Back on Track ~ This and That ~ Cashew Brittle

I hope you are enjoying the recipes lately.  I am sorry I am posting them after the holidays, but maybe it will spark motivation for next Christmas season.  Or for that matter, any time of the year.

No, I am not turning my blog into a cooking blog ha ha!  It's winter, and there is not much going on that is "news" worthy, so you get to see some new or older recipe posts.

(Before a weeding day, and they grew almost 6 feet tall!!)

...... and yes I do miss my garden shenanigans.  Oh man, this last season was a good one, and I will not forget how I would start my day with a good laugh.  Every time I went out to work in the garden, I would just laugh and laugh about the enormous squash plants we had.  Not to mention the enormous bounty we got from them.

Something ate the tops off of a few of my bunching onions, that are in my herb garden.  Hm?  I will have to put a deer camera on it if it continues to come back.  The herb garden is very close to the house too.  

 * * * * * 

The outside Christmas lights are all taken down, and put away.  The tree decorations are off, the holiday bedding washed, dried and put away, and other decorations collected to be boxed up as well.  Another Christmas all wrapped up and put away for a year.  The tree will be put away this weekend.  Believe it or not, my husband is the one pushing me to keep it up longer (it only has lights on it right now).

Lists are back in action.  I have a goal for each winter month.  Trust me, when I say we will not be running out of things that need done around here.   I've already cleaned out one shelf in my refrigerator.  The holiday season baking/cooking really put a toll on my organization.  The fridge is a hot mess, so the plan is to finish that job first.

The warmer days have spiked the egg production here at the homestead.  I guess we can't complain about that.  

We had some leftover "innards" from omelet making, and I did not want to waste them.  I decided to whisk up 9 eggs, and make a small-ish sheet pan egg dish using all the leftover omelet bacon/bell pepper mixture.  

I harvested some bunching onions from the herb garden for this too.  I cooked up some sausage patties and made it into a sandwich.  I'll be doing this again, but adding some greens too.  Gosh, you could eat it without the bread, jazz it up with flavor etc.  

Tip:  I save my bacon grease, and greased my pan with the bacon grease.

The weather otherwise, is still damp.  However, we are starting to cool down again.  The current chicken coop run is a muddy mess.  

Detox for the win!  

I'll admit the holidays get us off track of every day meals, and life in general.  By the way, I am still waiting on my holy basil to arrive.  In the mean time, we are using what tea we have on hand.  

I forgot about our traditional Christmas Cashew Brittle recipe.  I did not make it this year, only due to the lack of time.   I do have the recipe already posted on my blog, and it makes a small batch (I use my metal round baking sheets for this).

You can get the recipe HERE.

Back on Track ~ This and That ~ Cashew Brittle © Dec 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Stuck in a Rut

Being stuck in the house day after day has gotten me lazy. I'm off track with homemade gifts this year.  Not to mention baking.  I am writing out a list to get back on track.  Oye.  I need out of this rut.

Finished 4 of the Adli's quarter holder keychains.  I think they are adorable.

I made cashew brittle for Christmas.  I hid this batch, but we'll see if they find it before Christmas.

Made one batch of Paprika Dry Rub to gift.  It's for turkey or chicken.  Good for a year once made.  I recycled some glass jars that were the perfect size for gifting (organic tomato paste jars).  I just have to label them and pack the bags for delivery. Recipe is from Taste of Home (online).

Recipe I want to try, but will cut recipe in half.

 

Tuesday Teabag Tidbits ~ Holiday Baking Starts ~ Cashew Brittle

Canning took up most of my morning yesterday.

We've been out of Candy Apple Jelly for over a year, so some of this is going in the pantry.

I had to whip up a batch of homemade ginger-ale syrup.  Youngest texted me that she was feeling pretty sickly.  Thankfully, I have club soda on hand, but now I'm out of honey.

Made my first batch of organic cashew brittle.  I hope to make one or two batches more yet.

Dinner was easy yesterday.  I used leftover mushroom gravy, combined with homemade condensed mushroom soup, and cooked pork chops it in the crock pot.

Cats to the Vet ~ Harry Potter Scarf ~ Calendula Cream Update ~ Cashew Brittle Recipe

(these are older pictures, but you can see who is who)

The cats have both been to the vet this week. Somehow, with the "car shuffle" we managed it.  Jasper had to be seen because of his teeth.  He has gum disease.  He's going back for a teeth cleaning to prevent it from getting any worse.  There is no cure for gum disease in a cat sadly.  He's on antibiotics until then, and he's not liking getting it.  

Tiger is sick.  He started to vomit all over the house, so we switched his food, and he'll only eat one wet type (and it has to be cold).  He was keeping it down, but now his back bones are sticking out too much, even though he was eating.  Now his hair is falling out in large clumps.  The vet looked him over, and blood work is getting processed.  We'll get results soon.

Random Tidbits ~ Cashew Brittle

Hubby and I had a long Monday.  Who puts events on a Monday evening anyway?!  Well, the public vocational high school, that our youngest daughter will attend next year, held their "career" night Monday night.  She is the one kiddo who will go to school to learn to be a full service cosmetologist.    

More vehicle troubles - Hubby's brake line broke while driving home on the highway.  We went to fetch daughter's old car (still need to transfer title), but she let the tags expire.  So....back to square one.

"Grad" Daughter got herself a second job.  She was hired during the first interview for Christmas help in a retail clothing store.  She is super happy.  She will need the money to pay for her car insurance.

Not much to update in the sense of homesteading lately.  I miss our goats right now (for some odd reason, maybe due to lack of outdoor garden work?).  The hens are continuing to supply me, so I am stashing some for Christmas baking.  It's been raining and cold, so the barn wood job is on hold for a day or so.  It's been cold too.

Cashew brittle was made.  I haven't made it in years, so it was due time this year.  I made two trays, but I think I will make one more.  It's not a hard rock brittle, so it's easy on your teeth.  We love it.  And of course I use organic/non-gmo corn syrup to make it.  One kiddo said, "Wait? you made it this early??"  Ha ha!  I told her, "you do realize there are only 20 days until Christmas?"  Hubby already found my stash and ate a good handful or two.  I'll have to re-stash my stash.

I decided to send the next finished scarf off to CA, considering the length of delivery time, and work up the next four for the local sales.  I'm saving the gifted one for my other daughter last.  I have only a few more rows to finish another scarf today, then I'll start another one.  I also sold another mug set and 4 dishcloths.  

Its a brisk 29°F out (feels like 17) and it'll only get up to a high of 40 today.  Yesterday we had almost zero sunshine, but today we should get some.  Ever so thankful for that sunshine too.