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 Sweet Potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweet Potatoes. Show all posts

Monday, October 12, 2020

Happy Homemaker Monday

Sunday I was a bit overwhelmed with a to-do list, but maintained it.  First, chili was put in the crockpot, second green tomatoes diced for another green tomato cake, and third, I dug up one sweet potato plant for a look-see.



Here is what I got.  Well, not all of them.  First ones were somewhat small, but was tickled pink to dig up these huge ones.  First 3 plants gave us 3.15#.  Can't wait to dig the rest.  It may rain tonight, so I may wait for a rain for easier digging, but so happy.  I was worried.  I am doubtful on the beets.  I have yet to dig the remaining row, as well as the carrots.

The list continued for the day, and since I only got a teensy bit of crochet time, I wrote that in as well.  I needed some down time.

This year will be the first year for me to not participate in any craft vendor show.  So far I haven't heard if the one we actually participate in is canceled yet.  I will continue to sell via online by my blog (and now social media) and word of mouth.




I made another green tomato cake.  This time I sliced the tomatoes, removed the seeds, and chopped them in my food processor in half batches.  Worked great.



I bought myself a new tea infuser.  It was much cheaper than the replacing the one I have.  I hope to try it out today.  Paid $3.49 for it.


Unfortunately, our turnip harvest is not good.  They are all small.  We got zero parsnips.  I need to put them in grow pots or raised beds next year.



Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.



The weather . . .
78°F/44°F.  Sunny.

How I am feeling this morning . . .
Tired.  My husband is working the midnight shift, then working straight through first shift, coming home to eat, sleep and do it all again.  I would have actually slept in longer this morning, had Romeo not woken me up.  I have been sleeping terrible with this schedule, but today is the last hopefully, and back to first shift.


On my mind . . .
I haven't journaled this entire pandemic.  Maybe there is a reason for that (or not).  I am digging out my main journal today and writing.  I haven't done any writing in a long time and National Novel Writing Month is just around the corner.  By the way, one year I wrote a story that was similar to what we are actually going through right now (crazy as that sounds).  I plan to dig it out, print it out and read it soon.


On the breakfast plate . . .

Sweet potato/zucchini/spinach/egg burritos and coffee.


On the reading pile . . .


On the TV . . .
Away, on Netflix.


On the menu . . .
-Oven baked mac n' cheese, crockpot glazed root veggies
-Turkey/zucchini meatballs with home canned hot pepper mustard sauce over quinoa, garden green beans

On the to-do list. . .
-laundry
-dig some turnips
-vacuum
-dehydrate ginger root
-drain last rain barrel and flip over for winter
-spray paint clipboards one more time
-call Home Depot
-start winterizing the front porch
-hand write a recipe on a recipe card to avoid losing it again
-muck chicken coop

On the camera . . .




We are so blessed to have so much vibrant fall colors on our property.  Our oak tree is turning orange for the first time.  These pictures don't even show the entire property and it is just beautiful out there right now.


Looking around the house . . .
I spent hours yesterday tidying up my kitchen, so I'm less stressed about any cleaning today.  So thankful for a slower Monday.


To relax this week I will . . .
Read, write, or crochet.  Or even work on Christmas ornaments that will gifted in 2021 most likely.


On my prayer list . . .
The owner of the salon where Youngest did her internship (she was exposed to Covid by someone, and tested positive and now in the hospital, and is elderly), Youngest (still grieving), and any personal requests.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Tuesday Tidbits


Nothing more creepier than hearing something crunch through the tree line, while hanging laundry out at 8:30am.

Meal ideas come to me and the oddest times.  While washing the morning dishes yesterday I decided dinner would be Sloppy Charlies (organic ground beef and homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup), corn and zucchini saute and roasted brussel sprouts.

Speaking of the weekly menu, here's what else I came up with so far:

Breakfast (or dinner):  Homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, fried potatoes and scrambled eggs

Dinners:
-Creamy mac n' cheese, sweet potato hash browns, BBQ green beans with bacon, Chicken with home canned hot pepper mustard sauce, quinoa, broccoli, a spinach/parsley pesto pasta....still working on it....

Even though I wrote out a list for Sunday errands, I realized I forgot to buy borax and washing soda.  Urgh.  So cleaning the bathroom was put on halt until today.


Breakfast today is a sweet potato (thank you Garden Gods), and black bean frittata.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

First Frost ~ Sweet Potatoes ~ The Last Dig




Mia was intrigued with my yarn.  She was sniffing it and wondering what it was as I crocheted.  So funny.  I tried to get some photos, but they just wouldn't sit still, ha ha!  Jesse is with us now too, and they get along well.  Tiger is just not happy.  He comes in my room at night to his "safe" space and curls up right next to me to get his "love" time now.

Oh my gosh, it was cold yesterday morning.  I had a ton of things that needed done, and it didn't heat up very fast.  We had a freeze warning last night, so the last of the jalapenos were picked, and we woke up to a temperature of 31°F.

I got soup beans into the crock pot, got my breakfast, and washed the dishes, in hopes to get to the garden.  A freeze warning is upon us now.   I dug up all the sweet potatoes.

Here's what they look like.  .  .

I harvested about half of what I normally get, but they are larger than I thought they'd get.  I didn't weigh them yet, but I am happy I got what I got.  They won't last all winter, but it's less I'll have to buy.



Apparently I fed a few rodents.  Thankfully, only losing about 3 or 4 this time.  It was rabbits.  Thanks to one of the dogs for letting me know.  The rabbits were living right along the west side of the garden.  

Hubby has been working 10 hour days (6 days straight), so I'm a one woman machine in getting everything done - hence why I don't have a rinse stand built yet.  

I literally saturated myself with the garden hose getting the sweet potatoes rinsed.  I had to dump them all out on the grass to do it, due to the wet mud on them.  When I was done I washed out the watering unit for the chickens and let the sweet potatoes dry off before bringing inside.  

Although my sleeves and pants were saturated, I rinsed off the 2 inches of mud on my muck boots and trudged out to fetch fire wood.  Several trips back and forth, I was done with enough for a few days.

Back inside I stripped and tossed my dirty clothes and jacket into the washer, to start putting away the clean dishes.  Oh the work continued.

I took a short medicinal tea break on the porch, and soaked up more sunshine.

I needed to prep a cabbage for dinner.  We were not impressed, so the cabbage will be fried with potatoes and bacon grease tonight.

On a side note, I had plans to put Mia on a tie out (prior to knowing that we'd get Jesse too (while in the garden), but I left them indoors.  They are behaving wonderfully, so I am thawing homemade dog treats to give them when I come in from a few hours of garden work.

Youngest Daughter got me good with the plastic rat.  Sigh.  I have to get her back, ha ha ha!  Little stinker.



I got a mullein tincture started.  I am getting pretty low in supply of that.  

I found some nice broad leaf plantain growing in the garden, so back out I went hoping I didn't get dirty (other than boots) to gather some of it.  Despite a frost.



It was blanched and put into the freezer for soup and stew.  I sliced it Julianne style so I only have to thaw it.  Sorry for the bad photo. I was trying to take the photo one-handed.  I stacked the leaves and sliced them like you would basil.  I then blanched them for 2 minutes, and put them in an ice bath for 2 minutes.  Drained them and put them in freezer bags in the freezer.


That's now all I got done.  A large batch of double blueberry pancakes were made ahead for breakfast.  I got about 4-5 times the amount in the photo.  Just need some sausage to go with it now.


Finished!  Got it done while taking a second short break.  Man I was so tired at the end of the day.  If forgot how much work wood takes, as well as working back to regular hours in the garden.  

Monday, March 12, 2018

Happy Homemaker Monday

It's Monday.  Today I'm joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  Although I am looking at "motherhood" in a different way, I'm joining.  If you read through today's post, you'll see what I mean about "motherhood."

Last week was a long parenting week. Bills were paid, but propane has not been ordered.  I called to get quotes and I was horrified at the price.  They lowered the minimum to order from 300 gallons to 200 and the price is $100 more than what we paid for 300.  Hubby wants to call around before we order.  We may be making changes if we find lower prices.

I've whipped up a "balancing" herbal tea mix for myself, and will simply grate fresh ginger into it (I'm out of dried ginger root and rose petals).  

I've been "MIA" from my blog these last few days.  Due to the overload of a heavy parental week, we took a dearly needed mental-parental break (or so we thought).  Hubby and I at the last minute, stole away for the weekend.  We restocked health items we can't get around our area, and we got a weekend away to "fill our tanks" (or so we thought).  

On the breakfast plate. . .

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Thursday Tidbits

It's official.  We have ended out 2017 supply of home grown sweet potatoes, and I am thrilled the held up so nicely.  I made an egg/veggie scramble and thawed some frozen garden  zucchini for this too.  Frozen zucchini is not a real crisp veggies, so it works out well for breakfast meals and for casseroles/soups.

Not much going on in our next of the woods right now.  The snow is back, but it's gone as fast as it comes down. It's a bit cold, but that just gives me more opportunity to tackle deep cleaning projects (washing woodwork, cleaning out junk in the utility room, sorting things that can go to the thrift, organizing things back to their less chaotic stage, cleaning off dressers, nightstands, and what not). I'm going through old magazines, picking books to donate to the thrift, making a list of books I want to buy (ha ha!), and so forth.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Turkey Lentil Frittata

Here is the recipe I promised to share.  The original recipe is linked, and below I will explain what I added.

I found the "protein packed" breakfast recipe online at Lentils.org (click Lentils.org to the left to go directly to the recipe), and changed it up a bit to try. Lentils for breakfast?  I mean why not, I add black beans them too.  Lentils are high in protein and low in fat, and provide many nutrients as well as fiber.

First I made my lentils the day before, and that way I had that job done.  You need cooked lentils to make this frittata.



I still have homegrown sweet potatoes (they lasted much better than all the other potatoes too).

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Storing Sweet Potatoes without a Root Cellar/Basement


I have found several ways to store up my sweet potatoes this winter.  Aside from the potato bin indoors, and the burlap bags in another cool/dark room, I am stocking them up in other recipes.

Ginger-Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Butter.


This is a Better Homes and Gardens canning recipe, but it is not boil canned. It goes in the freezer.  Recipe is not online, but is in their magazine (Canning, preserving, freezing and drying) and book I believe.



Frozen Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  I had been told by so many people "you can't freeze potatoes."  I beg to differ.  You can, but you bake and mash them first.  I add nothing to them.



I have been very successful with this process (this works well with white potatoes as well).  I bake the sweet potatoes, mash them, and freeze them on a baking sheet in 1/2 cup servings.  I take them out, and place them in container or freezer bags and simply heat in the oven when needed for meals.  I used foil the last time to line my sheets and the foil stuck to the potatoes.  I used parchment paper this year, and it worked perfect.

Aside from enjoying these with a meal, I can also thaw them to use for sweet potato breads, muffins, and even brownies.

Also, freeze the white mashed potatoes (or red), in 1/2 cup servings.  I utilize this for making rolls too vs. using "potato flakes" in the recipe I use.

You can always dehydrate sweet potatoes as well.  This will be my first year and test tasting them this way.  I have dehydrated (and canned) white potatoes in the past, but the texture after dehydrating is not the best tasting.

And for the first time, I will wrap a few up in newspaper and attempt at growing my own slips without a root cellar/basement.  I'll be storing them in the refrigerator or in a burlap bag of their own.   According to my research, the larger the sweet potato, the longer it will keep in a cool/dark location.


As for storing white/red potatoes?  Canning (pressure canning) has been the best option for me, along with freezing them mashed in single servings.  The taste is much better than dehydrating. 

You can pressure can sweet potatoes too, but I have yet to purchase a pressure canner. I borrowed one to can the white potatoes (to give it a try and check out one of the brands).

You can read my post on our experience canning the white potatoes: here.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Putting the Garden to Bed

It's been a long few weeks of tearing out the garden.  For me it's been a tough haul.  Due to unfortunate circumstances, I could not keep up with maintaining it this summer, so the aftermath was this:


 There are green pepper plants in that mess. (Before)



Same area (in progress)


My sad looking pea fence (before).

Done!  Still moving on through the garden.





The front of that area is where my potatoes were planted (before).

 Done!  Again...still moving on through the garden.

 The very last of the potatoes were dug up.

Larger Tomato patch all done and ready for winter.  I just have to get my pie pan and metal pole put away for next year.

Rough, tough, and difficult to totally remove before winter.  I'd like to post some pristine looking photos, but this is reality.  I can't do everything, nor can my family.  However, I am sticking to it.



"Biker Sally" is a bit slumped over after a somewhat good garden season.  She is buried in foxtail and ragweed, but with daily diligence, taking rest days, and hard work, she will be dug out and put to bed.

It is taking me a lot longer than previous years.  Achy muscles are now on rest-mode.  After noon today that is.  Rain is arriving. 

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

This and That ~ Pumpkin Pasta Dish



As soon as daylight hit, I noticed these ladies were out wandering.  And later a 4th.  Hm.  Daughter didn't do a head count, but they are all there.  Whew!

The new handicraft adventure I wrote about (several months ago) is still on the list, but delayed.  It may be a winter project.  



 Puffed pear pancake was enjoyed for an after school snack vs. breakfast.   Again, I used 2 pears. Apples would be delicious in this too.  Although I only have one kiddo in school, it's the perfect time of day to make a sweet treat, and double it as a dinner dessert.  And utilize our homegrown pears.  Right now, organic apples are $5.99/bag (3 lb.), so I am patiently waiting on a sale.  I am hoping our apple trees produce next year.



 The herbs are getting full attention this week.  Sage was dehydrated.


Rosemary was also dehydrated.  More to do this week yet.




I spent yesterday digging up potatoes, and I have to say the sweet potatoes did great this year.  I brought in 16.5# total of Kennebec, Red Norland and sweet potatoes.  Of course this meant pulling weeds, and that was very time consuming.  And I'm not done digging.  That alone took 3 hours.


I brought in a handful of Russian Kale too.  Dang it all, I just keep finding things that need done.  


However, meals need prepared for this family, so after a very welcomed shower, dough was started for English muffins, my garden clothes washed and out on the line ready for another long day.

"Grad" Daughter did some mowing, but has been helping me muck the chicken coop on her days off work.


Dinner was a new recipe - Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce.  It's online. If you google it, I used the one by Budget Bytes.  As I sat down on the porch to eat, I realized it just needs a sprinkle of fresh herbs - thyme or basil perhaps.  It was good and filling.  It just needed something to add color to the dish (and flavor).  It contains garden garlic, pumpkin, broth, seasonings and pastas (all organic).  I bet this sauce would taste good using cooked millet too.

I woke up to a slight sore throat.  Grad Daughter spent the night with a friend, so I'm also on dog duty.  I am debating to stay out of the garden today and take a rest day from it, but I have so much to pull out of it before the ground freezes.  First, I think I'll enjoy a cup of miso soup to help stay healthy.

Enjoy your Wednesday.