Pioneer Woman at Heart

My recent attempts to soak in some porch time, have been short due to 90 degree days here lately.   The bugs are terrible, and I'm guessing from the recent rains we have had.   . . .the second doily for the living room.  I honestly forgot about this project.  It was in my on-the-go bag.  I need to get this finished. . . .current status on the current large blanket.  It's too hot here to work on such a large project. . . .finally finished this (top picture) dishcloth.  Started another one.  Finished that one. I used the leftover yarn to crochet two hand sanitizer holders, and then used the very last of the yarn..... ...to make 4 granny square centers.  I have just a wee bit of yarn left.   How this project started:  I was cleaning up the very last box of craft items in the living room.  I had a crocheted strawberry for a keychain for one daughter.  I went to the utility room (next room to get a complete extre...

  . . .I've changed my handmade washcloths.  The one on the left is my original pattern.  I absolutely love the new on on the right.  Stitches are not as tight, larger and love it for a "make up" washcloth when needed.  I hope to get more made to sell this winter.  The last time we stayed on the island, the owner had black washcloths with the word "Makeup" stitched on it.  Brilliant idea. . . .finally found a simple pattern for offering an inexpensive item for kids.  Kids are always coming up to our tables at the craft shows, so these be perfect.  Friendship bracelets.  Crocheted with embroidery floss.  Pattern is from Whistle and Ivy online (she has 4 different bracelet patterns).  I got them free, because I am an email subscriber.  I used a simple style and with the tie on method (better for more sales to fit more sizes). It's not much of a handiwork update, but an update no less.  It's been a busy summer here at th...

Valentine's Day did not go by without making something special.  I whipped up some crocheted hanging hearts, in two different colors.  I put them on the bulletin board in Mom's nursing home room.  She loves hearts.  The quick pattern is on this blogspot:   http://threadbarecreations.blogspot.com/2021/01/easy-crochet-heart.html

I started to crochet ornaments for next year, but realized I need one more color of the yarn.  It's now on hold. I  have however, switched things up a bit and got out my embroidery.  I will attempt to get the rest of a set of tea towels finished for a present for Daughter K.  We are not "gifting" as usual this year, but I thought at least one thing to open for her would be nice.  I told her the cardigan was her present too.  It was supposed to be her present a few years ago (ha ha, it took me that long to make it). . . . a scrap lap afghan on the crochet hook. 

  I was tickled pink to get a message with an order for 8 of my hand crocheted dish scrubbies the other day.  Shipping, however, has gone up again. (older photo) I have about 15 more rows to finish this lap afghan for Mom. Daughter E asked me to make her a handmade ornament for their salon.  I crocheted her a nail polish bottle. Did anyone see yesterday's cooking show on Create TV?  They baked a pork shoulder, bake a side dish with red cabbage (in the oven) and homemade BBQ sauce?  I can't remember what they called the red cabbage dish and cannot find the episode or recipe.  If you watched can you help me find it?  I was crocheting Mom's blanket and my husband got home.  I missed the end and missed the name of the dish and BBQ sauce.  I missed the names of the people cooking them, so I have no idea how to find it all.  I checked the TV schedule, and it won't go backwards, only forwards on the schedule.  I even tried searching the re...

We had our once a year craft show over the weekend.  It did poorly.  No one has the money to spend, or they just don't prefer homemade/handmade anymore.  I typically sell out of the dish scrubbies.  Not the case this time.  Most bought the $1.00 and $2.00 items or didn't buy anything.   Until our economy is in better shape I am pretty much out of business.  The cost of the space was higher, my cost to buy supplies is higher and it appeared more people were more interested in the china made stuff (jewelry, scentsy and things like that). I had more people soliciting their business to me, and I saw one woman writing notes after looking at stuff.  Possibly getting ideas from my own items to sell herself?  Sheesh.  I was so greatly disappointed. It didn't help that it was cold and snowing and there was football to watch at home either.  I had Daughter K helping, my husband helped for a bit after he got off work, then Daughter E came...

  I did something different this year.  I dehydrated my chives vs. freeze them.  I had a bit of trouble though.  I thought  dicing them up first would help dehydrate faster.  My dehydrator fan sort of blew them forward, but they did dry. I dug out this unfinished lapghan.  I took a completed one over to Mom's house.  It will keep her legs warm in her transport chair, however she loves it so much she wants another one for the house while she rests in her recliner.  I'll be working on this at the craft show. Why I have not thought of doing this, is beyond my mind.  I noticed that the paper filters at the store were pretty low, and I checked Amazon for a reusable one.  I bought one that said it would fit my coffee maker. We finally cut the last of a tree down and starting cutting it to move to the splitter.  It's finally time to fire up that wood stove soon.

