It’s October, though in Connecticut, lately we’ve had weather that have feels like mid-July! Instead of craving pumpkin, I’ve been dreaming of hamburgers! No matter what the temperature or season, a fabulous burger is one of life’s simplest, best pleasures!
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
I am honestly not a big fan of burgers and very seldom will order them if we go out to eat. I prefer pasta or chicken, but if I had to pick my favorite burger, it would be my dads teriyaki burger. He makes them super thick and full of teriyaki sauce. He will also grill pineapple and onions to go on top. The only other add on is Swiss cheese. It is such a messy burger that you will need plenty of wipes! I do have a weakness for onion rings though, but my favorite are homemade sweet potato fries! I could eat them everyday. It sounds like you have had a fun burger journey. Hope you can visit them all again soon.
Hi Krista, Oh those teriyaki burgers sound delish! Maybe I should fire up our grill this weekend and we have something like that! I also love pineapple on pizza, like a Hawaiian pizza. I make that from time to time, homemade. I do love sweet potato fries, too. In fact, I think I like them better than “regular” fries. Yum! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Pineapple on pizza is delicious! Not very many people like it, but I love it! Try using a garlic white sauce on your Hawaiian pizza sometime. It’s soooo yummy! And I agree. I would much rather have sweet potato fries instead of regular fries. I wish they were offered at more places.
oh, that sounds good! I will try making a garlic white sauce next time…do you have a recipe you recommend? Did you know sweet potato fries are also better for you than regular ones? Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Wow, makes me hungry for one, Nicole. Well, my favorite place is right here at home where my son grills hamburgers and hot dogs but for eating out, there was a family diner downtown Carrollton that had one of the best hamburgers and onion strings I ever tasted. What their secret was I don’t know but they were delicious. Used to go there with a friend at least once a month to treat ourselves to their fare. Their onion strings were also very tasty, not the traditional circle but long strings dipped in batter and deep fried. Yummy!
Hi Sandi! Oh those onion “strings” sound unusual and yummy, too! It sounds like they are no longer there? That’s sad! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Oh my goodness, it is getting close to my lunch hour and YES, I want one of the burgers you just talked about! each place sounds so good!
Hi Denise, Yes, my mouth is watering, too, for a good burger now! I’m going to head to Louis’ Lunch again one day soon, that’s for sure! Thanks for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I love all your comments. I hope one day visiting this places and try this hamburgers. Mexican farmgirl
Hi Marylou! They are definitely all unique and worth a visit! Thanks for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
YUM!! What a fun jaunt you shared and hamburgers too. Thanks God bless.
Hi Joan, Glad you enjoyed the post! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Nicole, I am so glad you were here in Georgia and we shared so many tasty foods. I especially loved the hamburger! Now I am hungry for a burger at Miss Dot’s again! Wish I had known about Tookie’s when living in Texas. Thanks for my picture at 16 years old and now and the compliments. I love you.
Mother
Hi Mama. Didn’t we have a great time, all of us? Can’t wait to visit again, and to go to Dot’s with you again. I had so much fun shopping in the little shops that day with you, and just relaxing at home, too. Love you, N.
Thank You for sharing your road trip. I like that ice-cream parlor. Unfortunately, there are not too many ice-cream parlors left.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn, Oh it IS the cutest thing, right? Last time I was there, a woman came in and was helping a very elderly woman to a booth. There is a picture hanging there from the early 1900s of the school house the parlor is now in, and the class of children there. The woman in the booth was a student in the picture! We were amazed, what a treasure she is! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Love this farmgirl trip, Nicole! Like you I can’t pass up a good burger and it is often what we go out for when we dine out. Add a delicious craft beer and to me it’s the perfect meal. Being a ” Texican” like you as well, I’m a tried and true beef girl too! I love the older places with the vintage vibes and the down home menus. We have a few new burger joints in Plymouth, but they don’t compare with places like you visited on your road trip. My mom and I are headed to Vermont later this week. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for a good ( local ) burger joint along the way. Thanks for taking us along! Loved it!
Farmgirl hugs! Deb
Hi Deb, Glad you enjoyed the blog! Sounds like you have a fun trip planned with your mom! Let us know if you find a great burger place in Vermont to add to the list! Have fun! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
It all looks “fun” and yummy! I want to make sweet potato fries! Do you have a good recipe? Do you boil the potatoes 1st? Would be great with a delicious burger…..
Hi Julie, when we make sweet potato “fries”, we peel them and cut them into chunks. Dipping them in ice water, a tip I learned from MaryJane, keeps the potatoes from soaking up excess oil. We then toss them with olive oil, sea salt, and spices, and bake in the oven 375 until crisp. Enjoy! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole