Pioneer Woman at Heart

  New recipe tried - Kidney bean salad with Lemon (recipe is free online at A Virtual Vegan).  I did make slight changes to the recipe. What I did. . . Instead of cane sugar, I used a Tbsp. of lemon infused honey. I used a full organic English cucumber. I used both fresh parsley and cilantro (had some that needed used up, as it's not garden season and I have to buy it). I used red onion. I chilled the salad for a few hours before serving. We added crumbled feta to the salad when I served it.  Yum! Rain is here again.  It's due to come down off and on later and even tomorrow morning.  Our evenings will start dipping into the 30's (hopefully no hard freeze). Thankfully, my three cilantro plants, that came up by themselves, from last year's seeds, are still thriving in the herb garden. Kidney Bean Salad ©  April 2026 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer  Woman  at Heart

  I haven't had time to porch sit, so I have not smelled the lilacs wafting through the country air.  I noticed a bit late this season, but they also bloomed early.   A few years ago, a pine tree died and fell down, breaking off half of our lilac bush.  It's still blooming, but barely.  Lilacs smell so wonderful.  I remember, as a young teen, my Grandma bringing cuttings from her lilac bush.  You can make a lot of things with lilacs, but I have yet to try any recipes.  You can make syrups, infused sugars, jelly, teas, tinctures, and even body care.  Do you make anything with lilac blooms? There is a possibility to plant another lilac this spring, but the rain is still an issue. I had "plans" to do some weeding, but we are saturated here still.  Rain is not ending today again either.  I think we may even see rain a bit Thursday, but hopefully not.  The rain is giving us chickweed, and we are enjoying pesto.  I mixed ot...

Regarding my recent sprained toe...  I unfolded each piece of gauze to prepare and make the poultices for my toe area. (looks like ants are chewing holes in the leaves) I harvested some comfrey from our "weed" garden, to make poultices.  I only had 2 x 2 gauze, but it worked for my toe.  I used my new smaller food processor this time, and it worked great (comfrey leaves, a bit of water, and flour {can use arrowroot, or whatever for a thickener}). The plant is springing up pretty well, and was large enough to get enough leaves cut for the poultices.  I used a freshly made poultice right away, and froze two more.  The frozen ones work to also reduce the swelling. I also used my homemade comfrey salve, and the bruising is very quickly healing, and pain was gone after day one of poultices.  Thankfully, it was a sprain and not a break. A strong thunderstorm, with rain and wind, moved into our area last night.  Only about half the mowing was completed before...

  Do you ever notice how it's hard to be around people who are negative about "Monday" and the start of the week?   Monday gets a bad name all around.  I used to tackle so much around the house, but I have since then created a cleaning/housework schedule, and it's been working out fantastically.  Monday's are not bombarded with overwhelming to-do lists any longer. My husband had a recent conversation about how his co-workers complain on and on about "Monday" and how terrible it is.  Is it?   Every year I look forward to learn something new.  A new trail to walk, new herbal remedy to make, new handiwork to learn, or just about anything.  It's not only rewarding in most cases, but fun. My "firsts" this month: - dehydrating wild violets, and leaves -dehydrating dandelion flowers  -read a new author, picked up another at the library (yet to read - gulp!) -reading a new devotional -learned the words to a song, and inadvertently learned w...

  I purchased a travel tumbler with tea infuser.  I randomly chose one based on reviews.  It can become frustrating, when you cannot find one person who drinks herbal teas/medicinal herbal teas.  If we like it, I'll post an update on it. By the way, there are several options to buy one, with several sizes too. Something new I learned from a book: -I can brew my herbal tea, cool it, and freeze it in freezer safe vessels.  Pack them for a picnic or travel and it will keep food cold, then thaw for enjoying.  Another perfect idea to travel with your brewed herbal iced tea. -I once watched an "expert" on a video (maybe youtube, not sure) say brewed teas were only good for 48 hours.  I'm reading in a book that brewed teas, cooled for iced tea, are good for up to 4 days.  Anyone know the actual truth to either of these findings? I've been busy dehydrating dandelion flowers.  I, apparently, need to dehydrate more.  They shrink up to about nothin...

