Just the Bits

 I hope the joys in your winter days are pouring in.  I got a teeny tiny sample from Eden Garden Essential oils, and it's in the diffuser today.  It's called "It Smells Amazing."  Photo to show you how tiny and cute the sample bottle is.

One day it was very dreary, but the huge slow falling snowflakes were so pretty.

Another day we started out with snow fog.  Crazy, but it was beautiful with the sunshine.  Love that sunshine.

A few bird photos I took recently.  The sun was shining just a bit too.

The snow is rolling in again, and more until Saturday.  Last I heard they predicted about another 2-3 inches for our area.  I won't complain.  It's poor man's fertilizer.  Good for the garden, because it brings nitrogen to the ground.

The weather however, is delaying our beloved Fluffy Butt Hutt (aka new chicken mansion) from progressing. Even so, the ladies are back to laying us at least one egg a day.  I have been taking scraps and treats to them, and giving them positive mojo talks (yes, I do that).  Focus is directed to other projects for the meantime.

I have gotten all of our Christmas decor put back into totes,  but a few items.  The tree star was taken down and boxed up until next Christmas.  We'll take the tree down together this weekend.  I think I will join Anne in the Kitchen with her count down to Christmas, with trying new recipes for the next winter holiday.  Maybe new gift ideas that come along to print off, and anything else.  Adult games that are not corny would be fun to research as well.  I've had a binder for such things for years, but really have not spent time with it, nor adding anything to it.

The only decoration remaining, is our evergreen door wreath.  It smells so good when I open the door to fetch the mail, that I plan to leave it up for another week or so.

I had to laugh yesterday.  My husband and I were talking about the Breakfast Chicken Sausage Patties I recently made, and he was shocked I made them from scratch.  Insert eye rolling, because he knows I cook from scratch ha ha!  They really are that good.  The sage, thyme and garlic come from the garden.

These are so good, we are considering grinding our own chicken, which means investing in a meat grinder.  I have an old hand crank one, but if you own one and have a suggestion, that would be a great place for us to start.

I think the word for this month should be "perspective" and "consistency" (possibly others).  They keep coming to me in my books, devotionals, blogs from some of you (thank you for that), and even in some TV shows lately.  Your mindset is a powerful tool in navigating life.  When I hit a bump in the road to our plans, I am getting positive reminders to not boo-hoo my day away.

We are delaying any traveling this month.  Not just due to the recent snow storms, but now I have two doctor appointments.  Ha!  Nothing like being told, "we would like to see you, to make sure you did not fracture anything" and "just to be sure" when you are starting to regain momentum with daily exercise.   In the meantime, I have new spike straps for my boots, when I go outside.  On a good note, they do the x-rays in the same building as my doctor's office, so it's much more convenient, and quicker results.  To be honest, I am not worried about having a fracture, but more worried about being able to lift a filled canning pot this summer (only me, right?)

Praying for the LA area in CA right now.  I have a cousin, her husband and their cats living in the area of these fires, and they are greatly affected by it.  Currently without power, damaged roof, dangerous to drive anywhere due the 100mph winds and so forth.  Please pray for Cindy, Chip and their cats (which are rescues that were dumped in a trash can, and very dear to them). Cats names are Ginger and Mary Ann. 

Just the Bits © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

What's Cooking?

 

It's been in the teens, and we are getting more snow.  It's 16 degrees this morning.  I'm thrilled to be getting about an egg a day again.  

We got more snow last night, but it's a wet snow.  According to the news weather report, there is another snow storm brewing up.

Breakfast side meat has been chicken breakfast patties, and we love them!  They are much better than the turkey ones, and are nice to enjoy between sage sausage and bacon.  If you haven't tried them, they are delicious on their own or in a breakfast sandwich.

We tried a new crockpot recipe for black eye peas and ham.  I added collards to it and it was fantastic.  I used the recipe from Skinnytaste online, but used a ham bone and diced ham both (because I had both in the freezer), and again, added collards.  It will be a keeper recipe for sure.  The red bell pepper and jalapeno were also both from the freezer (from last year's garden).

What's Cooking? © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Snow ~ Side Story ~ Try It Recipe Update

 

The photo pretty much depicts the recent snow storm.  We did get a slight bit of sunshine yesterday.  I think we got about 3 inches.  My husband finally got to use his drivable mini snowplow (he bought it from an auction a few years ago and never needed it).  He walked in the door that day giggling that he was happy to finally try it out on snow.  Ha!  I have to say it worked perfectly.  All those years I joked he was a collector of such do-hickies, but it sure came in handy for us.

However, I did hand shovel the side patio to get out to tend the hens (there is a side story to this) and get the mail that particular day.  There was 2 foot drifts to get to the coop, and I slipped slightly on the underlying ice (which I didn't see until I shoveled).  Anyway, when I put my right foot down to catch myself, it shot pain right up that already beat up leg.  

I put in a call to our main doctor, and the nurse called me back.  I, and I have no idea how, missed her call.  I think ice packs will ease the agitated leg, but we'll get better advice when the nurse calls me back.  FYI - spikes are back on my boots for the winter.

A big fat squirrel out digging for whatever he/she can find.  An odd sight for winter time.  

I cannot wait for the garden this year.  The cucumbers in the stores are not so good lately.  We have been making very good at keeping the grocery list to fresh fruits and vegetables, and focusing meals on what's in the freezer and pantry.

The temperature remains in the teens, and this is what the egg stand looks like today.  I am thankful they are laying again, but it is very slim pickin's.

Side story about the slip and not falling, and going out to tend the hens.  I get an email almost daily from an old friend (been friends for years).  I mentioned my slip, and shoveling and ice, and her response (no kidding), was to butcher all of my hens, and start over in the spring!!!!!  Just to avoid a slip on the ice!?

It was like she thinks I am a hermit and never needs to leave the house, because I do not "work" outside the home.

I could not believe a good friend would come up with that solution.  Not one bit.  I need new friends, but most winter activities here are in the evenings when my husband comes home from work.  I don't have the equipment for zoom to do  online type meetings (book clubs, Bible study etc) either. 

 Anyway, I was absolutely shocked that all the years I've known her, and that was the only response?  I was just keeping up with recent news, and felt she could have cracked a joke about bubble wrapping me or some other response, but I'm still shocked. 

Okay, off my soapbox.  Thanks for listening to my winter time banter.

I worked a teensy bit on my new project and hope to share soon.  My husband is even happy about it.  I think anyway.

We tried the slow cooker ground turkey stroganoff and it was delicious!  Oh my!  No cream cheese in it.  I used arrowroot powder to thicken it, and made it a comfort food meal with homemade mashed potatoes and extra wide Amish noodles.  I roasted garden green beans from the garden to go with it.  I know it's a sugar spike (potatoes and pasta) for the hub's, but it is about once a year that I make mashed potatoes vs. sweet potatoes.  The recipe is online with Kroll's Korner called Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Stroganoff (use that homemade condensed cream of mushroom for a healthy version).

I never thought about it until I just mentioned mashed potatoes, but those mashed potato squash we grew last year would be absolutely delicious with this too.  Note to self for next year's garden.  Insert happy face.  I have a few small squash left (totally forgot about them). 

Have a fantastic Wednesday.  Find the sunshine in your winter day, and prayers for the people in CA (fires) right now.

Snow ~ Side Story ~ Try It Recipe Update © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Per a request for the recipe. . .

I've been making this homemade version of "canned" cream of mushroom soup since February of 2014.  The link in my post below.

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Another post with a few photos

....contains the link to the actual recipe online.  She has added fresh thyme to the recipe since I started making it, and have not added it to mine (yet).

She also has the recipes for condensed cream of celery soup and condensed cream of chicken soup.  I have made all three of the recipes and they are keeper recipes for me.

I adapt the recipes with organic/non-gmo ingredients for the healthiest soup recipes.

I can say that the original recipe she had up, stated two cremini mushrooms.  Same with shallots, but she has listed amounts now.  Our stores stopped selling bulk cremini mushrooms all together, so I now buy organic baby bella mushrooms for ours. 

I love it.  The shallots bring the party to the soup mix for sure.  So good.  I mix it one "can" at a time, and freeze it in glass freezer containers or sometimes the BPA free plastic containers (as shown in my photo).

Someone once asked me how much it makes, and it is basically equal to one can of the store brand.  One batch of this to every can the recipe calls for.  It's divine on pork chops in the crockpot too.

Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We have been blessed with free calendars from our very small local library every year. The top one is last year's with January of this year included, and the second one is this year's new calendar.

I do have some goals for this month, but I do not make resolutions per say.  

Goals for this year so far:

• Re-create a few photos.
• Get a photo shot day for just us with hired photographer.  This may not happen until fall for better outdoor scenery.
• Read more.
• Reduce hours on social media (I only have facebook)
• Travel more.
• Have the entire downstairs repaired, renovated, updated, purged and completely organized (will need help from the husband to complete this goal).
• Stay on task with regular exercise (this was interrupted so many times last year).  Including staying on task while traveling of any sort as well.
• Hike more.
• Take evening walks with my husband more.
• Go camping more.
• Talk with friends more often.  

I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom today.

The weather in my neck of the woods . . .

This past Saturday we woke up to a chilly 9°F windchill and more snow.  It was the kind of beautiful, slow falling snow.

It's 12°F this morning and the snow is coming down.  There is enough coming down, there are school delays and closings.  My husband may get to use his gizmo he bought a few years ago to "plow" the driveway this year.  Traffic is moving very slowly, and I have yet to see a plow pass by our homestead.

Things that make me happy . . .

-my first cup of coffee in the morning

-looking forward to making travel plans

Book I am reading . . .

I started reading this last year, but forgot all about it.  I am keeping up with the daily quotes, but I have to say that not all of them are really that good or positive.

I bought both of these two last year as well, and started back with reading them each day.  One is 180 days, the other is 365 days.  I am enjoying both and have plans to pass them on to one of the kids when I am done reading them.  The last two are perfect travel size too.

I finished this one last week, and loved it.  I thought it was going to be just stories about the donkey, but it was more than that.  It was more like a book of devotions that came to the author with her experience with the stray donkey.  The story basically is her life lessons, relationship with God, but taught to her by the taking in of a the stray donkey that showed up out of no where.  I also learned about donkeys.  I had no idea they lived 40 years, and that if you want a protector donkey, the females do a better job.  Overall a very good book.

I started reading this book next.  It was a gift from my husband for Christmas.  He said it was on the best selling list.  Looks like a murder mystery. 

What's on my TV today . . .

Sea Patrol

Landman (Sunday night)

On my breakfast plate . . .

See to-do list.

On my lunch plate . . .

Probably tuna salad and cucumber slices with hummus.  Fresh fruit.

On my dinner plate . . .

See menu plan below.

On the menu . . .

-Crockpot turkey stroganoff, mashed potatoes, and roasted garlic green beans

-Crockpot black eyed peas, ham and collards

-Crockpot Sausage and Ditalini soup

-leftovers

On the to-do list . . .

-bake a breakfast casserole of some sort, or pancakes for the next few days (have not decided yet)

-clean bathtub and master bath shower, put cleaning supplies away

-dust master bedroom, master bathroom

-pay a few bills

-do laundry

-make homemade hair detangler

-put the Christmas stuff away (yes most of it's still out, as we had errands this past weekend, and just didn't have the ambition at the end of each day)

-make and freeze homemade condensed mushroom soup (goal is to get this done by the end of the week), I make it this way, because we do not use it very often (1),  it is healthier than organic from the store (2), and it tastes so much better (3)

-start a new shopping list, as I need more quart canning jars to organize more of our dried herbs, herbal tea ingredients etc.  Some new ones I just got, do not come with re-sealable bags.

Month of January Deep Clean/Purge/Re-organize List:

-start removing tape and adhesive from stairway walls.  It is a bigger job than I anticipated.  I took a closer look when I went upstairs the other day.  The kids really did a number on the walls all over the upstairs (grr!).

-fix shelf in freezer than fell into the next shelf.  I will have to remove everything and fix shelf and re-organize while meal planning based on what's on that shelf.

-continue purging utility room (a lot is stored in that room, and I have all winter to work on it).

-install under sink shelf liners in the master bath

-check dates on all of our dried herbals for tea infusions, tea making and other medicinal makings, and re-organize.

-clean one corner upper cupboard in the kitchen, install new shelf liner, check dates on all spices/herbs/homemade mixes, and re-organize

New recipe I tried or want to try . . .

All three recipes on the menu plan are "try-it" recipes.  Homemade "Velveeta" was successful, other than the cheese flavor using the mild.  I do have plans to make it again, but with medium cheddar for a trial #2.

What I am creating . . .

New project for 2025 (possibly longer ha ha ha!)  I detest (well I detest the final stage of sewing them all together) granny square projects, so I have no idea what is going on with my brain right now!  I'll be back soon to share a post about this new 2025 project. The goal is a combination of two ideas, with two successful goals by the end of the year.  I guess you could also say it's a self-motivational goal.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture) . . .

We have loved the recent slow falling, big snowflakes lately.  However, this is much more out there as of this morning. 

Devotional, Prayers, or Bible Verses . . .

Prayers request from one of our kids - house shopping, and for them to acquire a house they can afford.

Prayers for my own health, and for an earlier opening for my doctor appointment.  I am thankful for Arnica cream for sore muscles.  We want this off the calendar (best answers would be simply physical therapy, or better yet the current exercises at home) before we start making any travel plans this year. 

"A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired." Proverbs 17:22 MSG 

If you are still reading (sorry this is a long post for a Monday, ha ha!), if you drink purple passion flower tea, what is a good organic brand to buy and resource?  I see Frontier Co-Op has it with our sister online grocery store, and see that Amazon has a few brands.  We would like to try it for our evening tea or add it to the current tea we drink (for better sleep, stress reducer, un-wind in the evening tea).

Happy Homemaker Monday  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Winter Homestead Activities

My first post for 2025.

January 2025 started with a clean washing machine, clean oven mitts, and a clean dishwasher.   I got all three cleaned by the afternoon of the last day of 2024.  It rained the entire day, and the temperature was in the 30's.  Awful weather, but the right kind to make it much easier to sit and crochet for a bit. January 1st it snowed.  We got more snow last night, and there is a possibly snow storm later this weekend, but our temperature may be too cold for snow here.

Winter time is a time to rest and re-set.   I do try to embrace the slow down, because those busy garden days will arrive soon enough. 

Winter time pick me ups - smelling the orange or clementine as I peel it (really boosts the mood).  Also, painting my fingernails.  I buy the chemical free brand, and winter is the only time I get to pamper my fingernails.  The rest of the year, I'm busy playing with dirt.

On the home repair front . . .

Hubby replaced some door weather stripping (just in time for cold weather).  I plan to check the other doors this week.  He also installed an adjustable clothing rod for our winter coats.  We have no closets for coats here in this farmhouse.  We have what they installed called "cubbies" that are open with a  few hooks inside each one.  We have a door installed to cover our coats for now.  It's temporary until we completely purge that room, and made decisions prior to painting, installing new lights and flooring.  We were literally using shorter shower rods, but they do not last long, so hence the type that is installed with supports with screws on each side (for now anyway).

I have a small list of indoor home updates to keep myself somewhat "busy" and the goal is to have them done before Spring arrives.

The chickens are patiently waiting for their new home, but the weather has been quite finicky.  Eggs are in low production again.  Our last hired help is leaving on long vacation, so things are a bit delayed in other build it/repair it projects.

                      

I have been utilizing the Blue Jarrahdale pumpkin puree (we grew last summer, roasted it, pureed it and froze it) in our breakfast and in muffins.  The above photo is a pumpkin oat bake for breakfast.

I made hummus differently recently, using part navy beans and part chickpeas.  I added 1/4 tsp. of turmeric this time, and may add more the next them.  It does have a different flavor, but it's delicious.

Meals are being planned by utilizing what we harvested, canned, dried or froze last year.  Tonight's dinner is thawed (previously roasted and frozen) spaghetti squash, topped with home canned tomato sauce, homemade meatballs, quinoa and asparagus.  We'll be eating more garden green beans this weekend as well (blanched and froze from last year's garden).

The next room to purge is our utility room.  The room is larger than most, and also serves for storage of certain items.

I am currently (yes, I'm still reading it) reading this book.  I bought it last year, as my husband joked that I needed to buy it.  Even if it's 2 pages in a day, I'm working on getting over that guilty feeling of "I should be doing this or that" feeling.  Maybe that's just how I am wired?  Anyway.....

When I finish this current book, I will share my new activity for the year.

Garden plans are underway.  I'm checking seeds, flipping thru new seed catalogs, and writing list for new seeds (it's a short list this year).  We will need to buy fencing for the other garden area, and we still need to remove the old raised beds.  Every time we had help arrive, they had the wrong equipment or got side tracked with another job around here. 

Update regarding uses for chickweed - it's great for burns.  I am just learning this.  My husband got sprayed with hot steam, causing a burn. We use chickweed for mosquito bites, rashes and poison ivy as well.  If I don't get more made this coming summer, I do know where I can buy it.  He should have a jar to keep at work.

Update on my homemade yarrow salve - I love this stuff!  My husband used it on a stubbed bleeding toe, and said it really helped.  He said it even felt better later.  If you are like some people, and get bloody noses in the dry heat of winter, it came in handy for that too.  It stopped the bleeding and moisturized the inside of the nose.

There is some handiwork taking place this month, but in short snippets for now.  I'll be back with an update hopefully.  Winter time doesn't usually have anything exciting to post about.

Winter Homestead Activities © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

New Recipe Tried ~ Last Day of 2024

                                       

                                        

I love a pan of roasted vegetables, and this was a bit different than my normal seasoning (as well as vegetable variety).  It called for 5 cloves of garlic, 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1 tsp. of paprika, homemade onion powder, and 1 tsp of homemade Italian seasoning (and salt and pepper).  The second photo is a cheese mixture with feta, cream cheese, yogurt, and honey.  We loved it!   Oh, in the end of the cooking time, I tossed in some sliced turkey sausages.

I do miss fresh garden goodies.  Finding "fresh" in the stores is not the same.  We have nothing to harvest this time of year, as we do not have a greenhouse.

It is pouring down rain as I get this very last blog post for 2024 up.  How will you be spending the day?  My husband, like most full-time employees, is working today.  I am not sure on my day yet today, other than exercise (medicine for the body and soul), and maybe baking muffins.   I do have some house cleaning that needs done, but we'll be hunkered in for the New Year's Eve. 

Our snack tonight is hummus.  I whipped it up slightly different this time.  I used half organic navy beans and half organic chickpeas, and added a bit of turmeric to it.  It is delicious.

I do not make any New Year "resolutions" because I work on myself, our home, and overall life every single day.  I am looking forward to a much better camping year, as last year it got away from us.   We will need to fence the other garden, and other projects that are rolling into next year.

I look at the end of the year, and beginning of the next year as a realm of possibilities.

I do reflect on any bad habits (or lack of continuous good habits), as the year comes to an end, it sort of takes over my thoughts for the day.  The fact it's the last day of a year, makes you think about things on a larger scale.

I hope your evening is fun filled, or relaxing, or just enjoyable.  Happy New Year!

New Recipe Tried ~ Last Day of 2024 © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart