Pioneer Woman at Heart

Today I am sharing how I made these delicious breakfast "bowls" by starting with sweet potatoes. The first time I made these, I used organic hannah sweet potatoes, and this second time I used locally grown sweet potatoes (which both were very good). Prepare fresh spinach, by cleaning it, and then slicing it.  Set aside.  I used two bundles of fresh spinach.  Set aside Prepare homemade cilantro-lime sauce. In a food processer, mix 2 full cups of cleaned organic (or home grown) cilantro and: -1/2 cup organic plain Greek yogurt (I have yet to use homemade for this), plus more to thicken to your taste -juice from one lime (not the bottled kind) -1 small can of organic salsa verde (or homemade), or about 14 Tbsp.  (cut the recipe in half to reduce the amount, but we really like the sauce on this breakfast dish) -2 cloves of garlic, minced -about 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper Process until smooth, and like I mentioned above, add extra yogurt to make your sauce as thick ...

Sunday I was a bit overwhelmed with a to-do list, but maintained it.  First, chili was put in the crockpot, second green tomatoes diced for another green tomato cake, and third, I dug up one sweet potato plant for a look-see. Here is what I got.  Well, not all of them.  First ones were somewhat small, but was tickled pink to dig up these huge ones.  First 3 plants gave us 3.15#.  Can't wait to dig the rest.  It may rain tonight, so I may wait for a rain for easier digging, but so happy.  I was worried.  I am doubtful on the beets.  I have yet to dig the remaining row, as well as the carrots. The list continued for the day, and since I only got a teensy bit of crochet time, I wrote that in as well.  I needed some down time. This year will be the first year for me to not participate in any craft vendor show.  So far I haven't heard if the one we actually participate in is canceled yet.  I will continue to sell via online by my bl...

Nothing more creepier than hearing something crunch through the tree line, while hanging laundry out at 8:30am. Meal ideas come to me and the oddest times.  While washing the morning dishes yesterday I decided dinner would be Sloppy Charlies (organic ground beef and homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup), corn and zucchini saute and roasted brussel sprouts. Speaking of the weekly menu, here's what else I came up with so far: Breakfast (or dinner):  Homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, fried potatoes and scrambled eggs Dinners: -Creamy mac n' cheese, sweet potato hash browns, BBQ green beans with bacon, Chicken with home canned hot pepper mustard sauce, quinoa, broccoli, a spinach/parsley pesto pasta....still working on it.... Even though I wrote out a list for Sunday errands, I realized I forgot to buy borax and washing soda.  Urgh.  So cleaning the bathroom was put on halt until today. Breakfast today is a sweet potato (thank you Garden Gods),...

Mia was intrigued with my yarn.  She was sniffing it and wondering what it was as I crocheted.  So funny.  I tried to get some photos, but they just wouldn't sit still, ha ha!  Jesse is with us now too, and they get along well.  Tiger is just not happy.  He comes in my room at night to his "safe" space and curls up right next to me to get his "love" time now. Oh my gosh, it was cold yesterday morning.  I had a ton of things that needed done, and it didn't heat up very fast.  We had a freeze warning last night, so the last of the jalapenos were picked, and we woke up to a temperature of 31°F. I got soup beans into the crock pot, got my breakfast, and washed the dishes, in hopes to get to the garden.  A freeze warning is upon us now.   I dug up all the sweet potatoes. Here's what they look like.  .  . I harvested about half of what I normally get, but they are larger than I thought they'd get.  I d...

It's Monday.  Today I'm joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  Although I am looking at "motherhood" in a different way, I'm joining.  If you read through today's post, you'll see what I mean about "motherhood." Last week was a long parenting week.  Bills were paid, but propane has not been ordered.  I called to get quotes and I was horrified at the price.  They lowered the minimum to order from 300 gallons to 200 and the price is $100 more than what we paid for 300.  Hubby wants to call around before we order.  We may be making changes if we find lower prices. I've whipped up a "balancing" herbal tea mix for myself, and will simply grate fresh ginger into it (I'm out of dried ginger root and rose petals).   I've been "MIA" from my blog these last few days.  Due to the overload of a heavy parental week, we took a dearly needed mental-parental break (or so we thought).  Hubby and I at the last ...

It's official.  We have ended out 2017 supply of home grown sweet potatoes, and I am thrilled the held up so nicely.  I made an egg/veggie scramble and thawed some frozen garden  zucchini for this too.  Frozen zucchini is not a real crisp veggies, so it works out well for breakfast meals and for casseroles/soups. Not much going on in our next of the woods right now.  The snow is back, but it's gone as fast as it comes down. It's a bit cold, but that just gives me more opportunity to tackle deep cleaning projects (washing woodwork, cleaning out junk in the utility room, sorting things that can go to the thrift, organizing things back to their less chaotic stage, cleaning off dressers, nightstands, and what not). I'm going through old magazines, picking books to donate to the thrift, making a list of books I want to buy (ha ha!), and so forth.

Here is the recipe I promised to share.  The original recipe is linked, and below I will explain what I added. I found the "protein packed" breakfast recipe online at Lentils.org  (click Lentils.org to the left to go directly to the recipe), and changed it up a bit to try. Lentils for breakfast?  I mean why not, I add black beans them too.  Lentils are high in protein and low in fat, and provide many nutrients as well as fiber. First I made my lentils the day before, and that way I had that job done.  You need cooked lentils to make this frittata. I still have homegrown sweet potatoes (they lasted much better than all the other potatoes too).

I have found several ways to store up my sweet potatoes this winter.  Aside from the potato bin indoors, and the burlap bags in another cool/dark room, I am stocking them up in other recipes. Ginger-Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Butter. This is a Better Homes and Gardens canning recipe, but it is not boil canned. It goes in the freezer.  Recipe is not online, but is in their magazine (Canning, preserving, freezing and drying) and book I believe. Frozen Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  I had been told by so many people "you can't freeze potatoes."  I beg to differ.  You can, but you bake and mash them first.  I add nothing to them. I have been very successful with this process (this works well with white potatoes as well).  I bake the sweet potatoes, mash them, and freeze them on a baking sheet in 1/2 cup servings.  I take them out, and place them in container or freezer bags and simply heat in the oven when needed for meals.  I used...

It's been a long few weeks of tearing out the garden.  For me it's been a tough haul.  Due to unfortunate circumstances, I could not keep up with maintaining it this summer, so the aftermath was this:  There are green pepper plants in that mess. (Before) Same area (in progress)   My sad looking pea fence (before). Done!  Still moving on through the garden. The front of that area is where my potatoes were planted (before).  Done!  Again...still moving on through the garden.  The very last of the potatoes were dug up. Larger Tomato patch all done and ready for winter.  I just have to get my pie pan and metal pole put away for next year. Rough, tough, and difficult to totally remove before winter.  I'd like to post some pristine looking photos, but this is reality.  I can't do everything, nor can my family.  However, I am sticking to it. "Biker Sally" is a bit slumped ov...

As soon as daylight hit, I noticed these ladies were out wandering.  And later a 4th.  Hm.  Daughter didn't do a head count, but they are all there.  Whew! The new handicraft adventure I wrote about (several months ago) is still on the list, but delayed.  It may be a winter project.     Puffed pear pancake was enjoyed for an after school snack vs. breakfast.   Again, I used 2 pears. Apples would be delicious in this too.  Although I only have one kiddo in school, it's the perfect time of day to make a sweet treat, and double it as a dinner dessert.  And utilize our homegrown pears.  Right now, organic apples are $5.99/bag (3 lb.), so I am patiently waiting on a sale.  I am hoping our apple trees produce next year.  The herbs are getting full attention this week.  Sage was dehydrated. Rosemary was also dehydrated.  More to do this week yet. I spent yesterday digging up pota...