Pioneer Woman at Heart

  The notorious wren is back.  She's not making a nest in the flower pot pictured above, but she picked the same location of a hanging flower basket for her nest again. The hummingbirds are back too.  I did not have a camera on hand, but they are enjoying the early blooms already. We just may get to dry out for a day, but after this morning's rain.  At least for a day or maybe even two, before it returns (again). There is always something good in everything.  Including frustrating times, or moments, like days and days of rainfall. I finished another book, tried another new treat recipe (more to try), and actually relaxed for once.  My husband grilled us the most delicious burgers too.  We had chopped up mushrooms and such, for camping, and they made the best swiss mushroom burgers I have ever had.  Speaking of which, it reminded me I still have homemade garlic scape butter in the freezer to use up too. I harvested more cleavers in between downpour...

Whelp.  It rained and rained and rained here.  We are getting a slight break this morning, but we are saturated.  Rain returns in a very short bit, and then off and on all day (again).  If we are lucky, the rain will stop come Monday.  Maybe.  Many area festivals are canceling, or have already canceled.  On the bright side, it's watering the new trees we planted, and flower bushes, but I do have one red raspberry plant to plant too. The Bad:  Our weekend camping trip was canceled.     It's not camping if we cannot have a campfire, go hiking or biking and/or campfire cook, or even go fishing.  Stuck in the camper would be zero fun (in our current camper anyway).   Yes, we we have an awning, but the rain was just too much, and our camper is small.  It's not a comfortable place to be when it's raining out.  In fact, we had more seating room in our 7 person pop-up camper than we do in our current hard sided camp...

  For some reason, the two humans walking around here, named me Alvin.  I love to torment the woman!  I sort of crawl up the downspout drain, and when she's weeding in her flower beds, I like to zip on down the spout and give her a fright. He he!   I also love to eat that delicious bits of morsels he sets out in a bowl.  How did she know I'm hungry?  Ha, I eat it up before that cat comes up to eat, he he he he!  Even though I know it's not good for me.  She'll only leave it out during the day, as those rotten raccoons will devour it all first.  I don't care that she moved the bowl way up by the door either.  I just sneak on up and stuff my cheeks full and carry on. Ha!  Hope you enjoyed that "tidbit" for today.  He really is a pain in my rump.  The cat hasn't even caught him/her yet.  I'm surprised.  Our last barn cats eradicated all chipmunks, but this one continues to try and take over the place.  It ...

  A new "first time" for us was to make a cold infusion with cleavers.  It is a bonus weed that we get this time of year when we weed the flower beds and the vegetable garden.  Heck, I see it growing in the asparagus, so I'll be pulling more of it this weekend (in between rainfalls).  If you harvest wild medicinal weeds/plants, I would love your feedback on this.  I believe I dehydrated it many years ago, but it's best when harvested fresh.  I have only one friend who also harvests this, but sadly, she does not live very close to me. Side note: I made a face wash back in 2018 with cleavers, but never kept up with making it and using it over the years. Rain returns starting tonight, and on and off all weekend.  Woke up to 49°F, and again we have not planted the vegetable garden yet. Still on time, but slightly late if we can get it done soon.  However, we were unable to obtain organic sweet potato starts, so no sweet potatoes will be planted (as of...

  The photo is my husband's breakfast packed up the day prior.  I have to say, it would be absolutely fantastic with eggs over easy made fresh, but I do have to send breakfast on-the-go for him during the work week days. Oh my goodness, it was delicious!  Time consuming to make, but healthy and very good.  It's a keeper recipe, with some tips to make it easier. First, remember I ground up some of our dehydrated sage a while back?  I put it in a spice jar for easy use for making homemade chicken or turkey sausage?  Well, I'm not doing that anymore. I discovered that the delicious sage flavor goes stale after weeks of sitting in a spice jar.  It's just not the same as crushing the full leaves dehydrated.  I'll just have to take the time to crush them for really good flavor.   Tips:  Most butternut squash is about 3 pounds or so.  Unless I grow it myself, and have a dry year, I have never seen a "small" or 1 1/2 pound butternut sq...

  Last year, we planted borage and rosemary in with the zucchini, yellow squash and other squash plants.  It was an attempt to deter the nasty squash bugs.  It for one, did not work to deter those bugs (did not even grow well enough to harvest anything from the plants either).   Two, it re-seeds itself very well, so don't plant it in your big vegetable garden like I did.  It's not spreading too badly this year, but I'm yanking it as I see it, and you know I hate to waste anything.... By the way, I'm actually seeing borage plants for sale this year. Borage tea?   Has anyone dehydrated or dried the borage flowers and leaves for a medicinal tea?  I'm not finding a lot of information in the resource books I have.  So far anyway.  I'm reading online that the tea from the plant, is good for reducing a fever and for reducing a bad cough.  Does anyone have any information, or experience, with borage used in this way? Borage for dinner?...