Pioneer Woman at Heart

  We ended March with a high 77°F with an evening of thunderstorms.  We started April with temperatures in the low 30's, with a lot more rain. I've started my infused oil with horsetail.  I'm reading through my herbal books, watching Youtube videos and the like.  It's an herb/weed new to use.   I did not buy my horsetail online.  I purchased at an herbal health store.  However, the one store nearest us, does not carry it, and another apothecary does not grow it or carry it (40 minute drive).  We are very limited to access to stores or apothecaries with medicinal herbs, tea herbs, and the like.  It's frustrating, but in some cases, forces me to simply grow some of them myself.  It is depressing to not have any like-minded folks in our lives.  Most people we talk to about it, just laugh and act like it's all a waste of time or a joke. Speaking of Youtube, I'm watching several videos on spring wild violets right now (tinctures, te...

  Snow is predicted Sunday/Monday.  Nothing new.  It has snowed in October here.  I took one last look at the herb garden, before it rests for the winter.   I dehydrated more green onions, and froze a bit more.  The dehydrated ones were left whole to dehydrate, then I store them in a canning jar.  I do this with chives as well.  I mostly use the frozen ones for baked egg dishes. I use a small vacuum that works for regular and wide mouth jars.  So far, it's worked great, and I've had it for a few years now. I love to make ground vegetables, in cases where I have a larger harvest of something.  It adds flavor to any dish.  I ground some of the dehydrated green onions, and filled a repurposed spice jar. I had to keep adding the dehydrated green onions to the grinder, as they are so light, it helps the process of grinding it all down to a powder. A "first" for us this year.  I think it would be great on homemade crackers, and ...

I harvested a handful of green onions and chives before the very cold weather moved in (more so than before).  The chickens are not happy.  I'm not happy, but trying to find the joy in the days either way. My kitchen has been in full force the last few days.  My goodness, I have never felt overwhelmed with baking and cooking, but it has taken over in whirlwind lately.  These photos were not even everything that was getting baked/cooked or mixed up. Despite the need to get meals made around here, I managed to squeeze in a trip to the library book sale.  I only brought home three books, but snagged some free magazines too.   I used to read magazines when Mom was with us.  She'd pass her magazines onto me to read.  When she passed, I no longer read magazines.  I never thought to borrow some from our library.   In light of garden season moving in slowly (thanks to this colder weather), we've been enjoying our empty nest life. ...

  We have been using local beef tallow for maybe a year now, but it is $5.99/pound.  We have located a better resource for buying it, and at a lower price of $2.49/pound.  Thankfully, we can freeze it, so we are re-stocked for a while.  We only fry fish (perch and walleye), and that is only when we are gifted the fish.  Once a year I make homemade corn dogs with all beef hotdogs.  I have used the beef tallow to grease pans, and that works great too. I have been substituting oil with the tallow, for when I make steel cut oat patties, squash patties, or anything similar needing "oil" to pan "fry" or cook. The same resource also sells local lard, and that can be frozen as well. I have been checking around at prices for vanilla beans, and the online resource (for organic) is still the best price.  In store prices seem to be high.  The above photo was taken at a bulk Amish food store. The daffodils are starting to bloom here.  We have several vari...

Spring air is such an intoxicating aroma.  The best part of March is being able to open the windows and let in fresh air.  However, this weekend is bringing in stormy weather.   First sign of spring daffodils popping up.  They are coming in much later this spring. Green onions in the herb garden are starting to spring back into delicious-ness. Spring is in the Air  ©  March 2025 by  Kristina  at  Pioneer  Woman at Heart

  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 zucch...

  We woke up to a windchill (feels like) 19°F this morning, and snow on the ground.  My poor green onions.  They were looking so grand, and now I'm concerned with any pear and apple blossoms (which I have yet to determine).  I'm hoping the fruit trees are behind, and will be bountiful this year.  I am sure the red raspberry and black berry bushes are okay, but now I'm concerned about my spring harvest of herbs.  Good gravy! Both of us hunkered in last night, as the sun disappeared, and the gray skies appeared.  The cold has not moved out just yet. Stay warm friends.  Looks like a perfect weekend for some popcorn, movies and handiwork.  Or some card playing and sipping hot tea. Our town's Easter egg hunt started this morning at dawn for ages 6 and up.  They will be freezing cold, and no, there is no sun today.  As of this post anyway.   Gosh, I remember doing an Easter egg hunt in our backyard, and there was a lot of snow, ...

I decided to freeze some green onions.  I think they are pretty hearty in cold weather, but froze some anyway. We had two good garden days - tilled up more, decided to keep two raised beds, and rip out the other two, layered cardboard between them and piled it high with mulch the county workers left us from the tree they cut down. Tilled even more, planted the radishes, carrots, beets, and green and wax beans.  The kale bed is weeded.  I just need to add some soil and get that planted. Due to the weather my mini velociraptors were moved to the smaller coop finally.  So glad to get them out of the house. Whelp.  I saw a raccoon for the first time in a few years.  It came right up to the door looking for cat food.  I'll be on the look out to see if it was passing through or hunkering down in a pile of old barn wood or in one of the barns.   I made homemade shower bombs to lift my spirits.  I used sweet orange (builds up ...

Easy Layered Dip 1 - 8 oz. cream cheese 2 cloves of garlic minced 1-2 Roma tomatoes (or your choice) chopped Green onions, snipped Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded Set cream cheese out to soften.  Once soft, cream it with the minced garlic.  Spread it onto a serving plate (I use a regular dinner plate).  Top it with chopped tomatoes, and green onions.  Add shredded cheese to cover, to your taste. Refrigerate for several hours for the garlic and cream cheese to infuse flavors.  Serve with crackers of your choice, and set the dip out for a few minutes to soften again (or it will be difficult to "dip" your crackers).

Easter Sunday I decided to make my cheesy potatoes from organic potatoes (not frozen), and eliminate all the processed ingredients (canned mushroom soup, Velveeta cheese etc). The results?

Saturday the weather was so nice, but a bit windy.  In reality, the wind was a good thing - drying up the wet ground.  Sunday was windy and in the upper 70's.  Tuesday we will dip down to a high of 40°F.  Today is is raining and everything is wet again.  The weather is playing games with my allergies, but I am dealing with it.