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, January 7, 2017

Homesteading Happenings

Yesterday's breakfast:  collards wilted down with a tiny clove of garlic (I'm still out of onions), with added leftover sausage, our eggs, and some chives I froze.  Oh, the toast is organic bread topped with home canned caramel apple jam.  The last jar of the jam, which I will probably not can again, unless I am really bored.  It's more time consuming than apple or apple butter.  It's delicious, but.....


We have a wind chill advisory until 10am today - below zero.  I woke to find the wood stove cold.  Not cool.  Kids are to load that up before they retire at midnight (most of them stay up that late).  Last night?  No one loaded it.  My fault for not checking.  I'm sure the barn door will be froze shut (again).  Just another daily chore before thawing the chicken water and the goat water today, ha ha!

If you are wondering, my nail polish has been removed.  Scrubbing vegetables kind of nixed that, but today, I may be putting some back on (one last time).  I'm enjoying being back to cooking/baking and feeling back to myself (almost).

I roasted a spaghetti squash.  I'm not sure what I'm making just yet, but have a few ideas.

I'm down to the last 9-10 rows of the baby blanket, then it's edging and it's done.  If I have time, and can find a quick pattern (if you have one, please share if it's safe to download or copy)for a new born beanie, I'll make one too.  I would like to toss one into the box before shipping, as an added surprise.  I love fun mail, so I do like to share it when I can.

I have books in at the library, but no vehicle to go get them.  Vet-Tech daughter's car pooped out, and needs worked on today.  She has been driving my car all week long.  The truck is still full of split wood, so we'll be emptying that out and restocking the supply today.  If the truck is available, I just may get my books today.  Yay!

Before I got sick, my supply of cornmeal was low, and the company we buy from was out of stock.  I typically buy a bunch while we are down in Amish country, as they have a health store that is pretty large and contains many supplies I use.  Road trip?  Possibly, but not this month.  The health store, and online stores, are the only place to buy organic/non-gmo cornmeal, and other good supplies.  I'm getting low on our good meat too.  I better take notes on how much to stock up next winter.

Hubby is making breakfast, before he leaves to work on the car.  Yum!  Have a wonderful, prosperous and fun Saturday!

 

 

 

10 comments:

Mama Pea said...

It's amazing you're able to keep any stock of food on hand with the brood that you cook for and feed all the time! You didn't harvest enough onions from your garden this last season to last through the winter? That's a bummer. If you use as many onions as I do for just the two of us (most of the time), I guess it's no wonder you ran out already. They're kind of a staple around here! On the other hand, I use very little corn meal. Neither one of us is crazy about cornbread or corn meal muffins. If you ever get the chance though, if you have a grinder and can get organically grown, non-GMO whole corn, grind and use that. The flavor is so much better than purchased corn meal.

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

So glad you are feeling better! I hope you warm up a bit today....it is only 5 F here this morning and there was snow and ice in LA, AL, KY, and GA....it went SOuth of us even...way South! The midwest was clear...crazy! Your meal looked great and I hope you get your supplies and books today. Stay warm!

Michelle said...

Have you tried you tube? I found a really easy slipper pattern on it.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, we did not get enough onions from last year. I had to buy some the other day sadly. I do have a grinder on our wish list. Some day I will be buying it.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sam I Am, thank you!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Michelle, as soon as I finish the blanket, I will take a look there. Thanks.

Sue O said...

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory.php

A great source of free patterns! Just don't get lost! I could spend hours at knittingpatterncentral.com

So happy to see you are finally feeling better. As someone who often has to refuse medication (cure worse than the illness) due to reactions, I must say what happened to you is frightening!

Sue

RB said...

That eggs and jelly toast sure looks good. I have a bit of ham leftover, maybe that's what I'll do for supper.
I'm trying to think, don't you have some onions dehydrated? If so, you can re-hydrate those.
Here in SOUTH central NC, we have about 2-3" of snow over a layer of ice, and it's suppose to get down to maybe -2 tonight. Neither of us went to work this weekend. Just couldn't get there, so we'll be tightening our belt the rest of the month to meet finances. Still, we were raised up in NW PA and were taught, "If you can't walk on it, you can't drive on it either" and we don't.
Prayers everyone has plenty of heat and food to get through this, especially the elderly and disabled, and of course, stray beasties too.
God bless.
RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sue O., thank you for that info. Yes, it was a frightening experience, and I really felt they were holding me captive (and medicated with more side effects) just for the money they made. I found out a doctor who orders a CT scan, gets extra pay. That was twice they ordered me one, and both times with dye. I am taking tea tree oil baths to detox my body and skin from any remaining poison.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, I don't have any dehydrated onions, but I do have snipped green onions and chives in my freezer. For some reason, our onions didn't do so well this past season.