Pioneer Woman at Heart

Sorry if this is a boring post about beans, but I have a few new recipes to share - from "pile to file" keepers.  I've found my voice this month, so watch out for long posts.  I think I have blog-i-tis this October.  I can't blame the weather either.  It's been hot out again. The only other news, is that while I was sitting on the porch with leg up sipping my hot herbal tea yesterday, a car hit a deer just yards from our north drive.  The driver pulled over (a young girl), and the deer flopped around on the road for a few seconds, then got up and ran off.  The same area a car hit one early morning not long ago.  There is a corn field adjacent and north of our property.    Before We also got some barn siding removed last night.  We are tired folks.  Simply tired. We've been eating more beans than meat lately.  It helps the budget as well as our health.  These meals were over a period of time. ...

With all the kiddos home yesterday, and the outside temperatures chilly, I used up four apples that where getting too soft to enjoy.  

Even though it's November, we are still seeing some color in our flower beds.   "Huh, I haven't heard you say, I'm going out to the garden today, in a long time.  I think I could get used to that," said my 11 year-old early this morning. Speaking of garden, my fitbit is reading 3,000 less steps per day, now that I'm not outside doing any outdoor work.  However, we haven't figured out our heating situation yet, so  that may change with splitting wood.  I'm going to have to do something to continue to get more exercise.  This may mean heading back to the gym, with a 5am workout.  Hubby needs it anyway.  They are warning employees about weight.  They are at a point now where they will not hire anyone that is over a specific weight, and will start looking for ways to fire employees, that weigh over a specific weight.  More and more employers are taking this route.

I've been busy in my kitchen these past few days.  The rainy days here, have simply motivated me to bake, mix, and shake it up a little.  I am finally at a point in our self-sufficiency stride, where all of my homemade goods (and home grown) are coming together in all of my recipes. Homemade Mexican Taco Mix is made using home grown oregano, onions, and garlic.  I can then use the seasoning mix for all sorts of recipes, such as my salsa dip (using home canned salsa too).

I am learning to be much smarter with my dehydrator, and saving money at the grocery store.  They had 16 oz. tubs of organic cottage cheese marked down for clearance.  I paid $1.49 each, for two tubs.  They are normally $4.89 each.  They fit nicely on the 4 trays in my dehydrator. 

Here is a photo of the clothes dryer (drying rack, whatever you want to call it), that my Mom and cousin picked up for me.  They happened to be in the right place and the right time.   The price tag reads $58.95. They paid $30.00.  You can tell it's handmade (most likely by Amish), and is about 6 feet tall when put up to it's highest setting. I love the fact they put these rods at the very bottom for support.  All of my smaller ones (metal and wood) start to wobble side to side after months of use.

Over the weekend, a thrift store was having a customer appreciation sale - 50% off store wide.  I got all of this (two bed sheets, 3 vintage tablecloths) for about $8.00 total.  The bedding will be saved for camping, and possibly a few of the tablecloths. 

We are very much enjoying roasted pecans on our salads lately, so I sta rted ma king my own (vs. buying them already roasted ).  Here, a 3.5 oz. bag of honey roasted pecans costs $3.99. 

....all within the last few days     . . . Hubby and son rigged up the dog kennel for the meat chicks, and the layer chicks are out side now (we got the kennel for free, covered the top , and sides with chicken w ire).  The barred rock la yers ar e finally outside.

. . . planted two types of potatoes, lettu ce, red and yellow onions, spinach, arug ula, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower a nd broccoli .  I picked some as paragus too.  W e used the rain barrel water to water the veg etable p lants we planted, and love it.  The rain barrel saves us water, and electricity ( so we don't have to run the water pump to do it).  We definite ly want two more barrels this year. . . . weeded out the raised bed s of straw berries. . . . planted a r ose mary plant and some organic basil seeds. . . . planted organic sunflower seeds and tw o varieties of Sha sta Da isies.        . . . dehyrdrated organic baby kale for dog tre a ts (could not find organic , regular kale). . . .made more homemade dog treats in the dehydrator . . . . my 16 year-old made another bat ch of goat's milk soa p . . . . picked up a t ruck load of mul ch fo r the fl ower beds .  I need a nother load. . . .divi ded my Thyme and pl...

Today I am thankful for: . . . for Hubby cooking me brea kfast on the weekends . . . for my washing m achine and clo thesline . . . for soft pillows . . . for our coffee maker that brews in 3 minutes . . . phon es . . . for fragrant candles my Mom gave us . . . good ol' fash ioned , to -the-mailbox, mail . . . the sun shining today and wa rmer weather . . . God's availability, always there, always listening . . . pens and pencils . . . for my 19 year -old daughter getting a job yesterday.  She's officially empl oyed. . . . for locating an a lpaca farm not too far from here.  You may hear more about this later. Today, the w eather is to be up in the 60's, so the washing machine is getting a workout.  So are my clotheslines.  The kids have not been counting eggs, so I may skip the egg count this year.  I have a few new tulips and hy ac inths to p lant today, and a dd yet a bit of more pink and pur ple to the gardens.  Bill s n...

As I mentioned in a previous post, Hubby and I walked through a thr i ft store last week. Although prices there were higher than I woul d like, I brought home . . . . . . a cookbook for grilling fish

 . . . installed our very first rain barrel (USA mad e).  We plan to inst all more , but want to check out more options on sty les (and m aking them oursel ves).  This one holds 55 gallons and will be close to the garden for watering it.  I also have a recipe to make this water drinkable, if ever it was needed in a n emergency.  I have been doing some research on rain barrel ca re, and recently read that you should paint your barrel a darker color, in order to keep the sun f rom affect i ng the water inside.  This one can be hooked to another barre l, and we do plan to consider making our own.  Ou r goal is to install 2 (possibly 3-4 ) more in t he next few years.  Here is a link to information if you are consid ering in stalling a rain barrel:  The Redeemed Gardener:  Mai ntaining a Healthy Rain Barrel. . . . made a batch of homemade goat's milk r icotta cheese.  I used it to bake Lasagna Ruffles and some coo kies. . . ....

(reversible, and handmade) As promised to some folks, here is the photo of the clothespin apron I purchased for $1.50.  I found it at a thrift store, when I was really not looking for anything in particular.  I love it when I find useable thrift items.  I just have to keep the shopping prudent.

It's been a while since I po sted anything regarding the Dark Days Challenge.  Ye sterday, breakfast was fresh farm eg gs, and organic wa ffles . Dinner was a past a dish using my home canned tomato sauce, f rozen (gard en) green peppers and dehydrated mushrooms .  My home canned, organic apple sauce is a wond erful side for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or for baking too). Thi s week I have had a hankering for iced tea .  I have been making a gallon almost every day.  Mmmm!   Today, I will be scra mbling up 2 dozen eggs, and adding onion and green pep pers (from last year's garden), and adding frozen spinach.  This makes it easy for hubby to grab a quick breakfast bu rri to before he goes to work. Evening , wind dow n time, usually involve s hot tea .  I purchased organic, loose le af tea from a small (privately owned) local business.  

I'm sharing a few thrift store finds and bargains , that I got before getting sick.

I am feeling better somewhat, so I walked 10 minutes on the treadmill.  This was torture, considering I coughed a few times (I was told you should not exercise with a cough).  I took it easy, but those ten minutes felt like 2 hours.  I have not walked, nor exercised for several weeks now.  I think I hea rd bones creaking - ha ha ha! School is closed today.  It works out for us, although we have some err ands to run, before Hubby and I run away for the weekend.  Yep!  We are on the road, so say a prayer. First we need to go visit an insurance office.  O ur current insurance company first quote d us $4, 6 00/year for insurance (with the t wo sold and a n ew on e to replace), then she called back with $3, 600.00.   We didn't like this woman, as she avoided our questions, and didn't answer us on others.  My son was the driver in an accident over 3 years ago, and we a sked about her revie wing our coverage, a nd possibly going do ...

I know folks have different views on buying any food that has been marked down, but I wanted to share an oth er delicious recipe.  Again, it is from a book from the library. I bought a 1/2 gallon of an tibio tic free buttermilk for $1 .25.  I used to be able to find it for $.75.  In the winter, organic milk is very expensive (to make buttermilk homemade). This recipe would need to be doubled for a large family.  Unless of course you add some eggs and a type of meat for a side.  Yum!  They are tas ty and light.     Buttermilk Cornmeal Pancakes ( a dapted with organic /local ingredients , from Back in t he Day Bakery Cookbook , by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day ) 1 1/2 cups un bleached , organic all-purpose flo ur 1 cup organic cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 te aspoon fine sea salt 2 Tbsp. organic sugar 2 large farm fresh eggs, lightly beat en 2 1/2 cups buttermilk 8 Tbsp. uns alted organic butter, melted (1 stick ) * 6 Tb...

 . . . made my first homemade ginger ale and loved it!  I plan to make more of this (more so for health reasons) for a refreshing summer treat.  There are many recipes on the I nternet.  I also made a hot ginger tea.  The recipe is from my sister's I ndian cookbo ok.  I am enjoying this, in hopes to speed up my recovery from this col d/sinus /cough /ches t pain ill ness.

 ( b efore adding turkey and cream) I made a nother new recipe - Tasty T urkey Hash.  Ho we ver, the "tasty" part wa sn 't what I was thinking when I ate my first bite. This recipe la cks flavor.  I n a last minu te effor t to make this dish "pop" I mixed in 1/2 t sp. o f my ground ja lapeno/cayenne pepper mix.   If you do try this recipe , I' d like to know what you added to it, to add flavor.  I know ginger and ga rlic are good with swee t potatoes, but I'm not sure about the turkey .  What would you add? Some of the kids topped it with s hredded cheddar ch e ese and at e in i t in a soft tor tilla.     L eftover T ip:  Add scrambled e ggs for a breakf ast burrito (any a hot sauce if you like it). Tempting Turkey Hash (ad apted from Tired and Wi r ed , by Marcelle Pick) 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 red or green bell pepper, chopped , organic 1/2 small onio n, ch opped , home grown 1 medium sweet potato, diced, or...