Brr! Spring yet?

 

We woke up to a windchill (feels like) 19°F this morning, and snow on the ground.  My poor green onions.  They were looking so grand, and now I'm concerned with any pear and apple blossoms (which I have yet to determine).  I'm hoping the fruit trees are behind, and will be bountiful this year.  I am sure the red raspberry and black berry bushes are okay, but now I'm concerned about my spring harvest of herbs.  Good gravy!

Both of us hunkered in last night, as the sun disappeared, and the gray skies appeared.  The cold has not moved out just yet.

Stay warm friends.  Looks like a perfect weekend for some popcorn, movies and handiwork.  Or some card playing and sipping hot tea.

Our town's Easter egg hunt started this morning at dawn for ages 6 and up.  They will be freezing cold, and no, there is no sun today.  As of this post anyway.   Gosh, I remember doing an Easter egg hunt in our backyard, and there was a lot of snow, when the kids were younger.  

I'm going to go brew a hot steamy pot of organic coffee, and start breakfast soon.  Enjoy your weekend, no matter what your weather is.  Hopefully, it's not as crazy as our weather.

Brr!  Spring yet?  © Mar 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Sunrise ~ Questions

Again, another beautiful sunrise that turned into a dull, cloudy, cold wintery day.  I did enjoy the sunrise though.

Desperate for some fresh air, and porch time, that is exactly what I did yesterday.  Of course it wasn't for long, but it was nice, even though the sky was cloudy.  Late afternoon, we started to get snow flurries.  Needless to say, the chickens were not happy.

We woke up to this stuff.  Not much, but enough to make you cringe, ha ha!  Poor Man's Fertilizer I keep telling myself.

 Has anyone cooked with Palmini Lasagna sheets?  I wondered if they are a good substitute for pasta or tortillas in any "lasagna" recipe.

Where is a good source to find whole psyllium husk?  Is it non-gmo?  I'm reading reviews on Amazon, and for the life of me, cannot find a good product (want to try a bread recipe that uses is).  

Has anyone tried a shaved Brussel sprouts salad?  I'm looking at one on Eating Well, but the reviews suggest there are better salad recipe using them.  

Sunrise ~ Questions  © Feb 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

This and That

 

Detoxing after the holidays, as well as mentally. 

Not what I expected to show up, but shoveling for the first time of the winter season was therapeutic.  Not just the physical activity, but getting outside for a while.

It's "shot gun" week here in our state for deer season.  So far, it's been pretty quiet.  It has also been very cold too.

The dreaded moment - hand pricing all of the jewelry I made.  It's done.  Those are just the crocheted bracelets, and the beaded crocheted bracelets.  I organized the keychains, and priced them too, along with earrings and necklaces.  Pricing stuff continues....

A funny for you all.  I just found out that that piece on the top is magnetic for a reason.  It's so you can remove it to clean the lid.  I have wanted to find out why the lid was magnetic for a long time.  Every time I washed it, things stuck to the lid.  My husband got this Yeti from work, and gave it to me a while ago.  Oh boy, so did you know about this?

Procrastination Station (aka computer)

The worst thing for me to do on a whack-a-doodle schedule, is to sit at the procrastination station (computer) too long.  I tend to browse crochet patterns, and have already printed one to crochet another item for the living room (a summer project that is much smaller).  My husband gets up late in the morning, due to his later work hours, so I'm totally thrown off with my own early morning routine.  Plus!!!  I'm not sleeping well with this schedule.

I also have about 98 draft posts I am going thru.  Most are getting deleted, but I try and read a few every day to work those out of my blog.

I got a visit with one daughter, and I totally forgot to pull meat from the freezer to go with yesterday's leftover veggies.  

I roasted a lot to save us time over the next few days, in hope to clear more out of the master bedroom.

Anyway, this is what happens when I browse patterns.....it's not like I can purge and pack up the bedroom if he's sleeping.

What do you think of this pattern?  The original pattern called for changing yarn color differently, but I am not a fan of sewing in a hundred or two hundred ends either.

Another reason why my own blanket is not done yet, ha ha!

Although, I blame my brain for this other blanket getting started.  I went upstairs to take yarn up, and to look for more black for my own blanket.  I came down with 4 colors not even related to my blanket, and well, my brain said to make it and put it up for sale eventually.....back to my blanket now....

I found more soft white, grey heather, and black, so I'm back to finishing it up.  It is almost done.  Oh speaking of this blanket, both my husband and one daughter agree that the sofa needs another blanket just like this.  Sigh.  Oh, I had to frog a few rows, because I left my crochet hook out and thought it was the correct size, and it was not. It was larger.  Another sigh.

Painting of course will not resume until the end of the month.  I'm have started to purge clothing so that is a start.  I already have piles to pass on to the girls, and piles to donate, but a lot more to clean/purge etc.  I have a lot more craft related items to deal with, and time is a tickin'!

I found another mini clipboard project (sigh) in our bedroom closet, but almost completely done.  I just had to glue the magnets onto the back.  These make great gifts by the way.  You can see the how-do on my other blog using scrap fabric as an option to decorate the front of it (Click Here).

The forecast was correct.  Snow today.  

Tiger, daughter E's cat is not doing well.  She is keeping me updated, but all we can do is wait.  He is about 13-14 years old.

Snow Update ~ Crochet Embellished Mini Heart Paper Clips ~ Cabbage Stew and Baked Bread (using dehydrator to raise dough)

I took this photo at 9am yesterday.  There was hardly any snow on the ground.  It looked the same in the evening.  They predicted 4-7 inches, but it was a wet and heavy snow.  Roads are clear from what I hear, so I'm hoping the upstairs carpet removal resumes today.
 

As mentioned, I wanted to also share that I also make crocheted mini hearts for embellishing paper clips.  I made homemade cards and gifted the kids with them one year.  They are great to tuck into cards, letters, or surprise gifts.  They make great random acts of kindness gifts as well.  They are easy and inexpensive to make for Valentine's Day gifts too.  I thought I had a post for making these, but I do not see one.  I may just have to get one up.

I changed up the menu yesterday.  I tossed together a cabbage/sausage soup and baked skillet bread.  I know my husband has to watch the bread in his diet, so I sent some to work for co-workers.  I linked the skillet bread recipe.  It is the next best to baking rolls, and tastes like soft rolls.

I also let my dough rise in my dehydrator.  If you have a dehydrator with pull out trays, check the top for the suggested temperature to do that. My tip for today.

 I switched from herbal teas to hot cocoa and enjoyed some schnapps in it.  It was perfect for a "snow" day with some afternoon crochet time.  I'm still working on the crochet blanket order.

First Snow

 I finally got to the grocery store.  I noticed that they now only sell one type of tahini now.  They used to carry about 6 different brands.  I also noticed the peanut butter selection is much smaller.  

In the midst of trying to find the tahini, we had a conversation with a woman who was shocked at the price of eggs right now.  Then we were talking about hummus and found out she could not eat chickpeas, so I told her she could make hummus with pumpkin, black beans, beets etc.  She was so happy to find that out and said she grew pumpkins this year.  Anyway, nice lady and I was glad I could share with her.

We had our first snowfall.  It's officially winter.  It snowed all day, but melted away.  Nice big snowflakes too.  They kind that make you want to hunker in and crochet.  I did that too, only due to the fact I can't really do anything, other than tidy up the boot area in the hallway (I may do that today).

I was thankful to have the yarn for this blanket, already downstairs.  I started it last winter, but if you crochet, you know it's hard to crochet large blankets in warmer weather.  She picked out the bright yarn.  Crazy kid.  Anyway, I crocheted while my husband went to work on a niece's car.

Car lights were fixed.  Apparently, it was simply a blown fuse, but since he stayed there gallivanting, there were things here that did not get done (off his honey-do list).

And there is nothing more frustrating, than to get home and realize you forgot something that was actually written on the shopping list - salt for the softener.  Sigh.

I mentioned a new recipe I wanted to try, and have yet to try it.  I am hoping to do that today or tomorrow.  It's a breakfast dish.

 

I also forgot to send some things home with Daughter K, so I am hoping to get another visit from her.  This time, I have used my "notes" on my phone to remind me of what to send with her, ha ha!  

They say more snow is to arrive today, but it tends to make a person stay inside vs. go out.  We'll see what happens today.

This and That ~ Winter Weather Advisory (and it's April!)

The bad:

I heard that Hobby Lobby is closing all their stores for good, due to government mandate involving health insurance and their beliefs.  Has anyone else heard this?  Or is this just rumor?

The good:

My dehydrator replacement door was back in stock and has been ordered.  Woohoo to that.

Something I learned: 

I watched a show on Create TV (cooking), and found out it's healthy to add garlic powder to your chicken feed occasionally.  I caught the 1/4 cup part, but missed per what amount of feed.  I'm trying to find the show online to re-watch it.  I think I found the show, but the station is operating on reduced power, so I'll have to check back later.

Something I learned:

You can make jelly from the red buds on the red bud tree.  I most likely won't get to try it this spring (the freeze), but will try it next year. My Mom has a tree.  It's also medicinal.  Fun and good to know.

I had a request for the recipe for homemade lip balm.  The original recipe I tried uses calendula and is found on Mountain Rose Herbs blog.  I now make an infused oil with lemon balm and make it that way.

As far as making homemade "neosporin" Here is the recipe I use, but there are other recipes online as well using optional essential oils (different ones) to try.  I love this recipe. 

Whelp, sadly the best pizza up by my husband's work has closed both locations due to no one wanting to apply to work.  He tried getting it for us last week and they were closed.  They are hiring, but can't get anyone to work (thanks to you Gov extending unemployment until Sept of this year, which is ridiculous).  More local businesses have closed on certain days or have closed completely until people apply to work.

I decided to cut most of the lilacs in hopes they'll bloom inside, so I didn't have to cover it.  I can't cover my apple or peach trees, so most likely no fruit again this year.

Well, this happened.  We got 4 inches.  A record I believe.  Crazy.  Thank goodness I had enough old sheets to cover some things out there.  The freeze comes tonight.  Oh the fun...

Snowed In and Loving It

Middle of the afternoon on Christmas Day.

The next day, same time.

This morning. 

Barn cats, Aurora and Sapphire, hanging out while I took photos this morning. 

 That little stinker Aurora, was actually in the house when I got up this morning.  She must have darted in when Hubby left for work.  These two were purring up a storm this morning.  Like little motors.  Their food bowls are a bit snowed in, and we still need to finish building an insulated cat house from them.

We are snowed in, but not for long.  I'll enjoy it while it lasts anyway.  The driveway drifted over in 3 places, making it impossible to get in or out.  Hubby will dig us out after work tonight.  According to the news, we only got about 3 inches of snow, and they had predicted up to 10.  It's the wind that makes the difference also. He got out with his 4-wheel drive, but I would need to pull a "Dukes of Hazard" to get ol' Eunice out of the driveway. Ha ha ha!  

 Yesterday was my 14th wedding anniversary.  I set up a table in our bedroom (only room to have a quiet dinner in our house), and had a quiet candlelight dinner with hubby.  I played some dinner jazz music, and served wine in the green wine glasses we bought during our island outing this year.