"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

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.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Craft Bazaar Prep ~ Sweet Potatoes ~ Pears

I had 5 mugs to start with, and finished them all.  The top left has a black mug, and the Christmas cozy has a red mug.  I love the blue and purple one.  They all have two buttons on the straps.


In hopes to find another mug, I started a fall colored cozy/coaster set to add to the inventory.  I had enough of the yarn to make the same one I made myself.


I spent an entire afternoon, about a week ago, emptying my boxes and totes and taking count of my inventory.  I now have a list and inventory sheet produced from my hard work, and found a few items that need ends sewn in.  There are many more items I could make, so I hope to get some done in the next few weeks.  I have one daughter eye-spying another slouchy hat in my pile, so I'm off to see if I have more yarn of that color. 

Oh, and now my youngest daughter wants a double wrap infinity scarf for Christmas.  Of course I won't wait until then, so she can use it now.  I just won't start on it until the craft show has started.   She wants Harry Potter colors.


I chopped up some of our garden sweet potatoes and made a crock pot of sweet potato/cauliflower and garden kale soup.  I used a recipe I found online and added my greens to it.  Gotta have those greens!





Tried a new recipe, Gingersnap Pear Pie , and we topped it with homemade whiskey butterscotch sauce.  Hubby said it's now is favorite of all pies.  It bubbled over like crazy, but oh my it was good.  Hubby said it was so good, he wants me to make two for him to take to work.  I told him he was crazy.  He'd be lucky to get another from me this week, ha ha!  Recipe is from a Country Woman magazine, but also online with Taste of Home:  here  (hence wanting a homemade crunchy gingersnap recipe).




A jar of homemade vanilla extract was strained.  I use this in many recipes.

The weather is turning on us again.  More rain.  Can you believe it?  It's in the 30's at night and 40's days, but yesterday we had a full day of sunshine.  Hubby suggested a motorcycle ride, but stayed in, ha ha!  Just a bit too cold for me.  I made a crock pot of salsa chicken (boneless organic chicken, garden tomatoes, garlic, cayenne, broth etc) and we topped mashed pinto beans with it - delicious!  We can use it on breakfast/lunch/dinner burritos too.  I had some cream leftover from making the whiskey sauce, so I thawed some corn and made pan of creamed corn (Mmmmm!). 

My free loader hens gave me one dinky egg yesterday.  They were out and about, but geeze.  The kids are the only reason I haven't put three of them in the stew pot.  I'll have that talk with them again (to the hens) and see if I start getting those eggs again.  They have gotten some treats too, but to no avail, they free load the organic feed.  They love the pear peelings.

Rain is to start at 1pm and continue the entire day until 11pm tonight.  I will be in my kitchen for more of the time, and hope to gravitate to some crochet work.  I had a sore throat yesterday, so I don't want to over do anything this week.  I'll be posting the tea I made soon.  I took a long soak in the tub with Epson salts, and tea tree/eucalyptus oils.  I'm feeling pretty good today.

Oh, and it's a bit disconcerting when one of your children has to go to work where it was recently robbed.  No gun, but this past few weeks there have been several gun point robberies.  

Good news (maybe).  Our "Vet Tech" daughter bought a new car.  Our "Grad" Daughter is getting her old one.  The only problem is finding affordable insurance for her now.  Crossing my fingers (and saying a prayer) it all works out for all of us.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm joining in on the fun with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom (I will link it as soon as she posts today).  Boy, as my kids get older, I realize I have been home with them for about 20 years now.  Time has flown by way too fast.  I need to learn to slow down more, and enjoy life before the last ones leave the nest.  


On the breakfast plate. . .
 Smoked sausage and egg burrito topped with cowboy candy (gotta get my hot peppers in), coffee 


Right now I am  . . .

Writing out my pattern I made up for Daughter's special request.  She asked me to crochet her a double wrap infinity scarf.  I finished it, and gave it to her.  She is very happy with it.

I used a new stitch and it whipped up pretty fast, considering all the chores I had over the weekend.  I'm considering selling patterns I create on Etsy or Ravelry.  I need to read up on what's involved first.

I am also moving "pressure canner" to the top of my wish list.  It's definitely needed.



The weather outside. . .
  Wet and cold.  It rained yesterday.  In fact, it started raining as we walked out to cut wood, so no wood was cut.  It is however even warmer than yesterday.  It's a nice 37°degrees this morning. So, not too cold.



Looking around the house . . .
I need to clean off a kitchen table, but otherwise it stayed pretty clean.  We need to finish decorating the main Christmas tree.


On today's to-do list . . .for the week
-exercise 
-wash down more wood work (girls helped with some)
-clean master bathroom
-clean up the kitchen 
-put soup in the crock pot
-bake pear pie
-make homemade whiskey butterscotch sauce
-make homemade yogurt
-work on barn wood as weather allows
-figure out the meals for the week
-clean two ceiling fans
-laundry washed and on the clothesline
-write
-water houseplants
-take trash out
-drain a jar of homemade vanilla extract


Currently reading . . .
  I haven't been reading anything, but I have books in at the library.  I hope Hubby doesn't forget to pick them up for me.  


On the TV today. . .
 Christmas DVD's from the library after Hubby and I retire for the night.


On the menu this week. . .
-bean burritos, topped with veggies
-sweet potato and cauliflower soup
-tomato sauce with pasta and meatballs, veggie
-fish (have to check my stash), beets
-homemade pizzas


If I have a few minutes to myself I will. . .
 Read through a magazine or two, maybe even open the novel I have been reading.  Work on bazaar items. One thing for sure - take a long soak in the tub, with salts and tea tree oil.  Looking forward to starting the week off with pampering myself a bit.


New recipe I want to try or tried . . .
  A new pear pie recipe.  I have ripe pears now.



Favorite photo from the camera. . .


The last warmer sunrise on the porch.  The furniture has since been put away for winter. This photo brings back a recent (good) memory.


Devotionals, Scripture, Key Verses, Quotes. . .

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