Pioneer Woman at Heart

Remember all that lemon balm I harvested last summer?  Well, I made the infused oil with it, and got around to washing up containers and getting lip balm made. I used the same recipe (Mountain Rose Herbs blog) for Calendula / Shea butter, but swapped out the oil for lemon balm infused oil.  I prefer to use the metal tins, but summer brings motorcycle rides, and the tubes are smaller and easier to carry (and less messy on very hot days).  I ended up making a bit of both - tubes and metal tins. Something I learned - lemon balm prevents the breakout of cold sores.  I'll be giving this to someone to see if if will work as they state it does, and I'll be using it all summer. I had a bit of sausage, bell pepper and onion leftover from our homemade pizza's, so I whipped up a small batch of Sage sausage/egg muffins for breakfast.  I used jalapeno's from the freezer to add some zest to them too.  So good.  I'll be tweaking my recipe and hope to po...

Pizza night was another huge success.  I froze the Einkorn dough for the first time last year (preparedness), and it worked out great.  We love the pizza sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes.  They make the best sauce so far.  I'll be sure to grow them again this summer. I should have started a temperature afghan last spring.  With the hot days followed by this very strange and nasty winter, it would have been one interesting afghan. I'm scanning my recipes for our oldest daughter.  Not that she's settling in her new apt. she wants to take advantage of her crock pot and cook good meals again.  I have a plan for that too. I pickled red onion for the first time.  It'll be used for salads, although I am leery to eat fresh kale out of season, we can typically find organic in our grocery store. Pickled Red Onions Using organic/non-gmo ingredients, thinly slice enough red onion rings to fit in a wide mouth pint canning jar. Add: ...

Thankfully, the only damage we sustained from the high winds, was in the garden.   The plastic we put down in our garlic bed was ripped up.  I'll have to wait for a warmer day to fix.   What's your preference when canning jams - frozen or fresh fruit?  I'm contemplating making a jam, but in the past I wasn't pleased with the end results of strawberry jam, using frozen.  It was not as thick as using fresh.  Maybe wait until summer? I attempted my role as plumber, but failed. I could not wash dishes until Hubby was well rested to fix the pipe under the sink.  I was okay with that, but hate looking at chaos in the kitchen. Dirty dishes everywhere, ha ha! Sunday, not one, but two daughter's came out for a visit.  Both stayed and raided the fridge, and made numerous pots of coffee.  Both normal.  Monday was a bit strange being home with no kids again.  But....housework resumed.  It's sort of like exercise for the min...

We thankfully still have green beans in the freezer, and more canned corn relish.  By the way, mixing the relish with green beans is pretty good too, as well as topping fish. I am completely out of home canned tomato paste though.  I opened the last jar to make a large crock pot of chili on Friday. Our high winds were said to be the worst from 4am to 10am this morning.  I had water bottles filled, jugs filled for flushing toilets, candles and lamps ready, and a portable phone charger ready. Hubby earned this charger free at work with a program, and I had it ready just in case the winds blew down power lines.  Something handy to have during a storm.   You could also use a car charger, but for some reason my phone won't charge on the one we currently have (Hubby's phone will though). Saturday morning, I was up at 5am (naturally like a robot).  I got Hubby's breakfast and lunch packed up and coffee in this Thermos while he dressed to go to ...

One year the word for the year for me, was "patience."  I even made myself a sign on old barn wood. I won't be making signs for these words, but I think the words for this year are preparedness and giving.  I want to be more prepared for just everything.  For example, I want the deep cleaning completely done, so I can be rested mindfully when the gardening time arrives.  I want to be well stocked with natural remedies, oils, balms and lotions. I also want to have firewood stocked up and other prepared items.  As for giving, I just want to be more giving. I have been asked to make a donation to an auction, that will raise money for a wing to be added to a church for children. I have decided to donate one of the Harley Davidson inspired lapghans.  Value is $45.00.  Harley related items typically auction off at high prices, giving the fundraiser a boost.  The person who asked me, dedicated herself to run the fundraiser for our n...

Finished 4 soap saver bags.  Two more to go.  I have another possible outlet to sell certain items, but first must get these delivered. It was a beautiful day to finally hang laundry outside again. Deep cleaned the bedroom dresser.  Hubby just has to purge clothing.  One more finish in the bedroom. I had to make another frittata to finish out the week, but ran out of onions (phssst!).  I just used zucchini/potato and spiced it up with jalapeno and other flavors.  I sure miss green peppers in the freezer. It makes me smile inside, when a kiddo comes to the homestead and immediately asks for a "tea" for a remedy that's ailing them.  They used to make fun of me, but not anymore. It makes me smile ever more when I get a text the next day, asking for the tea because it worked so well.   Due to running out of onions, chili has yet to be made for dinner.  While eating homemade meatballs (made with organic ingredients and...

Thanks to another wintery blistery day, the bedroom extreme clean made great headway.  The bed was moved, everything cleaned underneath and put back (and some removed). Cough, cough.   The woodwork on the bed and night stands wiped down, the decor on the wall taken down and dusted, spider webs knocked down...talk about dust.   I found a container of yarn I didn't even know I had, books, magazines, and a container full of tote bags.  Some bags had store tags on them (ha ha!).  They'll be spread out to the girls or used for projects and this year's trips. I also found my collapsible travel tote, I've had since I went to Spain and Africa while in high school.  It's in very good condition.  It's out from under the bed to be put to use now. We cleaned off the tops of our nightstands and got the other matching lamp working.  We bought them at an antique store years ago, and love them.  We both have some more cleaning, but not much...

Yesterday's sunrise. We had a beautiful, sunshiny day.  Yesterday I tackled this - 25# of tomatoes I froze.  I still have more, but not much.  These  took forrrrrrever to slice.  Last year we got very little harvest.  The tomatoes were also small and didn't ripen at the same time.  In desperate measure, I started freezing them, but this takes a lot of space in the freezer.  When all was said and done, my back was pretty sore.  I have forgotten the hard work this takes, but so worth it. I canned 8 glorious pints of this goodness.  Now Hubby wants to have pizza for dinner, ha ha!  Boy, it felt good to actually get something from last year's garden. Last night's dinner.   Sheet pan dinner night, and Hubby was very happy and surprised with it. Youngest Daughter, drove to the school last night.  She politely departed from the musical, but we know it hurts emotionally.  We'll ...

What's on the breakfast plate this morning? Cauliflower/potato/pea frittata with dandelion greens and other garden goodies.  It was my turn to spoil Hubby and Daughter.  That, and a side of toast with homemade pumpkin butter made with our pumpkins. Diagnosis for Youngest Daughter? She didn't have strep, but a cold.  She's being dosed with elderberry elixir, and she even took the 4 thieves vinegar.  She is exhausted to the max, and we even convinced her to stay home from rehearsal yesterday.  She is downright worn out from school and rehearsal.  She may drop out, due to it infringing on her sleep, rest and health.  She's taking difficult classes related to math and science and has much homework too. We are not sure of her decision to drop the musical, but we've shown her our support.  Her health is more important than the musical, and it is truly wearing her down badly.  She can still try out next year if she wants to. Thanks to wa...

I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  Oldest Daughter brought Mia for a day so she could go snow boarding with friends.  She ended up staying the night due to her falling and hitting her head and the lateness of her return.  She plopped an ice pack on her head and relaxed.   Sunday morning we had another relaxing day other than doing dishes.  I literally hung out in my PJ's until the mood hit me.  Guess what?  I found more beets in my freezer - waahhooo!  So happy to find them.  Who knows what else I will dig out as we empty it throughout the winter and spring. On the breakfast plate. . . Hubby made this for breakfast for all of us yesterday morning.  Yum.  Candy apple jelly on the toast too.  We both got a chuckle Sunday morning.  Oldest stayed the night, and the girls usually sleep in very late.  Both were up by 9am, with the smell of bacon and coffee in the air. Today's breakfast? ...

Speaking of long waits, the line at Basspro yesterday was horribly long.  They finally opened new registers, but even those lines filled quickly.  The store was packed full of people After a long exhausting Friday, we let Youngest Daughter sleep in.  Hubby made us french toast and bacon for breakfast. We had no plans on Saturday, but to make a quick trip into our own little town.  We went to the post office, library, dropped off my Tupperware to be replaced, and visited the gas station. Back home, we took care of the animals, did the dishes, laundry and stoked the fire.  Then we relaxed the rest of the day.  It was a pretty chilly day.

Whew!  Wedding is over.  Daughter's contest is over.  She had won first place to be sent to this competition to compete with many other schools, but did not place.  We are very proud of her to even get to the competition, but it was a long, long day. We had to have her there by 8am, and it's a 35 minute drive.  Too far from home, we stayed in the area.  We first visited a local coffee chop. Best Mocha ever.  Not too sweet and the sweets were freshly baked before 8am.  We will be back for sure.  They also make their own kombucha, which I plan to try next time. Oh, we had lots of time to kill, so we did a lot of looking and shopping.  We also had $200 in gift cards for BassPro shop.  If you don't have that store, it's an outdoor supply type store - hunting, camping, fishing, boating, clothing, guns and ammo, food etc.   It didn't take long to spend our $200.00.  Especially if you are buying ammo....

It's been a crazy week, and more to do yet.  Oye.  In the midst of it crazy weather. I made sure there were no hanging icicles on the barn when I went out the other day.  I didn't want one falling on me, and it sounded like an avalanche with all the ice dropping to the ground.  There is flooding now everywhere and many people without power (we are talking thousands and it won't be on until Friday) due to downed lines.  Thankfully we were not one of them, although I was prepared for it. We were bee-bopping around the kitchen getting breakfast, coffee started, animals tended, fire stoked, and Youngest went off to school.  Not long after that I got a message she was sick.  I got on the phone and finally found a daughter to pick her up for me.  I'm worried it's strep, and her speech contest is this week, so I wanted to get her checked out ASAP.  Right after I gave her tincture and teas of course.  I then wiped down the house with anti-il...

On Tuesday, the weather was horrible.  Woke up to freezing rain pouring down on layers of ice.  The temps warmed up later by noon, but then snow moved in.  What a stinking mess and I was so worried about Hubby getting to work (has a 1 hour drive that goes north of us and into worse weather areas).  There was so much heavy ice, the tree branches were touching the ground.  Cell service went in and out as well.  Hubby made it to work safely, but gosh it was bad.  The trash pick up was behind due to road conditions and arrived an hour later than normal. I popped open a jar of pumpkin butter for toast and rolls.  Mmm.  Cannot wait for this garden season. Our daughter made it out for her birthday dinner, but wind picked up late last night.  It's still windy with a windchill of 8°. Thank you all for the kind comments regarding the baby booties.  There is a story behind them.  A very short story. I was working full-tim...