One winter, things were very tight at the Farmhouse.  That is not to say that we are rolling in money now, but it was just one of those very lean times.  Leaner than lean.  As life would have it…it was a lean time for my friend Shannon and her sweet family too.  You know what though?  God helped us…and we made it.  We laughed through it…and we shared through it.  Matter of fact…she shared her chicken soup recipe with me…that can be made…when things are fat…or lean.  This mmmMonday! post is more than a recipe.  It’s about two friends looking at each other with concern and love.  It’s about being creative.  It’s about being thankful.

(Thank you Mr. Dirt Road,  for holding my “reflector” this a.m. You are the best.)

This recipe is basically stuff that I keep on hand.  We usually have fresh veggies year around.  I love them.  I am not a vegetarian (at all) but I love veggies just about as well as meat.  Matter of fact…there are leftover Brussels sprouts waiting for me in the fridge for lunch.  So, hopefully, if you decide to make this…you will already have a few items on hand.

We make this recipe with chicken leg quarters.  It’s weird.  The older I get…the better that I like the dark meat of chicken.  To me, there is just more taste…especially when making a soup or dumplings.  You could certainly use a whole chicken or even just the breast.  I just love the richness that the quarters give.  Plus…we were talking cheap here.  Have you priced quarters and the rest.  Exactly.

Farm Wife’s Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

chicken leg quarters

fresh veggies or your choice

water

canned tomatoes

1 can of cream of mushroom (my addition to the recipe)

salt and pepper to taste

thyme

Directions:

Cover chicken leg quarters in water.  Use enough to make plenty of broth for your soup.  While that is cooking, dice your veggies.  In this soup I used cabbage, onion, and carrots.  You could add minced garlic or anything green…or….you get it. 😉

After chicken is done, take out of the broth and let cool.  Add your veggies and let them cook until tender.  Then add canned tomatoes….one or two cans, or one large can. (Diced, crushed, whole…your choice.)  Let that cook for a bit and then add  cream of mushroom.  You can leave this out…but it’s my “brothy soup” secret weapon.  See….don’t I love ya?  Of course.

Next, just add your chicken and let all of that simmer for a while.  You can also go ahead and add your thyme.  I love thyme in chicken soup.  It just gives it something extra.  Salt and pepper to taste, of course.  You can serve this with Loaded Cornbread, which is another “friend recipe” or like us, you could just do crackers.  Either way, it’s delish.

So, today Dirt Roader’s, I shared a recipe…but also a little piece of my heart.  We learn things in the lean times.  We learn about God’s love and provision.  We learn that we can be creative and feed our families.  We learn that friendship is an amazing gift.  We learn that these lean times…really aren’t so lean after all….they are very rich with meaning.

Feeling overwhelmed by the love and wisdom of God,

Before we talk about Thanksgiving…I don’t want to go on without mentioning the Veterans in this country.  I am truly and completely thankful for the sacrifice that they have and are making for us.  This truly is the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We are so blessed to live here. God, please continue to bless America.  We will give You the praise for it.

So…how about that weekend?  Was it a good one?  I truly hope so.  Ours was busy but sometimes if it’s “good busy” that’s okay.  I don’t have a recipe for you today, but I do have some cozy food talk and some eye candy for you to enjoy.  It’s getting all cozy up in here and the temps are supposed to drop this week. ( Plus, Kelly Clarkson is singing Blue Christmas while I’m typing.) On the way to church yesterday we were enjoying the country miles and the fact that it’s looking like Thanksgiving and Christmas in the Ozarks.

This morning while doing this little photo shoot, I was thinking about dressing.  Are you a dressing person?  Like…turkey and dressing?  I am.  I fix it just like my Granny always did.  It’s just not Thanksgiving without it.  We actually have a little Thanksgiving meal with our kids on a different night, the week of the holiday.  I usually fix a turkey breast, dressing and the works.  It’s great fun.  We live around a lot of our family so the holiday season can be a little hectic.  Years ago, we started taking a little night out to pause in thanks…with just our little ones.  It’s one of my very favorite things.  Our own tradition.

Do you love cranberry sauce?  I do.  I love it…out of a can.  Ocean Spray.  It’s the best.  Are you disappointed?  Are you thinking….”Kel…what is up with that?  I’m sorry.  I grew up on the jellied cranberry sauce out of the can…and no other will do.  Ha!  I’m nothing if not traditional.

