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~
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Bittersweet ~ Year of Changes (good ones)
Friday, September 22, 2023
All Work and No Play? ~ Sittin' n Knittin'
Chicken Castle is delayed temporarily. The brakes on the truck need replaced.
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Weather Heats Up ~ Hot Peppers ~ Eggs ~ Boiled Eggs
It is tough getting the day started this week. The cooler weather, just screams "sit, sip and enjoy the morning while you can" and then I delay the day ha ha ha! It's worth it, as we are heating up now to the 80's again.
I picked all of the hot peppers that were on the plants. I don't think we'll get anything more, as this could be the very last warm fall week we have this season. There were zero Anaheim peppers, two baby hot banana, no serrano, and just these jalapenos. Not enough to can hot pepper jelly this year. I could buy extra from a farm stand, but I decided not this year. I will freeze these remaining jalapenos, and keep a few for cooking this week and next.
If you read yesterday's post, I forgot to pack my husband's breakfast for the day (2-day's prep in photo). I decided to use up some of the smaller eggs, from the newer laying hens, and scramble them. I added them to his breakfast (and mine).I put some of the larger eggs in the fridge a few weeks back, and got those out to boil. There are people who raise layers, and still do not think they can boil their own eggs. You can, but you have to let them sit a week or two (in the fridge) before boiling, or they will not peel for you. Also, I put the saved eggs out on the counter to come to room temperature before boiling them. I do not add anything to the water. If you want a boiled egg, and only have fresh eggs, you can poach your egg for the same taste.
They boiled up perfectly, and I used some for egg salad, and save some for slicing on sandwiched or for snacking. I sometimes like a few boiled eggs for a quick breakfast. The chickens are earning their keep.
Monday, September 18, 2023
Happy Homemaker Monday
I finally got a chance to join this again. The tomatoes were exhausting this year, but we are thankful to have them.
The tomato plants have all been yanked, and are done for the season. That was a big job. The yellow squash and the zucchini plants have been yanked.
The plants were huge this year. I had not had time to pull the plants earlier, and it appears that the bees cross pollinated the zucchini with the yellow squash plants. I am still getting some nice yellow squash, but some plants are like in the photo above. Either way, they are out now. I'm trying to leave the acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and pie pumpkins in as long as I can.
We got more work done on "Chicken Castle" or otherwise known as the Hilton Hen House. We still need to frame in the door (woohoo for a regular walk-in door for me), build the door, frame in the windows (yay for ventilation on hot summer days), then side it and roof it. After that we will build the run. We are far from done, but making progress again. We reached out help, but they never called us back.
The weekend was cold! Our nights were in the lower 40's here. It was a perfect time to dehydrate Goldenrod. It's been preserved and stored for winter. Dehydrating may happen a few days this week. It all depends on the weather.
Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. It's been a while since I've done this, but like I said, I canned two weeks straight when the paste tomatoes were harvested.
The weather . . .
As I look outside my window. . .
It's pitch dark out right now, but I see some schools are delayed due to fog.
Right now I am . . .
Posting this, so I can go do my exercise for the morning.
Thinking and pondering . . .
We are working on a plan for the garden next year. We need to get at least one raised bed built for fall garlic (new plan and hope is works).
I have a small ornamental apple tree in the front of the property. I am thinking I will dig it and move it, so in the spring I can add a plum tree to the homestead in the same location the apple tree was.
Listening to . . .
Work out music first, then Country music
How I am feeling . . .
Pretty good now that things are slowing down in the canning department here. I am getting used to my exercise routine, and my husband's health is doing better than ever right now. We will have actual numbers in about 3 months, so I am hoping for a really good doctor check up for him.
On the breakfast plate . . .
-Einkorn pancakes with blueberries, sausage patties
-next will be crockpot steel cut oats with our apples
On the lunch plate . . .
-chicken salad on a Swedish bread cracker, apple with peanut butter dip (Greek plain yogurt mixed with sugar free all peanut, peanut butter)
On the dinner plate . . .
-Sheet pan chicken sausage dinner with carrots and rutabaga
What I am wearing . . .
Still in jammies, sipping coffee at the moment
On the reading pile . . .
Mostly recipe books.
On the TV . . .
Movies on YouTube lately
On the menu . . .
-Try a new slaw recipe for a side this week
-Try a new broccoli/fruit salad this week or next
-grill burgers, topped, no bun, with one of the above sides
Looking around the house . . .
-I have yarn on a shelf that needs put back in storage
-I have a bunch of scrap yarn in my bedroom that needs put back in storage
-one kitchen counter is covered with stuff that piled up during busy canning season. Something always suffers, right?
To-do list . . .
-sweep and mop all floors
Devotional, verse, thoughts, prayers . . .
In regards to the prayer requests for our friend's daughter (brain bleed), she is off the ventilator, and making some movement, but not talking. Thank you all! I will try and get updates here as I get them.
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Table Talk and Questions (one a serious one about bee keepers keeping bees on your property) ~ Goldenrod
Sage made it to the dehydrator. I use a lot of it for homemade sausage.
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Hot Peppers, Garden Updates, and other Tidbits ~ Released from Kitchen Captivity
I've gotten most of the jalapenos sliced and frozen for the winter/spring season. I used a few to make another batch of fresh salsa as well. There are a few more hot peppers to pick yet.
I canned one batch of hot pepper relish, using up the hot banana peppers, two bell peppers and some jalapenos. I am not getting enough hot banana peppers to make it twice. I'm okay with that.
We are still enjoying our slicer tomatoes for meals like tacos, breakfast side dish, topped on burgers, or in other meals.
I will do a re-check on our hot pepper jelly, but I honestly don't feel I will get enough hot peppers over all to can any this season. The evenings are dipping to the 40's here, so unless we heat up again, the plants won't last much longer.
We never did get any fall planting done. Life can throw a wrench in your plans once in a while.
We hope to get back to the chicken coop this week, during evenings. It's on the top of the list right now. The floor in the old coop is about to give way. I had to crawl inside to fetch an egg, that one of the littles laid on the floor of the coop. The floor is not in good shape right now.
My husband has been battling ear pain, but twice at the doctor, they said they see nothing wrong with him. The ear pain is slowing down projects, so I am praying it gets better, or he'll have to go get x-rays or something. He has ear drops, but he cannot sleep well, and days at work are rough with ear pain.
It's a freeing, and exhilarating moment, when you wash, dry and put away the "big pots." It's even more freeing, when you can put the canner pot back in storage (even if it's for a weeks or months). I have felt like I have been released from kitchen captivity!!
Monday, September 11, 2023
Hot Pepper Haul ~ Camping
It's nearing the end of our garden season. The rain is arriving here, so I will wait for the garden to dry up before pulling some more plants/stakes.
The hot peppers are doing okay this year, but some did not make it. Oddly, I got one lonely Anaheim pepper from 3 plants I grew from seed. I brought in another 15 green bell peppers as well.
It's getting down to the 40's at night this week, which is perfect weather for camping. Speaking of that, we got our very first camping trip in this year. It was so nice and relaxing, and the campfire meals were delicious.
We took a walk, played cards, I brought handiwork along, and a book. On the drive home, I pulled out my knitting project, only to find out that we must have accidently left one knitting needle in the grass by the fire pit. It must have rolled off my lawn chair and neither of us noticed it.
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
New Recipe ~ Heat Index ~ Jalapenos
I made the black bean salad suggested, and ended up adding one more jalapeno (with seeds) to it for some flavor (a small one). Pretty good. I got to try out my new tool too. It's for removing the hair off the corn without damaging any corn.
As for the recipe, it makes way too much for us. We will be eating it for breakfast burritos, nachos, daily snack, etc. Goodness it makes a lot.
The heat last week was almost unbearable, and yesterday we hit a high 98 degree heat index. It's been extremely humid as well.
I took the day off from tomatoes and picked jalapenos. One batch of Cowboy Candy was made. It's a good time to save seeds ha ha! That's a lot of slicing. I brought in about 4#.What I call garden dump breakfast. I made a casserole. The squash is completely done, but I have not pulled the plants yet. It's too hot out there. The bees have cross pollinated the plants and the yellow squash is now producing half yellow and half zucchini. I will get them yanked, but we are enjoying a few last yellow squash.
I'm moving rather slow this morning. I tripped and fell over a suit case we had not put away. I'm always good at putting it away right after we get back, but not this last time. I've been so busy, I have been too tired at the end of the day to get that job done.
Good gravy I am sore. Maybe it's a sign I need to pack up and take a trip, and ignore all the tomatoes I brought in.
Speaking of travel, I have a prayer request. I typically post these on Monday's Happy Homemaker post, but we have a very close friend (Aaron) to my husband that will be driving over several states to see is daughter right now. He and she, could use prayers. His adult daughter is in ICU with an unexplained brain bleed, and they are unable to do surgery right now. Her name is Cheyenne.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Coasters (Scrap Yarn Project) ~ Garden
Here is a close up of the zig zag coasters. I love the edging. I didn't realize it, but it's basically, almost the same pattern as the facial scrubbies, only a different edging. So....I learned a new edging this year. I found the pattern on Youtube. These are my current on-the-go travel project, to use up small scraps of cotton yarn.
Monday, September 4, 2023
Broken Waste Funnel ~ BBQ Sauce ~ Bell Peppers ~ Tidbits
BBQ sauce was canned (day 7 of "sauce" canning). We have been super blessed with paste tomatoes this year, but it is exhausting, and heats up the house. I have been running a dehumidifier this year, to help with the humidity created from the sauce reducing all day.
I have finally caught up with bell peppers, and we are thankful for all that we are getting this year. Most of the peppers went into the freezer, but we are still enjoying them with our meals. I made more breakfast stuffed bell peppers and gave some to one of the kids. They are so good.
Some of the produce we grow is needed ingredients for recipes I can too. I have a growing list of new items to grow next year, crossing my fingers we get raised beds built. I did not grow greens, due to the busy spring (husband had crazy work hours), so I have to find local greens and have a day of putting them up for winter.