Pioneer Woman at Heart

I had a busy day Tuesday.  Once I had the chickens tended, I headed to town to do some paperwork with my younger brother.  I then ran some stuff to Daughter E, and went to a couple of stores, and completely forgot to pick up chicken feed. Once I was back home, I had dishes to wash, dry and put away, only to start baking a breakfast and dinner for the day, and finish up more laundry. It felt weird, but I made a small batch of blueberry pancakes and cooked some locally made blueberry maple sausages for breakfast for a few days.  I typically make a giant batch of pancakes, that's why I said "weird."   I tried another new recipe.  Thanks to my dear friend for asking me to help her with freezer meal ideas, I came across this one - Taco Stew.  I've made taco soup before, but this was amazing.  I told my husband, that it was almost better than chili.  I changed a few things, like using home canned tomato (herbed) sauce, and added homemade taco seaso...

I intended to take a photo of the casserole with cheese (fresh out of the oven), but it smelled so good we scooped and ate right away. The only thing I did differently, was mix the pepper in with the onion (vs. sprinkle on top the cheese).  Well, that's not the only thing I did differently, I also used sage sausage vs. ground beef, and used home canned pizza sauce vs. tomato sauce.   It was delicious.  I think it smelled divine, because it was home canned pizza sauce.   I froze the other half of it, so we had an easy meal for another night. Just google the name of the recipe, and Taste of Home.  Recipe is online. Great way to use your zucchini this season (and for us avoiding pasta), and using up some home canned pizza sauce.

We didn't have to make breakfast Sunday.  Our niece and her husband invited us over.   To top that off, she baked my husband's favorite cheesecake.  I'm sure we'll be sharing as he shouldn't be eating it, ha ha!  So good though. We picked up another load of stuff at Mom's house.  There is much more to do there.  I just put all the gardening stuff in the barn and will go thru it all after we finish the kitchen floor project. Sorry for my lateness this morning.  I am easily distracted with my multitasking today. Joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  It is Monday right?! Ha ha!  Oh boy.... The weather . . . 34°F/21°F As I look outside my window . . . Nothing but gray skies right now. Right now I am . . . Doing too much multitasking and not enough of one job, ha ha! Thinking and pondering . . . Trying to figure out a plan for today.  I have to start moving Daughter K's stuff to an area not in my way, and out of my kitchen....

The funeral home is the last place I wanted to be last night, but we went to visitation, regarding the young 22 year old that went missing.  The mother works where my husband works.  I'm still a little rough around the edges, and emotions were a bit sparked by being there, but glad we went.  She was so happy to see us.  She came to my surprise birthday party years ago. It's tough to see this happen, as we have a 22 year old as well.  It's not said how she passed, other than she went missing, they went out searching and found her too late.  It's just so heart breaking for the family. Woke up to snow.  Not much, but UGH!  We went from several dreary, windy days to this.  I hope it's gone by tomorrow. Sheesh.  My daffodils are already coming up.

  Check out my new round cake carrier!  I just love it.  I have had a Tupperware one for maybe 30 years and this replaced it.   It can be used for all sorts of make and take foods as well.   I wiped down the wooden towel stand that was in the smaller bathroom, and it will go to the road for free this weekend weather permitting.  The bathroom has no linen closet, so I have a wall unit that now holds the towels and washcloths.  Daughter K is coming for a weekend in April, and after that we'll be ripping stuff out of there soon. I'm still debating on replacing the sink, mirror and wall light.  I could paint it, but then there is the garden too.  It's a small bathroom, so the sink is pretty small compared to a normal bathroom.  Not sure if we would even be able to find one that size.  Time will tell, so will the pocket book. We have not gotten the estimate on the kitchen floor main work, but have been making plans ourselv...

  I spent the good half of the day yesterday in the kitchen.  I felt bad my husband had nothing to take to work for breakfast. I made a sweet potato (organic hannah), bacon with greens hash, topped with eggs.  It was so good too. I also made a pecan sour cream coffee cake with Georgia pecans.  Oh my goodness!  So good.  New recipe I tired. Dinner was homemade meatballs with a sauce made from home canned barbeque sauce, garlic from the garden and a bit of honey, on a bed of wild rice.  I wanted broccoli in it, but that didn't happen. Cleaning also resumed, after a mountain of dishes were done, and dishwasher ran two times.  It was a beautiful 60°F day, but too windy to enjoy the front porch. The local professionals stopped in last night to take a look at our first project - kitchen floor/new joist/new sub floor.  They took measurements and asked questions.  The estimate will be emailed soon.  My husband is 99% sure we'll be doin...

Took advantage of good weather and got the chicken coop mucked, and just before the rain moved in.  I did a little bit of sweeping on the front porch, and swept living room. Craft stuff put away until big repairs are complete.   I really don't have time to create right now.  I will try to carve out a break time for my self some how. I guess I'll be collecting more boxes.  I have two more cupboards to empty. I purchased a new toilet paper holder for the bathroom remodel.  It pivots up, and has no spring thing to deal with.  It should arrive today. My kitchen is full of boxes that Daughter K needs to come and move yet.  Sigh....I do not like my house looking so chaotic.  In time it will be looking spiffy. Here is our big job to-do list for this year: 1. Rip out some counter tops and cupboards, rip up flooring and sub floor, replace joists, re-do sub floor and complete new flooring, put cupboards and counter top back in, hutch back in, and re-fi...

The weekend was super busy, but Daughter E squeezed my husband and I in for a haircut.  I actually got a hear treatment while she cut his hair.  It was way over due. It hasn't been decided yet, but due to my husband's new position at work (12 hour days) and lack of help with the garden, I may be doing more downsizing for this garden season. Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, and now I am technically a "homemaker." I will link up later when she posts (and if I can remember to, ha ha!) The weather . . . It will be a nice sunny 70 degree day, but rain will resume for a few days. As I look outside my window . . . ...checking a trap we set for an unknown pest Right now I am . . . Starting the washing machine, writing this post, and making a list for the grocery store, and figuring out a meal plan. Thinking and pondering  . . . Oh....there is a ton of this going on.  Trying to make a plan to get someone hired to rip out the kitchen floor.  I hav...

  It was not really the best weather day to do this, but we drove to Hobby Lobby and with my wire cutters in hand, made this in the truck on the way to the cemetery.  It wasn't cheap, but worth every penny to put together.  I think it turned out very nice.   We (my husband and I) also put flowers on my Grandparents grave (next to Moms), and drove to the town where Dad is buried and put flowers on his too.   On the way home we realized how many graves we need to yet visit this year - his parents, his sisters, our grandson, his nephew and his nephew's son.....just too many sadly. Today we will be having Christmas with our Daughter T and the grandkids.  I know it's March, but it's been a whirlwind since Christmas (or before that).  The grandkids will be tickled pink to get presents in March.  She was unable to visit with us Christmas day, and she has a busy work schedule. My blue roses are blooming beautifully.  I'll try and remember t...

  My husband is simply the best!  I was surprised with this delivery yesterday.  He knows exactly what I need and when I need it.  Mom loved blue roses and so do I.  They don't exist in the real world, but one year I found a blue rose plant at Home Depot.  I could not for the life of me get it to bloom blue.  It takes a certain soil to bloom blue, but I really, really love my surprise delivery.  I very well may search for a hybrid plant this year and try again.  Although Daughter K is "officially" moved, there is much still here for her to move to her apartment.  I plan to box up anything for her if needed.  Now that she is out, I spent a good day cleaning (but oh my, she left the upstairs, downstairs and bathroom a mess).  My fitbit has finally gotten back up past the 10,000 mark.  Yeah, there was no way I was logging my "stress" on that fitbit, as it was at a all time high (for several reasons). As soon as we toss the co...

  The weather has been beautiful.  Today the high is 71°F.  Porch weather, and we are loving it. I have not run out of things to catch up on or clean.  My kitchen is full of door wreaths of Mom's I put one on each door, and plan to donate the remainder.  She had a knack for finding the most beautiful ones. Considering my brain has not yet re-charged, I will be relying on notepads to keep me in check. I'm considering getting a barn cat this year.  We are getting a few field mice.  I think Jasper, who is a great mouser, is on leave ha ha!  Country life at it's best. My homemaking tip today:  sure fire way to catch a mouse in 24 hours or less.  Use the snap traps.  Put a small piece of cheese on it, covered by clear tape, poke a few holes in it and wa-la!  Their teeth catch in the tape and tripper the trap.  Otherwise they get away with the snack and trap never goes off. How long does arrowroot powder last?  My bulk buy ...

