Dehydrated Ginger ~ Baby Blankets for Donation ~ Tidbits

 I freeze fresh ginger often, so that I have it on hand for all sorts of recipes, and it has worked out very nicely.  Many people do not know you can do this with fresh ginger root (we purchase organic).

How I Freeze Ginger Root

I wash the organic ginger root, dry it, wrap it a few times in plastic wrap, and store it inside a freezer bag.  I date each bag and the door of the freezer works best, or it may get lost in your freezer storage.

Back to the dehydrated organic ginger root.

We love herbal/herbal medicinal teas.  I dehydrated a small-ish bit of organic ginger root in May of 2025.  I have been using small bits of it for tea infusing and tea brewing.  It's worked out great, and continues to maintain it's flavor.  I will definitely keep dehydrated, organic ginger root a staple in my pantry. I will be using it to experiment with other recipes.  Considering the amount of power outages this year, I've decided a few more dehydrated (food, herbs, etc.) experiments will be done. 

I used my dehydrator to dry the sliced ginger root, but I am told that some very new models of kitchen ovens, have the "dehydrator" option on them.  I am also told, some air fryers have a dehydrator option.

The baby blankets I have completed, per a request from an area pregnancy center, are a one-color pattern, and a different color edge (all using yarn I was given).  They are all like the one above, but with different edging.

The main part of the blanket is with Aran Redheart yarn.

Three baby blankets ready to donate.  Each one took about 2 full skeins of Aran yarn, but as I got to more of the skeins, I found them shorter in length (even though the ounces were marked the same).  Either way, the edges were scrap yarn as well, but all are ready to donate, and I still have more Aran colored yarn (and more of a few other colors, for more baby blankets). 

It is still cold here.   This morning is was 18°F (windchill), with a temperature of 23°F, so I got them finished in time to be used this winter.

More repairs have been started, and one almost finished.  I'm so thankful to get these jobs done.   More supplies are needed to continue.  I'll be back with a more lengthy update on winter shenanigans. 

I can tell you one thing.  Two side projects developed from my closet purge project, and one is putting letters into a book.  My word, it has become so time consuming.  I'll be honest, I am not sure it will be affordable, so the back up plan is to scan and print them, and put them in a binder for us.  

The only two kids slightly interested in these old letters, cannot read cursive  (nope, our schools stopped teaching it sadly).  All of the letters are to my Dad from 1944 to 1958.  There are many more than span from the 80's to about 2003, but my focus is the first set of letters.

Before I sign off this post today, I can tell you that the yarn I ordered from Herrschners online, back in November of 2025, is still on back order (it was for another project).  It may be getting  canceled.  

Somebody.  I can't say who (gulp!).  Forgot to buy new radish seeds for the garden this spring.   Just a modge podge of life happenings right now, but wanted to pop on here and share a few things today.  Last year ended with several months of chaotic activity (much out of our control).  I have discovered a gallon of outdoor paint, in which neither of us can even come up with one idea of what we bought it for.  The goal this year, is no more chaotic activity.

One question for "writers" here  - what writing resources are available today?  I used to read The Writer magazine, and Writer's Digest magazine.  I see that "The Writer" is no longer printed.

One question for those who bake/cook - any good and interesting ways to use frozen strawberries (prefer healthy recipes, but ....) up?  I think I froze too many last summer, ha ha!  I do make cobblers or crisps, and muffins.

Dehydrated Ginger ~ Baby Blankets for Donation ~ Tidbits  ©  March 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Teabag Tidbits

We made it to 8°F with an early wind chill of -6°F this morning.  The snow is falling as well.  Hot water is flowing again, but somewhere my husband heard we will hit a -15°F tonight, and through Wednesday afternoon.  They have issued a wind chill warning.

My husband was the next one to take a fall.  He beat me to the chicken coop, and as I was reaching for the door, I see him down on the ground, chicken feed scoop flown, and watering unit busted in pieces.  

I brought up the fact it was high time to get those spikes on our muck boots, and we never did go looking for them.  It's first on the to-do list today.

We've put in place all of the "just in case" happens.  We are always pretty much prepared, but we did refill propane grill tanks (in case we needed extra heat, but our propane heat stays on if the power goes out), and we picked up a small propane tank for the small grill (as an alternate source to cook).  

 Let's talk "tea" today.  I have blackberry leaf tea, but do any of you tea drinkers have a favorite "brain boost" tea or tea mixture?

I also like this tea for evenings, to help with a good night's sleep, but do any of you like a different tea for that?  

Do you find better health results by buying medicinal teas bulk and using a tea infuser/teaball or homemade teabags?  

My holy basil finally showed up, so I mixed the tea for seasonal stress (Backyard Patch Blog) I shared and made my own brew bags.

Also, I accidently bought brew bags for a full tea pot to brew.  Oops.  I may be using those for summer iced teas.

Teabag Tidbits © Jan 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Nettle Homemade Teabags

 

I have a travel size mat and iron, I use to seal my brew bags.  You could also use a flat hair iron if you have one.

I bought my brew bags from Mountain Rose Herbs.  I'm sure the price has changed since then.  These are great for traveling, going to a gathering, or any other time you want specific brews, and you are not at home.

These are nettle tea, and I store them in an amber jar until I use them.  I also have many tea infusers, but teabags come in handy for a convenience tea (no cleaning a infuser or tea ball).  They also come in handy to deliver medicinal teas to someone who is sick or feeling ill.

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.

A Little of "This" and a Little of "That"

I brewed a canning jar of home picked, wild growing nettle yesterday.  It tasted so good.  I am running low, but I have many other teas to enjoy this winter - chamomile, ginger root, tulsi, lavender, lemon balm, catnip....the list is long.  The health benefits are awesome.

I'm gearing up for a possible "Farmer's Market" season this year.  I may only do a few dates, as it 's taking a long time to create the "goods" to sell.  This is one "set" I am creating - over sized pot holder, hot pads to match, one crocheted flower dishcloth, and a soap saver bag.  I am using up extra "country yellow" yarn, but many not have enough to knit a matching dishcloth.  I guess we'll see.  I like to make an entire matching set, even if I put them all in separate groups to sell.  One customer once told me she buys "matching sets" for three family members each Christmas.  That put a light bulb on for me.

Tea Time in Tanganyika

When tension brews, I brew a cup of Holy Basil tea.  I'm now growing Holy Basil in my garden.  I'm patiently waiting to harvest it.

We are tea and coffee enthusiasts (if you want to call us that), and love to try new varieties.

Steep Sacks ~ Tidbits

The last time Hubby and I made a trip to restock our organic items (the ones we cannot find around here nor can order online), I purchased Steep Sacks made by The Republic of Tea.

Teabag Tidbits

I had an upset stomach, and was searching for a peppermint teabag, and got this one.  My youngest daughter said I should share this.  It's pretty funny.  It's comical.  It's entertaining.  At least to me it was.  

More Cookin' from Storage

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.
 

Got Tea?

My kids (and I) love to drink tea and coffee both.  But lately, they have gotten funky with both.  Mom sent over some vanilla chocolate truffle teabags, and guess what my 16 year-old did?


She put that very same teabag into the coffee maker, along with the coffee grounds, and brewed it.  Not bad too.

I wonder what else they will come up with, now that most of my tea is restocked.

What would you call that anyway (brewing coffee with tea)? Coff-tea?  Tea-Fee?  Ha ha ha!