. Have a wonderful day, Dirt Roaders. The next time we visit…maybe I will have a little junkin’ inspiration for you. We love that don’t we? Of course we do….we are Dirt Roaders!

mmmMonday! Is your burger better?

06 Monday May 2013

Posted by Kelli in Yum for the Tum

≈ 2 Comments

It’s mmmMonday! Dirt Road people. I hope that you had a fantab weekend and that you are ready to talk food. We are gonna jaw about burgers a bit today. We all love burgers right? I thought so.

Hamburgers are one of my all time faves. I rarely ever get tired of them. I grew up eating my mom’s pan-fried version. She would cook them and then steam the buns. Ahhhhh…..a tiny slice of Heaven on earth. My MIL cooks her burgers the same way…and my kids want my husband to fry our burgers here at home…because he makes them like Mamaw. (He can also grill a mean burger.)

Now days when we make burgers in the house we use an iron skillet. I just love the way that they turn out. The even heat makes a world of difference to me. (I kinda have a “thang” for iron skillets…anyway.) I like my burger a little on the “done” side…and the iron skillet is perfect for this.

I’m wondering how you feel about toppings? Are you a mustard and ketchup kind of person? Do you love a burger dripping with mayo? Would you like to know my absolute favorite topping on a burger? It’s avocado. I LOVE avocado on my burger and I have for quite some time. I also love a big ol’ hunk of onion on my burger. ( Pass me a Cert please.) I am ~~patiently~~ waiting for the garden tomatoes to add to my list of veggies that I pile on my burger. Mmmm…..you can’t beat that.

When you think about it, hamburgers are such a simple food….and yet Google says that Americans as a whole consume 13 BILLION hamburgers in a year. The average American eats one hundred hamburgers a year and that figures out to a fourth of a burger every day. Wowza! We are a burger eating people. (RV…that was for you.)

I hope that you have a wonderful mmmMonday! Dirt Roaders. I hope that you fry a hamburger at home and add a little avocado. (I hope that you like it.) Try something new on your burger. Go wild! 😉

p.s. I would love to hear about your burger routine. Leave me a comment…..they make me so happy. 🙂

Along the Dirt Road

Monthly Archives: May 2013

Happy Friday, Dirt Roaders!

Summer Mantle

A few little things…

What does summer mean to you?

mmmMonday! on Tuesday with Dancing Chicken (Rival’s Lemon Herbed Roasted Chicken)

Whew! We are breaking out in SUMMER VACATION!

mmmMonday! Herbin’ it up!

A little junkin’…just for you.

A little visit from the dirt road…

mmmMonday! Is your burger better?