You know my motto…Waste Not Want Not. So when our son sent a photo of his Indiana cherry tree…
I heard that little voice inside my head begin to scream…ROAD TRIP!
I simply could not let all of those cherries go to waste…or go to the birds either. So Peepaw and I took off one morning for a short stay in Indy. And we looked forward to several days of HARD WORK…and a little FUN with grandgirls too.
It’s a six hour drive from our house to our Indy family, so we headed out bright and early. (It was a gorgeous day for a drive.)
The farm fields in the Heartland are a tapestry of colors and shapes…
And it’s always a beautiful sight to see the mighty Mississippi River…
And on to Illinois.
When lunchtime rolled around we found ourselves at JT Walker’s Restaurant in Mohomet, our usual lunch stop on our trip. And since we’re not ashamed to be known as “frugal” travelers here is my suggestion:
Meemaw’s Travel Tip Since restaurant portions have become HUGE, simply buy ONE meal like this yummy Reuben and Fries…and ask for another plate!
and split the meal to share.
Half was PLENTY for both of us. And that little trick makes both our wallets and our waistlines happy!
We arrived in Indy in time for me to make dinner for our family. I had asked the grandgirls to tell me what they wanted me to make…but I knew the answer before I heard it.
They asked for “Meemaw’s Fried Chicken”…LOTS of it!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes made with sour cream and butter.
And a big skillet of my Homemade Chicken Gravy.
Our son Nick came home from work as I was peeling potatoes from a ten pound bag. He asked me to peel ALL of them! He assured me that none of those mashed potatoes would go to waste…and that is an understatement. Those girls have even asked for leftover mashed potatoes and gravy…for breakfast!
Yes, that cherry tree in the yard was loaded and waiting for Peepaw to climb a ladder and get to work. But that first evening was all about family.
And that is the REAL cherry on top of any visit with our kids and grandkids!
What a fun road trip!
Please please please share your Homemade Chicken Gravy recipe. I’m from Indy too, and I wish you would have invited me over for the feast!! 🙂 I have granddaughters who LOVE mashed potatoes and your gravy would push it over the top!
Awww…THANK YOU Joansy! I promise…the next time I make my fried chicken I will MEASURE my ingredients and write a real “recipe” about it! And who knows…I may just send you a message the next time we make that Indiana Road Trip. It’s SO much easier to teach someone how to make gravy than it is to write about it! 🙂 (My Indy son is becoming a gravy pro!) So keep watching for a Meemaw email…you just never know. And kiss those granddaughters for me too!
XOXO
Meemaw
What a fun story!!!!!! They are so lucky to have a cherry tree. My parents had a Nanking cherry when I was a kid but it eventually died. I wish I had one now for sure.
I know just what you mean Monica! We had two cherry trees on our farm where I grew up. (Our trees died too.) I can still remember sitting on the front porch, pitting those huge buckets of cherries! It brought back so many memories as I sat at that table last week…pitting…and pitting…and PITTING those plump beauties! I now have a freezer full of cherries…and I’ll be sharing many recipes with all of you!
XOXO
Meemaw