Pioneer Woman at Heart

  I borrowed this book from the library recently, and it does contain another version of a Chicken soup starter in a jar recipe.  I requires dried celery, but I have not seen that in our stores (other than celery salt).  I could dehydrate celery, but just a heads up on that ingredient. (photo from google) I've been borrowing books from the library regarding homemade gift ideas (just a hobby of mine this time of year), and I came across this online the other day (photo from google).  Just another idea to share. If anyone has a homemade coffee mix with peppermint and mocha, please do share. My husband is getting a laugh about my search for organic/non-gmo candy canes.  I had a box of them on Amazon in my cart, then got busy with breakfast, and when I went back to place my order - bam!  Out of stock.  Ha ha!  Jokes on me I guess. I'm finding it very hard to find organic/non-gmo corn syrup this season.  Our big grocery store carried it last year,...

I keep a binder for printed recipes, that we make often, and I just don't have the room to hand write them on recipe cards.  I have had it open and sitting out for months now. I have been working on removing any recipes we don't make any longer, and adding ones we currently do, and it's (yay!) back in it's proper place. If feels good to get more done around here.  Here is more updates on home projects. Window project :  The new window is installed, siding back up, window trimmed on the inside, drywall replaced, mudded/sanded and painted.  We still have one outlet to replace, but very happy with the progress. In the process of this project, 3 flooring transition pieces were finally installed (after a year of the last guy not coming back to finish them).  Yay! Office project:   The old desk was completely emptied, items sorted, some thrown out, some donated, and some given away.  An old lamp removed, and some wall hangings taken down. An old broken books...

  We had the most beautiful sunset last night, but I just caught the tail end of the beauty.  My Mom used to text me whenever there was a photo worthy sunset, and tell me to go take photos of it (I'd be inside by then in the winter time). These light bulbs are different from the ones we put in the old antique rose lamps (those you charge using a charge cord, and lamps do not need electrical cords). I bought them at our area Menards (Lowes has something similar I believe).  You can either charge the bulb with the enclosed charge cord, or they self charge while installed in a lamp that runs on an electric cord.  If the power goes out, the charge goes into effect and works for so many hours.  You also get a remote control for the bulb, and an attachment to screw onto the bulb itself, in case you need to hang the bulb in another room if the power goes out.  It has a power button, with 3 light settings if you need to use the bulb in another room without the lamp...

Woke up to a chilly 14°F morning here today.  Yeterday    I finally had a day to bake the skillet bread (bread baked in a cast iron pan).  It's the next best thing to baking soft rolls, but in a one skillet version.  By the way, this bread, cubed up works great for a breakfast souffle too. It doesn't look as nice, as I used a serrated knife, thinking it would make it look better on top.  Anyway, just run a straight knife to make the lines for baking. Here is how I bake my bread in a cast iron pan (also called skillet bread). (Skillet Bread recipe from I Heart Eating, with adapted organic ingredients and adjusted instructions). I do use a thermometer to check the temperature of my measured water. 1 1/2 cups warm water ( 110-115°F) 2 1/4 tsp. yeast, active dry 2 Tbsp. honey, organic Stir and let sit. While water, honey and yeast sit and do their thing (let sit about 10 minutes), I measure the flour, olive oil and salt for the mixer. 2 1/2 cups organic bread f...

  The chicken vegetable soup is from Clean Food Crush online.  It is literally a completely self-sufficient recipe.  You can grow every single thing in the soup (and the herbs for the homemade Italian seasoning), make the broth, and raise meat birds.  My husband is not on board with raising meat birds again just yet.  Anyway, I utilized our frozen garden green beans, and diced bell peppers for this soup.  I also had previously cooked the chicken, shredded it, and had it in the freezer as well (worked great for the soup).  I used home canned tomato sauce (I used an entire pint). There are no potatoes or corn in this soup recipe.  I mean, you could, but I followed the recipe, other than I am not a fan of cooking my raw chicken in the soup ingredients.  We loved it! Definitely a slight variation of a vegetable soup, but also with chicken vs. beef or simply vegetable. Perfect leftovers for a cold brisk day.  Woke up to 7°F windchill, icy roa...

  Remember the scarf I started to crochet for my husband? Not the greatest picture but I was taking in a hot minute before my husband took off for work (early this morning).  I finished his scarf last night, and had enough yarn to add the end fringe.  I even have a small ball for a scrap blanket.  Anyway, it's a brisk 13°F windchill here this morning, and tomorrow will be even colder.  He is very happy to have the scarf on his drive to work today.   The yarn was "newpaper print" by Red Heart.  It matches his hat that I made him back at the end of October. On another note, I have my work cut out for me the next few days.  I'm cleaning out my old desk, and will be removing it from the last room with carpet in it.  Dogs and cats both have ruined the carpet (and the desk), so once the carpet is pulled, I will need to check the subfloor, treat it most likely and paint the room eventually.   I have not used the desk since we complete...

Four Beans and Sausage to the rescue yesterday.  You still need to dice an onion (and I use bell pepper frozen from the summer garden, and home canned ketchup), but it's a one crock pot dish meal.  It was perfect for my Monday Madness in getting back into the groove of homesteading/adulting life again.   While the crock pot did it's work for dinner, I took some time to make a sausage and potato breakfast casserole (real potatoes), bell pepper from the freezer, and added onion, garlic, jalapenos and dandelion greens (jalapenos from the freezer as well as the dandelion greens).  I only used 6 eggs and 1/3 cup milk for this 9 x 13 breakfast.  It is a bit spicy with the jalapenos, but we like it. Thankful for leftovers today, so I can continue to catch up with bill paying, laundry, and my weekly to-do list. I'm hearing that black kitchen utensils can leach poison into our foods when heated (or hot?).  Any truth to this?  If so, what are you replacing all ...