Simple Meatloaf with Oatmeal
Stay
I’ve heard it said that a real friend is one who buries the body (and keeps the secret). In this case, I truly have real friends. This bonding body burying moment happened on the heels of a hard season of loneliness and discouragement. My blog has been quiet as I wrestled weeds out of my heart that I didn’t have words to express. On the outside, I am living the dream. We are ten months into occupying this beautiful home perched on seven acres with a front porch practically kissing the Blue Ridge foothills. We are planting and building and dreaming- it’s amazing. It’s also lonely as my husband took a job in bush Alaska and the anticipated five months turned into a year and half of separation. Being fairly new here, I don’t have many friends who really know me and I can comfortably lean into. We are still trying to find our “place” here; anyone who has relocated knows the discomfort of this season.
Sweet and Sour Coleslaw
Grace’s “Oops” Oatmeal Cookies
This sweet girl of mine is becoming a master baker (and getting popular with the neighbors in the process!) Last week she made a batch of classic Quaker oatmeal cookies with her own personal twists. They were delicious! While munching my umpteenth cookie, I noticed the old cinnamon container I resourcefully relabeled and filled with garam masala spice was in the wrong cabinet again with the baking spices. Yep, she accidentally put garam masala in the cookies thinking it was cinnamon! And she put a lot – like 1 tablespoon instead of 1 teaspoon (I must have rubbed off on her as I usually go heavy on cinnamon and ginger) I decided to not actually write that into the recipe, but for those you wanting an exact repeat of the delicious cookies you munched down you may want to be brave and try it:)
Thirsty Goose Farm Spring Update
It’s mid-March in South Carolina and the pace is picking up around here! We are just 2 ½ weeks from our frost free planting date! Spinach, arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and carrot seeds have already been planted.
Whole Wheat and Honey Bread
Thirsty Goose Farm- Love Blooms Here
Two days before chocolate, roses and Valentines flooded the western world this February, my friend Leah and I hosted fifty-four single people searching for love. “Thirsty Goose Farm- love blooms here” became our mushy motto for the evening. Leah is the most relentless and determined match maker I have ever seen. Attempting to loosen up the awkward, uptight crowd for a playful evening of speed dating, she impulsively danced on top of the picnic table proclaiming “People, get excited! This is going to be the best night of your life- it’s the best night of MY life!” 
Simple Creme Brûlée
I was almost thirty years old before ever experiencing creme brûlée; I vividly remember all the details of that introduction! I didn’t realize I could make it myself (and maybe it would have been better had I stayed ignorant) until my friend, Jennifer Ann, taught me. She made friends with the cook at a fancy restaurant in Southern California where she waitressed and he taught her how to make her favorite desserts. It’s a sweet “pay it forward” sort of movement:) Much better than buying someones coffee in my opinion!
Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
Of course, one must mix a batch of salsa in order to fully enjoy a pan of enchiladas! This recipe is all fresh ingredients I typically have on hand- I created it after being frustrated that I couldn’t make green enchiladas impromptu because I was out of canned green sauce. I usually make a double batch and set aside a couple enchiladas for sick or elderly friends. Making a little extra is a simple way to give practical love- there is always someone who appreciates a home cooked meal! ( I keep disposable bread pans in the pantry for sharing food, perfect size for 1-2 servings of anything- this way they can bake dinner whenever they want it and not worry about returning a dish)
Who Let the Dogs Out?
I should have named my dogs Houdini 1 and Houdini 2. These escape artists are somehow slipping through the fence on a daily basis. My husband and daughter walked the seven-acre perimeter (we bought this land already fenced in) and reinforced every possible opening four times last week. And yet, my patient neighbor continues to call me and say, “the dogs are out again”. We’ve spent hours inspecting fences and trying all the training tricks to convince these puppies to stay home. Everyday my husband triumphantly announces “I got it this time” only to look out the window and see the dogs merrily meandering through the neighbor’s pasture.