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, July 25, 2017

Kitchen is in full swing ~ Handiwork

Zucchini has over-flow-eth-ed.  I know that is now a word, but it's the truth.  



The freezer is well stocked - 4 more pint bags of sliced and 8 cups of shredded into the freezer.
 


I found blueberries.  Not as many, but we found some.  The joke was on us.  We drove all the way up to MI, and found out the produce joint we were told about (and people raved about), had blueberries from Canada.  Sigh.  We drove back to one of our "box" stores and found them not only organic, but MI blueberries.    Those are stocked back up in the freezer - 32 cups.  Like I said, not many, but more than zero.  Our biggest year was putting up 80 cups I think.



Jalapenos peppers made their way to the freezer.  I am hoping for more for canning next week.


Two more quart bags of green beans were frozen.  


 2 cups of diced green peppers went into the freezer.




 More Russian kale went into the freezer too. 

 A half batch of apple/raisin steel cut oats went into the crock pot.  I get nervous when I shrink a recipe in half. I'm sort of enjoying seeing our food last longer though.

 ....all done by noon yesterday.  It's amazing how much one can get done with 10 hours of sleep.  Somehow things just flowed, including getting towels and rugs out on the line. The weather cooled down too.

Of course I had to enlist the help of a daughter for other jobs while I was doing my kitchen madness.  One went to a sleepover.

So what did I accomplish after the noon hour?  

I chased chickens.  Somehow they are getting out of the run fence, and I haven't had time to figure it out.  I even tossed in treats to see if they would find their way back in.  Ha.  They couldn't.


I baked a loaf of homemade bread.  We needed it, and the rest of the vegetables could wait another day.  Dinner needed prepped too.


Some green beans were part of dinner - potatoes, green beans and bacon. 


Buttermilk cornbread was baked, which cooled in my bedroom because I have dogs, and I was running out of high places.


 Cabbage was fried with onions in bacon grease. Hubby gets this about once a year too.  I typically make very healthy cabbage dishes.  He was very specific with giving me instructions, "I want it caramelized, with brown bits."  He grew up on fried cabbage, I don't recall eating cabbage other than boiled with potatoes and added cooked sausage. I didn't even eat sauerkraut or slaw until I grew my own garden.

In all of that madness, I put some crocheted soap saver bags up for sale.  A few farmgirl gals mentioned wanting some for Christmas presents.  I'll be back sometime (not very soon either) with a full handiwork update.  I still have more zucchini to put up, and some chard.  Eggs are low, so no frittatas right now.

I put a comfrey poultice on last night.  I will also use my comfrey salve all day today, and refrain from any heavy work or moving my arm up and down.  A doctor is out of the question for a few days.  Daughter has my car, and will have it all day today again, so unless I magically know how to operate a Harley, I'll have to manage the pain and pray it's not a torn anything. Today is a day I wish my arnica was in my salve too.  Today it hurts to lift my coffee cup with that arm. Looks like I have the day off today.

This is not good.  We don't need more medical bills either.




7 comments:

Susan said...

I see you only have one speed - fast forward... It's frustrating to have an injury in the middle of harvest time. If you have torn your rotator cuff, it's better to give it a rest than to rush it towards necessary surgery. The surgery isn't bad, but the recovery takes forever. Trust me on that. Time to get those girls in fast forward, too.. :)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, I am refraining from all lifting over the head, heavy lifting and so forth. The girls will be helping pick from the garden and carry it in, lift the canning pot etc. I am trying very hard to avoid the doctor's office.

Rain said...

Oh Kristina, I hope you heal soon. I hate having injuries. You know it's been 6 weeks now and my silly thumb sprain is still bugging me. The pain reminds me once in a while that I'm not healed just yet. Your freezer goodies look great! You have a lot of harvest! Too bad you couldn't get our blueberries, they really are nice and in season right now.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, thanks. I hope I heal soon, or it's off to the doctor. Especially this time of year.

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

Do you have to blanch the zucchini before you freeze it?

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

I didn't read your whole post...sorry! Did you try the bread recipe I posted? The cornbread looks yummy and I too love fried cabbage with bacon...thanks for the reminder. I also have some kielbasa sausage that would be good with cabbage. I just figured out my next meal...thanks! Also, I need to make the crockpot oatmeal as I have steel cut oats and that would be easier. Love all your 'stocking up' for winter!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sam I Am, yes, I blanch the sliced zucchini (not the shredded) for about 2 minutes. I have read you can blanch for 1 minute, but it's up to you I think. I have made the bread. I will post a photo soon for you.