"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Showing posts with label Crochet Book Blanket Granny Square. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crochet Book Blanket Granny Square. Show all posts

Sunday, August 31, 2025

16 Weeks Until Christmas

 It's not hard to believe that we are traveling closer to the winter holidays.  I'm trying to focus on enjoying every single day until then, but I am fitting in a few snippets of holiday preparing. 

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year.  It's hard to believe it's the last day of August.

I have not yet gotten rid of the links to all the advertisers using my blog posts, but again, still working on it. However, my profile has gone from my blog, and while I am in settings, it is not able to add as a "gadget" to the blog.  Weird things are happening.  

Google had a data breach recently as well, so gmail users were advised to change passwords.  Not sure what else is going on, but just in case you are wondering why my "profile" is not on my blog any longer.  

Okay, back to the Christmas countdown post . . .

Friday, May 9, 2025

Crazy Weather and Other Tidbits

 

What a whirlwind of weather here.  We got more rain (yes, more) yesterday, and a lot of wind.  It's a really brisk 33°F this morning here, and now they are saying we may just get up to 60°F. I had high hopes the 72°F forecast for today would be correct.  Brr!  We need dry days to dry up the garden to till, plant and get on with this garden season.  My word.

We are still enjoying stuffed bell peppers I froze last fall.  When you eat your garden goodies, it's hard to not want to grow a garden (although it was on the possible list to not grow one this year).


Thanks to the massive amounts of rain, I picked more asparagus (in the rain, ha ha!).  I do see a few more coming up to enjoy.  I also see new baby shoots from seeds randomly dropping last year.  Yay to that.

Let's talk herbs. . .


My husband bought me a tea mix months ago, and I have been enjoying it, but the flavor is not very strong.  I plan to start dehydrating this Spring, and mixing my own.  However, I have lemon balm and not lemon verbena.  

I do not know the medicinal differences of these.  I'll be doing some reading, to see if I need to plant a new herb, but in a pot, which means shopping for a new plant and pot.  To be honest, I don't even know that I have seen lemon verbena in the green houses. 





Despite rainy days, I have not had a lot of time to read nor do handiwork.  I finished a stack of hand crocheted dust cloths, one jar opener/gripper, one book, and one book blanket granny square.  The book was a random pick from a used book store.  One more off the home shelf. I am behind on the book blanket oddly.  Did I mention I was busy with all sorts of things going on?

Anyway, I hope to catch up with the book blanket and get the recent granny squares attached.  Meanwhile, I'm babying the indoor garden plants and having conversations about bountiful harvests.

I think the biggest part of my busyness is cooking and preparing meals here.  We eat all meals at home, zero out.  Some days I feel like I am in the kitchen all day long.

Eee-ghads!  I have found another book I want to read.  Sigh.  I currently have another started (off my shelf), and another ebook going at the same time.  To buy it?  To borrow it?  To check around with friends first?  Maybe I will make it a reward for finishing a few more shelf books, ha ha!

I have no current handiwork going.  I'm lacking the "sit" time, which is normal for Spring time here. I have a lot of garden work needing done soon too.



Sunday, April 27, 2025

A Few WIP (Work in Progress) Finished

I finished the lap afghan in the green yarns.  It will be the last blanket to be crocheted until fall/winter time.  I prefer small projects during hot weather here.


Finished the current knitted dishcloth.  I had forgotten about it, as it got tucked in the midst of my projects.  There isn't much yarn left on the yarn cone, so I'm not sure what I'll use the remaining yarn for yet (this color was discontinued).



I finished another book, hence another book blanket granny square.  I don't know how people can read 200 plus books a year.  I do not have the time to sit, and sit to read that much, but there has been progress this year (much more than last year).  

A few of you have given me a few ideas for audio books too.  Like combining an outdoor walk/hike with such books, or while cleaning house.  It's a year of new things and "first times" this year, so it may happen.  This is the first year to read an ebook and could be the first year to borrow audio books.

Finished Lap Afghan and a Book Blanket Granny Square  ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart


Friday, April 4, 2025

Book Blanket Granny Squares

In no particular order, here are a few more book blanket granny squares I made recently.

You can read about how I am making the blanket in my post HERE.  Enjoy!  Happy Reading!





(Free book from a free little library, that I picked up while on a vacation.  A young reader book, but pretty good).


Monday, February 24, 2025

Happy Homemaker Monday {February 24, 2025}

 Success this past week. I installed shelf liners on 3 shelves in one of the bathroom cabinets.  I also completely cleaned out two large corner kitchen cupboards, purged any expired seasonings, vinegars, oils etc. Cleaned them, washed every lazy susan/turntable, lined the shelves, and re-organized.

I made a trip to town to buy liner to finish the remaining shelves.  I also invested in two more turntables to make life more organized.

However, between putting the roll of shelf liner on the check out, and then paying for it, apparently it never made it home.  The drive back is not short.  The remaining shelves will be waiting until we retrieve the roll.  We are stumped at how we never got that long roll back into the cart.  

Anyway, I have also done inventory to see what I need for this year's canning season.  I, apparently, have enough celery seed to can items for the next two years (ha ha! Whoops!).  The kids moved in and out, but left behind their huge supply of spices and seasonings (which of most were the ones expired).

We also replaced our paper shredder, so thanks for all your suggestions.  

A question for anyone who pickles eggs - do you have a fantastic recipe, or do you just re-use juice from your canned beets?  Which vinegar is better if you make your own pickling liquid?  I have only pickled eggs with one recipe, using a jalapeno, and other spices.




Today I will be joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  

I will link up when she posts.  Today's post is a doozy of a long one.  Sorry for that.


The  weather in our neck of the woods . . .

We are finally warming up, and we may even reach 50°F!  It's going to melt all of this snow and ice, so it will also be a muddy mess, but a happy temperature.


As I look outside my window . . .

It's still dark out, but last night during dinner we watched two woodpeckers enjoying our bird feeder on a tree.


Right now I am . . . 

Making our daily snack plans.  Sipping hot coffee.


Something fun to share (blog, video or tip). . .

Tip:  Use a mandolin to shred cabbage on the thinnest setting vs. using a food processor for either slaw or other meals.  It creates a much thinner cabbage, which makes a better slaw or cook faster for a meal.  


Thinking and pondering . . .

Possibilities I'm considering for this next garden season -
1. Dehydrating dandelion greens

2. Planting a new squash

3. Putting my shell pea/snow pea fence back up

4. Planting more fruit options

5. Looking for a new resource to buy tomato plants

6. I can't locate Jerusalem artichokes to try this year.  Anyone have suggestions?  I would like to see if they will grow here well.  I tried Baker Creek and I think I looked at High Mowing, but can't remember ha ha!  Not Amazon or Etsy please.  I saw on Territorial they want $24.95 for one plant.  Are they that expensive for organic/heirloom?

We have lacked in the way of sowing seeds in the house this past year, and I am way behind this year.  I may go ahead and start beets, but it's pretty late for the rest I typically start early.  We do not have a green house, and we lack space in the sunlight, so I have to use grow lights when we do start seeds inside.  The lights have timers, but it does increase our very expensive electric bill.

On my bedside table . . .

-a few crochet hooks, notepad and pen


Listening to . . .

Nothing now, but maybe the radio during the day.  The type depends on what I wish to listen to at the moment.  Music anyway.


On the menu . . .

Focusing on the freezer and garden stash/pantry ingredients.

-pork chops with home canned BBQ sauce, quinoa and roasted beets

-cabbage wraps with Italian sausage (my own recipe, but uses meat from the freezer)

-stuffed bell peppers (made last summer with garden bell peppers), will side these with other smaller meals too

-summer vegetable spaghetti (uses frozen diced zucchini, yellow squash, and green beans from the garden, and a jar of home canned tomato sauce), with frozen homemade meatballs (made with oats and no bread crumbs)

-chickpea crust pizzas using home canned pizza sauce, and frozen bell peppers from the garden



Book I am reading. . .


A much different book, but reading no less.


On my TV . . .

Nurse Jackie Series 3, 4 and 5, DVD's borrowed from the library. However, if it doesn't get much better, we are abandoning the series and finding something new to watch.


On my to-do list . . .

-make a breakfast frittata, and turkey breakfast "sausages"
-make a jar of pickled red onions
-start more sprouts for the chickens
-dishes, empty dishwasher
-laundry
-sweep and mop downstairs room
(my "possibility list" in other words)

Happening this week . . .

Ha!  It all depends on the weather.  I am hoping to get into town to retrieve the roll of shelf liner we paid for and somehow didn't get.


What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating . . .

Another granny finished book means another finished granny square for my "book" blanket.  I am not stressing about if the colors match "exactly" but close enough is enough for me.  The new project is to use up scrap balls of yarn, and crochet a beautiful blanket for us.  More granny squares to make.

Post about my "book" blanket - HERE


My simple pleasure . . .

Reading.


Lessons learned the past week . . .

1. buy honey in glass jars, not plastic

2. keep tinctures in canning jars and not bottle droppers (two of my bottle droppers broke from the residue or whatever)



From the camera . . .



Prayers, Bible Verse, Devotional . . . 

No current prayer requests.