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~

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Drinking Kale? Bitter Cold Returns


The most recent issue of Country Woman magazine contained an article about ginger.  




They included a recipe for a Kale and Ginger Smoothie, and Youngest wanted to try it.  I was skeptical, as I have never put raw greens into a smoothie. But....




You can see I didn't put much in my cup.  It wasn't that bad actually.   There is a lot of debate on whether it's healthy to eat raw greens like this.  I'm not really a "smoothie" every day kind of person either.  Summer time is when I like a cool fruity smoothie once in a while.  We tried it nonetheless.  I know the fruity/yogurt smoothies can pack on the pounds too, so another reason I don't partake every day.  We tried it, we lived through it, and Youngest wants to try another recipe already.  I was always told to eat the fruit vs. drink the juice for health.  There is probably more debate on that too.

The weather forecast last fall warned us we'd have a bad winter.  We woke up to a wind chill of -25°F this morning.  I actually have hot water in my kitchen, but not in one bathroom.  I've got cupboard doors open and faucets dripping.  

Last night we put another heat lamp in the goat/chicken barn.  When I went out yesterday, Misty (one of our female goats) was shivering.  We covered more holes up with feed sacks since we were out of plastic sheeting, so hopefully they are staying warmer.

School for today was canceled last night.  We have four eggs to make breakfast for all of us expect Hubby and my oldest daughter (I continue to not buy cereal, and non-gmo cereal is very expensive).  I'm thinking pancakes or waffles today.  I'm pretty sure I won't find any eggs out there this morning.  Maybe later today I'll get a few more. 

The last visit to the grocery has me concerned.  Organic butter went up to $5.79 for pound.  Organic milk was sold out and not in stock, and up to $6 a gallon.  I guess we'll be cutting back on both, as I have no intention to buy the other stuff.  I may do more research on dry milk again.

And speaking of what nasty ingredients are in our food, I love to snack on roasted almonds.  But...I won't buy those now either.  First ingredient is either bad canola or bad cottonseed oil and it also contains soy.  Soy!  In a container of roasted almonds?!  Hubby things soy of any gmo sort was invented for population control.  It's in everything anymore.

Okay, okay....I'm off my soap box.  I just hope my kids learn from me what food is good and what is bad for them.  Convenience plays a strong roll, and I worry about them poisoning themselves via processed foods.

Well, the weather should warm up to about 10°F later today, so I might be able to get a few errands done.  First, I need to go check on my chickens and Sparta and make sure they weathered through the night okay.  

Stay warm my friends!





7 comments:

Susan said...

It sounds to me as if a dairy cow may be in your future....? Do you milk your goats? It is difficult to eat completely GMO, organic, not to mention expensive. Too bad everyone doesn't put their collective feet down and demand it.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, we do milk the goats, but both are hopefully pregnant for spring babies right now. During winter I have to buy it, including cheeses. Or go without.

RB said...

Very cold here too, blessed to have the heat going and have sufficient heat for all our outbuildings.

We sell a lot of kale at the store. People say they're using it for juicing. Long ago I babysat for a PhD in microbiology, and she said juice was pretty much an empty food...that it was healthier to eat a piece of fruit and a large glass of water, because we need the fiber in the fruit more than we need the few vitamins that might be in it. I've always kept that in mind, and it seems to me with juicers, you're throwing away the part you should be eating and vice versa - tossing the pulp and drinking the juice.

And another thought is, God created them together, doesn't that mean we should be eating them together?

What do you think?

God bless.

RB
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Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, I agree with the fruit vs. juice. The kids and I love smoothie's when it's hot out and we have little appetite.

RB said...

I lost 18# last year just chewing ice chips instead of potato chips.

Gotta start that again. Love ice.

God bless.

RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, maybe I need to trade in my potato chips (non-gmo)for ice chips. Hmm.

RB said...

Worked for me Kristina.

It's the crunch that satisfies, and the hydration isn't bad for ya either.

God bless.

RB
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