The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Mole Chicken with Mexican Garden Salad

I’m a salad girl. Seriously, salad is one of my very favorite meals! I’m always experimenting with new recipes so I’ll have variety in my salad rotation. I recently tried this recipe for Mole Chicken from an old Southern Living magazine, and paired it with a Mexican Garden Salad that I made up. Two words: new favorite! Mole Chicken  Season 4 or 5 chicken breast lightly with salt (I used 5 thinner breasts). Mix together the following 6 dry ingredients in a bowl (see below). Rub and press the mixture into the chicken, and then grill it. -2 Tbsp light brown sugar -1 1/2 tsp chili powder -1 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa  -1/2 tsp coarse-grain salt  -1/2 tsp ground black pepper -1/4 tsp cinnamon ... Read more

Glittery Glow Jars

If you’ve got a little girl, tween, or teen who loves to craft, glittery glow jars are an fun summer project she will love! With their colorful flickery glow, they create an enchanting tablescape for summer evenings on the patio. My Country Girl first made some of these to surprise me with for Mother’s Day last year, and has been making them ever since for a number of gift-giving occasions. I think she originally found the idea on the American Girl website. If your girl is like mine, and crafting is a daily occurrence during her summer break, I know how helpful it is to find new ideas for keeping those creative hands busy. So, I asked CG to make a new batch of glittery glow jars so she ... Read more

Summer Supper Menu for the Ladies

A couple of weeks ago, my girls and I enjoyed a fun reason to get together with some moms and daughters and grandmothers in our home. A dear friend of mine is a Noonday ambassador, and so we hosted a trunk show with a light summer supper. Since it was just us girls for the evening, I decided on a menu of what we like to call lady food! You know, the salads, crackers, veggies, dips, and fruits kind of meal? I’ve learned to eliminate some fuss by making some of the foods and purchasing the rest premade. There were two supper recipes I really wanted to make—Tomato Pesto Tart and Pimiento Cheese—so I made those and purchased chicken salad and spinach artichoke dip from Costco. I also added a ... Read more

Summer Snacking

I’m popping in for just a minute today to share our new favorite snack: Ranch Snack Mix, adapted from Taste of Home! This is the easiest thing in the world to mix up, and has been perfect for snacking at home, pool, or lake. One batch makes SO much that I can put half in the freezer for another occasion (or two!). Then I have it ready for a surprise guest, to give as a gift, or to take to a party when I don’t want to go empty-handed. Ranch Snack Mix  1 (12-oz) package mini pretzels 2 (6-oz) packages plain bugles 1 (10-oz) can salted cashews (can substitute peanuts for a cheaper option) 1 (6-oz) package cheddar fish-shaped crackers 2 envelopes ranch mix 3/4 cup canola oil (vegetable oil is ... Read more

Independence Day 2019: Country, Community, and Church

Hello! I hope you all had a spectacular Independence Day last week! Our family enjoyed a day that offered blessings of country, community, and church. We were home throughout the morning, working on various housekeeping chores and projects, but stopped at lunch for our traditional 4th of July hamburgers. During our lunch, we got into a discussion about a podcast on Focus on the Family about our founding fathers, and the privilege of living in an America that was founded on Christian principles—principles that allow us freedom of worship, among many other wonderful freedoms! That afternoon, we had the honor of attending the 100th birthday celebration of a family farm! This farm is owned ... Read more

Colonial 4th of July Table

I’d like to wish everyone an early Happy Independence Day, and naturally I’m going to say it with a table setting! This is a table I quickly put together last 4th of July. We had some neighbor friends walking over for fireworks that evening, and since we were grilling hamburgers for ourselves, we asked them to come early and join us for dinner. The plan was to eat outside on the patio, but the heat and humidity were crazy high that day, so we decided to enjoy the meal inside and go out after sunset to watch the fireworks. With a change in plans, I started pulling anything from my cabinets that was red, white, or blue. Before I knew it, we had a very patriotic vibe going on in the dining ... Read more

Just Peachy! A Peach-Inspired Table and Dessert

My girls know me well, and always pick out such thoughtful gifts for me for special occasions. I’m one blessed mama! For Mother’s Day, they went shopping together at my favorite store—Home Goods! My oldest daughter bought me the wonderful rolling cooler bag you saw in my “Savvy Finds and Summer Faves” post. It gets used weekly, and has been a total game changer for lake and pool! Country Girl gave me this lovely tablecloth with an all-over peach pattern. It’s perfect for summer dining! Given my love for peaches, and for my daughter, I’m very excited about this tablecloth. I’m just loving it with my green dishes! It’s versatility lends itself to a fancy-schmancy Sunday lunch setting, or a ... Read more

Rosemary Pork Chops with Cherry Vinaigrette (Easy!)

Summertime cooking for me is inspired by two things: the grill and seasonal produce! I’m over-the-top delighted to have cherries, peaches, blueberries, melons, squash, okra, tomatoes, corn, and many more fresh garden treasures back in my life this summer! Our good friends have been gifting us melons and veggies from their glorious garden, and our local fruit farms have kept us in wonderful supply of peaches and blueberries. Cherries are finally back at the grocery store and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Last week I purchased a bag of cherries for the first time this season! In my book this called for a little celebratory meal, so I tried a new recipe for Rosemary Pork Chops with Cherry ... Read more