Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Saturday, March 30, 2013

From the Homesteading Journal . . .


. . . ordered 30 white rocks (for meat) and 6 more barred rocks (layers).

. . . my daughter finished the gate on the goat's "birthing" stall, and sold both bucklings already.

. . . put the seed potatoes in a single layer in front of the corn/pellet burner to encourage the eyes to produce sooner.  

. . .Hubby picked up 1 1/2 tons of stone (cost us $20.00) to upgrade the driveway.  He also had a neighbor drag the driveway (pulling a piece of equipment behind his tractor) to smooth out all the dips made over winter.

. . .finishing painting the kitchen cupboards (yahooooo!) today.  We just need to install knobs on the upper cabinets.

. . .started the process to locate someone, and tear down one barn.

. . .my 16 year-old daughter made a batch of goat's milk soap yesterday.

. . .put up Hubby's nephew's camper and made repairs on the door and table, so it can be put up for sale.

. . .gave away our kids (wooden framed) play set to extended family today.  They are bringing in a trailer to haul it out.

. . .received my cheese making supplies this week, to make 2 batches of soft cheese with our goat's milk this year. 

. . .our "extreme clean" week is starting - my 19 year-old daughter cleaned the utility room, and my 20 year-old son swept off the wood debris on the front porch (and brought out my front porch furniture - YAY!).  I started organizing one hallway. I need a new spray bottle to mix up my tea-tree oil/water mix to clean mildew off windows.  Two girls are still at 2 night sleepovers, so their work will be upstairs in their own rooms.  We'll definitely need to make a trip to the dump, after cleaning up.  Lots more to do yet.

 

  

Friday, March 29, 2013

Red Lentil Hummus

(the photo in the magazine article makes this appear more red than mine turned out)

I found this recipe (our snack) in the December 2012 issue of Health Magazine.  However, they also have it on-line, so I don't have to type out the recipe:  Red-Lentil Hummus.


Hubby and I love hummus made from chickpeas and wanted to try this one.  I finally made it.  I could not find red lentils in our stores here, so it was another item we picked up on one of our weekend trips (it was sold bulk in a Nature store).

I am sure you can buy them on-line as well, but it sure helps when you can buy your ingredients locally.

Aside from that, this recipe is very good.  Give it a try if you like hummus, and if you want to add more lentils to your diet. 

Note: After chilling this, the color was a teensy bit more red.

My family (those that enjoy hummus) raved over this recipe.  They enjoyed it more than my regular hummus recipe that uses chickpeas.    

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Grueling Week


Although I've had a strenuous week, and had goat duties to cover my daughter's absence, I got the chance to hold and kiss the cutesome twosome (my name for the twin bucklings).



I pampered myself with fresh roses and tulips.

Today is the last day for Driver's ed. classes, and the first day of spring break (for the younger ones). 

The younger two girls have already bombarded me with sleepover runs, and so forth.   

Sharing a update on "Dark Days Challenge"

Breakfast has been farm fresh eggs, along with homemade whole wheat bread we bought, topped with hormone free (locally made) butter, and my home canned jams/jellies.

    This is the easiest recipes I have come up with.  Last summer we were gifted home canned Pepper Mustard Sauce.  I was told it would be delicous over meatballs.  However, I simply placed organic chicken tenderloins in the crock, then topped it with a jar of sauce.  Wa-La!  Dinner is served!

I served it over organic brown rice, along with broccoli and cauliflower.  

Snack?  Well, you'll get to see that tomorrow. 

Oh...and I plan to can that Pepper Mustard this summer, so watch for a recipe too.  We very much enjoyed it, and I very much enjoyed a stress-free dinner prep. 

 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Thrift Find ~ Clothespin Apron


(reversible, and handmade)

As promised to some folks, here is the photo of the clothespin apron I purchased for $1.50.  I found it at a thrift store, when I was really not looking for anything in particular.  I love it when I find useable thrift items.  I just have to keep the shopping prudent.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

You Bought What?!


"Please tell you are not buying that!" I scolded hubby.

"A guy at work is letting us give it a try.  That's all."

"Right!" I scolded in non-agreement.

"His kids are all in college and don't even use it anymore," he tried to coax me even more."

Two days go by.

"I thought you were just trying it out? I asked with eyes squinted.

Next thing I know, Hubby is out in that go kart and spinning wheels, with dirt all over his backside.  He comes back inside smiling.

"Uh, Honey? Can you wash this?" he asks.

(big long sigh from me)

Another day goes by. The kids have been driving it all over the farm.

"Mom, if you were driving it around when the bus pulls in, you'd be the coolest Mom ever!" exclaimed my 19 year-old daughter. 

        

Monday, March 25, 2013

Weekend Road Trip ~ More Snow?!

Now this is how you get your laundry dried!  Wowzers!  Check out that clothesline!  Hubby and I laughed!  I need one that big

Hubby and I took another road trip, but this one was for heirloom seeds, seed potatoes, and onion sets.   

We decided to do some relaxing, scenic driving before we returned home.



Speaking of home.  This is what we woke to this Monday morning.  

There is about a three foot drift in the center of our horseshoe drive.  I am so glad we got the goats moved out of the big barn.  I never expected more snow.  Snow is expected all day today, and school is closed. 
 

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Early Delivery

Peanut gave birth to twin boys a week early.  It was a surprise to us all.  Go to my daughter's blog to see more photos of the little guys:  Life as A Teen Farmgirl

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Poo on the Shoe and Hair Loss


Writing is one of my passions.  It's also how I help support our income.

I successfully wrote a narrative essay as an exercise yesterday.  That was after two days of writer's block.  

I am back to writing daily.  It really means a lot to me.  As a child, I fell in love with writing poems and still have many of them.  However, today, l do not write poetry.  For now anyway.

I follow a few blogs, regarding writing for a living, more encouragement, motivation, and tips.

In following Rachelle Gardner's blog, she adds statements to "tweet."  Since I do not "tweet" I am reposting one on my blog today:

“The first key to making a living as a writer is VOLUME."

So, today I plan to increase my "volume."

Over the last 5-7 years, I have let many distractions pull me away from writing.  It's very easy to do, when you have a large (blended) family.  It's not all peaches and cream.  It's also poo on you shoe and hair loss.  

So, whether the kids like it or not, Mom is back in action.  Which means (reality moment: kids don't like responsibility) a messy house most likely - Family Meeting Friday.

 

 

Messing with Milk


I am so happy they we have fresh goat's milk, as part of our self-sufficiency, and health reasons.

The government just can't stop messing with milk these days.  Read here:  Flavored Milk

. . .  just passing this along for anyone interested.  "Diet" Milk? Ugh.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Using Up



It's been a while since I posted anything regarding the Dark Days Challenge.  Yesterday, breakfast was fresh farm eggs, and organic waffles.


Dinner was a pasta dish using my home canned tomato sauce, frozen (garden) green peppers and dehydrated mushroomsMy home canned, organic applesauce is a wonderful side for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or for baking too).

This week I have had a hankering for iced tea.  I have been making a gallon almost every day.  Mmmm!  

Today, I will be scrambling up 2 dozen eggs, and adding onion and green peppers (from last year's garden), and adding frozen spinach.  This makes it easy for hubby to grab a quick breakfast burrito before he goes to work.

Evening, wind down time, usually involves hot teaI purchased organic, loose leaf tea from a small (privately owned) local business.
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Tuesday Can't Go Fast Enough ~ Baby Goat Gets a Name


As you can tell by my blogpost title, there are two of us who dread this week and next - driver's education classes. 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Always Something. . .


We ran into "snags" with the goat fencing.  We could not drive t-posts, due to cement around the foundation, so we nailed up 2 x4's against the barn and then ran the fencing out.  However, once we started getting on a "roll" we ran into needing another tool.

My 16 year-old finished putting up some last boards, to keep the stalls baby safe, and started moving her supplies last night.  She finally finished about 9:00pm.  

Do you see that little gal on the outside of the pen?  That little escape artist got through the boards.  My daughter had to go back out after dinner, and put metal fencing all around the stall. 

We still need to board up the "birthing" stall that is on the very right, and then the outside (temporary) fencing (back of the stall).  Thank goodness the barn has a small animal door that slides, that we took advantage of, and the fencing will be directly on the outside of that door.

After that we have a motion sensored light fixture that will be mounted on the barn too.  And possibly a predator light.  We get a lot of rats, weasels, raccoons, hawks, owls, and what not. If you have bought such a light, and have a review, I'd love to hear it.


We woke up today to freezing rain and a layer of ice everywhere.  School is closed today as well.  I have yet to find out if driver's education closed. Even the community college closed.

The weather man got the weather wrong yesterday.  Brrr!  When we all came in about dinner time (Hubby, myself, our 16 and 13 year-old daughters), my cough had already returned.  So did the congestion and runny nose.  The chance to sleep in today, was a wonderful surprise.  

Our 13 year-old is back from her class trip, and I am sure she is enjoying the chance to rest up this morning as well.  Her feet are still swollen from all the walking they did.

A Year of Quotes:
"Setting a goal is not the main thing.  It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan."
    ~ Tom Landry
   

 

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Sunday

It's Sunday and we already have a busy "work" day (I detest work on Sunday, but this "stuff" must get done....once and for all).

Have you ever had a job that needed to be completed, and it just kept dragging out?  And out?  And out?  And you never thought it would get finished?

The goat stalls, in the other barn, are one of those jobs.

Every time there is a day to work.....something is needed, something breaks, or the drill battery dies.  Or there is some kind of interruption that stalls the job.  And then there is the weather.

Today is the day, I want this job finished.  Say a prayer

We still have to move temporary fencing, build new fencing, and so forth.  


The reality of self-sufficiency, is that it takes investment.  Including time.    We don't have hired hands, and hubby works outside the home full-time.   And the other reality is, is that I have very little time, even as a stay-at-home Mom.  There are no "days off" for me.  Or for Hubby.


Friday, March 15, 2013

What are you . . .

(my snack while cleaning yesterday...a girl has to have her chocolate)

I'm not one to "blog hop" or the like, but I found the most recent post on Henningsen Happenings a fun one. 

Here's mine:

What are you. . .


Listening to:  the rabbit shake his watering unit, and my oldest daughter's cell phone vibrate (she should know that her alarm won't wake her up that way) Not exciting information I know.

Eating: Nothing at the moment, but just ate two farm fresh eggs over easy for breakfast.

WatchingHubby and I are in the 6th episode of 8, of McLeod's Daughters.

Reading: Naked, Drunk,and Writing (see?  It really is a book)

Making:  Another dishcloth and more rag rugs.

Planning: What chickens to buy soon, what cool weather vegetables to plant, and what cheeses to make this year.  What to build to house our meat chickens.  New item ideas for Farmer's Market and what dates to attend.

Doing:  Right now I am blogging while I wait for the washing machine to finish.

Feeling: Tired. Overwhelmed with today's mundane chores.

Loving: The sunshine this week

WantingA completely clean house all in one day.  A sun room for hubby and myself. To get back to the gym.   To screen in a side porch.  To rip out all carpet and put in wood flooring.  Another weekend getaway with hubby.  My extra weight to miraculously fall off  (hey....you asked what I "wanted").  To buy a camper.  To build or create a "writing" room of my own.  To...to....to...this list is endless.

Thinking: Wondering what my 13 year-old is doing in D.C. right now.  Thinking that I should already be on the treadmill, and not sitting my bum in this chair. 

And looking forward to:  A much needed, relaxing trip to the island, camping, sipping iced tea on my front porch, and opening the windows.


A Year of Quotes:
"Well done is better than well said."
  ~ Benjamin Franklin