"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, February 15, 2023

A few of my favorite things . . .

 

I still have a stand up shredder, that you shred by hand, but we love this hand crank one.  It has a suction on the bottom to stay in place, the cheese goes in the top (pushed down with that red piece and wa-la grated cheese.  Easy to clean too.  We don't buy shredded cheese.  We buy blocks/bulk blocks, freeze and then grate. 


My Oklahoma Pastry Cloth.  I gifted the kids one at Christmas, along with tools for making rolls, and some of my recipes.  Love this cloth!  You can buy them online!  I think I shared this before, but sharing again.



Coop tool!   Don't worry, I took this photo the day I bought it.  I wanted to do that in case it became a favorite tool for the coop.  I have used plastic cat litter scoop to clean roosts for years.  I finally bought a metal one.  I love it!  Works so much easier.





Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Random Chit Chat ~ Einkorn Berry Crisp

 


I haven't knitted in a long, long time.  I have only knitted a scarf, and most of the time dishcloths.  Socks are still on the bucket list, but I realized how sore my finger tip can get.  I found these at the Dollar Tree for $1.25!

I've been focusing meal planning on what needs rotated out of the freezer and pantry.  Other than fresh fruit on the menu.  You know like the canned ketchup, frozen blueberries, frozen bell peppers, frozen green onions - just anything put up last garden season. 

I use home canned ketchup, and frozen bell peppers in Four Beans and Sausage. A one meal in a crockpot recipe.


A random breakfast dish I layered with cooked sage sausage, cooked (from the freezer) garden bell peppers, and added green onions I froze last summer.  Oh, I chopped to jalapenos I froze last summer, and boy it was delicious.  I also freeze the cheese blocks that go into dishes like this (grated), so I checked that supply as well as butter.  If I have any extra cottage cheese or sour cream, I also add that to these.




 I got 6 cups of blueberries out of the freezer yesterday.  My husband was a very happy man.


Einkorn Berry Crisp!  I used monkfruit in place of sugar, but I do not add 1:1 ratio.  Monkfruit is much sweeter, so I can use a lot less of it in recipes.  I linked the online recipe, but I added extra cinnamon and some nutmeg.  So good!

Of course, cooking/baking results in stacks of dirty dishes.

'We finally replaced this light socket in our stairway.  Only took us about 14 years,  but the kids were too rough and ripped on the pull cord.  We are getting some smaller jobs done while we wait for warmer weather.

I started working on the clutter/tools etc. that landed in the downstairs hallway. Once trash picks up, I have a few things to toss out that landed in the hall (from the kitchen floor project).  They got buried under a stack of tablecloths (already put away), and tools.

The staple gun and staples finally made there way to their home, but golly, my husband needs to gather and put away tools, screwdrivers, screws, nails, and all sorts of stuff. We are waiting on a good weather day to get the garage cleaned up and re-organized as well.  We will have nice weather mid-week, but it will bring rain with it.

There is a few cut pieces of living room trim that need put away today, a few stray garden tools, and a few pairs of shoes.  It's getting there, slowly, but surely.  I have started yet another box for donation.