Keeping Track - Prepardness

As we enter into a new year, a new gardening season, and a new stock-it-up season, I am tracking more.

It's not to late to start (I told myself).  We ran out of items over this winter, and I want to be better at that.  So, in my own planner, in which I keep track of bill payment dates and such, I am now writing down what we use.

Every time I open a package of paper towels (writing down the number in the pkg.), Kleenex, peanut butter, softener salt (always running out), dog food, cat food, coffee (oh, we drink a lot of this), I will write it in my calendar.  At the onset of next winter, I will have a better idea of how much we use, and what to pre-stock before the snow starts falling.

What's Cookin'?

Strawberry Chocolate chip muffins.  These were so delicious.  I sort of made it up.  To save on the organic milk budget, I used powdered milk, then tossed in some leftover mini-chocolate chips.  The family loved these for breakfast or snack.  It uses canola oil, so here is where my canned applesauce comes in handy to stretch that budget too.  Organic oil is not cheap either.

Homemade Noodles

Before I start, there are many cookbooks you can borrow from you library on making pasta.  The very basic recipe is easy to make.  You can make a small batch or large batch of noodles.

The first time (2010) I ever made homemade noodles, I used a pizza cutter to cut my noodles, after rolling them with a rolling pin. They were not "pretty" but delicious.  The first recipe I tried, used egg whites vs. the whole egg. I've since then changed recipes.

Random Tidbits

Woke up to no coffee (again).  Our first one broke down before Thanksgiving.   Our Army daughter had a cheap-o version in the garage.  

Well, we obviously wore it out.  I woke up to it not brewing this morning.  So, so bummed.  

I'm forced to drink organic instant to wake up, then wait for the rain to give me a break, and pop up the camper and get are third back up pot out of the camper.  There is a fourth back up too (the kind you heat up over a campfire). 

On a good note.....

Growing Heirloom Peanuts

I'm very late in posting about the peanuts, so it's being posted today.

We grew heirloom peanuts last year.  A small "test" patch area of the garden, and although a few did not sprout leaves, many did.

We planted Negrito Manduvi peanuts, and purchased the starter peanuts from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

We pulled the plants (or I should say "I" pulled them), and allowed the tops to dry before removing the peanuts.

The Clean Machine

I can get so side tracked while cleaning.  Really I can.  I started the other day by finding a page (one of two) to a crochet pattern.  Yes, you get two posts today.

...don't give up on me.  I'm going somewhere with this story today.  There is a bonus at the end too.

They're Back!!!

The recipes.  In my best sing-song voice....they are back.  The new ones "to try" are back. Torn from magazines, newspapers, freebie cards from the store.....they are back!!!!

(bad photos due to the weather dark and dreary that day, and the light not on yet)

They are haunting me.  I swear they are!

Not just one binder full....

 ...not just two binders full, but

Tidbits ~ Homemade Vaseline

Another one "bites the dust" bah, bah, bah, bah....you know that song right?  Ha!  Got another "unfinished" project done.

 
Free Printable Pattern, by Lily Sugar n' Cream yarn:  Scrubby Posey Pattern
 

....and a dishcloth that has been on my needles the entire summer.  Boom!  Done!

And I didn't have to get into PJ's at 3pm to do it.  Although I joked with Hubby that I should run my own "crochet" marathon, and do the 3pm thing for 3 days straight.  I could use the time to get that scrap blanket done before winter is over.

I sort of earned the time.  I delivered over 150 books to the thrift (oh my back).  I also pulled another 20 books to donate, and have one more bookshelf to purge (and dust, cough, cough). 

Here is the link to the homemade "vaseline" I make:  

Homemade "Vaseline"  

What's goin' on in the kitchen?

Bread baking has resumed.

 I made a batch of flourless brownies too.

Random Tidbits

I have mixed up a few tablespoons of oil and two essential oils, to use on my back.  It's still sore from that hospital bed.  I had to sleep elevated with that tube in my nose, and my back is still sore most days.  I hope it helps with the inflammation and pain. So far, it is helping.

I'm down to a half jar of homemade "Vaseline" too.  It has saved my feet.  The hospital visit was terrible on my skin.  My feet were the worst with dry, cracked, damaged skin.

I did a naughty thing.....

Feeling pretty lazy for once, and not feeling guilty for once....

For the Love of Books

I purged books yesterday.  Books are always a difficult item for me to clean out, and get rid of.  

I have a bookshelf dedicated to homesteading books, herbal books, etc.  I have a bookshelf simply for my "how to" writing books, and a bookshelf for my fiction books.  

In my living room, we have a large bookshelf that still contains non-fiction books from my homeschooling days.  We kept most of them.  

I guess I have a terrible time donating non-fiction, considering how the internet is taking over the book reading industry.  My one college daughter has to get her books online, and read them from the computer.  They are not issued most of their books in book form anymore.  So sad.  Even one college book store in my home town closed for that very reason.

So......

Christmas Homemade ~ 2016

We finally had our family get together (a winter, non-Christmas gathering) yesterday, with my side of the family.  I can share what Christmas gifts I gifted.  I ran out of time, then you know, got sick, so it was not very much this past holiday. I had them ready, other than the recipe to attach to the sage (but emailed everyone it, along with what to do with sage).

Nasty Weather Inspiration

Although the weather is better now, it was nasty a few days ago.  This was a "small" rain shower.  We had thunderstorms and 50 degree weather most of the day.  It was a swamp.   Nasty weather is always a welcoming reason to deep clean and then treat myself to crochet time.

...or baking time.

 I've been a bit lazy getting breakfast made with greens lately.  I just love the home canned cherry jam I canned last year.  LOVE IT!  It's on the list of restocking this summer.

 A large container of homemade hot chocolate has been restocked.

...it's also a good day to restock supplies like dishwasher detergent.  My laundry detergent needs restocked too.

I started my 30-minute per day/per area cleaning/clutter clean up challenge.  Now that the blanket is done, I have time to get my home in order.  It's the first thing we see when we wake up and the last when we go to bed.  It's important for me to keep it clutter free, while teaching the kids to clean up too.

...from the handiwork journal

The baby blanket is finally finished.  I used the diamond pattern that I used for two other previous blankets.  I edged it in a row of white and pink to give it a different look.

I crocheted a newborn baby beanie to go with it.  Just for fun!
I hope the gift recipient and my cousin (buying it) likes it.

It's all good!

The "mason jar" challenge:

I have a cousin, who lives in CA, who has been in TV commercials and even been included as a character in her friend's published novel.  She is now a life coach.

Bad Weather ~ Baking with Booze

Weather was nasty. School was canceled.  It's was a perfect excuse to bake a cake for dinner.  We woke up to ice, sleet, slush, then pouring down rain on a layer of half melted ice....then in the evening 55 mph winds.  We may have lost a pillow to the back porch swing (should have run out and collected them, but forgot about them).  It's too dark and early to tell.  When the sun is up, I'll go take a looksee.
 

I dug out my old, hand-me-down cake pan, and baked a maple-rum pound cake with maple-rum glaze.  It was a new recipe that had been floating around the kitchen.  I believe I tore it out of a King Flour magazine.

The results?

Stocking up was so worth it!

I had so many people tell me to "take a break" and "is it really worth the work?" while I was putting up my 530# tomato season last summer.  Honestly, I see that I didn't stock up enough green peppers (diced), nor onions, but we learn each year too.  I need to freeze more homegrown asparagus too.  I really miss it this time of year.

Was the work worth it?  

Absolutely.

The weather is terrible today - ice, slush, high wind and snow on the way....who wants to go out to the store in this weather (unless you have to go to work of course).
 
Dinner prep from yesterday - pulled homemade noodles from the freezer.  I also pulled some chicken, a jar of home canned BBQ sauce, some potatoes and some frozen green beans.  All the work for the real food was worth it.

I would have loved to make a beef and noodle dinner, but these vegetarians in my home had me thinking of something else.

I made a mushroom sauce with leftover cream cheese and sour cream with the noodles, made mashed potatoes, and then put the chicken in the "crocky" with the BBQ sauce.  This made every one happy.  By the way, this last recipe I used for canning BBQ sauce is a keeper.  Best flavor yet!

Random Tidbits

It's been a week of "random" everything here.  I made it to the library.  I have never read this book, and sort of excited to read through all the recipes.  

I have found the first "new" thing I'll be doing this year.  Once I have supplies, I'll be posting about it.  This "new" thing is not the "biggest" of all things, but a new experience for me.

I keep asking Hubby to let it be the year we butcher our own hen, and learn how to do it, but that darn lingering tree is keeping him from any other decision.

Homesteading Happenings

Yesterday's breakfast:  collards wilted down with a tiny clove of garlic (I'm still out of onions), with added leftover sausage, our eggs, and some chives I froze.  Oh, the toast is organic bread topped with home canned caramel apple jam.  The last jar of the jam, which I will probably not can again, unless I am really bored.  It's more time consuming than apple or apple butter.  It's delicious, but.....

Chili ~ Homesteader Variety

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.

A Little of "This" and a Little of "That"

I brewed a canning jar of home picked, wild growing nettle yesterday.  It tasted so good.  I am running low, but I have many other teas to enjoy this winter - chamomile, ginger root, tulsi, lavender, lemon balm, catnip....the list is long.  The health benefits are awesome.

I'm gearing up for a possible "Farmer's Market" season this year.  I may only do a few dates, as it 's taking a long time to create the "goods" to sell.  This is one "set" I am creating - over sized pot holder, hot pads to match, one crocheted flower dishcloth, and a soap saver bag.  I am using up extra "country yellow" yarn, but many not have enough to knit a matching dishcloth.  I guess we'll see.  I like to make an entire matching set, even if I put them all in separate groups to sell.  One customer once told me she buys "matching sets" for three family members each Christmas.  That put a light bulb on for me.

Laundry on the Line

The "homesteader" in me has been in my blood for years.  Hanging laundry outside has been a habit of mine, even when I lived in the city.  I was ever so thankful to have a long two line clothesline in my very first house.

It was at the house, where I planted my very first herb garden, and first tomato plant too.  Even our first pumpkin vine and green bean plant.

Oh, I had a dryer.  The inexpensive kind, and I hardly used it.  I loved taking my laundry outside.  I got exercise, movement, fresh air, and could enjoy the outdoors, even for a short while.

My laundry always smelled so good bringing it back in too.

Many, what I call "city" people, complain that they have no time to hang laundry out.  And that it's "more work" etc.  For some it's just physically not possible.  I understand that, and some day I may be struggling with that (hopefully not) too.  We can always put wheels on the laundry basket, ha ha!

Walking and other Tidbits

Good news!  I made my first walk to the barn (spikes are in my muck boots), and gave my hennies a treat of rotten bananas and over-ripe apples.  They were super excited to see me.  Don't worry, Hubby toted the bucket of water.  For some reason, I am not strong enough to carry it (double hmpf, which sort of makes me mad, which made Hubby laugh).  Today, I plan on walking and lifting some lightweight weights.  I took the leftover water and watered those annoying yet lovable goats.  I think they gained a few pounds since I last saw them, ha ha!

I also helped stack the firewood.  I took a trip to town with Hubby as well, however, by dinner time we were all too tired to even cook (ha ha ha!).

Although.....

First Ride! ~ Tidbits

Although I do not have a photo here just yet, Hubby took the Harley out on January 1st, and took the first ride of this year.

Was on I the back?

No.  

He said, "quick trip" and "just need to fire up the battery" and "I'll be back in a jiffy."

Ha!

He came back after an hour.  

An hour folks.  

He wore my half-chaps and my lined gloves too.  Said it was nice and cozy on the ride.  Hmpf.

Happy New Year! ~ Random-ness and feeling chatty.....

I'm at that point in my life, when we stay home for the New Year celebration - with pets, kids and the coziness of pajamas.  The last thing I ate?  Apple slices and fruit dip.  Yum!

I myself, fell asleep at 8:30pm.  Normally that is not the case, but I'm still recovering, so I that's okay.  Hubby however, was still up, sort of scolding the TV.  The Buckeyes played, and well, they played terrible.  It was as if they never played football before. 

I woke up later to realize that the team never even scored one point.  I'm pretty sure he'll be in a sour mood this morning, but hopefully, we'll have a grand day today.

I was up early.  I got the wood stove going, coffee brewing, and accidentally woke up the dogs.  The cats were meowing for their very early breakfast, and I took care of that too.  Everyone is still in bed, but one kiddo has to get up to go to work today.

Down she goes ~ Dogs ~ Family

Sometime during my illness, a swift wind or storm came through our area.  More of the "big barn" came tumbling down, including a large beam.  Just sharing today's biggest news discovery, ha ha!  We still plan to get inside the other half and cut beams into firewood.  We haven't found anyone to tear it down that has not wanted a hefty fee, so it's our life-long project.

Random Tidbits

There is indeed a kitten in one of our barns.  A long haired, female, calico of sorts.  Not good.  Leo, is not "fixed" and so we'll need to be making a move soon.  Fix Leo, find a home for the feral or somewhat feral kitten.  Hm.  No more rooms at the Inn, and I do not want kittens.  Who does?

Made some headway with getting better - laundry, cleaned the wood stove, picked up some some clutter, making the coffee every morning, washed the bedding, etc.

Don't ever try to write a blog post when your 17 year-old daughter is up making you breakfast - chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter.....

....she's still talking, ha ha!

Hubby has been asked to work so much overtime.  I think there is a lack of knowledgeable workers for the parts that need fixed, and he's plum tired every night.  I told him he was a grouch last night, and he slowly warmed up to being home and in peace.  Not on "work" schedule.

Bought this book from a used book store a year ago.  I'm finally reading it, and about 1/3rd of the way through it.  I had no idea what the book was about, and so far, it's been pretty good.
 

 

Before and Progress

I was whining to Hubby that I didn't have a good photo nor post to share, and it felt off for me.  I'm so used to writing, posting, and sharing, I am feeling the need to go outside to explore already.

So...

Here is a photo of me in the hospital at my worst I think.  Or close to it (after 3 ER visits and the ambulance ride).

Baking up the rolls....old post

Pre-Thanksgiving (while still sick), I used King Flour's recipe for soft white dinner rolls, I substituted home grown potatoes for the instant potato flakes (thanks to some advice from an avid bread baker).

I let the mashed potatoes cool, while the butter came down to room temperature, and took to filing away my last "file" pile.

Using the directions on King Flour's blogpost, I divided them into 16 rolls, and froze them.  

How did they turn out? Well, I forgot to take a photo, but they did not rise enough.  I'm wondering if I should have thawed them in the fridge the night before vs. the same day we baked them.  Anyone have tips on this.  I used my dehydrator to help them rise too. 

Good Morning!

One of these days I'll have some photos to share.  We've made it through our youngest daughter's birthday - she's now 15.  We made it through Christmas, and had a long visit with our oldest daughter. 

It's true.  My grand kids will be 4-legged and furry.  Oldest brought along her dog Mia, and a German Shephard she is is fostering.  She saw it in a kill shelter and immediately went into action to rescue it.  She has had many people say they'd adopt her, but many have backed out.  We got to meet her on Christmas and she is such a good dog (better than my 1 year old pups).  She loves toys and she never growled or barked when she was here.  In fact, she favored our "vet-tech" daughter and kept curling up on the sofa with her, ha ha!

And yesterday, Hubby and I made it through our 18th wedding anniversary.  We are now heading into year 19 folks.  We got showered, dressed and went out to a restaurant.  We were gifted a gift card by one kiddo, so that was very nice to have.  I felt like a real person getting out, even if it was walking in and out of a building.  It felt weird, but great at the same time.  I felt horrible I had no gift for Hubby, as he had prepared one gift for me.  He said the only gift he wanted was me healthy and home.

After we ate our anniversary lunch, we drove to the box-store and picked up a few odds and ends.  I pushed the cart around and got a bit of exercise, but was pretty tired upon arriving home.  My head is still groggy, and my walk still a bit unstable (frustrating, but getting better every day).

Hubby was called into work, but we were all okay with that.  I rested, and had one kiddo to help me at home with animals.  

Not sure if I shared this, by my "nail tech" in training daughter, gave me a long foot massage soak (we have a foot bath thing that vibrates), a pedicure (much needed after the long hospital visit), and a manicure.  Since I can't do much work, she took advantage of the time and painted my fingernails too.  It felt so relaxing and rejuvenating.

Today, however, I plan on doing laundry.  It's a step up, and don't worry, a slow step.  I'm using drying racks inside vs. the line outside.  I also have my first doctor check up later today.  I cannot wait to talk to her either.  I have a long list of medications I cannot take, and can't wait to get back on some probiotics for good gut health.  So far, all the good food that Hubby and the kids are feeding me has helped every single day.  I even get up and make the coffee now too.  Although we are using a back up pot, that takes a half hour to brew, I am very thankful for it. 

 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Goat Fun!

Courtesy of my 20 year-old "Vet-Tech" in training daughter - happy photos of the goats.  She dressed up all of her animals and took fun photos of them playing (including her rabbit!).  This brought smiles to my face, as I am unable to walk to the barn yet.  Gosh I just love these guys.  They are sporting their Christmas collars and bells, ha ha!  Of course they were not left on, but they seemed to enjoy playing around with them.

Random Tidbits

I finally got my hot bath, using tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and bath salts.  Boy it felt great, especially on my belly.  It's slow going for sure, just to get my walking balance back.  The slow intro of food is the most frustrating.   I'm starving, but I know I have to introduce slowly, and meats are far down on the list sadly.  I could devour a homemade bacon/potato omelet this morning, ha ha!  Coffee is back in action, followed by afternoons of tea and water and rest.   Jesse and I took a short nap together.  He pretty much was on top of me, making sure I didn't over due it, ha ha!

First goal, wash a load of laundry, and put it on drying racks.  In a day or two anyway.  Second goal?  Mix up a frittata for Hubby to take to work (easier than standing to mix up a scramble).  That may take a few more days longer.  Bills are an entirely different big job.  I had it all under control, but with being gone so long, we are very far behind on daughter's college.  This part worries me, but I keep praying.  She is doing so well, and now they are giving us a "cut off" date if we don't pay by and if we do not, she can't go to college.  Our medical bills just quadrupled.  Thanks to me. Ambulance ride, xray by the ton, medications, hospital room, etc etc.  I have to keep calm and pray and pray and make some calls.  I haven't put a dent in Hubby's hospital bills yet either.  Anyway.....

~ our egg supply is about 5 dozen right now (ha ha ha!).  With Hubby staying at the hospital (then going to work) and me not cooking, the eggs are piling up.  We are boiling them for me for one "soft food" and the kids are planning to bake up some holiday fare (I get this year off).

~my araucanas are now laying of all times.  Lol!  They must have listened to me about going into the stew pot.

I'm Home.....

I just got home from the hospital yesterday.  I'm a bit loopy yet, off kilter, running on a blip of a cylinder, but I'm home.  It was a long 30-some days of illness.  In reality, it was an illness gone wrong by antibiotics my body could not handle.

I have not been sick for years, and well, the Z-pack as they call it tore me up literally, after getting over the pneumonia.  I tried telling the ER people that the first trip.  They sent us home with more pills, even stronger than the last (blooting my innards to a point of non-function).

