Pioneer Woman at Heart

  Woke up to a brisk 48°F outside.  There appears to be a frost on the windows of the truck, and top of the trash can, so I'm hoping it has not affected my herbs or garden.   It's not going to last (we are heating up again to the 90's), but I will admit, I slept in, as the cooler weather was a welcome.  However, I have more tomatoes and bell peppers to take care of, and running very behind now. Anything "sauce" tomato days are long days here.  There is the chopping, dicing, then heating until a puree, then removing peels and seeds, then reduction, then canning.  Canning in the water bath is typically 35 minutes or longer, depending on what I'm canning.  My husband was shocked at how many ingredients (and the time to do it) go into tomato soup. I'm brewing some coffee to get this day started, but hope to be back with an update.  Thank you all for your potluck ideas.  I do appreciate it.

I'm still being held captive by the paste tomatoes, but have a hot minute to ask a question.  I started the tomatoes late today too.   My husband and I eat healthy (low carb/zero sugar), so it's hard to eat at a potluck.  I could always make deviled eggs, but so many people bring those too. What is your go-to dish for making sure you have something you can eat, and one that others will enjoy as well (low carb/zero or low sugar)? Not a crock pot dish, as the event I'm thinking of, invites a lot of people, and lack space for electrical outlets. Not a dessert either.  Ha!  I'm making this difficult for myself.  Fresh fruit is an option, but I'm thinking a cold veggie salad of some sort. Maybe a dip with sliced bell peppers for dipping?  Salsa and quinoa tortilla chips? I'm stumped.  Eat before we go, and just take whatever? I'm looking at cold carrot salads in between stirring, chopping, and reducing tomatoes.  I found one with Dijon dressing an...

  Welcome to Crazy Lady's Kitchen, where the days start with tomatoes, and end with sauce anything! My Weston sauce maker waste funnel broke!  Of all the wrong times to happen.  The funnel is a think plastic one, with plastic tabs to attach it.  It broke before, and they were out of stock for over a year.  I saved my old one, and hold it on, but now the price to replace it is a whopping $21.79 with shipping.   I'm looking into getting a different food strainer/sauce maker.  What is the brand you all use (for those who have one)?  If I have to replace the funnel every year, I might as well look into a better overall sauce maker.  I use it to make applesauce too.   We brought in another 80 pounds of past e tomatoes.  I canned pizza sauce, and taco sauce.  I've been crazy busy, with long days in the kitchen.  Top that off with doing all the dishes, and trying to keep up with normal housework, incl uding laundry!...

  It's been very hot here, but canning must go on.  Tomatoes are picked and ready for a full day of canning.  I have to run our dehumidifier in the kitchen. We woke up to thunderstorms, so hence more humidity in the air, and today they say the heat index could be up to 110°F.  I have had the radio on the last few days, and today they are talking about closing some schools due to the heat.  Some schools here do not have air conditioning. Say a prayer our power stays on for a full day of canning.  I am seeing that several towns on the out skirts of us, are without power this morning. The zucchini and yellow squash are still rolling in, but yesterday the plants looked as if they were about done for the season.  I guess I will know next week after this rain dries out.  We are to get strong storms tonight, so if the rain stops, and I get a break with sauce reduction, I will need to check on tomatoes again. A couple of the zucchini plants are producing ...

This is an old blog draft I had before all things in life went BAM!   Funeral is over, but we are all hurting.  Again, thank you for your prayers and good thoughts. It is taking all I have to get up and go this morning.  I am slammed with tomatoes, and I should have been up at 4:30am today.  I am so far behind, but I am up, as my husband had to work today as well.  Oh, I am slammed with green bell peppers as well.  I'm still dealing zucchini, and did not have a chance to check on the plants, as we had a day of visitation, and a full day with funeral services.  I thought I just heard the radio mention thunderstorms today, so after I get tomatoes prepped, I may run out and do a very quick look-see. I have to get my morning work out in first, then there is the unloading of the dishwasher, and then moving produce around to make room for a full day of canning.  It's very hot here as well, so that is a double whammy in my kitchen this week. A beaut...

  The days have been long here lately, and thank you for all of your kind words.  Our very loved, 20 year-old grand niece, left behind two beautiful baby boys.  One is 18 months old and the the other is 6 months old.  Our niece and nephew (grandparents) will be raising them.  Funeral arrangements hit hard, as we've gone through the motions way too many times.  It's been so difficult getting through the days.   In the midst of all the mental distress, the garden is throwing a lot a me.  First picking of tomatoes came to 67 pounds.  I'll be very busy.   Not sure what will get canned yet, as my brain is overloaded as it is. I canned way too much tomato soup last year, so I will cut back on that this year.  I am trying to pass the last dozen jars around to the kids, so they are not wasted, as I prepare canned tomato items this season. Green bell peppers are still rolling in and I had a dozen to freeze, and some to eat. The zuc...

  Heaven gained another angel last night.  Our grand niece.  She was so young, and way too early to go in life.  She has two beautiful baby boys.  I will be back soon. Way too many deaths in the family.  

  Short post today.  We started building the new coop over the weekend.  However, he bought the wrong size wood, so it's bigger than it should be.  We got two wall frames up, and he changed his mind and will be cutting the walls down for a shorter coop.  This man.  I am happy we are starting to build it, but I thought he had this all planned out too.   I didn't get any other pictures, as it was very hot out and we were extremely tired.  We reached out for help, and once again, no help.   Just the shopping, loading and unloading wears us out.  Roofing is heavy too, and so far that job sounds like it will be just him and I, and I am not looking forward to that. I already have bruises, burst blood vessels, and he's sporting bandaids. Biofreeze has been our best friend.  I'll try and get my camera out there for photos later this week, if we getting any progress done on it. Like I said, we will be going a bit backwards on it fo...

  One of my extreme clean projects (craft binders) landed on the kitchen table, and it made me realize, I need the table for tomatoes.  Yikes.   Tomatoes, although we are getting black rot on some, are rolling in, so I have set up a small camping table for the extras, as they are not all turning red at the same time this year.  The sound of locusts outside, reminded me to wash our bathrobes while I still had good clothesline weather.  Plus, they were on the bathroom door, and I need that door taken down to paint anyway.  Eventually. I didn't get a photo, but that clothesline was full.  I washed all the towels, clothing and anything else to beat the rain. Speaking of laundry, my washing machine is now acting up.  I am getting codes, and it will stop completely.  We got it running again, but it is 14 years old.  It may be the next appliance to be replaced.   So, what would eat jalapenos?  I have one plant almost eaten c...

  Roses and lavender plants have been trimmed, and the garden continues to provide.  Our hot pepper plants are not as big as last year, and peppers are smaller.  Not sure why, as the rest of the garden did well, or is doing well. I tried a new yellow squash recipe - Yellow squash Tots.  I used the colander method vs. cheesecloth to remove water.  I also found the recipe online.  It tasted good, but nothing spectacular.  I do love that they are all baked at once, vs. fried in a skillet like squash patties (which takes forever).  The greek yogurt dip is good, but you could use sour cream or eat them by themselves.  These reheat nice in an air fryer too.  I think, if I make them again, I will add a jalapeno or some red pepper flakes.  It just needs more flavor, but easy to make. We made it to the hardware store for two more boards for the new coop.  Well, when we got home, someone realized we bought the wrong size, ha ha!...

  In the process of swapping out the old and new refrigerator, I found a tote with more goat supplies I was keeping.  We have already given away the milk pail. I guess I was hanging on to all of this, just in case things got very bad in this world, and we needed to invest in dairy goats again.  We decided to let it go.   The "zebra" goat coats were sewn from old pajamas from the kids.  I made them myself actually.  The other was made from old sweatpants.  I guess you could say this is my only purge this week.   We are still enjoying fresh cucumber salad, cucumber salsa, and I tried a new yellow squash casserole (which lacked flavor). The green/wax bean plants were yanked.  We enjoyed some of the freshly picked ones.  It's too late to fall plant them.  We had a good harvest this year.  We got 37# this year.  I gave some to the kids, we ate some, and froze some. After several weeks, we finally got 90% of the flower...

  Saturday's pickings.  I did not look at the green beans.  I will today if there is a break in the rain.  The beans are about done for the season.  The yellow squash went bananas overnight, so there will (or should be) a squash casserole on the menu. We borrowed a trailer to go pick up a "like new" refrigerator, and when we got there, we realized we needed help.  It had to be taken down stairs (on a trailer), that came out and went sideways.  We took the trailer home, and then the boys said they needed the trailer, so no trailer, no help. Frustrated, we then rented a trailer from TSC ($14.00 for a half day), so that was not too bad.  However, all of my husband's family were busy with a cookout, and everyone else we could think of was busy.   We literally moved that fridge by ourselves.  It was a lot of work, but it is not a giant full size one either.  Anyway, we got that loaded and unloaded, old one moved out, by ourselves....

  As usual, it's been chaotic, busy and full of surprises here lately. Green peppers are looking good.  I just may get some stuffed ones in the freezer this year.  If I do get stuffed ones frozen, it will be a different recipe, and one without rice or cauliflower rice).   Speaking of freezer, our "garage" fridge/freezer stopped working a few days ago.  I spent a good amount of my day cleaning it out.   Zucchini gave me a break for a day.  We are typically getting something daily.  My husband has taking extras to work, and I took some to the library staff.  I gave up on anyone coming to our homestead to pick it up for free.  No one ever picks it up. Blackberries are starting to turn color for picking.  No red raspberries for some reason this year. Green/wax yellow beans are still producing, but look like they are about to let up. I found myself a cleaning caddy.  Although I have not had a chance to get my cleaning stuf...

  Yes, you can make foldable tortillas from zucchini!  It took me 3 times to get one right, although a bit toasty.  I followed a recipe I found online.  By the way, not all online recipes are accurate. The one above, although crisp around the side, still folded for a breakfast tortilla. Here is what recipe I followed: Zucchini Tortillas (Gluten-Free, Baked), by Alexandracooks I used the exact ingredients.  You really do want your shredded zucchini very dry for these. To make these 6-7 inches, I could only fit two on the parchment paper.  Recipe instructions state to use parchment paper.  Do NOT use parchment paper.  These stick to parchment and I was lucky to get this one off the paper to try.  By the way very delicious, and a great way to make a breakfast tortilla healthier. Bake time on these?  12-15 minutes at 450°F.  You can see the parchment paper turned brown.  Anyway, the first two trays stuck (recipe says it makes 5)....