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~

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Tomatos and More Tomatoes


Yesterday's to-list was all completed.  Every day now is different.  Warning:  this is a get-your-cup-of-coffee (or tea) and sit a while post.  It may be my longest yet.  I brought more tomatoes in yesterday too.



Waking up before the sunrise, the barn cat's food and water is checked on my to the kitchen, and then the house cats.  If I don't they will be under my feet when I try to make my morning coffee.  I let a few dogs to let out too.

Coffee made.  A must for my early rise......



I'm up before the sunrise, to chop 24 pounds of tomatoes for sauce making again.  I make sure everyone has what they need for school.  Oldest still at home, is taking a college class two days a week during her senior year in high school.

Then it's breakfast for myself, and devotions on the porch.  I'll be honest and say I can't remember what breakfast was yesterday.  Sad, but true.  I think exhaustion does that.


While this cooked down to soften I got other work done.  Boring stuff, but sharing. . . .



I put laundry out on the line to dry early.


  I vacuumed the hallway (and other rooms), then shampooed a spot where the cat did his business (bad kitty).  Some day  our nasty carpet will be ripped out.


I often do my chores with bare feet.  Wearing shoes is not helpful when you have allergies.  My 15 year-old painted my toes, ha ha!  



I ran out of homemade vanilla extract, and opened another pint jar I had in my closet.  I am low on it, so I do need to order more vanilla beans soon.  Although I could make it in time for Christmas (again), I really want more than 4 months to let it sit.  Got any ideas for homemade Christmas gifts (from the kitchen)? 



I went out to water all the flower pots outside, then all my plants inside (with my rain water I collect).  It's been a bit dry outside.

After I put my tomatoes through my sauce maker, I placed it back on the stove to reduce.   I washed the dishes, put the sauce maker back on the counter (more canning this week), and ate lunch.



While the sauce reduced I walked one dog.



I came back in and stirred the pot, and walked another dog.



I came back in and stirred the pot, and walked the last dog.  I used to walk all three together, but I have to use a leash now, and Alias is very strong for his age.  Sadie too.






I came back in and stir the pot, and walked out to let the chickens out. I treated them to a cooling pan of ice chips and sliced cucumbers.



I came back in and stirred the pot (gotta do this often to keep it from sticking), and fill water buckets to water the goats and chickens.



I made a batch of homemade teriyaki sauce.  Mmmm. While making it, Daughter texted for GA.  She's hurtin' for some company and has 4 days off this coming weekend.  Unfortunately we cannot go.  So bummed about that.

I made a few calls to Son's Marine recruiter about his MOS designator.  He's due to graduate Marine Combat training next Tuesday.  I did get a letter from him yesterday.  He sounds exhausted, but in good spirits.  Having been down there, I know what the heat and humidity is like.

I then walked 2 miles.  Don't throw tomatoes at me, but I finished reading a book.  You know those things with words in them?   Anyone forget what they look like this summer? I had been reading one on the treadmill (okay, so I was walking slow, you got me), and finally finished it. 



I boil sealed my jars of sauce, and started dinner.  I dug up a few carrots for chicken teriyaki over non-gmo/organic brown rice.  Hubby helped me when he arrived home from work.



Put the chickens back in their coop for the night, and did a walk-by at the garden.  By the way, Mama Pea, if you have made it through to the end of this post, could you do a tutorial on growing, harvesting and preserving shell peas?  I want to grow them next year.  I assume they need a fence?

After dinner I got everything off the clothesline, picked anything from the garden, walked all the dogs again, and came inside.  

I did get some more crochet time in, but will share later.  I can barely keep my eyes open this morning.  Looks like it's a two-coffee pot day.  



6 comments:

Mama Pea said...

I hesitate writing a post (you know, detailing all I did during a day's time) as you just did because I always wonder if I'm putting anyone who might read it to sleep. But I LOVE it when you do it, so maybe I'd better get over my own silly(?) hesitation, ya think? :o)

I'll be glad to do a "tutorial" post on shell peas . . . but they're one of the easier crops to grow, I think. I know the reason most people don't do them is the amount of time it takes to shell them. But, hey, it's sitting down inside where it's (usually!) cooler than outside so that's a task I really don't mind. I'll write up the details of pea growin' (!) soon!

Susan said...

I LOVE these types of posts! And you have such good pictures! No wonder you are exhausted, even with some handwork and book reading. That still keeps your mind going, whether you're sitting or not. Your flowers are beautiful, BTW.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thank you both for your comments. I was actually feeling that the hauling of my camera was wearing me out more yesterday, ha ha!

I also gave a to-do list to the girls (which they were not happy about). They did do the jobs for me too. One ran to get chicken feed and pick up stuff from the library for me (I was still canning at the time).

Unknown said...

Too bad you don't have a fenced doggy area, you wouldn't have to walk them...

Unknown said...

Sounds like you have a rythym and timing worked out on the sauce but another idea is to throw it all in the crockpot to reduce overnight. It keeps the 'lectric bill down and doesn't heat up the house. I do it overnight and it's ready to can in the cool of the next morning. Love your blog!

RB said...

Wow!!! And I had thought my day was busy with keeping after 3 indoor cats (We lost one last night; Fuzz finally died from her bowel problems that we tried everything we knew of to fix and many we didn't but found online. Sad!), washing, hanging out the flats, bringing all the flats back in and folding them (I LOVE doing flats), making dinner and then sitting down with my back vibrator to try to ease the spine problems, but whew - this lady has me beat, hands down. LOL

God bless.

RB
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