Pioneer Woman at Heart

  Years ago, my Dad gave me a container of "crafty" items from his mother (my Grandma).  She lived through the Great Depression, and was very creative on recycling "trash" into items to sell (above is a magnet she made). She used to recycle egg cartons, but punching holes out using a single hole punch.  She would make many things with them, and in the container, along with several bags of punched circles, was a magnet she made with other styrofoam trays.  My biggest memory from these punched circles, was her necklaces she made with them, using dental floss to string it and other beads.  Several years ago, I wrote about it.  You can get directions on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot. She also made beautiful beaded jewelry.  I have completely emptied that container, sorted it and boxed most of it up.  It will be donated to a home where they house women recovering from mental/health and addiction/recovery issues.  They are very "crafty" and were asking fo...

We are still getting rain daily, but the heat is back too.  The garden is doing great, but the weeding is hard to keep up with (with the rain). We had a relaxing weekend. Sunday we played cards on the porch, and grilled steaks and corn on the cob.  Believe it or not, the organic ribeyes were way cheaper than buying other non-organic steaks at the grocery store. Once again gas was out at the other grocery store.  I am hearing it is due to lack of drivers to get the gas delivered. My to-do list is right back at it this morning.  We deserved to have a relaxing weekend, so it's back to work -master bath -restock freezer (that's a list of itself, ha ha) -dishes, run dishwasher -laundry before it rains -muck chicken coop I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. The weather . . . I'm told it will "feel like" 94°F today.  More rain in the evening. How I am feeling this morning . . . Frustrated after getting some news I wasn't expecting. On the breakfast ...

  We were watching a movie one night and they were talking about dressing up canned peas for a delicious side.  One day I came in hot and tired from garden work and didn't want to run to town for fresh veggies, so I dumped a few cans of peas (drained and rinsed) and dressed them up with butter, onions, thyme and salt and pepper.  Yum! We have also mixed in yellow squash relish, but I don't can that anymore.  I have a list of items that need made and stocked back up.  I save these to-do's for rainy days. Pizza dough was restocked in the freezer.  Something I learned . . . Add cornstarch to your roasted vegetables for a crispier roasted side.  Suggested amount is 1 Tbsp. per pound of vegetables.  I'll update, regarding this new tip, after I try it. July is booking up fast with parties, gatherings, travel plans and get togethers.  July also is the month in which Daughter E's boyfriend and his best friend were killed in a car accident.  Ther...

  (not my photo)  I learned something new.  We were browsing at an antique store this year, and my husband and another couple were trying to figure out what this tool was used for.  It's a board with spikes going upward.  It was used in Colonial days to run the fibers of flax stems through.  Flax was used to make fibers of thread to create linen.  Ha! Now we know.

A tisane is basically an herbal tea (used medicinally or for enjoyment), created the same way you make an infusion or decoction.  They can be enjoyed hot or cold and may be for simply enjoyment or medicinal purposes.  The only difference I have found with a traditional tisane, is that it is made with barley.   I made my first "tisane" using two simple ingredients - cardomom pods and anise star.  I cracked open 6 organic cardamom pods (green), and used 2 anise stars.  Basically a "seed" tisane. Anise star is good for aiding digestion (bloating, constipation, gas).  It's also beneficial in treating colds and flu.  I use anise star to flavor canned pear jam , and I use cardamom in my homemade ginger ale . There is a lot of sickness going around again, most likely due to the change of weather from warm to cold, to warm to cold rotation.  The long winter hasn't helped.  I am hearing of people with the flu, sinus infect...