Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Showing posts with label Homemade Gift Ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homemade Gift Ideas. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Tidbits ~ Flourless Pumpkin Bread

 Tuesday was our "Monday" this week.  We both took Monday "off" and spent the day enjoying it.  Tuesday was the day for thunderstorms to roll in late afternoon, so laundry went out on the line early.


I am working my way through my garden freezer goodies, and made us some flourless pumpkin bread with frozen garden pumpkin puree. 

It is a very dense, thicker bread, and with less sweetness and flavor, but by adding some extra cinnamon and nutmeg it's pretty good.

The bread is also about half the height of other baked pumpkin breads.  I test the bread about 30 minutes into the cooking time, and let it cool almost completely in the pan.  I finish the cooling on a wire rack before slicing.


Flourless Pumpkin Bread

In a blender mix all of the ingredients:

2 cups organic old-fashioned oats

15 oz. of frozen, thawed garden pumpkin puree (I measure it, as it will weigh differently depending on the thickness of your pumpkin puree).  You can use 1 can of pure pumpkin as well.

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I have not tried a substitute yet)

2 farm fresh eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. of homemade pumpkin pie spice (or add cinnamon, nutmeg)


Pour into greased loaf pan (I do not flour the pan) and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until done in the center.  350°F.

Personally, I like a bit of of honey on this bread, but if you are watching sugar, I'm thinking a thin layer of cream cheese or your other favorite topping. 

Now that I am writing out this post, I am thinking I will make us some homemade cinnamon honey butter for this bread.  

I gifted the homemade butter one Christmas, and it was a hit.  The recipe is on my blog:  Homemade Cinnamon Honey Butter.


I'm enjoying this healthy "snack" with a tall glass of infused nettle/oat straw tea.  Remember those XL disposable teabags I bought by accident?  They work great for these infused tea (no mess after brewing).  

Friday, February 3, 2023

Cold Day ~ Pouring Travel Soap


We are to have a very cold day today (yesterday's sunrise).  However, we are to warm up after that, so it's not staying long.


One more winter job off the to-do list - making travel soap.  

I am slowly working items out of my closet (total chaos).

The soap base was in solid blocks, so I grated it first.



I decided, after trying both sizes, that the rectangle soap makes a smaller soap, and better for travel.  the oval is perfect for a spare bathroom or gift giving.

I decided to get those made, and soap stored for any traveling this year.  Very easy to make and are great for adding to gifts such as a crocheted washcloth and face scrubbie pad.

Not all of the soap is in that photo, but the bars came out to about $.57/each minus adding essential oil.  I did not (obviously) add any coloring.  I am also sharing some with the kids, but perfect for travel trips/camping and gifting.

In hindsight, I should have made a few regular sized bars, but that job is done.  I have had the soap base for at least 2-3 years now.  The last few years have been rough, so I guess 2022-2023 is a "get'r done" year for us.


A reader asked about melting down slivers of leftover soap.  I do not know about store bought soap (non handmade).  I mentioned you could put your soap slivers into a soap saver bag made with 100% cotton.  

Once you add the essential oil and pour to a mold and then use, I don't think you can melt them down again (with the oil in them).

Photo of a soap saver bag:  HERE

I could not find a photo in my computer photos, so I went looking for a blogpost.  I do not have any here at the homestead.  What I have left is still at the museum gift shop.  There are several patterns online for them as well.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Valentine's Day Gift on a Budget


My Valentine's day gift to Hubby.  He can't have sweets, our trip was canceled, and I came up with this.  I purchased a small photo album, and have printed photos of him with me or just me, and I'm using scrap paper and stickers to decorate every other page.  I'll be writing personal notes on them as well.  I hope he likes it.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

This and That


The homemade Kahlua I gifted at Christmas has been a hit.  You can get the link to it here.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Homemade Granola






Sharing another recipe we've been making here for a few years now.  We love this version and have gifted it many times.  I use organic/non gmo ingredients.

Random Tidbits ~ Puppy Mayhem

I opened the fridge, only to find some grated zucchini I had thawed.  Not letting it go to waste, I made us some zucchini muffins.

These come in handy for a healthy after school, or take to work, snack.  Do you think I can count is as a vegetable? Ha ha!

My stove was already heated up, so I turned down the heat and picked out another recipe in the pile.  Don't worry, I won't share every new recipe.

Friday, March 4, 2016

A "Pile to File" Recipe ~ Cranberry Nut Clusters


I had a stash of chocolate left from last Christmas.  I had cashews that I had not yet made Curried Cashews with, and I had some organic dried cranberries for salads.

....and I had 10 minutes before my washing machine was done.

I made Cranberry Nut Clusters.  Easy, quick and delicious.  Another new, and amazingly quick, recipe.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Christmas Homemade ~ 2015


You finally get to see it.  We had our very last Christmas-family gathering yesterday.

Here is what I gifted this year for Christmas. 
1/2 pint jars of home canned sweet pickle relish
4 oz jars of home canned Queen Anne's Lace Jelly 



Mom received a set 

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Random Tidbits ~ Mustards ~ Homemade raspberry honey mustard ~ Extreme Clean Resumes

I'm still cracking English walnuts.  I've put 3 pounds (and counting) in the freezer so far.   I have more to crack.

This year, my herbal journey will be experimenting with mustard (s).  I'm looking into different ones for greens as well as one for the seeds (there isn't one plant that is good for both, that I have found yet).   In the past I have baked a honey mustard pretzel in the oven (store bought pretzel's with a mustard sauce baked on them).

This past Christmas,

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Herbal Bath Tea ~ Peppermint

I have only posted one herbal bath tea, and it was difficult to find again.  Blogger is having a few issues I guess.

Herbal Bath Tea ~ Cold and Flu


I purchased chemical and tag free "press n' brew" bags for tea making, but will mostly use them for traveling, and for bath teas.  We used muslin before, but ended up with tea leaves in the bath water each time.  By the way,

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Homemade Herbal Lip Balm ~ 2nd Making ~ Uses for a Salad Spinner


Like most of you, my hands, face, and lips are feeling dried up and awful already (cold and wind).  My younger two girls love the homemade lip balm, and we are almost out of homemade hand lotion.  That is now on my to-do list now also.

The last time I made the lip balm I used small plastic, round containers. 

 This time I used lip balm tubes.  I used 10 of them.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Buttering with Cranberries ~ Homemade Gift Idea

You'd think there would be a scientific term, for a syndrome defining chronic recipe collectors.  Specifically for those who collect new recipes to try, while attempting to try all the stashed recipes they already have.  It's an obsession I tell ya.

Sigh....

New recipes find me whether I want them or not lately. 


Cranberry butter was a new, delicious butter for me to make.

You can simply use it, freeze it or gift it.



I'm sharing the recipe

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Friday, October 16, 2015

Homemade Gift Ideas for the Holidays

I went back through my blog recently, and compiled a post today to share many handmade gifts I made over the years.  Hopefully, you will find an idea here, or have one to share.


What I gifted in 2015:  Christmas 2015



Handmade Hand Lotion (they loved this!)  I ended up putting it in 4 oz. canning jars to gift.  I do suggest adding the preservative for gifting too.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

. . .from the Handiwork Journal

. . . making progress on the scrap crochet blanket.  I have not repeated a color yet.  

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

365 Day Recipe Challenge? Collard Frittata ~ Frog in the House


I think I have enough new recipes to challenge myself into trying a new one every day.  For a year. Sigh....

Guess what I found?  More recipes.  


I pulled my favorite crock pot cookbook off the cookbook stand to clean, and found a few recipes held together with a clothespin.  Top one looks like it may be good too.  Well, I guess meal planning won't be so difficult this fall.

As for that collard frittata recipe?

Sunday, August 2, 2015

A Day with the "Queen"

I couldn't hold myself back any longer.   I mean why not?  Hubby is still fixing his truck, so the tree(s) still stands.

I found this recipe by purchasing a discarded library book at a library book sale. You never know what you'll find at one.



And a note:  I do not go looking for recipes like this one, they seem to find me.  And I really enjoy making them, and trying them.  I've been making this one for four years now.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

It Begins ~ Rhubarb ~ Recycled Vintage Coffee Filter


Canning season started early for me this year (giddy excitement).  I canned jelly yesterday.  

This was the first time canning with my new stove.  It heats up much faster.  I wanted to get a feel for it, before I start canning fruit jams, which tend to be the beginning of my yearly canning.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

The little things that say "I love you"

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wanted to make something useful for the kids this month - a little something to say "I love you."  I don't like to simply wait for February to tell them, so my challenge to myself is to tell them more often.


I used scrap fabric to make these homemade cards (right), and old book pages (left) to create the envelope.  I used a fine-line black marker to make dashes around the scrap fabric heart (adhered with fusible web). 

What's inside?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Updates ~ Tidbits

Homemade "vaseline" - I have used more than half my jar already.  After bitter cold weather (even with my face covered out there), my skin was very dry.  I even used this on my face when it was very dry from winter air.  I will definitely make this again.