Happy Homemaker Monday {April 7, 2025}

 

Welcome April!  First Monday of the month.  Spring time!  I love Spring flowers too.  The bad storms we had last week, brought so much rain, that flooding was an issue.  Even a park we were walking at, had closed a portion of it due to flooding.

On the health front, we are still looking for a tried and true kale/blueberry salad with homemade dressing.  I hate to waste ingredients, so I'm still asking around.  I plan to ask one of the local librarians soon (one who eats healthy and exercises etc.).

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

I will link up when she posts later.

The weather in my neck of the woods . . .

Woke up to 24°F with a frost.  Mid week the forecast is saying we may get more rain and possibly snow.  Our state is flooding everywhere, and we could definitely use a break from rain.  So many roads, and areas closed due to high water.  Our property is very saturated.

Our colder Spring weather, and frost, may affect the wild grown violets here, as well as our asparagus harvest.  Possibly the pear, apple and peach trees too.

As I look outside my window . . .

Very foggy and chilly.

Right now I am . . .

Sipping hot coffee and writing out my meal plan.

Something fun to share . . .

Nothing today.

On my TV . . .

Tombstone

On my reading pile. . .

Current book off my home bookshelf.  Apparently, I bought it over a year ago or so.

Listening to . . .

80's music maybe today.  Not sure.

On the menu . . .

-Chicken pesto pasta

-Baked Perch

-Chili, cornbread or cheddar chive biscuits

-Red lentil hummus for healthy snack option

-Leftovers

On my to-do list . . .

-Bake breakfast, sweet potato hash with veggies and eggs

-Dinner prep

-Muck coop

-Visit library book sale (gulp!) Maybe.  Maybe not this week.

-New Recipe to Try:  Bourbon Candied Walnuts (to use on salads)

-Look into local activities, crochet meet up's, book clubs, outdoor exercise groups, writing groups, cookbook book clubs....heck, I'm even considering doing coffee and crochet at my own house.  Just random thinking and pondering, but I know garden season will bring "busy" into the mix too.  

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating . . .

. . .finished three more crocheted pacifier holders for future gifts.

(will get a photo soon)

. . .started a lap afghan to eventually donate to an organization or person in need.

. . . finished more books, hence more granny squares for our book blanket.  You can see some of the recent ones on my blogpost HERE.

My simple pleasures . . .

(have to think about this one more)

Looking around the house . . .

I have a lot of yarn to put away.  I've been sorting it to decide on more lap afghan colors.

From the camera . . .

(nothing today, I've been off-line a lot more often lately)

Bible Verse, Devotional, Prayers . . .

Prayers for Specific Situations:

If you are struggling with a specific problem:
"Lord, I bring before you this [specific problem]. I know you are in control, and I trust in your timing. Help me to find the strength to persevere and not give up hope that you will guide me to a solution."
(source:  Google)

Happy Homemaker Monday {April 7, 2025}  ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Book Blanket Granny Squares

In no particular order, here are a few more book blanket granny squares I made recently.

You can read about how I am making the blanket in my post HERE.  Enjoy!  Happy Reading!

(Free book from a free little library, that I picked up while on a vacation.  A young reader book, but pretty good).

Book Blanket Granny Squares  ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Storm ~ Tidbits

 I have not been watching the news at all, and late Monday, I was told there was a bad storm expected mid-week for us.  What kind of storm?  I had to turn on the news to find out.

The storm was rain, thunder, wind, possible hail, and possible tornado.  It came in two parts.  One storm in the morning and one later.  I had charged all the things that needed charged, just in case.  We did lose power, but thankfully it came back on.  

It's 63°F this morning.  Much warmer, but it's flooded almost everywhere around us, area towns, etc.

Home repairs/updates: we ordered, picked up and installed a new window blind for the window.  I do need one more blind for a kitchen window, but that particular size is out of stock.

The remainder of the home repair list is on-going for now.  We tend to run out of time in the evenings.

One mole-chasing windmill has broken from years of use.  It's on the repair list, but we may have to replace it.  It does keep the moles out of the vegetable garden.  We installed another one near the flower beds last season, so time will tell if it helps in that area too.

Gardens:  we picked up two containers of tulips, that we plan to bury into the garden.  It's test one, to see if it will keep the moles out of them, and will still flourish in the containers.  We are also planning to add more hyacinths to the flower beds.  Test two on the tulips will be in the fall, when fall bulbs are planted.  We are finding it difficult though, to find a variety of colors sold in pots this Spring.  Who wants all yellow tulips?  Not me.  We have a ton of yellow with the daffodils. 

Let's talk whole wheat flour . . .

I've had a few slower days lately, so I finally tried a whole wheat roll recipe (had quick oats in them too), and they were a fail for me.  I am wondering if they recipe originated where the altitude is different, because my dough was very, very dry.  I even left out 1/2 cup of the flour.  A recipe fail for me.

I'm on a mission to find a good whole wheat roll recipe, even though it's against my husband's likings (he's all for the white rolls, and I get it).  However, I would still like to have one in my recipe box for large gatherings etc.  Or even to bake and freeze to have on hand.

Has anyone tried the recipe in the Back Woods Home bread cookbook?  Or does anyone have a tried and true, soft and delicious whole wheat roll recipe?

Back in March of 2017, I tried the Taste of Home's Honey Oat Pan Rolls.  They are now rated 4.5 online.  I have a few recipes I may try yet, that rate better than these.

I'm still searching for a tried and true kale/blueberry salad recipe.  I see them on the internet, but I have not found one person who has made one, or even tried one.  I'm just looking for ways to spruce up our salad options, as the weather is warmer and salads are wanted more often around here.

Update on the Nitrogen Cast Iron pan:  Used it twice, and both times we gave it a thumbs down.  The food stuck to the pan in both uses.  I'll give it a few more trials, but so far, it's not even working as well as my regular cast iron pan.

Storms ~ Tidbits ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

This and That ~ Welcome April

 We have been using local beef tallow for maybe a year now, but it is $5.99/pound.  We have located a better resource for buying it, and at a lower price of $2.49/pound.  Thankfully, we can freeze it, so we are re-stocked for a while.  We only fry fish (perch and walleye), and that is only when we are gifted the fish.  Once a year I make homemade corn dogs with all beef hotdogs.  I have used the beef tallow to grease pans, and that works great too.

I have been substituting oil with the tallow, for when I make steel cut oat patties, squash patties, or anything similar needing "oil" to pan "fry" or cook.

The same resource also sells local lard, and that can be frozen as well.

I have been checking around at prices for vanilla beans, and the online resource (for organic) is still the best price.  In store prices seem to be high.  The above photo was taken at a bulk Amish food store.

The daffodils are starting to bloom here.  We have several varieties growing in the flower beds.

The hyacinths are popping up now.

Green onions are continuing to spring back to life.  I'll be adding them to meals very soon.

Chives are springing back to life as well, and they will soon be in our daily meals too.  As you  an see, I have not cleaned out the herb garden or even the flower beds.  It's too soon, although it's tempting on warmer days around here.

April is bringing us a lot of rain.  A lot.  It's also bringing more back and forth weather, and with the warmer days, it's bringing in tiny ants.

I had to put out soaked cotton balls to get rid of the ants again.  I mix a 50-50 solution of borax and granulated sugar.  I add enough water to mix up a "paste" solution.  I coat cotton balls with the solution, and put them on small pieces of waxed paper in the areas where the ants are coming in.  The wax paper just makes clean up so much easier.  Otherwise the borax mixture will leave a mess on the surface of where you place the cotton balls.  The ants will devour it, but the borax kills the ants within a day or less.  

We finished this puzzle.  Will colder days be coming to an end?  Well.  Welcome April!  We woke up to 23°F this morning.  We have had snow all the way to Easter, so it's not impossible, although we'd like to have Spring stay put.

This and That ~ Welcome April ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

38 weeks until Christmas

 

I have an update on the taste testing of the trial size jar of Christmas Jam.  It's delicious!  However, when I spread it out on the sourdough toast, it appeared more like jelly than jam.  I do plan to look for a recipe to can this myself, and reduced sugar if I can find one.   Sharing the label in case anyone has a recipe to can jam similar to these ingredients.

Note:  After drafting this post, I read most recipes state that you puree the fruit, hence the jelly-like spread.  

Does anyone have a tried and true recipe with such ingredients?  I do not see a "Ball" recipe in my books at home. 

It seems as if every new store we visit on any getaway trips, or day trips is selling Christmas decorations.  Maybe I am just noticing it this year?  Maybe. However, even though it's now March, I am finding that the stores are not reducing the prices on the Christmas related items.

I bought myself a new pair of Christmas earrings - hot cocoa cups with a candy cane.  Made in the USA.

Books I borrowed from the library, that are related to Christmas.  I may have found at least one new recipe to try.

I read this Christmas themed book in my book stash.

Homemade gift idea:

Homemade Vanilla Extract.  I gifted this one year and it was well accepted, as it's a useful item.

Grow extra in your summer herb garden, and gift dried herbs in recycled jars for gifts.  Attach recipes to use the herbs with.  One year I gifted rosemary, and another year I gifted sage.  Sage is great for cooking, but can also be used to make a medicinal tea for soothing a sore throat.

Let's talk peanut butter fudge.  I want to make it this year, and the only recipe in the books I have borrowed (so far) use marshmallow in the it.  Is that the normal ingredient?  I am looking for a fudge that ends up with a soft, creamy fudge, with good peanut butter flavor.  Anyone have a good recipe?  I have my Mom's, but it's a skillet recipe, and ends up a dry fudge.

38 weeks until Christmas  ©  March 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Homemade Vanilla Extract

 The process to make homemade vanilla requires vodka.   Here is how I make ours.

1 cup vodka (I use a good quality brand, organic)

5 organic vanilla beans, cut in half and sliced open

Place the ingredients into a glass jar, and shake.  Keep in a dark, cool location, and shake often, letting the jars infuse for several weeks.  Strain and store in amber bottles to use for baking.

I buy my vanilla beans online, but they have gone up in price like everything else.  Some stores offer organic vodka, while others do not. I use good quality vodka for the making of our vanilla extract.

Homemade vanilla extract makes a nice homemade gift. You can buy amber bottles online, or at some health stores, and add a homemade label.

Homemade Vanilla Extract  ©  March 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Nettle Infused Oil

 I have resurrected a blog post draft from 2018!  Crazy how some of these drafts slipped through my days.

I have been using nettle as a nutritional tea, allergy tea, and medicinal tea for years.  According to my research, stinging nettle is a powerhouse of goodness.  You can read about it in many free books from the library (or trusted/reliable sources online).

I have started a nettle (stinging nettle) infused oil to eventually use.  We will be using it to make salad dressings and drizzling on vegetables. It can also be used for sore muscles/sore joints, and it can be used to make a nettle cream.  Lots of possibilities with nettle oil.  I made ours with organic olive oil, as we use that for our summer salads.

Nettle Infused Oil  ©  March 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart