May Begins

May is an exciting month.  The calendar is filling up.  At least for me anyway.  

Our redbud trees are blooming.  I planted 24 gladiolus bulbs, 2 rosemary plants, and dug up and moved a few hostas to a new area that has a ton of shade.

I used my homemade jalapeno salt to flavor some scrambled eggs this time around.  So good!  I believe it will be a daily staple in our pantry now.

The garden plans are up in the air to be honest, but some things are slowly progressing.  My husband had one day off work  (had an appt), and of course it rained.  It was the only day we had together to till the garden(s). Go figure.

 May is the month we start planting the vegetables and fruits. We always wait until after Mother's Day (as a weather rule around here).  However, one year, we planted the entire garden, and went on a weekend trip, only for a late frost to swoop in and kill most of our plants.  

(new shoots coming up, planted two years ago)

The rhubarb is looking great, as well as our fall planted garlic.  The asparagus continues to provide (woohoo to that).  The herb garden is looking grand, and it will need cleaned up this month.  I'm looking forward to outdoor time once again.

May Begins  ©  May 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy Homemaker Monday {March 3, 2025}

 

I inquired about rental space in a store that sells locally make crafts (about a 35 minute drive or more).  There is a wait list, the rental space charge is a whopping $6 per square foot, and a 20% payment to the owners on any of your sales.  Sigh.  I have given up on that route.  Unless I be-friend an owner and strike a deal, it is impossible to continue to make and sell in rented store spaces anymore.  At least in our area anyway.

Does anyone else get tired of businesses having only online bookings?  We have been trying to get new tires on one of our vehicles, and one place won't take appointments, another is online only (very frustrating system according to my husband).

Not to mention, that once you book anything online, they message you a ton of reminder messages (very annoying).

We had a very busy weekend, so it's back to home updates, and regular work around here.  Oh, and we visited the other nearest JoAnn Fabrics store.  They had much more yarn, so I am restocked for baby blankets.  I  did hear one clerk tell someone that the fabric was a minimum of 1 yard per bolt.  

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

(will link up when she posts later)

The weather in our neck of the woods . . .

23°F/windchill of 14°F this morning, but we may warm up to 57°F by midweek (then down to the 40's).

As I look outside my window . . .

The sun is about to come up soon.

Right now I am . . .

Brewing coffee.

Something fun to share . . .

Nothing today that I can think of. 

Thinking and pondering . . .

-More hiking/walking opportunities in the area, as well day or overnight trips.

-garden plans

-still looking for inexpensive tulip bulbs (have not found any in stores just yet).

-I may try to squeeze in crocheting one more lap afghan before the weather turns to sunny spring warmth (after the baby blanket is done)

-looking for tall boot storage/travel bags that are 24 inches tall.  I bought 21 inch ones, and they are not tall enough (to organize the closet and make travel easier too).

On my bedside table . . .

Same as last week.

On the menu . . .

-Crock pot meatballs with home canned sauce/squash, over quinoa and a side of asparagus

-something with chicken, brussel sprouts

-leftovers

-making us some no-bake protein bites (something nice to have on hand for a healthy snack)

Book I am reading . . .

I finished this book last night, so I'm on to the next book (did not have a photo this morning), and will be crocheting a granny square to match this book cover soon.  Another book off the book shelf here at the homestead.

On the TV . . .

Nurse Jackie, DVD's borrowed from the library

1923, Netflix

On my to-do list . . .

-laundry
-make a breakfast (not sure yet)
-pay a few bills
-dinner prep
-library returns

Happening this week . . .

Buying new tires for one of our vehicles, and we can cross off hair cuts (squeezed them in this past weekend).

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

I added a few more rounds on the blue and white baby blanket.  Made a few more pacifier holders, have some on-the-go crochet things in a few bags like jar openers, pot holder set and a few more baby washcloths (I have projects for home and for when we have a drive to anywhere).  The baby blanket is getting larger, so it's my at-home project.

My simple pleasure . . .

Homemade hot cocoa with organic peppermint syrup on a cold day.

Lesson I learned this past week. . .

(reading while waiting at the car wash last month)

Not a lesson from last week, but I learned that if I'm going on a drive or vacation of any sort, take more books than I think I'll read, and also download free books to my tablet before leaving the house (or whenever I have wifi).  You never know when your husband wants to randomly drive thru the car wash, when the lines are a mile long (that time of year, ha ha!).

From the camera . . .

Prayers, Devotional, Bible Verse . . .

Prayers for all my blog followers with upcoming medical appointments, for those not well and for quick recovery, and for overall good health.

Happy Homemaker Monday {March 3, 2025}  ©  March 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

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.  

Happy Homemaker Monday {February 24, 2025} © February 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Winter Homestead Activities

My first post for 2025.

January 2025 started with a clean washing machine, clean oven mitts, and a clean dishwasher.   I got all three cleaned by the afternoon of the last day of 2024.  It rained the entire day, and the temperature was in the 30's.  Awful weather, but the right kind to make it much easier to sit and crochet for a bit. January 1st it snowed.  We got more snow last night, and there is a possibly snow storm later this weekend, but our temperature may be too cold for snow here.

Winter time is a time to rest and re-set.   I do try to embrace the slow down, because those busy garden days will arrive soon enough. 

Winter time pick me ups - smelling the orange or clementine as I peel it (really boosts the mood).  Also, painting my fingernails.  I buy the chemical free brand, and winter is the only time I get to pamper my fingernails.  The rest of the year, I'm busy playing with dirt.

On the home repair front . . .

Hubby replaced some door weather stripping (just in time for cold weather).  I plan to check the other doors this week.  He also installed an adjustable clothing rod for our winter coats.  We have no closets for coats here in this farmhouse.  We have what they installed called "cubbies" that are open with a  few hooks inside each one.  We have a door installed to cover our coats for now.  It's temporary until we completely purge that room, and made decisions prior to painting, installing new lights and flooring.  We were literally using shorter shower rods, but they do not last long, so hence the type that is installed with supports with screws on each side (for now anyway).

I have a small list of indoor home updates to keep myself somewhat "busy" and the goal is to have them done before Spring arrives.

The chickens are patiently waiting for their new home, but the weather has been quite finicky.  Eggs are in low production again.  Our last hired help is leaving on long vacation, so things are a bit delayed in other build it/repair it projects.

                      

I have been utilizing the Blue Jarrahdale pumpkin puree (we grew last summer, roasted it, pureed it and froze it) in our breakfast and in muffins.  The above photo is a pumpkin oat bake for breakfast.

I made hummus differently recently, using part navy beans and part chickpeas.  I added 1/4 tsp. of turmeric this time, and may add more the next them.  It does have a different flavor, but it's delicious.

Meals are being planned by utilizing what we harvested, canned, dried or froze last year.  Tonight's dinner is thawed (previously roasted and frozen) spaghetti squash, topped with home canned tomato sauce, homemade meatballs, quinoa and asparagus.  We'll be eating more garden green beans this weekend as well (blanched and froze from last year's garden).

The next room to purge is our utility room.  The room is larger than most, and also serves for storage of certain items.

I am currently (yes, I'm still reading it) reading this book.  I bought it last year, as my husband joked that I needed to buy it.  Even if it's 2 pages in a day, I'm working on getting over that guilty feeling of "I should be doing this or that" feeling.  Maybe that's just how I am wired?  Anyway.....

When I finish this current book, I will share my new activity for the year.

Garden plans are underway.  I'm checking seeds, flipping thru new seed catalogs, and writing list for new seeds (it's a short list this year).  We will need to buy fencing for the other garden area, and we still need to remove the old raised beds.  Every time we had help arrive, they had the wrong equipment or got side tracked with another job around here. 

Update regarding uses for chickweed - it's great for burns.  I am just learning this.  My husband got sprayed with hot steam, causing a burn. We use chickweed for mosquito bites, rashes and poison ivy as well.  If I don't get more made this coming summer, I do know where I can buy it.  He should have a jar to keep at work.

Update on my homemade yarrow salve - I love this stuff!  My husband used it on a stubbed bleeding toe, and said it really helped.  He said it even felt better later.  If you are like some people, and get bloody noses in the dry heat of winter, it came in handy for that too.  It stopped the bleeding and moisturized the inside of the nose.

There is some handiwork taking place this month, but in short snippets for now.  I'll be back with an update hopefully.  Winter time doesn't usually have anything exciting to post about.

Winter Homestead Activities © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart