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~

Showing posts with label Front Porch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Front Porch. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Beautiful Weather ~ Breakfast Prep ~ New Salad Recipe Tried




I love these crisp, cool mornings.  I plan to enjoy my morning coffee with the sunrise before starting my day.  The snow will be here before we know it.  We worked on "Chicken Castle" last night, and I slept fantastically.




I'm trying to get as much porch time in as I can, as the weather is absolutely beautiful these past few days.


Yesterday, I got the blueberry Einkorn pancakes made, but I will not be buying the breakfast roll sausage anymore.  I had some in the freezer.  Anyway, the ingredients include "sugar" in the sausage.  I cannot find any sugar free breakfast sausage anywhere here, so I bought more pork to make my own again.  Anyway, I prepped breakfast for my husband.

I slept so good last night, and was not totally awake this morning.  I packed my husband's lunch and coffee, and completely forgot the breakfast!  Urgh.  We are both getting a laugh out of that.



 


Our pear trees do not have pears this year, so I had to buy a pear for this salad, but the apple came from our trees.  It is a new salad, and looked interesting.  It contains 1/4 cup honey, but that is for the entire salad.

The taste test?  Absolutely delicious.  Potluck worthy.  I typically do not add the links to my posts, but here is the recipe if you are interested.

https://juliasalbum.com/broccoli-cashew-apple-and-pear-salad/

I used the Greek yogurt option, roasted raw cashews myself (to avoid bad oils), and used juice from a lemon (not bottled juice).  I do suggest the pear be on the firm side, vs. a soft ripe pear.  We really liked it.  If you are avoiding sugar, this does contain the pear and apple and 1/4 cup honey.   I would not make this every week, but we will be enjoying this during apple season.  So good!  We will just balance it with a low-carb dinner.  

We tried rutabaga roasted with carrots and non-gmo/low fat chicken sausage.  Delicious.  I didn't realize it, but carrots are a high-carb vegetable.  I have to remember that when I pair this dinner with a salad.  I may add another vegetable next time, but so good.

Has anyone frozen rutabaga?  If so, what is it good for, after it's been frozen.  Just soups/stews?  What is the texture?   I am wondering if I could use it in place of potatoes in a breakfast dish?  What's the best way to freeze it?  Diced or mashed?  Or both?







Sunday, March 21, 2021

Chickens ~ Mailbox is up ~ Hobby Lobby Stops Offer ~ Porch Sign

Sadly, my oldest Araucana has passed away.  I think she was about 6-8 years old (more so leaning towards 8 maybe). I also had to be careful letting the others out.  There was either a hawk or eagle in the area, looking for a meal.  



We went to one of the bigger cities to pick up chicken feed, and I found this!  USA product.  Did you know most meal worms are a product of China?  My chickens love the chicken crack.

I made a quick stop at Hobby Lobby, but did you know they did away with their 40% coupon?  I asked about it and was told they have to stop offering it until business picks up again.  However, she said when items are on sale now, they are 50% vs. the regular 40%.  Anyway, I'll go back when the item I need to restock is on "sale" in order to get a better price.  The whole idea to get more business by taking away a coupon (good on one item) makes no sense to me.

The weather was finally good enough to install our new mailbox.  The wind had died down and the sun was out.  Still on the chilly side, but sunny.

We also put up my new porch sign I found last year.

We ended up playing cards on the porch until dinner time.  Porch time was so worth it, as the weather was pretty nice.



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.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Random Tidbits ~ Project Complete



It was a high of 74°F here yesterday.  The wind kicked up, but boy it was the strangest and oddest weather for us.  Although I don't think it broke any weather records.  I honestly don't remember it ever being this warm in February. 



Woke up to find this fella laying near the driveway.  It's not an odd thing.  Every year we find one there for some reason.  Usually after a rain storm too.  He is far from the river that runs behind us, but he may be on his way there from the ditch too.  We left him alone, but King wanted to eat him.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

From Pile to File ~ Random Tidbits

I really liked this new recipe we tried recently - Pasta with Spinach and Ricotta.


You boil 8 oz. of rotini pasta and drain.  They suggested the tri-color veggie noodles, but I can only find organic regular noodles.

While the noodles are boiling, drain and squeeze a frozen and thawed box of  chopped spinach (or use equivalent of homegrown).  Place in a 12 inch skillet, add 1 minced clove and heat 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup water and 1 1/2 Tbsp (I didn't measure) of Parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper.  When heated, add drained rotini and serve.  

I doubled it for our family, and had to buy the spinach, but I can typically find organic ricotta at our one grocer.  It was very good.  I had practically no leftovers.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Early Spring? Coffee Cup Cup Coaster

The weather has turned a gorgeous warm spring week.  I know rain is on the way though.

I stole a few minutes of morning porch time after washing three days of dirty dishes.  Yeah, you heard me right.  With the kids working, one in school, and one sick, it was not on the urgent list.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Porch Time ~ Work Time

Porch time was a bit cooler yesterday, but I had it no less. I honestly wanted one last moment out there before we put furniture away for winter (which is today).   I had most of my chores done, but decided to sneak it in early.  Just in case.

