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 Homemade Gift Idea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homemade Gift Idea. Show all posts

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Deer ~ Gifting a Friend ~ Extremely Dry Week

I watched a group of 3 deer cross the road yesterday morning, but they turned back and went back across to the river that runs behind us. Later another group of two crossed.

Early morning (which brought us home at noon) one daughter and I took Momma cat and her 2 kittens on a road trip.  We found a Humane Society open that would take them.  I gave them a bag of cat food and wrote out a check.  I'm so glad they took them, as our temps will reach up to 96°F this weekend.  It does anger me that I have to pay to have them get a new home, when they were not our cats and 99% sure dumped here.  I believe in karma for people like that.  Kitty's will have a nice place to stay now until they are adopted.


I have a friend who is the wife to a co-worker of my husband, who is so stressed over the possibility of another lockdown (and the recent loss of their long time dog).  I decided to make up a basket of goodies to lift her spirits - 4 pack of KY Bourbon Barrel Beer (they didn't have her favorite), bath salts, kitchen trivet, organic jerky, fireball, candy, a cosmetic bag that says  "This Girl Can," a notebook that says, "You Got This," heart shaped sticky notes, a fridge magnet that says "Lettuce be Calm," (for her kitchen) and other happy stuff.

It's hot here folks.  We need rain every so badly.  I am running the water pump all morning and sometimes at night.  Flower pots have to be watered twice a day or they will die.  It's getting frustrating, and our well isn't filling up right now.  I have one rain barrel of water.

I hope you all have a great weekend. 


Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Rhubarb Vodka

Rhubarb is in season now.  Guess what concoction I made?  Well, the title of this blog sort of gave it away, ha ha!  I created rhubarb vodka.

You can find the recipe online just about anywhere.  I used the recipe from BBC recipes online, adapted with homegrown and organic ingredients.  


Rhubarb Vodka
·         1¾ pints (3 1/2 cups) organic vodka
·         2 stalks of homegrown rhubarb
          3 Tbsp sugar
·         Lemon zest from half of one organic lemon or homegrown
·         3 organic whole cloves
·         1 organic cinnamon stick
·         


(right after adding the sugar - shake it up when you sprinkle it on the rhubarb)

1. I used my food processor to chop up the rhubarb, then placed it in a canning jar with sugar, screwed on a lid left it sit overnight.  I also put it in the refrigerator.  Note:  smaller pieces will macerate faster than larger pieces.




2. I then added the cloves, cinnamon and zest and poured in the vodka.


3 Leave the jar in a cool dark place for 3 weeks, and shake daily.


Strain using a cheesecloth.
Bottle and wait 3 months before drinking.
Shake daily.


What can you make with it?  Well, you can make Rhubarb Mimosa.  

You can also make a rhubarb martini, rhubarb fizz cocktail, rhubarb cosmopolitan, rhubarb vodka sour, and many other mixed drinks with it.  I wanted to give this a try to see if it's gift worthy or not.  Or just plain good.

Note:  Ingredients will not fit in a quart jar.  I used a larger one, but could have tripled it in it too.  We will do a taste test first, and then decide if it's gift worthy.

Note:  Each time I bake/cook with lemons, I take off the zest and put it in the freezer for cooking/baking and now boozy recipes.

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Storms, Flowers, the Un-planted Veggie Garden and a Crochet Emergency Kit

Thursday we had another gorgeous start to the day - sunshine and up to the 70's again.  I weeded the front flower beds. Indoor cleaning always suffers, but I had to take advantage of a good day outdoors.  It needed done badly. I still can't get into the veggie garden.

Evening however, brought on major thunderstorms, wind and possible hail.  I was pretty thankful I had not planted the tomato plants or anything for that matter.




(wasn't cheap and I still need more, and will add color with zinnia seeds and glady bulbs)

This is one small section that edges sidewalk off front porch.  It's a small start.  Needs a few more touches, my rooster planter and then mulch for all the beds.  We lost a few mums over winter, so come fall I'll add a few if I can.  We also lost the granny apple tree, the plum tree died and our large peach tree looks terrible.  The two red apple trees are looking good so far.  Elderberry trees look terrible, but growing.  Darn deer.  I have to put stakes around them this year.  We also lost a blackberry bush, and possibly a red raspberry bush too.

Funny story about that photo.  Hubby finally weed whipped.  He was trying to add more string to the gadget to finish, and we were sitting on the porch.  I told him to just let it go and do it another day.  His response, "If I listened to you I'd never get anything done."  To which I responded, "oh, so that's why the shovel is still sitting in the half dug septic tank?"  Touche.




Friday we had clouds all day, with a high in the upper 60's.  It rained.  Hmpf!  Again. It thunderstormed last night.  Again. More rain is in the forecast for the weekend.  I did some more porch cuteness.  

The wasps and bees are so bad this year.  I can't work in the flower beds after about 10am.  While I ran to the store Friday, wasps literally built a nest in my side door way.  We had to enter the front, go back out and spray it, then wait and knock it down.  Hmpf.




Have you seen this idea on the internet lately?  I made myself one for the truck.  I plan on making two more.  One for the car and one for the camper too.  Ha ha!  I give credit to Blackstone Designs website - notebook (3 for $1 at our Dollar General store), pen, pencil, crochet hook, large eye needle, measuring tape and scissors.  These would make nice gifts for friends and family who you know that crochet.  I also found out that it's much safer to crochet in a moving vehicle than knit.  I don't have a label machine, I just edited the photo with text, but would be cute to add that to it for gift (cricut maybe?).  This one went straight into "Red Lightning" (aka the truck).

I often forget to pack stuff when I bring car projects along on trips.  Speaking of memory issues.  I had to look at my lists to figure out why I ordered jojoba oil.  Sigh....I really did.  

Now, if I can put peace inside my chaotic home, it'll all balance out nicely.  I'm sure the rain will help me out with that.

Friday, April 26, 2019

Wild Violet Jelly

The process of this spring jelly is so intriguing.  It starts out the color of this (above).

Wild Violet Jelly
2 cups freshly picked wild violets
2 cups of water, boiled

Place violets in a quart canning jar and pour boiling water over it.  Seal with the canning lid, allow to cool, and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2
Strain the violets from the liquid and add juice of one lemon or 3 Tbsp. of organic/non-gmo lemon juice.  Pour liquid into a steel pan and add 1 pkg. powdered pectin and bring to a boil.

Add:  4 cups of sugar, bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.

Power into sterilized jars, wipe rims, add lids and rims and place in canner pot to boil for 15 minutes.  (1/2 inch head space) Cool for 24 hours.

Yield:  approx. 4 - 1/2 pint jars or 8 4oz. jars.
(3rd time I made this, I squeezed the liquid from the violets, getting 1 more 1/2 pint jar of jelly.

Note:  I break this up into 2 days, since it takes a bit of time to pick all those violets.  You can just let the violets sit for a few hours, but I feel you get a better flavor and color if it sits over night (or up to 24 hours).

It ends up this color, and the house smells amazing.  I doubt I'll get enough violets to can this again, but I do have a good supply of jellies and jams.



Wild Violet Jelly makes a wonderful gift, so if you are already stock piled with jelly, gift it.  It's very pretty and tastes great!

I'm so thankful I picked them when I did.  Rain is coming, and possible snow this weekend.  Yes, I said snow.