Thrift Store Score, Canning and Shameless Addiction

09 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Kelli in Culinary Style, everyday stuff, sCoRiN' some JuNkItY JuNk

Hey guys! How are you? We are doing good. I feel like we had some productive time off…in lots of ways and now I am glad to be back into the swing of things. It has been very rainy (and a tad dreary) here…but I don’t want to complain. As much as I love summer sun…I know that our garden and the pond can use the rain. I’m choosing to be mature. 😉

Speaking of rain, my lands. The girls and I went, Saturday, to help clean our area youth camp. It was raining so hard that I thought that I was going to have to pull over. We got our work done and then on the way back, we hit the thrift. It was so fun. I happened upon some things to go with our “grandma’s house in the summer” theme. This afghan was just sitting there waiting for me in it’s sea foam and mustard loveliness. I have been totally floored by some of the beauties that I have seen on Instagram. We can never have enough blankets and throws around here. We love them. Besides this…I found another goodie that I CANNOT wait to share with you later in the week. Eeeeep!

In other news, the first canning of the season has started. My Pa Pa gave us some cherries from his tree. They were so good and sour. I know that may sound crazy to some…but when you mix sour cherries with sugar and make jelly…YUM! It was so fun to make something to add to the jelly cabinet. Canning is one of my favorite things to do. It’s so amazing to me to be able to eat from your own “cans” throughout the year. It makes me feel very “Proverbs 31ish.” I was very thankful for the cherries. Our baby trees aren’t putting off much fruit yet. Someday!

Last…but certainly not least, my shameless addiction. Every morning now, I have iced coffee. I used to not like it but then I found a recipe online and I look forward to it every morning. I have tweaked it a little, so that it is more calorie friendly. I can’t remember where the recipe came from or I would give credit for it. It may be in my Pins…I’m just not sure. Anyway…here is the recipe. You are welcome. 😉

Kelli’s Ice Coffee

Fill a mason jar to the top with ice.

Add three packets of Stevia to a small measuring cup and set it under the Keurig.

Brew Kcup of your choice on smallest setting. (This makes it concentrated.)

Stir Stevia and concentrated coffee.

Pour over the top of ice.

Add 1/2 c. to a c. of almond milk.

Stir and enjoy.

(The next day, get up and make again.)

Have a wonderful Monday, Dirt Roaders. God loves you!

Summer. The Living is Easy

04 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by Kelli in Country Life, everyday stuff

≈ 2 Comments

It happened. I finally got into the groove of summer vacation, I think. I spent a couple of weeks in no man’s land. It was weird. I think, that what happened, was this: Every year May is so crazy-busy that by the time school lets out, we are in fast mode. It takes a bit to ease into the slower pace.

This week is the Mr.’s birthday! So…due to that…I will be taking a few days off from blogging. We are going to spend quality time with our little family. After all…quality time is my love language. (Just found that out.) So the days that I am off…I am going to live intentional and on purpose.

Summer is fun. It’s actually my favorite, in case you missed that. Ours will be full of farming and outside projects, Lord willing. That kind of summer is full of hard work…but it’s very rewarding. Our garden is also in full swing. We are very thankful for that, since we got it out late, due to our weather in this neck of the woods.

I hope that you have a wonderful “rest of the week.” I also hope that you are easing into summer too. After all…it’s (almost) summer and the livin’ is easy.

Love from the Farmhouse,

p.s. Next week we will see how much more “grandma’s house in the summer” we can find. Fun, fun!

Music to Our Ears

03 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by Kelli in heart and soul

≈ 15 Comments

Do you remember last week, when I mentioned that we were getting a new piece of furniture? Well, I am going to share that with you today and the little story behind our new “music room.”

My dad was a talented musician. He could play several different instruments, one of those being the saxophone. He was actually teaching our son how to play, before my dad went to be with Jesus. He also encouraged us to get our youngest daughter into piano lessons. That being said, he and my step-mom let us borrow a little keyboard for her to practice on. Come to think of it…they also gave us our son’s saxophone. lol! Dad was serious about these kids learning to play. He was looking towards the future of our church. Back to the piano though…the little keyboard was not a full keyboard and while it was wonderful to practice on, she needed a piano.

