What's Cooking?

 

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 zucchini, and pumpkin (just to name a few).

Every year the garden produces differently, and it all depends on what and how much we plant.  There were years we got zero zucchini, and last year it was the largest producing year of all years.  I think we ate it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.

The chickens are patiently waiting on us to get their new home finished.  I'm patiently waiting too.  I have a few new breakfast recipes too try soon.

What's Cooking?   © May 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Welcome May! What's Growing?

 

We a getting more asparagus thankfully, but I need to (again) plant more this year.  We are also getting rhubarb from the garden.  Yum!  

The lilac bush is blooming, and it smells wonderful when I am outside.  You can even smell it clear on the front porch.   I"m so glad the pine tree did not ruin the bush.  It did some damage, but I think it's recovering.  It just doesn't have as many blooms, but boy it smells divine.

Herbs in the herb garden.  Just ignore the weeds for now.  I hope to be back to that job sooner than later.

Green Onions

Sage

Thyme

Oregano

Chives

Lemon balm

Peppermint

My bleeding heart is blooming.  Terrible photo.  It was very windy when I took the photo.

I have so many volunteer chives just about in every crack and nook around the herb garden this year.

Yarrow

What is this?  Wild garlic?  Wild onion?  They are growing up singular, and all over my flower beds this spring.  I can't even tell from smelling the bulb, and cutting a bulb to smell.  These are tall, but the bulb is small.

They do not look like green onions or chives, so I'm stumped.  

Meanwhile.....

The rosebed with hostas from h-e-double hockey sticks.  If I wanted to harvest clevers, this would be a great time for that ha ha ha!  I see a mullein plant in there too.  I see several days of weeding this one too.  I don't think I could pay someone to weed for me ha ha!

I have a few spring perennials coming up, but have not bloomed yet too.  It's not quite time to plant any annual flowers, herbs or plants/seeds in the vegetable garden just yet.  I am pretty sure we are not planting any peas, considering I can't get out there to put up my pea fence right now.

Welcome May!  What's Growing?  © May 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Washcloth/Cleaning Cloth Pattern ~ This and That

 

Here is my post for the pattern link (pattern is free online), that I used for both my makeup and regular washcloths, and for the cleaning cloths.  I use 100% cotton yarn and an "H" hook, although her pattern states to use an "I" hook.  I used leftover small bits of cotton yarn from those smaller balls they sell (maybe 2 to 2.5 oz?).  

I actually posted a "review" of all of the washcloths I made over the years.  You can read the post - HERE.  I used to keep the smaller version of the washcloth in our camper, but now take this size.

I picked out two different blue crocheted pot holder sets to give to the two families that had the house fire.  

I grew anaheim peppers last year, with the plan to can them.  I got the plants to grow, but they produced very late and very small peppers.  I never canned any.  I am just wondering if it's worth the canning hassle?  I mean the little cans of diced chilies are not that expensive.  Does anyone can these?  I still may look for plants this year.  I forgot all about  the seeds for these peppers, until I made us breakfast yesterday.  By the way, organic cans are now $2.49 each, while non-organic brands can be as low as $0.79/can.

Cheddar and Chile egg casserole.  It's not for  everyone.  I learned about this Rachael Ray recipe when I was cooking for a few vegetarian kids here.  

It's not tomato or garlic harvest season, but the green onions are doing great right now.  My husband requested this dip.  I used a lower fat cream cheese on the bottom.  I am not trying to gain weight right now ha ha!  I went over board on the green onions.  Yum.  We use almond flour organic crackers or homemade. 

Easy Layered Tomato Dip

I'm thrilled to see my peppermint plant is springing back to life.  My spearmint is not yet however.  I will clean the leaves out after the last chance of frost is over with here.

Not wanting to send my husband on a shopping hunt, I just ordered this online and had it conveniently delivered to my door step.  

I had been applying comfrey at the onset of the fracture, but from my research, you should only allow this into your body so many weeks in one year.  I have tried to grow arnica here so many times, and could not for some reason, so I just bought the cream.

Washcloth/Cleaning Cloth Pattern ~ This and That  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Powerful Herbs ~ Learning as I go

We are to heat up to the 80's today.  They sky is looking strange this morning.  One direction looks like a storm brewing, and the other, the sun rising with very dark clouds above it.  We had very bad wind yesterday.

Once again, you are being entertained with a blog draft from June of 2017.  To be honest, I don't remember buying the book.  I think a blog follower sent me her copy, but anyway, a very old draft to entertain you with.  It does have me thinking about other herbs now.  I have, as of last year, started to harvest our wild growing goldenrod.  I had to laugh reading this draft, because I do not remember growing Gotu Kola seeds indoors either.

We are blessed with a lot of wild growing herbs and weeds, but you do have to know what you are picking as well.  Stinging nettle requires some very thick gloves, or your hands will be pricked by the stinging part of the nettle.  

When we had barn cats, I never had a problem finding wild growing catnip.  I dehydrate it for my homemade bug spray (which does work, but has to be applied often or you just sweat it off).

Do you have a favorite herb?  Do you have a favorite herb resource book?   Do you infuse a regular herbal tea for health reasons?

I hope you enjoy this today.  I think I have reduced my drafts down from 80-something to under 30 now.  

Remember this book?  I actually bought it after borrowing it several times from the library.   It's half full of recipes, has pumped me up in the way of adding more herbs/spices to my meals.  I do already, but this has pushed me to a new level.  


I've learned a new word recently - adaptogen .  I'm researching herbs for a brain booster tea, or infusion, and keep coming across ingredients such as "Rhodiola."  When I looked up this ingredient, I see it is a plant grown in the arctic, but not enough research for me.

So far my list of herbs for a "brain booster" tea I've collected are:

~Gingko
~Rosemary
~Gotu Kola, and herb grown in India (new one for me, but Mountain Rose Herbs carries this and I also bought seeds and have started them indoors this year.
~Ginseng, an adatogenic herb

Other herbs I'm considering:
~sage, my research has found it in "thinker's tea" recipes
~peppermint
~Green tea


I'm checking out more and more books from the library.  I hope to find a tea recipe that is suitable and with ingredients I can trust putting in my body. 

So many of the books I want to read are printed in the UK and only on Kindle.  Hmpf.  I don't want to read books on my computer and I don't have a kindle.  Kind of frustrating, but my library will still get my business.

I just learned about eyebright and goldenrod too.  Both are good for spring/fall allergies.  I'm reading as much on these as I can, and have plans for the goldenrod this fall.

I have also been experimenting with different herbs for a hot cup of healing tea.  I felt the second tube that was horribly and very roughly put down my nose and down my throat last winter, damaged my throat.  It hasn't been the same.  I've been drinking a hot tea (off and on) with a bit of sage, thyme and chamomile.


Powerful Herbs ~ Learning as I go  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart
 

Best Way to Dehydrate Chives ~ Homemade Dry Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix

Spring herbs are here!

Store bought chives are expensive. The cost for the above bottle of dried chives was $4.58!  I freeze my chives, but for the dry Ranch mix recipe, I need dehydrated/dried chives.  The bottle above is .12 oz and when ground makes 7 1/2 teaspoons.   It is horribly expensive, and I have managed to kill the indoor chive plant I brought inside.

So....on a mission I went...

 I dehydrated chives many years ago, but did not do my research before hand.  I had snipped them, and placed them on parchment paper in the dehydrator, and they the fan blew them all over the inside.

Here is what I have researched.  

-if you wash your chives, be sure to let they dry or dry them with a towel, or use a vegetable drying pad to let them dry off any water from washing them.  Otherwise, your dehydrator time will be a lot longer.

-do not snip them, keep the the chives whole, and place in the dehydrator.

-do not use a heat higher than 95°F, and dry them for 12-16 hours (mine took closer to the 16 hour mark, and this can vary).  Check your dehydrator for the temperture setting.  My chives are very long and thick, so I used every tray in my dehydrator to avoid cutting them at all.  Also, rotate your trays during they drying time.

Keeping the chives whole, prevents them from moving around too much, and the temperature keeps the flavor retained.

I stored mine in a canning jar, and use a vaccuum seal to remove any extra air.  I also kept them as long as I could, and will grind them only when I need them, to retain flavor.

(the first time making this recipe, I did not have dehydrated chives, so I ground up a teaspoon of dehydrated shallots, and it was very good).

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix 

1/2 cup Cultured Buttermilk Powder

1 Tbsp. homemade garlic powder

1 Tbsp. homemade onion powder

1 tsp.  parsley* (see note below for this and next two ingredients)

1 tsp. dill* 

1 tsp. chives *

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Store in the refrigerator, or if you prefer to store it on a shelf, replace the buttermilk powder with powdered milk.  If stored dry with buttermilk in the fridge, you'll want to use it up in about 2 months.

It will fit in a half pint jar.  I used my canning funnel to fill the jar with ingredients.

*parsley, dill and chives are all dehydrated from the herb garden.

I first used this on chicken for a chicken, wild rice and broccoli casserole.  Years ago, I would just put the bone in chicken in the pan, but this time I cooked the chicken on the stove top, cubed with this ranch dry mix.  It turned out wonderful.

We also used it for a dressing (add what you like), and it's pretty good, and uses less ingredients to make.  It makes a very good dip recipe for vegetables.  We like to blend cottage cheese (vs. sour cream) and add the dry Ranch mix.  So good!

On a side note, I freeze chives as well, for other dishes .  I simply snip, store in freezer bags (flat), or fill freezer containers.  I just take it out, use what I need and put it back into the freezer.  We can enjoy chives in the colder months of winter.  I also freeze some of our green onions with the same process.

Best Way to Dehydrate Chives ~ Homemade Dry Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix© Apr 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Lavender Syrup

 Have you ever made homemade lavender syrup?  Have you purchased this syrup and used it?  

I was curious, as I thought it would be good in an evening cup of tea.  I was also intrigued with it as a lemonade, but  wasn't so sure about the floral flavor bit.

Note:  I now put a canning label on things I make, and write the expiration date on it vs. the date I made it.  It makes it so much easier to check at a glance than looking over the calender.

I chose to use honey, but the recipe states you can use other options if you prefer.  The recipe and instructions are found online with Detoxinista.

I also did a bit more research, and you can even make the syrup sugar-free, by using monk fruit in place of the honey/sugar/maple syrup.

I also found more recipes with different amounts of honey or suggestions for adding things like vanilla extract.  I will be trying more recipes to find the one we like the best.

If you have tried Traditonal Medicinals tea - Nighty Night, the syrup smells almost exactly like this eveing hot tea (the lavender scent).  I made the syrup specifically to add to this tea for additional benefits.

The results were pretty good.  I also made myself a lemonade (just water and and real lemons squeezed), and used the syrup for the sweetener.  I was skeptical, because I have tasted lavender candy a few years back, and it tasted like soap.

The lavender lemonade was pretty darn good.  Homemade is is the way to go, if you are wanting to try this conconction.

Lavender Syrup  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

What's Cooking?

 

The ladies are back to normal egg production, so I washed some up for scrambled eggs to go with breakfast.  I also tried a new recipe, and I'll try to get that posted tomorrow.  Any radish lovers out there?  Shockingly, the new recipe was delicious.

I decided to make another pumpkin oat breakfast bake (vs. pancakes) this time around, and I have to say, I'm very happy with the pumpkins we grew last year.  I planted a different variety, and the puree is much thicker than the previous pie pumpkins we've planted.

What did I plant?  Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin, Baker Creek Seeds.

Do you have a favorite pie pumpkin that you plant in your garden?

The crock pot pork chops I recently made us, used up the very last container of homemade cream of mushroom soup we had in the freezer.  I don't use it that often, but it comes in handy, and it's much healthier.

The spring rains are thankfully bringing the herb garden back to life, and just in time.  I am getting to the bottom of my jar of oregano.  I made us a large pan of roasted vegetables, and I used several of my herbs to season it.

A fresh cut pineapple was cut up and packed for this week's lunches.  My husband joked at my $0.88 pumpkin, but I  was not missing out on that deal, and boy am I glad I bought one.  It is very good!  I do not have any of the gadgets to core this either, so it was a bit of work, but for $0.88??  You can't beat that.

Spring herb garden green onions are back, and I have found so many reasons to add them to meals.  I even snipped some in containers, to pack in my husband's lunch, so he can top his breakfast with them (or even his lunch).

What's Cooking?  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy Homemaker Monday

We are greatly anticipating outdoor spring activities and garden prep.  Not to mention the finishing of the new coop.  I already have a plan in place for moving the chickens.

We have friends that just sold their house, bought an RV and are living/traveling in the RV now.  I'll admit, it sounds interesting, and could imagine a life with a lot less taxes.

I'm on the hunt for Arnica cream/lotion.  Sigh.  Just trying to avoid buying all the ingredients to make it.  If you know of a resource, be sure to comment.  By the way, I have tried to grow arnica here a few times, and with no success for some reason.

We had unexpected guests all weekend, so I feel like we did not get much done around here.  We did manage to pick up a few bales of straw (at a high price), from a farm store for now.  We are having trouble locating a larger amount from a local farmer, for the chickens.  We've sent a few messages, so we are waiting for responses.  

We also managed to pick up the light we needed for the hallway ceiling.  The online inventory stated they had 5 in stock, but when we arrived that was not the case.  We will still need one more light fixture.  

 

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  Somehow I missed last week, but nothing much was news-worthy.  I apologize for the length of this post today.  I hope you have a hot cup of java or tea to get you to the end.

The weather . . .

The weekend was very cold, with Sunday morning being a windchill of 18°F.  Today we are to hit the lower 60's, and then we lower again to the 50's with nights in the 30's.  All of our daffodils that bloomed so far, and now laying flat.  I am hoping the remainder of them still bloom.

Right now I am . . .

Sipping coffee, and writing out a to-do list, and getting early morning laundry started.

Thinking and pondering . . .

I'm considering other herbs to infuse  for healthy ice teas.  Does anyone else make tea infusions for health?

I'm working on high protein, healthy snack options.  I borrowed some "clean" snack cookbooks from the library, but more than half the recipes call for protein powder.  I want real food ideas.  I do  have some eggs waiting in the fridge to boil in a few weeks.  

How I am feeling . . .

Pretty good.  We've been welcoming spring with some nettle/oat straw tea infusions (served iced), and ending the evenings with hot tea and squeezed lemons.  

On the breakfast plate . . .

Our most recent breakfast, and our favorite.  I could literally eat this every morning!  My husband said, that when he was reheating his at work, everyone asked what he was eating (it smelled that good!).  I'll make a post to share how I made this.  It a bit of work, but it lasts for a few days too.  Not sure what we'll have this week yet.

On the lunch plate . . .

Slice of organic sourdough bread, with fresh made peanut butter, and banana slices.  The organic bananas that we've purchased the last few times, have tasted weird.

On the dinner plate . . .

Not sure yet.  It may be a new recipe, or it could be something easy like grilled cheese and home canned tomato soup.

On the menu . . .

-Stuffed pepper pizzas, sliced apples

-Sheet pan chicken dinner, veggies

-Crockpot meatballs, oven roasted mushrooms/asparagus

I have several new recipes to try.  I am working on our freezer stash, so hence new recipes to indulge in. 

On the reading pile . . .

Another book passed on to me from my Mom, that was on a bookshelf.  I'm not a big fan of romance novels, but I am giving it a try.  So far, it's slow going.  Mom wrote the sticky note that is still on the front of it.  I have tucked it inside, so I can pass the book on when I am done.  Hopefully I will finish it.  I used to buy up all of the Love Inspired books at our library book sale and deliver them to her.  I guess I should have known that one would make its way back to me.  

New to the bookshelf.  Gulp.  Yes, I said "new" to the shelf, but I have a large box filling up with finished books to donate soon.

On the TV this week . . .

Western movies.

Looking around the house . . .

The kitchen is looking fantastic for once.  Other than our tote of painting supplies still hanging around.  I'll be moving it later this week.

On the to-do list . . .

-laundry

-sweep/mop

-dust

-water plants

-paint interior side of door to garage 

For the week . . .

-wash down kitchen island

-wash down kitchen cupboards

-wash two more windows downstairs

-wash and clean upstairs windows

From the camera . . .

Despite snow and colder weather, the green onion is springing back to life in the herb garden.  Note:  I took this photo before the weekend snow buried them lol!

What I am crocheting . . .

I'm not quite done with this throw, but it's coming along.  There are many hours of hard work involved with this project.  I use an "H" hook, so there is a lot of stitching and a lot of yarn used.  Cold days are coming to an end, so my goal is to finish it before it gets too hot to work on it.

My current project for when I need a break on the large throw pictured first on this project list.  The only one that got a baby carriage robe from me was our grandson who passed away suddenly at the age of 4 months.  I think I used purple and blue in his blanket.  

There are so many babies being born on my husband's side of the family, that I cannot keep up with crocheted gifts.  Anyway, I am making this carriage blanket with yarn in my stash, to work on using up the stash yarn.  I may be adding baby booties, but for now, I am using up some baby blue and light brown yarn to make this blanket.

My current go-to project for on-the-road traveling - baby washcloths in white.  I have yellow-ish yarn, multi-colored yarn and white.  I have zero in any blue for this project.  I do not want to buy yarn right now either, so white is being used (all 100% cotton, light weight, discontinued yarn).

I completely forgot about this square doily.  I am back at working a row a day (when I can or remember).  It takes more concentration, no interruptions, and some reading eyeglasses to get those fine stitches to look good.

The two unfinished projects that were taken apart - thin dishcloth (these never sold at the craft shows anyway), and a flip flip key fob.  The keyfobs were to be sold at a store on the island, where my camper ornaments were sold, but that store closed last year.

Devotional, Bible Verse, Prayers . . .

Prayers for the tornado victims, from the tornados that came through our state and caused much destruction.

Happy Homemaker Monday 3-25-2024  © Mar 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart