Pantry Meals and Little Updates

Hello and welcome to my little blog in the great big World Wide Web. Here we are at Saturday morning as I prepare this post for tomorrow morning. I try to get this started as soon as I get up never really knowing what the post will be about. I like to journal free let it flow. 

   This morning it was -13 with a wind chill of -25. Yes it’s been a bitter chilling winter. We have had a leak in the pipe for our Pioneer Princess cook stove it’s wood fired. This morning we had to let it cool down so Bruce could repair the pipe. All winter long we have been cooking our meals in it. Mostly Bruce which is a wonderful change. For the last four years I have participated in the Pantry Challenge on Instagram or YouTube. It is on other platforms as well. This year I didn’t participate because I have come to the realization we cook from the pantry everyday of the year. Plus one of my YouTube followers said to me one day “you need to find what brings you joy” that message really hit me hard. She was right!!! I have been always taking care of everyone else and putting myself last. However cooking and gardening do make me happy but as an artist I really needed to find my joy again with my art work. With even more decline of my back problems to be able to function in a day I have to take care of myself by sitting more than I ever have in my entire lifetime.   Although I will do gestural paintings I will stand for those paintings.  Get the energy moving. So last year in November I started painting again after a four year hiatus. It has been PURE JOY! It has made me feel so much happier and freeing. Thank you Suzanne for your wonderful comment it made me seek out my painting again. So that’s why I didn’t participate this year in the pantry challenge. Several had asked me why. I want to spend my time making my art. It really is what feeds my artistic soul. I enjoy that I have met so many people thru my art journey. 

This is one of my go to recipes see the video below where I have made the macaroni and cheese recipe. I do like to try different ones. My family loves this one. 

We had some of my homegrown 1,500 year old cave beans and dehydrated mushrooms and onions we grew that Bruce froze to help make meals faster. Homemade mashed potatoes. 

Some of my home canned 1,500 year old cave beans. They are so delicious we add a little bacon grease and everyone loves them. 

Cody made this for me for Christmas of 2025. I love it. It’s cherry wood from our land. 

Homemade pizzas which is always one of our favorites. 

I am longing for summer at this point. I am content however being in the warmth of San Diego made me feel so good that beautiful sun on your skin. This was one of my last tomatoes of the season before the frost came. 

Making ketchup 

In the garden it’s getting to be seed time. So I am ready despite the frigid temperatures. Kim and Jr and the family are heading back to New York and they sent a video this morning on how high the waves are and how much the wind is blowing with the snow storm coming in. 

This tomato weighed almost two pounds German pink I think that was the tomato. I grow so many tomatoes it’s hard to remember all of them but I pretty good at knowing them. I keep the seeds to for the next year. 

I have been growing these for quite a few years now which is one of my favorites. Of course Bruce would tell you otherwise that there isn’t a pepper I don’t like. Definitely a pepper head. My son Jr. is the same way. Makes a mama proud. 

I love a fresh meal from the garden 

It was my birthday meal 

Homemade chili 

Homemade gluten free cornbread 

Homemade hamburger buns my family loves them 

This is a gluten free chicken pot pie that is so delicious makes me want it now. 

Salmon is a staple here. We top it with all the many pestos we make each summer. 

Fajitas and stir fries are huge around here. Especially when we have a lot of peppers. We usually always have them as we freeze them and freeze dry them. Bruce does all the cutting. 

Oh my goodness I want this again. I can’t find that cookbook I used too many. Yes head hung low it was so good. I will try to find it’s here but my library is busting out of its shelves. 

French toast are one of my boys favorites. 

 Tomorrow these little guys will have their two year old birthday party along with their sister Briar her Christening. I can’t wait we are to arrive at the Catholic Church tomorrow morning and then right after church is the Christening. Then we head to Cody’s house for the party. Alexis and Garrett with Ledger and Riggs are coming too. Can’t wait to see everyone. Sending love and positive vibes. Have a wonderful weekend. I have spent my Saturday painting while Bruce worked on the hearth trying to get it all repaired so we can be back in that wonderful heat and cooking. As you may know I have been in a few challenges the 30 day sketchbook challenge which today made 24 days only 7 days to go. It feels good!! I have enjoyed it throughly. The 100 day challenge which started on January 22, 2026 and will end on May 02, 2026. Maybe too much????? One shall see.,… much love ❤️ 

Thank you, 

Dawn Gallop 

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White Night on the MSC Meraviglia

 

Hello and good day, I am Dawn Gallop if you are new here, welcome. I am the mom to nine children and 15 grandchildren. I am an artist who likes to share her work to inspire others. 

I have been sharing a cruise my oldest son  and his family are currently on as of the date above. It looks like they will be coming home to a lot of snow and rough weather conditions. From all that beautiful weather to a snowy icy east coast weather. Which is not a usual in the south. Kim sent me these pictures this morning. By the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE JR.  yay!!! Celebrate dance to the music. I am so glad I can share these photos of their lovely family. I am so proud of my children. 

Taking pictures of the fireworks. A true Gallop. 😊

Nassau 

This is a picture of Left to Right Bruce Jr 1987. Dakota (Jrs daughter) 2016

The day we brought Jr. 

Me holding Levi and Clarissa. 

Levi (hello Captain) 

This is when Jr. was a teenager and he is holding Colby. It looks like a perm cap. Haha 

Me in my Great Grandma Faye, My mom and my aunt Jan. Faye passed away in the early 80s I loved her so much. She was only 4 feet tall and a few inches. I forget exactly the height. When she was born she was so tiny this was 1882. They said she wouldn’t survive and they kept her on this little pillow for her bedding. She thrived. Very successful woman  living in Kansas her whole life. She always dressed so well. Very classy. Even as a child she was in her 80s she came to Newport News where we lived and she was still putting on one of those body girdles and dressing to the 9s. Perhaps it’s where I get the same energy. I miss her so much. I see her in a lot of places and her presence. 

Well I hope you enjoyed white night. Today it is so cold -18 with a windchill of -27 right now as I sign off. Much love and positive energy your way. 

Love, 

Dawn Gallop 

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Happy Birthday Bruce Jr. Today is your Day

In the words of Kim : We went to Nassau this morning and the kids got souvenirs. We got back on the boat early to get in the pool without the crowd. The kids and I get Gelato. Bruce and Samantha went to a specialty restaurant on the ship called Hola! It's an all you can eat taco place.  I took the kids to the pool. While in Nassau I was carrying Samantha bag because it was too heavy for her. Someone's large poodle ran up to me and attacked the bag because It had a stuffed animal keychain on it. The owner of the dog said I'm sorry she loves stuffed animals. The way that dog arranged the bag I believe she hates stuffed animals. Haha. I laughed at that too. Rosie does love to tear a stuffed animal into pieces. She goes for the squeaky noises first. 

Tonight is white night. We plan to go to the sit down dinner and then go to a theatre show called Encore. The weather has been warm we all got rather sunburnt yesterday. 

I will let you know how the tacos are. We have seen an animal at every port. A tortoise in Port Canaveral, baby owl in Ocean Cay, and a pet parrot in Nassau. 

You can see that the vacation has been a huge success of fun and sunshine. A great way to celebrate your 39 th birthday. I spent most of the day painting and tending to my plants and petting my dogs. It’s bitter cold outside right now as I type this up it’s -10 and it says it feels like -26. The wind is blowing. The boys went to get a few groceries as we haven’t been for several weeks. We are out of half and half and the boys like their half and half for their coffee. They brought me home the organic pink lady apples which I really enjoy. Tomorrow is Jrs birthday. Reminder to self! Colten whom lives back in NC where we were from. Is preparing for the winter storm to hit the east coast starting Friday morning the day of this post. School has been canceled for tomorrow due to the extreme temperatures. Dangerously low temperatures. Bruce took care of everything outside here to prepare for these low temperatures. I know it’s normal for some people. Just not the ones living here. So we have to prepare for this. 

Sending love and good vibes, 

STAY WARM 

Dawn Gallop 

 

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