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, June 29, 2018

Heat Wave Returns ~ Random Tidbits

The heat wave has returned.  It'll be a hot one this weekend.


My broody hen is still in her roost.  She cackles at me every time I go out there.  Like she's telling me not to take her egg. She may be sitting on more than one.  I'll have to gently check.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Radish Hashbrowns

New for me to try - Radish Hash Browns.  Just brown the edges of some onion in butter, then add radishes.  Cook until soft on the inside. Cover if necessary, add salt and pepper, thyme and paprika.

The taste test results?

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Broody Hen

There is no way I'm catching up on the weeds too soon.  No way.  The peas will just have to learn to live with their neighborly weeds this year.  Or at least until I can get things tidy again.  And that may take the rest of the summer, so it may not happen.  It's very wet out there yet, and there are a lot of weeds.

I have a very broody hen this year.  First time ever. I've let her sit on her egg(s), but I need advice from you all.  What do I do when the egg (if it does) hatch?  Do I take the chick from her and bring it in with a heat lamp?  Or do I separate her and the chick and leave here out in the second coop?  Would love to get your input on this.  This is the first time for this to happen for us, and it would be neat to see nature in progress.

What 5:30am looks like from our place this morning.  Another beautiful day.  Here's hoping I get another section of garlic weeded.  Yesterday it took me three trips to clean up my giant weed piles just from one variety of garlic.


Monday, June 25, 2018

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weekend went by way too fast.  Yesterday flew past.  Hubby had to work, so I did more carpet shampooing, took a short motorcycle ride, and expected more rain.  Thankfully, we didn't get any rain.  Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Strawberry pancakes, coffee

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Weekend Update

The weekend rainfall put me into cleaning mode.  Friday it was only two carpets, two windows and a curtain, but it took 3-4 hours to finish.  You know how it goes when you clean.  I had to move all the boots and stand, and plastic piece under it, then wash it in the rain, then take the curtain down, then wash everything....had to vacuum twice before shampooing....seemed to take forever.  I cannot wait to get rid of the carpet some day.

Saturday I worked on my book pile again too.  Since it rained on Saturday, we took some and dispersed them to various donation locations.  Went to another grad party, picked up chicken feed, delivered Dad a meal, delivered our now 19 year-old a birthday cake and a few presents (laundry drying rack and some kitchen items she needed), dropped off youngest so she could join her siblings for a movie, and high-tailed it back home for porch time.

More book sorting awaits.

Today we are moving the bookshelf, all the front room furniture (re-organizing and finally making it livable), and once again vacuuming and shampooing resumed (small area, and last to shampoo).

Hubby got called into work early this morning, so the Sunday fun will be with Youngest.  And guess what?  We are to get more rain later.  By now I'm rolling my eyes.  




Friday, June 22, 2018

Random Tidbits

Our youngest daughter's medication was pretty strong, but did not break up the phlegm for her either.  The tea I mentioned earlier worked like a charm for her, and she admitted to feeling much better in 2 days of drinking it.  She actually came downstairs and asked me to make it again.

I took some plantain leaves and aloe, and made up some sunburn relief to have on hand.  We typically do not get burned, but sometimes it happens.  I wanted to give this a try and see how well it works.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

New Pie!

Although the weather cooled down, my downstairs was pretty humid and warm.  It was cooler to be on the porch, so after a good bathroom cleaning, freezing more strawberries, and baking a pie, I high-tailed it to the porch to crochet.  Even though I should have been weeding, but....


...rain arrived during the night and well, it's we again.  The battle of planting continued.  Not to mention the weeding.




New pie for me.  Believe or not.  We missed out on getting a stockage of strawberries the last two years.  Not this year.  I made my first baked fresh strawberry pie.  Hubby was in heaven on this one too.  It was sadly the last two pie crust crumbles I had in the freezer.  I guess I better dig out my recipe and get that on the to-do list now.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Hot!

It's been hot here. Yesterday we reached 95°F again, with a whopping high of 107°F heat index.

Nothing could be done outside, but I sure had a long list for inside too.  We don't have the large air conditioner put in downstairs, so it's been somewhat uncomfortable working indoors too.  I managed to pick some radishes and garlic scapes though.

Monday, June 18, 2018

Herbal/Weed Tea ~ Jam


My latest favorite infection fighting tea.  My antibiotics (blech) were not kicking the phlegm from the sinus infection, so I brewed up 1 tsp. dried homegrown thyme and added 1 tsp. dried mullein weed and honey.  I drank this 4 x day and poof!  Much better.  Cough nearly disappeared after about 3 mugs of it too.

Friday, June 15, 2018

Finding Dimes

My post today isn't about homestead news, tea making, weed harvesting, oil infusing or the like, but it is interesting.

Lately, I've been finding dimes in various places, and it has been random.   I found one walking into a gas station at the beginning of a motorcycle ride, to buy a water.  As I walked in I looked down and saw it, but saw a young boy about to walk out, so I left it for him.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Random Tidbits

Although I haven't been looking forward to it, Youngest and I did some house cleaning.  I spent until noon filing recipes, bills, sorting, vacuuming...dishes.

It was too wet to garden, too wet to till to plant...same ol' story.  Hubby worked over too, so I got a bit of crochet time in.  The ice pop holders are back under construction for my nephew.  

The deconstruction of the house is under way to reconstruct.  Books are coming off bookshelves, dusting underway, and possible moving of furniture, carpets shampooed. Purging, reorganizing and finally getting the house they way we want it. That's the plan anyway.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Planting Resumes ....shortly

The first thing I checked on a few days ago - stinging nettles.  It was wet, but I needed a low key day.  In reality, we pretty much did nothing, as rest was needed anyway.



My lemon balm curse has turned into a blessing.  I found more uses for it.  Lemon balm was cut and washed.  I filled the dehydrator as full as I could.  I have a plan.  

The Good Lord stopped the rain for a morning, so I was dreading tickled pink to go to work.  I got 36 sweet potatoes planted, 1 1/4 rows of wax beans planted.....but rain was expected so there's no telling when the remaining tilling can be done to plant the rest.  Patience is a virtue has been repeated often. 

I had to replant some cucumbers.  Oh my land, it is a muddy mess out there, and it may take many days to dry up. Rain arrived yesterday afternoon (long drawn out sigh...)

Monday, June 11, 2018

Recipes Morel and Nettle Bake ~ Random Tidbits

Although a bit late for morel mushrooms here, I'm sharing a recipe I found you all may like.  I hope to try it next spring.  I'd probably use ground organic oats with some Italian herbs, or grind up some homemade "croutons" for this recipe.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

More rain

The rain arrived as predicted.  So much rain this year.  I told Hubby, "don't be surprised if you come home one day and see the green pepper plants are planted in the flower beds."

We just can't get the tilling done to plant them.  Along with the last of the seeds.

I got out all the "bells and whistles" yesterday for my aiding my healing.  I rested all day yesterday while Hubby was at work.  It felt great too.  I'm drinking a triple powered tea, which is helping greatly - lemon balm, mullein and freshly grated ginger root.

This morning, my visitor was a baby squirrel.  I was sipping my hot coffee on the porch and this tiny brown movement went under my feet.  Of course it took me off guard, and right behind it was Aurora. She must have been looking for breakfast, but it ran right up a pine tree.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Random Tidbits

I've had a few morning visitors lately.  We've been watching them every morning and evening.  Almost every other day we see a group of them on the move, looking for food and water.


Morning visitors another day.  There was about a dozen of them, just hanging out at one of the barns.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Till Man

The rain finally gave us a break and a chance for my "Till Man" to till.  I got more planting done too.  The earliest seeds we planted in May are already producing.  My hot banana pepper plants have pretty good size peppers on them now.



Check it out!  We finally have apples on one of our apple trees.  Our cherry tree died last winter, so I'll replant one next spring.  The plum looks terrible, so I'll whip up some neem spray and give that a try.  It still has fungus.  No peaches this year.  I'll have to be prudent with pruning this fall.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Making Dirty Dishes

I don't know what I was thinking.  I had plans to clean a bathroom, muck the coop, do more decluttering. . . I managed to walk the box of borax to the bathroom though, and dug a few plastic storage drawers from the barn and washed them up. . .




. . . being lazy, I skipped my work out (the horror!) after all my him-hawing, and baked a sweet potato/black bean frittata with dandelion greens.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Random Blabbering

Good morning blog land.  It's raining again here.  Just as predicted.  

We were up at the crack of dawn (5:30am).  Watched the sun rise, and the rain come down.  I spent the entire day washing up baby clothes yesterday, and practically didn't get garden work done.  I also started cleaning out my bedroom closet, which has been a yearly start and quick end.  This year may be the year it finally gets the way I want it.

Monday, June 4, 2018

Happy Homemaker Monday


I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom today.  Hubby's vacation days are over now, so it's back to reality for the both of us.  Although we had lots of fun, we still did some garden and yard work.  The truck is now fixed, and we the new bumper and hitch is already planned, but first we need it for some work this week.  A biker friend we ride with is making the new bumper for us soon, and we already have the hitch (I see camping in the near future).

We have most of the 109 tomato plants planted.  We got our 53 jalapeno plants in, even though it was a swamp out there.  Just getting by one day at a time right now. More rain tomorrow.

School is out for our youngest, so we've spent some time with her over Hubby's vacation days.  Hubby and I have spent much time on the porch, making summer plans, adding to the "to-do" list, financial planning, possible future dog planning, and so forth.  The porch is now popping with color, and it's a happy place for us.

Saturday, June 2, 2018

This and That

Although it's rained here quite a lot, we've seen some very beautiful sunrises while sipping hot coffee on the porch.

We've also watched the deer near sunset. 

Friday, June 1, 2018

Whew!

I'm so glad Hubby took some vacation time for Bike week.  For those who don't know what "bike week" is, it's a week in the year where we bikers get together, have events, food, and good music (and specific ride events such as poker runs, wine tours, raffles, charity rides, etc.) 

Hubby was home to help me get the some of the garden in.  While sitting on the porch for the morning sunrise the other day, we heard a group of coyotes move through the woods behind us.  Scary sounds.  It's the first time to hear them since we had goats.