Feeling Better ~ Sort of ~ Hen Killed

First, thank you all for your good thoughts and prayers.  We are both feeling better, but boy the fatigue is dragging on and on. My day starts pretty good, by by afternoon I am feeling exhausted.

 

The weather here sort of helps me be able to curl up with a book or yarn too.  It's been dreary days the last few days.

Rest was/is on the top of the list, but one food item I totally forgot about (when sick) is applesauce.  Home canned applesauce, from our apples.  The raccoons got our apples this year, as it was a drought year.  Any other year, they leave them alone.  

When it's a very dry season, we seem to have more of a wild animal/rodent problem.  Thankfully, we can buy apples nearby, but still not the same.

I had it on the canning radar, but it totally slipped my mind with our overly busy October.  It's back on the list.  It truly is the best tasting, but if we are too late for our area's apple season, I can atleast stock up a few jars of organic apple sauce.  

I can also check with one new (small, within a tolerable drive) self sufficient farm for a bartar or sale (I found out the wife cans and pressure cans).

Applesauce is not only good for when you are feeling ill, but for baking/cooking and for simply enjoying.

I typically have more soup options on hand, so adding more to the freezer is on the agenda - chicken and rice soup and maybe one more.

Keeping bread in the freezer is on the agenda as well. I have stopped baking it, as my husband has no self control when it is baked.  I will be trying a few new einkorn recipes maybe, and even possibly sourdough yet.

I will be making a list of seeds we need for our medicinal herb garden as well.  

On the sad report of the post - a hawk killed my buff orpington sometime late yesterday (before sunset).  I have not seen, nor heard a hawk here either.

(it came back for more, and you can see how well it blends in with the trees)

It's the first time in all the years for a hawk to get one.  We had let them out into the run, and headed to go get some supplies (more on that later) and we may have even interrupted it when we got home.  Hard to tell, other than we'll be needing to build the new run (with a roof on it) as soon as possible.  Not to mention, that I will be needing the brooder box in the spring now too.  

I think my husband feels bad, because I kept explaining to him that they are not protected from predators in the current run.

I have no carpentry skills to work on it by myself, and I'm sure he'd say I cannot unless someone was here anyway.  I will be working alongside him, so I can learn more.  He does have a full time job, but we can't delay this any longer, and more projects are underway now.

Feeling Better ~ Sort of ~ Hen Killed  © November 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Yarn Shopping ~ Applesauce and other tidbits

I've been on a mission to restock a specific crochet thread color and size.  Every store is out.  I even checked the Hobby Lobby where one daughter was working the other day - sold out.  Supply and demand is definitely a problem with not only food/essentials, but with yarn.  I placed my order, despite the cost of shipping.

Don't try to buy a car either. The prices are jacked so high right now.  We decided to fix both cars and sell one to our 21 year-old at an affordable rate, so she has a car to get to work.  I just hope repairs are not too expensive, but glad they are finally getting done (of course the second car was a surprise).  In the end we'll each have a fully working vehicle.

We got word yesterday that the first car we took in needs a new intake (which we knew).  We asked if he would put a new window regulator in one door and check a few other things.  I am praying it's not expensive and it's done tonight so my husband doesn't have to keep taking the Harley to work (it's a bit frigid this morning).

Applesauce was finally canned, but I will need to do it again soon.  Thanks for all your help with my question about lemon juice.  I am so glad I lost the instructions, because it forced me to sort and organize my binder better and toss some recipes.  I actually got 9 pints, but only 7 fit in the canner and I didn't want to water bath just 2 so those went in the fridge to enjoy for meals and hubby is taking one to work to keep there to enjoy with his lunch.

I've retired the canner pot for a short bit.  I have to see if we have any good size beets out in the garden.  That's today's job, other than to finish up the mound of dirty dishes I've created.  I'll be posting the Bourbon Chicken recipe tomorrow (hopefully).

Canning Applesauce ~ Writing Again ~ Scarf in Progress

I've been getting up about 5-5:30am to stoke the fire.   We woke up to 19°F.   We will need to cut more wood this weekend.  The repairs on the coop have been delayed due to the dark days, and how dark it is when Hubby gets off work.  Repairs resume on the weekend as well.

I finally got around to canning some applesauce.  It pretty much took most of my morning and afternoon.  I bought 20# this year (I haven't canned applesauce in a few years now).  Remaining apples will be in the cooler garage.  I may can another half-batch of applesauce too.

...and since I had apples, I put steel cut oats in the crocky for our next breakfast (cutting the brown sugar down this time).  The apples and raisins add enough sweetness.

Guess what's on the menu this weekend?  Crockpot "fried" apples with breakfast.

Hubby and I watched a good movie on Netflix the other night.  It was pretty good too.  It's call Falling INN love.  While watching it, Hubby asked me "you need to be writing again."  I agree, so I will carve time in my day for that again.  Who knows, maybe I'll be bringing in some extra cash for our new coop fund?  Anyway, the movie is good, don't let the title make you think it's just another love story.  Once you watch it, you see why "writing" was brought up while watching it.

I have all the granny squares made for the scarf I'm gifting.  I just have to crochet them all together now.

It's been a long week....

...and it's only Tuesday.

Hubby and I made it to the gym at 5am this morning.  Slowly, but surely, we'll have a regular routine in place.  I myself, had been up since 2am.  

The usual stuff needs done, and I'm still trying to get some foods stocked up and processed etc.  It's a fight this week.

I canned 8 more pints of applesauce.  

My swiss chard is not looking too good.  I plan on visiting it today and getting the last of it in the freezer.

Sunday Coffee Hour

The snow is arriving slowly.  I am so glad there is no wind as well.  It will be interesting, at nightfall, to see how much we actually get.  You know how word spreads, right?  The news said 2-5 inches.  I heard up to 8 inches via word of mouth.

Guess who visited us last night?

Applesauce Chicken Dinner

(Applesauce chicken cooking in the crockpot)

Hubby and I are officially back to the gym.  The means frugal and easy meals, that are also healthy.  Although pioneers didn't have crockpots, this meal is very self-sufficient.  It could easily be cooked over a fire using cast iron pans too.

First, I went searching for cookbooks on meals using applesauce, but I didn't find any (just baking cookbooks).  I found a crockpot dinner recipe on-line, using chicken and applesauce.


Anyway, back to the frugal dinner.  If I don't raise it, I do buy organically grown chicken.  It's not frugal, but worth our healthy lifestyle. And of course I buy when it's on sale or clearance, and freeze it too.

Then I needed a side dish.  Red Quinoa? Yep, but after checking the cupboard, I was out.  Sweet potato fries?  Yep, but not conducive to working out at the gym, and expecting kids to turn the fries every 15 minutes.  Hmm?  My side ended up frozen carrots that we grew and froze over summer - a  self-sufficient, chemical free meal.

I used the recipe that I linked (above), but used organic apple cider vinegar, organic cinnamon, home canned organic applesauce, organically grown chicken, etc. I may be making homemade hot sauce next season too. Cayenne and hot sauce are a great substitute for store bought hot red pepper flakes.

This was very good, and all of the family loved it.

   

Applesauce Banana Muffins

If you are wondering what I'm going to use my home canned applesauce for, here is one recipe I make with it.

Black Walnut Dye ~ Home Canned Applesauce

There are so many versions of using walnuts for dye, including making a dye for stamping fabric.  I decided to soak some walnuts in water for 3 days  (slightly browned).  I ran the liquid through a strainer, lined to catch all the small stuff.