Pioneer Woman at Heart

  Cherry tomatoes are selling for $5 a quart right now.  We planted a few plants this season.  However one of the plants were knocked all the way down in one of the recent storms here.  I re-staked it, but it's looking very iffy.  Regardless, we are getting cherry tomatoes thankfully. We have made roasted cherry tomato sauce in the past, but this year, I made us this . . . Cherry Tomato Salsa.  It was very good, and we will be making it more often during the garden season.  Making salsa from our home grown cherry tomatoes is a "first" time event for us this year. It is much like a Pico.   You need 1 1/2 pounds of cherry tomatoes.  Ours are somewhat larger, and very delicious this year. I put them in my food processor and pulsed them about 12-14 times.  The tomatoes were chunked, but not purreed. I also let them drain for 15 minutes with a pinch of salt.  To that in a bowl, I added fresh garlic, home grown jalapeno, freshly cut ...

  I have borrowed many cookbooks from the library, in search for a good "burger sauce" recipe.  In the process, I decided on one recipe to make homemade aioli for the very first time ever. I used yolks from our ladies (fresh of course), and used garlic that we grew in the garden. The recipe called for "vegetable oil" but I only had organic canola, olive oil, and a few others.  I decided on canola. Not calorie free obviously, but homemade and fresh.  Boy it was delicious on burgers we grilled with mushrooms, onions and swiss cheese.  So good! I'm still on the hunt for a different burger recipe.  We once visited a restaurant (many years ago), that had a sauce they called Mama Mia sauce (house made).  We are still looking for a sauce similar to that taste, but glad I gave the library some business and was motivated to make the garlic aioli. The cookbook the recipe is from (photo above).  There are many different aioli recipes by the way.  It's b...

  Lima Bean Hummus (my recipe) 1 can of lima beans, drained and rinsed 2 cloves of garlic, minced (we used home grown)* 1/3 cup tahini (dry roasted seeds, but any tahini will work) 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. real lemon juice (from a fresh lemon) 1/4 cup water 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. salt Mix everything in a food processor until smooth.  Adjust salt and garlic if needed.  If you do not grow your own garlic, you may need to add more to adjust flavor. Our homegrown garlic is loaded with flavor. Lima Bean Hummus    ©  March 2026 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer  Woman at Heart

I have finally sorted the odd assortment of Christmas items from last month's purge, and yes some went into the trash.   If you need permission, ditch the doubt and toss it out!   The rest donated.  Job complete. ✔   What else can one do when it's -15°F (again), and there isn't even "wind" outside.  It's cold here.  More snow is in the forecast.   One new recipe that also went into the trash - a millet bar recipe.  I thought it would be "fun" to buy some organic puffed millet and make a really easy recipe, but it tasted horrible.  The small amount of puffed millet cost me $1.33.  A recipe I will keep!  Oh my goodness it was so good.  By the way, it was a recipe I had, and wanted to try to the last two years.  Literally.  I don't think I have ever roasted acorn squash, because it was always one squash that never grew to size here (have no idea why as we can grow all other squash). My husband kept telling...

  Our weather is all over the map. One day it was sunny and 65°F, the next dreary and rain all day, and then the next?  Cold and snow.  Yep.  That's how it's been.  Now we roll into a a cold snap. I have had some later than usual work.  I filled the dehydrator with parchment lined paper, and got busy with about 10 heads (or bulbs) of home grown garlic.  I apologize to those who have already read posts about making garlic powder.  Back in 2020 I hosted an online Pampered Chef party to help out a friend.  Never in my life did I think so many people would order, and I ended up with lots of free items.  Two items were the garlic peeler and slicer.  The above is the "peeler" for the garlic cloves.  You do separate the head of garlic, then place a few cloves inside the tube, and roll it back and forth in with the palm of your hand.  The dried peeling will crack and very easily come off the clove of garlic. I use disposable latex...

  I found it very difficult to find a selection of any lima bean recipes.  I asked around, and only one person I know ate them as a kid, and not ever as an adult.   I purchased canned lima beans in the Amish area we visit this year.  They are very hard to find around our area for some reason.  I have had them sitting around waiting to try.   I used them to make hummus.   Delicious!! (source:  Google images) I did not cook the lima beans, as I do not when I use chickpeas, but I may try cooking them next time (to see if it would be creamier, and/or cook from dried beans).  I do not mind the texture regardless, and it tastes just like chickpeas in my own hummus recipe.  Of course, I used home grown garlic, and it makes it the absolute best flavor. I just swapped out the chickpeas for the canned lima beans (rinsed and drained), and it was fantastic. My traditional hummus RECIPE . Red Lentil Hummus In the past we have tried bee...

  The tool on the left is used for removing the garlic skins.  you place the garlic inside the tube and roll it with your hand.  The tool on the right is used to slice the garlic. You put the top piece of the slicer back on top and twist the bottom as you press down the top. I have learned to not over fill this, making it much easier. I know this is a repeat post, and I do make it yearly most garden seasons.  If you have never made garlic powder you can click on my post below on how I make it, after the garlic is dehydrated.   My very first years making garlic powder, I would hand peel, and hand slice.   How to Dehydrate Garlic and Make Garlic Powder Tips: -Use latex gloves. -Rinse all the tools/knife if you are not going to do dishes right away.  Garlic dries rock hard, making washing things difficult. -I only have 4 mats for my dehydrator, so I use parchment paper some times, so that I don't lose the very small bits of the garlic.  I d...

  I normally fall plant our garlic, but once again it was eaten over winter (all 80 cloves!!!), and we believe it's the work of voles. I need to spring plant garlic now, and I cannot, for the life of me find anyone selling organic music garlic seed for spring planting.  I can only find "fall" planting garlic. I like music, but I would try any organic garlic at this point.  I'm so frustrated right now.   (Source: Territorial Seeds) Anyone?  I even looked on Etsy, and all that I see are pre-orders for fall.  Sigh.,....urgh... By the way, we have moved the garlic grow bags closer to the house now.

  Two varieties and they are all pulled from the grow bags.  Some roots where 6-7 inches long.  Just need to top off the grow bags with more soil and put new cardboard under the bags.   I tied up almost all of the tomato plants, and some already re-tied do to good growth.  Some tomatoes are already on the plants. It was too hot and humid to stay out in the garden, even though there is one more flower bed to weed.  I managed to plant two parsley plants and one more rosemary.  One rosemary died for some reason, and it's getting watered. I was walking on a small sidewalk we made between two flower beds, and I almost stepped on a slithering snake.  In my flip flops.  I am sure anyone driving by, got a kick out of my dance in the yard trying to avoid it.

Peel several cloves of garlic.  You will need a garlic mincer to do this. Line the dehydrator trays with parchment paper. Using the garlic mincer, mince the garlic onto the parchment paper.  I use the tip of a knife to spread the garlic out. Using the directions in your dehydrator guide book, dehydrate the minced garlic until crisp.  Once done, simply scrap the dried garlic off and store in an airtight glass jar. The color will change as it dries. Note:  I use this in my canned cowboy candy and any recipe that calls for minced (dry) garlic.

I posted yesterday that I was dehydrating garlic.  I realized I don't think I've made a post about making garlic powder with dehydrated garlic.  First, peel all the cloves, and slice thinly.  Place on dehydrating trays.  If your trays have larger holes, cover them with parchment paper first. The holes on my trays worked fine.  Once the garlic is crisp (use the guide book that came with your dehydrator for temperature and time), you will remove them from the trays.  I did not use parchment paper, so I line my counter top with a sheet of waxed paper.  I gently push all the garlic off the trays. I hold each side of the waxed paper up so the garlic goes to the middle and they can slide easily off the waxed paper and into a coffee grinder.  You then grind them until it turns into a powder form. I am lucky to have a glass container that fits a canning funnel.  I pour the powder out of the grinder and into the jar....

I took some egg shells out to toss in the garden (where the tomatoes will be planted), and took a look-see at the garlic. I am thrilled to say, that some of it has green tops.  Not all, but I'm hoping it all comes up.  The only downside of grow bags - squirrels.  I had to plant a garlic clove that a rodent dug up.  Otherwise, I am a happy gal to see this. Tried three new recipes yesterday.  Due to lack of ingredients on hand, each one was adjusted. Cod in the crock pot with seasonings and onion.  Didn't have red onion, so I used white.  It cooked perfectly and tasted great. Veggie quinoa in the crock pot.  Didn't have carrots, so I just made it without.  Cookbook said cook 4-6 hours on low.  It cooked in 4. Low carb chocolate chip cookies (almond flour).  I didn't have maple syrup for these.  I didn't have any eggs, so this recipe was fitting to try.  These were so good! The first two recipes are...

It continued. Blog post in January with the most views - This and That ~ Finishes Kiss the Girls, by James Patterson.  The book is off my own bookshelf (discarded library book, and not in that great of shape), and when it's done, will be passed on to another person.  Most likely my daughter first.  Or recycled if it falls apart while reading it, ha ha! Considering the weekend, with a possible chance to cut wood, I took Friday off.  Sort of.  They are predicting a "lot" of sunshine on Sunday, but Hubby has to work. I did the dishes, and made a batch of meatballs (made with ground organic oats vs. bread crumbs).   Three trays went into the freezer.  Recently, I was able to buy an organic spaghetti squash and made "spaghetti" and meatballs, with home canned tomato sauce for dinner.  Although our daughter wanted pasta, I still used the squash this time around. I also finished my January book, on January 31...