Monday, February 26, 2007

So, I mentioned yesterday that this week I will be sharing my cleaning activities with you.

Monday's are the day I use to do my home blessing. If you are familiar with Flylady, then you are familiar with this concept. However, I don't do it just like she does! This is what is done on Monday:

In the kitchen-
  • Sink gets scrubbed
  • Any hotspots are cleared
  • Counters are wiped down
In the bathrooms-

  • Toilet cleaned inside and out
  • Spot clean walls
  • Wipe baseboards
  • Wipe down door
  • Wipe counters and sink
  • Scrub tub
  • Wipe switchplates
  • Sweep and mop floor
In the Living Room/Dining Room/Play Area
  • Polish furniture
  • Windex glass surfaces
  • Straighten entertainment center
  • Wipe switchplates
  • Wipe baseboards
  • Spot clean walls
  • Vacuum
It sound like a lot, but it actually does not take that much time at all. I also have what I call projects. These are things I rotate weekly.

These are the projects for the Living Room/Dining Room/Play Area:
Week 1-Clean under the couch and chairs
Week 2-Vacuum under chair and couch cushions/vacuum along baseboards
Week 3-Straighten toys
Week 4-Polish inside of china cabinet/vacuum along baseboards

Again, this doesn't take much time once the routines are established.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

In My Home This Week

It was a fairly quiet week this week. Miss R did an outstanding job on her flag project. The bell choir played at church this morning, so that was nice. Had a nice chat with the Pastors wife. Hmmm....

*I amazed my FIL this week when I poured baking soda and vinegar down the garbage disposal to clean it.

*We had unexpected company yesterday. It was a nice surprise!

*I've been working very hard at making a menu every week and trying to stick to it. It's nice to have an idea of what's for dinner. I use forms from this site to help me keep track!

*Mr H has been under the weather the past few days but seem to be perking up, thankfully!

I think that's about it for the week. As I said, it's been quiet. Starting tomorrow I will be sharing my cleaning schedule.
Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it? I have a very, very tiny white scar under my nose that was caused by a cat.

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle? My first child and I lived through her birth (an emergency c-section)

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves. Kathy Lee Gifford

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")? Bamburger for hamburger

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought ______ was ______. I have always thought certain food was meant for certain times.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

More from the CAI Encyclopedic Cookbook(1964)!

Meal Planning

"The modern homemaker knows that meal planing offers her a chance to use all her artistic ability and food knowledge to keep her family happy and healthy. Modern standards require the following musts to be included in each day's menus:

Milk:(rich in vitamins A, B and D) at least 1 pint for each adult, preferably 1 quart.
Vegetables and fruits:Green leafy or yellow vegetables(rich in vitamins A and C), 1 or more servings. Tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, and fresh cabbage(rich in vitamin C), 1 or more servings. Potatoes, other vegetables or fruit(rich in vitamins A, B and C), 2 or more servings.
Eggs:(rich in vitamins A, B and D) 3 or 4 a week.
Meat, Fish or Poultry:Lean meat, fish, poultry(rich in vitamin B), 1 or more servings. Liver or kidneys(rich in vitamins A and B), served at least once a week.
Cereals and Bread:Whole-grain cereals and bread (rich in vitamin B), at least 2 servings.
Fats:eaten as butter and cream or cheese (rich in vitamin A).
Sweets:Needed in small amounts.


Besides protecting health a good menu should take into account the contrasts in color, texture and flavor. The color of spinach is attractive with ham. Soft custard is a good texture to follow the crunchiness of raw carrots. A tart relish contrasts in flavor with sweet fritters. Today's homemaker is well aware not only of the need of budgeting money, but also of budgeting her time and energy. Meals planned for a week mean more efficient and economical purchasing, leftovers used to better advantage and simplified food preparation. Monotony is avoided when a record is kept of menus. One way to keep a menu record is in a loose-leaf notebook.

Here are samples of menu's for February:

Meatloaf with tomato sauce
Buttered shoestring carrots
Creamed broccoli
Celery
Cherry cottage pudding


Sausage and corn casserole
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Endive with French dressing
Baked Apples with ginger whipped cream

Chicken fricassee with dumplings
Buttered cauliflower
Pickled beets
Cranberry molded salad
Baked custard

Sunday, February 18, 2007

My Home This Week

Well! Lots going on this week. We had Valentine's Day, of course. The children and I talked about St. Valentine and touched a bit on St. Patrick. Miss M got registered for Preschool for the upcoming year. We submitted an application for Mr P to attend the same school as Miss R. Mr H had a Dr. appointment where we found out he is in the 75th percentile for his height and the 97th percentile for his weight ~smile~ He's my chunky monkey boy!

*I found some plastic bowl covers at my local drugstore. A set of six for only $1!

*Miss R is doing excellent with her reading and math skills. I'm so proud of her!

*Mr H is talking more and more every day. He amazes us with what comes out of his mouth! He also had his first taste of sushi and he loved it! (Just to clarify, sushi does not contain raw fish!)

*I decided to take up One Stroke painting again. I did some self teaching years ago and took one class. It's a lot of fun; I just put it away for whatever reason. I've taken out again for me!

*I tried a new piecrust recipe today. Very easy:Mix together 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in 1 stick of butter until crumbly. Press into pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown.

*I revamped my routines! I've taken ideas from here, here, and here and have come up with a plan that I think is going to work well. It's been a week and so far every thing is going smoothly!

I think that's it for this week!

Sunday Supper

Appetizer
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make? I'd like it to announce who is calling! That way I wouldn't have to run to answer it if it weren't important or someone I wanted to talke too!

Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.). I'm usually sunny with a chance of clouds.

Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects? Nothing really. I know a little about a lot of stuff.

Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read? Oh goodness! I have no idea!

Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it? It would be similar to those old Sky Bars. A bar of chcolate divided into sections. One section would be very dark chcolate with a hint of orange, one would be a dark chocolate with a hint of mint, one would be dark chcolate with flecks of milk chocolate, and one would be a milk chocolate and white chocolate swirl. I think I would name it Indulgence.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

It's Here! It's Here!


My box for the pink and brown swap arrived today! Thank you so much to Colleen for all of the wonderful goodies! There's two cute mugs, a bag of Dove chocolates, two little crocheted flowers, ribbon, stickers, a beautiful card she made, a fabulous little journal she crafted, and a fantastic tin (filled with flavored hot cocoa mixes I might add!) I love it all!!!



To add to my wonderful day, my sweet DH brought this home to me. I was very surprised!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, February 12, 2007

I've recently become smitten with the colors light blue and chocolate brown. I'm considering redoing my bedroom in these colors, but I'm not entirely sure yet. Any opinions?

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Sunday Supper

Appetizer - Have you been sick yet this winter? If so, what did you come down with? Yes. Just a cold but it's pretty miserable. Have it right now.

Soup - What colors dominate your closet? Ummm...lavendar and denim

Salad - How would you describe your personal "comfort zone"? No idea. I think with me it varies depending on the person.

Main Course - On which reality show would you really like to be a contestant? Project Runway!

Dessert - Which holiday would you consider to be your favorite? Well, I really do love them all, but if I have to pick a favorite, I'd have to day Thanksgiving. No, wait. Fourth of July. Or maybe Easter. Christmas? I really don't know! I truly do love them all!

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Love is in the Air

I had a round basket thing that I had gotten several years ago at the dollar store. It is "brass" looking with open hearts making up the sides. I got matching votive holders too. Never knew what to do with them. Well, this year I decided to try my hand at making a floral arrangement. Thanks to google and about.com, here's what I came up with. I think it looks nice, don't you?


When I get my ivy for my Valentine tin, I'll post a picture of my Valentine things. It isn't much right now, but I think it's rather difficult to find Valentine things for display!

The Tuesday Tip!

To avoid sticking while cooking macaroni or spaghetti place in a colander or sieve and place in boiling water.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

So I was going through my CIA cookbook again (I like to look through it every other week or so) and I noticed a section in the front with a ton of nifty little tips. And I thought it would be fun to share them with you. I know a lot of people have certain days that they do things on...works for me Wednesday, Friday Feast, ect. and I thought it would be a good idea to delegate a day for the tips. But what day? I decided I wanted Tuesdays because it's such an overlooked little day. Now I needed a catchy title...hmmmm...and then it came to me. The Tuesday Tip! Clever, eh? And I thought of it all by myself! Stay tuned! Maybe you'll start looking forward to Tuesday!
The birthday party was a success! A very good time was had by all! Thank you to all who stopped by and wished my special guy a Happy Birthday!

Superbowl Sunday

So it's Superbowl Sunday today. Don't think we'll be watching. I don't mind, but DH isn't a big sports fan. I like the commercials though! lol!

Sunday Supper

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager? Big Hair! lol!

Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you. That I'm quiet all the time. So not true once you get to know me!

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work? 10!

Main Course
If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise? Hmmm...I don't really want to sell anything I own at the moment!

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I love to ________ when it is _________. I love to read when it is raining!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Happy Birthday to my big boy. He's 5 today!!!!