Pioneer Woman at Heart

Green Pepper Pesto 2 green bell peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped 1. Steam blanch the peppers over boiling water for 3 minutes.  Place in food processor. 1 cup fresh basil 1/2 cup grated organic Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup organic olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced or chopped 2/3 cup salted/roasted pumpkin seeds, organic Add the above ingredients to the food processor with the bell peppers, and process until smooth. Freeze in portions or use some and freeze some.  Lasts up to 3 months in the freezer. Homemade meatballs.  Here is the link for the recipe I use (uses oats vs. bread crumbs) - Homemade meatballs. The other meatball recipe I make is with ground turkey and zucchini - Turkey Zucchini Meatballs . The sauce in the above picture is a bit different.  It uses hot banana peppers, onion and garlic and other ingredients.  Here is the recipe for that sauce: Hot Banana Pepper Tomato Sauce In a skillet with a Tbsp. of olive oil, heat the f...

In the process of  cleaning the closet, I found 5 crochet hooks, 4 pairs of scissors, one embroidery needle and one yarn needle.  Oh, and one more of my favorite pens!  I also uncovered 4 pints of tinctures that need strained.  They'll be strong ones, ha ha! The garage is next, but I still have a bit to clean up in the utility room.  I'm just glad I got the closet done (other than Hubby purging his clothing). Bad news for our area.  The produce stand (has been open for 91 years) announced they will not be opening for the 2020 season due to numerous road closures.  We get our corn and other various veggies from them.  I'll have to look for a co-op to drive to or other source, but it will be drive if we want corn.  They also sold popcorn, so I may be planting it, and hoping for the best this year. Good news!!! Woohoo!  Mom went to Cleveland Clinic on Monday, and the news came back that she does not have to see a doctor for at least o...

I like to freeze these uncooked, because they cook up pretty quickly.  It's a great way to use zucchini too.  I double this and use my large pampered chef cookie scoop, getting about 34 to 35 meatballs. Turkey Zucchini Meatballs 1 lb. ground turkey, organic 1 cup shredded zucchini* 1 tsp. homemade Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp. homemade garlic powder 1/2 tsp. homemade onion powder 1/4 tsp. organic (or homemade) crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper *if using thawed, frozen shredded zucchini, squeeze out liquid before adding. Shape into balls and freeze or cook.  To freeze, I put them on a try and freeze, then remove and freeze in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag. To Bake (thawed): Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a pampered chef stoneware bar pan.  Bake 16-18 minutes, or until done. To Bake Frozen: Bake 20-25 minutes or until done. I like to bake the meatballs about an hour ...

Thursday evening, to honor my hard work in the garden, Hubby surprised me by not working overtime.  He took me on a ride on the Harley, ate at our favorite steak house (which has special motorcycle parking), and ended the evening with adult beverages on the porch. Friday I piddle-dinked around, sucked down coffee, moaned and groaned, complained, let out heavy sighs, wished I drank the beer and not the Crown Royal the night before, and contemplated.  I won.  Even though we have weeds to pull, I decided I didn't want to poke my eye out bending over the 4 foot grass and weeding the sweet potatoes.  Hubby volunteered to weed wack it down to where I could easily see the roots, so I took the day off, in hopes for rain.    There was a 50% chance of rain at 10am, and that motivated my decision (although I'm out there at 7am and done by 10am). By the way, the rain arrived, and may arrive again today. Oh, I had inside work to do, like make a batch of turkey-zu...

.... and I am Not Worried For once.  Priorities.   Food wins.   I put more beets and zucchini in the freezer, and more beet greens.  I believe I am up to 40 servings of beets right now.  I may pickle some.  I haven't decided yet. I do not like to mess with browning meatballs on the stove top, so I went in search for one online that is baked (and for the sole purpose to use up zucchini). We love lots of zucchini right now, and so far I haven't had the need to give any away.  I still need to freeze more in the shredded form, and slices. Back to the meatballs....