Organization & Freebies

We had a two week vacation in Florida and I seem to be having trouble catching up around here since we got home. I've been really busy lately preparing to paint our living room and keeping up with other household chores, and lets not forget entertaining on the 4th - it always seems as if everything falls apart while we're on vacation. The routine that was established prior to leaving rumbles and sputters in protest once we return.

Daddy is always understanding of the "recovery" process, but the last few days I can see his patience wearing thin...to help me (and hopefully you!) get back into the organized swing of things here are a few websites I've stumbled across lately - While I haven't tried all of them, they seem really practical in theory. Feel free to add to the list, or keep me posted if any of these are useful!

Hopefully you'll find at least one or two new websites to bookmark - the best part? They're all free - Enjoy!

PS. I have a delicious post brewing - it's bacon related, and it will change your life. Check back for that in the next few days :)


Cozi.com

The OCD in me really enjoys the color coding aspect of this site...I also enjoy some of the other links they provide, like the summer reading list, among others.

Wish you had some help organizing your family life? Cozi is a FREE web service that helps you manage your family calendar, track your shopping and to do lists, organize your chores, and share favorite memories with your friends and relatives. Access Cozi from anywhere—home, work, or on the go—with any computer or mobile phone. All you need to get started is a Cozi account—it's quick and easy, with no downloads required!

The Ultimate Grocery List

A free one-page shopping checklist organized by aisle - put an end to the shopping cart shuffle!

There are a lot of downloadable grocery lists out there, but none are as good as The Ultimatest. Why is this one better? Comprehensiveness. Categorization. Cleverness. Helpful clues and cues. Creativity. And... it's portable, unlike a lot of shopping list software that requires you to be in front of a computer.

Planner

I'm always struck by how expensive Daily Planner books are - this website proves organization doesn't have to cost a penny...Customize your own planner, choose from over 100 templates.

DIYPlanner.com is a community site whose focus is on paper-based productivity, planning, journalling and creative techniques. Here you will find the official D*I*Y Planner kits, as well as daily articles, scores of useful templates, handbooks and how-to's, forums for discussing productivity in its many forms, images to clad your planners or inspire you, and so much more.

The rules are simple: be nice, try to help each other, and don't be afraid of sharing your advice, no matter how wacky or unorthodox it may be. After all, inspiration may lurk in the least obvious places, even for something as seemingly mundane as time management.

Book! Project Gutenberg

Great resource for free books - when you just don't have time to go to the library.

Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.

E-cards!

I recently checked Hallmark.com and saw they've created a $9.99 a year plan for Ecards, or .99 cents per card. I didn't stick around long enough to see if I could dig around for a free option...instead I searched and found an awesome Ecard site - Hipstercards.com. Convenient. Funny. Free. Happy Everything!

From highball hilarity to lowbrow mundanity, Hipstercards.com is your one stop shop for online missives. An intriguing invite? A clever birthday wish? Hey, it's your experience. We're just writing the cards.

Packing Lunch

Every weekday morning, I pack two lunches, one for me and one for Master for our workday lunch breaks. I'm sure I'm not alone in my lunch packing duties, and while it can be an incredibly frugal and healthy option, it can also be time-consuming on hectic mornings and can have the tendency to get a bit boring and repetitive.

Several years ago, it occurred to me that I needed to simplify the lunch routine and make it easier on weekday mornings. After thinking on it for a while, I came up with a plan. The first part of the plan involved buying more plastic containers, Master gave me permission to do so and we found a great set of the locking lid type at Costco. The extra containers give me enough of various sizes to pack 10 lunches at once (a week's worth).

Here's my plan:

• On Sundays, I do as much prep work as possible. If we're having soup for lunch, I make the soup and divide it among the containers. If we're having salads, I pick from the garden, wash, chop and assemble the salads before packing them in the containers. I chop up snack items too, right now we have a ton of radishes in the garden, I quarter them and put them in containers for workday snacking.
• We have a habit of eating some fruit every day with lunch too. If the fruit requires some prep work, I get that ready on Sunday and pack it up (draining of home canned fruit for instance). If the fruit can be packed whole (apples, pears, bananas), I just make sure its washed and ready for weekday morning packing.
• I try to make snacks now and then for lunches as well. I do that on Sunday and divvy it up if necessary. Cookies, roasted seeds, nuts, etc. get split up into plastic bags and stored in a cabinet for quick packing.
• Master likes to have sandwiches in His lunches often and those I do make each morning. On Sundays, I just make sure I have everything ready for quick assembly: lettuce is washed and ready to go, plenty of mayo on hand, meats and onions sliced, etc.

Having all that prep work done, doesn't generally take too long, and means that each workday morning, I can just grab our lunch bags; throw in a few containers, some silverware, and maybe a quick love note for Master and we're out the door with no muss, no fuss.

Since, I'm sharing my favorite lunch packing ideas, I figured I'd share one of Master's favorite lunch box treats: Peanut Butter Crispy Treats

• 1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
• 6 Cups Rice Crispy Type Cereal

Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until thin and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until it melts. Pour this peanut butter mixture over the cereal, mixing well. Pour the entire mixture into a 9X13 pan and allow to cool. Cut into bars and enjoy!

A Month of Menus

A month worth of menus....but first a few links...

Woman's Day Menus Archive
Simple Mom's How to Create a Menu
Here is a post I did a while ago on Meal Planning

June 1 - 7
Monday - salad with roasted chicken on it and left over biscuits
Tuesday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed California veggies with ground pepper (I am going to be out of town for 2 weeks in July so I am trying to make things and then freeze the left overs for Master to eat when I am out of town -meatloaf is something that freezes well so that is why I made it - I normally don't make it a lot during warmer months though)
Wednesday - BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pizza and salad
Thursday - Tuna Casserole and baby lima beans with sage and lemon
Friday - left overs
Saturday - out of town
Sunday - out of town

June 8 - 14
Monday - Chinese-take out
Tuesday - chicken thighs in crockpot with veggies and salad *This actually turned out gross. I did a marinade that I used on the chicken and veggies and it ended up being way to vinegary - threw out quite a lot of veggies because of it
Wednesday - brats and baked beans - with side salads
Thursday - left overs
Friday - grilled chicken breasts (marinated in lime juice, soy sayce, garlic and onion) served with baked potato and steamed green beans with pepper and garlic
Saturday - deli sandwiches and potato chips
Sunday - Porkchops in the crockpot with just a little olive oil drizzled on them and then Penzeys Bavarian Mix sprinkled on them, stuffing and peas

June 15 - 21
Monday - a skillet dish - ground beef, ginger, teriyaki sauce, milk, a little cornstarch and rice served with stir-fried veggies
Tuesday - left overs
Wednesday - taco salad
Thursday - grilled chicken (bourbon peppercorn marinade), baked potato, steamed veggies and salad
Friday - burgers and salad
Saturday - pasta tossed with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and sliced grilled chicken served with salad
Sunday - sandwiches that we took to the park and ate

June 22 - 28
Monday - enchiladas served with salad
Tuesday - left overs
Wednesday - chicken leg quarters in the crockpot with red and green peppers, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, served with rice, steamed broccoli and salad
Thursday - nothing as we had a big lunch
Friday - stuffed pasta shells that I made in May and froze
Saturday - out of town
Sunday - left over pasta shells

June 29 - July 5
Monday - steak fajitas and Spanish rice
Tuesday - chinese take out
Wednesday - ribs that were out of this world - I did a BBQ sauce that had chipotle, tequlia and lime juice in it - served with baked beans and salad
Thursday - left overs
Friday - salad with grilled chicken on it served with fruit
Saturday - burgers and potato salad and tomato salad
Sunday - fish that I sauteed in a little olive oil and just sprinkled a little Penzeys Northwood seasoning on and lime juice - served with left over potato salad and tomato salad

What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do.

How do you tackle your to-do list when you are overwhelmed and don't know where to start?

I'm probably going to echo a lot of what Danae and Jouet said but that's because it's good advice- and it works!

* Make a list. There are a couple of reasons why I like the list. One- Trying to remember everything is difficult, and if, at the end of the day, I've forgotten something, it weighs me down. Two- There is immense satisfaction in being able to cross things OFF the list. Actually seeing the list dwindle makes me feel productive.

* Prioritize the list. If you're in a relationship like mine, I have Master prioritize it if I'm not able to. All I do is say "I have a lot to do today and I'm not sure I'll have time to do it all. Would you point out to me which items are an absolute 'must-do'?" It never fails to surprise me how often I'd have done it differently. What I probably would have put at the top of his priority list, he'll drop to the bottom. This way, if all I can manage to accomplish are a couple of things, at least they are the things that mattered most to him. I'm then not left thinking that I ran my butt off all day and still failed to please him.

*Split the list into categories (ie. Daily, Long Term, Outdoors, etc.) Because we have such unpredictable weather here, the Outdoor list will sometimes take priority over the Daily list. Also, I try and start at least one item on the long term list every day.

Splitting the list up helps me from feeling overwhelmed. I get to cross things off my Daily list (and watch it dwindle) while still accomplishing something on the Long Term list without becoming overly involved in the lower-prioritzed Long Term projects.

* Set a timer. This is often how I start those Long Term projects. I'll set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes and work on that proeject. One project I have to do is to clean out and reorganize the laundry room. In 15 minutes, I can finish one shelf. When the timer goes off, I stop what I'm doing and return to the Daily list. This way, I'm not looking at the laundry room chore as a day or two long tedious project and I'm not overwhelmed at trying to figure out how I'm going to do that room, plus do the Daily list, plus run errands, etc. It'll still get done, and I'm enjoying it as I do it.

* Do the distasteful stuff first. I find if I do the chores that I hate first, I can then zip through the rest with a lighter attitude. If that icky chore is hanging over my head, I'll slug my way through the other stuff trying to put off getting to that chore that I hate. Or, I'll be tired enough from doing everything else that I'll talk myself out of doing it at all.

* Accept it. Accept that you will always have a to-do list. Attitude goes a long way in making the unpleasant turn pleasant.

* On that same note, take care of yourself so that you can be positive. And if you need a break, a day with no chores, a flop on the couch with a good movie, take it! Everyone needs their batteries recharged.

You could even put yourself on your own to-do list. High priority, of course! ;-)

Making Houseguests Comfortable and Welcome

We are having a house guest later this week so with it I am preparing some extra things for her. And decided to take a look at an essay I wrote on the subject to make sure I am not missing anything. FetLife Domestic Servitude group also had a good thread on this subject.


Making Houseguests Comfortable and Welcome

Growing up my Mom was the hostess with the mostest and she is still the same today. Everything my Mom does to make guests feel comfortable in her house just seems so effortless. She always has those extra special touches around just waiting for a guest. Whether it was finding out a guest’s favorite soda, having just the right lotion, a basket of magazines or snacks ready. She even has a book on hand that you have dying to read. It was just all there waiting for you as her guest.

In addition to the small things, she’s always prepared for out-of-town guests staying over night or two. The guest room is prepared with the linen and an extra set of towels or two are always ready. Growing up we moved far away from family and friends. My Mom left the welcome mat at our door with that intent to truly make those that come into our home feel welcome whenever they found themselves nearby and wanted to stay a night or two. Looking back, I know this is probably where I get –it- from. Her desire to make people feel comfortable and ability to anticipate the nuances of someone staying with them is what makes her so good at being a good hostess and why she makes it look effortless.

I think after Master’s first visit with my parents, he understood my skills for entertaining and having guests because I think it just in my genes. Although I do enjoy entertaining and having guests over, I don’t feel I have been able to make it completely effortless as my Mom has been able to do. There is a lot of effort, time and thought that goes into entertaining guests. For me, it’s not just about straightening up the house. Once you have the initial preparations under control, it becomes easier every time I entertain guests thereafter.

Being Master’s property and entertaining guests, however – takes me to a much different mindset and place. It is my duty to him to be of service and as his property everything I do is direct reflection on him so making his house warm and welcoming for out of town guests is always upfront in my mind. It isn’t that I wouldn’t have tried to make it warm and welcoming if I weren’t in service but I am just more aware of every detail because I am a reflection of him. So hopefully his guest’s create special memories and positive experiences from their stay with us.

Although there are many topics of how to entertain guests I am going to focus on just two aspects of entertaining: the guest room and the guest bathroom. If your guests are going to stay over, you need to focus on creating that “home away from home” feeling for your guests.


THE GUEST ROOM

Creating Space in the Room
• Livable Room: We all know that guest rooms tend to be that room where everything gets dumped that we don’t use that often: The exercise bike we haven’t used for 2 years, an old coat rack that with mounds of coats and scarves burying it so you can’t even see the stand itself, TV trays Uncle Ed and Aunt Emma gave you for Christmas, the extra dining room chairs that you don’t want to clutter up the dining room and so on and so forth. It is now time to make that space a guest room. Try to get rid of the things that you don’t need. Find other places for those things that aren’t needed at the moment. Those TV trays into a hall closet. Exercise bike to a family room where it might get used. Try to clear the room out enough to make it comfortable and inviting for your guests.

• Closet: Your guest will undoubtedly need a little space to hang their clothes. So create space in your closet and provide some sturdy hangers. If you absolutely can’t create a place in the closet, provide an over-the-door hook/hanger for the outside of the closet door.

• Place for Suitcase/Personal items: Have luggage rack, bench or small table to set a suitcase so that a person doesn’t have to kneel on the ground to look through their suitcase. A nice touch is having a drawer or two available in the room also.

Bed and Bedding
• Bed: Have a comfortable bed. We all know how sleeping on a pull out sofa can create a bad night sleep and body aches so try not to put your house guest through that by getting a foam pad to help make it a more comfortable place to sleep. Or are you using an old mattress in the guest room that you stopped using because it was hurting your back? Well don’t do that to your guests. You didn’t want to sleep on it why do you want to make your guests sleep on it.

• Sheets: Make the bed with clean good sheets and pillowcases. Want to take it up one more notch? Iron the sheets and pillow cases so there is no crease marks on them. Also have an extra set of linens folded and accessible for your guest as accidents do happen. It saves them some of the embarrassment if they can just take care of it themselves and only have to give you the dirty sheets.

• Blankets & Pillows: Remember in the summer time a lighter blanket might be more suitable so try to have season-appropriate blankets/linens on the bed. Place an extra blanket folded at the end of the bed. And also have an extra pillow or two available (actually at least one extra for every guest).

The Comforts
• A bedside table with a clock. Set the clock to the current time and if it is a clock radio set it to a good station. So that your guest doesn’t need to search through stations to find something.

• A pitcher or carafe of water with a glass (or two if there is more then one guest) Refill it each night and replace glasses with clean ones.

• Have a book, some magazines and a bedside light so your guests can read.

• A box of tissues and a wastebasket.

• Stationary, stamps, pens, scissors (for possibly cutting tags airport tags off), lotion and small sewing kit.

• Hang clean robe in the room to slip on to go the bathroom in and if possible provide slippers too.

• Flowers and candles make the room extra special. (But also be aware that some guests may have allergies so these type of things might cause them some problems.)

• Provide a night light as getting around a dark unfamiliar room will cause less stubbed toes.


Extras
• Place snacks, fresh fruits or chocolates in the room. Create a little basket of some treats for them to snack on late at night so they don’t have to navigate to the kitchen through a dark house.

• Pace a television, DVD player and movies in case they want to get away and just have some alone time - you have provided them an escape. Also remember to put the remote on the bedside table.

• And CD player with an assortment of music to wind down from a long flight into town.

• A chair in the room – some people don’t like to sit on a bed at all even to put their shoes or socks on so having that chair will make them more comfortable

• Provide tourist information – if your guest is going to do some local site seeing, they can browse through brochures to see what looks good to them. Include any local coupons to amusement parks or other area attractions.

• If you don’t have wired Internet service make sure to have an available phone line for your guests laptop.

THE GUEST BATHROOM

The Basics
• Set out clean set of matching towels on the counter. Let guests know where extra towels are if needed.

• Stock with necessities – new bar of soap, fill liquid soap dispensers, fresh roll of toilet paper plus a back up roll easily attainable to your guest, fresh hand towel and bathmat

• A night light for your guest to get to the bathroom with ease in the middle of the night.

• Have a hair dryer and curling iron out for your guests to use.

• Bathroom cleaning supplies under the sink or in an easily visible area in case your guests desire to clean up after himself/herself.


A Basket of Extras
Think of all the things a guest might have forgotten in their packing. Or if they have been traveling a while also they might be running out of things and need fresh basics.

