Spiced Nuts (Recipe)

 

We've been making spiced nuts for the last 18 years.  Crazy, how much time has passed while writing this blog.  

Christmas time brought us recipes that used mixed nuts, and other ingredients, that never got used up (or used at all).  There was a lot going on this past holiday, so I'm slowly using up the unused ingredients. 

I had about a cup of cashews (should have been cashew brittle at Christmas), a bit of walnuts, and I had some mixed nuts (I buy these non-gmo, with zero bad oils, but it contains way too many almonds), we also had some pumpkin seeds, and.....

....we had some of these non-gmo chocolate type candies (healthier option to M & M's in Christmas cookies).  By the way, we bought both to test out for holiday baking.  We did not really like either one, and both are very expensive options.

I tossed all of the nuts and pumpkin seeds into a bowl, and roasted our favorite spiced nuts.  Let it cool completely, and then tossed in the leftover chocolate candies.  It filled two quart jars for snacking.  Most importantly, we found a way to utilize it all, and the small amount of chocolate bits make it a perfect on-the-road, every day, or hiking snack.

Here is how we make it:

Spiced Nuts

1 egg white - whisk this until frothy

(add that egg yolk to your morning breakfast)

Add: 1 tsp. water

1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp. for less heat)

1/4 tsp. salt (or more if you'd like)

Toss in 3 cups mixed nuts/seeds and coat well.

Roast at 325°F for 25 minutes, on a rimmed baking dish (I use parchment paper or my stoneware baking dish), and stir at least once while baking.  Cool completely, and store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

If 3 cups is too much for you, share with a neighbor or friend.  Winter time is hard on many people.

Spiced Nuts (Recipe)  ©  February 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Home Canned Pickled Jalapenos ~ New Recipes Tried

 

Did you can pickled jalapenos last garden season?  Or last year with farmer's market jalapenos?  It was a "new" to us item to add to our pantry, and here is the update regarding the two cornbread recipe trials.  One is actually more like the traditional corn casserole, often served at the winter holidays.

The first recipe we tried, we loved!  If you remember my post, it was a more dense cornbread, but with some home canned pickled jalapenos.  A nice spicy cornbread for soups/stews and chilis. I was incorrect on the source for this specific recipe.  It is online free at Bowl of Delicious.

We adapted organic ingredients, and if you make the recipe with buttermilk, it's even better.  We really liked this recipe.

The next recipe was more of a "corn casserole" type baked dish, very similar to the traditional "corn casserole" one might bake at the holidays for a side dish.  The recipe was from an online source (Farmhouse on the Boone).  I adapted organic ingredients, and used our home grown, and home canned pickled jalapenos.

The results?

The casserole recipe uses less flour, and cornmeal, and ends up a more "spongy" texture and more of a "pudding" type dish vs. a bread type dish.

It was edible, but we did not like it enough to keep the recipe.  The recipe requires a lot more work to make it than the first recipe mentioned first.  Our pick was the first recipe, but you would have to try for yourself.  The second recipe requires a can of whole corn, and a can of creamed corn.  

The winner pick for these two, was the first recipe (by Bowl of Delicious), with adapted organic ingredients, and home canned pickled garden jalapenos.

It was fun trying these recipes, and it's always fun to find a new way to utilize something home grown, and canned.

Home Canned Pickled Jalapenos ~ New Recipes Tried  ©  February 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Warm Up

 We are finally out of the deep freeze, and on the way to a warm up.  The last time I brought in 5 eggs, they were all completely frozen (and cracked, sigh....).

Home repairs are resuming, and supplies purchased. I've already broke out the spackle and putty knife. We had to purchase a tub wrench to remove the tub drain, but it was not too expensive.  Thank goodness for so many YouTube tutorials on repairs and whatnot.

Purging continues with clothing, and other items.  I'm purging the pantry too.  Little by little we are getting organized again, and using up what needs used up.  I found a bag of lemongrass ginger herbal bulk tea, so it's being brewed and enjoyed.  

Errands are much more enjoyable with the warmer weather now.  

