from the handiwork journal. . .

. . . crocheted a few dozen or so more of these granny squares.   I've put it on the "back burner" so many times that I am pushing myself to get this blanket off the "unfinished" list.  I need 192 total granny squares.

Random Tidbits ~ Back to Work or Back to School?

Snow fell all day Wednesday.  It was still cold here as well.  the pups don't seem to mind.

I keep forgetting to share a tip:  Dump a 1/2-pint of home canned corn relish into some cooked green beans for a quick and nutritious side dish.  I have vegetarians here, so I don't always mix in bacon grease, and get bored with plain green beans.

The barn door froze shut and I could not get in to fetch eggs thaw water.  I had to pry open the other set of doors, use a small stick to flip up my inside latch and get in those doors. 

I spent the entire day at the computer.  Actually, almost two entire days.

Update on the Frozen Mashed White Potatoes

Quite pleased with the results of the frozen mashed sweet potatoes, we pulled some frozen mashed white potatoes from the freezer recently as well.  I froze these in 1 cup portions as well.  Our grocer only sells organic white so that's what I froze, but if they start selling organic red skin potatoes, I'll use them as well.  And if you are new to reading my blog, our garden was flooded out, so I had very little harvest, hence the buying of potatoes in 2015.

The results?

Update on the Frozen Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A few months ago, I baked organic sweet potatoes, mashed them, then froze them, bagged them separately, and then put those bags into one large bag.

I know it's only been four months, but I dug someone for dinner the other night to test them for the first time.  Even though they were bagged twice, I still had some ice on them.

They were delicious, and tasted as if they were baked.  They were thick and tasty.  It was like eating a baked sweet potato without the skins.

Update on the Cowls

In early November I crocheted myself two cowls - one short and one long.  The long was almost immediately given to my 19 year-old daughter.  

It was always in my way - housework, outdoor work, putting wood in the stove, baking and cooking etc.  It was not conducive to my lifestyle. Daughter uses it to keep warm on her long drive back and forth to college, and for driving anywhere really.

Winter Hazards and Random Homestead Happenings

I survived the weekend without making a trip to the ER after I hit a patch of ice, and did the chicken dance to keep myself upright.  My hip, to say the least, does not like that sort of dancing.

Driving out of the homestead on Saturday, I survived getting to the "big city" without sliding all the way out into the highway. I wasn't going very fast, but our drive is all ice right now.

It rained all night Friday, then froze, then snowed on Sunday.  Our one daughter drove back to college just before the majority of snow fell and blew with the wind.  She texted she wanted to be home right after she arrived back.  It was hard to go back after a long break.

Christmas Homemade ~ 2015

You finally get to see it.  We had our very last Christmas-family gathering yesterday.

Here is what I gifted this year for Christmas. 

1/2 pint jars of home canned sweet pickle relish

4 oz jars of home canned Queen Anne's Lace Jelly 

Mom received a set