Pioneer Woman at Heart

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  Sunday we got "Big Red" fired up.  Here's hoping she'll keep starting now.  It (the truck) could need a few parts yet. We drove "Big Red" to the "Big City" and delivered a gift and Christmas cookies, picked up load of straw and headed back home.  I forgot to renew my library books, but it looks like only a few are late (this time). On the breakfast plate . . .  Homemade breakfast burrito and coffee The weather outside is . . . Rain is on the way, with a high of 56°F, but will quickly go back to the low 20's at night for the next week. As I look out my window . . . It's still dark out. On the to-do list . . . -take care of the chickens -feed barn cats (Leo still comes once every often) -put away clean dishes -vacuum -empty ash pan (depends on the rain today) -start another tincture -knock down some cobwebs -put a few Christmas decorations away -put a Ch...

The weather yesterday was fantastic as fantastic can go in winter.  Not only myself, but the laundry was out getting fresh air.  Low 50's, a bit breezy, but cloudy.  I still took advantage of it and put the laundry outside to dry.  I even got a load of towels dried outside.  Felt great, since it's been awhile to be out. What went up, must come down.  I am starting early due to our schedule right now.  I feel like it's coming down as fast as it went up though. I pulled out my recipe book for my 4 Thieves vinegar and was short of one ingredient.  Thankfully, I got an order placed and will restock my ACV as well.  My gallon jug is almost empty.  I have one more jar of 4 Theives already made. Other than laundry, bills got paid and one daughter came for a visit.  She took her Jeep to a dealership to have the heat looked at (not working properly) and when she took her Jeep home (heat not fixed) it was making a horrible sound....

When I went to feed Tiger yesterday morning, I noticed the bucket gone from my utility room. My first thought?  Oh no.  My youngest is sick now. By 2pm, she had not come downstairs so I tip-toed up the stairs and took a look.  She was sound asleep. Christmas had me all discombobulated, ha ha!  I woke up thinking it was Wednesday and it was Thursday.  Only one more holiday and I can get back to my "to-do" list and recoup. My phone was blowing up too.  Apparently, Hubby's family wanted one last get together before one family returns to GA.  Gah!  They asked us to host.  Double Gah!  Hubby said no way, ha ha!   Even though I am tired of cooking and baking, I whipped up a breakfast scramble with bacon and dandelion greens.  We all could use a dose of detox and nourishment.  I had a lot of dishes to wash, so I thought why not dirty some more. Within a short time, the family decided to do a "taco" dinner night (H...

Oh my gosh, we had the house packed with family and friends.  What a good time.  Birthdays were a hit too. We have leftover cake too.  Everyone was stuffed to the gills. I had to laugh this morning.  I found a sticky note on the oven door "Food inside."  Mia came to us for the night, and before the kids went to bed they put all the food away for us.  I was so stinkin' tired. Youngest got a load of birthday presents and was very happy to celebrate with so many folks.  We had so many we almost couldn't fit in the family photo.

...with the most-est headache.  I got a text asking for us to once again change the time of the Christmas party.  I've already sent out invitations to people and it's getting out of control.  Hubby wasn't happy either.  He has to work the next day.   My 19 year old came out to help with the candy making.  We had issues of course.  I wasn't running on all "cylinders" and she hadn't worked with candy for a year.  We were a bit rusty at it, but after one batch, turned on a Christmas movie to take a break. We made buckeyes, mint chocolate covered crackers (mock mint girl scout cookies) and I made another batch of salted caramel fudge. The guys at Hubby's work were begging for the fudge. A plate of goodies went to work with Hubby this morning. It rained all day Thursday.  Cloudy, dreary, and cold.  It's wet and cold today, and I have no plans to bake one iota.  It's a house cleaning day. You may see a blurp or two in my...

Wednesday the weather was just about the same - high of about 44°F.  I woke up super exhausted, so I took my time early on (again).   Here's why. The night prior, Hubby and I drove to the other "Big City" to pick up some last minute baking supplies for the holiday baking.  However, there were zero half-pint canning jars anywhere.  Sigh.  Literally.  Even sugar in the smaller bags, and toothpicks were sold out.  Frustrated and beyond tired, we returned home to crash.  Someone please, please (I beg you) remind me to buy my holiday supplies in September.  I even stopped at the dollar store for parchment paper - zero in stock and lines so long I would've walked out anyway perhaps.  At the craft store, the lines were long, and one cashier.  I almost fell asleep in line.  Nope,  not doing it next year.  I'll order online if I have to.  It's crazy out in the people-y world. The only reason you all get to read...

