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~

Friday, April 14, 2017

Gettin' outside ~ Garden provides

In between garden work, I am slowly bringing the front porch to life again.  

Meals have resumed on the porch most days.  This particular day was a tad chilly, but I got out there anyway.


Wind chimes are all out, and I can hear them when it's warm enough to open windows now.

The bounty of last year's garden still provides.  I am thrilled to have most of it last this long (with a large, but now shrinking family to feed).  Mustard pepper sauce and dandelion greens, garden beets....

..a few more jars left of tomato paste, garden garlic, and because the green bean harvest was huge, I dumped a bag into crock pot beef stew.

 ....garden swiss chard and green onions went into this ricotta fritatta.  It was delicious even without adding parmesan cheese.

Our first baby blue egg.  You can't tell in this photo, but the one on the left is more green.  The one on the very right had blue tones.  My kind of Easter eggs.

 Harvested our first asparagus for this year.  So tickled to see things growing again.

I also harvested more stinging nettle.  Do not cut nettle with only one glove on.  I repeat, do not.  I thought it would be easier to work the scissors without a huge glove on, but I instinctively used my right hand (at some point, other than to cut the nettle) and got stung.  No worries.  I slathered on some chickweed salve and had instant relief.
 

Now that garden work has resumed, I hope the scale will drop down again.  I lost so much weight when I was sick, but slowly put it back on. I've been able to keep it steady since then, but I would like to drop down another 15-20 pounds.  I am working on toning too, so the garden work should help.  I hope to be changing the numbers on my "getting healthy" sidebar post.  It won't be quick, but it will be worth it.  My future self will thank me.

8 comments:

Rain said...

Hi Kristina :) Your porch looks so cozy! It looks like summer in the photos. Your food always looks so healthy and delicious too. You know, I was about 100 pounds heavier in my 30's. Weight gain from meds and I did nothing about it for a long time because the idea was too big for my brain to process...losing 100 pounds. I also have a metabolic disorder, which added to the "fun"! But you're right, the future self will thank you! It took me three years and a lot of work to lose 97 pounds. I've since gained back about 20, but I"m okay with where I am right now. It does take time, that's for sure. Slow and steady though! :) Just wanted to send a note of encouragement! :)

Susan said...

Your porch looks so peaceful and inviting! Fresh food! I'm waiting for my nettles to come up - I look at the patch every morning, willing it to GROW!

Mama Pea said...

Asparagus already? Oh, yum! Can hardly wait for ours to start showing through the soil. I think we've probably got another month though. :o(

Your porch always look so comfy and inviting. We have only a deck but I keep thinking how nice an enclosed porch would be. My grandma and grandpa had one across the front of the house that was screened in and I have many happy memories of spending time on it in the porch swing.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, I lost 38 pounds last year, so it will take me a bit more work to start losing again, but I am sort of happy with my current weight. I just want to tone up and be even more healthy than I was last year.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, we may have rain this weekend, so I may get a third picking of nettle. Thanks for the compliments on my porch too.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, I couldn't believe the asparagus was up too. Although the rain may have something to do with it's early arrival. Thanks for all the compliments on the porch. We've talked about closing it in, but haven't. My one set of grandparents had a porch all along the back of their house, enclosed. We spent many hours out there, and loved to be out there when it rained.

RB said...

It all looks so wonderful, and it's so exciting seeing new growth pop up through the ground. I'm more of a 70 degrees girl, but I have to admit, I love the vegetables higher temperatures bring.
Prayers everyone's having a great Easter weekend, and a safe one too.
God bless.
RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thank you RB, I must go check the asparagus again today.