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~

Friday, February 20, 2015

Home Canned Potatoes ~ On the Wild Side


We were to get a low of an actual temperature of -15°F last night, but it we may have hit -17.  We were told the wind chill could be as cold as -23°F last night.  

Okay, okay.  I retract on saying I wanted this month to slow down so I can meet goals.  It can speed right back up and pass on by.  I'm so ready to get out of "dodge" right now.

Almost every school closed today, so I actually slept in this morning.  I decided to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast. 

Yesterday I had to open my bill paying folder.


I figured it was due time to open my "Christmas" bottle of Baileys too.

Yesterday, I also opened a few jars of home canned potatoes.  We've tried them in soup/stew, mashed, and fried on the stove top, so this time I roasted them in the oven with rosemary.



I rinsed and sliced them up a bit, tossed them in olive oil, rosemary and salt, and they worked very well this way (vs. fresh potatoes).  

Our favorite way to cook them so far, is with olive oil on the stove top.  They are not mushy like they were when we froze some one year for hash browns.

If I have a good harvest this year, I will still freeze a few bags to take camping.  They help keep the ice chest food cold, and they fry up nicely for any meal over the campfire.

I decided to go on my "wild side" and.....


soak black beans and pinto beans together.   I'll be sauteing some onions and garlic to cook these in the crock pot today.  These get eaten up so fast that I don't freeze them anymore.  They make delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner burritos, and of course make a nice dip for tortilla chips.   They make a nice side dish with rice to go with other meals also.  I think this time we'll try mixing beans with cooked millet (vs. brown rice).  

 



15 comments:

M.E. Masterson said...

be right over in a jiffy for breakfast! pancakes and baileys..yep leaving now!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

M.E., you made me laugh! I tossed blueberries in some of the pancakes too.

Susan said...

I have the same urge when opening the bill folder... I am so psyched about canning potatoes this year! I have been fairly successful in keeping them in my root cellar/guest room, but this would be the perfect answer to quick meals. I just love cooked beans. That is something I just started canning and I love them. It's supposed to warm up a bit by Sunday here - hope it extends to you as well.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, I sure hope we get a warm up soon.

Kim said...

Just remember a warm up means water and mud!!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Kim, I guess I better make sure I have enough floor rugs and old towels to wipe down the dogs with.

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

been out from blogging 3 weeks and hardly recognized the place when I get back! Love the new header.
Does the Bailey's help the bill paying easier to swallow?

Maybe I should pick up a jug next time I'm out... ;)

Mama Pea said...

Gee-golly, you are tippling right on the edge there, girl. Mixing black beans and pinto beans (what will the neighbors think?) and sipping on Bailey's to boot. (Can't blame you there when you have to look at bills due.)

Even though we had a fantastic potato harvest this past season and they're keeping really well in the root cellar, when I went down there yesterday to get a bag full to send home with our good neighbors, I realized we've been "sharing" quite a few and I don't think the supply is gonna last much longer. Oh well, that's what they're for. It's not like we'll starve when they're gone. (We have plenty of black beans and pinto beans!)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, ha ha! I like black beans, but there was a request for pinto, so I just went "wild" ha ha!
I am down to my last jar of potatoes now.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Patricia, glad to see you back again. The Baileys just tastes good, but nope, it did not help pay the bills, ha ha!

RB said...

Those canned potato chunks would probably work very well in my loaded potato casserole too.
I put a layer of sliced or diced (or even leftover mashed or baked) potatoes on the bottom of an oiled 9x9 casserole, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add a layer of meat cut into the same sized chunks, usually uncooked chicken (or kielbasa or ham or ground beef or any leftover meat), sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle with half of the mixture of 1 cup shredded medium cheddar, 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan that I've mixed in a separate bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of milk, cream or evaporated milk over top. Then add another layer of the potatoes, season. Add another layer of the meat, season. Then top with remaining cheese mixture, dot with butter, cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees until potatoes are tender and center is bubbling.
Then remove foil, bake for an additional 15-30 minutes until top is golden and bubbly.
Let sit for 15-30 minutes before serving. Serve with a salad for lunch or dinner, or even with eggs for breakfast. It's very very good, very filling and is a great way to use up potatoes and meat leftover from other meals in a new way.
To make it even tastier, add crisp fried crumbled bacon over top of every cheese layer. Yum!!!

God bless.

RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, thank you for that recipe!

RB said...

Yes'm. Good way to use up leftovers too.
I've also done the same thing using macaroni in place of the taters.

God bless.

RB
<><

Sam I Am...... said...

Love the fact that the potatoes you canned are able to be used for many dishes and aren't "mushy".
I like the bean idea too! I hope it warms up..the Bailey's will help! LOL!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sam I am, I hope it warms up soon.