Pioneer Woman at Heart

  I'm calling it Monday Madness, as we return to a week of a regular work load, and trying to catch up for what we did not get done around here.  The bathrooms need a good cleaning, trash taken out, dusting, sweeping, dishes etc.  It also means, I am back to the kitchen for some homemade cooking and baking this week. I'm dehydrating plantain, as the weather was good for it, and we needed it.  I have tinctures to strain, and salve making to do this month. My husband is feeling better faster than me, and in doing so, has prompted the start of several projects that are overdue.  I'm not sure which one will be done first, but we have acquired the new window (will require some drywall work as well), lumber is ready to start the chicken run build (and we have stand by help for both), he's on board with the office purge (so old carpet can be torn out and the new flooring put in), utility room purge/clean up will once again start due to the fact we will soon need to rem...

  The wild black raspberries are on early this year.  They are small, but tasty.   I have a lot of plantain in the flower beds, and I am happy to say I have a wild growing mullein plant again.  So happy for that. The heat if finally letting up a bit, but no sign of rain. My husband took the truck to work the other day, so he could get the gas can refilled.  A deer jumped out of the ditch and smashed into the side of the truck.  I'm still waiting on the collision repair guy to call so I can take the truck in for repairs. I sure hope it doesn't take a year to get an appointment. I finally baked us a chocolate angel food cake.  It's good and light, but there is not much chocolate flavor to it.  I don't get to make one very often, but it's a nice light dessert for this hot weather.

Plantain tea (1 teaspoon dried plantain weed, 1 cup of boiling water - steep) is good for an upset stomach. Comfort food - Pumpkin-Sage Macaroni and beets.

Today is the fift h day in a row to pick green beans.  I planted two rows of two different organic varieties, both of which stated were great for freezing. Not including day one ( I might have picked 3-4 poun ds that day) ,  we put up 1 2 1/2 pounds of beans so far.  The first variety is yellow (buried in the basket), and other green.  I have the names written down somewhere around here.  I've lost track of putting this information into my "homesteading journal."  I'm just so busy, and my mind is just focused on getting it put up without waste. Update :  I located the names of what I p lanted - Strike Bush Beans, and Go ld Rush Beans ( yellow).  Both from High Mowing Organic see d company.  Both are delicious and high y ielding.