  In working on my home "apothecary" clean up, and re-organization, I found one lonely jar of dehydrated, wild picked stinging nettles.  I decided to grind them, and create a homemade herbal seasoning. To the seasonning, I brought in some dandelion greens and dehydrated those, and ground them as well.  I added that to the nettles, and added homemade garlic powder. Finally, I will be adding parsley and salt to the mix and using that for meals. I did not measure anything.  I just sort of eye-balled the amount I ground in even amounts, and in actuality, the salt could be left out.  I tend to salt lastly. It's my little herb seasoning experiment.  If we like the flavors, we may be trying it with more options - mint, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, ginger etc. The rain continues here, and it's hit or miss with picking more wild violets,  wild violet leaves and dandelions. We had a really bad storm come through the area early evening, and of course we needed to...

  Dehydrated some wild violets and leaves.  However, my 15+ year old smaller dehydrator (for small batch) died on me.  Good thing I did not turn it on when I ran out for errands.  Sheesh.  Any who, I'm already on the job for looking for a new smaller one.  I use it often for herb seasonings and small batch items like the violets. I have also been out in the flower beds, and they are filled with purple dead nettle.  I have chickweed too.  Hm.  Lots of ideas are spinning away. Ordered a bunch of recipe books from the library (again).  I will never learn, ha ha!  I'm on the hunt for a specific recipe we would like to have for grill out meals. Picked the first of our spring asparagus, and boy it feels so refreshing to get something from the garden again. More Wild Violets and Leaves ~ Asparagus ©  April 2026 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer  Woman at Heart

  A few tulips are starting to bloom.   Tulips are not the only spring life coming to life right now.  Although most people would yank these and toss them (as weeds), I see cleavers, purple dead nettle and some chickweed.  The spring herbs and flowers are working my creative mind.  I've been dehydrating, infusing and such.  I'm also doing more reading (herbal books).  There is much to learn yet.  I am learning of two new salves I may make and try, and have been learning more with creative herbal seasoning mixes. I keep forgetting to get a photo of the purple shell blanket progress, but it's the slowest going project yet. The photo is an earlier photo of the beginning of the blanket. It's not time consuming because of the stitch, but because the weather outside is nicer (so much we can do now, and jobs to work on), and I am spending a lot less time with the crochet hook.   The yarn was in the mass amount of yarn given to me last year...

  Although 18°F early morning, and only in the 50's, the wild violets are making an appearance after a very long winter.  We love homemade wild violet jelly , but I have other possibilities this Spring. Wild Violets ©  April 2026 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer  Woman at Heart

  Brisk 14°F and high of 38°F.  I used my clothesline yesterday, but the wind was crazy.   We are seeing wild ramps on our walks lately. Planted:  Mullein (very hard to seed start, so we shall see) Harvested:  Green onions, Yarrow Purchased:  Flower seeds A small, removeable fence has been placed around the "weed" and herb garden.  Thankfully, I had the fencing, and did not have to purchase any.  Hopefully, it will keep the rabbits out of it, but I have seen a chipmunk who runs among the outdoors.  Ordered a few books and DVD's from the library inter-loan program.  Just doing my part to keep the library open, but also to use the free resources. Speaking of resources, you never know what freebie you can utilize, and one fell right into my lap last week.  More on that later.                  Finished this book.  As a result, I learned a few new fun facts.  Like the fact that ...

  We ended March with a high 77°F with an evening of thunderstorms.  We started April with temperatures in the low 30's, with a lot more rain. I've started my infused oil with horsetail.  I'm reading through my herbal books, watching Youtube videos and the like.  It's an herb/weed new to use.   I did not buy my horsetail online.  I purchased at an herbal health store.  However, the one store nearest us, does not carry it, and another apothecary does not grow it or carry it (40 minute drive).  We are very limited to access to stores or apothecaries with medicinal herbs, tea herbs, and the like.  It's frustrating, but in some cases, forces me to simply grow some of them myself.  It is depressing to not have any like-minded folks in our lives.  Most people we talk to about it, just laugh and act like it's all a waste of time or a joke. Speaking of Youtube, I'm watching several videos on spring wild violets right now (tinctures, te...