Winter Homestead Activities

My first post for 2025.

January 2025 started with a clean washing machine, clean oven mitts, and a clean dishwasher.   I got all three cleaned by the afternoon of the last day of 2024.  It rained the entire day, and the temperature was in the 30's.  Awful weather, but the right kind to make it much easier to sit and crochet for a bit. January 1st it snowed.  We got more snow last night, and there is a possibly snow storm later this weekend, but our temperature may be too cold for snow here.

Winter time is a time to rest and re-set.   I do try to embrace the slow down, because those busy garden days will arrive soon enough. 

Winter time pick me ups - smelling the orange or clementine as I peel it (really boosts the mood).  Also, painting my fingernails.  I buy the chemical free brand, and winter is the only time I get to pamper my fingernails.  The rest of the year, I'm busy playing with dirt.

On the home repair front . . .

Hubby replaced some door weather stripping (just in time for cold weather).  I plan to check the other doors this week.  He also installed an adjustable clothing rod for our winter coats.  We have no closets for coats here in this farmhouse.  We have what they installed called "cubbies" that are open with a  few hooks inside each one.  We have a door installed to cover our coats for now.  It's temporary until we completely purge that room, and made decisions prior to painting, installing new lights and flooring.  We were literally using shorter shower rods, but they do not last long, so hence the type that is installed with supports with screws on each side (for now anyway).

I have a small list of indoor home updates to keep myself somewhat "busy" and the goal is to have them done before Spring arrives.

The chickens are patiently waiting for their new home, but the weather has been quite finicky.  Eggs are in low production again.  Our last hired help is leaving on long vacation, so things are a bit delayed in other build it/repair it projects.

                      

I have been utilizing the Blue Jarrahdale pumpkin puree (we grew last summer, roasted it, pureed it and froze it) in our breakfast and in muffins.  The above photo is a pumpkin oat bake for breakfast.

I made hummus differently recently, using part navy beans and part chickpeas.  I added 1/4 tsp. of turmeric this time, and may add more the next them.  It does have a different flavor, but it's delicious.

Meals are being planned by utilizing what we harvested, canned, dried or froze last year.  Tonight's dinner is thawed (previously roasted and frozen) spaghetti squash, topped with home canned tomato sauce, homemade meatballs, quinoa and asparagus.  We'll be eating more garden green beans this weekend as well (blanched and froze from last year's garden).

The next room to purge is our utility room.  The room is larger than most, and also serves for storage of certain items.

I am currently (yes, I'm still reading it) reading this book.  I bought it last year, as my husband joked that I needed to buy it.  Even if it's 2 pages in a day, I'm working on getting over that guilty feeling of "I should be doing this or that" feeling.  Maybe that's just how I am wired?  Anyway.....

When I finish this current book, I will share my new activity for the year.

Garden plans are underway.  I'm checking seeds, flipping thru new seed catalogs, and writing list for new seeds (it's a short list this year).  We will need to buy fencing for the other garden area, and we still need to remove the old raised beds.  Every time we had help arrive, they had the wrong equipment or got side tracked with another job around here. 

Update regarding uses for chickweed - it's great for burns.  I am just learning this.  My husband got sprayed with hot steam, causing a burn. We use chickweed for mosquito bites, rashes and poison ivy as well.  If I don't get more made this coming summer, I do know where I can buy it.  He should have a jar to keep at work.

Update on my homemade yarrow salve - I love this stuff!  My husband used it on a stubbed bleeding toe, and said it really helped.  He said it even felt better later.  If you are like some people, and get bloody noses in the dry heat of winter, it came in handy for that too.  It stopped the bleeding and moisturized the inside of the nose.

There is some handiwork taking place this month, but in short snippets for now.  I'll be back with an update hopefully.  Winter time doesn't usually have anything exciting to post about.

Winter Homestead Activities © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart