28 Friday Jun 2013
Are you crazy about Instagram? I mean how fun is that? I know….pretty fun. Today…I have a ton of craziness going on…but I don’t want to leave you hanging over the weekend….so I’m doing one of my handy dandy phone posts. I thought that I would share a few Instagram pics to brighten your Friday. Hey…it’s Friday…and we can do what we want, right? Well…..okay then! 😉
Have a wonderful weekend, Dirt Roaders….and join me on Instagram….if you dare. 😉
Smiles!
Kelli
26 Wednesday Jun 2013
Posted in Culinary Style, fluffin' the nest, Yum for the Tum
Aren’t wedding showers fun? Good food…good friends…a chance to laugh your guts out.
If you are the person that gets the honor of throwing the shower, it’s so fun to decorate…because the whole time you have the guest of honor in mind. My sweet friend and fellow foodie Amanda threw this shower for our friend/cousin Danna. I offered our place, along the dirt road, for the party shack.
The chicken salad recipe from mmmMonday! was for the shower. If you missed that recipe…you can find it here. It was delish, along with all of the other food that we had. Of course…we HAD to have food. I mean…what fun would that be…if we didn’t? 😉
(A big” thank you” and “I love you” to my Mr. Thank you for listening to my huge chalkboard idea…and then digging around in your scraps (except the board that was intended for a shelf) and making my idea come to life. I love you more than words…can say.)
You wanna hear something crazy? The day before the wedding shower…our air went out on our main level. Thank the good Lord that it’s still working upstairs, so we have somewhere to go and cool off. (I’m waiting on the guy to come and fix it today.) Our gals are troopers though. We didn’t let a little stuffiness keep us from partying!
Saturday morning, it was quiet at the Farmhouse. I had beans that needed breaking…matter of fact I have some waiting on me now…but I couldn’t resist some quiet shots before the shower.
Isn’t it exciting, getting together and celebrating with friends? I love entertaining here. We have a very kid-friendly farmhouse…so it’ all good…and we can just concentrate on having a good time.
I hope that you have a wonderful day, Dirt Road Sweeties. I hope that your a/c is cranked and you are feeling thankful for it…after reading this post. Thank you for coming by and checking out a few pictures from the shower. After all…if you didn’t…I would be blogging…in vain. 🙂
Smiles!
24 Monday Jun 2013
Posted in Yum for the Tum
Hey guys! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. Welcome back! As you know it’s mmmMonday! I think that we might have talked about a chicken salad recipe before. This one is just a tad different and something to be filed back that you will pull out…quite often!
Our pastor’s wife introduced me to this type of chicken salad years ago. She is a whiz in the kitchen and I am very thankful for that. Down through the years she has been one of the “moms” that I have interrogated in the culinary department. You know…when you are trying to make something…and you dial them up…and ask all of the ins and outs? These gals were foodies before we ever knew what a foodie was. They were just trying to feed their families the good stuff.
So without further ado….
Sister T.’s Chicken Salad
(This may or may not have been tweaked…by me…but this is the jist. Also..I am not putting measurements…and I will explain that in a minute.)
chicken, cooked, cooled and diced
grapes, sliced
celery, chopped
onion, diced
pecans, chopped
mayo
seasoned salt
garlic powder
freshly cracked pepper
Directions: Mix all ingredients in large bowl….stir and serve on rolls or with crackers. (Chilling and making a day ahead…is wonderful. The flavors meld and make it yumalicious!)
Okay…I know that seems lacking…but this is the reason why. You can make this in small batches or large. You can use a whole, boiled chicken, deboned, or you can use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Whatever you use…just eyeball it and add as much or as little as you want. Also…for the seasonings…do the same. Give it a few dashes of seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper…and then taste. 😉 (A bunch.)
I hope that you have a wonderful mmmMonday! Dirt Roaders. May the love of God…come down in your little (or big) kitchen and inspire you to feed your family…the good stuff.
Smiles!
p.s. A big “thank you” to Adrianne and Amber for letting me photograph their sandwiches while they were partying. 😉
21 Friday Jun 2013
Posted in everyday stuff, heart and soul, Simply...living
It’s here! Are you ready? At this moment…there is a guy in our back yard digging a hole for our new…old…swimming pool. Did I lose you on that one? We purchased it used. Yes…now it makes sense. It seems appropriate though, on the first day of summer.
Do you have lots of plans for this summer? We are actually having a little staycation this week. Do you love those? I do. I love having time to just enjoy being together. Our kids are little hermits…so they do well with it. (Okay…they really aren’t hermits…but staying at home doesn’t bother them. I love that.)
Last night, around dusk, we went out on the porch and just…enjoyed. We sang several songs. It was so fun. I wondered if our neighbors could hear us. Sound carries through these Ozark hills. If they did…they heard us lifting praises up to our Lord. That thought, makes me happy.
