Dana Marie's Country Living Blog

I made butter from scratch! So much fun. You can really tell the difference in flavor when it's made from scratch. I do have to buy cream from the grocery store, though. I wish I could have a cow. I love this kind of butter with anything savory that I cook. It's also a perfect match for steak and baked potatoes. I flavored this batch with garlic and chives. So delicious! Another great thing about making butter from scratch is all the buttermilk that you get. It can be frozen in canning jars for up to 3 months or up to 6 months if you don't mind it separating when you thaw it. It's so nice to have on hand when buttermilk is called for in a recipe. Try it, you'll love it! ~ Dana Homemade butter with garlic & chives Homemade Butter Ingredients 5 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste Supplies butter muslin or several layers of cheesecloth a butter mold or container with a lid Instructions 1 . Pour the cream into a mixing bowl. Using a sta...

These Steak Pinwheels are stuffed with cheese, garlic and spinach. They're a great way to fancy-up your steak. Enjoy! ~Dana Steak Pinwheels Ingredients 2.25-pound flank steak 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 tablespoon cracked peppercorns 1 tablespoon minced garlic 5 ounces cream cheese 3 slices Parmesan or Fontina cheese 1 cup fresh spinach leaves 2 tablespoons salted butter Instructions 1 . Place the steak between two pieces of plastic wrap, with enough room to expand. On a cutting board, use a meat mallet to pound the steak until it's 1/4-inch thick. 2 . Sprinkle both sides of the meat with the salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the cream cheese on one side and cover with cheese slices. Place spinach leaves on top. 3 . Roll up the steak, starting from one of the long sides. The rolled log should be about 4 inches in diameter. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. 4 . Remove from freezer, unwrap the roll, and tie baker's twine around it in six even...

These little bites are so addicting and so yummy! They have all my favorite flavors. If you happen to have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container for a few days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Enjoy! ~Dana Cheesy Garlic Squash Bites Ingredients 2 cups shredded yellow squash or zucchini 1-1/2 cups Italian-flavored bread crumbs 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 2 eggs 1/2 cup chopped green onions 2 tablespoons chopped dill 1 teaspoon salt (optional) 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste (optional) 2 teaspoons garlic powder ranch dip for serving Instructions 1 . Grate your squash or zucchini onto a thick pile of paper towels or a clean tea towel. Squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can.  2 . In a large mixing bowl, stir together the squash, bread crumbs, cheeses, eggs, onions, dill, salt and pepper until well combined. 3 . Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, form 1-inch balls and place about 1/2-inch apart on a parchment paper-lined cooki...

Here's my recipe for orange zucchini bread. I like to dress it up with an orange-flavored cream cheese frosting and some fresh orange slices. You can freeze the loaves for up to 3 months, and you can also freeze the frosting. It's nice to have it already made when you pull a loaf of the bread out of the freezer. Enjoy! ~Dana Orange Zucchini Bread Ingredients 3 eggs 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract juice and zest from 1 orange 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups grated zucchini Makes 2 loaves Instructions 1 . In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, orange juice and zest. 2 . In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this to the wet ingredients, one cup at a time until combined. 3 . Grate your zucchini onto a thick pile of paper towels or a clean tea towel. Squeeze as much liquid out of the zucchini as you can. Fold it into the cake batter and mix it in ...

It's that time of year when everyone has an abundance of zucchini, so I have been in the kitchen all day making zucchini bread , cupcakes and squash garlic bites . Fresh from the garden For me, it's the best way to use them up because you can freeze the loaves, cakes, etc. It's so nice later in the year to just go to the freezer and grab something to eat!  The first recipe I'll be sharing is my Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. So good!! ~Dana Zucchini Cupcakes Ingredients 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1-1/2 cups grated zucchini Instructions 1 . Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. 2 . In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugars, vanilla, oil and eggs. 3 . Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, one cup at a time until well mixed. 4 . Grate your zucc...

Gardening is one of my favorite things to do. There is nothing more satisfying to me than to plant seeds and watch them grow into pretty flowers and yummy vegetables. When I moved into this home, it was quite a job to make the gardens beautiful. They were overgrown with weeds and just yuk! I worked very hard to make my back yard into a special sanctuary, and now I love to sit out there and just relax. I hope you enjoy the pictures from this journey. ~ Dana Plant stand from a repurposed chair   Sunflower Zinnias Zinnnia Coneflower Galliardia Miss Ellie Veggie sign Watermelon Bell pepper Squash vine Pumpkins White pumpkin Zucchini, peppers, cucumbers   copyright 2025, Dana Meier, My Olde Country Home Dana Meier is a caterer, cookbook author, online content creator and purveyor of historic crafts in Washington state. Her first cookbook was published in 2023. My Olde Country Home cookbook series: Vol. 1 - Olde Fashioned Christmas Desserts Vol. 2 - Vintage Cookie Recipes  av...