Pioneer Woman at Heart

Although we love Beef Stroganoff, we love beef burgundy with homemade noodles and mashed potatoes as well.  Here is my recipe (all organic ingredients or home grown and homemade ingredients): First:  Thaw a quart of homemade onion soup from the freezer.  To make the soup, see the blue ball book for the recipe.  I make this when onions are harvested, and I use a mandolin to slice all of my onions.  This soup comes in handy to use for a soup start as well, for corn chowder and other dishes. Add the quart of soup to the crock pot, and add the following: 2 lbs. of stewing beef, cubed and tossed with 1 Tbsp or so of flour 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced* 1 tsp. salt* 1/2 tsp. marjoram, dried 1/2 tsp. thyme, dried black pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups burgundy wine *(Salt if your soup hasn't been salted) Cover.  Cook 8-10 hours on low. I like to thicken this a bit with arrowroot powder, but it's up to you really. I boil my homemade noodles, drain ...

Not the best picture, but I never got sweet potatoes made with our sloppy joes, so I made them with the spinach/parsley pesto pasta.  I wanted beets to go with this dish, but you all know we had a terrible garden year.  Anyway, those are sweet potatoes in the photo.  Strangely, I was able to buy organic "hannah" sweet potatoes - a creamy potato that turns yellow when baked.  They were so good too.  I made them on a baking sheet with olive oil, brown sugar and cinnamon. I also made the Beef Burgundy, so a post will be written soon to share.  As for the weather?  Nasty.  Surprisingly, the car started, so Hubby is off to work.  I was hoping he would be home, but there are many cars on the road today.  So many businesses, schools etc. are closed today.  Including restaurants, the postal service, Amazon delivery trucks and more.  But no, my husband is essential to where he works, so I am praying the guys and gals there are not ...

The news continues to warn us that if we are outside longer than 10 minutes, uncovered skin can get frost bite.  I'm not sure I can get to the barn, take care of the chickens and get back inside in 10 minutes.  I guess we'll be finding out.  My eyeballs are gonna hurt. Of course the Mom in me, took to calling some of the kids to be prepared for frozen pipes.  The apartment complex that two live in, has this problem. Barn kitty Aurora hanging out on the sofa with Jesse.  They all get along, even with Tiger.   To keep warm, I am cleaning and tidying and just organizing where it's needed.  The movement will help warm this gal. On the hooks: ...and getting marked off my "bucket list" for crochet/knit projects.  I am finally, finally getting these cup coasters off my list.  I think they are gorgeous, and can't wait to get them all made.  I've had this pattern on my list for a few years now, and this winter weather finally g...

Unexpectedly, I deep cleaned under my kitchen sink.  We have had issues with the faucet since the last freeze, and I had to empty the cupboard for Hubby to get under there.  Oh man, did I find some odd items.  Most of my house was deep cleaned over the holidays, but not this cupboard.  That's done now.  I'm just praying we fix the sink issue prior to Tuesday.  We are going to be having the worst freeze this winter from Tuesday to Friday. Although not the best photo, I whipped up a dozen flourless brownies (from Family Circle - Flourless Brownie Sundaes online).  I don't make these to avoid flour, they just taste wonderful with.... A glob of ice cream and drizzled with homemade whiskey butterscotch sauce.

Tiger is feeling better now.  In fact, the day we took him to the vet he got a shot and when we got home, he was running around the house chasing nothing, ha ha!  Then later I found a ball of yarn that was dragged all down the hallway, ha ha! Every year we joke about what will get left out, after putting all the Christmas decor away.  I did it again this year!  Ha!  While pulling dried clothing off the drying rack, I noticed all the stocking holders sitting on the breakfast bar.  Hmpf!  Guess I'm digging out a tote to fit them in. I finally got around to locating a Tupperware dealer.  I have lots of items that are cracked and need replaced.  I just have to pick up the phone and call her now.  Then go around and collect all the cracked stuff. Has anyone used psyllium husk powder in a recipe?  I have a new recipe I want to try, and wonder if this stuff is available in most stores?  It's the "glue" in a recipe I want t...

