Happy Homemaker Monday

 

I am finally in a slowdown (or sort of), and decided to start today with joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  I will attempt to link up when she posts.  Update:  The link worked!  Thanks for the comment to let me know!

The sugar pie pumpkins have all been processed.  I am thankful for that, but wish I had gone to the produce stand and purchased a few more spaghetti squash.  I missed my window on apple seconds, but will be more mindful next year.

The weather in my neck of the woods . . .

We had a rainy, fall weekend, which is delaying any outdoor work.  I have started filling another box of items to donate (we just don't need or use anymore).  Our highs will be in the 50's all week.

Things that make me happy . . .

-waking up to a clean kitchen

-finding new patterns to use my yarn stash for

-no bills in the mail (ha ha!)

-hot coffee and porch time

-completing a home repair job (some can linger and linger)

Book I'm reading . . .

(photo from thriftbooks)

I just picked up a copy from our local library.  I will be starting this book today.

What's on my TV . . .

Everwood (series), and we are enjoying it, other than the recent episodes have a lot of family fighting, which we do not like.  Otherwise, it's been a nice series.

On the breakfast plate . . .

A breakfast casserole with vegetables and layered in the bottom are diced locally grown potatoes baked with beef tallow.  There is spinach in this one.  We will also be trying locally sourced homemade sausage breakfast patties.

On the lunch plate . . .

Chicken salad with leftover shredded chicken, grapes.

On the dinner plate . . .

Blackened chicken tenders (with locally sourced chicken), BBQ green beans with our garden green beans and local bacon, and our own homegrown roasted mashed potato squash.

On the menu . . .

I have been focusing meals, by what's in the freezer from last garden season, and in the pantry, so the rotation continues.

- Steaks (locally raised, and rare treat), asparagus and any leftover BBQ green beans and mashed potato squash.

The rest has not been decided on, until we see how long the leftovers last.

On the to-do list . . . 

-cook sausage patties to go with breakfast

-mix up a large batch of meatballs to freeze (locally sourced meat this time around).

-wash and put away dishes

-pay bills

-place an order for supplies I cannot buy local

-dust

-make homemade hair detangler

New recipe tried or want to try . . .

I tried a new breakfast casserole with spinach (no meat this time).  We are trying it this morning.

What I am creating . . .

I have a few things on the crochet hook.  I will be sharing pictures tomorrow.  I'm still looking for a hat pattern (suitable to donate), that has a ribbed bottom, and does not fold up, and for kids and adults.

It feels so strange not to be preparing for a craft show, or making homemade gifts.  I was talking to a friend about her opinion on an idea of mine for the kids.  I thought of buying the ingredients for their favorite recipe (any of mine), and gifting them that, along with the recipe (aside from any fresh ingredients).  She poo poo'd my idea and said it "wasn't enough" for them.  

It got me thinking.  Why do people put so much money into some gifts that are dust collectors or items that are "just to give" without thought?  Oh, I'm still looking for the soup starter in a jar recipe.  I know I have one for a bean soup too I think.

Favorite photo . . . 

It's bow hunting season in our neck of the woods, and there are days we see a lot of deer, and days we do not see them. 

Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses . . .

No current prayer requests.  My husband is feeling better (thnk you for your kind thoughts) but he was tired over the weekend.  He sipped hot sage tea, and said he enjoyed the taste.  

Happy Homemaker Monday  © November 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Sickness Update ~ Fall Cleaning and Tidbits ~ Pie Pumpkin Roasting Begins

Update on my sick husband - he's feeling better, but tired.  His doctor (the nurse said she had the virus recently too) said he caught a virus, and it was very unusual for such a high fever.  Thankfully, the fever broke quicker than we thought it would.  I gave him ibuprofen, a hot cup of feverfew (I grow this) tea, and an ice pack for his neck.  He loved the chicken and wild rice soup for dinner and it set well for him.  He's on the mend, and it's going around in our area.  I have downed our 4 thieves vinegar as a preventative (trust me on this one, it works, but it is not tasty ha ha!).

I am going back to making my own face cream. The most recent one I purchased is irritating one of my eyes, so homemade it is.  I am checking my supplies today.

If you are a self sufficient DIY person, where do you buy organic apricot oil?

The recipe calls for lanolin, but I'm leaving it out.  

Which would be better - shea butter or cocoa butter?  I'm thinking cocoa butter would add too much oil to my skin.  Or another suggestion was coconut oil.

It only took me 16 years, but while my husband rested, I went in search for a tool to remove the pedastal washer and dryer drawers.  I took them outside to clean, since we still have decent weather.  They are srubbed and sanitized, and ready to be re-organized on another day.  I will sort and re-access what we need/use and don't need, or what we need re-supplied.  I may even add a mat inside the drawers (like under the sink type liners).

We have been having cooler days, so I started roasting the pie pumpkins to puree and freeze.  I am sure I have shared this process, but will share again.  

I scrub the pumpkins, slice in half, and scoop out the seeds and innards.  I have always found, that my melon baller tool has been the best tool to remove the pumkin guts and seeds.

I clean the seeds from the guts, rinse them, and dry them to roast later.  The remaining guts go to the chickens.

I use my largest pan, which holds about 3 pumpkins.  I roast home grown on 375°F for 50-60 minutes.  If I buy them, which I did buy some from our produce stand, they seem to be more firm, so they take longer to roast.  I have now only have those pumpkins, so I plan to roast them at 400°F for maybe 35-45 minutes.  I just check them to make sure they are soft.  I also use a fork to pierce the back side of the cut and cleaned pumpkin before roasting. 

I later decided to place the pumpkins on parchment paper.

I let the pumpkins cool, then scoop the pumpkin out with a spoon.

I place the cooked pumpkin in my food processor and process until it turns into a puree.

I used a quart freezer bag, so I can flatten the bag very thin, saving much space in the freezer.  I am using Glad bags, as the bottom is not a flat bottom like some have, making it easier to remove, when frozen, to thaw and cook/bake with.

I simply use my canner lifter tool to hold the bag to fill.  It works, so I have not purchased anything fancier.  

Another photo of how the jar lifter doubles as a bag holder.  In this photo I was bagging roasted spaghetti squash.

I lay the bags flat on a baking sheet, and place it in the freezer until the bags are frozen.  I them place them in the freezer where I have space.

We are down to our last bag of pumpkin in the freezer from last year, so this is good timing.  Although, I would normally have this done by the end of September or early October.  I just made us some pumpkin oat pancakes, and they were delicous (a small batch, perfect for two people).

I took a few bits of time (while the pumpkins were cooling), and enjoyed the library for once.  I also purged some craft supplies I do not use anymore, and donated them to the kids library programs.  They were happy to get them.

Sickness Update ~ Fall Cleaning and Tidbits ~ Pie Pumpkin Roasting Begins © November 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart