Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm joining up with Sandra at blogspot, Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  Today, on Happy Homemaker Monday, I am very happy to find out our frost date has moved to the end of October, not the beginning.  Whew!  I don't have to high-tail it out to the garden like I thought I would.  Although garden work is very far behind now (that we have spent two entire days on barn rubble removal).

On the breakfast plate. . . 

I wish I could say it was this (above).  We made breakfast burritos all last week.  Mmm, so good - black beans cooked up from dry beans with cumin, onion and garlic, topped with homemade sausage, farm fresh eggs, garden peppers, and a dabble of cheese.  Every day we made different ones. 

As for today's breakfast?  eggs over easy and toast with home canned peach jam



The weather. . . 

Fall Garlic Planting ~ Garlic Powder ~ Recipes that Use It

We worked on barn wood all day Sunday.  We are very tired and sore.  I took photos, but will load them later to share.  As soon as we finished removing boards so we could load up a trailer, a stranger pulled in wanting the metal hay rail.  We now know why the other guy wanted it - money.  Each little metal piece (photo to come later) is worth $10.00.  Not including the rail.  So this stranger, after we did all the work, just drives on in and asks for it for free.  I'm going to put signs up for those types of people. Oh, and the stranger immediately asked for the pulleys.  Hm.  The nerve of people. 

So, without photos of the barn clean up, I'll share my garlic.  A frost is possible in a week or so, and I wanted this job done.

Last year I planted about 175 cloves of garlic.

This year? 

I planted 70 cloves of Moroccan Creole, 56 cloves of Russian Giant, and 100 cloves of our regular variety (so far - we have no idea what type it is, as we were gifted it to start our first garlic bed years ago). 

Grand total so far:  226 cloves of garlic

In the fall I also dehydrate a lot of our current garlic, and grind it into garlic powder.  Pure home grown, chemical free, no fillers, no anti-caking agents, goodness.

Many of my recipes call for fresh, but some call for powdered.  These recipes are listed using what I grow or make, so you can adapt and of course reduce for smaller families.

Here are a few recipes (and links to recipes) I use my home ground garlic powder in:

Barn Clean Up

It's been hectic around the homestead.  Morning is crazy - feed dogs, feed cats, feed barn cats, dogs in, dogs out, dogs in, dogs out.....chickens out, dogs in, dogs out....chickens back in...

I'm on dog duty until Daughter is feeling up to it again.  She is still recovering from the removal of her wisdom teeth.  She took care of me while I was sick, and now I'm taking care of her.  I am using my ice chipper to grind up ice for her.  She is still very sore around her jaw. 

Unfortunately, she has inherited something I inherited from my mother - can't handle pain meds (nausea).  I had to call the dentist.  They told me to take her off the pain meds and the ibuprofen and put her strictly on Tylenol.  She is not getting sick any more thankfully.

Weekend work resumed, although we were invited to ride to IN for the day, we opted to work.  While the guys worked on the barn, I weeded the herb garden and Youngest did the mowing.  I was super happy to find mullein growing in one of my flower beds.  It's safely transplanted into the last pot I had available.  There is hope to have a large harvest of it soon again.


Deep cleaning continues as well - washed down the outside of the stove, top, under knobs, dishwasher, more cabinets, etc.  I also took everything off the bathroom door hooks, washed down the door, and washed our winter bathrobes.  It was just in time for nice clean robes to take dogs out at the crack of dawn. It's been chilly early morning again.

 

And for a different cleaning story. . .

. . . update on the barn clean up.

...from the handiwork journal ~ A Few Finished!

I dug out a cone of discontinued yarn, and felt the colors were absolutely best for baby washcloths.

I couldn't decide whether to simple single crochet, or make granny cloths, so I made these....

Writing Mojo ~ Garden Goodness ~ Potato Dig #2

My writing mojo kicked in yesterday too.  Before I started any chore-like work, I submitted a short story. It felt pretty awesome to get this mojo back, and not feel guilty for sitting on my bum either.  I'm already looking for more opportunities.  The magazine I used to write for, went out of business.


Due to a busy schedule, and the need for me to drive a kiddo to get wisdom teeth out, I changed plans with the garden. I needed to bring in something that didn't require a lot work after entering the kitchen.

Einkorn Pizza Dough ~ Winner Recipe!

I've been wanting to try the Einkorn pizza dough recipe the entire summer now.  With the canner pot back in the kitchen, I was leary about trying such a recipe on such a busy work day, but I did.  I actually made these the same night of canning the carrot cake jam. I worked on the dough in between freezing the carrots too. 

I had a few garden green bell peppers, some onions,  and of course home canned pizza sauce.  Wa-la!

A homesteader's pizza for dinner.

Pears ~ Carrot Cake Jam

Pears are about ready to be picked.  Hubby brought in 5 or 6 and some were hard as a rock, so we have time yet to pick them.  Thank goodness.

Two of them were ripe however, so I used one to can carrot cake jam for the first time.  Using our homegrown carrots, a home grown pear, and a few purchased ingredients.  I used this recipe:  Carrot Cake Jam.

It uses the same amount of sugar that most recipes online require, but a mix of white granulated and brown sugar.  I have wanted to try this recipe for years, but put it off.  We didn't get any carrots last year either.  I can't remember why, but we didn't get beets or carrots.  

Anyway....