  Although I thought  my brain would re-set, after a break, it has not.  Yesterday I forgot my husband's birthday.  Sigh.  My husband told me yesterday I was a "hot mess" and not to drive anywhere today.  There is nothing worse than instinctively picking up my cell phone to call Mom and realizing I can't.  I guess the ol' journals will be coming out again. Maybe designate one solely for chats with Mom.  It will take time to get thru this for sure. The chickens however, are back to laying a good amount of eggs.  I never got around to baking a breakfast, so that must be done today, or my husband has no to-go breakfast for work. The weather is warming up enough for drying clothes on the clothesline, so I'm going to tackle all of the remaining laundry today. I felt like everything, at a point of the day where I just wanted to relax, went wonky.  First my scanner froze in scan mode.  Then, when that was fixed, my emails were not going ou...

I'm back, in case you wondered where I've been.  It was a last minute decision.  Literally.  The vacation dates were set in May of 2021, and unknown to me, my husband did not cancel them. He kept asking, and I kept saying no due to the situation, but my mental and emotional state was not good and he picks up on that pretty well. So....off to FL we went.  We literally in one day borrowed a box trailer, loaded our motorcycle, and off we went to meet our friends, who were already there (and also encouraging us to get there).  They literally still had a room in the house for us.  Daytona beach (Bike week) was the most crowded we have ever seen it in the last three years.  Unbelievable. We had a really good time, so I am glad we went.  What made me say yes, is that my husband's job is moving him up, and overtime will begin soon and we may not get another vacation the rest of the year.  So we went. What I really didn't like, is getting text message...

  I moved most of my yarn/craft supplies upstairs, but it's between Daughter K's room and the stairway.  I'm dealing with tripping over boxes and whatnot to move more up there (to clean out my room and closet).  The quilt photo is a quilt from my Great Grandmother.  The photo was taken in 2011, when I attempted to donate it to a historical society.  It didn't happen.  I have had it in a bag on my bedroom floor since last fall.   It was time to clean up my own bedroom.  I still have Christmas presents in there for the grandkids (not wrapped either).  I sent an email out to my siblings to see if they wanted it.  I do not want to store it anymore.  It's thread bare, and cannot be used or washed, and I have no where to hang it (and protect it from dust). Heck, I just put away more Christmas decor my daughter left out, and today a small Christmas tree, and this weekend the outside Christmas lights come down.  Life has been that...

  My brain was on over drive yesterday morning, as I had one day to try and attempt to at least clean up the kitchen.  It was a bit tough to dodge packed boxes, but I'll deal with it all, and boxes will be gone soon.   Be still my heart!  I had a bag full of tablecloths from Mom.  As I unpacked them, I found a Pioneer Woman one.  It made me so happy, it's on one kitchen table.  I have Pioneer Woman's kitchen curtains, glassware, and a trivet.  I am so blessed to inherit it.  I absolutely love it.  My napkin holder is being passed to Daughter K (doesn't match kitchen anymore), and I will soon find some goodies to add to my kitchen.  I can't wait for a shopping trip to beautify the kitchen.  Speaking of kitchen, I spent the entire day cleaning it.  Oh my, crock pot put away, all of Daughter K's stuff off the table (she's terrible at doing that).....even started a box for my husband.  He's terrible (then again ...

  I am saving this recipe to try this summer.  I thought I would share it.  Has anyone made this?  I am just now learning about it. I got some organic dandelion greens blanched and in the freezer.  There is only one store that sells them this time of year. It was another day at Mom's house.  I made two trips to the re-sale store in town (benefits area businesses).  It's been difficult, but the busyness keeps my mind off things.  I've been able to pass on some kitchenware to our Daughter K, for her new apartment. Clothing has been donated to a soup kitchen. My house is a crazy mess, so once Daughter K is completely moved out, we will start major repairs and updates.  We also plan to do a major clean up in the garage when the weather gets better.

  We got a card from one of my cousin's, and it was obviously opened by someone in the mail system.  It's sick that this happens.  They probably thought it was a birthday card and were looking for money or a check to steal. We also got cards and a beautiful wind chime from my husband's work.  Mom loved wind chimes too.  In fact, she gifted us one made of shells.  I can't wait to hang them on the porch this spring. I finally got around to baking a healthy breakfast, but forgot to take a photo.  It involved sausage, eggs, bell pepper, onion, jalapenos, garlic and dandelion greens. I've been slowly working on a menu this week, but I am slow joe fizz this week. My asparagus seeds are starting to sprout. My kitchen is filling up with packed boxes, for another move day for Daughter K.