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, April 19, 2024
Spring Flowers
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Whoopsie!
It appears that some of the bigger projects on our to-do list will be taking a longer break than we want. Atleast anything related to climbing a ladder around here.
Oh boy. I did it again. I'm mostly mad at myself, because I just started to clean up flower beds, and was about to start raking out weeds from the already tilled vegetable garden (s).
It's an eye roller moment.
I've been MIA a bit in blogger-land this past week. First, I was instructed to stay off my feet, other than to use the bathroom. Second, I was instructed to use crutches when I was up. They were (yes were) the most pain in the rump to use. I can say, that I can stand to lose more weight than I thought ha ha! Lifting myself on those was a complete work out in itself.
The good news is, that I have been able to lose the crutches, and no surgery needed, but the fracture will take time to heal. Also, it took almost a week to get into see someone at the ortho doctor office. Oh, my blood pressure was "perfect" as I was checked. I'm used to walking 10 plus miles a week, so I'm already working on chair exercises, to keep me sane and not so restless.
Off the subject, our family doctor now only works 3 days a week. Again crazy times we are in. I guess we will be looking for a new family physician now, because he has been canceling my husband's appointments, leaving the message, and no re-sheduled date. It's been frustrating there as well. I won't have to go see him for this, but ....
Of course, I am applying a comfrey poultice/compress daily, and every day it feels much better than the day before. The x-ray showed the bones already fusing together within a week's time. It also reduced the bruising after the first application.
If I had a plant store, I would sell plants like comfrey, mullein and other plants that some city folks do not have access to. Anyway....
I'm still infusing our nettle/oatstraw teas for more nutrition, and the doctor instructed taking vitamin D3 with K2. I had to change my vitamin D to that, but my husband brought it home, and the ingredients include (gmo) soybean oil and other bad oils. I'm on the hunt (online) for a healthy vitamin match for this. If you know of a resource for this vitamin (non-gmo vs. gmo), please comment below.
A funny to share. If you can picture it. My husband was bringing me a cup of coffee at a time, as I was to keep my one foot non-bearing weight.
I would drink it, and before he could finish his cup, I'd be asking for another. I continued to ask, and he'd look at me like "where it heck are you putting that coffee?" Ha ha!
He told a friend I could "suck down a cup in 30 seconds" ha ha! He is probably right.
One day, he handed me my coffee, and stood in the doorway, and said "I'm just gonna stand here until you need another cup" (picture him standing there sipping his own coffee) ha ha ha! Oh boy, it made me laugh and laugh and laugh. He is tickled pink that I can now fetch my own coffee, amongst other daily chores he had to take care of.
If you know what these are used for, I kept my eye exam, and yes they dialated my eyes, and that was while on crutches. What a hoot that was. A miserable combination too, but I was not about to change my appt. The eye doctor is only in once a week anymore. I can always change doctors, but no, I was getting that checked on my to-do list, and off the calendar.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Another Way to Utilize Frozen Blueberries
Do you freeze your home grown blueberries, or freeze locally picked ones? We are unable to grow the plants, due to the limestone here, so I hunt down produce stands that sell blueberries grown in the area or in MI.
I've been looking for more creative ways to add nutrition, protein (not protein powders), fiber and whatnot into our breakfast. I look for more ways to utilize what we have in the freezer, like blueberries. My husband was intrigued at this idea for the blueberries. It looks like blueberry jam, but it is not.
I used a slice of sourdough (or use what you like), topped with the freshly ground peanut butter (peanuts only) we purchased, organic hemp hearts sprinkled (to get 1 full Tbsp. I need to sprinkle some on the peanut butter and then on top of everything), and finally topped with frozen blueberries heated with organic cinnamon mixed into it .
I used about 1/3 cup of blueberries. Yum! Healthy. Fills us up. I just heated the blueberries, smashed them down with a fork, sprinkled some organic cinnamon, and gave it a stir. I let it cool a bit before spreading on top of all of it. It was pretty good. Do you have a unique idea to utilize frozen blueberries (we freeze ours during blueberry season in our area).
Friday, April 12, 2024
Radish Hashbrowns (another version)
Do you plant radishes in your garden?
We absolutely love diced hashbrowns made with home grown french breakfast radishes. We didn't get to grow them last year, and we will be this spring. We didn't get to grow any variety of radishes last year for that matter.
Hankering some radish hashbrowns, I bought a pound of regular radishes and made a different version of radish hasbrowns.
My husband made me promise not to serve him green beans for breakfast, but he got radishes ha ha!
I can see why the original recipe calls for 2# of radishes. They do not amount to much after you squeeze the water out, prior to cooking them first. I had 1# on hand, so that is what I used. I highly recommend using 2#, as you add only one egg, and one egg to 1# vs. 2# was too much, and made the cooking time longer.
You shred/grate (a food processor speeds up the process) the radishes, squeeze the water out, cook them, cool them, add an egg, and cook them in a waffle iron.
Results? Delicious! They take a lot longer to make vs. the diced version, but these were very good. I think I will make them the day before next time, and reheat either on a skillet or in the air fryer.
Don't skip the sauce/dip for these. It is very good. Recipe is from gnom gnom.com (Radish Hashbrowns with grated Radishes).
Note: If I remember, the original recipe states to make these in a mini waffle maker, but I would make several in a regular size waffle iron to speed up the time making them. It takes about 8-10 minutes to make one in a mini waffle iron. Unless you are busy in the kitchen with another project, the mini waffle maker will take you a long time to get all of the hashbrowns made.
Another note: I may even try frying an entire pan full, in heated oil next time.
Update note: my husband re-heated his in the air fryer at his work, and said they were amazing topped with the sauce and snipped herb garden green onions.
Radish Hashbrowns (another version) © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart
Thursday, April 11, 2024
What's Cooking?
The ladies are back to normal egg production, so I washed some up for scrambled eggs to go with breakfast. I also tried a new recipe, and I'll try to get that posted tomorrow. Any radish lovers out there? Shockingly, the new recipe was delicious.
What did I plant? Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin, Baker Creek Seeds.
Do you have a favorite pie pumpkin that you plant in your garden?
The crock pot pork chops I recently made us, used up the very last container of homemade cream of mushroom soup we had in the freezer. I don't use it that often, but it comes in handy, and it's much healthier.
What's Cooking? © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Cleaning and Organizing ~ Books ~ Wild Violets ~ Homemade Rosehip Infused Oil
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Odd Sight
Odd Sight © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart