Chilly ~ New Healthy Recipe Tried ~ Snack

 A chilly 36°F outside this morning, so it will be touch and go, if I am able to dehydrate more herbs or not.  

Speaking of herbs, I just learned that Thyme is an herb that promotes sleep.  I had no idea.  I know it's great as a medicinal tea for coughs and other ailments, but this was interesting information.

The cold weather has me doing much winter prep work, but there is much more to get done.

New recipe tried - Homemade Cherry Pie Energy Bars.  Recipe is free online by Mommypotamus.   I had to add a few extra medjool dates to get the mixture into a mixture that would press into bars. 

Note:  I lined an 8 x 8 pan and pressed it in, then flipped it out and cut into 8 bars. 

These were very good, easy to make and I may even cut them smaller next time.  Simply 4 ingredients to make them.  They contain organic dried cherries, organic medjool dates, organic almonds, and organic cinnamon.

Chilly ~ New Healthy Recipe Tried ~ Snack  ©  October 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Summer Bean Salads

We tried a new white bean salad, using fresh herb garden parsley and rosemary from my herb garden.  The recipe is a winner for several reasons.  One, it is a small salad, so it's perfect for two people, and perfect for summer fresh herbs.  Two, for the small amount of ingredients, it packs a good flavor.  A few reviews stated to add some diced celery.  I may do that next time.  A keeper recipe.

Recipe is White Bean Salad (online). You can read the recipe, but to print it, the site requires you to sign up to "unlock" the print option. It's easy enough to simply write it on a recipe card.

Second bean salad to try using different beans. . .

Bean Salad

I got this recipe from my Dad years ago (he was into super foods and bought many recipe books pertaining to that focus).  I found it while cleaning out old recipe books and such in my kitchen.  I forgot all about it.  I doubt my Dad ever made this salad, but anyway.....

The salad requires a fresh tomato.  The other option is a can of tomatoes, drained. I found some TN tomatoes at our local produce stand.

We love this salad!  I do like the addition of celery, so I may be adding it to the other bean salad recipe too.  I'm wondering if adding some feta too would add more flavor?  

Here is the recipe on how I prepared this bean salad:

Here is the recipe:

1 can organic black beans, rinsed/drained

1 can organic navy beans, rinsed/drained

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 fresh tomato diced (or if you don't have one, one can of organic diced tomatoes, drained)

2 organic celery stalks, diced

2 Tablespoons, organic red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil

salt/pepper

Mix, and chill for about 2 hours before serving.

I think this would be great with some added diced green onions, chives, parsley or even cilantro from the herb garden.

It's delicious as a light lunch or a side dish and very similar to the other bean salad we tried.

Summer Bean Salads  ©  May 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart
 

Mashed Potato Squash ~ Does it Freeze Well?

Last fall, I roasted the last of the mashed potato squash we grew in the garden, and froze them.  I thawed a container for a dinner, and it thawed very nicely.  Hardly any water in it, and I just gave it a good stir before reheating.

Reheated with some salt and butter, and it tasted as good as freshly roasted mashed potato squash.  Yum!  I'm happy to report it worked out very nicely to roast, freeze, thaw and reheat.  

We will be growing mashed potato squash again this year.  I'm so glad we discovered this squash.

Mashed Potato Squash ~ Does it Freeze Well?  ©  May 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Blind Date with a Puzzle ~ Meal from the Freezer

 We have been having some beautiful weather here lately.  I however, have not put laundry out on the line, as we call this "bird" season.  Flocks of them are in the area, so as soon as they move on out, I will be able to enjoy the clothesline once again.

We purchased a "blind date" with a puzzle back on January 31st, from an area local store, while out on a getaway.  However, we paid $18.00 for this puzzle, and when we got it home, it was a used puzzle (box was falling apart).  I never saw any signage that stated the puzzles were used, so my husband insisted we purchase a 1,000 piece one.  

Well, we finished the puzzle finally. 

(puzzle is a portrait by a famous artist)

There were two puzzle pieces in the box that did not even go to the puzzle.

As we predicted, there were pieces missing from the puzzle.  We plan to donate the puzzle pieces to a place that recycles them with art/crafts.  Very disappointed.  We won't make this mistake again.

We have however, purchased two new puzzles.  I'll be back to share photos of them soon.  I, honestly, was not going to get more puzzles, as our weather is warming up here, but we did.

It's been so nice to pull the our homemade stuffed, garden bell peppers from the freezer.  I just top with more tomato sauce to bake them, and top with some mozzarella cheese.  It's a meal in itself, and we get to enjoy our "fruits from our labor" garden.

In the past years, I blanched the bell peppers.  I do not blanch them anymore.  The stay crispy, and bake up so delicious.  If you blanch them, they bake up too soft and more of a soggy bell pepper.  I prepare the stuffing mix myself, then stuff the fresh grown bell peppers (I cut in half lengthwise vs. cut the tops off), wrap each with saran wrap, and store them all in freezer containers.  The end result is a quick, healthy and delicious meal.

There are many ways to utilize growing bell peppers, if you are considering it this garden season.  We made breakfast egg filled bell peppers, we have cut them in rings and made "eggs in a nest" for breakfast, we have made oven baked bell pepper rings (like onion rings), stuffed bell pepper soup, and of course we freeze them in diced size and sliced for future meals.  Fresh bell peppers are healthy snack tools for hummus and other healthy toppings or dips.

Blind Date with a Puzzle ~ Meal from the Freezer  ©  March 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year!  

I'm excited about a new crochet project, and it is a sort of a motivation tool for something else.  I'll be posting later about it.  Overall, it will reduce my time wasting internet scrolling, pointless social media scrolling (looking for recipes, patterns, exercises are all good scrolling minutes, he he!), procrastination station, and endless him-hawing.  Not to change the subject, but I mean some scrolling is needed to avoid endless days of shopping in stores looking for something my husband suggested we buy.

I found one close to what he feels we need at Harbor Freight, but it's wall mounted, and runs on batteries.

Does it even exist?  I'll be searching for it, but we may have to buy battery charged or a rechargeable light.  He wants a solar chargeable, motion sensor, small table light (sort of the brightness of a nightlight) for the bathrooms.  We lack outlets by the toilet, and do not want to put in a floor strip light, or wall mount solar lights.  Most motion sensor lights for indoors run on batteries or or rechargeable.  We want the motion sensor, so the light only comes on at night if needed.  I'll update later on this, after we have located and made a decision.

Okay, back to the post....

(sunrise 12-26-2024)

Sunday it rained all day long.  Last year we had warm enough weather the same time in December, that I was washing bedding and putting it on the clothesline.  We are pretty much flooded this year.

We decided together, that it was a good weekend to take down our Christmas tree.  Normally, we would leave it up for New Year's Eve.  The holidays this year hit mid-week, and I would much rather have help with it, than wait for an entire week to take it down and put it all back in storage.  

Well, the tree is still up, ha ha!  We had a few returns to take care of, some grocery shopping for fresh vegetables and fruit, and other errands.  I forgot to look for a plant for my planter, but we are also very limited with selections in the winter time.  I may be planting an herb for indoor winter cooking. 

Before decorations get packed back up, I decided it was time to toss out some very very old Christmas decorations, and donate others.  I added one book to the newest donation box, as my husband gifted me a new book too.

My husband gifted me a new bathrobe, so the old one was literally tossed out (not even worth donating ha ha!).  Sort of feels good to go into a new year with so many completed home projects, and a more organized homestead.

It's been a year since we have baked cookie cut-outs, so when I dug out the container, I purged those before returning them to storage. Good gravy!  I had cutters from when the kids had birthday parties in elementary school.  Whew!  Someone will be enjoying those, as they are being donated.

 

January is my month to focus on my health even more than ever.  It will be a long wait to see the doctor, but I thought about that too. It gives me a month to do specific exercises.  I really did a number on myself when I tripped twice later, after my stairway fall back in April of this year.  Anyway, every day I work on myself, is one day closer to back to normal or even better than normal.  Per a conversation on the phone with the doc's nurse, I am to avoid "heavy lifting" and have been the last two weeks.  It's a tough one, as a bag of chicken feed is not light weight.  I have learned how to lift more properly, so there is that.

I am already feeling signs of muscle improvement, less pain, and more flexibility, so doing these stretches may be a permanent addition to my daily/weekly fitness routine.

I need this body in good working condition, as I have ordered a tool to help start the next home repair project.  The kids left tape, those 3M sticky tapes, and other adhesives on the walls upstairs, and some in the higher to reach walls in the stairway.

It'll be a project for sure, but needs to happen before it's painted. After seeking advice, we need to buy some drywall mud, as the kids (and past hired help) put large gouges in the plaster walls.  It would be great to get this job knocked off the list by the end of January, so we can start working on the stair project (stair project is an entirely new project of it's own).

Speaking of health . . .

Hummus people, I have a quick question.  Do you ever add turmeric to your hummus for added health benefits?  I'm wondering if it tastes good in it, and how much to add?  We love the garlic in ours, so I'm not sure about adding it to our hummus just yet.

I'm already planning some new ideas for next Christmas, as we were so delayed by home repairs/renovations that had to happen.  I follow Betsy on Simple Lift of a Queen blogspot and, she mentioned exchanging advent gifts with her grand daughter.  Betsy, if you are reading this, I would love to know how to prepare the advent gifts.  Do you just wrap each one and place them all in a bag or box with numbers for the day of the month?  Or do you prepare them another way.  My brain is already chugging away at creating new traditions next year.

Also, Betsy where can I find the "Every which way filet" baby blanket pattern?  Thanks!

Sorry for the long boring post to start out this new week.  My kitchen is once again a hot mess from lack of being home, but it'll be spic and span clean this week.

I hope your weekend was good.  I may not be back to post, until the New Year, so Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

What's Cooking?

 

Got leftover quinoa?

The recipe actually made 8 fritters, but we finally got around to trying them, and we love them!  They are called quinoa-feta fritters with labneh sauce.  You only use 2 Tbsp. of avocado oil to "fry" them.  They also re-heat nicely in an air fryer.  I have not yet tried reheating them on the stove top, but I am guessing it would work as well.

Here is where I used some of that "creamy cheese" (called labneh) with organic greek yogurt.  I made a sauce using the recipe in the same cookbook, with juice from a lemon, dried dill and salt/pepper.

I will be making them again, and they are a great way to use leftover quinoa.

I typically use leftover broth to make the quinoa too.

Leftovers are part of the weekly meal plan around here.

I did not find the recipe online, but in a cook book I borrowed from the library. 

One draw back in making the fritters?  It's messy.  A lot stuck to my hands, so next time, I will lightly grease my hands with avocado oil, while handling the mixture to form the fritters.

I added a bit of fresh kale to ours.  You don't want to add too much, or you will have trouble making a "firm" fritter to fry.

The most recent, very hot days, involved salads.  One of our favorites is a copy cat version of Wendy's chicken apple pecan salads.

However, finding blue cheese that is not expensive has been a chore.  I will be checking the price at Aldi's the next time I am out for errands.  Our main grocery store has it at $5.49 for a measley 5 oz.  I have yet to check Wal-mart or even Meijer too.

They use a pomegrante vinaigratte dressing, and this year, not one store in our area sells the non-gmo dressing.  I will be working on trying some homemade versions of the dressing for this salad.  

If you have a good, homemade recipe for a pomegrante vinaigrette dressing, please share.

What's Cooking? © June 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

What's Cooking?

 

We are still enjoying our home canned herbed tomato sauce (Ball Recipe).  Our newest, and favorite way to use our frozen (previously roasted) spaghetti squash is with the sauce and homemade meatballs (also previously frozen, with oats, not bread crumbs).  It's delicious and easy.   

To make this in the crock pot I thaw the spaghetti squash and squeeze out any water first.  I layer that in the crock pot, with sauce, then the cooked meatballs (cooked from frozen), then more sauce.  I set it on low all day to enjoy later.

We are also using the freshly snipped green onions from the herb garden.  

I have a few items in the freezer we are highlighting on our menus right now, so we make sure they are eaten.  Those items are the ones we grew a lot of last garden season.  

Green beans top the list.  I'm planning on a few sides with those.  We have plenty of diced and sliced bell peppers, more spaghetti squash, shredded zucchini, and pumpkin (just to name a few).

Every year the garden produces differently, and it all depends on what and how much we plant.  There were years we got zero zucchini, and last year it was the largest producing year of all years.  I think we ate it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.

The chickens are patiently waiting on us to get their new home finished.  I'm patiently waiting too.  I have a few new breakfast recipes too try soon.

What's Cooking?   © May 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

New Salad Recipe Tried

 

I tired another new salad recipe, but we really liked this as a meal itself to be honest.  We love the summer orzo salad we found last year, but this one is a keeper too.  It contains kidney, cannellini, and garbanzo beans.  I do suggest you make it ahead of time, so the beans have time to absorb delish dressing flavors.  I added the fresh herbs upon serving time to avoid them wilting.  I used about  a slightly less cup of about 1/4th, of red onion, but will add more next time.  Red onion is so potent, it's easy to over due it in a salad.

To minimize standing time on my feet (for now anyway), I broke out my new box chopper (bought over a month ago).  I can see why there is a mixed review on these gadgets.  I mean, if you love to cook, slicing and dicing is very thearaputic, but this gadget really sped up the time prepering the salad.

The orignial recipe calls for one red and one green bell pepper.  My husband did the shopping, so I wasn't going to complain about getting a red and yellow one ha ha!  

Imagine your summer grown cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion, fresh herbs from the herb garden (parsely, basil and mint), and a homemade vinagarette.  Delicous.

The orginal recipe is online free, with The Mediterranean Dish.

Note:  The only two things I left out, were the capers (didn't have any), and the 1 teaspoon of sugar in the dressing.  

Tip:  You need a half of a cucumber for the salad, so why not buy an extra cucumber and serve homemade chicken salad on cucumber slices?   You'd use up the other half, and get more sustanence with the meal.  

As for a review on my box chopper, it is not from Amazon. I bought it from a kitchen supply store.  It is built rather nicely, and it came with two different size cutting attachments (these easily remove).  The box unit did not have a mandolin option, as some do.  I most likely will use this for summer salads, but not that often.  It will come in handy.  

New Salad Recipe Tried  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Sweet Potato Breakfast "Bowl"

Today I am sharing how I made these delicious breakfast "bowls" by starting with sweet potatoes.

The first time I made these, I used organic hannah sweet potatoes, and this second time I used locally grown sweet potatoes (which both were very good).

Prepare fresh spinach, by cleaning it, and then slicing it.  Set aside.  I used two bundles of fresh spinach.  Set aside

Prepare homemade cilantro-lime sauce.

In a food processer, mix 2 full cups of cleaned organic (or home grown) cilantro and:

-1/2 cup organic plain Greek yogurt (I have yet to use homemade for this), plus more to thicken to your taste

-juice from one lime (not the bottled kind)

-1 small can of organic salsa verde (or homemade), or about 14 Tbsp.  (cut the recipe in half to reduce the amount, but we really like the sauce on this breakfast dish)

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-about 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper

Process until smooth, and like I mentioned above, add extra yogurt to make your sauce as thick as you like. 

(I pack this separate to pack a breakfast to go)

Clean and dice some garden green onions (I also pack these separate for a breakfast to go).  Set aside.

1.  Wash, peel and dice enough sweet potatoes for your family.  I cut up about 3-4, depending on size.  Roast them in a stove top pan, using oil, salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp. of homemade garlic powder.  I have not used freshly minced yet, but will be trying that next time.  Set aside.  I use this as our first layer in the "bowls" I created.

2. Rinse and drain 1 can of organic black beans, and add that to a stove top pan, along with 1  1/2 cups organic frozen corn (I do not thaw mine).  I heated this up with some cumin (give it a taste test to your liking), until heated throughout.  Set aside (second layer of the breakfast).

3. Dice one onion, and add the same amount of diced bell peppers (I used frozen bell pepper from the garden).  Heat until both are cooked. I added salt and pepper.  Keep in the pan.  Add your prepared spinach, and cook down.  Set aside (third layer in this breakfast).

4. Cook two eggs.  Layer as I did, and top with homemade cilantro-lime sauce.  I prepared bacon the second time I made this and added a few slices to the top.  

To serve, layer ingredients and enjoy.  I prepare everything ahead of time, then I reheat each morning, layer and cook two eggs per breakfast.  Top the eggs with the sauce and diced green onions.  Add bacon if you want that too.  Delicious and healthy.

I know this all sounds like a lot of work, but it was very good and worth the work.  I got the idea from a dish that Bob Evans now has on their menu.  I have not tried their version, but I looked it up online and re-created it with my own ingredients here at the homestead (based on what they say is in their "bowl").

Sweet Potato Breakfast "Bowl"  © Mar 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Tidbits ~ Flourless Pumpkin Bread

 Tuesday was our "Monday" this week.  We both took Monday "off" and spent the day enjoying it.  Tuesday was the day for thunderstorms to roll in late afternoon, so laundry went out on the line early.

I am working my way through my garden freezer goodies, and made us some flourless pumpkin bread with frozen garden pumpkin puree. 

It is a very dense, thicker bread, and with less sweetness and flavor, but by adding some extra cinnamon and nutmeg it's pretty good.

The bread is also about half the height of other baked pumpkin breads.  I test the bread about 30 minutes into the cooking time, and let it cool almost completely in the pan.  I finish the cooling on a wire rack before slicing.

Flourless Pumpkin Bread

In a blender mix all of the ingredients:

2 cups organic old-fashioned oats

15 oz. of frozen, thawed garden pumpkin puree (I measure it, as it will weigh differently depending on the thickness of your pumpkin puree).  You can use 1 can of pure pumpkin as well.

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I have not tried a substitute yet)

2 farm fresh eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. of homemade pumpkin pie spice (or add cinnamon, nutmeg)

Pour into greased loaf pan (I do not flour the pan) and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until done in the center.  350°F.

Personally, I like a bit of of honey on this bread, but if you are watching sugar, I'm thinking a thin layer of cream cheese or your other favorite topping. 

Now that I am writing out this post, I am thinking I will make us some homemade cinnamon honey butter for this bread.  

I gifted the homemade butter one Christmas, and it was a hit.  The recipe is on my blog:  Homemade Cinnamon Honey Butter.

I'm enjoying this healthy "snack" with a tall glass of infused nettle/oat straw tea.  Remember those XL disposable teabags I bought by accident?  They work great for these infused tea (no mess after brewing).  

Tidbits ~ Flourless Pumpkin Bread  © Mar 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

One step forward, two steps back ~ 3 Ingredient Crackers ~ Red Lentil Crackers

 

I dropped my readers, while looking up at the ceiling for some reason, and they fell off my head. Ha!  I've been using them this way for a few days now.  I hope to replace them soon.

I feel like the hallway repairs/renovations are one step forward, and two back lately.  First, we are painstakingly painting a second coat of paint to all of the trim in the hallway.  The hall gets a lot of light, and I'll be honest, the second coat does look a lot better.  It will take some time to complete that job now.  

Next up, we discovered that one outlet is not working at all, and another is on the fritz.  We will be replacing both of those in the hallway too.

I am a journal junkie, and yes we have a home journal.  I have been good at taking notes, and stapling/or taping the paint chips on appropriate room pages.  I log the store, the cost, and sometimes include the receipt.  If we need to touch up paint or buy new anything, it's been written down for future reference.  If you are repairing or renovating, I highly suggest getting one for your own home.

I made the 3-ingredient crackers again, and this time I used my silicone mat for the first 15 minute bake.  The recipe states to flip them onto another baking sheet with parchment paper.

The dough sticks to these too, so I guess use parchment paper to avoid more things to wash.  I still like these the best so far, but it is pretty difficult to get the entire dough thin enough to bake crisp. I even put the thicker ones back in the oven and they did not crisp up this time.

Welcome to my kitchen, where I try recipes, so you don't have to - Red Lentil Crackers.  They are less fuss, bake nice, and are crisp.  There are several recipes out there, and this one I tried did not have a lot of flavor.  Look for a recipe with more spices/herbs if you try these.  They are thicker, so I'd spread it out much thinner, but they are very crisp (some are too crisp in my opinion).

The last trip to the grocery store, I found some organic cucumbers again.  We made my quick chicken salad, and love these.  It's been light meals here lately with all the work, but healthy meals.

In a quick pinch, I mix organic canned chicken with organic mayo, and a bit of home canned hot pepper relish, and a bit of sweet pickle relish.  I did not have any red grapes, or would have added those, and I did not add a boiled egg, as we had egg salad for another meal.  If I have celery, I dice some of that too.

Did I share this tip?  I save the lids off of our organic mayo (I don't make it fresh in winter when the eggs are in low production).  The lids fit perfect for when I open a jar of hot/sweet pepper relish.

Brunch Pie with a Twist

Temperatures remain cold here - 3°F with a wind chill of -15°F this morning.

I follow the blog Mennonites Can Cook, and they recently shared a recipe for Brunch Pie.  I can easily get distracted with new recipes, or they can inspire me to use up what I have (so I did).

I used canned mushrooms (we do need a lot of that vitamin D in the winter).  I need to dehydrate more next winter.  

Although the sun was shining for a few days, I'm not always out in it long enough.

I decided to try it next, but I swapped out the frozen hashbrowns with frozen rutabagas, that I froze last year.  

Also, from the freezer, I used my garden green onions, (I had fresh bell pepper) and added frozen and cooked watercress greens and a pinch of homemade fire powder.  Hot peppers are a good source for a lot of goodness for our health.

Not to forget about all the condiments I canned last year, we topped the breakfast with some home canned cowboy candy too.  

We added a side of fruit.

Brunch Pie with a Twist © Jan 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

No Root Cellar? No Basement? Have lots of Spaghetti Squash?

 I've been freezing our spaghetti squash.  I do not have a root cellar, or basement, and the garage is not ideal for storage. 

I had one more on the counter too.  I always tell myself not to plant so many, but here they are again.  I had one more on another counter.

Day 1:  I roasted 4 spaghetti squash in my largest pan.  I cut them across and not length-wise, so I could fit more in my pan.

Day 2: 

I used the jar lifter hack to fill my freezer bags.

I have never frozen baked spaghetti squash, so I had to do some reading on this.  Everything I read, said to let the baked squash sit in a strainer (in a bowl), in the refrigerator over night.

I did that, and then bagged it for the freezer. 

1 pound spaghetti squash = 1 1/4 cup cooked strands.  I'm using this method to mark the bags going into the freezer.  It's a first time doing this, so I am hoping for good results when thawed.

TIP:  I had no idea this worked, but there is a YouTube video on sealing freezer bags with a method to remove the air, without a seal/store system.  Or vacuum (I am out of my bags for my vacuum).

You fill a tub or pot with water, large enough to dip your freeze bag into it.  Seal the bag up to a corner, and dip the bag into the water.  The water pushed the air out, and as you get the bag dipped down to a corner, close the rest of the seal.

The only downside, is you now have to dry off your bag before placing in the freezer.  Also, it did not work as well for the squash.  The straw method to remove air worked better in this case, but the heavier your food is the better the water dip method works (for example for meat).

Video to watch is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrZPLF0ezw8