“Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy boy…Billy Boy?  Can she bake a cherry pie, charming Billy?”  Isn’t that the way that it goes?  I believe so.

How in the world are you, Dirt Roaders?  We are doing good. No cherry pies today….it’s not really the season for fresh cherries…but other things are coming along.  We are plugging along into the cooler weather, which is such a relief.  The Mr. loves fall and it makes me happy that the season that he loves is upon us.  That brings us to our little topic today…fruits of the season.  This mmmMonday! had me wondering if any of you out there that are making apple butter or pear butter…or just canning the fruit?  My Paw Paw and my Uncle Jay are supposed to be out picking pears for me today.  I am excited about that.  It’s been a couple of years since I have worked up a mess of pears. (That is the way that we describe it…in the Ozarks.)

The last time that we had pears I made pear butter.  Actually…I roped the Mr. into helping me.  It was a very involved process and I felt like I needed four hands instead of two.  It was delish!  If you are interested in the recipe it is in the Ball Blue Book and I’m sure that if you Google it…it’s all over the web. I love the little bit of orange juice that you add.  It’s so good at breakfast with eggs and bacon.

I hope that your day is wonderful.  I hope that if you are up to your elbows in the fruits of the season…that it’s making you feel content and fulfilled.  Putting things up for your family to enjoy in the winter or all year long is a labor of love and it is so worth it.

From my kitchen to yours,

Do you all do that whole week meal planning thing?  I really want to know.  I think that it’s grand.  I am not that way.  I am more of a day before meal planner.  When I go to the store I buy basic ingredients that I can turn into all kinds of things.  I’m always wanting to know what people are having for supper.  After all…that is our big meal together at the Farmhouse.  We even have a little fb page called What’s for Supper?  Nosey aren’t I?  😉

I follow one person on Instagram that does the month of freezer meals.  Isn’t that awesome!?  That would save so much time.  I actually know a lady, that works with my husband, that used to cook all weekend to have food ready for the next week.  What an organized thing to do!

I have to have a little flexibility in my routine.  With both of the above ideas…you could do just that, just in case one night in the week you felt like celebrating and going out for pizza or something.  (The Mr. is probably nodding while reading this.  I am known for my spur-of-the-moment ideas. Hey…it makes life fun.)

I really do want to know what is for supper at your house.  Or….at your cabin…in your neck of the woods.  I love to hear about families sitting down and sharing a meal together.  It’s a wonderful thing.  Tonight…along the dirt road we are having roast.  In fact, here in just a bit, I’m going to go in the kitchen and put it on.  That’s what you do with a roast right?  “Put it on.”  Well…that is what my family tree of gals have always said.

I love preparing for my family.  I love it when I pick the kids up and they ask what we are having for supper.  Most of the time…it’s positive feedback.  You know how that works.  They all like roast though…so I think that they will be pleased.

Have a wonderful day, Dirt Roaders.  I love your comments…and I really want to know…what is on the menu for supper at your house.

In the kitchen…putting the roast on,

Hey Guys!  How was your long weekend?  Our was fantab.  We celebrated a birthday and made lots of fun and one not so fun memory.  (We hit a deer.  Not so fun.)  Anyway…all in all it was great.  I had plenty of time to count my blessings and that is what makes me the happiest.

Soooooooooooooooo….that brings me to this.  Chicken.  Do you love it?  Do you hate it?  What do you do with it?  This is my dilemma today. I have, said chicky.  I don’t even have to go to the store for, said chicky.  I just don’t know what to do with….yes, you guessed it, said chicky.  😉

What I have are chicken tenders.  Maybe I will butterfly them and just cook them in a little olive oil and add a dash of sea salt and cracked pepper.  I also have a really good lemon pepper that I love.  I love it so much…I could burn my family out on it.  I’m trying to hold back. We may just have that and some lightish sides to go with it.  I’m so glad that we had this talk.  You guys are great and helped me out so much.  

I hope that your mmmMonday! on Tuesday is treating you right.  You deserve it!  After all…you are Dirt Roaders. 😉

Much love…from me and the chicky.

Hey there…Dirt Roaders!  Are you ready for another mmmMonday!?  I have learned that there are two types of people:  Those that love Monday and those that do not love Monday.  Whatever the case may be for you, I’m here today with a little recipe that is bound to make your mmmMonday! a little easier…if you choose to make it next week.  (Or the week after…or the week after that.)  😉

Last mmmMonday!  our kitchen was in the process of being “beadboarded.”  I needed something quick and easy as far as serving and clean up.  I had saved some taco meat in the freezer the previous week and decided to use that for a base in a soup.  I also asked my family first about making soup that day…because I tend to burn them out on it and it is still pretty (very) warm here…again. (My name is Kelli…and I am addicted to soup.) My Mr. is not a fan of big ol’ pots of bubbling soup and chili when it’s hot outside.  I respect that.  😉

That being said…we haven’t had soup ALL summer.  I was really itching for a bowl.  Sooooo…..I used what I had at home and came up with this.  I may have even said a prayer or two…hoping that the good Lord would bless my concoction so that it would be a keeper.  Guess what?  It was!  I am sooo thankful!  It won a coveted spot in my recipe journal.  That is where the keepers go.  I will be making this again.  Our teen even said “This is seriously….like the best soup that I have ever had.” Um….WOW!

