Happy Homemaker Monday

 It's been a long time since I participated in Happy Homemaker Monday.  I apologize for the length of it.  I tend to get a bit chatty and blabber on a bit with these posts.

Today I am joining Sandra with Happy  Homemaker Monday. 

The weather . . .

Cold!  Sunday we got down to 27 degrees, our first hard freeze, and rain.  

It's 18 degrees and snow arrived.

Right now I am . . . 

Brewing coffee, and writing this post.

Thinking and pondering . . .

Spring home projects/repairs, chicken brooders, volunteering...fun winter activities.

How I am feeling . . . 

Overall, good, but frustrated with those who cannot "listen" and I have to repeat myself over and over and over (not my husband ha ha! He's a great listener).  I have really learned from this, to be a much better listener.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Have no idea yet.

On the menu . . .

-(new recipes to try), crock pot mac n' cheese

-crockpot flank steak tacos (new recipe to try)

-Salmon, stuffed acorn squash (new recipe)

On my reading pile . . .

1.  A lot of crockpot and sheet pan dinner cookbooks from the library (working on new, easy dinners for the next few months).  I have never had the "need" for a crockpot breakfast, but I'm looking into those as well.

2.  Non-fiction (trying to get a few pages in a day).  Interesting, but the authors continuous references to war or military are monotonous (hence 2 pages a day, ha ha!).

3. Fiction

(forgot to take a photo).

On my TV this week . . .

Anything that brings laughter.

Looking around the house . . .

Looking good, and I managed to clean up a pile of paperwork, but found about two dozen printed new recipes to try.  How does that happen?  Sheesh.  I thought I found them all.  I now use my phone to try the recipe first anymore.  If it's a keeper I then either write it down or print it (no more recipe piles for me).  I do have a pile of free magazines from the library to read.

To-do list for the week . . .

-make a new breakfast

-sweep and mop floors

-dust

-one doctor appointment this week

-return books to the library

What I am creating . . . 

Finished this lap afghan for a future donation.

I was given some yarn recently, and there are at least 21 skeins of Red Heart aran yarn in the mix.  Yes, 21 of them.

I started a new lap afghan pattern with the aran colored yarn, and should use up 4 skeins to make it.  It is my "travel" or "on the go" project for now.  It's one color of yarn, and the pattern is very easy to memorize, so "on the go" is perfect for this blanket.

From the camera . . .

Updated photo of my crocheted "Book Blanket" I am making.  If you haven't seen my first posts on this, you can see it HERE and another post HERE.  I crochet a granny square, with scrap yarn, with my best ability to match the colors of the book cover.  The granny squares are crocheted onto the blanket (a join as I go project).  The photo is 40 completed books with 40 matching granny squares.  We'll see what I get attached by the end of 2025.

Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses . . .

A few prayer requests:  

Abby, a daughter to folks we know, who was in a car accident and in the hospital unconscious.  They cut some of her skull to relieve pressure, and have plans to slowly remove her from sedation and eventually move her to acute long term facility.

Larry, adult friend of a family member who recently suffered serious seizures.  We are told he takes medication for seizures, and the cause is not known. He had a seizure recently, while driving to work, which put him in the hospital.

Myself.  God knows the details.

Happy Homemaker Monday  ©  November 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Green Onion ~ Dehydrated and Ground

 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 just about anything else.

One year I ground green bell peppers.  It worked nicely, but would only make it when we have a huge harvest.  I only used it for one baked casserole dish.  It might be good for soups and stews.

I love to make, what we call "fire powder" by dehydrated a mix of hot peppers.  Our hot pepper harvest was not that good this year.

I love the jalapeno salt I made, and will continue to keep it next to the salt and pepper.  I use this one a lot.

I brought in more thyme and sage from the herb garden. I forgot to get photos, but I think I will work on keeping more fresh herbs indoors this winter.

Green Onion ~ Dehydrated and Ground  ©  November 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart