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, July 31, 2015

Catching Up ~ Embroidery ~ The Write Time ~ Random Tidbits

In case inquiring minds want to know...

I think I finally caught up on the laundry.  I may have one load yet to finish today.  During my next trip however, whoever is home will get laundry chores.

Yesterday, I had to make a mad dash to the rain barrel to try and save my flowers and herbs.  The younger two did not do their chores as asked, and my porch pots are either dead, dying or look terrible.  They just about let my organic herbs die too.  I desperately worked away, watering and removing dead leaves. 

I just realized that my water trough flower bed of sunflower seeds, has no sunflowers this year.  Those must of died in the masses of rain too.
 

I had picked up some more green beans on the recent road trip, and blanched and froze those (adding 5 more quart bags to the freezer).  I do need more. 

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Random Tidbits

Sunday, just as we sat down at the front porch for our dinner, the deer came out for their dinner.  This time she brought two youngin's with her.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Sunday Coffee Hour ~ Feel Good Moments


I'm glad I have more than one apron.  I had flour all over this one from tortilla making, so I had to swap it for a clean one.  I have a habit of wiping my hands on my aprons sides versus grabbing a towel.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Visiting Flamingo

My garden has been high jacked by a cleaning frenzy going on in my garage.  Obviously the kids have compromised the flower bed with one very pink, plastic, flamingo.  They think they are so funny. 

The story behind having this flamingo (we had two, but I have no idea where the other one went), is that we had a plan for them.

My younger brother had a birthday coming up, and he despises "yard trash."  Basically, anything that is not growing naturally, and is put out for yard decorations.

Our plan?

Friday, July 24, 2015

Goodbye Garden

I thought the garden we planted two years ago, was the worst year, but I'm starting to feel it's this year's garden.  This photo was taken on July 17th.  Yesterday, I checked them, and they are still wet, and gone to rot.

Warning:  This is a reality post.  The reality that self-sufficient/homesteading life is not always "peaches and cream." 

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Relishing the Relish

It was such a good feeling to be standing at the sink, chopping vegetables for homemade canned sweet pickle relish - the difference between patience and convenience.  Although some days convenience wins me over.

I need more patience.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Random Tidbits


We shucked all of the sweet corn, so that once-a-year job is done.   Tiger was standing by for the first bag (right in the photo).  He loves to chew on the husks.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Homemade Flour Tortillas

If you have not made homemade flour tortillas you really should try them.  They are fairly easy to make.  Shop in the organic section of your grocery store, or visit a health store (or online) for the ingredients. 



Mix 3 cups of organic/non-gmo all-purpose flour with 1 tsp. salt (I use a sea salt) and 1 tsp. aluminum free baking powder.  I mix this slowly in my mixer using the bread dough blade.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Happy Homemaker Monday

Although I posted today already, I decided to join the Happy Homemaker Monday today.  I have a few minutes before the laundry needs to go out on the line.

Chicken Tacos ~ Homemade Tortillas


I decided to take advantage of all this rain, and throw more flower seeds down.  If there is one thing we'll get this summer, it will be the most colorful flower beds yet.



 With our roasted chicken yesterday, I decided to try a

Sunday, July 19, 2015

More Red ~ Market Visit

Sharing with you another embroidered hand towel.  This one was challenging with those tiny stitches required for the cute baby chicks. 


We've had a few very humid and very hot days here lately.  I tried to dodge the rain and get some blankets and a handmade quilt washed and dried.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

More Red

I finished another towel.  Kind of funny, considering we haven't had to use the water hose to water anything this year.

Have a good weekend!

In Memory

When I took this photo back in April of 2014,

Friday, July 17, 2015

Stitching More in Red ~ Puttin' Up Squash ~ I'm a Winner!


First, I apologize for the long "coffee hour" post today.  It started out short, but it kept raining, and I kept typing.
 
Thursday and Friday cooled down to the lower 70's - perfect camping weather.  It was just the most amazing porch talk weather, the best ever sleeping weather this summer yet.

I've been bug picking, coop cleaning, and simply staring at our garden.   I am starting to worry that I am running out of exciting, happy moments to post here.


 A dentist visit allowed me

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

The Porch Speaks ~ Baking Bread and other Tidbits

I thought I would take a few photos of this year's newest porch signs.  Hubby found a new hobby, ha ha!  Looks like I need to brush down spider webs too.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Monday Coffee Hour ~ Car Repairs ~ Noodles ~ Surviving the Party


Grab a cup, and enjoy!

Wood splitting was stalled again this past weekend.  First, Hubby got a call to go in for work Saturday morning.  On his way home, he met up with Oldest Daughter and drove her car out to our place.  It was so funny to see that tall man crammed into such a small car.  Ha ha ha!



After $120.00 and a few hours later, he was driving it back up to her work.  It purred like a kitten instead of putter, putter, shake, grunt, and stall. She'll need to change a filter too, but it won't stall in the rain now.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Backyard Campers ~ Recipe Review


Now that we have our back porch furniture out (although it's all covered up today again), and we are enjoying it every now and then.  We all noticed something - birds in my camper bird house.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

The Good ~ The Bad ~ The Very Sad

 The Good:
There is nothing better than creamy, homegrown potatoes.  Last night's dinner was a hit, and I had to post a picture.   Boiled potatoes and green beans, with crumbled bacon.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Menu ~ New Recipes ~ Tidbits

The rain has a way of slowing me down a bit, and relaxing even more. Yesterday was a good day for party planning, shopping, and best of all, baking.  


Oh, and some healthy tea drinking.  I brewed a tea for eye-sight health.  I just love this tea infuser!


While weeding the other day, I dug potatoes from another row and got some goodies. Mmmm!  My green onion is looking great now too.

I actually sat down and wrote out my menu for this week, and I'm trying three new recipes.  I'll be letting you know the family rates the new ones.  For the salmon burgers, I substituted organic oatmeal for the breadcrumbs and eliminated the bun. 

Menu:

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

It's On!

The battle of the weeds has begun.  This is just one section, before Hubby got busy with the weed wacker (or also called a trimmer).  The is the reality of not using a weed killer or other chemicals, and it's too big to tarp over winter.   We thought about putting plastic in between the rows, but with the amount of heat it gets, we were concerned with chemicals the plastic would put into the garden. 

Monday, July 6, 2015

Lessons Learned

We spent the earlier part of the day working in the vegetable garden yesterday.  I took photos, but have yet to decide if I'll post them.  It's not pretty at all, but it is producing a few things.  Hence, the photo of the flowers in flower bed instead.

Hubby and I took one look, and we both let out a long breath of air.  Then he marched to the barn.  Out he came with the weed wacker, and went through many of the rows in the vegetable garden.  Since he took the tops off of a few onions, I dug those up for dinner too. I know it sounds like a crazy way to deal with the mess, but it worked.  We could get in there, weed out the plants themselves, and even till between rows.

Even after several years of planting, we have learned a few things this year.  We planted some rows too close together this year, so we can't get the tiller through.  We are making many notes, and ideas for next year, so we don't have to deal with weed overgrowth.  No matter what, I still think we learn something each year.


In the evening, we invited Mom over, and Hubby grilled out.  We had a nice dinner on the back porch, and enjoyed some garden bounty and family time.
 

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Coffee Hour ~ July 4th Weeked ~ Bittersweet Sunday

Grab a cup, it's a long update.  Enjoy!

The weekend brought us some time to get some work done.  As well as a little rest time.  And even a quick visit from my younger brother, his wife and that cutie-patootie nephew of mine.  Oh my gosh, is he growing fast!  Our oldest daughter even stopped in for a quick visit.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Stitching in Red

One daughter did some mowing for me, but it's still too wet to weed.  The temperature however, has been cool and comfortable.   

I was in the kitchen working, when I glanced out to see our, now 16 year-old, on the mower.  She was driving it across to mow another area, but had her head down looking at her ipod, while driving.  I shook my head.  Yep.  Hubby is teaching that one to drive, not me. 

Thursday, July 2, 2015

A Day of Digging ~ Tidbits

I got my garlic all pulled before the rain arrived, and only lost one of them to rot.  While pulling those, I smelled an awful smell from the direction of the 100-some potatoes we planted.