* Black Eyed Peas and Cornbread Cakes

I love Cornbread and I love Blackeyed Peas so why haven't I written this post before? I have no idea but I wanted to do something for New Years Day and you should be eating Blackeyed Peas for good luck on New Year's Day right? You have time to go to the grocery for ingredients before tomorrow. Here's how I make this dish. Remember that it's only Papa and I eating this (it is enough for dinner and lunch the next day) so you may want to double the recipe if you have more people to feed. This is a very frugal dish to make.

DIY Pizza Game

This post contains affiliate links.      I have slowed down making the kids gifts at Christmas time. There are so many of them and it takes a toll on me. Last year I purchased gifts but wanted to round out with a simple gift I hand made. The kids really loved the PB & J game I made so I used that as an inspiration and came up with this...the Pizza Game. It's super easy to make and inexpensive. It is easy to make several at one time too, checking off your gift giving list all at once.

Farmer's Wife Apron Game

Every year we have Family Harvest Day. I plan games for the kids, and the dad's play along too. But the mom's usually just watched. I decided we needed a game just for them. So, The Farmer's Wife Apron Game was born. Please excuse the not so great photos, they are from a few years ago. I keep forgetting to takes pics these days!

Hill House Soapworks Boutique

Hey everyone, I have opened a small Bath & Bodycare Boutique called Hill House Soapworks, on Facebook. I have some fun Halloween items in there, and will add more items as I have time. I plan to eventually carry a full range of Body care items. I would love for you to visit, Like and Follow. I also have a Facebook Group you can join, Hill House Soapworks Group, to hear about new items before they are stocked in the boutique. Thanks for your support!

August & September Garden Journal

I've waited so long to write this post that it almost seems pointless. But, this is for me as much as for you and I want to document life around here so I guess better late than never. Let's see what I can remember about August.

Pocket Purses

This first posted at my other blog, Family Home and Life.

I call these Pocket Purses and they are easy and fun to make! I made them for my grand daughters but I want one too. They would be perfect for going window shopping as they are the right size to hold the basic necessities, just add a longer handle. Add a different handle to dress them up or make them your own style. 

Dino Quilt

I planned to make a quilt for one of my grand babies and the request was for a Dinosaur theme. Together, said grand baby and I looked through many Dino quilts online. None of them seemed just right. There was one though that was close to what my little imagined. So I used it as a jumping off place for this quilt. 

July Garden Journal

Nothing much happens in my garden in July. During July were blessed with cooler temps and some rain. We are so grateful! My plants really suffered in June and now they are trying to make a come back. I hope to plant again in August but we will see how I am feeling. Summers are pretty hard on me.  

Peanut Butter & Jelly Game

This first posted at Family Home and Life, my other blog.

This is a home made gift I keep on hand when I need something quick to give to a child. It's called the Peanut Butter and Jelly Game. Super easy to make, of course, it's inexpensive too. (you know me :) Kids from about age 4 to 8 love this game; some 3 yr olds may understand how to play too. The directions here are for enough pieces for 4 players.

Cake Balls

 You have heard when life gives you lemons make lemonade? Well when life gives you a fallen cake make cake balls! Last week I was asked to make a German Chocolate Cake for a birthday dinner. The cake planned was a 2 layer round cake that would look nice a a pretty white cake stand. 

Beautiful Morning

One of my son in laws loves to get up early and climb Piestewa Peak, a very popular and intense hike here in the valley, and watch the sun rise. I thought it would be fun to post some of his pics here for you all to enjoy.


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Decoder & Clue Search Kids Club Style

The main attraction at Kids Club this summer has been what we call Clue Search using a Decoder. Basically, I write clues in code that lead to another clue that leads to the next clue, and so on. What are they trying to find? Well each time it is tailored to what that days theme is and I always give them a verbal clue to start out with. Once, I used the verse, knock and it shall be opened as the verbal clue, so the first clues where taped to doors. The kids love figuring out the clues so much there really doesn't even have to be something at the end of it all to find. 

June Garden Journal

June is over and it was one of the hottest Junes on record here. I know 119 was the official high one day this June, but I can tell you I heard reports of plenty of people saying their cars were registering 123 and up, one said 128! In the summer here, I often get cabin fever. It usually sets in about August but I already have it this summer. Glad our monsoon rains will be starting soon.

Family Traditions Blessing Blanket

This was first published at Family Home and Life.

Do you have family traditions? We do too. I try to be careful not to over load the family with following too many of them because family traditions can become chores rather than blessings. When we were expecting our first grand child, I wanted to have a gown and blanket for each child to use on their Dedication Day at church; like a Christening gown. A new tradition to follow.

Patriotic Wreath

This was first posted at Family Home and Life, my other blog.



You would think that in all my crafting years I would have made several wreaths, but no, this was the first. I really wanted to have something patriotic for the Fourth of July, but I was tired of my same 'ole things. I decide a wreath was what I needed. I choose to not hang it outside but to hang it from an old door I have inside. I like it, it is westerny...yes... but also very 4th of July. 

May Garden Journal

I thought it would be fun to keep a journal of my gardening photos all in one convenient place. Photos, along with a few notes and dates, will help log my progress in my garden. I have never taken time to write notes on my efforts or track when I fertilize, and often forget to write down planting dates and what I planted. A photo journal with notes will help me out. 

Gardening Journal 2017

I post the newest garden journal post here monthly. Scroll down for each month posted.

August & September Garden Journal

July Garden Journal

June Garden Journal

May Garden Journal

I link at these parties.

Hill House Homestead is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Copyright © 2017 by Hill House Homestead ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Front Yard Garden

Well here's the front garden! When we moved here, the house was not painted, just bare stucco. And nothing but dirt and weeds in the front yard! It was (and still is unfortunately) a major fixer upper. After we had lived here about a year, I decided I just had to plant something in the front yard. I put down a soaker hose and planted some cosmos flower seeds around that. A neighbor was out for a walk and told me I was wasting my time. He said nothing would grow up here on the hill, all rock and clay. Well guess I proved him wrong!

Backyard Gardening

Thought I would show you my gardening efforts in my back yard. My back yard has come a looonng way! Yes it is possible to grow a large variety of things in Phoenix, the trick is to forget everything you think you know about growing and re-learn the desert way. I bought books, looked up things online, and still didn't get anywhere. After a few years of trying with little to show for it, I found a group on Facebook called Organic Desert Gardeners of Maricopa County. If you live in zone 9 I highly recommend joining!

Know Any Chihuahua's?

Hello friends! It's way past time for me to be checking in. It has been a long time and I am still around. I have missed my time online but it was very necessary to be off line. I was having too many health issues and I just couldn't stretch myself any thinner. I would like to tell you everything that has happened in the last year plus but there's just too much to say. So what I will tell you is that I made it through....key word is through, and I am better and hope to stay that way. Auto immune diseases are just bad stuff!