Pioneer Woman at Heart

  Snow is predicted Sunday/Monday.  Nothing new.  It has snowed in October here.  I took one last look at the herb garden, before it rests for the winter.   I dehydrated more green onions, and froze a bit more.  The dehydrated ones were left whole to dehydrate, then I store them in a canning jar.  I do this with chives as well.  I mostly use the frozen ones for baked egg dishes. I use a small vacuum that works for regular and wide mouth jars.  So far, it's worked great, and I've had it for a few years now. I love to make ground vegetables, in cases where I have a larger harvest of something.  It adds flavor to any dish.  I ground some of the dehydrated green onions, and filled a repurposed spice jar. I had to keep adding the dehydrated green onions to the grinder, as they are so light, it helps the process of grinding it all down to a powder. A "first" for us this year.  I think it would be great on homemade crackers, and ...

  I have so many works in progress in regards to crochet/knit.  In the process of cleaning up my mess on the kitchen table, I decided to finished up what I started and these extra paper clips were made into random acts of kindness giveaways.  In addition to these I have made mini hearts and mini dog bones as well.  It's an item that just never sells, so I'll dig out my heart ones I already have made. My Mom was big on random acts of kindness.  I'm sure she is seeing what I'm doing and smiling.  If you think of anything cute and small to crochet for these please comment below.  I'm using the Jumbo size paper clips. Recipes and patterns were sorted, but I found that I'm missing one page for a crochet pattern.  Go figure, ha ha! We are down to one large log to cut and split for winter, the exercise equipment is all put back together, and we are still making plans for alternate heat in one part of the house.

Today I will be pretending I do not have a garden. Well, at least until dinner time (or even tomorrow) anyway. There is a need to tidy up, and other to-do's that I need to catch up on. I'm really missing Mom.  There were so many moments I just wanted to pick up my phone and call her.  Today I will be super busy.  Hopefully it will keep my mind focused. GrannyJ if you could give my your email again.  I will send you my address.  It keeps saying I have the wrong email.  I apologize. Blogger has done away with email notifications.  I'm on the hunt for a widget or some sort to put on my blog right now.  If I find something that works, I will update you all.   Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. I will link up when she posts. The weather  . . . 72°/52°F and cloudy As I look outside my window. . .  It's early, so it's a bit dark outside. Right now I am . . . Making another pot of coffee. Thinking and pondering ....

Something I learned . . . You can roast pie pumpkins whole!  I never thought of this until I saw it on the cooking channel. We have plans to do work over the long weekend.  Although I'll be cooking a few dishes for the family Thanksgiving, there is much to do around here.  Thankfully, the leak under my sink has been fixed. Our personal Thanksgiving meal will be tacos and black bean dip.  Seriously.  We are taking it easy, and do not want 3 big Thanksgiving meals. I decided not to bake the delicious rolls this year.  There is less food being brought, so I may be adding a third dish to my list. The camper is on the to-do list.  We would like to get one barn cleaned out and a cement slab poured, but not sure if we'll have the time.  The camper cover was not given to us.  They are telling us it had a rip in it, but I could have repaired it (so that is frustrating). My good friend from high school, her husband, one of their daughter's and the daug...

  I sliced up 6# of apples and cooked them down, while I multitasked.... ...and sliced and diced 6# of onions and filled my large dehydrator. Part of them will be ground into onion powder and part will be saved as they are. I'll probably make applesauce again.  I didn't write down any notes on my recipe (basically instructions with number of pounds), and may have doubled it last time.  Thankfully I thought ahead for the busy day.  I put an all-in-one dinner in the crock pot.  Four beans and sausage , with home grown green bell pepper and home canned ketchup. I cut up yellow netting, and it took almost 3 hours to cut enough strips for 11 scrubbies.  It's sort of back breaking work, as it is a lot of netting and I cannot just simply fold it over several times (10 yards) and cut it quickly.  I'm not sure how many more years I'll be selling them. By the way, two tips with homemade scrubbies.  I've had someone buy them for her husband and said he uses ...

Yesterday my kitchen had the wonderful aroma of beets boiling.   My wonderful husband brought home some organic beets so I canned them.  Mmmm!  I'm so blessed to add more to the pantry this winter.  Considering how the world is going, it's nice to have more preparations for our meals. Yesterday morning the dogs started barking at a particular door in the house.  We all assumed it was raccoons eating the cat food.  Not so. It was around 5am.  Daughter K beat me to the door and took her dogs out.  Had I been more awake, I would have gotten my husband up.  Daughter K said she could hear something out near the woods but could not figure out what it was. Later when daylight arrived, and after canning beets, I went out to the camper (which sits under a pole light all night) to get the last of the items to winterize it. I found the door wide open and lock still in lock position.  Someone (or more than one) broke into our camper, but t...

Monday ended up mostly a cleaning day.  Bathroom cleaned, hallway swept and mopped, dishes done, beef stroganoff put into the crock pot, carpet swept, etc. I had some last minute garden stuff that needed to be put in storage, a dog gate moved out of the house (heathens tear it down when someone knocks on the door), and twine put away until next garden season. My fun purchase from our weekend getaway.  The feathers on this clamored all the way home, and my husband kept rolling his eyes at me, ha ha! It'll be a busy day.  Our mower guy didn't show up yesterday.  I hope he shows up today.  It's getting colder in our parts.

