Laundry.

Sure this is a random post about laundry, but its something we ALL have to deal with.  I have always had issues with laundry, even before i had kids.  I procrastinate and let it pile up until i run out of something and then its an emergency and i NEED to get some done.  When i do get it 'done' it sometimes can sit in the basket for days, getting rummaged through until i finally get fed up with it not folding itself and fold it.

Some of the methods i have tried:

Take it all down to the Laundromat and pay someone else to wash/dry/fold...and i still have to put it away
Take up 15 washers/dryers at the laundromat myself
Wash it all in one day, and let it live on the couch because i get side tracked with real life and don't get it folded
Wash a load a day (theoretically wash/dry/fold/put away...became a rotation of washer to dryer)

I live my life side tracked.  Serious...washing dishes...oh! shiney!  Or cleaning up the livingroom and suddenly a "MOMMY!!! I NEED YOU!"  is hollered by the 3yo.   I work every day on focus because i know i can do it.  Like Fly Lady Nikki says: Focus makes you fabulous.  So i work every day on focus.  I have developed a weekly plan to help me focus, its a 'living document' and changes weekly as i tweak where i need my focus.  I finally have the 'unload' the dishwasher in the AM and run it in the PM thing down and it helps IMMENSELY.  I still have other little baby steps i'm working on for my dailies, but that one thing...the dishwasher, is a HUGE step for me in keeping my home in order.  Its like Marla Cilly, the Fly Lady's Shiney Sink.

Laundry.  I am always trying to get my family more involved in what is really THEIR stuff.  I believe i have finally had my AHA moment in this area of "Home Management" that i lack talent in, and that is designating a specific day to do the laundry.  Schedule our day around laundry, with LAUNDRY being the goal and focus...even if the dishes pile up, even if the rest of the house slowly becomes hashed and wrecked.  Get the kids involved with sorting socks, gathering hangers, and putting away their own stuff (even the 3yo knows where her stuff goes).  I am amazed at how much less effort laundry is when we all 5 team up and get it done!  This is how it's supposed to be.  I believe i shall declare Sunday to be that day, at least until something comes up and i must delay it a day or so.  This is how it shall be for now at least, until I need to change it up again to keep things alive and interesting.

Speaking of the team up motivation, the Man even teamed up with me and got the dishwasher loaded up quick so we could have some ice cream!  He knows i struggle with keeping up after not only myself (i can be somewhat of a slob...shhh) but 3 kids, 3 dogs and at times him.

One day at a time, one task at a time, one star at a time.  The light at the end of the tunnel is a tiny pinhole, but it's there.

Lentil Cookies

I originally came across this recipe on a Mom's forum i was on several years ago.  It is a super yummy high protein and fiber snack thats great for kids and adults alike.  I have copied the recipe from food.com since i have long since lost my own copy.   If you click the link you can print it straight to recipe card size, which is great for me since my personal recipe book is a repurposed Photo book.
http://www.food.com/recipe/lentil-cookies-206878

• 9 ½ ounces whole wheat pastry flour (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 8 ounces sugar (about 1 cup)
• 6 ounces unsalted butter , room temperature (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 ounces lentils , sorted and rinsed (about 2/3 cup)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup dried fruit
• 1 cup rolled oat
• 1 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut

Directions:

1. 1
   In a small pot over medium heat, combine the lentils and the water.
2. 2
   Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
3. 3
   Remove from the heat and puree. If using immediately, let cool. The puree may be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
4. 4
   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
5. 5
   In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice.
6. 6
   In the bowl of a stand-mixer with a whisk attachment, cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed.
7. 7
   Add the egg and mix until just incorporated.
8. 8
   Add the vanilla and lentil puree and mix until combined.
9. 9
   Add the flour mixture and blend on low speed until just combined.
10. 10
    Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the oats, dried fruit and coconut.
11. 11
    Form the dough into balls about 2 teaspoons in size and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch of room in between.
12. 12
    Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 195 degrees F is reached on an instant-read thermometer.

Mocha Coffee Creamer

3 cups Sugar

2 Cups Milk powder (I prefer Nido by Carnation, whole milk)

1/2 Cocoa Powder (baker's)

In a large bowl ( i use a food processor), mix together ingredients until blended.  Store in air tight container, add to coffee a few teaspoons at a time until it reaches your taste.  Can also be added to hot water for a delicious Hot Chocolate.

Soy Milk powder or Rice flour can be substituted for the Milk powder, and Splenda or powdered Sugar alternative can be substituted for the Sugar.  Carob can be subbed for the Cocoa powder.  If you choose to Substitute, you may need to play with the ratio a little to make it taste right to you.

Chili Dog Nachos

2lb ground beef

Med. Onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Cumin (to taste)

Chili powder (to taste)

Salt/Pepper

small can chopped Jalapeno peppers (drained)

Black or Pinto beans, drained and rinsed (if desired)

one 16oz can tomato sauce
4 Hot Dogs, sliced or Chopped 

Brown ground beef with chopped onion and garlic until onion is translucent, add in Cumin and chili-powder and Salt and pepper.  Cook until spices are moistened and blended in.  Add can of Jalapeno peppers and beans and the tomato sauce, and Hot Dogs.  Simmer for 5 mins or until it thickens.  Top with cheese, olives, sour cream, and guac and dip your favorite corn chip!


...i cannot believe i forgot the HOT DOGS!!

Permasick not fun.

I have been perma sick since November so i really haven't gotten too much done in the world of canning.  I have been pre-cooking and freezing chicken and ground beef as it goes on sale, though.  This is SUCH a time saver for many meals, and i get to use my Food Saver i got for free from Freecycle.  I totally recommend freecycle by the way, great way to find items and pass on items!

The chicken lately has been boneless/skinless chicken breast, but a few weeks ago whole chickens were on sale!  I quarter the whole chickens (wings go in the soup pot bag in the freezer) and pile them in my super large roaster and bake with the lid on until nice and golden, at 425 (about an hour to hour and a half).  The Chicken breasts i throw in my medium roaster (doesn't matter if they overlap) and roast with the lid on to keep the moisture in for about 45-60mins at 425.  The quartered chicken just gets cooled and packaged by 'dinner'.  The chicken breast gets cooled and  cubed up and then packaged by the pound for meals i want chunk chicken for.

Cooked ingredients just save time.  I now have chicken ready for a chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and veggies, or cubed chicken ready for a salad topping, chicken salad sammiches, or stir fry!  All i have to do is add it to the pan, heat, and eat.

Canning shall commence as soon as i kick this current bug.  Always a bad idea to can when you aren't feeling well!  I have Spaghetti Sauce and Chili on deck ready to throw together and process!  We are running low on both items (i did do a tiny bit of canning one week when i felt better), as well as chicken/turkey stock, and beef stock.
----

In other news i have discovered the wonders of http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/.  Nony is a funny and fresh perspective to cleaning and decluttering, and she totally promotes Fly Lady as a great starting place...which is exactly where i started!!  I am now to a point where i need to hone and pinpoint MY home's problem areas.  I am not Marla Cilley, i do not have the same house or the same lifestyle, so its time for me to make it MINE.  I started out with some charts (instead of the control journal) that i can put stickers on to reward myself.  This week i have been battling a fun epic snot cold, so my stickers are spotty...but i DO have stickers up!  i was going to work on a few 'spring clean/deep clean' items, but decided that it can wait a few days until i start to feel more human.  I did get under the couch cleaned out, so that is a pretty big thing.  I also have decided to at least buy a bouquet or 2 of fresh flowers every week, if anything to make up for the fact that i have no skill with house plants.  I did buy a miniature potted rose plant, so we will see how long i can keep that alive LOL!  have to put a WATER PLANT on my weekly schedule for next week, if i can keep it alive there may be hope for slowly adding a few more.


now to head to bed and rest up to see what tomorrow brings.

Absolutely Brilliant!!

I was discussing with a friend about how my 6yo has worn through the knees of almost all the jeans i bought him to start Kindy with. As a parent, its super super frustrating to find reasonably priced clothing for kids as it is, and then to have him come home with holes in the knees from playground play is enraging at best.

Mr. Chris happened to find a cool blog with a really cool tip, reinforce those knees BEFORE they get trashed. http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/01/how-to-prevent-knee-holes-in-jeans-and-pants.html

I took this one step further because there was no way i was going to spend almost $2 per pair of jeans when i can get a 17 x 36 piece of thermabond for $2.45/yd. (that is nearly 30 4x6 patches!) I got the heavy duty no-sew stuff for applique work. I bonded it with my iron to scraps from a pair of my jeans that were just plain worn out...almost more hole than jeans! and took care of knees on 8 pairs of kid jeans with one leg, and still have plenty of material and thermabond left over.

only tip with that method: make sure you round the corners on your patches so they don't peel up! and try not to dry jeans on hi heat, always safer to go with low.

Canning-mania!!!

I have jumped into the revered art of Food Storage. Not just shoving food into the freezer, or canning some jams or pickles...nope, i am canning things that must be canned by pressure canner! So far i have put up Pinto Beans, Baked beans, veggie beef soup, and Beef stock. I have chicken---yes CHICKEN-- processing as i write this, and some chicken broth on deck to go in later today, and some apples in the fridge awaiting peeling/coring to be made into apple sauce (it can be just Water Bath canned).

Its not because the world is 'ending', or Jesus is on the next train through Clarksville, or Zombies are around the corner (ok, there are but we don't talk about them..)...but rather WHY NOT? Why not know exactly what is in your food? Why not have home-cooked convenience food at your fingertips for a fraction of the cost to get it from the grocery store? In jars that can be washed and re-used time and time again? The only waste is the lids used for canning, but i am planning to remedy that in the future with some Tattler Brand reusable canning lids.

My family has already gleaned from the bounty already put away, and is super excited every new batch i put up.