Lately, we’ve had so much snow and ice, it’s unbelievable! Schools have been closed here eight times the last few weeks due to weather, and most families are getting out only when absolutely necessary. What’s a mom to do? Create cozy meals of comfort food!
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”.
Nicole- I can only imagine what 100 inches of snow might be like! We have NEVER lived anywhere where it snowed like that! Your story made me smile and your recipe sounds like it would be great for us to try. Thank you!!!
Tess S.
Tess, thanks for reading. This winter has been quite unusual for us. Our "typical" snowfall is usually only 20 inches per year, but I’ve been told that folks who have lived here longer remember the winters from their childhoods being this way. Enjoy the recipe! -Nicole
Funny! The differences is that my mother used Nibblets instead of the green pepper and tomato cream soup instead of the tomato sauce!!! My sister and I liked to pour a little Ketchup on it! Mmmmh!!!
Nice to know Texans can go any where and be at home. Back here in Arlington we are having our second snow storm in 2 weeks. Definately different this year. And time for chili and cornbread.
Rose, I’ve been to Arlington many times! A very dear friend lives there, and I hear from her as well that your winter this year is harder than usual. Stay warm! -Nicole
Nice blog, as usual, Nicole. I’m Armenian and your cookie recipe sounds similar to something both of my grandmas used to make. I can’t wait to try the One Pot Macaroni and Beef – thank you so much for including a recipe! xoxoxo
I love many recipes and traditions from my childhood as well. I bake lots at Christmas, but the kids will tell you that toll house cookies are not for Xmas- those are get up early and make before school/work. I still make a few things that would have ended big with my mom, like peanut bars. I am still trying to master a good biscuit. But it is all good.
Cooking is wonderful! Especially with your own special recipes. Our s and dil live in Austin, TX, and I know what you mean about spicy chili. I laughed when I read about your husband. I reacted the same to the spice (lol). I’m going to make your hot dish (what they call them here in Minnesota) tonight. Thanks! The tablecloth is beautiful. What a treasure. Bonnie
Thank you, Bonnie! Enjoy!
Wow! When I was growing up in Connecticut, I don’t think we ever used more than the three snow days built into the school calendar except the year Kennedy was assassinated, which used up at least one for his state funeral.
May I tactfully ask how many servings are in that recipe. My household contains two people.
The recipe serves 4-6. Any leftovers are delicious the next day for lunch! Enjoy!
-Nicole
Thanks for the post! I too have great memories of food and have some "sacred" recipes from my Italian grandmom and mom. They do bring back soooo many memories and smells! My grandmom’s house always smelled like fresh perked coffee and cookies.
Hanging on till Spring!!!
Oh, I had to laugh when you told about your husband taking a bite of that spicy chili 🙂 I lived in Norway for one year, and that was something I picked up on really quickly. They’re not as used to spicy foods as I was coming from the Northwest. So I had to learn to tone it down a little bit, too 🙂 🙂
Thanks for the macaroni & beef recipe!!! Awesome!! Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather 🙂
This recipe looks really good! Thank you so much for sharing! And yes….I will be holding on to that saying as we go through yet another snow shower here in Tennessee…Spring is getting closer! 😀
~Shannon
Nicole, you are a good sport with the 100" of snow. Love that you treasure your family recipes and things passed down to you. Laughed at your husband’s reaction to the chili. Poor guy. Your Mom’s recipe is similar to one my Mom made and I make a lot that we call goulash. No idea where the name came from, but a big favorite of our whole family. Thanks for sharing.
100 inches! I never expected to be happy to live in Minnesota in the middle of winter. I "only" have around 48". We’ve been lucky the blizzards have passed just below our state. It’s a bit chilli: 22 below today but at least I don’t have to shovel. I agree, this is the perfect kitchen weather. Yesterday, I made my first successful batch of cheese, baked sour dough bread (from my own starter) and made a great batch of chicken stew (slightly pink due to the beets).
–Sounds like a fun day in the kitchen for sure! Congrats on that first batch of cheese! -Nicole
Hey Nicole!
Is it cold enough for you? We are missing our fresh veggies from the garden too. Like you we are still buried in lots of frozen snow and counting the days till spring.
Let’s count together shall we.. 1,2,3,…
Stay warm,
Beach Blessings,
Deb
Hi Nicole, Your Mom’s recipe is almost like my Mom’s for Goulash, only she used some Italian Spices in her’s. Need to make a batch of that up – thanks for reminding me.
We had about 1 1/2 inches of snow here in the Georgia Mountains last night, it’s almost gone! Yea
Hugs, Ruth
Hi Ruth! Hopefully, we all are turning a corner on winter…take care. Big hugs! -Nicole
Hi Nicole:
What a wonderful, funny story of your family life. Thank you for the recipe. My daughter is coming home this Thursday from college and I think she will be wanting some home comfort food.
Hugs,
Betty
Wow! 100 inches is a lot of snow. I think the recipe I remember the most, from my grandmother, is her baked macaroni and cheese.
Hi Nicole, I kind of go along with Ruth. Your recipe sounds like my goulash, except for the maccaroni, I use a box of mac and cheese,adding the macaroni so it can cook, or cook it, then add the cheese when it is almost done. My family likes it with bread and butter. I am ready for spring and I am already going through garden magazines and planning. It wasn’t bad here today but I don’t think winter is over yet. I also agree that the kitchen can bring a lot of comfort to people, as simple as a cup of coffee or tea and a cookie or a meal that has memories tied to it. I really enjoy what you write, makes me feel like I know you as a friend. Keep writing and spring is on the way.
Brenda, What a sweet thing to say! Thank you! We are getting nice weather this week (so the weatherman says), but we ALWAYS get snow around St. Patty’s Day! I won’t be packing up my sweaters just yet! Thanks for reading! – Nicole
Nicole,
That recipe sure brings back memories. We had it a lot growing up, but we called it Goulash or Slum Gulley! I make it often for my DH who does not like anything spicy. I make chili for me and goulash for him! The tablecloth is beautiful and the cookie story is priceless. Isn’t it amazing that a certain smell or recipe can bring back memories and transport you, eventhough briefly, to another time and place. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks so much for reading! -Nicole