"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.

Monday, February 24, 2025

Happy Homemaker Monday {February 24, 2025}

 Success this past week. I installed shelf liners on 3 shelves in one of the bathroom cabinets.  I also completely cleaned out two large corner kitchen cupboards, purged any expired seasonings, vinegars, oils etc. Cleaned them, washed every lazy susan/turntable, lined the shelves, and re-organized.

I made a trip to town to buy liner to finish the remaining shelves.  I also invested in two more turntables to make life more organized.

However, between putting the roll of shelf liner on the check out, and then paying for it, apparently it never made it home.  The drive back is not short.  The remaining shelves will be waiting until we retrieve the roll.  We are stumped at how we never got that long roll back into the cart.  

Anyway, I have also done inventory to see what I need for this year's canning season.  I, apparently, have enough celery seed to can items for the next two years (ha ha! Whoops!).  The kids moved in and out, but left behind their huge supply of spices and seasonings (which of most were the ones expired).

We also replaced our paper shredder, so thanks for all your suggestions.  

A question for anyone who pickles eggs - do you have a fantastic recipe, or do you just re-use juice from your canned beets?  Which vinegar is better if you make your own pickling liquid?  I have only pickled eggs with one recipe, using a jalapeno, and other spices.




Today I will be joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  

I will link up when she posts.  Today's post is a doozy of a long one.  Sorry for that.


The  weather in our neck of the woods . . .

We are finally warming up, and we may even reach 50°F!  It's going to melt all of this snow and ice, so it will also be a muddy mess, but a happy temperature.


As I look outside my window . . .

It's still dark out, but last night during dinner we watched two woodpeckers enjoying our bird feeder on a tree.


Right now I am . . . 

Making our daily snack plans.  Sipping hot coffee.


Something fun to share (blog, video or tip). . .

Tip:  Use a mandolin to shred cabbage on the thinnest setting vs. using a food processor for either slaw or other meals.  It creates a much thinner cabbage, which makes a better slaw or cook faster for a meal.  


Thinking and pondering . . .

Possibilities I'm considering for this next garden season -
1. Dehydrating dandelion greens

2. Planting a new squash

3. Putting my shell pea/snow pea fence back up

4. Planting more fruit options

5. Looking for a new resource to buy tomato plants

6. I can't locate Jerusalem artichokes to try this year.  Anyone have suggestions?  I would like to see if they will grow here well.  I tried Baker Creek and I think I looked at High Mowing, but can't remember ha ha!  Not Amazon or Etsy please.  I saw on Territorial they want $24.95 for one plant.  Are they that expensive for organic/heirloom?

We have lacked in the way of sowing seeds in the house this past year, and I am way behind this year.  I may go ahead and start beets, but it's pretty late for the rest I typically start early.  We do not have a green house, and we lack space in the sunlight, so I have to use grow lights when we do start seeds inside.  The lights have timers, but it does increase our very expensive electric bill.

On my bedside table . . .

-a few crochet hooks, notepad and pen


Listening to . . .

Nothing now, but maybe the radio during the day.  The type depends on what I wish to listen to at the moment.  Music anyway.


On the menu . . .

Focusing on the freezer and garden stash/pantry ingredients.

-pork chops with home canned BBQ sauce, quinoa and roasted beets

-cabbage wraps with Italian sausage (my own recipe, but uses meat from the freezer)

-stuffed bell peppers (made last summer with garden bell peppers), will side these with other smaller meals too

-summer vegetable spaghetti (uses frozen diced zucchini, yellow squash, and green beans from the garden, and a jar of home canned tomato sauce), with frozen homemade meatballs (made with oats and no bread crumbs)

-chickpea crust pizzas using home canned pizza sauce, and frozen bell peppers from the garden



Book I am reading. . .


A much different book, but reading no less.


On my TV . . .

Nurse Jackie Series 3, 4 and 5, DVD's borrowed from the library. However, if it doesn't get much better, we are abandoning the series and finding something new to watch.


On my to-do list . . .

-make a breakfast frittata, and turkey breakfast "sausages"
-make a jar of pickled red onions
-start more sprouts for the chickens
-dishes, empty dishwasher
-laundry
-sweep and mop downstairs room
(my "possibility list" in other words)

Happening this week . . .

Ha!  It all depends on the weather.  I am hoping to get into town to retrieve the roll of shelf liner we paid for and somehow didn't get.


What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating . . .

Another granny finished book means another finished granny square for my "book" blanket.  I am not stressing about if the colors match "exactly" but close enough is enough for me.  The new project is to use up scrap balls of yarn, and crochet a beautiful blanket for us.  More granny squares to make.

Post about my "book" blanket - HERE


My simple pleasure . . .

Reading.


Lessons learned the past week . . .

1. buy honey in glass jars, not plastic

2. keep tinctures in canning jars and not bottle droppers (two of my bottle droppers broke from the residue or whatever)



From the camera . . .



Prayers, Bible Verse, Devotional . . . 

No current prayer requests.  

Friday, February 21, 2025

This and That

 

Yesterday's sunrise.  It was snowing all day, but it was one of those big, soft, slow falling snowflake days.  Beautiful, despite the freezing temperatures and lack of full sunshine.

Check out these photos.  I had to take them thru the window, because of the snow outside, but loved what I photographed (cannot wait to upgrade my camera soon).  There was a woodpecker enjoying the bird feeder later in the day, but the bugger was playing with me, and kept flying off before I could snap one photo, ha ha!







Look at the top of the photo.



A blog follower asked for the hamstring stretches that I was given by one of my daughters.  Here they are, but check out anything on Youtube too.  There are exercises on there that were also helpful.



I also did floor stretches in addition, and ate a well balanced diet etc.  Good advice I was given one day, is 80% of maintaining your health (good weight, or weight loss) happens in the kitchen.


~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~
Although I did some bits of deep cleaning yesterday, I realized my pile of paperwork that needs shredded is growing.  Our paper shredder broke down, and we do not have a burn barrel here.  If you have suggestions for a good quality paper shredder to buy, please let me know.  Otherwise, I will be looking for community shredding events (if they still have them).

I whipped up a batch of red lentil hummus for us to enjoy.  I do think, so far, it's our favorite of all the hummus recipes I have made, and I have made a lot of different ones (pumpkin, black bean, beet, roasted red pepper, green pepper, other white bean, butternut). I adapted a recipe I located online, but added more garlic and a can of chickpeas.  I will have to see if I shared the recipe on my blog.  If anyone is interested.

We have warmed up to 12°F this morning.  I am hoping the icy driveway melts away soon.

I have some new recipes lined up to try.  One I thought would be "new" to us, is not really.  It's basically a frittata with added spinach to it.

I have some new crochet patterns lined up to use up some crochet thread.  We'll see if it all happens or not.  I want to finish the current baby blanket too.