Pioneer Woman at Heart

  I had a recipe (put on the internet in 2021) I made once last year, and could not find it.  I ended up finding it, but the recipe called for Weber's store brand Garlic Jalapeno Seasoning.   You know me right?  I went on a mission.  First, I am not really a person to store a "mixed spice" in my pantry, other than my homemade "fire powder" for spicing up dishes when I want to. However, they do come in handy for traveling, and especially when camping.  Mixed spices also come in handy for grilling out, grilling at a picnic etc. To see the actual ingredients in the store brand, you can simply read the label next time shopping, or find it on the internet.  I have no idea what stores sell it, or if they even make it anymore, but sharing what my mission was pretaining to this seasoning. The original seasoning contains sugar (more than the jalapeno), "spices" (no specifics on what this is), citric acid, gum arabic, rice concentrate, and "natural flavors...

I mentioned a while back that I would try another tortilla recipe, but this time I used lard.  I forgot I even had the recipe until I was looking for my whole wheat pancake recipe one day.  Tip:  Tortilla presses are more for corn tortillas (or masa), so you'll need a rolling pin for this recipe. This recipe got all thumbs up from the family.  The tortillas are softer and we all like these better than the tortillas I have been making with organic canola oil.

It was a day to label all those jars and find a place to store them for winter.  In doing so, I found a pint of last years green tomato salsa.  I cooked a small amount of corn off the cob, and black beans, mixed those in with a bit of our hot salsa and the green tomato salsa and boom - a cold meal was made.  If you call it a meal.  It was a back up for the two coming home from a very hot day. Latest berry picking.  Looks like a snack vs. freezing it.  Or into a smoothie. Hubby brought home a loot of peppers, given to him from a co-worker. I was tickled pink to get them too.  I was so, so happy to receive the generous gifts - hot banana, chili, jalapeno, and tabasco peppers.  And one single habanero. Here's what I made: Fire powder. Fire powder is a mix of hot peppers that we simply use to flavor just about anything.  The habanero went into the fire powder, along with a few of every hot pepper. To make them, simp...

Garden season brings us fresh jalapenos, and we use them for so many recipes, canning recipes, salsas, etc.   In anticipation for summer garden goodies. . . I had a few fresh jalapenos leftover from a recent meal.  Store bought of course. I dehydrated those fresh jalapenos per the temperature guide that comes with my dehydrator.  Many people today have dehydrator settings on their actual kitchen stove, or even their air fryer.  I have an actual dehydrator.  I do like my smaller one, now that we are cooking for two.  I am able to dehydrate, using either 1 up to 5 trays at a time, so it's super adjustable. Once the jalapenos were dry, I ground them in a coffee grinder (specifically used only for such foods/herbs). I then mixed it equally with salt (and ran all of the mixture in the coffee mill/grinder), and I stored it in an airtight (or re-purposed spice jar) jar.  I used fine pink Himalayan salt for ours.  You can do your measurements however...

I got up yesterday morning and fell in love with the giant snowflakes.  I was inspired to cook dinner for once.  I love cooking, so this is a huge step forward in recovery.  The girls cooked the last two nights. This is not your regular chili.  To get this pot of awesome delicious-ness going, I went into my "pretend root cellar" and got a few sweet potatoes (so thankful we still have some, and in edible condition).  The garage is too cold to store my potatoes.  I put a card table up in my utility room (which has a doorway directly across from the side door we go out of most often).  The heat is never on in that room, so it stays cool (unless we hit below zero and then I turn on the heat to prevent frozen pipes).  Sadly, it was not the best way to store my red potatoes.  When I got home from the hospital, I saw they all had long "eyes" on them.  Back in November, the temperature was not cold enough in that room.

There were a few requests interested in the recipe for the breakfast casserole.  The recipe is online from AllRecipes (Easy Broccoli-Cheese Casserole).  I simply used organic ingredients, and added 1 tsp. homemade garlic powder and a 1/4 tsp. homemade fire powder to add flavor.  In all honesty, I think this recipe would make a great side dish as well for family get togethers.  I like this one particularly because it uses less eggs.   As for the family's recipe for Hot Cranberry Punch.  I have the recipe on my blog - HERE .  It's been a tradition in our family for years and years, and my youngest daughter wanted to have some with her cookies I baked (and wanted to learn how to make it).  It was sort of something to take her mind to a peaceful place I think, and I was thrilled she wanted to make it herself. How to make Fire Powder: Dehydrate a mix of hot peppers according to your dehydrator instruction book.  Grind the dried peppe...

After trying to convince our youngest daughter to go back to bed, she was on the bus to school, only to text and asked to be picked up.  She slept the entire day yesterday, and I whipped up a batch of homemade ginger-ale for her.   And speaking of whipping up a recipe.  I made the homemade make up remover wipes - water, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, and virgin coconut oil.  The recipe is in this book: I will be back with an update, after the girls give them a whirl.   I sure hope they work.  Buying "organic" ones from the store is robbing my wallet. Update:  11/7/2017 - these wipes starting growing mold on them yesterday.  So saddened, as these really worked, and I had hoped to cut down my costs for the girls.  I can't add an essential oil, as they are used over your eyes, and I can't put them in the fridge either.  They were tossed out.   The kale is growing like wild fire.  I am super happy too.  ...

My hot pepper plants still give-ith.  If there is such a word.  This mess was ground up and put on parchment paper in the dehydrator.  Once dry, it will be ground into, what I call, Fire Powder. I haven't had time to pull anything else from the garden.  Now we are dodging rainfall for the entire week. I attempted to get my to-do list tackled, but it rolled over into today.  I did however, remember to drain a jar of homemade vanilla extract I had sitting on my counter for a few days. Last weekend I bought the Sunday paper.  I haven't read a local newspaper in a long, long, long time.  The comics were the only good thing in it.  I remember as a kid we'd take silly puddy and press it onto the comics.  Dad would save the comics for wrapping paper.  Oh the good ol' days.

  I'll admit, the cooler weather has been nice lately.  We've had to turn a few heaters on too.  The rain is moving in, and for several days.   If you blinked, you would have literally missed this beautiful sky Monday morning.  It was there one minute, and gone the next.  I was lucky to get the camera in time. Wash, slice and dehydrate the mix of garden hot peppers.  Keep those seeds for more heat in the "fire powder."   I used my mats to keep those seeds.  In the past, I used parchment paper. Dehydrate according to you dehydrator instructions.  I have a small coffee grinder I used for grinding herbs, and I when these are dry, I grind them up, and pour them into a recycled spice jar and label. It's a great way to use up all those leftover hot peppers in your garden.  You could freeze them too, but I find that drying them and grinding them, makes a nice spice flavor to add to meals.

Yesterday's start of the sunrise.  Too beautiful to not take a few photos.  I was taking Romeo out, who was fired up with energy from the frost on the ground.  He wasn't sure what to do about it, ha ha! First thing I had to do in the morning?  More dishes.  I literally made a mess of them, but after taking down all the laundry off the line, we were all pooped the night prior.   Our 20 year-old came out for a visit.  I fed her leftover homemade enchiladas, spanish rice and hot taco dip (which she loved). I finally got the hot peppers ground into fire powder.  I didn't have time the other day with all the other work.  I'm just glad I got my glady bulbs out of the ground, but the potatoes remain.  They may be there all winter depending on our weather.  Some Christmas presents arrived.  I will thank my husband for buying these for me for an early Christmas present (he he).  Thank you Amazon.😊 ...

(dehydrate for 6-10 hours at 125°F, then grind into powder using a coffee grinder) I finally got the dehydrated cayenne peppers ground into powder.  I believe I used my last spice jar, but I'm already set with homemade "fire powder"  (random mix of dehydrated hot peppers and ground into powder).  Look at that beautiful bold color next to the expensive organic store bought color.   There have been 4-5 shipments of Mom's free 14 meals (via Fed Exp).  Non of which actually made it to her house.  There is another shipment that is due to arrive today.   I have felt my uppity self lately.  Not sure if it's what's going on with our world, or the added stress and overwhelming race to get so many things done before winter. I'm just not feeling my motivated, good mood self.

  You can dehydrate the last handful of hot peppers in any form, but I place them in my food processor and grind them up to small bits. (dehydrated in the photo) I then spread them out on parchment paper and dehydrate in my dehydrator.  If you have an air fryer, most have a dehydrate option. When they are all dried, I put them in a coffee bean grinder (used only for grinding dehydrated items), and grind into a powder.  I store in an air tight spice jar. Add the ground powder to any recipe to add flavor.  I use it a lot in our breakfast casseroles/frittatas and scrambles. Yes there are Christmas towels in there😂 I fear for our world we now live in.  More and more people we know are sick with covid.  It's spreading like wild fire in our area.  A co-worker of my husband's could use prayers.  He is the same age as me, and was moved to a different hospital with covid.  Both of his lungs collapsed.  His name is Lauren (not sure if I'm spellin...

It wasn't really planned, but the first day of November was dedicated to resetting my home and health, and recharging for the fall/winter chores. The travel coffee maker (single, but cheap brand) was cleaned up and put away.  The cooler we traveled often with, was also put away.  Counters completely cleaned off and sanitized (I like my homemade 4 Thieves cleaner), extra purchased dry goods were canned and vacuumed sealed, travel totes with paper plates etc. were put back in storage, and the suitcase put back in storage. I have two absorbant coffee pot/grinder mats.  While one is being washed the other is put out.  It really helps keep the coffee pot area tidy.  We like coffee. I double checked canning supplies, expiration dates on pectin, and so forth.  Checked the winter tea supply, and even dehydrated more sage. I had a half bag of sugar sitting on the counter for a few weeks, and finally put it canning jars, and vacuum sealed them.  I did not can a ...