Pioneer Woman at Heart

  We finally got rain, after 20 plus days of 90 degree plus weather.  Despite watering the garden, it was looking fried by the heat, humidity and sun.  The zucchini plants are starting to die off with little harvest already.

  Everything came to halt for a few days.  The truck is fixed now thankfully.  The car has been delivered to the repair man (local man we used before).  There is no extreme cleaning going on right now, nor painting. It's been impossible to focus on "one thing" and finish it, on a daily basis here.  Canning/freezing season is here, and with a bang.  I can't complain, but boy it's really putting me in a sour mood some days.   I hate that feeling of being overwhelmed.  I told my husband, I would gladly grow the garden and pay someone to can in.  He laughed.  Yeah, who has money for that, ha ha! I've been taking advantage of the good weather days, and ,keeping the electric bill down.  I'm am retiring those crocheted rag rugs.  They will be moved to the garage for when my husband needs something to lay on under a vehicle.   The rugs have lasted about 12-13 years, but have faded in color and are ready to move on to ano...

My husband went back to work yesterday.  It's time to get back to cooking and baking and getting my kitchen in order. First I had to put away a stack of clean dishes, then it was time to start chopping. My first batch of sweet pickle relish was canned.  So thankful for the cucumbers and green pepper from the garden.  It was too early to dig up carrots, but they are growing. Baked a zucchini breakfast casserole with garden zucchini. It was fantastic.  I used one from AllRecipes and used up some zucchini.  So good! Baked a Chocolate zucchini cake, because we could all use some comfort food right now.  I thought about adding a glaze, but decided against it.  The reviews said it would be a very moist cake, and the glaze would make it softer too.  Boy is it good too.  I swapped out half the oil for home canned applesauce. Dinner?  Meatballs with home canned hot pepper mustard sauce over quinoa and zucchini/co...

I hit it hard Monday morning with canning.  Well sort of.  I ran out of sugar so it continued into Tuesday too.  There has been no weeding, as the rain keeps coming, but just enough to keep me indoors.   Last night it poured and we are due for more today. I brought in one 5 oz dinky serving of green beans, and two dinky hot banana peppers.  No yellow squash yet.   Our harvesting days are pretty pathetic lately. Peach jam got canned., along with sweet pickle relish, cinnamon-blueberry jam and corn relish.  Whew! A few zucchini's made it sliced, blanched and into the freezer, but the blackberries are still red.  Also, so far of what we've tasted, the blackberries are sour this year.  I'm not sure what I will do with them if they are all sour More blueberries made it to the freezer. We have run into a small sna-foo with the camper.  Once we hooked it up, only the turn signals work.  Br...

Humidity arrived.  Then rain arrived, which we needed. But we got too much.  I think we may get more rain today. I took advantage of being indoors, and started a crock pot of  black beans with onion and garlic.  We use this for snacking, adding to a breakfast burrito, etc.  Once they are cooked, I mash them.  I have cut this recipe in half now. Cucumbers continue to roll in. Despite some getting mold on at the wet end of the garden. Using only the best ingredients.....

It was such a good feeling to be standing at the sink, chopping vegetables for homemade canned sweet pickle relish - the difference between patience and convenience.  Although some days convenience wins me over. I need more patience.

Do you have pickles in your pantry?   Do you grow green onions or chives in your herb garden? If you do, you may enjoy using them for this new recipe we tried.  I've been talking about increasing our salmon, and clearing out my hoarded pile of recipes, so here is another adapted recipe that we are keeping.

I pulled a bag of frozen blueberries yesterday, and baked the family a buttermilk-blueberry coffee cake.  Yum.  To top it off, I surprised them with a 4 lb. meatloaf (Hubby's favorite, and I don't make it that often) that was made with organic beef, and veggies.  I also made garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans.  I really miss my own potatoes.  I bought a bag (they now sell organic potatoes here), and about 3-4 of them were rotten only two days after buying them.    Blueberry Buttermilk Coffeecake Recipe :  I added cinnamon and nutmeg to the topping.  

While cleaning around the house, I found this 1963 cookbook.  This sounded like a great way to have sandwiches on hand.  I may have to try this recipe yet.  Although I'd make my own dressing for this.  I love the fact I can use own, canned sweet pickle relish. Clean Sweep Updates: