Infused Honey and Other Tidbits

 

I've been brewing us a morning iced tea in a quart canning jar, and adding 1 Tbsp. of infused honey to it.  It was just enough to sweeten the tea and we loved it.  I bought the infused honey at a honey festival last year, and it is now all gone.  I am sure it was not inexpensive either.  It was organic.  

Speaking of organic honey, both of us are wondering how they can assure it's "organic" when bees travel.  We are wondering if they have qualifications or specifics to classify honey as organic?  Anyway, we bought it.  We loved it.

I do have the phone number for the seller, but decided to infuse my own honey.

The above jar is started with an elderberry and hibiscus infused honey.  I'm sure it could be done faster on the stove top, but it's very hot here, and I have patience.  We are excited to see if it will taste the same.  It is a delicious one for teas.

On the home front, we had a very hot day yesterday.  My readings said 89°F and yes, I did 3 hours of garden work.  I'm glad I got that much done, as rain moved in for the evening, with some wind.

I  have drained the horsetail infused oil, but have not had a day to actually make my salve.  Soon I hope. 

The rosemary infused oil is still infusing.

I did not get enough dandelion flowers to infuse an oil for salve making this spring.  If the rain brings up more, I'll be small batch drying more.

I baked us an asparagus casserole to go with grilled burgers, and I should have weighed all the asparagus.  It was a lot, but the casserole could have used even more of it.  I did not use a recipe this time, and it does look like a lot of cheese, but I earned it with all that garden work.  Think Green Bean Casserole, but with asparagus.

I used one "can" of homemade cream of mushroom soup, added some milk and hand grated white cheddar cheese, 2 cloves of minced fresh garlic of ours, and onion powder (too lazy to dice an onion).  I topped it with other grated cheese.  Very good, but again, needs a lot more asparagus.  I am thinking are season is about over, but I will be checking it during these hot days with rain.

The heat continues, but we do need to eat, so it will be interesting the next few days.

I am thankful for the rain ~ It's watering everything planted so far.

I am thankful for coffee ~ It jump starts my day.

I am thankful for paper and pen ~ Writing is my passion.

I am thankful for the recent asparagus ~ Food on the table.  Healthy food.

I am thankful for flowers ~  They are the a "feel good" and stress lowering beauty, and the bees and hummingbirds love them.

Infused Honey and Other Tidbits  ©  May 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart 

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

It's a happy month for me.   Don't get me wrong, as things can go haywire on any given moment, but good things are happening.

Back in 2015, I posted about some writing adventures.   At that time, it was 11 years ago. You can read about them (it's a short post) HERE.  It feels like I put writing to the pasture long before that year, but....

I used to freelance many years prior to that, but put it all aside to raise the kids, and run the household (one was in about 4-5 school sports and activities  - softball, basketball, you name it!).  They were all active in something - school plays, band, sports, etc.  In other words, we were a very active family, so I put my writing on hold.  It wasn't on purpose.  It just happened.

Well, back when I had surgery last December, I decided to enter a poetry contest that was local.  I did not win the top prize, but my poem is printed in a book (have yet to pick it up).  Not long after that, another writing contest plopped into my lap, and guess what?  I won the adult short story.  It will also be printed into a book.  I have obtained that book yet either.  I was given a certificate and a gift card.

I'm very excited about this happening again, and hope to keep moving forward.  It'll be interesting, with squeezing in writing time, with putting in a garden and so forth.

Today I am joining Sandra with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  I'll link up later when she posts.

The weather . . .

Our temperatures are rising to the upper 80's during the daytime.  Perfect to dry up the vegetable garden and start planting soon.

Flowers are getting planted, with more upkeep being done with the flower beds.

Possible thunderstorms in the next few days.  Sigh.  It may or may not delay planting.

Right now I am . . .

Drinking coffee and posting this. Actually listening to the news to check on the weather.

Thinking and pondering . . .

How many canning jars do I need for two people?

How I am feeling . . .

Sluggish.  It's hot here, and there is a lot of outdoor work to do this month.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Scramble.  Butternut squash is going in the next breakfast meal.

On the dinner plate . . .

Have not decided yet.  It may be "too hot" to grill burgers later.

On the menu . . .

Trying to making up a plan, but it may not happen until tomorrow.  Asparagus is on the list, as we are getting more from the garden.

On my reading pile . . .

On the TV this week . . .

-watched Gina Carano/Rhonda Rousey fight (MMA), was a very short fight, and can't believe I stayed up late to watch it.

-honestly, whatever looks good, but most evenings we have very little TV time (now that the weather is not bitter cold).  I do have some DVD's to borrow from the library.

To-do list . . .(for the week and in no particular order)

-daily exercise
-put dishes away (too tired last night)
-laundry
-weed flower beds/plant

-pay bills

-brew herbal iced tea

-breakfast prep for next meal

-vegetable prep for dinners

-library returns (whoops! Totally forgot)

-sweep/mop

-make calls

-write

What I am creating . . .

I just started a crochet project for someone (last order I'm taking).  It's with black yarn, so it's been a "porch" project with good light.

From the camera . . .

Chive blossom update.  I dehydrated some chive blossoms, and ground them into a "chive powder" for a seasoning.  I did this last year, and it was fantastic on many dishes.  

Smaller chive blossoms dry faster than larger ones.  You can remove the flowers first, but my smaller dehydrator has larger holes.

Once dry, I pull the flowers and put them into a coffee grinder I use solely for this type of kitchen work.

I grind the dried flowers into a powder. and then carefully put it into an empty spice jar.

I use it to season eggs, casseroles, roasted vegetables, etc. It has a taste that is sort of a combination of onion and garlic both.  I lighter taste.  The color will diminish over time, but it doesn't last long around here.

Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses . . .

Lots of people needing prayers in our area.  Brad (old school friend) is grieving as his father passed away.  Shelly (another friend) is grieving as one of her brother's passed away.  An old classmate was found dead in his home.  

Happy Homemaker Monday ©  May 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart