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).

I have had two people, in the last two weeks, tell me they were diagnosed as pre-diabetic.  Sigh.  There is sugar, dextrose, fructose, etc in almost anything processed in stores.  Be careful, and read labels. 

By the way, if you do not can jam, and have a hankering for it on a piece of toast or a PB and J, this method of mashing blueberries (thawed and heated from the freezer) works great.  When you let it cool a bit, it becomes a spreadable delight.  No sugar added.  I may add a tiny bit of nutmeg the next time I do this.

Another Way to Utilize Frozen Blueberries  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

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.

I used pickle juice from our home canned bread and butter pickles for the dip recipe.  I used sour cream vs. mayo in the dip as well.

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).

(Pumpkin Oatmeal bake with home grown pumpkin, scrambled farm fresh eggs and rash hashbrowns with herb garden green onions and homemade sauce - see recipe link for hashbrowns)

I didn't realize it, until I wrote up this post, that the original recipe shows a photo with some snipped green onion on top of the radish hashbrowns.  I added some to our leftovers and we loved it.  I will be adding those to it next time as well.

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

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.

I decided to make another pumpkin oat breakfast bake (vs. pancakes) this time around, and I have to say, I'm very happy with the pumpkins we grew last year.  I planted a different variety, and the puree is much thicker than the previous pie pumpkins we've planted.

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.

The spring rains are thankfully bringing the herb garden back to life, and just in time.  I am getting to the bottom of my jar of oregano.  I made us a large pan of roasted vegetables, and I used several of my herbs to season it.

A fresh cut pineapple was cut up and packed for this week's lunches.  My husband joked at my $0.88 pumpkin, but I  was not missing out on that deal, and boy am I glad I bought one.  It is very good!  I do not have any of the gadgets to core this either, so it was a bit of work, but for $0.88??  You can't beat that.

Spring herb garden green onions are back, and I have found so many reasons to add them to meals.  I even snipped some in containers, to pack in my husband's lunch, so he can top his breakfast with them (or even his lunch).

What's Cooking?  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Cleaning and Organizing ~ Books ~ Wild Violets ~ Homemade Rosehip Infused Oil

I'm getting some odd jobs crossed off the to-do list lately.  One was to wash the bed cover and bottom sheet from the spare mattress upstairs, and to wash a quilt we took out of storage for a few overnight guests.  They were all dried on the clothesline and put back into storage until we get cracking on the upstairs repairs and updates.

I'm sort of rotating from room to room, trying to get things cleaned up, organized, and back to normal, but some rooms like the utility room and the upstairs will take a lot of work yet.

I'm working on a few lighting options for two other rooms.  We've already began the search, but it's not on the important list, so it's whenever we are out, sort of fun searching.

I'm ordering items I need for the vegetable garden, but I do need a trip to the garden store soon.  I'm ready to tackle the flower beds as soon as the rain leaves this week.

I started a small batch of rosehip oil, but I had to re-order my organic jojoba oil.  Sheesh, the price of it has really gone up (what hasn't?), but it's still cheaper than to buy the oil already made for skin purposes.  I just learned that this infusion is not only good for age spots, but for scars too.  Interesting to learn new useful information, but I try to get most of my knowledge from books.

Speaking of books, I just put in an inter-loan order for another book that my husband thinks I should have.  I'll update you later when the book comes in.

Did you know that this book contains a ton of recipes from the TV show America's Test Kitchen?  They won't let you read the recipes online unless you have a membership, but even with the minimal membership I cannot access their TV show recipes.  I came across this gigantic book (not to get myself in trouble with so many recipes ha ha!) and am glad I did.  I can get this book for free, any time I want, from our library inter-loan program.  I used to love watching their show, but have not been able to for over year (no cable etc here).  I loved watching them test kitchen utensils and other foods, looking for the best buy etc. P.S. The book has over 1,000 recipes.

I have spotted a few wild violets already.  This particular color is the one I use to can the wild violet jelly I posted about.

Cleaning and Organizing ~ Books ~ Wild Violets ~  Homemade Rosehip Infused Oil  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Odd Sight

 

Minutes before the darkness set it from the eclipse yesterday, I snapped these photos of two eagles that just stopped flying and sat together in a tree.  They were probably confused as much as the rest of the wildlife.