Whatever you do this summer, Dirt Roaders, I suggest that you take time to just “be still.” It’s a therapy like no other. It’s in these times that we are still…that we hear that precious, still small Voice.
Three Smiles for Summer! 🙂 🙂 🙂
19 Wednesday Jun 2013
Posted in everyday stuff, fluffin' the nest, Simply...living
Have you ever read that sign…”My house was clean yesterday…sorry you missed it.” Maybe you have one. Well thankfully…yesterday, when I had the itch to revamp the laundry room, I had the good sense to snap a few quick shots with my phone.
Today….my laundry room isn’t dirty…but I’ve been doing laundry…”to beat the band” so everyone’s stacks are on the table. Plus, I have swimmers coming in and out from the pool. So…even though these are cell phone shots…you can be there…yesterday. You are welcome. 😉
See that metal rack? I had a love/hate relationship with it. I loved the extra storage…but I didn’t actually like to see all of the stuff.
Enter: duck cloth
I had just enough downstairs in my craft area for a little curtain. Ahhhh….much better. Plus I love the “farmhousey” that it adds. All love now. No hate. No hate…is good. I’m glad we had this talk. 😉
Of course, I couldn’t resist adding a little pretty to the functional. You guys know how I roll by now. The pressure cooker was my Nanny’s. She is the one that inspired me to start canning in the first place. (She had already inspired my mom.) When she gave it to me it felt as though she was passing the baton. She is precious. I am honored.
Thanks for hanging out in my laundry room with me, Dirt Roaders. At this farmhouse laundry room…you can find anything from soggy swimming clothes to chicken poop tracked in…so cleaning it is never optional.
Smiles!
18 Tuesday Jun 2013
Posted in everyday stuff, heart and soul, RaMbLiNgs
I don’t always post each day. I know. You knew that.
Truth is…sometimes I just have to live the life that you see in the pictures.
I miss you when I’m gone though. I love to try to inspire you with beautiful things.
I love to remind all of us about the grace of God and how beautiful this world is that He made.
So…today…nothing close to rocket science. Just some beauty that you have probably seen before. It’s to tide you over until my next post…just in case you are waiting. If you are…bless your soul…thank you for riding along on this dirt road journey with us.
Smiles!
17 Monday Jun 2013
Posted in Culinary Style, RaMbLiNgs, Yum for the Tum
Would you like to come and visit my happy place? Well…one of them. I have several actually…and one of them could involve stripey party straws and turquoise Ball jars…but that isn’t the one that I’m talking about on mmmMonday! today. By the way…I am not responsible for any mason jars or stripey straws that jump into this post today. Okay…I am…but I know that it’s totally off subject…and I just can’t help myself. I am rambling…but I’m crazy about the fact that Ball is celebrating with blue jars this year. Okay…back on track. Today on mmmMonday!…..my happy place of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. It’s a beautiful thing.
A couple or three years ago…my friend Jenny introduced me to the beauty of lemon juice on salad. I’m just talking…a simple drizzle of olive oil and squeezing a fresh lemon over the top. It’s so bright. So fresh and delicious. It’s also very healthy.
You may already do this. I just wanted the folks that have not tried it…to know the beauty of the humble lemon. We have used it to make lemonade over the years…we have used it to flavor fish and chicken and lots of other things but squeezing it over salad without making a fancy dressing? I challenge you to try it. Your favorite veggies…with a sprinkle of sea salt and a few twists of freshly cracked pepper….then a drizzle of oil and a splash of lemon juice? Amazing.
Leave me a comment and let me know your favorite way to dress a salad. I really want to know!
Smiles!
p.s. I hope that the dads in your life had an amazing Father’s Day weekend. I think that ours did. I enjoyed honoring my husband and our dads so much. God is good…to give us these men to love us…lead us…protect and provide. Amazing…this plan of His. 🙂
14 Friday Jun 2013
Posted in everyday stuff, heart and soul
Do you ever just need a day away? Life can be crazy. Of course we all need some time to relax and regroup.
Time with your little family unit is priceless. It’s a blessing from above. (Don’t ask us what our son is doing. He doesn’t even know.) 😉
Sometimes on the way…..you get bored and play with your phone.
This was the first time in the history of our little family…..that everyone was tall enough to ride…everything. How exciting!
Um…yeah. You invest your life…keeping these kids alive, by the grace of God, and they ride stuff like this. That would be my husband and little son in the second row. This is Outlaw Run. If you don’t know anything about it…..Google. I was on the observation deck….um praying. God answers prayer. They stayed on the track and our little guy even has the t-shirt to prove it.
The girls and I needed some fruit and veggies. We also needed a funnel cake. We must have eaten it too fast to photograph. 😉
I have realized that I have aged since the last time that I was here.
Okay….so I am having a hard time flipping the squirrel while posting on my phone….so kindly flip your head. 😉 Thanks! Oh to be a squirrel at a theme park! They almost act tame. It was crazy.
