Pioneer Woman at Heart

  I've been brewing us a morning iced tea in a quart canning jar, and adding 1 Tbsp. of infused honey to it.  It was just enough to sweeten the tea and we loved it.  I bought the infused honey at a honey festival last year, and it is now all gone.  I am sure it was not inexpensive either.  It was organic.   Speaking of organic honey, both of us are wondering how they can assure it's "organic" when bees travel.  We are wondering if they have qualifications or specifics to classify honey as organic?  Anyway, we bought it.  We loved it. I do have the phone number for the seller, but decided to infuse my own honey. The above jar is started with an elderberry and hibiscus infused honey.  I'm sure it could be done faster on the stove top, but it's very hot here, and I have patience.  We are excited to see if it will taste the same.  It is a delicious one for teas. On the home front, we had a very hot day yesterday.  My read...

  . . .I am thankful for the spring green onions coming up in the herb garden.  They are very delicious and healthy. . . .I am thankful for the continuous eggs from the chickens. . . .I am thankful for the friend and family member who came over to help re-wire the closet light switch to the new location (it was not even working where it was).  One more thing to do in the closet and I can move it all back in. . . .I am thankful for recent bits of sunshine we have gotten. . . .I am thankful for a recent visit and overnight stay with one of my kids. . . .I am thankful for coffee in the morning.

  I saw this at the store and thought, why not give it a try.  I mean it can't hurt to try.  Not sure if it will really elevate my mood and energy, but I could use it.   Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy Cookies ( found on Yogi online ). These are buttery and a hint of citrus flavor.  The tea itself smells amazing.  Great way to use up teabags if they are needing used up. I also ordered a copy of this book.  I just gave up on the library for now.  I can always pass on one book to make room for this one.  Also giving it a try to lift my spirits.  I'll let you know if it's any good. Bringing fresh cut flowers indoors helps boost my spirit. So glad I have an abundance to cut from. Having something "good" to look forward to lifts my spirits.  Tending my seedlings give me something to look forward to - growing the garden.  My thyme has sprouted. Taking affordable, spontaneous getaway trips has really helped boost our spirits....

Thankful the farmer's markets are opening. Thankful the vet is opening. Thankful I get my husband for 2 weeks at home.  So far we've mowed, moved brush, cleaned up the house, knocked down more wasp nests, and today we plan to work a bit in the garden. Thankful for good music that boosts my attitude and personal well being. Thankful for motorcycle rides. Thankful for the amount of sunshine we are getting lately. Upbeat news!  Our Senior High School Daughter, who has been so very depressed lately, reached out to fellow seniors and friends on social media.  She asked if anyone needed to hear positivity, to let her know.  She is mailing out her first 6 letters today and has many more requests already.  If you feel like donating to her cause, please email me.  She could use upbeat stickers to decorate the envelopes, stamps and envelopes.  I'm not sure how she is on writing paper, but I still have loose leaf in the school supply box.  If a...

Morning coffee on the porch this morning. Well folks.  I have nothing to update, but there is another case in our county.  A 71 year old man. Thank you Debby for the black beans.  Can you tell me again what the proper name of them is?  Thanks again! I wish I took pictures, but something is eating the tops of my garlic.  I spent some time gathering up bits of wire to cover the tops of the grow bags and will move them this weekend.  It could be the stray cat that hasn't left yet (the other 2 have left). Today I am thankful for. . .  -my treadmill so I can have daily exercise -daughter home to have person to person conversation -Hubby working, so we can pay the bills -that Hubby's work is following instructions on keeping things sanitized (they even have doors open to not touch door knobs, someone is spraying minute by minute, chair removed from lunch room to make sure they sit 6 feet apart, even their trucks have been cleaned). -the...

Today I am thankful for . . . -eggs from the chickens -greens to blanch and freeze -yarn -having 6 acres and plenty of space to get fresh air -wood to cut -Romeo, he's become a wonderful guard dog -coffee -books -the internet -pen and paper -music -my family -my dehydrator -my blog friends -wild, medicinal weeds

I realized I am behind on most everything, including homemade Christmas gifts.  I need to get cracking on this. I am writing a to-do list for Hubby.  We need to get cracking on cutting wood, getting the air conditioners put to bed, and he needs to look at my dishwasher.  If it's not fixable, I'm considering taking it out and putting in another cupboard.  I don't want to invest in another one, especially with the holidays coming.  Hopefully it's an easy fix. The rain fell all day yesterday, temps dropped and snow was predicted.  I don't even have the rest of the potatoes dug up (if there are any out there). Today I am thankful for . . .  Dirty Dishes  -  a well fed family Sore muscles -  I'm alive - hot coffee in the early 5am hour - running water, running hot water for that power shower - warm cozy slippers and slipper socks - trees to cut and split - my journals, I love to write

One year the word for the year for me, was "patience."  I even made myself a sign on old barn wood. I won't be making signs for these words, but I think the words for this year are preparedness and giving.  I want to be more prepared for just everything.  For example, I want the deep cleaning completely done, so I can be rested mindfully when the gardening time arrives.  I want to be well stocked with natural remedies, oils, balms and lotions. I also want to have firewood stocked up and other prepared items.  As for giving, I just want to be more giving. I have been asked to make a donation to an auction, that will raise money for a wing to be added to a church for children. I have decided to donate one of the Harley Davidson inspired lapghans.  Value is $45.00.  Harley related items typically auction off at high prices, giving the fundraiser a boost.  The person who asked me, dedicated herself to run the fundraiser for our n...

I'm thankful for all the recipes I haven't tried yet.  The anticipation keeps me fired up, looking forward to something. I'm thankful for having Jesse with us.  He's been a blessing and he's getting much needed exercise on the homestead.  And of course he's a great watch dog. I'm thankful for anti-ill oil spray.  It's been killing off germs for us. I'm thankful for coffee.  Without it, I would be a bear to deal with, ha ha! I'm thankful for one daughter who has stepped up to the plate with helping out at get togethers.  She's bringing pie, cookies and other items to the meals, and I am so happy for that.  Woohoo to her helping out. Here's what's been going on at the homestead.  First off, our internet provider has caused us problems.   We cannot access the internet on the desktop computer, due to a problem they created, and most likely to force us to use their DNS server to track and sell our browsing history.  I have alread...

It was a day to label all those jars and find a place to store them for winter.  In doing so, I found a pint of last years green tomato salsa.  I cooked a small amount of corn off the cob, and black beans, mixed those in with a bit of our hot salsa and the green tomato salsa and boom - a cold meal was made.  If you call it a meal.  It was a back up for the two coming home from a very hot day. Latest berry picking.  Looks like a snack vs. freezing it.  Or into a smoothie. Hubby brought home a loot of peppers, given to him from a co-worker. I was tickled pink to get them too.  I was so, so happy to receive the generous gifts - hot banana, chili, jalapeno, and tabasco peppers.  And one single habanero. Here's what I made: Fire powder. Fire powder is a mix of hot peppers that we simply use to flavor just about anything.  The habanero went into the fire powder, along with a few of every hot pepper. To make them, simp...

In light of yesterday's thrown together soup, I am posting a gratitude post today.   I used everything I think  - home grown tomato juice, carrots, beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, habanero and jalapeno peppers, zucchini slices, corn...just about everything I had on hand.  It was an "everything but the kitchen sink soup" and spicy enough to clear out one's sinuses. We may not have everything that I want, to maintain our homesteading lifestyle, or everything on our road to complete self-sufficiency, nor all the tools I need or want, or have the meat and dairy animals I would like to raise, but. . . Today I am thankful for:

Chilly winter has arrived, and anyone who follows my blog knows that weekends mean work (if the weather is right).  It's the only time Hubby has now.  The time change has brought us much less time to work with daylight now (to work on weekdays after he returns from his full-time job). Hubby and I have been borrowing DVD's from the library to enjoy.  Hallmark channel is on DVD's and we do not get that channel any longer.  It's been a nice way to enjoy the evenings.   Yay for the library. Today I am thankful for: ~ having the ingredients to make another trial dinner roll recipe.  Better, but not the best using a 9 x 13 pan.  I still haven't replaced my 27 year old (or older) 9 inch round Wilton cake pans (the kids ruined).  Sigh.  I am thankful I have the 9 x 13.  I may try one other recipe before Christmas. Unless any of you have a really good tried and true dinner roll recipe I can try. ~ my garden goodies stocked up for...

I harvested another huge pot of stinging nettle yesterday.  Before the rain arrived.  It's been a very good year for me to actually get things done in a more timely fashion.  I hope to harvest more. I got out there early, before the bees woke up.  We have bees everywhere right now.   I picked more than would fit in the dehydrator, so I blanched the rest for the next breakfast or pasta dish.  Nettle can be used in any dish you would use spinach or other greens.  Did you know 1 cup of cooked nettle contains 428mg of calcium?  Dandelion, 1 cup boiled contains 147mg of calcium.  According to the internet, those are the figures I found.  Hm.  A huge difference. No wonder my teas helped my hair and nails.  What's on the breakfast plate?

Although the w eat her is better now, it was nasty a few days ago.  This was a "small" rain shower.  W e had thunderstorms and 50 degree weather most of the day.  It was a swamp.   Nas ty weather is always a w elcoming reason to deep clean and then treat myself to crochet time. ...or baking time.  I've been a bit lazy getting breakfast made with greens lately.  I just love the home canned cherry jam I canned last year.  LOVE IT!  It's on the list of restocking this summer.  A large container of homemade hot ch ocolate has been restocked. ... it's also a good day to restock supplies like dishwa sher detergent.  My laundry detergent needs restocked too. I started my 30-minute per day/per area cleaning/clutter clean up challenge.  Now th at the blanke t is done, I have time to get my home in order.  It's the f irst thing we see when we wake up and the last when we go to bed.  It's important for me t...

The "mason jar" challenge: I have a cousin, who lives in CA, who has been in TV commercials and even been included as a character in her friend's published novel.  She is now a life coach.

Sometime during my illness, a swift wind or storm came through our area.  More of the "big barn" came tumbling down, including a large beam.  Just sharing today's biggest news discovery, ha ha!  We still plan to get inside the other half and cut beams into firewood.  We haven't found anyone to tear it down that has not wanted a hefty fee, so it's our life-long project.

It seems the best thoughts and plots come to my brain when I am exercising, and I can't write them down.  I had a recorder at one time, so I'll have to do more cleaning and see if I can find it. The exercise is starting to balance out now.  The tight knots I had in my hips and back are working themselves out. I'm quite honestly running out of steam for this "extreme" clean goi ng on here.  Although, I must be spreading motivational thoughts into my kid 's heads.  I see them clean ing quite often in their rooms lately. Don 't throw tomatoes,

I picked up more dandelion greens on my trip to town delivering meals to Dad.  With my dehydrator due to arrive any day now, I plan to dehydrate some for Jesse.  The one dog remaining from the original pack of ours. He has tumors, and some were removed, but are growing back.  They are "fatty" tumors, but with that in mind, I'm drying dandelion, to sprinkle over his food ( 1 tsp. per every 20 lbs. of weight) .   His dog treats are made with kale, so he's getting more vitamins and nutrients that way as well.

I'm down to two large bowls of home grown potatoes.  It's disheartening to see such a terrible garden year, but in other areas of work we are getting more done than I ever expected. Today I am thankful for:

My oldest brother and his wife gifted me with this box of books.  Every night