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~

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Random Tidbits ~ Dandelion Greens

Not sure how many interesting posts you will be blessed with this month.  After cranking out 3400 words yesterday (bringing my total word count to 5200), I literally ran to the porch to get some "me time" in, but did not even get there until 5:45pm,  Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs, and I had to make a fresh batch of meatballs, so time was of the essence. 


The weather has been amazing!  We opted for evening porch time instead of work.  We sat in our rockers giggling like kids skipping out of chores.  I can't believe we are still sitting on our porches in November.  It's been so nice here this week.  Although in 15 minutes, darkness set in.  I do not like these early dark nights.



The mums continue to bloom, and the spiders are very busy.  I walk into webs everywhere.

 Guess what I found at the store?

Dandelion greens.  Organic dandelion greens!

Now, you are probably wondering why I don't just dig them up here, but I do.   This time of year, I let the ladies and Sparta have free range of the homestead, and with a dog and barn cats, you just never know who is urinating on them.   Also, the farmer was out yesterday, spraying his fall poisons, and you never know how much is carried onto our homestead.

  So...I have been looking and looking, and finally found some in the stores.  And I am going back to buy more.

I dug out one of my dandelion cookbooks, but last night I made them as a side to taste them.  I have had them in salads, but never alone as a green.

The results?  Bitter.  I even used shallot vs. onion when I wilted them down.  We mixed them into our spaghetti and that worked well.  I have many recipes in this book that I want to try yet.  Also, I plan to dehydrate a few bunches of dandelion greens and add them to Jesse's food (the dog).  I can add dried leaves to his homemade food for extra vitamins and nutrients.

I guess I'll have to start getting up at like 4:00am to combat these new hours we have.  I feel like putting my pajamas on at 6:00pm now and it feels like the days are flying by.

I'm off to exercise.  Hubby and I both are working on a bit of weight loss.  For me I've struggled with it since childhood.  I think I was born with the fat gene.  Either way, with some homemade whole grain treats, we will succeed for once. 

Then it's back to the desk to crank out a word count in high numbers.  No dinner tonight. Tons of leftovers.   

15 comments:

Kim said...

It is super great to be having this weather in November. But we may need to remind each other of this in January b/c I am afraid we will get hit right between the eyes!

Liz said...

We have had some bonus days around here too! Can't beat it for early November. Everytime I have tried dandelion greens they were bitter. But the wine was always good! lol.. I have climbed back on the exercise wagon too!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Kim, you are right. Hubby is to get chainsaw blades this weekend and start on that trees.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Liz, I have a few recipes where the dandelions are in a pasta or meat dish. I think they will hide well. The kids won't know they are eating them.

Mama Pea said...

I wonder if you can get dandelion greens anywhere this time of year that wouldn't be bitter? Hiding them in other foods has to be the way to go!

We, too, way up here near the Canadian border are having very mild temps for this time of year. In a way it's good, but on the other hand it just permits us to keep pushing on outside tasks. Ugh, I'm ready to quit!

I put on my pjs last night around 7 (it was dark, dark, dark) and snuggled on the couch with a quilt to read. Ha! You can guess what happened . . . ZZZzzzzz.

Susan said...

I would love to find organic dandelion greens! I have the same problem - besides my dogs, I have neighbors who don't believe in following the leash law and their dogs are all over my front yard. Ditto with the farmer neighbor who told me not to worry about the Roundup he was spraying because it goes "away" in 30 days, according to Monsanto. I informed him there was no "away" other than my water table. Sometimes I wonder if it's possible to get far enough away that you can live cleanly.

EMMA said...

148 recipes, with dandelions!!!! look forward to seeing some of them! Do I see ice-cream on the cover?

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Emma, I'll be sure to try some and share.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, the best way to get non-bitter greens, is to pick them before the flower blooms (from what I'm told anyway). Maybe in the spring I can pick from my homestead. Just before the farmer's spray and before I let the hens out. Sometimes they grow right in the flower beds too.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, we too wonder how many acres we'd have to buy to completely get away from that poison spraying.

RB said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, I am so sorry, I had not had my cup of coffee yet this morning, and I hit the wrong button and accidentally removed your comment (Yikes!) Can you write it again? Ugh...gonna go drink some coffee to wake up, ha ha!

Sam I Am...... said...

Yes, we're supposed to have a mild winter because of El Nina or El Nino...I get them confused. We in the South though may get ice storms more than usual which I really don't like. But so glad you're having such nice weather. I too am up early and to bed early but that's the way I like it. Good score on the dandelion greens!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sam I am, thanks for that weather info. I had been wondering too.

RB said...

It's ok.
No worries.
Have done it a time or two myself.
God bless.
RB
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