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~

Saturday, July 22, 2017

The Garden and other bits

Zucchini continues to produce nicely, but our yellow squash has mold. 

And since it was 90 degrees with 70% humidity, and outdoor work slowed for a blip in the week, I made a cake. 


Zucchini snack cake with lemon butter cream frosting.  

Hubby's favorite, and made only once a year.  It requires fresh blueberries.  We haven't found them in bulk form yet either, so these were not cheap.  This cake requires fresh blueberries, hence why it's only baked this time of year.  Although, as Hubby has graciously reminded me, we sometimes find organic blueberries later in the season.

Here is a close-up photo of the drying radish seed pods.  We are tickled pink.   It's the first year our plants went to seed.

What we'll do without this season?


Cherries.  Too expensive to buy organic.  No jam this summer, but I'm okay with that.  Blueberries too.  Prices went up to $3.99/pint, but we may have found a source where they are lower.  If not. We'll do without.  It's frustrating, as we cannot grow blueberries on our property either.

I'll have to net our black raspberries and our red raspberries.  The birds have located them. 

Note to self - add that to the "List."  And I'm out of straw now too. Adding that to the "List."

The indoor regular housework continues along with the garden harvest.  Sunny days, the laundry goes out on the line, rainy days we deep clean in bits and pieces. I'm doing a lot of dusting lately.

The usual garden-ish activities continue - tying up the tomatoes (again), picking vegetables, freezing, canning, picking tomato worms off plants, etc.  


The cucumbers (two varieties), bell peppers, and hot peppers are starting to produce.  Those jalapenos are nice size, but only weighed in at 6 oz.  I need 3 lbs. to can cowboy candy.  That will require between 38-42 jalapeno peppers.  I may need to visit the farm-stand down the road to add to my own.

I have to lay off weight lifting, or anything heavy right now.  Back when I fell in the chicken run, landing on my bum, I must have used my arms to catch myself.  My left shoulder has been back and forth in pain, and last night I could not sleep one bit.  It hurt so bad, and I had not worked out.  Hubby said, "lay off the weights."  I pulled the muscle and I'm aggravating it.

We visited with Sister "L" who is still in the SICU.  They took her for her swallow test while we were there (which was good news), and her neck IV came out. They can't use her right arm (used for dialysis) or her right side of her neck (blood clots).  They attempted another area, but took her to surgery to put the IV back in the neck, and administer medication to dissolve the clots.  She was talking to us, but we could tell in pain. Every day her blood pressure gets better, so we are all praying and hopeful.  It's just taking quite a long time for her body to recover.   Some days we can't visit right when we arrive, so it can be hours before we arrive back home, and exhausted.  I continue to take my handiwork along.

It's Saturday and I had plans to pick beans, peas, cucumbers, and zucchini.  It's too wet from rain, so plans change.  I'll be back to update you on the big barn soon.

Not. Enough. Hours. In. The. Day.

Even when it rains.

10 comments:

Rain said...

Your cake looks delicious! We're like you, we will only buy certain produce when it's in season and cheap. We're lucky about the blueberries though, this is blueberry country. The cherries are cheap now so we'll take advantage, but that'll be it until next year I think! Your poor sister in law...I can't imagine going through all that. Sending healing energy your way.

Yarrow said...

Yummy cake! Your garlic is so impressive, I'm almost tempted to post a picture of mine on my blog, but too many people would faint laughing, so for their sakes I'll just tell you in a whisper, it's tiny :D

Mama Pea said...

Even though it's slow, it's good news that your SIL continues to improve.

Glad to hear your garden is giving you lots of goodies. Give your body a rest from the heavy exercise (you move about enough on a day doing your regular tasks!) so your aggravated muscle can heal.

You've piqued my interest about the big barn. What's going on?

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, we may have to get rid of the debris PDQ.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Yarrow, thanks. That larger variety of garlic is Russian Giant. We had many teeny tiny bulbs from the variety we've planted for years, so we may change what we plant. The second variety of new garlic tastes pretty good and less smaller bulbs.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, we found cherries for .99/lb yesterday but they were not organic. We didn't buy any. I found MI blueberries, but not many. We'll have to travel next year to the west side of MI to get good, delicious, blueberries.

RB said...

I can see why you say there aren't enough hours in the day. Sometimes life is like that. It's hard though when it is. We just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and truck on. This too shall pass.
As for your shoulder injury, you might want to have that looked at. A few years ago, I injured my shoulder falling out of bed while trying to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, as I was closer to the edge of the bed than I thought so when I scooted, I scooted right out onto the floor and twisted my left arm. I went for 6 weeks in excrutiating pain, finally to give up and go to a doctor who sent me for an MRI and discovered what's called a SLAP tear (where the facia that keeps the shoulder joint in place tears) so when the raw ends of the tear rubbed together - YIKES!!!
Sending prayers for you and your SIL.
What a blessing to know we can turn to God in prayer for our needs.
God bless.
RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, thanks for that input. I iced it yesterday, and refrained from heavy lifting.

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

So sorry for your relatives in the hospital. I can't wait to make that cake and I'm not really a cake person. You are an amazing woman with all you have to do and get done. Take care of that shoulder so you don't injure it further or you will end up in surgery. My son did that and now
he will always have pain with it....surgery or no surgery. Take care!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks Sam I Am. The girls are helping when they are home. Hubby's sisters continue to get better. His sister "P" was released but back in again.