Warm Up  ©  February 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Ditch the Doubt ~ Toss it Out! New Recipe Tried and Misc. Tidbits

I have finally sorted the odd assortment of Christmas items from last month's purge, and yes some went into the trash.   If you need permission, ditch the doubt and toss it out!  The rest donated.  Job complete. ✔  

What else can one do when it's -15°F (again), and there isn't even "wind" outside.  It's cold here.  More snow is in the forecast.  

One new recipe that also went into the trash - a millet bar recipe.  I thought it would be "fun" to buy some organic puffed millet and make a really easy recipe, but it tasted horrible.  The small amount of puffed millet cost me $1.33. 

A recipe I will keep!  Oh my goodness it was so good.  By the way, it was a recipe I had, and wanted to try to the last two years.  Literally.  I don't think I have ever roasted acorn squash, because it was always one squash that never grew to size here (have no idea why as we can grow all other squash).

My husband kept telling me how his Mom baked acorn acorn squash, and insinuated that I make it the same way.  I did not.  I tried this recipe, and I prepared the inner mixings the day before (minus the squash), so it can be done that way too.

The recipe is online with Farmhouse on the Boone, called "Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage and Apples" but be aware that the website is heavily loaded with ads (recipe states "apples" but you use one apple).  Very annoying ads.  I used my cell phone to obtain the recipe, and even that way can be annoying, but the recipe is worth trying.  Especially if you have apples in your cellar or basement from your fall producing apple trees and/or garden grown garlic.

Who knew?  Sometime last year, a hotel we stayed at gave guests a free newspaper.  We found a free full page puzzle page for our entertainment, but I brought it home for "on the road" reading too.  Who knew it would come in handy for re-potting plants indoors during winter?  We don't get a newspaper here, so I was thankful we still had it "messy" jobs around here.

I can now take homemade hand lotion, and other toiletries that require refilling, on the road (travel or for home).  I have used amber glass jars for a long time, but when it comes to taking something on-the-go, glass is tricky.  These tubes came in two sizes, and the refill hole is a nice enough size to refill as often as needed.

I have a homemade hand lotion recipe that I make, but it leaves my hands "oily" for too long of a time.  I'm now on the hunt for a recipe that is much closer to one that I purchased last year (also homemade with organic ingredients).  It was thick, and it absorbed much better.   Thank goodness for the library and their inter-loan program, in order to access many books for this hunt.

One more fun item to share:

I honestly forgot about, until I came across them again to wash up.  I did not find these in your everyday box store either.  I found them at a store operated by the Amish last year.  They are salt and pepper shakers, with spring top lids to keep them closed off.  I thought they'd be great for outdoor grilling and/or camping.  They were just a few dollars too.

I don't have anymore "new" recipes to try, but I'm sure a few will sneak into the meal plan here and there. Oh, we do have one more recipe to try that uses home canned pickled jalapenos.

Ditch the Doubt ~ Toss it Out~  New Recipe Tried and Misc. Tidbits  ©  February 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

This and That

Most of our days here have been snow covered, and no sunshine.  We are tickled pink, when we do get some sunshine.

Raise your hand if you put on 14 layers of outerwear, then trudged thru mountains and hill-slides of snow and ice to tend your hens, came back inside and removed the layers to realize you forgot to get the mail from the mailbox?  Yep.  My hand is up, ha ha!  I'll chalk it in as exercise.

I know you are probably reading this and thinking, "this blog can't get any more entertaining" ha ha!  Well, it can.

The hubster strikes again.  He wanted to know if we still had some mini tubes of krazy glue to fix something.  I dug around his "catch all" drawer in the kitchen to take a look-see.  

First, the drawer is "his" because he puts anything in there after completing a home repair/job when he is too lazy tired to put it away where it belongs.

Second, my hands came back out of a corner of the drawer, all purple and goopy.  He put a small canister of purple primer in the said drawer, and the lid was not tight.  Hmpf!  It spilled all over, and is not meant for bare hands.  Nor for a kitchen drawer.   What a mess.  I am pretty sure, after a good scolding, he won't do that again (but most likely will).

I've also have more days than I'd like, where it's been super busy "kitchen" days, followed by a mountain of dirty dishes.  Anyone who cooks/bakes from scratch is going to have dirty dishes in a mass form.

The feed store peas are sprouting nicely for the ladies (chickens).

New recipes tried. . .

Lima Bean and Ham Soup.

I used dried beans as the recipe stated.  I went by the recipe online, shared by Just a Pinch Recipes.  Don't skip the bacon in this soup.  We loved it!  Seasoning of course is thyme and oregano from the herb garden.  

The lima beans have left the cupboard I am "baking/cooking" my way out of now.  I do believe this is the very first time to even use dried lima beans.  It's not a regular go-to bean, so it was fun to try this soup.

I adjusted the soup to a crockpot soup.  Tip:  Plan this soup the day after you make bacon for breakfast, and save 4 strips for the soup.  Save your ham bones from the holidays for winter soups like this.

Jalapeno cornbread.  I think this is the second new version to try.  My husband said, "this is the best cornbread ever!" when he devoured it.  It contains honey, and a small bit of brown sugar, but it is all real ingredients.  I'll have an update on this, as we compare it to one more new recipe in the near future.

I used our home canned pickled jalapenos for this recipe.  I love a recipe that not only utilizes something I canned, but also the brine in which it's canned in.

Current larger crochet afghan.  It's about 36 inches by 36 inches right now.   I am going to research a new lap afghan pattern for the next donation blanket, but I may have enough scrap yarns (again) to whip up a scrap yarn lapghan first.

I called about my back ordered yarn, that was due to ship back in December, then gain in late January.  They are saying it's due to ship in March now.  It's cotton yarn, so I hope this is not how it will be locating yarn for a project.

This and That  ©  February 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

 

Happy Homemaker Monday

 We had some delightful, and much needed, beautiful sunshine over the weekend.  We however, had a sick raccoon climb the old chicken coop fence one afternoon.  There was another coyote (daytime) sighting not too far away.

I am joining Sandra at Diary of  Stay at Home Mom.

The Weather . . .

Not out of the negatives just yet.  A brisk -8°F, and snow on the way.

Right now I am . . .

Writing a list, writing this blog post, and sipping hot coffee.

Thinking and pondering . . .

Well, letter writing back-fired on me.  I wrote to an extended family member on my husband's side, thinking it would be a fun snail mail exchange (I really miss the letter writing I did with an Aunt who has passed).  Instead of writing me back, she texted ( a  long text ) back to my husband.  Sigh.  I even bought special writing paper. 

Pondering a list of where, and when, to donate lap afghans, baby blankets etc. to this year.  I have a list with new locations, in addition to the current donation locations.

Pondering - Starting a cooking club at our house once a month.  Hosting a book exchange/swap sometime this year.

How I am feeling . . .

Tired.  Extremely cold weather can zap one's energy.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Breakfast burritos with meat/eggs and veggies.  Coffee. 

On the menu . . .

Chickens are getting sprouted peas for winter nourishment.

. . .for us?

-Lima Bean/Ham soup, and a new type of homemade cornbread

-Stuffed Acorn Squash

-a new sheet pan dinner to utilize the freezer

-leftovers

-possibly a healthy snack, homemade hummus (with veggies)

On the TV this week. . .

-Movies:  Walk the Line, and a few others, Hallmark movies a few times.

Looking around the house . . .

The magazine shuffle has ended!  They are gone, and I found a thinner cookbook underneath the stack of all things.  Not even sure how I obtained the cookbook, but it's what's left to take a look-see at.  

Painting may resume when the temperatures improve, but we are on the fence with when (and who) will do the wall repairs (yes lots of wall repairs thanks to the kids etc) upstairs.  New light fixtures are badly needed, along with new window coverings.

To-do list today . . .

(all week vs. just today)

-pay bills, run errands etc.

-housework (laundry, dust, dishes, floors)

-library returns and pick ups as needed

-try a few new recipes

-make a call, send messages/inquiries

What I am creating . . .

Catching up on granny squares for my crochet book blanket.  Matching them the best I can with scrap yarn on hand. 

Crocheting a current larger afghan, and still waiting on back ordered yarn for another project.

From the camera. . . 

Devotional, prayers, Bible verses . . .

Prayers for two families who lost their long time 17 year old dogs (both different people we know, and both with dachshund dogs).

No personal prayer requests today.

Prayers for the southern states dealing with the weather hardships right now.

Happy Homemaker Monday  ©  February 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart