Monday Madness

 

I'm calling it Monday Madness, as we return to a week of a regular work load, and trying to catch up for what we did not get done around here.  The bathrooms need a good cleaning, trash taken out, dusting, sweeping, dishes etc.  It also means, I am back to the kitchen for some homemade cooking and baking this week.

I'm dehydrating plantain, as the weather was good for it, and we needed it.  I have tinctures to strain, and salve making to do this month.

My husband is feeling better faster than me, and in doing so, has prompted the start of several projects that are overdue.  I'm not sure which one will be done first, but we have acquired the new window (will require some drywall work as well), lumber is ready to start the chicken run build (and we have stand by help for both), he's on board with the office purge (so old carpet can be torn out and the new flooring put in), utility room purge/clean up will once again start due to the fact we will soon need to remove the 16 year old washer and dryer.  Lastly, for now anyway, we have acquired a new heater for the master bathroom, and the old electric baseboard heater will be removed. 

Ha, and I thought we'd be slowing down this month.  I  am thankful that my husband is feeling better, but the holidays are approaching, so we'll see what actually progresses.

In the meantime, library books keep rolling in, and I have yet to even look at any of them.  The weekend went by way too fast, but I finished the last crochet lap afghan.

Here are a few photos I took, of the evil flying predator, known as the hawk.  I went out to see if it was still hanging around, and yes it is (they are unfortunately "protected" in our state).  The more I get photos of it hanging around, the more my husband is motivated to get the run built (will have a roof, and completely enclosed run).   Yes, I do need a rooster, but for now, we'll be focused on the enclosed run.

I'm going to attempt to keep a to-do list going, in order to stay on task around here.  I've already added more to it.  I asked my husband where we put the porch chair covers, and we both laughed.  We both have no idea.  Another job added, ha ha!

We are throwing ourselves into the week without a meal plan.  The only plan is to use what's in the freezer, needing to be used up first.  It should be fun.

Monday Madness  © November 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

This and That

 I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July.  We had zero plans.  The humidity was so bad, it could choke a person, and then it rained.  However, by dinner time the rain had cooled down the heat and thinned the air, so we grilled out with a few kids and played cards.

Today the air quality is said to be bad.  More rain is on the way.

Whats been happening?  Well, it's been hot.  Very hot.  

Delivery days happened.  There were personal deliveries to those who had "stuff" in our garage, a trip to the thrift store for donations I purged, and more.  We have more planned deliveries for other items.

I'm now contemplating a book purge on another bookshelf.  The photo only shows a portion of one shelf on the bookshelf (gulp).

On the repair front, weather stripping needs replaced in a few doors.  The weed whacker needed a new part (now fixed), and a few windows needed new locks installed.

On the garden front, we have harvested a few more bits.

Three garden salsa hot peppers, and one zucchini.  I made fresh salsa with the hot peppers, and boy are they hot!  They are a much more potent heat than jalapenos.  It will clear your sinuses.

A few days ago, I started saving our coffee grounds.  I am sprinkling them along the green/wax bean rows in my last ditch effort to save them.  One, they add nitrogen to the soil, and two, it deters some rodents and pests.  I'm hoping it works.  I guess we'll find out soon enough.

We have purchased some inexpensive plastic garden fencing on a roll to install around the green beans this weekend.  We joked that our green beans cost us $$$ this year to grow.  It will work for the season, until we recover our previous fence expensive, and buy more fencing for the entire other garden.

We are really hoping for more rain today, because I need to thin out the radishes (soil has been pretty dry due to the heat), and we have 3 trees growing in beds of various locations that need dug out (birds and squirrels are the worst planters).  One tree is a walnut tree, and their roots are like cement.

Speaking of rodents, I finally got my husband to get all the supplies we need to build two tree baffles.  If they do as they should, we'll make one more for the peach tree.  Yes, they will be green, because we could not find white buckets, other than Menards (and they were twice the price).  At least it's better than hot orange, ha ha!  Pictures to come later hopefully.  The supplies were much less expensive to do it this way, vs. sheet metal or baffles.

On the kitchen front, I tried a new recipe.  Only because it sounded delicous.  You mix greek yogurt with peanut butter and place scoops on waxed paper.  You freeze it, then coat it with melted dark chocolate.  I don't have a photo to share, but it was very good, however, the yogurt/peanut butter mixture did not freeze in the 20 minutes the recipe said it would.  I waited an hour, and still not frozen.  It took a very long time, so I have plans to do it differently, and in mini-muffin pan liners next time.  It's a sweet, high protein, cold snack for a hot day.

The kids didn't need eggs, so I once again boiled some, and made egg salad. It's great for a quick meal on a hot day, and you can top it with home grown microgreens.

As for the zucchini, I may use it to make a zucchini-jalapeno frittata.  Possibly with some Canadian bacon on the side, bacon or other breakfast meat.

This and That  © July 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart