Pioneer Woman at Heart

Brief post today.   Busy, busy, busy. . . .   Here is the next lap afghan on the hook.  My husband is calling it "Coffee and Cream" ha ha!  He said the "buff" color reminds him of his Dad's coffee when we would add cream.  I'm not in a hurry to finish this one.   Colors:  Buff, (have no idea on the light blue as I have no label for the scrap yarn), Blue, Royal (Red Heart yarn). Trips to buy supplies typically take away most of the hours we/I need for working on the winter project list. We are finding it difficult to find supplies we need, and have yet to pick a paint color for the hallway.  We have more to do anyway. Little of this ~ Little of That © Jan 2024 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer Woman at Heart

Weekend weather was not too bad on Saturday, but boy it turned nasty on Sunday.  Wind, rain, and cold air moved in.   I can't believe January 2024 is already coming to an end.  Where in the world did this month go?  I know I was/and still am consumed with painting, repairing drywall, and other winter work. My husband insisted on getting out to put my books in the little free library for me.  It was pouring down rain and snow (sleet). I spent one morning sorting garden seeds, making a plan, and sent out orders.  Shipping is free with Baker Creek in the USA, but High Mowing is a whopping $11.95 and Territorial is $8.95!  My plan is to save more seeds this season. I spent one day running errands, and delivered 3 crocheted lap afghans and 3 jar openers to the senior center.  The folks that receive "meals on wheels" are offered a trivia contest, and one person/couple wins each month.  A basket of sorts is donated, and given to the winner(s)....

   What to do with Cotton Yarn Scraps Do you remember me asking about what to do with my cotton yarn scraps?   Ideas were: -Facial scrubbies I made a few for our travel case.  These dry quicker, and are great to take when camping or traveling.  I do take a crocheted makeup cloth when traveling now.   -cup/mug coasters  I made a few random cup coasters.  These are great for a warm mug, but not good for anything cold that causes condensation on a cold cup.  The condensation will make the cotton wet, and could ruin whatever surface they are on.   -lip balm covers I made a few many years ago, and the kids put them on their school backpacks.  I never sold any. If you don't crochet, you may find this post boring today. Other than donate the scraps of yarn, I decided to crochet up some cleaning cloths.  These could also be used as washcloths.  I used the same pattern I use for the  makeup washcloths , but with...

I resurrected yet another old blog draft ( I think I am down to 80 or less of them now).  By the way, the last trip to Amish, the same store (below), gave out samples of a "health" bottled blend (called Good Health).  My husband took a sample, and he said it tasted just like the Four Thieves Vinegar I make for us. Enjoy!  Let's talk pineapples. The last time we  ventured out, we re-stocked some supplies, like organic oats, organic steel cut oats, sesame seeds (I use them in homemade granola), and other items.  We cannot buy them here in bulk, so it's a bit of a drive.  We made the most of it. We brought back a pineapple for $1.99 and it was delicious.  The one store we shop at, has a machine inside that cuts your pineapple for free.  We'll be sure to bring back a few each time we venture out for baking supplies.  I wish our stores around here had one of those machines.  I don't buy pre-cut fruit, due to recalls, and it is a pain to cut o...

The fog that rolled in recently.  We have been, and are still getting rain. The chickens are loving this warmer weather, and the eggs are rolling in again.  However, it's "mud" season here, and the coop run is a mess of mushy mud. My husband requested more sausage/egg/cheese cups with sage sausage.  One pound of sausage, makes approximately 3 dozen of these egg cups.  It helps make the most of your money with the sausage vs. making sausage patties to go with scrambled eggs.  I cook up a pound, use 1 cup and freeze the rest for future egg cups for breakfast.  They re-heat well too. Winter Project Progress: ~Hallway~ Window curtains washed, window blinds cleaned, and windows cleaned. Door to garage painted, but it will need a second coat.   Just the Bits © Jan 2024 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer Woman at Heart

  A beautiful sunrise from Monday morning.  The rain moved in, and so did the freezing rain.  Now the fog has rolled in. I put my big girl bloomers on, and watched YouTube and read a few "how to drywall patch" a hole.  One job done, but two more drywall patches need done (from moving a light switch and moving a ceiling light fixture.   Add this to my "what did I learn new" this year list. I finished painting one more entire door and two door frames, including trim inside each room and outside.  The door to the garage has been primed.  I'm making progress, but feels like it's taking forever to finish. I finished the pink/white lap afghan. They will all be donated to a cause, and soon I hope.   Low-carb egg, ham and cheese breakfast quesadillas.  I used to make my own tortillas (so many varieties), but my husband brought home carb friendly ones from the store.  I am using the ham we were given at Christmas, that we diced up and f...