So…without further ado….and you guys know how I roll, a dash of this and a sprinkle of that….here is the recipe for………(drum roll please)……….

Thrifty Soup

leftover taco meat (that has been seasoned with taco seasoning)

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

2 cans of  tomatoes

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 potato, diced

2 tsp. beef base

1 can of cream of mushroom

salt and pepper to taste

1 can of tomato paste

Put all ingredients in Crock Pot and let it simmer….deliciously all day long.

I cannot stress to you…just how yummy this was.  We ate it with saltines…to save time and clean up….but cornbread would be amazing too.  You can add as many or  few cans of tomatoes as you want.  You could add different veggies or beans also. We also grated some fresh Parmesan on ours.  DEE-LIGHTFUL!  So, the next time that you have a dab of taco meat leftover…don’t pitch it.  Put it in a freezer bag….until you are ready for a soup day.  You won’t be sorry, Dirt Roaders. Thrifty Soup….is the soup of your dreams.  😉

Happy mmmMonday!

Hey Friends!  Happy mmmMonday!  I hope that you had a good weekend.  We did.  Lots of refreshing and that was what was needed.  My husband might disagree with that…because he was needing to mow and didn’t get to…and it was getting on his one last good nerve.  It’s been so rainy here…you almost have to watch the sky and then run out and mow when you can.  Rain is good though…and that brings us to our point today.  It’s time to do a little canning around the Farmhouse…because we are getting overloaded with veggies from the garden.

You know…I’m writing this post in the wee hours of the morning, for one because I couldn’t sleep and secondly…because when the day gets started…I’m going to be in the kitchen, working.  So because of that, I don’t have pictures of today’s canning process.  I will have to save those for another post.  You will wait…right?  I knew that you would.  You are kind like that.  😉

I’m planning on searching the internet for a good, pickled banana pepper recipe.  They are doing really good this year.  So are the cukes and the squash.  Some years I have made lots of pickles and some years I have pickled squash and green tomatoes.  This year…the only thing that I have pickled were beets.  Our summer has been fast and crazy this year.  Mainly, we have given veggies away.  That is okay.  That is even more rewarding than putting it up for yourself.

Are you crazy about canning?  Canning is work, isn’t it?  It’s something that has been passed down to me and I love it.  It’s so satisfying when you hear those jars sealing.  I love seeing my hard work in those pretty jars.  There is something very humble, yet proud, in a long row of canned veggies.  A good kind of proud.  Maybe it’s more of a thankfulness that rises up inside.  Thankful to God for the harvest and thankful that you are able to put something away for your family to have in the future.  My sweet family, they cheer me on with the canning.  That makes it all worth while.  I hope that our girls pick this up and enjoy the busyness in their own kitchens someday.

From way out on the dirt road, with hopes of inspiring you a little…

I have been in the baking mood.  Have you? It seems like that it has rained here for weeks.  I am not complaining though…because in Missouri…we sometimes have really, really dry summers.  I think that it’s just throwing everyone off a tad…because it looks like fall outside.  Of course then you step out into the humidity and you are all like “Nope.  Still summer.”

Ethel, the mixer above, (I just named her this week.) is my right hand gal in the kitchen. My husband bought her for me, for Christmas one year…and talk about excited!  She is definitely a workhorse. She twirls my egg whites and sugar into meringue…while I just stand there…filing my nails.  (Just kidding…I don’t have nails…to file.  Well…I have fingernails…just not long ones.  Didn’t want to freak you out.)  😉

Do you have a stand mixer?  They are amazing.  If you don’t have one…I highly recommend saving your egg money or your quarters or just being really good so you can get one at Christmas.  They are truly wonderful for those hard to stir batches of cookies.  I just give ol’ Ethel the flick of a switch and she does it for me.

This week we have made zucchini muffins and cherry cobbler.  I’m kinda in the cookie baking mood right now though, which is funny because I am more of a pie baking kind of gal.  One pie and you are done.  When you bake cookies…you are in the kitchen for like, ten years.  (Okay..slight exaggeration.) I’m telling you..it’s this rainy weather.  No wonder people diet in January.  From the first day of fall until then…they are baking cookies.  😉

I hope that you have a wonderful Thursday, Dirt Roaders.  I hope that you bake cookies and pies and that your little kids smile with crumbs around their mouths.  I think that the Proverbs 31 lady would approve.  I would say that she had yummy things waiting on her crew when they came home.  I love to do that. I love…loving my family through food.

Waving at you with my oven mitt on…   (not really)

p.s. A big shout out to my friend Sue Joyner.  Your words of encouragement…brought home by my husband yesterday…were wonderful.  Thank you for your kindness.  It was just what I needed. I shall….blog on.  😉

Hey Dirt Roaders!  I am so serious about the fact that you will love this recipe from yesterday…that I am posting it again…and a little more snazzy this time.  I’m also going to pop it onto Pinterest for ya.  If you want to follow me on Pinterest…I’m here at Along the Dirt Road.  Now…how fun would that be?  🙂

If you did indeed miss yesterday’s mmmMonday! post…you can find our recipe here.

I hope that your Tuesday is full of all good things.  🙂

Smiles!