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~

Friday, October 9, 2020

Bourbon Chicken (Crockpot Recipe)

 

Bourbon Chicken (Crockpot Recipe)

Place 2lbs. of organic chicken breast in a crock pot.

In a bowl mix the sauce:

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

4 cloves homegrown garlic

1/2 tsp. organic crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup organic apple juice

1 1/2 Tbsp. organic honey

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

1/4 cup home canned (or organic) ketchup

3 Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup Bourbon

1/4 cup organic soy sauce

1/4 cup water

Mix all together and pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 7 hours or so.

Just about 15 minutes before serving, remove chicken from crock pot, shred and set aside.  

Mix 3 Tbsp. water with 3 Tbsp. organic corn starch.  Add to the crock pot mixture and stir.  

Shred chicken and add back to the crock pot. Stir.

Note:  I did not turn up the heat to speed up process, I simply let it sit on low, put the chicken back in, and gave it a stir.

Serve over organic wild rice or rice of your choice and top with chopped green onions from your herb garden.


Thursday, October 8, 2020

Yarn Shopping ~ Applesauce and other tidbits

I've been on a mission to restock a specific crochet thread color and size.  Every store is out.  I even checked the Hobby Lobby where one daughter was working the other day - sold out.  Supply and demand is definitely a problem with not only food/essentials, but with yarn.  I placed my order, despite the cost of shipping.

Don't try to buy a car either. The prices are jacked so high right now.  We decided to fix both cars and sell one to our 21 year-old at an affordable rate, so she has a car to get to work.  I just hope repairs are not too expensive, but glad they are finally getting done (of course the second car was a surprise).  In the end we'll each have a fully working vehicle.

We got word yesterday that the first car we took in needs a new intake (which we knew).  We asked if he would put a new window regulator in one door and check a few other things.  I am praying it's not expensive and it's done tonight so my husband doesn't have to keep taking the Harley to work (it's a bit frigid this morning).




Applesauce was finally canned, but I will need to do it again soon.  Thanks for all your help with my question about lemon juice.  I am so glad I lost the instructions, because it forced me to sort and organize my binder better and toss some recipes.  I actually got 9 pints, but only 7 fit in the canner and I didn't want to water bath just 2 so those went in the fridge to enjoy for meals and hubby is taking one to work to keep there to enjoy with his lunch.

I've retired the canner pot for a short bit.  I have to see if we have any good size beets out in the garden.  That's today's job, other than to finish up the mound of dirty dishes I've created.  I'll be posting the Bourbon Chicken recipe tomorrow (hopefully).



Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Random Tidbits ~ Question about freezing eggs


I finally had time to bake bread.  I literally messed it up the first time, and had to start over.  Sigh.  I am re-writing this recipe and filing it.  

I spent yesterday sorting all my recipes and sent an SOS to my 21 year old to bring home tab dividers.  Oh boy.  I can't lose another recipe again.

Updates on the cars.  My car is still here, but will be towed tonight to get a new engine.  The other car was delivered yesterday to the same guy for guess what?  A new intake.  Our 21 year old is working long days.  She's working almost 25-30 minutes from home right now (and long hours, which puts doggie daycare on me). We went to pick her up after my husband got home.

Speaking of her, she looked absolutely exhausted from wearing a mask on her all day shift.  Her checks were red, her eyes looked like different and she acted different.  I am so concerned with her wearing a mask that long.  It's horrible to see your kid look and feel that way. Just so you know, she works in a store that not only sells essentials, but furniture too and she is lifting heavy stuff.   

Our youngest daughter moved out, but is living with someone and looking for an apt.  She's going through a rough time and we believe trying to avoid memories with her boyfriend.  I just hope it all works out.

We started to call around to find supplies for the dog fencing.  Most of the stores do not have what we need.  We believe we have one person that can come help put it in if we do find supplies.  I definitely need it right now.  Romeo had the zoomies so bad the other day, he flipped one couch over and then put himself in time out in his kennel (sort of got a chuckle out of that, but man...).


The only reason his kennel was out, was due to company a long time ago and the kennels were not taken down (they are up for people like chimney sweep etc).  I had to laugh though. Although he does look sad or knew he did something he shouldn't have and was sorry ha ha!

Question:  Do you/have you stocked up your eggs by freezing them?  If so, please share details on freezing them.  My littles are laying a lot of little eggs right now.  Yes, I googled it, but zero of my homesteading books have info on this.  Would love your input.


Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Shopping Issues and Wins ~ Canning Question

 

The price of organic butter has skyrocketed.  Sheesh!  As for produce, I still cannot buy organic broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and beets.  I should have planted at least broccoli this year.  Smacking myself for that.  Anyway, I'll be substituting butter with home canned applesauce when I can.

I went to restock canned organic fire roasted tomatoes. There was nothing on the shelf.  In fact, most of anything tomato was almost gone.

I went to Wal-mart to restock my red #3 crochet thread.  Nothing on the shelf.  Meijer stopped carrying thread (nearest store anyway).  I went online and my favorite supplier has it, but on back order (hopefully I will get it next week).

Canning supplies completely gone at our nearest Wal-mart.  not surprised.

Went to the dollar store and found tissues for $1 a box.  Win on that visit.  I also picked up gift bags, bows and boxes to restock.  I also bought a $1 notebook to keep all my medicinal tea recipes in.