Second trip to ER - more xrays, more everything, they put in an NG tube (a tube they insert into your nose and down into your stomach to "deflate" it, and you must be awake and participate to get it in correctly) and ambulanced me to another hospital.  There, they continued the higher, more potent drug, and added yet another.

The purple pill from h-e-double-hockey sticks

Four days of being sick, followed by 10 days of being in bed, one urgent care visit and a visit to the hospital ER, I am pushing myself upright today.

Long story short - low immune system allowed me to pick up walking pneumonia, doctor prescribed a pill that ended up killing all my good bacteria, hence the trip to the hospital.  I ended up more sick than I was in the being, more pain, and agonizing nausea (the just repeated a process that was painful and exhausting).  It felt like the antibiotic was trying to kill me.

I'm not even close to being back to normal.  The trip to recovery is very very slow. My energy level is the lowest of all lows.

While I was in one hospital getting treatment, and pumped with sodium and other things (my sodium was low from not being able to eat), our son was in another hospital getting tests for being sick.  He however, will involve a surgery.  Either last night or tonight he had/or will have surgery for appendicitis.  Hubby is going up there later.  Unfortunately, my health is on conducive to that much moving around yet.  As you can see, my brain is not functioning on even one cylinder yet.

Oh, to top that off, our 17 year-old called Hubby as we were returning from the hospital.  She was screaming she was bleeding all over the floor and had cut her foot.  He raced us home, only to find a few drops of blood on the floor.  Crisis averted.  She doesn't like the site of blood.

By evening, I asked my 17-year old to mix me up a special smoothie.  I needed food in me, and crackers and toast were not tasting good at all.  She brought me the best tasting smoothie, and probably my first meal in 2 weeks.  I ate it all.  With a spoon, to avoid gas.  She mixed organic non-gmo probiotic juice mix with organic yogurt, some banana, and lots of ice.  Oh my gosh it tasted so good.  I most likely will have one for breakfast, if my nausea med kicks in.  The are giving me stuff they give to cancer patients, the nausea is that bad.  This antibiotic really is/was the pill that tried to kill me.  

As for the doctors at the hospital, in the end they would not confirm nor deny that the antibiotic made me sick.  They did every test they could, including a CT scan, and came up with nothing that would cause it.  

I hope this doesn't take too much longer to recover from.

Not Expected

Well, I didn't feel well yesterday morning, and at 2am woke up to a fever of 102.3°F.  I had to wake Hubby up.  Today was pie baking day, along with two other dishes, which required a trip to town.  Yeah, I just wasn't expecting this.    I sipped herbal tea all day yesterday, so I hope it just sped up the burning out of the fever and sickness, but my stomach says no.

If two girls of mine want to bake, it'll happen.  Otherwise they'll go without it for the big meal.  I'm not sure I'll be eating anyway.

Why, oh why?

Thanksgiving Prep ~ Keep on Truckin'

I'll be honest.  I am not feeling the "family" thing for this coming holiday.  It's been a long month for us, and the thought of spending the entire day baking has been taking a toll on me. 

Vet-tech Daughter said she'd cook everything, and just wanted a lot of food. My Oldest Army-college Daughter stopped in and asked for us to save "a lot of leftovers" for her as she has not had time to cook.  No pressure there.

I really didn't want to cook.  We only had one day to have the dinner.  Thanksgiving day.  Oh, and on top of that same day, Hubby's family is having their big meal.  So he wants to go there, and have the meal here too.  In one day.  No pressure there.  

Of course the one volunteering to cook, doesn't care what's in processed food, and said to buy it vs. make it.

Yeah.  That's not happening.

...from the handiwork journal

Now that it's cold out, handiwork needs to resume.  I made these crocheted hand towels back in March of 2015.  they are still looking good.  Other than a bit of faded color, they are holding together nicely and work very well for bathroom hand towels.

I have just a bit more of this yarn to make myself a few more, so that's now in a "to-go" project bag. Trust me, I have very, very little handiwork time right now, and when I do, I am too tired to do it, ha ha!