Our chickens would have been impressed. 😉
(The two pics above are from our “road-trippin” food. Of course the first was from McD’s and when I posted the picture on Instagram….my friend Jodi answered the question with…”Real.” 😉 I said “exactly.” Freddy’s was wonderful. It was sooooo good. Maybe I was just super hungry. We had snacked all day…but hadn’t had a meal since breakfast. We will definitely add them to our favorites list!)
We stopped at Target on the way out of Branson. It’s so sad. We don’t have one in our little town. I asked the Mr. if he was glad…and he said yes. 😉 He knows his bride…of all these years, very well. Anyway…GUESS WHAT! (Yes…I’m yelling!) I’M FINALLY A MEMBER OF THE PRETTY PAPER STRAW CLUB! Isn’t that great? I also found a rug that I had looked for, before, for our kitchen….ON CLEARANCE! Woo hoo! Then at TJ MAXX I found some pretties too! If you follow me on Instagram….check it out…today!
It was all wonderful! I feel very blessed. A big “thank you” and “Happy Birthday” to my Mr. I love you…and I am blessed beyond measure to be the momma in your little tribe.
(Oh and please forgive my backseat driving. 😉 )
Smiles!
12 Wednesday Jun 2013
Posted in heart and soul
My internet is down today…..out on the dirt road….but I didn’t want to leave you too long….my Dirt Roaders. Today…I am posting from my phone. That is a first for me. We shall see how it goes. I might try it tomorrow too…because we are going on an adventure. Wanna go? Okay. 😉
Yesterday….I had the most wonderful surprise. The girls above came and visited and spent the afternoon with us. We are long time friends but they both live in different places and had never been….out to the Farmhouse. It was wonderful! God is good….to send us these little prizeys!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Smiles!
Kelli
10 Monday Jun 2013
Posted in everyday stuff, fluffin' the nest, Yum for the Tum
Hey Gang! How was your weekend? I’m hoping that it was good and relaxing. Ours was good. A Friday night to relax, a Saturday of family time and a Sunday of worship and rest. Good stuff. So…all of that brings us back around to mmmMonday! I’m so glad that you stopped by to join us. Today we are talking leftovers…for tonight’s supper…me puttering around in the laundry room today and for those of you that follow me on Instagram…the lugging of the dresser from Friday. Good stuff. 😉
Yesterday, while we were at church…I had a pork roast bubblin’ in the ol’ Crock Pot. Then when we got home, (after a stop off at the grocery store for coleslaw…which ended up in a bunch of other stuff because we were all hungry) we had pulled pork. It was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself. That brings us to tonight’s mmmMonday! meal. Our roast that I used was pretty good sized…so there is plenty left for tonight’s PORK TACOS! Do you love ’em? We do. The Mr. and I were laughing this weekend about the quantity of Mexican food that we eat. We never tire of it. Pass the chips and salsa please.
Our pork tacos tonight will be pretty basic. Flour tortillas, pork, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, onion and cilantro. I like to whip up a little sour cream with lime juice…but the kiddie-poos aren’t too crazy about that. Oh…and cheese! How could I forget the cheese? Tonight it will be a little mixture of cheddar and mozzarella…just cause that is what I have on hand. We also have one last jar of last year’s homemade salsa that we are working on. I am very pleased that we had enough to give away and to last us through the winter. (Lord, please bless those tomato plants this year too. Okay…yes…I pray for our garden…and just maybe…last year I could be seen walking along the tomato plants…praying for them. “Ask and ye shall receive.”) 😉
So…I’m thinking about puttering around out in the laundry room today. I have a large metal rack out there…that things tend to pile up on. I’m wanting to revamp it a tad. I see all of these beautiful laundry rooms on our favorite Pinterest. Also…I never have made my coffee sack curtains. I may have to get on that too. After I made our drop cloth drapes…my poor little sewing machine tried to give up the ghost. I may see if the Mr. will oil her tonight and give her a tune up. I love our laundry room. It’s a good thing…I spend a big part of my life there.
Okay…okay…the lugging. If you follow me on Instagram…you probably remember the dresser that I was going to lug from one side of the family room to the other. Well…it’s done. One of my new…super sweet IG friends also emailed a printable to me and it’s framed and I’m displaying it on the dresser for now. I love it. Thank you, sweet friend. Don’t you love Instagram? I do. I have “met” so many neat people on there. One friend and I found that we have a common love for fall décor. We think that it’s fine that we are already stoked to decorate with pumpkins this year. 😉 Anyway…if you don’t follow me already…I am….yep…you guessed it, Along the Dirt Road. Come and join in on the fun!
Well…I’ve bent your ear long enough. (Strained your eyes…maybe?) I hope that you have a wonderful mmmMonday! Dirt Roaders. May the peace of God…that passes all understanding wrap right around your hearts today. He is amazing…He is love…and He is there for us.
By Rana Renee Dimmick
Along the Dirt Road 