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 Spearmint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spearmint. Show all posts

Monday, February 12, 2024

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

A sunrise from last week.  We've been blessed with some beautiful sunrises lately.  We actually grilled out on Sunday.  It was slightly chilly, but the sun was out.

Do you remember my post on the Butterscotch Sugar cookies (from a Joanne Fluke book)?  I froze some of them, to see if they froze well, and they do!  Just sharing in case you like to have something in the freezer for unexpected guests, or need to quickly take a treat to someone.





Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather. . .

Highs in the 40's and lows in the 20's for the week.


Right now I am . . .

Making a pot of coffee.


Thinking and pondering . . .

Butter beans.  Do you use butter beans?  I do.  I have to order them online, as our stores here do not carry them.  Weird right?  I see that Meijer sells them (via looking online), but they add sugar to their canned beans for some reason.  Do you have access to butter beans (organic, non-gmo)?  I currently by Eden Butter beans (USA grown, only contains Kombu seaweed for better digestion).

Just when I am thinking of purging some writing books, a "freelancing" article comes up in my reading list today.  Hm.

So many blogs I follow/followed have ended or are coming to an end lately.  I go to where my reading page is and there is mostly blogs on crochet or writing anymore.


How I am feeling . . .

Coffee made, music on, and ready to tackle the day.


On the breakfast plate . . .

-Breakfast:  Egg/Sausage/Cheese breakfast sandwiches, coffee

On the lunch plate . . .

Maybe chicken salad/boiled egg, grapes.


On the dinner plate . . .

Chicken quesadillas possibly.


On the menu . . .


-Southern Beefy Skillet (Eating Well Recipe, formally from Diabetic Living), but the recipe does not list the tomato sauce in the ingredients, so read the entire recipe and instructions first.

-Pork loin, roasted green beans, and wild rice blend, made with organic stock and pre-blanched kale.  Home canned BBQ sauce to pour over the pork over rice blend.

-Mexican Lasagna, Crockpot Creamed Corn (using frozen off the cob corn)



Beverage:  a gallon of homemade iced green tea infused with dehydrated spearmint from the garden.  Did you know spearmint is good for helping memory?  I just learned this.

When the current Mediterranean Orzo salad is gone, I plan to make another salad.


On my reading pile . . .



Thanks to two 65°F days (and mostly sunny) that lured me to the porch to actually sit and read, I finished this book.  

Currently reading this:




I also borrowed some interesting books from our library. 



 The "swap" book has some very interesting ideas in it.  I'm still waiting on a Sally Fallon book, and it is taking forever to get a copy from the library.  I thought for sure I owned a copy, but I do not.  I'm hoping it comes in soon.


On the TV this week . . .

Movies:  The Ice Road


Looking around the house. . .

What I purged - 16 books, 1 pair of 1.50 readers, 1 cast iron griddle, and gave away the last of my nail polish Christmas tree ornaments to a friend who does nails for a living (she loved them).

The house is pretty tidy, as we had guests over the weekend.

I'm very slowly purging items from the office, which may end up not an office.  That is topic for "thinking and pondering" I guess.

I finished giving my quilt rack a fresh coat of paint, and it's back up on a wall.  I am looking for a new quilt now.  The current one does not match (it's a knock off, cheap version quilt)


The to-do list . . .

-put another paint chip in the home journal
-order propane
-place an order for items I cannot get in the grocery store
-laundry
-dishes, run dishwasher


For the week (moved from last week, as I did not get it done)

-clean kitchen window, window blinds, wash curtains

-the hallway project is still on-going


From the camera . . .


I finished this lap afghan. It is packaged up to donate to the senior center.   I started another.  I keep getting notified (by friends) that there is a need for shawls for a group in our state called Shawls of Support for organ/tissue/eye donors.  One specific wanted purple ones.  I have yet to check my yarn stash, but the senior center was thrilled to get what I have already donated, I really would like to finish a few more lap afghans for them, before winter is over.  Then again, they may be able to use them in the summer if they have the AC on too.  Anyway, there are two great ways to help others with my yarn stash.


Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses. . .

It's not a prayer or bible verse, but a strongly written statement.   It's possibly encouragement to someone today.








Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Spearmint Iced Green Tea ~ Blooms

 

It was high time to make homemade spearmint iced tea.  I love this stuff!  My Mom hated it, but her Mom (Grandma), used to make it.  Love, love, love it on a hot day.  It's nice to have when I come in from the garden.  Now that my husband is doing all the mowing after work, he too enjoys this delicious tea.  I use organic green tea bags.

My popcorn is not doing that great this year.  I may have planted it too late.  I hope I did not waste garden space with a fail crop.  

Here is what's going on in some of the flower beds.









The two "red" ones are actually two different colors.  The last one is more of a burgundy.  


My lavender is in full bloom too.  I brought some in to enjoy.


Thursday, July 21, 2022

Blueberry Season and Chit Chat


Yesterday was horribly humid and hot.  We had a heat index over 100°F.  There were sever thunderstorm warnings and we literally got a few drops of rain.



I drove my 62 minute round trip to pick up 10# of Michigan blueberries.  I did not get the chance to plant potatoes this year, so I also picked up some potatoes, more peaches, and garlic.  If you read my blog, you'll know that we are pretty sure I forgot to plant my garlic last fall.

Anyway, I spring planted my garlic and two entire grow bags have zero garlic, so yes, I could have, and yes it may be a squirrel problem.  I'll be picking up some 1/2 in. wire to cover the grow bags this fall.

Daughter K sent me a message she loved the zucchini I sent home with her, and we decided to use some for our favorite side dish (to also use up corn in the freezer).  The recipe is no secret.  It's online with AllRecipes called Corn and Zucchini Sauté I think.

Wednesday, my day completely changed gears.  I was heading out to the tomatoes and saw our handyman getting the mower out.  Back inside I went.  It was a day of putting blueberries in the freezer, making Einkorn blueberry pancakes and a pitcher of spearmint iced green tea.