Pioneer Woman at Heart

Although I've had a strenuous week, and had goat du ties to cover my d aughter's absence, I got the chan ce to hold and kiss the cutesome twosome ( my n ame for the twin buck lings). I pampered myself with fresh roses and t ulips. Today is the last day for Drive r's ed. classes, and the first day of spring break (f or the younger ones).  The younger two gir ls have already bombarded me with sleepover runs, and so forth.      Sharing a update on "Dark Days Challeng e" Break fast has been farm fresh eggs, along with homemade whole wheat bread we bought, topped with hormone free (locally ma de) butter, and my home canned jams/jellies.     This is the easiest recipes I have come up wi th.  Last summer we were gifted ho me canned Pepper Mustar d Sa uce.  I was told it would be delicous over meatballs.  However, I simply placed orga nic chicken tend erloins in the crock, the n topped it with a jar of sauce.  Wa...

It's been a while since I po sted anything regarding the Dark Days Challenge.  Ye sterday, breakfast was fresh farm eg gs, and organic wa ffles . Dinner was a past a dish using my home canned tomato sauce, f rozen (gard en) green peppers and dehydrated mushrooms .  My home canned, organic apple sauce is a wond erful side for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or for baking too). Thi s week I have had a hankering for iced tea .  I have been making a gallon almost every day.  Mmmm!   Today, I will be scra mbling up 2 dozen eggs, and adding onion and green pep pers (from last year's garden), and adding frozen spinach.  This makes it easy for hubby to grab a quick breakfast bu rri to before he goes to work. Evening , wind dow n time, usually involve s hot tea .  I purchased organic, loose le af tea from a small (privately owned) local business.  

We went from this on Jan uary 2 6 th , to .... ...this a few days ago - warm and muddy mess .  I had to wea r mucking boots out to put my l aundry on the line.   Today it's snowing again.  All in a days work. We now have t hree of us down with the crud.  I may have to make homemade cough syrup yet.  Looks like on e of the kids will be cooking dinner again.   My oldest daughter , alt hough started getting sick la ter last night, stepped up to mak e dinner.  She was creative and scrambled eggs with my home canned salsa, and made egg sandwiches on English muffins .  For the side she cut up potatoes and fried them with cumin.  I reg ret not getting a photo.

I woke up yes terday feeling worse than the day before, and just wanted to rest on t he couch, drink hot tea , and warm up with homemade chicken noodle sou p.  I'm not sure if it's a cold or possi b ly trouble with s inuses . I di dn't h ave the energy to cook chicken, and had leftover turkey.  I made a crock pot of homemade t urkey-noodle soup, with home made nood les.  I think it was the la st of the noodles I had in t he freezer too.  With temperatures anywhere from below zero, to the teens, it warmed me up, and will hopefully help my body fight off this sickness that creeped in on me.  Today, there is another 2 hour school delay.  Again, bone chilling temperatures.  Again, we have frozen pipes.  I hope we have enough in j ugs to water the horse, chickens , goats, dogs and cats. 

It's the still-needing-a-name-soup/stew. It turned out more of a stew than a soup. I did not use any broth or stock either.  

I don't subscri be to many magazines, but I do utili ze my local library.   Just be fore the library closed for the holiday s, I picked up a few of my fa vor ites.  I also picked up on e that I typically don't read - Ladie 's Home Journal. In th is particular issue, I found anot her unique recipe, and one wor th trying . Luck ily, the recipes are al so on-line, so I don't have to type it out , and I can direct you to the correct source. Fruit Jam Crumble Bars (Adapted from Ina Garten's Raspberry Crumble Bars ) I used the idea of Ina Garten's recip e, but utilized my home canned pear jam and homemade gran ola.  I initially wanted to use my canned wild b lack raspberry jam , but we ate it all . I did not have sliced almonds and could have used more of the crust mixture, f or the topping, but these were wonderful.  It was al most like eating pie with your fingers. I used an 8 oz. jar of jam also , even though her recipe call s for a 10-12 oz ja...

I was reading over a Christmas book that I purchased at a Goodwill store many years ago (for $.99). I cam e across this recipe that looked worth trying.  I think it is a pretty tasty side version of a bread rol l, but health ier, and baked like a muffin. Wheat-Corn Muffin s 1 cup whole wheat flo ur 1 cup cornmeal 4 t easpoons baking po wder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 org anic eggs, beaten 1 1/3 cups organic milk 1/4 cup raw honey 1/4 cup c anola oil 1/ 4 cup finely chopped white onion 1/ 4 cup shelled sunflower see ds I n a bowl stir together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, bakin g powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.     In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, honey, oil, and onion.  Add all at once to the dry mixture.  Stir until moistened.  Batter will be thin. Spoon into lined muffin p ans, filling paper liners ( See Note ) about 2/3 full.  Sprinkle tops with sunflower seeds. Bake in a 400°F oven for about 18-20 ...

I would have a ph ot o of our finished dish, but it was de voured.  L iter ally.

~1 pkg. Hodgson Mill Veggie Rotini (no preservatives etc)