Odd Sight © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy Homemaker Monday

 We broke out the mower for the first time this spring.  It needed it, but we didn't quite finish it.  

After traveling to two post offices, I finally got a box shipped off to my sister.  The first Post Office, had their internet down, the second one is only open 2 hours a day.  Life is a bit challenging living in a small country town.

The herb garden needs some weeding done, but it's springing back to life, and the green onions are looking great. I will be snipping some for this weeks meals.  The sage is looking like it's coming back to life as well.

Today I will join Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

I will link up when she posts.

The weather . . .

High today is to be about 73°F, but it's cloudy and it rained (ugh) again last night.  Today is the eclipse.  There is hardly any traffic either.  I'm guessing that many places closed.  I am told that in our hometown, many businesses closed for the day, and schools closed as well.

Right now I am . . .

Sipping coffee, posting this a bit later than usual

Thinking and pondering . . .

It's very wet out yet, so my day may be a bit off the to-do list.

How I am feeling . . .

Honestly, a bit tired.  We ran around and got errands done, and we had to buy a new coffee pot (it broke down over the weekend).

On the breakfast plate . . .

Not sure yet.

On the lunch plate . . .

I have discovered that organic snack bell peppers make a wonderful bread replacement for chicken salad.  We love it on cucumber slices, but this is good too.

I also made granola bars for our weekly snack.  I used date syrup in place of honey and they turned out delicious.  According to what I read so far, it does not spike sugar levels, and has a lower glycemic index.  I used a combination of walnuts, unsweetened coconut and pumpkin seeds this time around.

I also made us some homemade hummus.  It's good on veggies, so I made myself one when I was slicing up bell peppers.

On the menu . . .

-grilled sirloin burgers, broccoli salad (minus the bacon this time around).

-crock pot pork loins, roasted mixed vegetables

-leftovers

On the reading pile . . .

Still reading this book.

On the TV . . .

Whatever looks good.  The most recent was Dateline and NCIS.

Looking around the house . . .

We picked up the last bit of materials to finish the steps in the hallway.  

On the to-do list . . .

-not sure quite yet, which is very odd for me

From the camera . . .

October of 2014 - homemade Lamancha goat's millk cream cheese.  The very best cream cheese too. A "blast" from the past photo.

What I am crocheting . . .

Progress on the current baby blanket.  I worked a bit on the baby washcloths as well.

Devotional, Bible Verse, Prayers . . .

A friend's niece is in an induced coma, with possible brain injuries from a car accident.  I do not have a name just yet.  When I do I will let you know.

Happy Homemaker Monday © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Plantain Poultices ~ Freezing Plantain

Note: This was another resurrected draft post, so the photo is older, as well as the content, but sharing for those who may not know about plantain.  I have also dehydrated it for a medicinal tea.  

I have ground plantain, and applied it to a wasp sting, and it removed the pain and redness within 20 minutes of applying the ground up plantain.  It truly is a wonderful weed to have available.

I know plantain is great to add to some healing salves as well.

Sharing the post today, as it was buried amongst the land of the blog drafts.  The timeline is a bit off, as we are just now nearing spring weeds, but finally sharing.  The blogpost prior shows a comfrey poultice.  Apparently, I never took a photo of the plantain poultices I froze.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Plantain has finally been harvested.  I allow some to grow in my flower beds too. It grows wild here.

I made several poultices, and have put them into my freezer for safe keeping.  These are great for but bites, boils, blisters, stings etc.  A poultice is basically fresh ground herb, sometimes ground with a bit of warm water, and sometimes a bit of flour to make a paste.  I put the "paste" on a long enough piece of gauze that can be wrapped around a wrist, ankle or leg, or I have also had to use plastic wrap to hold it in place before.  You can also make a very small amount and use a Band-Aid to hold it on the area you wish to treat.

The leaf is also edible, and comes in very useful for flu, cold, cough relief, when taken internally.  I do recommend you do your research.  There are so many books available at libraries, to borrow for free.  I have made tea with dehydrated plantain, for an upset stomach.  

Do you have medicinal tea tips, using plantain?

I restocked the freezer with greens, by blanching them first, and placing them in freezer bags for winter. 

Plantain Poultices ~ Freezing Plantain  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart