"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.

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Christmas Gift for the Girls ~ Honey Roasted Caramel Corn ~ Sanity Saver Ride

The moon early this morning.

Breakfast yesterday morning.  First time to eat healthy in about 5-6 days.  Hubby's famous omelets, and this time he put jalapenos in them.


When I can remember....I am scanning any good family favorite handwritten recipe when I use it.  I'm printing it on cardstock and will cut to size for a recipe box for my younger two girls.  The recipe boxes I want to buy them are no longer sold.  The general store that sold them closed.  I may see if my husband (hate to even ask him) will build me two wooden recipe boxes.




One day when we had lucky leftovers, and I didn't have to cook dinner, I made this!  Honey roasted caramel corn.  It is the best I have ever tasted.  No kidding.  My Mom's taste test approved this as the best too.  It's not my recipe.  I found it online from the Stay at Home Chef.  She has a video on making it.  It uses butter, brown sugar, honey, salt, baking soda and vanilla.  Of course I popped my corn in my stovetop whirley popper.

Hubby had Saturday off, but works double shift today sadly.  I am back in the kitchen with garden stuff.  



Considering he had Saturday off, we took advantage of it and go the chicken fencing (temporary fencing until we officially move it) up. We used a dog gate to make a gate for the fencing, and need to add more t-posts, but for now they can get out and about.  I had to laugh.  The two older hens came outside right away.  All day long the newbies kept popping their heads out the door and then back inside.  They'll figure it out eventually.


I also dug this old elementary desk out of the barn.  It's being given to our granddaughter.  She is being home-schooled this year.  In their area, the kids were divided between two school districts, and there was no room for her in either school, and is forced to home school.  I hosed it off, and it needs cleaned up, but so glad I could help them out and clean out at the same time.

How did we get the desk and chair?  Way back in the day when our elemetary schools were torn down, Junior high torn down, to build an all in one school, one teacher of one of our kids bought every desk and chair.  She sold them back to each family for $1.00 each.  

After that we took off on a motorcycle ride, which I badly needed.  Our 21 year old worked all day, so youngest hooked up with another sister and went swimming at a nearby beach area (at the lake).

It'll be a long day today, but the pantry is being restocked, and we are very grateful for that.  It's a struggle, and we haven't had a good garden year for the last 3 years, but it's more than last year for sure.

Now, if the Rain Gods could bless us again today, and plump up those root veggies and tomatoes, I'll be a happy gal.



Saturday, August 15, 2020

1:30am Moom ~ Small Day Adventures ~ Barn Cat ~ Crochet/knit Socks of Another Kind

The things I do when I cannot sleep.  Take photos of the moon.  This was, I think, from last Thursday early in the morning.

I am being very bad at eating breakfast at all.  I have a light lunch and come dinner, I don't want to eat either.  The stress has been over the moon bad.  Just lots of things going on.

The chance for rain on Saturday (60%) went off the radar as fast as it went on.  However, we thankfully got a nice pour down last night.  

My 21 year-old and I went on a small day adventure and visited an antique store in the Big City.  


I've been wanting one of these for a long time.  First, I thought I might paint it red, but I may leave it yellow.  I kind of like it.


We also went to a thrift store, which I sort of thought was not stocked by much (oddly).  I snatched up this green pepper dish for $1.00 and it now holds my vegetable scrubber.


Picked up this wine bottle stand for a few bucks as well.




I picked up a few books as well, and a beat up metal strainer the antique guy gave me free.  I wanted it for a table center piece for the fall holidays.  I have battery operated lights (rechargeable batteries), and will top with some holiday colored something or other to pretty it up.


More tomatoes are turning red, but as you can see the drought has not helped with the size of most of them.



Looks like a raccoon right?  It's our barn cat.  I brought the pool out to clean for the grandkids, and it filled with rain water the last time it rained and it still has some oddly.  Anyway, she loves to go in the water and give herself a bath and get a drink, even though her water bowl is filled.  Silly cat.

My socks finally arrived in the mail.  I thought I deserved to buy myself something special.