Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Weeds are Winning....

.... and I am Not Worried

For once. 

Priorities.  

Food wins.   I put more beets and zucchini in the freezer, and more beet greens.  I believe I am up to 40 servings of beets right now.  I may pickle some.  I haven't decided yet.

I do not like to mess with browning meatballs on the stove top, so I went in search for one online that is baked (and for the sole purpose to use up zucchini).

We love lots of zucchini right now, and so far I haven't had the need to give any away.  I still need to freeze more in the shredded form, and slices.

Back to the meatballs....

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

More tidbits - mostly garden-ish related



Zucchini is on in full force, so it's been the typical recipes, freezing etc. Zucchini was chopped into teeny tiny bits.  I canned our first seasonal 10 pints of famous zucchini salsa.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Books, Books and Books!

.....from the library
This one is interesting.  


Who has eaten a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? 

Random Tidbits ~ Zucchini


I pulled all of my garlic (somewhere between 175 and 200), despite the humidity we were having.  It needed done, and the remainder of the garden is still too wet.  One job done, and only a few bulbs didn't come up.  And thankfully only a few rotten bulbs.  

It was wet I tell ya'.  I hosed a ton of mud off the garlic, but rain was due again (which we got late afternoon yesterday), and I wasn't losing it.  I had to hose off myself and my garden gloves.  That one in the photo was a Russian Giant variety, but my new variety and my own were not much smaller than that.  I have to admit though, the variety I've planted for years, had the most smallest ones too.  I may do away with it, and only plant the other two.  I guess we'll do a taste test first.  Hence, the area I planted is the best area to grow it.  And not far from the peach tree (which helps ward off bugs and what not).

My first ever, quart bag of blanched shell peas made their way to the freezer.  Even if it's the only one, it's one step ahead of last season. 

Friday, July 14, 2017

A Deserving Day Off

This bird is annoying the heck out of me, and trying to take over my front porch.  I have no idea what type of bird it is, but the beak on it is longer than most birds.  The sound it makes is sooooo annoying.  It would come all the way to the door when I was inside, squawk, and fly off before I could get a photo. I keep ringing my dinner bell to keep it away.

....just another day in the life of our homestead.

So?  Did we get more rain? 

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Funny ~ Flooded

I have to tell you all about this.  Sort of a family funny in a state of complete worry.

The last time we went up to see sister "L" they wouldn't let us in.  The nurses said "give us 30 minutes." So we visited with family and waited. 

At the time to ring the desk again, his BIL said, "tell them you are Donald Trump." 

Well, he did, ha ha ha ha!  The desk was closed, so you had to call the nurses and they would open the doors etc.  A couple sitting close to the desk starting laughing and it just made everyone's night.  They let us in too, ha ha ha! 

Also, I have an update on her at the end of this post.

So about the flooded part.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

How does your garden grow? ~ SIL Update ~ Meatballs

This was a post that was to get posted a few days back, and got lost in the shuffle....

The zucchini is on, and the straight neck yellow squash is also on.  I've already started harvesting it.  Cucumbers have blossoms now.  If I planted as well as I think I have, we won't have to plant pickling cucumbers next year.

My 40-some foot row of pumpkins are doing very well  (they have doubled their size since I took this photo).  You don't see the entire row, because I am still weeding it.  Vines are about 4 foot long - two varieties of organic non-gmo pie pumpkins.  Last year, I planted the pumpkins in with the popcorn, and we didn't even get blossoms on them.  That was disappointing, so this year, I planted them in their own area.  There are no squash mounds in the tomatoes this year either.  Hubby tilled them up last year, so I don't even take those chances anymore.