Sunday weather started out at 12°F (wind chill of 5°F).  It was snowing as well. Stray cat chasing a bird?   I have not seen any cats around here lately.  Interesting.       Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. The Weather . . . 19°F  with a wind chill of 8°F Right now I am . . . Brewing coffee and posting this blog post. Thinking and pondering . . . If you have chickens, are you team "fill the roosts with straw/bedding"  or nothing team?  We put straw in ours, and our eggs are clean.  I was given some eggs a few weeks ago (team nothing in the roosts), and the eggs were very dirty.  Also, since I have not been putting straw in the roosts, they are laying on the floor of the coop, so I'm going back to putting straw inside the roosts. How I am feeling . . . Pretty good. On the breakfast plate . . . (before they cooled completely) Egg/sage sausage/cheese cups to go with an oatmeal bake.  When I bake ...

Snow storms have been moving in all around us, but it's soon turning to nastier weather.   It's a perfect time to use up yarn, and work on larger crochet projects.  Large blankets only get crocheted in the cold of winter.   Do you remember this random blanket I crocheted in the winter of 2022/2023 ?   I used up some yarn from leftover projects, and I dug it out during this freezing cold weather we are having.  I sewed in the last of the ends.  My husband wants to keep it.  I had planned to just sell it, but it is larger (approx. 72 x 56 inches) and will fit the spare bed perfectly. (link goes to my blogpost regarding the pattern I used)  I really like the pattern, but I do not like the enormous amount of ends to sew in. . . .I finished a matching hat to the scarf.  It is Red Heart yarn, and not my favorite for a hat and scarf, but it's warm and comfortable.  Hat pattern is Mountain Ridges Crochet Hat, by The Friendly Red F...

  Colder weather is the perfect time to use the oven, and try a new cookie recipe (for possibly next Christmas). I have found some of the best recipes in fiction books.  The latest recipe is from Joanne Fluke's book - Wedding Cake Murder. I have to confess, that I have not yet read the book.  I had to return it before finishing it.  I'll get it out some day soon. In the meantime, her recipe for Butterscotch Sugar Cookies are not only delicious, and addicting, but they make a ton!  I'm freezing some to see how well they thaw as well. I found the recipe on another blog as well ( Make My Day Camp ).  I'm glad I found her blog, as she talks about cutting the recipe in half, and still getting a lot of cookies. 1. Her (Make my day camp blogspot) measurements for flour are not the same as the recipe in the book.  The book calls for 4 1/4 cups.  Her blog states 4 1/2 cups. 2. I used a 1 Tbsp. scoop, so I baked them for 15 minutes and let them sit on the p...

Our new winter egg "basket" as we are in slower egg production, and this helps keep track of the oldest to newest egg. I made another new recipe by The Real Food Dietitians - Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal.  It is very good, but so far I think my favorite is the pumpkin one. My pamper me moment - merino wool socks.  They were on sale for $2 at the farm store.  I could learn to knit my own socks, but I've put that off for so many years now.  You never know.  Until then, I bought these to keep my feet warm during this winter freeze. Entertainer for the Day   I don't know how I get into such conversations, but I do, and I did.  I not only entertained the dentist at my last appointment, but the dental assistant as well. It was freezing cold out, so the conversation started there. I was talking about tending the hens, which led to talking about dressing for the weather.  I mentioned that I always take my cell phone and a house key with me, wh...

The wind chill was a perfect time to bake a side dish to go with our big pot of chili.  I typically make a buttermilk cornbread, but we have to keep an eye on my husband's diet. By the way, this morning we woke up to 23°F outside!  Wind chill is 14°F.  Feels like a heat wave after that sub zero weather we've had. I resurrected this draft (while looking for something else), that I have had for a few years now. I have no idea who gave me the recipe, but there are so many variations of them. I can't make this stuff up, ha ha!   First, my "whoopsie" below happened from using my recipe in my recipes, not off of this blog draft (thankfully). It wasn't until I made them again, that I realized my blog draft said "baking soda" and my home recipe stated "baking powder."  Had I not even found this draft, messed them up again, and looked at both recipes, I would have never noticed until someone else baked them.  Photo is when I forgot to add the baking...