I wasn't sure what dinner time would bring, and I did not want to miss out on "5 minutes for me."

It was another good day to

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Menu ~ New Recipes ~ Tidbits

The rain has a way of slowing me down a bit, and relaxing even more. Yesterday was a good day for party planning, shopping, and best of all, baking.  


Oh, and some healthy tea drinking.  I brewed a tea for eye-sight health.  I just love this tea infuser!


While weeding the other day, I dug potatoes from another row and got some goodies. Mmmm!  My green onion is looking great now too.

I actually sat down and wrote out my menu for this week, and I'm trying three new recipes.  I'll be letting you know the family rates the new ones.  For the salmon burgers, I substituted organic oatmeal for the breadcrumbs and eliminated the bun. 

Menu:

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Flood Warnings ~ Porch Time

We had pretty good day in the garden, and I am kind of glad we did not get the weeds out between the smaller pepper plans, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, nor the carrots.  

It's raining again, but today's forecast is 100% rain, heavy rain, windy, flood warnings, and flash flood warnings.  We are to get 1-5 inches of water.  Maybe the weeds will help protect the plants from the wind today?

I also successfully weeded half of the herb garden.  The green onions look terrible this time of year, but I do see little sprouts forming already.  




I picked more berries, cut some oregano, and had a daughter shell peas for me, and clean off the dried thyme.  Overall, it was a pretty good day, all things weather-wise, considered.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Birthday Flowers ~ Red Ladybugs





We woke up to fog this morning, and a two hour school delay.  As you can see, it was pretty foggy.  Yesterday the weather was wacky.  One minute we'd have jackets on, and then next our jackets were off were off.  The cool air kept returning every now and then, and then stayed for the evening.  The wind made it too uncomfortable to enjoy the porch, but Hubby got his birthday flowers he wanted.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Beautification. . .


Hubby made breakfast for the two of us yesterday, and we took it to the front porch.  It was therapeutic to sip hot coffee, and eat breakfast outside early in the morning.


We did barn chores together, including rounding up two goats on the loose.  Hubby had to stop and fix the gate, so they can't escape again.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

April Already?!

Heavy winter coats are finally going into storage.
 
Yesterday was absolutely wonderful outside. I filled my clothesline. 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Sunday Coffee Hour: Porch Prep, Crocheted Seat Cushions, Spring Flowers, Tidbits

As I sit here with a late start today, two baby goats are romping around the kitchen, trying to jump into my lap, and sucking on my bathrobe.  Nothing like starting your day with hot coffee and baby goat slobber.



We had a load of wood to pick up, with more to pick up later.  We have not slowed down too much this spring.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Wonderful Weekend


The weekend was very peaceful, the sun appeared, and the temperature was wonderfully warmer.


Hubby needed a long nap when he arrived home Saturday, so I took that time to work on my hand towel.  We put off noisy house cleaning (banging dishes, vacuuming, etc.) until  next week.  We just wanted a slower weekend for once.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Weeding




Spent Sunday weeding rose bushes.  Good thing I waited to do it last.  I was going to pull an entire rose bush, that I had thought died over winter.  After weeding and cutting it back, I found one tiny new sprout of growth.  Oh happy day!  It's my most fragrant rose bush I have so far.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

New Sign ~ Chickens, Herbs and Rodents



Hubby bought a new sign for the front porch.  I thought you could use a short post to read today, since a wrote such a long one yesterday.  Ha ha!  


After weeding the herb garden (or rather part of it), I tossed some lemon balm  I thinned out, into the chicken's nesting boxes.  I read that some herbs are great pest controls in the coop (Backyard Poultry Magazine, 2011, June/July issue).  

By the way, the author of that article, Susan Burek (Herbalist), also has an article you can read online. It's for making a natural  citrus disinfectant.  And it's for the chicken coop of course.  I found her article very interesting, because we do have a natural branch ladder in the coop, and I never thought once about the cracks and the possibility for mites to live and breed.  We don't have an infestation, but this is a nice preventative.  And it's natural.  

I have also found that my chickens don't eat my herbs.  They would rather have grass and bugs.  So for now, it will just make their nesting box smell good, and keep the rodents out.

If you don't like to see dead animals, don't click on the "read more" today.  

Friday, May 23, 2014

The Front Porch ~ Our Simple Pleasure

Last night was quiet around here.  We thanked God for that.  Things are in action, and people are working on our situation as well as us.  The Deputy Sheriff called us last night while we were at a school choir concert, and of course I went into panic mode, thinking something happened at the homestead.  However, it was good news.  He caught located the 4-wheeler guy who ran off and charged him with a few violations.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

More From the Porch

I have had this wicker wreath for over 5 years now.  Each year I decorate it with something new.  This year, I got clearance priced silk flowers.


Hubby got into a "Get'R Done" mode, and put up our new porch sign.


Slowly, but surely, it's looking pretty nice on the porch.  Down in the lower right corner of the photo, you can see part of my tractor plant holder.  I forgot out it, and found it in the barn.  It needs a good washing, and a plant for it.








A new pot of flowers I added
 


Monday, May 13, 2013

From My Porch to Your Porch

I thought I would share the beauty that surrounds my front porch early in the spring.