Pioneer Woman at Heart

                  I've been spring cleaning so to speak.  Really, the entire house needs swept and mopped, so I'm tackling one room a day when I can.  I am moving furniture and washing any rugs.   I have also been washing bed covers/comforters.   The weather is up and down for using the clothesline. I pampered myself with a home hair treatment.  It saved me  $$ from going to the salon.  Well water is not my hair's best friend.  We all deserve to pamper ourselves. Another "finish" for April - set of cotton hot pads to donate.                               The deer have started to roam the homestead, and we are not happy.  We have not gotten the fencing up (deer jump fence if it's too short).  There has not been time to do it. Heck, we haven't even had time to buy the rest of the supplies to get the job done....

I have him-hawed over this scrap (leftover from another project) #3 cotton crochet thread.  I almost donated it to an area store that actually sells scrap balls of yarns.  I did not.  I let it sit around for almost 6 months, ha ha! I tackled one of the leftover threads.  I have no idea how it even solidified in my brain, but a series of events made it happen.   First, I was scrolling on my phone while out and about, and the husband was driving  (not a usual event for me to scroll facebook).  I wasn't looking at anything in particular, but a crochet pattern popped up, I screen shot it, and weeks later, it all came together. I found free bookmark printables in black and white, and printed a sheet of them to tuck and package the hand crocheted bookmark. I had this much left.  This thread made 3 more flowers for 3 more bookmarks.  I used the last bit to tie a bow onto the finished, packaged surprise gift. Nothing wasted. I gave a bunch of bo...

  I got the chance to go on a new outing, and with a surprise outing with one of the kids.   I was over joyed to get out of the house and do something fun.  It really has been a year for "first" times for so many things, and it is bringing me (us) pure joy, adventures, and fulfillment.  Big or small. First, I received gifts!  A bag, new Spring bathrobe, garden gloves and a coffee mug. The garden gloves are touch screen, so I can keep them on to use my cell phone if needed.  They work too!  Fit great! Love them! Oh, and here is the "first time" part of the special day. . .we went to a coffee shop that we have never been too ( first visit ).  It's been open for many a year or so.  It's small, quaint, and oh boy, sells used and new books (gulp!).  They also sell locally made crafted items as well. I got to try hot and iced coffee flights for the first time ever!!  Oh my gosh, these were delightful. My first ever blind date with ...

I finished the lap afghan in the green yarns.  It will be the last blanket to be crocheted until fall/winter time.  I prefer small projects during hot weather here. Finished the current knitted dishcloth.  I had forgotten about it, as it got tucked in the midst of my projects.  There isn't much yarn left on the yarn cone, so I'm not sure what I'll use the remaining yarn for yet (this color was discontinued). I finished another book, hence another book blanket granny square.  I don't know how people can read 200 plus books a year.  I do not have the time to sit, and sit to read that much, but there has been progress this year (much more than last year).   A few of you have given me a few ideas for audio books too.  Like combining an outdoor walk/hike with such books, or while cleaning house.  It's a year of new things and "first times" this year, so it may happen.  This is the first year to read an ebook and could be the first year t...

  Normally, wild violets would be up by the beginning of April.  The cold weather delayed them this year.  I spent an afternoon, on a sunny warm day picking wild violets.  I didn't get to do this in April of 2024 (broke my foot). Wild Violet Jelly in the making! You can see the process on a post here:  Wild Violet Jelly Wild Violet Jelly ~ A Spring Time Treat   ©  April 2025 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer  Woman at Heart

  Any foragers here?  I have a few reference books, but zero information in them in regards to if Purple Dead Nettle and Henbit both have the same nutrition/medicinal benefits to the body.  Anyone? I know, it's crazy question, and there are not many homesteading blogs still blogging anymore these days. Spring rain is great for a lot of things, but it is always the reason we get stuff planted so late.  The gardens are soaking wet, and this is what most of the vegetable gardens look like.  Not kidding.  They are too big to cover for winter.  We use a lot of space.  They are full of purple dead nettle and chickweed. The last few warmer days should start to dry up the gardens for us. I have added spring chickweed to salads and other meals in the past, but according to my blog (and other notes), we have not yet tasted purple dead nettle. Foraging was pretty easy (just look at the above photo, ha ha!). I did a lot of reading, and yes, I have a few forag...

Not much going on in the way of Christmas countdown, other than trying new recipes lately.  I am borrowing books from the library to do this fun research too (other than one recipe). I picked up one more advent gift, and it was a very good price.  A hand towel and hot pad set.  Yes, it's store made and not handmade, but it was perfect for an advent gift (useful and inexpensive ).  I'm working on the next gift, and it will be handmade. I am still trying to locate stores that offer paper bags.  I have plans to use them to wrap the advent gifts, but it's hard to find paper bags anymore.  I even visited one Wal-mart to find that brown craft paper on a roll.  Nope. Nothing.  I'll keep looking when I am out and about.   New Recipes Tried and my very first fruit cake! Butterscotch Shortbread.  I was very much intrigued to try this recipe, simply for the "butterscotch" in the title.  I made the recipe.  It sliced very nicely too. ...

Nothing is tastier and more satisfying, than picking freshly grown cucumbers from the garden.  In anticipation of summer garden goodies (trying to pump myself up, because I'm lacking garden mojo this year), I'm trying a new recipe.  More so, I wanted to taste this combination, because it would be great for a hot summer day when eating a full meal seems too much work.   The credit goes to the cook book "Come Hungry" by Melissa Ben-Ishay. I borrowed the book from the library.  It has a lot of good recipes, and some repeat instructions I already know, but one caught my eye for a high protein snack.  It's nice to have a hearty snack available when we come in tired and worn out from garden work. If you have dill growing in your herb garden, that is a plus to make this.  Along with a few pieces of homemade sourdough bread. In the making of this, cottage cheese was one cheese I never got around to making when we had dairy goats here at the homestead.  Do you ...