The Mercantile

09/12/2026

It must be fall because everything in my person is telling me to bake. So, apple pie cinnamon rolls and cheesy eggs for game day breakfast it is! The rolls had caramel cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of fresh homemade caramel on top. So yummmmm.

Things will probably be sporadic for a little bit as far as posting here goes. School has started. I’m still filling in as water operator. And it’s our last senior year with OJ’s kiddos. Just know, nobody is starving over here 😉 and we still love you all! We just have a lot of life to be living. In the mean time… here is the roll recipe. I went for the overnight option and put them together before the football game last night.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/apple-cinnamon-rolls/ -recipes-67509

08/26/2026

Everyone loves the petunias. I get it. They’re big. Colorful. Show stoppers.

But it’s the wild flowers that bring me the most joy. Whimsical. Haphazard. Growing when and where they want.

08/23/2026

Today was Dill Pickles and Cowgirl Candy (jalapeños and pineapple). I did 25lbs of pickles and I don’t know if that will get us through the year. Fingers and toes crossed.

The canning Gods were really looking out for me today. I got the pickles packed with only 2 pickles left over, used the exact number of quart jars that I had, AND my brine came out on the money. I didn’t break a single jar either. I better go buy a lotto ticket ASAP.

I hope Gram was smiling when I pulled out her pickle recipe today. It always makes me feel good to see her handwriting and use her old canning supplies.

08/20/2026

The Merc is still here! Along with the elevators.

Highwood

08/17/2026

Summer has been busy. Cooking has been sketchy. We’ve been gone since Tuesday to Idaho. School starts this week and my house, classroom, brain, and body are not even remotely ready. That all lead to quick and easy tonight. Chicken fajitas need no recipe. I dropped the leftover rice in Pyrex on the kitchen floor and broke the glass so we are more veggies than simple carbs tonight. OJ got a cheese quesadilla with his. I got a past the sale date avocado with mine. And I like to make a tahini sauce for fajitas. But, what I really wanted to tell you about was the Alpine Touch Verde seasoning I used. Delicious!!! Go grab you some!!

06/27/2026

Here is my first go at using ground chicken!

Buffalo 🦬 Chicken 🐓 Burger
Potato 🥔 Bun
Homemade Blue Cheese Spread
Frank’s Buffalo Sauce
Butter Lettuce 🥬
Sliced Avocado 🥑
Blistered Shish*to Peppers 🌶️
Baked Waffle Fries 🍟

There are tons of recipes for making a chicken burger on the internet… hopefully this inspires you to find one and add this to your summer supper list!

06/05/2026

Southwest Chicken Rice Bowls

Al little bit of eat the rainbow 🌈 tonight.

Chicken was marinated in some carne asada seasoning, hatch green chile seasoning, lime juice, and olive oil. Then I cooked it on the Traeger because heating up the house with the oven season is over.

Bean and corn salad is black beans, corn 🌽, red onion, red and orange bell peppers, grated frozen jalapeño (good trick for getting tiny bits instead of big bites), cilantro, and a dressing made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, lime juice, chili powder, minced garlic, honey, and salt and pepper.

Cilantro lime ranch dressing is a bunch of cilantro, green onions, Greek yogurt, mayo, honey, Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, lime juice, and my fancy immersion blender my got me for Christmas.

Rice… any way you like. I always make what OJ and the kids call THE RICE. But you can make it any way you like it!

Happy Thursday!

05/20/2026

It’s been a minute! We have just been chasing our tails and trying not to fall asleep in front of the TV at night. But I have a great one for you as a comeback post!

They don’t have a name ‘cause I made them up. BUT, they are basically smoked BBQ steak bite tacos with creamed corn, chimichurri, and crispy fried onions.

I seasoned up some stew meat with the Weber Honey Garlic, a little brown sugar, and the Kinder’s Cowboy Butter seasonings. I stuck them on the smoker when I got out of school and let it go for about an hour. Then I added a few pats of butter and some BBQ sauce and let them go for another couple hours.

In the mean time I made some chimichurri with parsley, cilantro, oregano, chive, red pepper flake, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whip it all together in the food processor and stick it in the fridge.

Then I made a cheater batch of creamed corn. I used 4 tablespoons of butter 🧈 and 3 cans of corn 🌽 in a pan over medium high heat. I cooked it til some of the moisture left the corn. Then I sprinkled it with a couple tablespoons of flour and cooked for another minute or two. Then I added about a cup of cream and cup of milk and stirred everything until it thickened up. I seasoned with some Johnny’s seasoning salt and pepper.

Finally, I heated up some tortillas and melted some cheese on them. Next, I put down the creamed corn, the smoked BBQ steak bites, chimichurri sauce, and topped with the crunchy fried onions.

OJ’s review was that these were good.

My review is that they were a culinary triumph.

You guys will have to decide for yourselves. Happy Tuesday!!

04/08/2026

Double header today!

I hope you all had a very happy Easter! 🐣 HE is risen, indeed! ✝️

We had a pretty simple and traditional ham dinner. The first picture is of the salad I served. It was so pretty, so bright, and so flavorful! Here is the recipe for it:

Roasted Carrot and Arugula Salad with Pistachio Parmesan Crunch Topping

https://www.foodwiseinfo.com/2026/03/httpswww.foodwiseinfo.comroasted-carrot-salad-with-pistachio-parmesan.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcARCmc5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeOuefU9ERerzQiMM0bee62035gi1HSHhOGztZ-MUuVcTS2A8a8j8_rp7Hios_aem_vCSvavz3vnfJUZIxWKmz6Q&m=1

The second picture is my attempt at doing something besides ham salad with the leftover ham from Sunday. Chicken Cordon Bleu was at bat tonight! Along with some sautéed heirloom carrots and asparagus. Here is the recipe:

https://www.spendwithpennies.com/chicken-cordon-bleu/ -recipe-container-149360

02/28/2026

Maybe not double… but for sure measured with my heart. ♥️