Do you ever whisper little prayers in your heart and just leave them there. The whole need for a piano…just seemed to rest in my heart. I just kind of felt that the Lord would provide us with one at some point. I’m not even sure that it was a totally conscious thought or prayer. It just felt more like a knowing. So…when someone asked us if we wanted one, I was not surprised that God had provided…but I was delighted.

The piano that we were given, belonged to my husband’s Granny Ruby. Before it belonged to her, it was the piano in the church that my husband’s dad grew up in. It’s a Betsy Ross spinet by Lester. Yesterday, she was sitting there playing…and it just felt right. I knew that the little piano had found it’s home and we were so very thankful.

The guitar that is hanging on the wall was purchased by my dad a few years ago. It was a birthday gift to my granny. It is a Taylor Big Baby. I am so honored to have it. Someday…I plan to play it. Right now…I think that it looks beautiful in our new music room. A big thanks to the Mr. for hanging on the wall. (I love you, Babe.)

I am so thankful for the blessings of God. I am so thankful that people obey Him…when He nudges their hearts. I want to do the very same, when He directs us in that way. My husband was very delighted also. He and his Granny Ruby shared the same kind and tender spirit. He misses her very much. I think that having a little bit of her in our home is very special to him. There was no hesitation when we were asked about it. He is honored and I think that is very deep and beautiful.

A huge thank you to my husband’s aunt and uncle…for the money and muscle involved in getting it here. We are so blessed by their generosity. We will, by the grace of God…give it a good home and use it for His glory. Also a big thank you to my in-laws….for coming out and helping us get it in the house. lol! Too bad there is no video. Pianos are heavy, Dirt Roaders, just in case you didn’t know. 😉

Making a joyful noise…is music to our ears,

Aunt Threasa’s Strawberry Pie (The Best in the World!)

02 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Kelli in Culinary Style

≈ 4 Comments

Okay. I could be biased. She is my mom’s sister…after all. She is also a saint. I mean, fairly close to Mother Threasa. lol! She is also our son’s Sunday School teacher and she just helped him grow a sunflower to plant in our garden. (He is so proud. He took me out to that little corner of our garden and showed me how much it had grown already.) All of that, and the woman can make a mean strawberry pie. Wow. Just wow.

You know…I didn’t know that she even made strawberry pie. Have I been living under a rock? She has been my aunt for almost 37 years. Was she hiding this from me? I seriously doubt it. I must not have been paying attention. Shame, shame. This pie is so good and so easy…I plan on making it a lot. Well…not like…all the time…a lot…because I can’t stay out of it. I will put it in my stack of “keepers.” It will be a “go to” recipe for sure. Thank you Aunt Threasa. You are a genius!

Aunt Threasa’s Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

1 baked pie shell

whipped cream

1/2 c. sugar

2 rounded tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. strawberry jello

pinch of salt

1 c. hot water

1 c. sliced strawberries

Directions:

Mix 1/2 c. sugar, 2 rounded tbsp. cornstarch, 2 tbsp. of strawberry jello and a pinch of salt. Add 1 cup of hot water and cook on med. heat until thickened. Cool slightly and then add strawberries. Pour into baked pie shell. Chill and top with whipped cream.

(If using a deep dish pie shell…double the recipe. That is what I did.)

I’m telling you, it will change your life. By the way, I tend to get a little excited about food. Oh, you picked up on that? My Dirt Roaders are so smart.

I hope that you have a piece of pie today. Pie is good. The end. 😉

Along the Dirt Road

Monthly Archives: June 2014

Thrift Store Score, Canning and Shameless Addiction

Summer. The Living is Easy

Music to Our Ears

Aunt Threasa’s Strawberry Pie (The Best in the World!)