  I pulled all of my hot pepper plants and brought in 2 strainers full of hot peppers. I brought in some swiss chard and one small bell pepper, which went into breakfast.   Our weather is changing and evenings are getting pretty cold.  We will be picking up some free ash that is already split too, as we'll need to fire up the wood stove soon. I drained the rain barrels and have them flipped over for winter storage.  One has the spigot completely ripped off.  Our mower guy must have gotten too close.  It's fixable though. Daughter K went back to work.  She's feeling better thankfully.

  My book arrived.  I just hope it isn't one I already read from the library over the years ha ha!  I hope to get some reading done ASAP.  I need a mental break from life overall. We are getting some very nice weather this weekend.  Possible high 70's degrees on Sunday.  Crazy! We are still seeing beautiful colors around the homestead. When something goes out of the freezer, something goes back in.  Keeping things stocked, with a world of uncertainty. A head of organic cauliflower and a few yellow squash (organic) were blanched. Called my Mom.  Didn't talk long, as she was babysitting.  Got caught up with dishes, folded laundry, took scraps out to the chickens, and other mundane tasks. I put together my barter, now I need a date and time to get it to her.  I hope she likes everything.  She is the family member who had 4 boxes of canning lids shipped to me.  I decided to include a set of homemade cards and a jar opener. I ordere...

  Little story about Tiger the cat.... He sleeps all day, alone, in the utility room.  He's not been happy with the 2 dogs, rabbit and cat that moved back in last March.  He always looks sad and lonely.  Lately, I've been taking him into our bedroom and he soaks up the love, massages my arm to thank me, and is in pure joy.  Of course I have to let him out before I retire for the night, but he has really been getting some one on one touchy lovey time. Yesterday, I opened it to head to the kitchen and start working in there.  That little stinker flew in the bedroom like he owned the place.  He went right under the bed of all places.  Later one daughter, and myself, tried to find him.  No cat to be seen and not anywhere in the house.  I was stumped. Then later.... I noticed a lump under the bed quilt.  Ha ha ha!  He crawled under there and got his little cozy spot, so I left him there, and just kept checking the bedroom.  Poo...

Stocking up, winter prep, apocalypse prep - sort of all of the above. The weather turned to rain, colder temps and a frost warning.  I filled my dehydrator with feverfew.  It did exceptionally well this year.  Some of the other herbs did not.  I was hoping for more fresh mullein, but it's not looking good.   While I was out there, I cut all remaining tops of my zinnias and brought them in to dry good for next winter. I made a batch of homemade elderberry syrup, and this time with rosehips in it. I will see how long it lasts with just myself and my husband (girls are terrible at a regular daily dose).  I may double it next time.

  It was time to re-stock my celery cubes for winter.  I really like this better than dehydrating.  I just dice and add some water and freeze.  Store in air tight containers. I finally got to town again, due to one daughter being home with the truck.  We hightailed it to town and restocked butter and a few other items.  I was able to save $.85 on one of the boxes and thankful for that.  I brought home 4# because I noticed the other organic butter went up to $6.99.  I may go back and get 4 more if I have room in the freezer.  It's filling up fast now that it's the end of the garden season. I had grand plans to buy myself fresh flowers, and totally forgot.  Sigh . I just wanted to do something nice for myself.  I hope to remember next chance I get.  I mixed up the menu for the week.  A few days ago I made crock pot taco soup using leftover taco meat, opened jar of home canned taco sauce, opened a jar of home canned tomato sa...

I got 25# of tomatoes off my tables, but went out and picked more, bringing 22.5# more back in. Pizza sauce is restocked now. Somehow, in all that work of canning, I put chili in the crock pot for dinner, but did not have the time or energy to make my delicious buttermilk cornbread. I made this spread the other day, and haven't made it since we had dairy goats I think.  The recipe is on my blog:  Easy Layered Dip. This was at our local area Meijer the other day.  I sent it to a friend who was looking for wide mouth quart jars.  They also had other sizes, but no lids. My indoor rosemary plant got a new pot.  My cilantro did as well, but you don't a picture of that one.  I sort of neglected it, so hopefully, it will spring back having been re-potted for winter. I haven't had any time to do handiwork.  Hopefully soon, as the garden is starting to slow down a bit.  I brought in another dozen bell p...

We've had a few beautiful sunrises at our place lately. Mia, wanting to play as soon as I sat down to knit a bit. Made my first Einkorn chocolate chip cookies.  I didn't have whole wheat, but they tasted great! Started up the wood stove once again, but had to use my clothes dryer for the first time in a looooong time.  It was cold and it rained.  At least the garlic is getting a good watering. Cleaned all the straw out of my emergency chicken coop (adjacent to the main one), because the rat (or something) came back and starting chewing a new hole. Grr!  Re-set the trap. While embarking on the mission to do the dishes, I found 45 other things that needed done (while mentally making a list of other things that needed done).  Isn't that how it always goes.  I walked into the garage to see if we had newspaper, and noticed garlic hanging.  Oops.  Brought that in right away. Got the mail, and my beautiful bling wallet arri...

The weeding continues daily.  I have to make decisions on which is more important, and sooooo mucchhhhhh needs weeded.  It's a battle of water one day, weed the next, because it's been getting fried here on a constant basis.    If you've ever weeded carrots, you feel my pain.  Pictures to come soon.

Celery freezer cubes have been started for winter food prep.  I do this every fall, so I have ample supply for winter cooking.  It comes in handy for soups/stews, and I don't have to worry about running out in a snow storm to get it.  I simply dice up the celery, place it into an empty ice tray, add enough water to cover celery, and freeze.