March days well spent

 March was, not what I call "busy" for us, but adventurous, and filled with more of "living life" than doing all the "doing" stuff we do all day every day.  Warning:  Post is long today (gulp!).  Grab a cup of java or tea.

"Busy" is sort of synonymous with negative vibes.  I mean, we still had medical appointments (some regular, some needed), hair appointments, husband's full time job, but only a few commitments.  However, we spent much of the month "enjoying" life  (maintaining balance). 

I have not harvested much other than fresh grown green onions.  I do have some oil on order to restock homemade hand/body lotion. Not sure if I will re-stock our homemade lip balm just yet.  We have a plan to build one more item for the chicken castle (more on that later), and we plan to better landscape one flower bed.

Planted:  Feverfew, Mullein, Radishes (two types), Beets

Harvested: Green onions

Purchased:  Seed potatoes

On the "to-buy" list:  Sweet potato slips 

Oil infusion started:  Horsetail

There was a birth and a death in our families this month.  Home repairs continue, but slow going.  We are slowly chipping away it the list, but checking it off (vs. letting it roll over into next year).  

The weather has been crazy.  At one point, very high winds that took out power all over the state.  It ripped roofs off, knocked trees down, power lines down and the like.  The temperatures are going up and down, and the spring flower bulbs are confused.  We've had rain, thunderstorms, high's in the 70's and sunny, and even snow and cold this month.  We actually woke up to 9°F one morning about mid-month (with rain the very next day, our weather has been that crazy).

I've upped my culinary experience with new breakfast meals for us.  I, personally, felt like we were in a rut.

I've made breakfast stuffed peppers before, but these contained homemade chicken sausage, and were delicious. Yes, that's green onion on top, from the herb garden.

Sheet pan breakfast - mushrooms, bell peppers, red onion, sausage, seasonings, and eggs.  Super easy way to prepare it, and have no idea why I never thought to do it this way.  I used fresh mushrooms.  However, this produced liquid at the bottom of the container after being in the refrigerator overnight.  I'm guessing from the fresh bell peppers.

(both recipes are online with Clean Food Crush).

We are also trying, or should I say inventing new dinners.  It is a fajita type "bowl" with out the tortilla bowl.  I made our rice in the crock pot and loved it (new recipe and it's a keeper), then I sautéed bell peppers and onions (later added more cilantro to this too), and added black beans and corn , then on top of that we blackened chicken tenders (very easy to do), and then topped with salsa and homemade sauce (sour cream, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, salt).  The blackened chicken gave it much more spice, and we loved it.  We went light on the bottom layer of rice, but it's definitely a keeper recipe meal.

We have many more new recipes to try, including a few with sweet potatoes in them.

Side note:  Did you know that the Anchor 2 cup measuring cup does not have a 1/4 cup measure mark?  I probably knew that, but my Pyrex markings rub off so often, I replace them way too often, so I bought Anchor.  Sigh.  I am told the 1 cup measuring cups have the 1/4th on them. 

We hiked a new waterfall trail (loved it!), and lots of other adventures we crossed off my new spring list of our "we are doing this" list.   

We are rediscovering areas we already walked, but taking other new-to-us trails and loving it.

I already (sigh) broke my personal vow to not buy new books this year.  Actually, it was my husband's idea to go inside the bookstore, and he made the picks and purchases (including a shirt and sticky notes {very cute sticky notes}) other than one book I picked put.  I better get busy reading now.

We accomplished more organizing, purging, etc.  This type of "busy" was good, refreshing and fun.  The kitchen drywall repair (where we removed an old light fixture) job was completed, and ceiling painted.  Drywall repair has been started in the stair way as well.  Over the years, the kids cut gouges into the walls moving stuff up and down, and holes created where they kept the dog gates.  

We have much more work to do on the stairs, stairway and upstairs.  You would not believe how much scotch tape (and other tape), poster putty and other sticky residue the kids left on the walls up there. Think big bucket of drywall mud vs. spackle to fix all of the holes and gouges.

I finished one entire photo/photo album project, with leaves us with only one lengthier "album" project (both side projects from a closet clean out). I spruced up the kitchen with spring colored dish towels (old ones get recycled or repurposed), and a spring (found on clearance) rug for one bathroom.  It's amazing how a few splashes of color or moving things around can change your overall daily views.

Lastly, my current books:

A gift.

We end this month with our weather in the 70's, and a lot of rain arriving later today.  The rain will stay with us for a few days.

March days well spent  ©  March 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Smoked Bacon? Oh my! ~ Shopping and Hiking

 We have discovered bulk, smoked bacon.  It is a drive for us, but the packages are packed with 150 slices of smoked bacon.  We do not own a smoker, so this was a nice discovery.  Did you know that smoked bacon loses it's fat when smoked?  It greatly reduces the amount of time to cook it as well.  On a side note, it is even more cost saving to cure, smoke and slice your own bacon with pork, if you have a smoker (so many instructions online for this).

It costs a lot less to buy the bacon this way (bulk), and saves us so much money.  We will be stocking up on this, from now on.  We don't use bacon in every meal, but the savings are wonderful.  

We are finding more and more ways to locate supplies at lower prices, organic herbs and other items when we do take the drive for supplies. 

We are now incorporating the shopping trips with an outdoor hike/walk.  It's something new for us, but we are loving this new idea.  We are expanding our outdoor adventures, getting physical exercise, and enjoying nature.

I'm tickled to also find glass bottles for homemade tinctures, lotions, sprays and whatnot.  No more Mountain Rose Herbs, with their high prices, lack of supplies, and outrageous shipping costs.

Oh by the way, I had a conversation with a lady about Mountain Rose Herbs, and my frustrations.  She said they were recently purchased by someone else.  I don't have the information on that, but it all makes sense.

Having spent my entire life devoted to raising our kids, it is finally nice to get out of the house and enjoy ourselves again.  Are you discovering nature this year?  I'm actually writing a shopping list for long distance supplies, and logging what areas to hike/walk in those areas.  It's truly an inspiration, and something to look forward to, besides just shopping.  Finding cost saving, and/or needed supplies, are just a bonus on these wellness travel trips.

Smoked Bacon?  Oh my! ~ Shopping and Hiking © Mar 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Mid Week Medley ~ Question for Condiment Canning Aficionados

 The rain is slowly bringing the outdoors back to life, and we see more green again.  We have had snow flurries, which deterred me from harvesting any of those baby green onions coming up, but everything is brighter outside for spring.

The Daffodils were blooming like crazy, and I would love to cut some to bring inside, but the snow just keeps on coming.  Not a lot, but enough to remind us that winter is still not over with.

The rain is also giving us gifts from the Earth.  We have three wild growing mullein plants in the flower beds.  I need to dig them up to move them, so we can utilize them this year.  If I leave them in the flower beds, they will continue to replant in there, and the wild plants grow very tall.  We dehydrate this medicinal weed for tea.

We took a drive to do some hiking.  I have to admit, that outdoor hiking uses more muscles than what you may use on a treadmill.  Good gravy we were happy sore, and have plans to get more hiking in this year.

Although it is too late to start more seeds for the garden this spring, we attempted to visit a new non-gmo seed store (new to visit for us, but in business for a while). We should have called to double check their business hours.  What stated on their online website, for a closing hour, was incorrect.  We arrived just after they had closed for the day.  We do plan to go back. and take a look at what they have to offer folks.

What's been purged/donated?

The last four mugs I had, that I crocheted mug "hugs" and matching coasters for, were donated to another local senior center.  I also donated two smaller items to the local library, for prizes within the children's area.

One local (non-chain) thrift store, has put a stop on taking any Christmas donations until September of this year.  We still need to do a complete garage clean out this year, so we'll need to find more donation locations.  The kids left their Christmas decorations behind, and many other items we need to get rid of (left behind because they don't want them) .

A box of books is awaiting it's donation destination.  I'm still filling it up with books I am finishing reading, so I'm not in a big hurry on that.

Canning Question:  Do you have a tried and true way to can caramelized onions (boil seal method), without using a crock pot?   I just don't want to can after dinner time, and I do not want to run my crock pot all night.  It is the only recipe I have used once (trusted recipe source), and it was successful, but now I want to can them again. 

Or....have you frozen homemade caramelized onions?  I have read they only last 2 months in the freezer, and what is the texture when they thaw?

Mid Week Medley ~ Question for Condiment Canning Aficionados © Mar 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Another Hike on the Farm. . .

Another day, another hike.

I was super excited to see we have a "Poor Man's Banana Tree" on the property.  I never saw it until this year.  It's kind of hidden in the trees.  I will have to see if it is still bearing fruit too.   Although, I think the fruit ripened last month. I was so excited I forgot to get a closer look.   It's technical name is The technical name for this tree is Asimina triloba.  The fruit is edible.  

I was even more excited to see another black walnut tree also.  I think I need to do some more hiking in the back woods more often.  

 ...found yet another black walnut tree!  Yippee! 

 ...and even another one!  Four years ago, I would not be jumping of joy to see these trees.  As a kid, when we'd visit my grandparents, we'd toss these out into the street and wait to hear a "pop" when cars ran over them.
Next on the hike.....

...another orb weaver spider (check out the red and white legs on this).  Ugh!  I almost got my hair in this web by leaning over to see what plant this was...

Not sure what it is, but I found another bush underneath a locust tree also.  

I'll have to confirm what this is with the parks division again. Hmm? 

The barn that has seen it's last days....gonna miss this barn, as I can see it from the kitchen every day.

Sadie, Gus, and Jesse...taking a break from our little hike, and watching the goats.

Peanut looks a bit upset I came to visit without treats.

At the end of our hike and back to the house, Sapphire (Sassy, Sassafras) had to give all the dogs a rub by, and then she got a lick in return.  This is the kitty that went missing for a long time.