"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.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Rosemary Infused Wine ~ Tonic Wines

Somewhere, in all those library books I have been borrowing, I got the idea to infuse red wine with rosemary.

Mountain rose herbs has a few more recipes on their site too.  I have no idea why I chose rosemary, but it intrigued me.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Herbed Butter ~ A Day in the Kitchen

I have been searching the organic section of our grocer for fresh thyme (sadly I did not put a pot of it in my kitchen last fall).  They seem to be out of it often.

I decided to use my dried thyme and use less of it  (dried is more potent).  Most recipes that use 1 stick of organic butter, require about 3 Tablespoons of fresh herbs, plus garlic.

I did not want garlic in my herbed butter for breakfast toast.  I wanted simply thyme.  Thyme has so many healthy qualities and I love the taste of it on toast with a few eggs.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Snow ~ Library Trip

Quite honestly, it was a relief to see the snow start falling here.  I was getting concerned that the robins were already out, my bulbs were trying to sprout, and the amount of blackbirds I've seen in the trees.  I even saw flies. 

It was sort of a peaceful type of snowfall. They kind that made you smile, hunker down and curl up with a few puppies and a good book. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Homemade Bubble Bath Update ~ Another "Frugal" DIY Book

A short while ago, I mixed up a recipe for homemade bubble bath.  Just you so know, there are so many different recipes out there to try.  


I got bubbles, but I have well water too.  The water turned a milky white due to the ingredients too. The bubbles were not real big, but the clove oil really stood out.  I think any good essential oil will work. It just depends on what you want. 

Monday, February 8, 2016

Homestead Happenings ~ Rag Rug Using Old Sheets


Saturday we has a long list of chores - inside and out.  Wood needed restocked, bathrooms cleaned top to bottom (dusting included), recycling taken out, a trip to donate items to the thrift, and much more. 

I wanted some "fun" time on Sunday, so I put a limit on my deep cleaning, but 9 sconces (light fixtures) were taken down and scrubbed clean.  I have 8 more on ceiling fans, and then I move to the kitchen light fixtures.  It's such a relief to get that sort of cleaning done.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Random Tidbits

Over last weekend, there was a shooting in a town where I typically grocery shop.  The man shot two people, then got in his car (with kids) and drove miles towards our area.

That chase landed literally almost at the front of our homestead.  Just another reason to be prepared out here.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

No Bake Energy Bites

On a whim, yes I did it again, I tried a new recipe shared by my mother.  A recipe that was not in my "pile."

Sigh. Recipes will just be getting the best of me here lately.


These were so easy to make, and I had all the organic ingredients on hand too.