Hello Friends!
Today, I’ve got a fun surprise for you! Last month in my blog post I told you that my Momma from New Mexico is here with us for awhile. (If you missed that post, you can read it here.)
Well, today I’m turning this blog over to her! She’s written up a little recipe treat for you!
Meet my mom, Carol:
Above picture taken in 2016 of my Momma in her kitchen
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”.
We stayed at a guest ranch in New Mexico. The hostess made stacked enchiladas, egg on top with green sauce. How delicious!
Hi Ginny,
That is so cool!!! Nothing in the world (in my opinion) like stacked enchiladas with an egg on top!
~ Dori ~
Love this!
Hi Candy,
Its so super good!
~ Dori ~
Welcome to our cast of farmgirls Carol!!!! Carol’s Cowboy Salad is on my grandgirl menu for tomorrow night. We often conjure “peppers/onions/maters all-diced-up” on all manner of things (I like fresh red onions diced real tiny on just about anything), but now we have a new fun name for one of our favorite toppings: Cowboy Salad. Also thinking ’bout makin’ your suggested side: mess o’ beans w/skillet cornbread.
Hi MaryJane!
Let us know how you like the Cowboy Salad! 🙂 Mom will be so excited to hear about it!
Hugs to you, sweet friend!
~ Dori ~
This looks delicious, thank you.
Hi Sarah,
You MUST try it!!!
~ Dori ~
what is her recipe for beans and cornbread please!
Hi Robin!
I tried so hard to get her to write her instructions / recipe for beans and cornbread and she wouldn’t!!!
I’m thinking I may need to do it for her! 🙂
~ Dori ~
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I would never have thought of adding it to pinto beans and corn bread but the way prices are now it is truly appreciated.
Hi Marie,
Its one of those things that you HAVE to try!!!! You honestly can’t believe how good it is!
~ Dori ~
My Mom used to make similar tomato salad with tomato, fresh garlic, fresh onion, fresh chopped basil, oregano, salt, pepper and splash of balsamic vinegar. Yum
Hi Marty,
Yes! I’ve put balsamic vinegar and olive oil in mine as well, but Mom corrected me on it!! HaHaHa!!!
~ Dori ~
Fresh Tomato salad also has olive oil (forgot to add). Also served with fresh hot homemade Italian rolls and butter!!
It looks like we all have similar traditions, I just had cattle beans, cornmeal muffins and apples on the side. Frugal, tasty eats for inflationary times. Thanks for the post.
Dori sounds wonderful. Thank your mom sew much for sharing her treasured recipe. I bet y’all are having a blast together?
Sending lots of love,
donna
Welcome to your mom. Thank you for the recipe. God Bless.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY To All
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Thank you for the recipe! I enjoy reading from your blog. Blessings!!
This sounds delicious! My family loves pinto beans and cornbread with onions or relish or chow-chow and we also love spicy foods so this sounds perfect! Can’t wait to try it!
How yummy! Thanks so much.
Just caught up on several recent blogs from you. Such touching stories and wonderful memories. Love reading about your mother and her time with you.
I’m trying this! Never dreamed of this combo. Love your mom.