I woke up Wednesday dragging my feet.  I was full force on Tuesday, and so happy with my progress.  Slowly, I got things rolling.  With a 3rd pot of coffee.  And some rock n' roll.  There is one radio station that plays all Christmas, but it's slow stuff.  I had to hook my phone up to the radio and get some rock n' roll going on.   Baking resumed. More brittle was made too.  I called out to the kids and got reinforcements to finish the baking. I literally gave the cashew brittle to my daughter and told her to hide it.  Otherwise Hubby would have it gone before the festivities started, ha ha!  Good news.  Jesse ate his breakfast.  However, Daughter (his Mom) called me last night.  We are going back to all homemade food for him now.  He doesn't have many years left, and we will be spoiling him.

Canning took up most of my morning yesterday. We've been out of Candy Apple Jelly for over a year, so some of this is going in the pantry. I had to whip up a batch of homemade ginger-ale syrup.  Youngest texted me that she was feeling pretty sickly.  Thankfully, I have club soda on hand, but now I'm out of honey. Made my first batch of organic cashew brittle .  I hope to make one or two batches more yet. Dinner was easy yesterday.  I used leftover mushroom gravy, combined with homemade condensed mushroom soup, and cooked pork chops it in the crock pot.

I am joining Sandra at Diary of a stay at home Mom for today's "Happy Homemaker Monday."  I am blessing you all with 2 posts today.  Why?  Well, I need a list to stay accountable for (sigh).  I'm puttering around early, growling like an 'ol grizzly bear, looking at all the things I need to do before next Saturday.  We had a pretty busy weekend, so my list is loooooooooooong.  Oh my, so long...grrr.  I am reaching down inside my soul for some uppity positive mojo to get things done. Last night my husband surprised me by making dinner.  He's not the foodie type, but lately has gone nut-so.  He cooked us steaks with fresh mushroom gravy, and mashed potatoes, and it was fantastic. Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, copper, potassium, vitamin D, and other good stuff.  I love to toss these in casseroles, soups, stews, and gravies. On the breakfast plate. . . . Two farm fresh eggs over easy, toast with home canned wild viole...

Friday I was stuck home due to a dead truck battery, so it was a full-blown house cleaning day.  It needed it anyway.  I got laundry caught up, woodwork wiped down, bathrooms cleaned, clutter tidied up, dishes washed etc etc. I left myself "me" time despite the work load.  Saturday morning we had a very sick cat.  He got allergy medication this time of year last year, and I finally figured it out.  Geraniums.  They are poisonous to cats and dogs.  I started bringing them in last year.  Not anymore.  Out the door they went, and off to the vet we went.  I caught him eating one and looked it up.  I feel horrible.  I'm always so spot on, when it comes to "pet safe" around here. We had lots to do Saturday as well - groceries, hardware store, library, and all the other stuff around here.  Including test the truck battery, pick up parts to fix the pellet stove (electric bill arrived at a whopping $500-some amount), and put ...

Big Red has now been dubbed "Ole Unreliable" by Youngest.  Hubby worked over and the truck for some reason wouldn't start for her to go do volunteer work.  It worked fine for me early in the day.  Hubby believes it just needs a new battery. A funny to share about Big Red (truck).  I had so many library books to return that the truck kept telling me my "passenger" didn't have a seat belt on. We will be looking for a new, better, TV antenna.  The one we have doesn't always work depending on the weather.  While Hubby worked over, and I wanted to watch TV and crochet, I had a horrible time.  Three clothespins and maneuvering a curtain, I was able to get three more channels, ha ha! Check this out!  I had been debating buying the crochet hooks that light up, or a neck lamp.  After talking to someone who had the hooks, I went with the lamp.  She said the hooks are light weight, but sometimes too bright and can cause headaches. ...

I sorted through the old outside lights, and found a few strings still working.  I managed to hang some on the front porch without climbing a ladder. So happy about that, and the other table is mostly cleaned off and ready to don a new Christmas table cover. Never run out of batteries.  Sigh.  I do believe the reason Jesse has gotten us up so early, is that he refuses to do his business late the night prior, due to his collar light not working.   The battery died, but alas, we have replaced them, and will have flashlights on backup.  Now I find him sleeping soundly at 5:30am.  What a relief.  Getting us up at 2:30am was not fun. We've been sipping hot herbal throat teas here lately.  Warding off whatever germs have come home from Hubby's work and Daughter's school.   Speaking of Daughter, she is now the understudy for this school year's musical - Drowsy, in the Drowsy Chaperone.  She had hoped to land the main charact...

We literally went through 3 pots of coffee before Hubby was off to work and Daughter off to school.  Hubby asked me not to decorate the tree, and wait for him to get home.  He wanted to do it as a family.  He hates Mondays, so I was skeptical. Breakfast scramble this week - sweet potato/potato/bacon and swiss chard. The lights blink slow then fast.  Battery operated.  Just love these new additions to our Christmas this year.