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, November 3, 2017

November Writing Month ~ Pear Butter with Sherry


NaNoWriMo 2017 Participant Flair

November 1st sparked the start of National Novel Writing Month, and I am back to it this year.  Last year I didn't get to participate, but this year I am fired up. 

Of course it helps to know that I need to submit a contest short story piece, but that will only entail 8,000 words.  NaNoWriMo requires 50,000 words in 30 days.

Baking continues . . . 




English muffins for some breakfast sandwiches.  A sausage/potato/kale frittata as well.

All of my regular chores are still in action too, so I'm hoping to keep a balance somehow.   And of course our Staywell health insurance program has a bonus day on Nov.1st to obtain 15,000 steps (to earn 50 points).  So exercise was not left out either.

Garden work continues, although cold.  I'm yanking green bean plants, weeds, and a few last tomato plants/stakes.  If there is a will, there is a way. . . and I call it quits when I can't feel my fingers any more.  The days are getting colder. 

Although rain arrived again, so that put a delay on it (again).  But the rain brought us a 64°F day too (smiling).  The wind was wicked, so I hope it dried up the garden.  It was pretty wet out there yesterday.  It's very dark out still, so I can't see yet if what I heard at midnight was rain or not.

Speaking of green beans.  I left some pods on the table before taking Youngest Daughter to the doctor the other day.  Even though the older daughter was here, the dogs got into those beans.  I found chewed up seeds at the doorway.  I picked them up and reached my hand out to see who was the culprit.  Zuri licked my hand, and King went around the table and hid behind Zuri.  Hm.  I pretty sure King swiped my seeds.  

When we picked the pears, I placed a few into a brown paper bag to speed up the ripening time.  Pears ripen after they are picked, so every one we picked directly from the tree was rock hard.  Those from the ground were halfway ripe.
  

Pear butter was made.  Although I love the pear butter with star anise, I made a new recipe this time. Because I have sherry to use up.

The chickens loved their sweet treat of peelings too.



3 lbs. pears, peeled, diced
1 cup dry sherry
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Place all ingredients, but the cinnamon, in large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat 1 hour or until liquid evaporates.  Find something to do near the kitchen - deep clean a drawer, wash a window, as for me?  I wrote. I put towels on the line, I made herbal tea for my sick daughter, and made myself lunch.


Process in a food processor until smooth.  Stir in cinnamon.  Don't forget the cinnamon.  I did, ha ha!  Darn multi-tasking failure!  I had to stir it in after I had the jars filled.


I'm not sure if you can freeze this.  Does anyone know?  I know you can make it with pectin and freeze it. Hm.  I put mine in the fridge to enjoy right now.

I love my homemade calendula cream.  It's a nice spreadable lotion that soaks in after a minute or so. Probably the best combination of ingredients I've tried for a lotion.  I'm using it on my varicose veins too, as winter is arriving and my legs are getting dry skin. The site has a ton of adds, but if you want the recipe it is online with Natural Living Ideas.  It's basically made with calendula infused oil, beeswax, water, and essential oil.  I purchased a hand blender just for making these lotions too.  I have labeled the box it's stored in, so no one uses it with a food recipe.  I have another one I have stored that I use only for soap making too (with lye).  Just some info.

I love the make up remover wipes I made.  They work great, but you have to use a cleanser afterwards, or a bar of goat's milk soap (thankful to still have some). 

I have to buy more vitamin E oil now, as my bottle is down to the bottom.  Does anyone have a resource to purchase it (a good quality of oil)?  This last bottle came from Mountain Rose Herbs, and was rather expensive.

Have a good weekend.


8 comments:

Rain said...

Hi Kristina :) The frittata looks yummy! And the pear butter, what a nice idea. I don't know if it can be frozen...but I'm sure it doesn't last long enough! I'm going to check out the National November Writing Month site!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, I think I can freeze it. From what I have just read today. Yay!

Rain said...

Very good to know! I make apple butter, but usually small quantities to it doesn't spoil. If I can freeze it, that's wonderful.

Btw, you are great for taking on that writing challenge. I don't think I could find the time or the commitment! Writing is something I used to do a lot, before the 8 pets and the relationship. I can't seem to find much time for it now, but maybe I can plan to start that next year. Thanks for posting about it, I never knew it existed! :)

Leigh said...

Every year I think about participating in NaNoWriMo but never do. I always have some non-fiction project going on, like now, with a looming deadline. I do have a fiction work started and love being able to write creatively rather than having to stop every so many sentences or paragraphs for research, but I'm not sure fiction is my forte. :)

Even so, you've been wonderfully busy! The frittata looks really good and I love the idea of pear butter. Maybe next year, if our pear trees cooperate!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, I joined a local writer's group many many moons ago. I used to have articles published in a local magazine up to last winter. They went out of business. It's very difficult to squeeze writing into my day with two kids here, my garden, the hens, the dogs, the cats, the barn cats, the house, my chores....I almost talked myself out of it, ha ha!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Leigh, you can writing any book for November fiction or non-fiction. Join the fun! Writing a non-fiction would be so stinkin' easy for me. It's the fiction that makes me have writer's block, ha ha!

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

I just finished reading a book I got on my Kindle app and she has published like 6 or 7 through Amazon 'self-publishing'? Her name is Mrs Kate Singh...the book I read was Every Penny and I will do a book review Monday and include info there plus Leigh from my side bar...5 acres has published quite a few books so you might ask her. With all the reading and educating you've done of yourself for self-sufficiency for you and your family....you could certainly write a book, an e-book or have your own You Tube channel! The topics you discuss and are knowledgeable about are very popular right now!
The pear butter sounds yummy!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sam I Am, thanks.