I’m thinking on soup or chili for tomorrow night.  When it’s cold outside, I take full advantage of that.  My poor little son is not a soup lover.  I may have to get creative.  I can do that.  😉

I hope that you are sailing right through your Monday, Dirt Roaders. I hope that you have a cozy evening, thinking about celebrating with your family.  My prayer for those of you that are going to face first holidays without certain loved ones…like we are….is that you feel the peace of God and his loving arm around your shoulders. Sometimes life is a challenge isn’t it?  I’m so glad that we have Him to lean on.

I also hope that you take a moment to pause today, giving thanks for our Veterans.  They have served us wholeheartedly.  What an amazing gift to us.

Dreaming of a cranberry-filled Thanksgiving…

(Before we get started:  I am using my Farmhouse Photography badge today…because we somehow erased my Along the Dirt Road badge…and um…I need to find it.  That being said…don’t get confused…this is still Along the Dirt Road. Plus…I’m still crushing on my new badge…so any excuse to use it.)

Okay…carry on.

I have this friend named Maranda.  She is a spunky kind of gal.  She loves to cook and she loves to eat.  My kind of people.  Anyway…she put me “in the know” with Loaded Cornbread.  Have you ever tried it?  No?  Well…I’m going to give you the lowdown on it…and it will simplify your life.  Know why?  Because….(I’m breaking all kinds of rules with my sentences today.)…….it’s delish and it’s easy-peasy!  We love that don’t we?  Yes…yes we do.

I didn’t get to post mmmMonday! yesterday, in case you didn’t notice.  We had a funeral to attend.  It was a sad occasion.  I know that is just a part of life…but it’s the hard part.  After it was over I spent some time with my grandparents.  They are some of the most inspiring people that I have ever known.  I need to share with you a picture of all of the iron skillets that are hanging on their kitchen wall.  It will make you understand…a little more about me.  😉

(Paw Paw…kept pulling Wagoners off of the wall.)  lol!

So, all of that being said, I thought that I would throw you a recipe today.  I love recipes that are tried and true…and that add to our meals without causing a nervous breakdown.  This recipe is one of those.  It’s one that I keep re-visiting…so that tells the tale right there.

Loaded Cornbread

Ingredients:

Mix your cornbread up from your favorite cornmeal mix. (I use Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Recipe…because that is what Granny always used.)

I go ahead and add the shortening to the iron skillet and pop in into the oven while it’s preheating.

(All of the directions are on the back of your cornmeal mix bag.)

After you mix in the milk and egg (no sugar for me) then you add your goodies.

This is what I mix in: (As much as desired)

Onion, chopped

Cayenne or Jalapeno Pepper, chopped

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Bacon Bits (in the last batch that I made)

Directions:

Stir all of that in and pour in your cast iron skillet that has shortening melted in it.  It will sizzle and start to brown around the edges right away.  Bake according to instructions on bag.

When you take it out of the oven…prepare to be showered with compliments.

This cornbread is amazing and it will simplify your life.  Serve it with soup, chili, ham and beans or whatever strikes your fancy.  See!?  What did I tell you?  Lot’s of freedom with this Loaded Cornbread.  Your’e welcome.  Don’t ever say that Kelli “don’t” love ya. (Thanks Maranda!  You are a genius!)

I hope that you have an amazing, cozy, Christ-centered day, Dirt Roaders. After all…He loves YOU!

Do you ever have weeks that have tons of things crammed into a few days? Okay then, you need an easy recipe for a delicious side.  In a minute:  Garlic Roasted Cauliflower. (We learned about this back in the summer, but it would go delicious with our holiday meals!)

Sometimes life creeps along and we just do the same ol’ same ol’.  Then we have weeks where we are busy everyday.  That is the way this week is going to be for me.

Busy is good though…when it’s good-busy that nourishes the heart and soul.

I will be back…but if you want to keep up with Along the Dirt Road this week…follow along on Instagram at alongthedirtroad.  It’s a blast.  If you don’t know how to use it (Carol 😉 ) Learn it!  It’s so fun.

I am going to leave you with a great recipe for Garlic Roasted Cauliflower this week.  May it tide you over…and encourage (there’s that word again…) you to enjoy your time in the kitchen.  That is what this blog is all about. Plus…it’s super easy and you know that I’m all about helping you add a little “sweet and simple” into your life.  You are welcome.  😉

(The link to this recipe is right here….it is absolutely delish!)

From our busy home…to yours.

How’s it going out there today, Dirt Roaders?  We are doing good at The Farmhouse.  We have a big ol’ pot of Thrifty Soup going on the stove top today and we have Apple Pumpkin Bread in the oven.  You can’t beat that.  This time of year I have the urge to bake.  This is uncommon for the most part.  Cooking is “my thang” and baking….well not so much.  Then comes the briskness to the air…and all of that is thrown out the window.  Bring on the baking!

Yesterday I spotted a recipe for Apple Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping on the blog of Sand & Sisal.  You can find that here.  It sounded and looked amazing.  So…at present it is in the oven in The Farmhouse Kitchen.  How cozy does that sound?  I know.  Pretty cozy.

I’m so excited for my husband to come home!  He loves fresh apple cake and he also loves pumpkin pie…so I’m thinking that he will love this.  I haven’t told him that I’m making it…so unless he reads the blog…he will be surprised that I’m baking up a little fall.  He won’t be surprised.  My blog posts go to his email.  What a sweetie, that ol’ Mr. Dirt Road.  😉

Well…that’s about it today.  Not every day here is that ambitious.  Sometimes we have five dollar pizza’s from Little Caesar’s on Wednesday night.  Our church has mid-week service so we try to simplify.  Tonight though we will have a little soup, maybe some biscuits (frozen) and Apple Pumpkin Bread.  It makes a ton…so I even have little loaves to share.  You can’t beat that!

Have a wonderful Wednesday evening, Dirt Roaders. Maybe you can bake up a little fall at your house.  May the love of God warm your hearts on a chilly evening.

Up to my earlobes in dishes!

Hey Dirt Roaders!  How was your weekend?  I hope that all was well and good.  Ours was great!  We had a little weekend away for business and fun.  I did a little junking and a little shopping and now it’s time to get back down to business at The Farmhouse.  Soooo…that brings us to mmmMonday! once again.  One of our readers brought this recipe to my attention the other day.  I am so excited that she did.  It’s an oldie but a very goodie! Thank you Kathleen!

This recipe is so simple.  It’s so very simple that you don’t even need a list of ingredients or directions.  It’s basically a chuck roast, pepperoncini peppers and your Crock Pot.  You cook it until fork tender and then eat it on hoagie buns.  How wonderful is that?

Today I did add a little extra to mine.  Some of us gals from church make this and add a little Italian dressing.  Either way I’m sure that it will be out of this world.  I also added a bit of beef base and some black pepper to both sides of the meat.  I’m thinking that I may cook down some garden green beans later, after all…living in a hotel for a few days….healthy eating isn’t always at the top of the list.  I’m looking forward to smelling this cook today…while I am free to do other things.  I have a bit of a crush on my Crock Pot.  (Actually…I own three…and a Slow Cooker.)  😉

The little bread board that you see in these shots is a sweet ebay win from my husband.  I had actually found it and put it on the watch list…and he bid on it for me.  I love it!  It possesses lots of character.  Those are exactly the kinds of treasures that I enjoy.  The Mr. said that someone probably made it in shop class.  (He assumes this…because he made one when he was in school.)  How funny.  Well…wherever it came from…I love it…and I love the fact that my Mr.” gets me. ” I’m also thankful that he took that shop class all those years ago.  Winky-wink…..he helps me with my projects!

Well, Dirt Roaders….I hope that this recipe is helpful….if you didn’t already have it.  I know it’s a little late in the day for your to fire up a roast….but maybe one day this week?  Isn’t it fun when the weather starts to change and when you gather in of the evening…you have supper cooking away!?  It’s just pretty cozy.

Gazing lovingly at my Crock Pot.  (not really)

Happy mmmMonday!

Is Monday a hard one to figure out in the grocery realm?  Everyone is heading back to work and school after the weekend.  Either that or you might do home schooling and you are trying to get back in the swing of things.  I have a ton to do here today, laundry, cleaning…getting supper started.  I was just wondering what was cooking at your house on this mmmMonday!?

Sometimes I think that I over-think and over-complicate our meals.  Do you ever do that?  Maybe it’s because in the family that I come from…we didn’t just have one meat and a side.  We had several sides.  At my husband’s granny’s house…they had more than one meat.  Sometimes, simplifying things a tad….is easier on the cook and the family doesn’t seem to mind either.

Tonight…I am trying a new recipe.  It’s Beef, Barley and Vegetable Stew.  It was in my little Everyday Food booklet.  I’m so excited to try it…because it’s a Crock Pot Meal.  Do you love your Crock Pot?  I do.  It provides us with a hearty meal at the end of the day…and keeps my hands free to do other things.  Plus…clean up is pretty easy too.  I’m not sure yet if I’m going to make corn bread or maybe pick up a loaf of Italian bread or make biscuits.  I guess we shall see.

I hope that your mmmMonday! is good, Dirt Roaders.  Leave me a comment about your favorite Monday night meal…or your most coveted Crock Pot recipe.  I would love to know!

Filling up the ol’ Crock Pot,