Homemaking on the Homestead

With hot weather on its way it's always nice to have a cold beverage in the fridge. I know water is always the best choice, but sometimes it's nice to have a little change. Here are a few of my favorites (and I really try and keep them on the healthier side :).. *********************** Watermelon Lemonade You will need some watermelon, lemon juice (from the bottle), honey and water. Cut up 4 generous cups of watermelon chunks.. Put in the blender and puree until very smooth… Now make 2 quarts of lemonade. Measure into a one gallon container a ½ cup of honey…. Put a small amount of boiling water into the container to dissolve the hone. Stir and add 1 cup of lemon juice.. Now add water to the 2 quart mark ... Now add the pureed watermelon and mix well.  I divided the mixture between 2 2-quart jars (because this fits better into my fridge)… Pour over a glass full of ice and enjoy a nice refreshing glas...

We had a wonderfully nice hot weekend, but then I love the heat! :) It was hard to think about cooking and food when it was hot, but I managed to come up with a few meals for the week. Tonight I'm making pulled pork sandwiches . I'll use one of my pork roasts that I have from the big roast I bought last week. I'll serve it with coleslaw and use up some cabbage I have for this. I may also make a bean side dish. Both the pulled pork and the beans will be cooked in my Instant Pot. A fruit salad on the side sounds like a nice summer meal. Here what's on my menu for the rest of the week.. Meatloaf I'm thinking of putting my little toaster oven on the deck to cook my meatloaf in. It will keep my kitchen cooler. I'll cook up a few sweet potatoes (in my Instant Pot) and serve garlic bread and a salad on the side. Summer Pasta Can't remember where I first saw this recipe but I like i...

This is a simple meal to make. If it's hot in your area, put the crockpot on the porch to keep the house cool. I use a few cheats to make this meal painless to throw together. Like pre-made frozen meatballs. I buy them in a 6 pound bag from Costco. It's nice to have them in the freezer for easy meals. Complete recipes are at the bottom of the post. Start by putting the meatballs in the crockpot and covering with spaghetti sauce.... Let cook on low for 4 to 5 hours until everything is well heated.  When ready to serve, cook pasta, drain and mix into meatballs and sauce... Serve....   This meal also calls for a jar of spaghetti sauce. But if you are like me and forgot to pick some up at the grocery store ~smile~ or you just prefer your own sauce than you may like my super easy sauce that is made in the blender.. My super easy spaghetti sauce... Open diced tomatoes and put in blender   Add spices... and mix until smooth.... ...