  I got a small amount of garden swiss chard blanched and froze. Blanched 2 heads of cauliflower and froze them. Blanched 2# of carrots and froze those too. Tried to catch up with laundry and washed kitchen towels. Did final touches on the ornaments, earrings and one necklace.

Breakfast for the next few days - crock pot steel cut oats with apples, raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon. I cut the recipe in half.  I'm sort of getting used to cooking for 3 people now. I took advantage of the beautiful weather, so I headed out to muck the coop.  Didn't happen.  This chicken herself, saw that the skunks did a lot of yard damage near the barn I get my straw from.  I was too chicken to go in the barn.  I messaged my husband (who got a chuckle out of this), and asked if he'd check out the barn tonight after work.  I know skunks generally sleep in dens during the day, but I saw one out during the day last week (up the road).  I didn't want any surprises in the barn.  Sigh. Update on a crock pot meal I recently made.  Didn't really follow a recipe, but tried cooking bone-in chicken thighs a different way. I sliced up some red skin potatoes and tossed them with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. melted butter,5 cloves of minced garlic, p...

I was running around gathering laundry, picked up some socks off the floor (sigh), and there sat a bag of used canning lids.  I grabbed them too.  That's when things when wild. I loaded the washer, but only to find a lonely sock laying in the hallway.  Sheesh. Okay, about the wild mind of mind.... I was literally going insane, digging through what craft supplies I did not purge, thinking "there has to be way to create an ornament out of these lids."   I had to find all my supplies, but then kept telling myself, not until I get the apple crisp baked, the onions out of the dehydrator, laundry done and whatnot.  I kept telling myself, as excited as I was (and I haven't been this excited to do a Christmas ornament in a long, long time), "focus woman, focus!" Ha ha! Oh, funny thing.  Daughter K took Mom to a doctor appt and texted me that Mom said she smelled like onions (ha ha ha!). Mom has at least two doctor appts. next week, so we will all be busy with ...

  I sliced up 6# of apples and cooked them down, while I multitasked.... ...and sliced and diced 6# of onions and filled my large dehydrator. Part of them will be ground into onion powder and part will be saved as they are. I'll probably make applesauce again.  I didn't write down any notes on my recipe (basically instructions with number of pounds), and may have doubled it last time.  Thankfully I thought ahead for the busy day.  I put an all-in-one dinner in the crock pot.  Four beans and sausage , with home grown green bell pepper and home canned ketchup. I cut up yellow netting, and it took almost 3 hours to cut enough strips for 11 scrubbies.  It's sort of back breaking work, as it is a lot of netting and I cannot just simply fold it over several times (10 yards) and cut it quickly.  I'm not sure how many more years I'll be selling them. By the way, two tips with homemade scrubbies.  I've had someone buy them for her husband and said he uses ...

I went to our closest grocery store yesterday, but was disappointed with the organic vegetable section.   Sigh.  I will need to make the longer drive in the opposite direction from now on.   I've been cutting netting the last few days to make dish scrubbies for the upcoming craft show.  The are a big seller at the shows.  I added another new color - orange. I'm focusing on buying USA made, and just ordered a board game for my niece and nephew for Christmas.  I don't think I'll be making homemade gifts this year, as with Mom's health and the way the world is, we most likely won't get together (sadly).  I could be wrong.  It is fun coming up with new gift ideas though.  I already have one idea just in case. Speaking of Mom, she had another fall last night.  Her legs are being treated by a wound clinic now thankfully.  One leg was infected and the other has a growth, that they took a biopsy from. She also had blood come from ...

. . . finished this yellow set of pot holders . . . started back on daughter K's cardigan (other arm) . . .finished another dish scrubbie . . . made two sets of pumpkin cup coasters. . . .made 2 sets of candy corn cup coasters. Once again Rebecca is giving away a planner (which I absolutely love).   Go here:  Rebecca's Heart and Home I love these planners and one it one year.  I'm sharing so you all can have the chance to win one too.

Monday was a busy day for sure.  I called Daughter E to ask if the homemade ginger-ale I delivered was helping with her nausea.  She has lost her smell, but not her taste.  She is moving around to keep her from getting worse, and getting sun and fresh air.  She's basically bored stuck there all by herself.  She has dug out her craft box and made some friendship bracelets. I called Mom to check in and see if her 14 free meals arrived.  Unfortunately, she is not seeing any improvements and said she'll call her doctor. Oh, and no meals.   Breakfast - sweet potato, onion, sausage, mad hatter and jalapeno peppers, collards and kale, and eggs. Dandelion greens were blanched and frozen.  I dug into the jungle of our potato patch.  Zero.  Well, not really zero, but a teensy one on each plant.  Lack for and too many super hot days was the problem this year. I submitted a vendor request form to a business that is similar to one in the "B...