Pioneer Woman at Heart

  My husband requested I make all of this.  Not my favorite for a breakfast (not the pie), but the crew at his work loves it - chorizo and egg burritos.  I also sent refried beans for anyone not wanting the meat.  I made the pineapple pie per his request, as his new boss (his new position) has never had a pineapple pie.  Yes, I cheated and bought the crust, but I'm limited to time. I pulled 3 drawers from the desk area in the kitchen.  They are now painted, but I still have to paint the other cabinet.  I hope to get you updated photos soon.  The hutch is in my way in getting the other cabinet painted, so it may be a Sunday job, when I have help to move it. My husband didn't know I was going to do that (paint was purchased for the inside of the front door). He was very happy with it when he saw it.  The darker wood just felt so drably in the kitchen.  I also plan to paint the small wooden stand that holds my onions and garlic. Daughter K ...

The purge continues.  I took an entire truck load to a place that is a thrift store, where their sales help area businesses.  However, my kitchen has another full (maybe more) load to go.  I'm not sure they'll take another load. I also have a futon that Daughter K left that is going on social media today for free. I picked up paint swatches and got the okay from my husband.  Living room painting is on hold for now, but getting ideas.   Three pieces of furniture were put on facebook marketplace, and what a pain it is to deal with.  There are so many scams right now it's not even funny.   After 4 days of my husband attempting to set the brew time on the coffee pot, I figured it out yesterday.  It now brews for him at 4:20am.  We are both still not liking the new schedule. If the pie safe does not sell, we have plans to rip the screen out and put in something else to keep the dust out.  I am getting the most interest with that pie...

I am still cleaning and purging.  I got all the painting done on one side of the kitchen, and trim is next.  I cleaned the window wood work and put the curtains back up. I felt like once I was done, I wasn't done.  I always seem to find more that has to be done.  We are so pleased with the progress however. My daughter K left an entire set of baking dishes of my Mom's.  She said she had zero room in her apartment.  So....I've inherited those and have a place to put them, but that also means purging my old ones.  Mom's are prettier anyway. My new salt and pepper shakers.  We decided that if the three pieces of furniture do not sell, we have other plans for them.  We'll see.  The used furniture store is unable to buy them right now (her partner in the business passed away).  My husband used to work with her, and we knew she would be fair, but that didn't happen.  Selling on marketplace is so frustrating.  So many scams to de...

The weather Gods have once again turned us to colder temperatures, making it questionable on how much asparagus we will get.  I picked what I could yesterday. Lilacs starting to bloom. The daffodils, and hyacinths are in full bloom, but again the weather may change that.   The herb garden started springing to life, and the green onion is fully ready to harvest from, but cold weather could affect that too.

  I finally got the dishes (all but 2) out of the boxes and back into the kitchen.  New shelf paper is down, and filled 8 boxes for donation.  I don't have to cook for an army anymore.  I had 4 pizza pans.  Insane!  I'm passing on what the kids want for their apartments, but the rest will be donated. I washed up rugs from the half-bath, and packed up another box of teacup/saucer sets.  I'm still waiting to hear from store who may take them. I forgot to take a photo of my breakfast yesterday.  I cooked up some onion, asparagus, bell pepper, zucchini, and bacon, and added oregano, garlic and eggs.  I wanted mushrooms in it, but didn't have any.  I wanted to sprinkle green onion on top, but it was pouring outside. My goal tomorrow is to go upstairs (gulp!) and start cleaning a space for the treadmill.  I'm dreading going up there, but it has to be done, so I can start ripping out the carpet while my husband is at work.  We won't k...

  We had beautiful weather over the weekend.  It was in the lower 80's, but Sunday the wind was pretty nasty.  We took off on the motorcycle to a friend's house, but retreated home after our experience with the wind.  Back at the homestead we got some work done. I ordered a single rolling pin holder for hanging on the wall, and the Etsy dealer specifically said it was for only Pioneer Woman's rolling pin.   Well, my husband spent some time sanding it down so it would fit.  I was in no mood to return it, so that has been done and up, to make more space in a cupboard.  I love it on the wall anyway. I spent time putting shelf paper in the cupboards and re-organized my drawers, so all of my utensils are in drawers and no in a utensil spinner on the counter top.  I am super happy, because I always felt like it was looking sort of chaotic with it on the counter top. I'm no longer feeling like a "hot mess" and now sort of like a semi-hot mess. ...

I started to clean yet another cupboard out, and realized I needed more shelf liner.  I went to the "big city" to get more at Wal-mart, and I'm glad I did.  There was only two rolls left of the color I already bought. I also thought I better pick up a smaller paint brush to finish the kitchen, and there was only one of those left too.  Crazy!   While walking down the kitchen bake/cookware aisles (can't remember if I was just window shopping or looking for something ha ha!), my eye caught something.  I'll get a photo for you soon.  It's my new obsession, and an item that I can display in some of my cubbies (and useable). Back home I got more drawers and a cupboard newly lined with shelf paper, expired medicinal items tossed (left by Daughter K), and yet again filled another box for donation.  Now that we don't have the round, smaller kitchen table, I have no use for the tablecloths for that table. I'll have the kids look at them first, but pla...

  Okay....for the first time ever, we had an ant issue by the dishwasher and sink.  I've never seen this happen, so I did some research.  First, I sprayed down the areas with vinegar/water solution. It killed the ones on the counter, but more would show up.  I noticed they were coming in by the dishwasher area, so I did more research. I made a solution of: 1/2 sugar 1 1/2 Tbsp. Borax 1 cup warm water I then soaked cotton balls in the solution and put them all over the counter tops near the sink/dishwasher.  I left them there for 24 hours.   The next morning, I did not see one live ant.  The sugar draws them to eat the solution, and the borax kills them.  Problem solved, but you have to be patient and let those cotton balls sit for at least 24 hours. Toss those cotton balls and sanitize you counter tops.  Of course if you have little kids or pets, be sure than cannot access those cotton balls while they are sitting on the counter.

  I told my husband that I am, despite the work, having fun getting the house the way we want it (and stay that way for once). I was sort of just going around getting side tracked, but things are going forward.  As I opened a cupboard, I just decided to empty them both and re-organize.  It's been sort of like a "sigh" moment along the way. Our friend who repairs cars, came over and did an oil change on the truck for us.  We are thankful for that.  You never now how long you have to wait in town for one anymore.  We buy the supplies and he charges way less than in the "big city." The chickens are laying great right now, so I baked us an angel food cake.  I haven't baked one of these in many years.  We just eat it plain for a snack, and sometimes add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It's raining again today, but warmer than yesterday.  I checked on the asparagus and I have a few shoots up about halfway. It won't be long now...

  The daffodils are in bloom right now.  I decided not to can wild violet jelly this year, and concentrate on low sugar jams.  Our biker friend we hire now to mow, has already mowed anyway (and then there was snow).  I brought the daffodils in just before the snow arrived. I decided, as I was cleaning out my hutch, that it was time to pass on the Wilton cake decorating books and cake pans.  An old neighbor, who used to babysit for us way back in the day (another town) is now considering buying them.  All the kids are moved out and the pans are for kids birthday cakes.  Oh, and this person actually decorates cakes and sells them from her home, so it will go to a good home and to good use. Funny story, while in High School, I used one of the pans to bake a cake for Biology class.  It was a bacteria cell!  Ha ha!  My husband got a laugh out of that.  I'm sure I have a picture of it in one of my photo albums (somewhere). I also used the...

  I hope your Easter was a nice day with friends and family, or just a nice weekend.   I was whisked away last minute, by my husband.  We went to our favorite Amish area almost 3 hours away.  I wasn't really looking for anything while we perused the antique stores, but I found a chicken cookie jar for $8.00!  What a find.  I have that wrapped up safe until the half bath and living room work is done.  I will share a photo when it's out of it's packaging. I'm glad we did.  We were recharged, and arriving home on Easter Sunday, we got right back to work and hooked the kitchen heater back up, cleaned more floor glue (urgh) off the floor, moved the hutch, kitchen table and most of the chairs back into the kitchen. My husband pre-ordered a take out meal (smart thinking), and we went to pick that up.  Daughter E was the only kiddo that could come over and we met her new boyfriend (very nice kid, has a nice truck and works and went to the same s...

  Here are the two blankets that my sister sent home with our Daughter K.  Of course she tells me to take care of them.  Urgh.  I'm sure that my Grandma on my Dad's side crocheted them.  I have no use for them, so I guess they will be donated.  The colors!! I cleaned out the walkway from garage door to garage.  Daughter K left a box of flavored waters in there from 2 years ago.  Sheesh.  Now I have room to store flooring for the living room. I also went upstairs to fetch packing tape, and found dishes in her old room.  She has a lot to clean out yet.

  I kept flowers from Mom's funeral (casket flowers), and dried them.  I sent the petals to an Etsy seller and had these made.  I also got a necklace for the two younger girls.  I am so pleased on how they turned out.  I'm so glad I did it too.   I ordered myself a bracelet from another store, that I absolutely fell in love with, and wanted to wear it in memory of Mom.  It popped up on social media one day, and it's from a store in FL, where they hold bike week, so I figured the sale would be legit. This is what they shipped me.  Ugly to me.  Not what I ordered.  I sent emails back and forth, and they told me it was one of a kind, and already sold, but yet it was on their site and he description clearly stated what I ordered.   On a good note, and I won't believe until I receive it, they are having the person make another one and shipping it directly to me.  It is handmade.  I'm waiting on a shipping label to ret...

The Good:  The kitchen flooring is in. The Bad:  We have to take several pieces back out and replace due them leaving debris under them and flooring with bumps.  They didn't sweep good enough and then put a fan on it.  We have a 2 year warranty with these guys, but my husband wants to do it himself and be done with it. Oh, after they moved the fridge back, they made a mark in the new flooring all the way across.  They had to replace about 15 pieces due to something under the fridge wheel.  This was before we noticed the debris under several after they replaced those.   They didn't put any of the trim back in, nor the supports under my counter top that is the desk. We'll be doing that after I paint today and my husband installs the kitchen heater.  We had to remove the heater prior to all of this, due to the fact the first people we hired for the joist/seal plate/sub floor repair.  They didn't put any sub floor or under layment under the ...

  Cleaned grout before cleaning grout While the men's worked on the kitchen flooring, I worked on the master bath tile grout.  In the past I have used homemade grout cleaner and was pleased with it.  A friend hosted a Norwex party and I purchased the paste they sell.  Oh my goodness.  It made the grout bright white (septic safe too). It may be hard to see in the photo, but oh my goodness I am so delighted with the clean grout.  I have much more to clean today (it's a larger bathroom than you think). \ I had to climb thru this to get to the computer this morning.  It's the entry way from kitchen to living room, where the "office" is temporality set up. I got a text at 4:42am.  It was my sister.  I was somewhat in a state of worry, because my husband had already left for work.  He didn't tell me he had to leave that early, and the coffee pot is set up in the bedroom. I always pack his breakfast, lunch and coffee. Oh, and the kitchen i...

After firing our last hired help, we had another person come to the house last night and gave us an estimate that was a lot better than the last, and hired him and his boys.  He also installs carpet and his prices are much better, in case we decide to go with carpet in the living room. My husband....sheesh.  He is already talking about doing more work, he's that excited to get things repaired and looking spanking new again.  I have a lot of work cut out for me today, including some kitchen painting that the last person did not do.  I also have another person who does good painting work and doesn't charge an arm and a leg lined up.  We also have a few family and friends that can come over and help re-install the counter top and cupboards. My only problem is finding places in the house to move more stuff out of the kitchen.  I have no more room in the living room ha ha!   Today, thankfully it's an all-in-one crock pot dinner. Once I have that done, ...

  I've been taking down all wall decor in the kitchen, in order to prep for painting more ceiling and walls.  Sub floor is in for the most part, but not finished enough to put flooring in.  Our hired help (friend's brother and wife team) are getting fired today.   Long story short - drug users, not reliable, untrustworthy, etc. I'm already missing an entire painting kit. Anyway, there is much more to the story, but I'll be doing the painting and another friend as the jobs go on.  Meanwhile my husband is working 12 hour days and Saturday, so the major work still has to be hired out. Joining Sandra a day late, at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. The weather . . . 62°F/48°F and rain As I look out my window . . . Old Kitchen flooring. Daffodils  are coming up. Right now I am . . . Figuring out breakfast.  Toast?   Thinking and pondering . . . There is a lot on my mind right now. Homemaking tips . . . To remove a popcorn ceiling, mix fabric softe...

  The good:  I got rid of my "popcorn" ceiling which was half of the kitchen. The bad:  Now I have to paint it.  Paint is already purchased. The good:  Today, three new joists go in and sub floor.  Say a prayer this happens today. The bad:  In the process of replacing the seal plates, the vibration knocked old insulation out and into a pile to clean up today.  Back when we bought the house, they had a trash compacter.  They knocked out a section of plaster wall to install the electrical line to run the compacter (we ripped the compacter out years ago when it stopped working - bags to use it were expensive anyway, and trash charged us more for pick up).  It's in that area that the insulation all came out.  Guess who has to now remove upper cabinets, remove paneling (from previous owner we painted), then knock plaster out and install insulation, then re-panel the walls or dry wall it?   I'm about to lose my mind!  My st...