Bwahahaha!  I can't believe Jesse sat there so long with those sunglasses on.  Some days he just cracks me up. Check out that one eye looking up over the top of the glasses, ha ha! Thursday was pretty much close to a Monday for me.  Due to weather I was delayed on laundry, chores etc. I have been feeling a bit discombobulated. It was time for another scramble too.  The garden sweet potatoes still provide.  I added dandelions, green pepper, onion, and jalapeno to it later....along with sausage.  I wanted swiss chard, but we got zero put into the freezer last summer/fall.  I still have beet greens and other greens though. I baked a loaf of banana bread with organic spices, flax seed, homemade vanilla and locally grown walnuts. My ham bone and organic (soaked) pinto beans went into a crock pot for soup beans and homemade cornbread. After all that cooking and baking, I finally did the dishes.  Lots of dishes.  I st...

There was so much rain yesterday, the schools closed.  It was pretty nasty weather considering we went from freezing, snow covered to pouring down rain. I've had a request for patterns for the items I make.  Here are a few of them. The pattern for the heart cup/mug coasters is online and free at Red Heart yarn:  Valentine Heart Coaster The heart bookmarks are in this book: Your local library may even have this book. The rugs are simple too.  Here are the instructions on how I make them:   Crochet Scrap Rugs The headbands/ear warmers are for sale on my Rooster's Crow Farm blog, but I have also had requests for the pattern.  The pattern is free online at Yarnspirations:  Bernat Twisted Step-Sister Headband.

We have been plowed out, pipes thawed, and now freezing rain is rolling in.  I have definitely given myself "me" time during this after storm time. ....started a set of red hot pads and XL hot pad ....finished these bookmarks ....started a rug with scraps of cotton yarn and that cone of yarn I bought that is not all cotton. ....finished this set of cup coasters ....my new crochet hook arrived, so I'm about to start a new project. My routine is back with a mountain of dishes to wash.  The weather is more than crazy.  We just plowed and now it's strange to see so much rain.  School is delayed.   The driveway is a sheet of ice right now.  How is your weather?

I told Hubby it's gonna take a back hoe or bulldozer to clean my coop when the weather clears up.  I just keep tossing in new straw for now.  I'm pretty sore from cutting wood Saturday.  We cut large barn beams in pieces, loaded them up and cut them.  Then loaded them to them to the house.  Heavy stuff, but burns and heats great.  My knee is just feeling it though. Here are some snow pictures from yesterday: The snow drifted from 2-4 feet all across our driveway. I sent ham, rolls and cheese for Hubby Saturday, and the guys working with him too.  I'm sure they needed it working in the brisk wind and cold.  By 8am, we got up to 4°F.  I literally had several drifts to trudge through to get to the barn and take the dog out. Just to get Jesse to a flat spot, we had to go through many drifts and way out of the way.  We only lost one bootie that trip out.  His Mom didn't send his scarf, so I may crochet one. S...

Tiger is sick again, so that was on the list of to-do's.  We got him to the vet in the morning Saturday.  Thankfully, the family get together was cancelled.  That freed up our morning to cut more, much needed wood. I'll admit we laughed our way through it.  Layered in 5 layers of clothes, wind blowing and almost getting the truck stuck....we laughed and laughed.  What idiots we were for not cutting more wood over summer (again, he does this year after year).  Then again, he was a pretty depressed man after losing two nephews.  I gave him a pass.  Next summer we'll hit it hard.  By the way, I much rather prefer dry sawdust than sogging sawdust that sticks to everything.  It was everywhere. After we cut wood we pretty much hunkered in.  We parked the car at the front of the drive, and thankfully we did.  Hubby has to work this morning and the drifts behind the car are 3-5 feet high.  The snow plow has buried the end of th...

We will still have heat if the power goes out this weekend.  So glad I invested in the eco-fan.  Temps will be plummeting. We are praying the power stays on.   We also stocked up on lamp oil.  Both are low.  Just in case.  We also have a few places we can rent generators from if needed. The wind is going strong this morning.  No snow yet, but today is the day we get it. While everyone is raiding the grocery store for bread,  milk and eggs, we are planning which day and when we'll cut more wood, checking our battery supply, filling more water jugs, double checking chicken feed, pet food and what not.  And baking bread. Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom mentioned sharing our morning routine.  It varies with me from season to season. Right now I rise about 5:30am, let the dog out, stoke the fire and start the coffee.   I make sure Daughter is up, get Hubby's coffee poured into his thermos, pack his lu...