Pioneer Woman at Heart

  I know the instructions on this recipe are on my blog somewhere, but my searching came up empty.  Any way, I bought these organic beets at the store, but they are not the same as homegrown. Nothing is.  Homegrown is the best.   I didn't measure.  Dice trimmed and peeled beets, dice onion, and put on a oil sprayed piece of heavy duty foil (or toss in olive oil then place on foil).  Sprinkle with thyme and sprigs of fresh rosemary from the herb garden.  Wrap foil and pinch to seal it.  I place my foil packets on a baking sheet. 400°F, 60 minutes or until beets are tender.  Enjoy!  We have made these on the grill too. Roasted turkey with homemade garlic aioli sauce, and those delicious beets/onions. Here's to praying we get the new raised beds built in time to fall plant beets.  I am really gonna miss my spring planted beets this year.  

Sorry if this is a boring post about beans, but I have a few new recipes to share - from "pile to file" keepers.  I've found my voice this month, so watch out for long posts.  I think I have blog-i-tis this October.  I can't blame the weather either.  It's been hot out again. The only other news, is that while I was sitting on the porch with leg up sipping my hot herbal tea yesterday, a car hit a deer just yards from our north drive.  The driver pulled over (a young girl), and the deer flopped around on the road for a few seconds, then got up and ran off.  The same area a car hit one early morning not long ago.  There is a corn field adjacent and north of our property.    Before We also got some barn siding removed last night.  We are tired folks.  Simply tired. We've been eating more beans than meat lately.  It helps the budget as well as our health.  These meals were over a period of time. ...

Preserving continues....   I started the early morning (yesterday) by canning one batch of habanero-apricot jelly with some of the habanero peppers.   We enjoy this jam on biscuits, rolls, crackers with cream cheese, on meats etc. It comes in handy for family/friend gatherings for appetizers and snacks.

.... and I am Not Worried For once.  Priorities.   Food wins.   I put more beets and zucchini in the freezer, and more beet greens.  I believe I am up to 40 servings of beets right now.  I may pickle some.  I haven't decided yet. I do not like to mess with browning meatballs on the stove top, so I went in search for one online that is baked (and for the sole purpose to use up zucchini). We love lots of zucchini right now, and so far I haven't had the need to give any away.  I still need to freeze more in the shredded form, and slices. Back to the meatballs....

Although Tiger is not supposed be sleeping on this good quilt, it was hard for me disturb him, as cute as he was.  That's how I feel at the end of the days here lately. Just give me a bed to curl up on.  I hate not feeling good.  And try to get me to rest when there is no one here to tell me.  Ha!  Yesterday I tackled 12 pounds of organic apples.  I have to buy these at our grocer.  All of the orchards around here spray, and our trees have not started to produce yet.   8 pints of delicious, sugar free applesauce.  I use the ball recipe, but only add the organic lemon juice.

Sunday's work list was changed once again.  While Hubby continued to work on the truck, I went straight out to water flowers. Watering with a rain barrel takes patience.  The water doesn't just spray out like a hose hooked to the house.  We have drained one barrel, and almost a second one, leaving me two more to water with.  I don't like to completely drain them, or a good swift wind will take them sailing, and I'll be replacing water spigots again.

I'm joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom today - 1/12/2015. The weather outside is. . . On the breakfast plate this morning . . . I kind of made this up as I went.  I'm out of bacon, so I simply made it with baby kale and beets - breakfast quiche.  I opened a jar of home canned (spiced) beets for this breakfast.  The ingredients I used:  onion, garlic, chopped baby kale, fresh eggs, Greek yogurt, beets (canned spiced beets from this past garden season), and salt and pepper.  It was actually pretty good.  I saved some for Hubby.

The weatherman said we'd get rain, and they sky surely looked like it.  We got a few sprinkles here and there, but not what we really needed.  I started the day by spending some morning time on the porch, while the kiddos slept in. I got a break from outdoor work, and canning, and cooked up some garden recipes.  First, I made Fresh Dill and Cucumber Salad (mmmm!).   The dressing for this salad uses a teaspoon of raw honey. Then I made our cauliflower crust pizzas , topped with garden delights.  Planning meals has been pretty fun this summer so far.

Here are a few new blooms around the homestead this month.

Despite waking up aching, worn out,  the starting-to-feel-sick overall heaviness, I decided not to sleep in.  Maybe I should have, but I saw another beautiful start to a beautiful sunrise this morning. Sunshine is always good for the soul.  Right?  Maybe it can zap some energy into me today. I've been catching up on things around here, since our 3 night camping trip - laundry, housework, fun mail, bills, floors, bathrooms, etc.  Then Hubby springs one on me.... One of Hubby's co-workers found fall beets, and picked us up 15 pounds.  Or so he thought.  After I weighed out the 6 pounds I needed for canning 7 pints, I was left with about 3 pounds.  Hm?  Either way, I am very thankful he brought them home, and we now have more put up for winter/spring.

I have succumbed to realize that this year is the worst garden year ever (however our first worst).  The second, unexpected, spring frost took half of my carrots, beets, cucumbers, and beans.  We replanted, but almost all of our beets did not come up.  

We plant beets every year, and different types.  This year we've roasted them with onion and rosemary, and roasted them with other vegetables.  I have made Green Tomato Cake , so why not one with beets? I made a Chocolate Beet Cake.  It was delicious!  Even without frosting.  The family gobbled this cake up instantly.

Blanched and froze 40 cups of sweet corn. Staked 20 more tomato plants. Froze 7 cups of shredded zucchini. Canned 4 more pints of Sweat Pickle Relish. Dug up 2 rows of red potatoes. Number of eggs we got in June: 121 Baked up some beet chips for the first time every.  Delicious!  A bit of olive oil and sea salt.  These were amazing.  Now I have to buy a mandolin.  Otherwise, these won't bake evenly and some will burn. I used Martha Stewart's recipe for reference on temperature etc. Spent days and days weeding out all the flower, herb, and vegetable/fruit gardens.  Weeds, weeds, and more weeds. Purchased 12 wooden fence posts for the new goat pen. The 4-1/2 pints of apricot-jalapeno jelly that I made are half gone already.  Hubby loves it so much I am down to 2 jars.  I hope I get more peppers after the next rain. I need to can more to sell. Planted 4 more loofah seeds.  I'm taking a chance and tryin...