Pioneer Woman at Heart

  We have been using local beef tallow for maybe a year now, but it is $5.99/pound.  We have located a better resource for buying it, and at a lower price of $2.49/pound.  Thankfully, we can freeze it, so we are re-stocked for a while.  We only fry fish (perch and walleye), and that is only when we are gifted the fish.  Once a year I make homemade corn dogs with all beef hotdogs.  I have used the beef tallow to grease pans, and that works great too. I have been substituting oil with the tallow, for when I make steel cut oat patties, squash patties, or anything similar needing "oil" to pan "fry" or cook. The same resource also sells local lard, and that can be frozen as well. I have been checking around at prices for vanilla beans, and the online resource (for organic) is still the best price.  In store prices seem to be high.  The above photo was taken at a bulk Amish food store. The daffodils are starting to bloom here.  We have several vari...

  Okay....for the first time ever, we had an ant issue by the dishwasher and sink.  I've never seen this happen, so I did some research.  First, I sprayed down the areas with vinegar/water solution. It killed the ones on the counter, but more would show up.  I noticed they were coming in by the dishwasher area, so I did more research. I made a solution of: 1/2 sugar 1 1/2 Tbsp. Borax 1 cup warm water I then soaked cotton balls in the solution and put them all over the counter tops near the sink/dishwasher.  I left them there for 24 hours.   The next morning, I did not see one live ant.  The sugar draws them to eat the solution, and the borax kills them.  Problem solved, but you have to be patient and let those cotton balls sit for at least 24 hours. Toss those cotton balls and sanitize you counter tops.  Of course if you have little kids or pets, be sure than cannot access those cotton balls while they are sitting on the counter.