Homestead and Handiwork Happenings

We started December with some chilly weather - low -4 (windchill) 6°F/High 27°F.  The coldest weather for early December since 1976.  According to weather authorities.  We've been as low as -8°F this month.  Now we are melting away into the 50's by tomorrow with a lot of rain.  Crazy, crazy winter weather for sure.

Surgery went well.  Thank you all for your prayers, good vibes, positive mojo and good thoughts.  I am in recovery mode, which oddly feels very strange for someone who is on the go most days.  

One kiddo visited to help out, and stayed the night, and I really appreciated the help. She did some driving for us, cooked and even cleaned.  Very thankful for her help.

Not to worry.  I am listening to my doctor/nurses.  I'm not able to exercise like I typically do daily, but my brain is getting a super dose of "brain" activities.

On top of a new puzzle, and a 132 new word search book (my first), crochet also continues.  I have one crochet item to share soon, but waiting on Amazon to deliver the final item to finish it.   I am also revisiting my long lost interest in writing.  There may be a submitted entry (small, but a start) in the near future.  I think my husband is more excited about this venture being revisited, but I am too.

I had purchased glass jars with wooden spoons, for easy access for my evening tea, and I'm so glad I did.  You have no idea how much you "lift" in a day, until you are told to not lift certain things.

The yarn order I sent out a few weeks ago, for another last minute hand crocheted gift, is on back order.  Seems fitting right now, ha ha!

As for some good news, one of our girls has learned to bake bread, and baked bread for the very first time (yeast rise bread).  One has learned to cook one of the family holiday dishes, and I am beyond proud of them.  Kids today, do not cook, nor are they interested in getting back to the basics in the kitchen, and we are so thrilled they are learning.

My rosemary and chive plants are still alive, but the rosemary looks iffy.  I am doing my best to win this battle to keep it alive all winter.  Lemon balm continues to sprout, but it does much better outdoors in the summer.  I had to replant a few seeds.

Homestead and Handiwork Happenings  ©  December 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

. . . from the handiwork journal

The living room looked like it threw up a bunch of yarn, so I then realized I needed to get busy on some blankets to donate.  

Yarn has been put away and the living room is back to being the living room, ha ha!

I dug out my crochet/knit journal, and started to write down the yarn brands and colors for my current projects.  I should have been doing this years ago, but it's getting done (so I can repeat one if I would like to).

. . .lap afghan started (to donate to a charity, senior center or other).

. . .a set of pot holders in progress (my on-the-go travel project).  I am seeking out places to donate it to, and it may go to the Senior Center Bingo (for a prize).  There is also another woman I know who collects items for women leaving battered life situations, and starting over with a new home.

Not my handiwork, but some we saw for sale.....

Oddly, anyone who doesn't crochet or knows their products, would not know that these were made with acrylic yarn.  They were being sold as pot holder sets for $10.00.  Anything hot will melt acrylic yarn, so these are not good for anything but a doily.  Even cup/mug coasters should be 100% cotton, as well as any type of pot holder/hot pad.  Just sharing some information.  I thought it was a tourist trap item, trying to sell as "Amish made" and such. 

. . . from the handiwork journal  ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

End of September Garden ~ Winter Medicinal Prep ~ Tidbits

 We finally got rain on September 22nd, and it just kept coming, and coming.  The hurricane rolling in by Florida is bringing us much of the rain our way, forcing us to cancel our third planned camping trip.  There was no point in hauling the camper over an hour away, only to spend the entire weekend inside the small camper (there was not much to do in the area indoors either).  No campfires, no campfire meals, and no hiking.  I was pretty sad hitting that "cancel" button.

(husband's packed breakfast with daikon root hashbrowns)

One vegetable I did not get to plant this garden season - daikon radish.  I am however experimenting with it in recipes, and actually grating it for a healthier hashbrown, and using it cubed in place of potatoes in some soup recipes.  I have yet to make kimchi, but it is still on my list.

New to the garden this year, and new to us - Mashed Potato Squash.

One mashed potato squash came off the vine, so I brought it in a second one and roasted them.  I have never grown these, so I am relying on whatever baking instructions I can find online. 

We tasted it by itself, and then we seasoned it with salt, pepper and a bit of butter.  Oh my goodness!  Tastes better than mashed potatoes.  So good!  I will be planting these again.  It is a squash you cannot find at any produce stand or grocery store.  I have a few more to roast, and may even try mixing in some pesto.  We are both amazed at how good these squash taste.  I cannot believe, that not one produce stand grows and sells them.

The bell peppers rolled in all month long.  I made stuffed peppers for breakfast, stuffed peppers for dinner, froze stuffed peppers, froze the peppers diced and sliced, and made other "stuffed" recipes with them.

Dug up the last of the garden potatoes.

I tried a new crustless quiche and we loved it.  I am taking advantage of the herb garden as long as the season lasts. The quiche had asaparagus, dried oregano (from the herb garden), fresh green onions, and chives (I measured those fresh herbs with my heart).

I was harvesting goldenrod for one of the kids, and learned that it not only helps heal a runny nose, but also sinus infections, and helps treat the flu.  I also started a tincture.

Tips:  I keep extra lids from my mayo/peanut butter jars, as they fit any regular lid canning jar.  When I give dried herbs for cooking or teas to a friend/family, the lids come in handy.

I also keep disposable teabags on hand.  I gift them with the dehydrated teas when someone is sick or needs a tea (most people do not own a teaball or such).

Pickled radishes with a garden jalapeno.  These won't last long, but they are good for up to 6 months, according to the recipe.

My husband finally got his homemade corndogs.  I told him I would only make them once a year, as he is diabetic, but it has been about 3-4 years since I made them.  I use all organic ingredients in the batter (all beef hotdogs), and this time we made homemade fries with home grown potatoes and fried them in local beef tallow.

I started a jar of Four Thieves Vinegar.  It will last up to one year, and we like to have it on hand "just in case" for feeling ill or preventing illnesses.

A "sleepy time" tincture started (we still like our evening tea too), and a new honey based elixir for a new "cure all" for winter/spring.  It will last up to 2 years, so we are trying something new, along with the Four Thieves.

Walking is the elixir to mental health, overall health, and just feeling physically healthy.  I'm so glad we are spending more time with nature this year.

We have been getting a few hikes in this month (until the rain rolled in).

The only handiwork that got made during the later part of the month  - another dish scrubbie for us.

Strawberry Margarita Pie

I am still purging books, and am trying new recipes from one of the cookbooks (deciding on donating or keeping), and other home updates/repairs.  The dishwasher (we bought used) quit working, and now the dryer is on the fritz.  I had to use it, as the mowing was getting done, and the rain was arriving, but glad I used it.  I had not used it all summer long, and it is almost 16 years old.  Time to start looking for a new washer and dryer.

I hope all is well with everyone.  We will be getting rain until the very last day fo the month (maybe more).

End of September Garden ~ Winter Medicinal Prep ~ Tidbits© September 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

This and That

I decided to stop in for a chat, but my post ended up sort of long.  I apologize in advance, ha ha!

Hard to believe that we are nearing the very end of August.

The garden(s). . .

What happens when your barn cats have expired, and either field mice or chipmunks find your beans.  Good reason to have a solar electric fence if you don't have a good rodent control.  

First good haul, but not even close to last year's harvest.  I'm thrilled to get what we do get.  I brought in another 3# the other day too.

Bell peppers are rolling in, and they are about 1/4 inch thick.  I don't feel this particular pepper smells as good as the type we grew last year, so I will looking that up in my garden journal for reference.  Taste is important too.

Meals have been based on what I brought in from the garden.  It has been nice to have fresh canteloupe for breakfast.  We haven't grown fruit in the garden for several years (due to space).

We literally sliced our very first tomato August 27th.  The harvest has been that bad for the tomatoes, but only because the rabbits ate down the first planting (that garden is fenced now).

Canning?  Zero canned this year.  So far, anyway.

The chickens . . .

Due to my husband's other obligations, we have made zero progress on the new chicken coop. 

Handiwork . . .

Thanks to the free evenings by myself (due to my husband's obligations), and with little from the garden to can/freeze or dehydrate (combined with awfully hot weather), I have gotten my crochet hook out.  I just have not been in the "mood" to even crochet at all lately.

I crocheted us a new kitchen dish scrubbie, as my current one was wearing thin.  When I purchased the yellow netting, the clerk shorted me on yards, so thankfully I had netting scraps to stuff it with.

I have also finished another crocheted lap afghan, using a mix yarn in my yarn stash.

Home Repairs/Cleaning and Organizing . . .

-Master bathroom was completely finished.  Other than a few small things like replacing the broken toilet paper holder.  I do plan to install new "under the sink" mats and cabinet shelf liner.

-I have been purging the "office" room (slowly), so we can eventually rip out the old carpet.  It is a small room, but we have a lot of books and writing materials to purge.

-a little at a time, I am going thru stuff in my utility room.  I've purged this room and prepared it for new paint so many times, and it became the dump station for everything while working on other rooms.  I may be pushing this room to next year, or moving it on the to-do list for winter.

-garage clean up is still in limbo due to hot weather.

-purchased clothesline to install a new one,  as my old one is wearing down.

Herbs/Winter Prep . . . 

-dehydrated thyme for cooking, but it also comes in handy for a medicinal tea if anyone gets a bad cough or whatnot.

-started oregano oil for medicinal reasons, and for cooking.

-dehydrated sage for meals and for sage tea, and we have plenty of sage tincture for treating sore throats if needed.

-froze a batch of Thai basil pesto.  I have started a propagation of Thai basil to grow indoors.  Here's hoping I am successful.

....if you are still reading

Self-care. . .

We finally got back to hiking, and got two in the books.  There is still intentional exercise going on here as well, and of course healthy meals/snacks.

I'm looking into making a new homemade skincare (lotion) product.  I continue to make homemade hair detangler (with marshmallow root), homemade toner (with butterfly pea flower, and homemade face serum (using homemade rosehip seed oil).

The weather . . .

We recently had a heat wave come our way, and with no rain.  the temperatures soared up to 100°F.  There are reports of drought all over the area.  I've only been watering what I feel will produce more harvest.

The same evening of the hottest day, we had a severe, and unannounced storm roll in.  The wind was no joke!  Power outages, trees down, and debris everywhere.  Luckily, our power stayed on.  Many towns had destruction, and many people lost their gardens.  Oddly, what's left in our garden was not harmed.

This and That © August 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

from the handiwork journal . . .

What's on the hook? 

Well alot!!   To be honest, I am looking forward to trading in my hook for a rake, shovel, and garden trowel.  Crocheting non-stop over the last few weeks has made me realize how much I miss the garden work ha ha!  

I finished this baby blanket. I used up3 skeins of baby white, and partial skeins of baby blue and a lighter brown, that were leftover from another baby blanket order (from years ago).

I started this baby blanket.  I'm using up some leftover peach and blue baby yarn (F hook, so it's taking some time).

Progress on the current scrap yarn lap afghan.  I'm getting down to the last of the last scrap balls of yarn, so it's the last one for now.  By scraps, I mean hand size balls and smaller.

I have also been crocheting for a cause - our town's plant bingo and raffle.  It is the town's first one, to help raise money to plant flowers, landscape etc in the town.  They have already gotten over 50 tickets sold for this event.

First up, I finished this coaster set.  It was on my list of unfinished projects.  It's being donated to the cause.  Not only did I finish an unfinished project, but found a good home for it.  Funny how that worked out.  It's a Monstera leaf coaster set in a crochet plant pot.

I also used up some cotton yarn to crochet dishcloths, and created a "bouquet" in a new plant pot for the same cause.  It turned out so cute!

I also donated a set of crocheted baskets I had left in my craft show stash (been in there for over 10 years and never sold), and tucked in a smaller plant spray bottle, a few mini solar garden lights (with floral patterns on them), and a few pot holders.

And lastly, I had a set of crocheted cup coasters with roses in the center, that was also leftover from my craft shows.  

All donated for the town's goal to beautify it.  

The scraps of cotton yarn, leftover from the dishcloth bouquet project, are being crocheted into cleaning cloths.

from the handiwork journal . . . © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart