Dear Sisters,
Happy, Happy New Year! I hope you had a warm and wonderful holiday season with your nearest and dearest. We rung in the New Year with a tasty Lobster Boil with fresh catch from our local lobsterman! Come on in for a visit to Salty Lou’s and meet the Salty Chicks too!
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”.
Well, I had to fast on Tuesday afternoon with no water after 6 am on New Year’s Eve. But the surgery went well and I’m cancer-free to celebrate 2015. When I was able to eat again, I had a bowl of steel-cut oats with chopped dates. Yum! Dinner was Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower soup I had made after Thanksgiving. Recovery will take a little while. However, I am so happy for you and remember the baby shrimp pan roast at John Ascuaga’s Nugget I had every year on my birthday. It was yummy and your dinner looks wonderful. Happy New Year!
Dear Adrienne,
I’m so happy ( and relieved ) to hear your surgery was successful and that you are cancer free. What a blessing to start the new year with. We used to LOVE The Oyster Bar at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, NV. Is that where you had the baby shrimp pan roast? Your mention of the Nugget sure brought back some fond memories. The food there was so good! A Happy AND Healthy new year to you Adrienne! Sending extra healing wishes from the East! xo Deb
Yes, the Oyster Bar was always my birthday dinner choice. John had some terrific seafood flown in for us to enjoy. Thanks for the good wishes!
I thought it might be the Oyster Bar! We loved it too… We used to have seafood flown in from Legal Seafood! It was yummy! Thanks for stirring those memories…:)
I’ll take the scallops without Bacon, you can have the Lobster….and your smart to have gingerbread with your lobster as the lobsters are quite “fatty” diet, ginger will block the absorption of fats. Lovely pictures.,,, remind me of pictures I have seen of my cousin and grandfather with their lobster business-souvenir shop . Iive the buoy on the fence! And boy was that a HUGE lobster!
As fir our New Years….we always try to stay aware to see he all drop, but I get so tired of waiting….I fall asleep! The News. Years day….we spend time watching the parade on TV and football or visit with family. And try to eat up all the left overs n the refrigerator so we can Cosman the refrigerator fir a good fresh year. We put away any holiday decorations and start scoring cleaning…. it keeps us from depression bring inside in the winter. And I start. Planning next years garden….start ordering seeds and whatever, preparing for February plantings of seeds….indoors. happy farming preparation! Have a Happy New Year! Stay healthy, stay safe!
Howdy, Susana! Happy New Year! I used to think Lobster was fatty meal as well until our Lobsterman shared his info sheet with us. I was surprised to learn that it’s the butter dippin’ not the lobster itself that adds calories to the meal. Any who! That little known fact didn’t stop us from dipping and enjoying our buttery lobster. I’m with you on the garden planning for next year. My seed catalogs are starting to come in! Blessings to you and yours for a wonderful and prosperous 2015! xo Deb
Lucky you! lobster is one of my favorite meals but in Minnesota we don’t get it very often. No wonder your handsome hubby couldn’t wait to dig in. We didn’t eat Chinese but had chicken kiev, wild rice and left-over dinner rolls. Finished off the end of the old year with peppermint ice cream. We went to be early too. Happy New Year to all.
Peppermint ice cream! Yum! Happy New Year, Bonnie! Thanks for sharing your day with us…Blessings for a most wonderful 2015! xo Deb
Hi Deb,
Happy New Year to you and yours. That lobster looks so good. Unfortunetly, I can not have any sort of fish both fresh water and sea or hard or soft shell. I became allergic to it gradually. One thing at a time. It started when I was in my 40’s and by the time I was 50 I could not eat any of all that that I grew up with. I live in Oregon and when I was young my family (lived in eastern Oregon) would go to the Coast and stay a few days with my Uncle then on to Depoe Bay for Dad to go out on the boat to fish. I got sea sick so could not go. My Mother and I would shop and then have a nice lunch while waiting for Dad. I just loved all that was caught. Even the fish from some of the lakes around out area that we lived was wonderful. Oh the memories. Yum!
Now all it can be is a memory.
Love, hugs, and best wishes,
Kay
Hi Karen, Thank you! What delicious memories you have of your younger days on the coast of Oregon. I’m sorry to hear you have become allergic to sea food though. I learned to fish in mountain lakes and rivers out west and I remember eating pan fried trout and catfish on our family camping trips. Of course, my mom always had plenty of hamburgers and hotdogs for backup just in case the fishing didn’t pan out. Great memories for sure.
Warm wishes for a delightful 2015! xo Deb
We live in Eagle, ID, but next door in Meredian, ID there is a seafood restaurant that serves lobster mac n’ cheese. Big hunks of lobster (I figure is a tail cut up- not little shredded stuff) & bacon bits. I never look at the menu, just order that. To die for!
That sounds like some good comfort food, Annette! I might have to try adding Lobster to our homemade mac n cheese recipe! Happy New Year! xo Deb
Your dinner sounds wonderful. Nothing like shopping for fresh caught seafood. We make an annual trip to the Oregon coast. For us, the treat is dungeness crab. We buy it fresh caught and cooked. And, the fresh shrimp. Happy 2015!
Oh I know the crab you speak of, Syliva. It’s quite yummy as well! Happy 2015 to you and yours! xo Deb
Loved reading of the fresh seafood dinner, I am so jealous. I would love to live at the beach only my dream is the Florida beaches where the weather is warm always! For New Years Day meal being in TN and all our southern traditions, we had to have Turnip Greens, with Hog Jawl (bacon) and black eyed peas with Cornbread on the side. we also watched the Rose Parade a tradition at my house from my childhood. Thanks for inviting us in to read how other parts of the country celebrate. Love your blog and all the Farm Girl blogs!
I live right across the bay from you Sister, and have never heard of eating Chinese for New Year’s! So glad you didn’t adopt what you heard! Everything you served is correct in our house. Happy New Year from Williamsburg, where my sweetie has treated us to a trip through the Colonial Capital and all the fabulous natural decorations.
We’ve got to get together in 2015, Sandi!!! Let’s make it happen! Happy New Year! xo Deb
Happy New Year Deb! This was such an awesome blog post – your pictures had my mouth watering. Oh I would love to come to Massachusetts and each Lobstoer! I cannot even imagine how awesome it must taste! Funny that the tradition there is to eat Chinese on New Years Eve. Here in the South it is black eyed peas, turnip greens, etc.! I still miss the tradition in New Mexico of a big steaming bowl of Pasole and tamales! 🙂 It is pretty awesome how every area of the United States has their own traditions. But, if it were me I’d do like you and stick with the fresh seafood tradition! Oh that lobster looks good! 🙂 But I just plain love fresh seafood. It can’t be beat can it? Hope your New Year is starting out just right. Hugs – Dori –
Right back atch Dori! I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. My southwestern part of the family celebrates with black eyed peas and I remember eating them growing up as well. My dad was a Texan!And I agree with you… nothing beats fresh sea food except for a delicious home grown steak! Yum! Blessings and hugs, Deb
Awesome read
Thank you, Mary! xo Deb
I love this post. Awesome photos and fun too. Those Salty Chicks, really got me going – how fun is that. I love lobster, wish I could have it more often. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Kim! I got a kick out of those Salty Chicks too! Happy New Year! xo Deb