I also picked this magazine up for $1.00.  Some recipes are repeats but some are keepers.

I went to purchase a new hair dryer at our Meijer store and there was hardly anything on the shelf.  Literally 3 styles of them left.  

Walking through the baking aisle to pick up powdered sugar, I noticed one bag of regular sugar left, and even though I don't buy boxed cake mixes, I saw that shelf almost empty.  

Are people still hoarding?  Or are the supplies just not available due to all the shutdowns they did?

So I lost my instructions for canning applesauce (unsweetened).  Then while googling other recipes I found it in my scanned recipes.  However, I noticed my instructions do not include lemon juice, others do.  Should I be adding it?  I do mine in 6# batches.  Thanks in advance.  Today I am organizing my binders so I don't lose stuff again.

Monday, October 5, 2020

Happy Homemaker Monday


It's been very chilly here, so I whipped up a new batch of homemade hot cocoa.

Over the weekend?  Well, I planted 32 more cloves of garlic, just in time before the rain arrived again.




My ladies are laying so well, that my mind was made up to use up some eggs.  Although small yet, they made dinner a hit.

Meals over the weekend.  I enjoyed a grilled cheese with cowboy candy on it, and I made breakfast for dinner, which was greatly enjoyed.

We finally made a trip to the hardware store to pick out a new shower, toilet and paint for the bathroom remodel.  Flooring too.  Next up will be kitchen flooring.  I am so excited to get started on this.  We picked put paint and brought that home, but have to do more measuring for the all of the rest.  We are picking out new flooring for our master bedroom and hallway as well.



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




The weather outside is . . .
61°high today, but woke up to 37°F.  We will warm up to the mid 70's this week.


How I am feeling this morning . . .
Tired and excited at the same time.  I couldn't sleep, but come this weekend, and we start on the bathroom remodel.



On my mind . . .
I'm hosting an online Pampered chef party.  I hope to get enough sales to earn free stuff for the girls for Christmas.  I love my pampered chef stuff.  I use it daily.  However, their prices on biscuit cutters are a bit high, and I have not found them in stores around here (oddly).  I am working on putting together some baking items to go with the recipe boxes this Christmas.

Saturday, the other car took a poo.  It's being picked up today to be diagnosed.  My car was to get towed tomorrow for an engine, but depending on the other car, one of them will be going to our guy to get fixed.  Dollar signs are flashing past us right now.  We just can't get a break with vehicles this year.

I packed two lunches and one breakfast today.  Daughter can't leave work to get food so I fixed her up as well as my husband.  She got a ride today, but she's working in the opposite direction in another store in another "big city."  Not sure what she'll do tomorrow and as of the time of posting this, the guy hasn't stopped over to look at the car.


On the breakfast plate . . .

Taco Breakfast Casserole. I used leftover taco meat, the last of our cherry tomatoes, some garden green peppers and herb garden green onions. 


On my reading pile . . .



On the TV . . .
The Good Witch


On the menu this week . . .
-Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup, homemade bread
-Slow cooker baked ziti
-Crockpot Bourbon Chicken over wild rice and roasted carrots
-Leftovers



From the camera . . .



Last week you could look up at the moon and see Mars not far.  Pretty neat if you ask me.


Looking around the house . . .
I will need to re-arrange some things to make room to pull everything from the kitchen bathroom.  I also have to revise my to do list as well, so I still have time to get some canning done, and work in the garden.  I will need to make a list for Hubby as well, as we need to move a pellet stove out and another smaller one in, cut wood etc.


I bought 4 of these for my utility room cupboards that haven't had knobs since we moved in.  I love them.


New Recipe I tried or want to try last week . . .

A new green tomato cake recipe.  In place of the butter it required, I used home canned applesauce and it was delicious.  



I used Food Networks recipe for the cream cheese frosting recipe to top it with.  My family raved about this one.  Way less butter than Paula Dean's recipe that I have used over the years.  The cake recipe is from AllRecipes.  I used all organic ingredients, my home grown green tomatoes (seeds removed, but not peelings and diced very small).

To relax this week I will . . .
Work on daughter's Christmas present (crochet), make more crocheted parts for "f" bombs, and a few more jar grippers.


On my prayer list . . .
Our youngest daughter, everyone living in our state, for this plan-demic to end, and any special requests.



 

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Planner Giveaway (sharing) ~ 2020 Reading Challenge

 I won a planner for this year and Rebecca at Rebecca's Heart and Home is giving another one away for 2021.  Be sure to go to her blog and enter if you wish  I absolutely love mine.




I ordered this from Thrift Books. Giving this "book" series a try.  I have never read a book from this author, so I'll let you know if it's good or not.  I sure hope I get reading time and get into the mood to read.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

More Tomato Sauce Canned ~ Last Green Bell Pepper Picking

 

Friday morning the clouds were low and looked like mountains.  I sliced up 23# of tomatoes and got my sauce maker back out.



I am thrilled to get more tomato sauce canned.  I have more green tomatoes in the kitchen though.





Our Friday weather was brr! cold!  Low 50's with a possible frost this morning (38°F), so I did my last picking of the green bell peppers.  We got 110 not including all those little ones in the strainer.  A wonderful harvest this year.