• Travel-size toiletries: Toothbrush (new in package), shampoo, conditioner, disposable razor, shaving cream, mouthwash
• Nail clippers, fingernail file and tweezers
• Q-tips & cotton balls
• Aspirin or ibuprofen
• Special Touches: Scented lotion or body wash, candles or bath salts and oils

You are now ready for overnight guests. Your guests aren’t expecting to be staying at a luxurious hotel but having a comfortable warm inviting home will make their stay better then a night at a hotel. As a service oriented slave giving 5-star service with personal touches is a good reflection of Master so something I strive for when having overnight guests.

I wrote this essay for Simply Service August 2008. Please subscribe to Simply Service so that it gets emailed to you.

tackling your to-do list

How do you tackled your to-do list when you are overwhelmed and don't know where to start?

Make a list: I write out everything I need to do, and list out the components of a task if it’s too general. ‘Spring cleaning’ is too vague- I break that down into individual tasks so I can estimate how much time each one will take. Then I prioritize the list. Ideally, I’d try to do one high priority a day and if time permits, a quick low/medium priority item.

Review: Each morning, I review the list. Knowing what's on the list helps me take advantage of unexpected opportunities to tackle one of the items. My favorite software for lists are Google documents and RememberTheMilk.com. I can access those anywhere, they complement my Google calendar, and they can text me reminders. I also auto-populate reminders in my calendar for semi-annual items such as checking my credit report. If one day is so busy I can’t get to my list, I double up the next day. Items are crossed off the list as soon as they are done.

Do it smart: I bundle like tasks together. For example, if I’m running to drop off the dry cleaning, I’ll hit the bank right next door or I will clean out the fridge right before we do our next grocery shopping trip. If I can take a lunch break one week to knock out 4 errands, that’s worth it to me. I add to the list as I go along—including fun, relaxing and necessary things to make sure I am making the time to take care of me.

Bite size: I break it down into manageable bite sizes, and commit to at least 20 minutes a day to do what needs to be done. If a single task (ie: organize my closet) is overwhelming, then I break it down into tasks that can wrangle it under control.

So I might start with:

1. Remove laundry from closet, and do it as you can.
2. Remove items that are awaiting repair from closet into a designated box.
3. Drop off any items needing dry cleaning.
4. Organize shoes.
5. Organize purses.
6. Look for items you no longer wear- and figure out why you aren’t wearing them. Decide to store, donate or repair.
7. Evaluate current storage methods and find out why it’s not working (do you need a better system? more shelves or boxes?)

Create zones: I also create zones that I can clean easily- I may not have 90 minutes in one sitting to clean my room, but I can spend a quick 15-20 minutes focused time tidying up my desk or wiping down the bath before bed.

Take care of you: Get enough sleep, sex and exercise. Eat well. Snuggle. It just helps you deal better when you feel overwhelmed and unmotivated.

Getting Started?

Question received from a reader: How do you tackled your to-do list when you are overwhelmed and don't know where to start?

My to-do list is looking more like one of those governmental instruction manuals that are so thick that people give up and throw them out without even looking at them. I wish I could throw it out without looking at it. But of course that wouldn't help me in the long run. In times like this, when I have a lot to do and not feeling motivated or actually just feeling overwhelmed it is hard to get started. But I do have a few tricks that help me especially in times like this...

* I set a timer for 15 minutes and just pick one thing to start on and work it for 15 minutes. Or I make a play list of 3 to 5 songs and work through that playlist.

After done with that 15 minutes, I do something I want but set a timer again for 10 to 15 minutes. Be it watch some tv, read or be online - but limit the time. And then start the process over again. But make it a little longer this time. Set the time for 20 to 30 minutes and work until the timer goes off.

I find that if I do this just a few times by the time I get to the 2nd or 3rd round I am in my groove and don't stop working.

* When I can't choose that one thing to start on - I number them and do the random number generator online. And then start on that one.

* A long list often means I won't accomplish it all. And that feeling often deflates me before even getting started so I just pick 1 to 3 things I want to accomplish that day. And put them on their own list so I am not looking at that huge long list. Then if I accomplish those things go back to the list and depending how much more time I have in the day - pick another few things to do. Breaking it up into smaller goals and lists helps it not be daunting.

* I really look through my list too....is there things that really need to be on their right now? Can't I combine a few things to make it easier on myself? Are there things that create more work for myself then necessary? Because most of the time I do create more work for myself. Such as we have a guest coming to visit this week. Do I really need to steam all the carpets again? I just did it for spring cleaning so most likely I am just creating more work for myself by trying to be a perfectionist. If I really am stressing about it - I could just narrow it down to do the heavy traffic area in the house. And then I am knocking things off my list but still keeping attention to detail.

Book: What to Drink with What You Eat

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea by Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page

Publishers Description (I am abbreviating it as it was a little long)

"The most comprehensive guide to matching food and drink ever compiled, by the James Beard Award winning author team of Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, with practical advice from more than seventy of America’s leading pairing experts...

Exceptional in its depth and scope - with over fifteen hundred entries - What to Drink with What You Eat is based on the collective wisdom of experts at dozens of America’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Babbo, Bern’s, Blue Hill, Chanterelle, Daniel, Emeril’s, French Laundry, Frontera Grill, Inn at Little Washington, Jean Georges, Masa’s, The Modern, Per Se, Rubicon, Tru, and Valentino.

You’ll find authoritative recommendations for stocking your cellar and kitchen with must-have beverages, from wines to waters. You’ll also learn what to drink with everything from French toast to Chinese food, and what to eat with everything from Pinot Noir to green tea, to create mouthwatering matches. Follow the authors three simple Rules to Remember when making a match - or just dive into the wide-ranging listings in chapters 5 and 6. "

I really really want to have this book on my bookshelf. It is amazing. It made me feel so much more at ease about pairing food with not only wine but tea, beer and other beverages. It mostly talks about wine though. It is put together in a way that makes it easy to follow - very user friendly. It is an essential reference for serving to me.

It not only goes in how to pair food and wine but a little bit of history, geography of wine such as what areas produce what types of wine, it gives how to actually taste wine and other expert techniques.

They had 3 simple rules to follow to when starting out...
1 - Think Regionally: If it grows together, it goes together.
2 - Come to your senses: Let your five sense guide your choices
3 - Balance Flavors: Tickle your tongue in more ways then one.

Of course they explain those rules indepth in the book. And make the process as easy as possible for those of us new to pairing beverages with food or foods with beverages. And it does go both ways in this book to make it very easy. Lets say someone gave you a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and you want to make something to go with it. You would look up Cabernet Sauvignon in the book and it has a list of food that go well with it. It has a list of herbs, meats, cheese, veggies, legumes, fruits and just everything you can think of but not only that it also tells you how to cook. Such as it said Cabernet Sauvignon that grilled meats such as hamburgers and beef - braised, grilled, roasted or stewed. It also works the other way if you are serving chicken in cream sauce then it tells you what wine or beverage goes good with it it (Chardonnay - especially a full bodied California). It lists things in general too so if you aren't sure what you are going to do with the chicken yet. It just has suggestions for chicken in general. I just really loved how easy it was to follow.

As I said above I think this is an essential book for those of us serving but also those of us that enjoy wine.

Flag Folding

Happy 4th of July for those of you in the USA!

I get Martha Stewart daily emails on cookies, organizing and crafts. Today's email for organizing was how to fold a Flag. And being the 4th of July here in the USA - means many people will be folding their flags back up to put them away tonight or in a day or two.

Martha Stewart's Flag Folding Good Thing

Related links she had were for...

Flag Folding - with a diagram
Flag Etiquette

Friday Favorites

Another one of those summer menus by Whole Living that sounded yummy! Grilled Chicken with Red Pepper and basil served with caramelized corn.

I use cloth napkins because it saves money on paper products and also feel it is more eco-friendly. I think this is a very cute summery way to embellish cloth napkins you might have around the house.

Etiquette book by Emily Post free on Project Gutenberg

I know many of us are tasked to recycle, re-use and repurpose. I found this link for re-purposing plastic bottles.

And for just a wild card of a link this week that has nothing to do with really domestic service but Master likes me in eye shadow. And I am a girly girl who has done this very thing it talks about broken my eye shadow by dropping it on the floor.....Fixing Broken Eyeshadow.

ARTICLE: The Perfect Burger

Interesting article for burger lovers covering:

• how to cook it (and the right temperature to do it)
• preferred type of meat
• use of salt
• shape of meat
• testing for doneness
• perfect buns
• all the fixin's

The Perfect Burger and All Its Parts
Source: www.nytimes.com
Interviews with 30 chefs provided dozens of burger-making lessons for the home cook that aren’t terribly difficult and don’t cost much money. And it all yielded the ideal burger.

Friday Favorites

Cool Down with Homemade Pops - Oh yum! So many of them I would love to try. They are all from Cooking Light it looks like too so hopefully not to high in the sugar and calories!

Paper bow making - Recycling magazines, old books and scrapbooking paper would be a great way to repuprose/recycle but also add a touch of fun to a gift.

There is also a great article on gift wrapping in Simply Service Holiday 2008 issue by marg_it that I know I will reference again around the holidays too but goes well with the above link too.

A Service Book of Days by Service Savoir Faire - a new blog by namaste that is a useful tool for those of us in service. I think the Service Book of Days would be a great way to keep track and focus on service.

Bandanna Tablecloth - I think for the summer time this is just such a great way to "dress" the table casually. Also as listed in the comments - a good place to get bandannas is Orientaltrading.com.

Homemade Hamburger/Hotdog Buns

I have always wanted to make hamburger and hotdog buns so I finally did using a recipe that I found in The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook.

These pictures were from the first time I made hotdog buns and I don't think they turned out too bad. Not all the exact same size but that comes with practice.



If you are just starting to use a bread machine this book is the book to get. It goes in great length about troubleshooting. And I so wish I had it when I first started working with a bread machine. I had never even made bread so I just had no knowledge and often worked without guidance and just playing. This book would have saved me lots of heart-ache and frustration. It even has a section on high altitude baking which is what I really needed.

If you aren't new to the bread machine this book is still a great cookbook as it has every type of recipe you would ever want to make with your bread machine. A few of my favorites: Anadama Quick Bread that has buttermilk, molasses, whole wheat flour and corn meal, Cardamom Tea Bread with of course cardamom which is a favorite spice of mine, buttermilk and sour cream both and Mountain Herb bread with basil, tarragon, marjoram, dill weed and thyme. Really this book is huge and full of one good recipe after another. I think Beth Hensperger is really good at explaining bread to those that feel they wouldn't ever be able to make bread. I have read several of her books and I always come away feeling more confident to try recipes I thought I would never try.



So on to the recipe for the buns...this is for a 1 1/2 pound machine and makes about 8 hamburger/hotdog buns. These buns are great for sandwiches, sloppy joes or brats. And brats are the reason I started making them as we have them quite a bit during summertime grilling.

Hamburger/Hotdog Buns
Recipe from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook

1 cup water
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
2 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 tablespoon gluten*
1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast (or 1 1/4 teaspoons SAF yeast)

Optional:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for glaze
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds for sprinkling


1. Place ingredients in machine according to the manufacturers instructions. Program with Dough cycle.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray. When the cycle ends, press Stop and unplug the machine. Immediately turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With a knife, divide into 8 equal portions. For hamburger dough form each into tight rounds. For long hotdog buns, flatten each portion into an oval about 6-inches long and rolling tightly from a long end to form a cylinder. Place rolls on to the baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Press with your palm to flatten each roll slightly. Cover loosely with plastic wrap that is coated with cooking spray and let rest for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. Brush the eggs with the glaze and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 15 to 22 minutes, depending on the size of roll until lightly browned. Remove the roll from the baking sheet with a spatula and let cool on a rack. Slice horizontally to serve.


My Notes:
* I didn't use the gluten. Most of author's recipes include gluten but I don't use it as it is just harder to find here in my smaller town.

* I didn't do the optional glaze and seeds obviously from my pictures. But would like to try it sometime.

Book: Heloise All Around The House

A few weeks ago, a friend mailed me an original copy of Heloise All Around The House. This book, according to the information on the first page, was published in 1967.

A full 4 years before I was even born.

Generation after generation after generation of women (and men!) have housewifery advice to pass on. We just have to listen. Or in this case- read.

There are so many things that I've enjoyed about this book. Starting with the $0.75 price tag in the upper corner. Can you imagine paying $0.75 for a brand new book, hot off the printing presses?? And not just any ol' book but a Heloise book!

Reading through this book was like taking a step back in time. Back when being a housewife, a good housewife, was a point of pride.

It seems, in more recently published household hint books, that the main message is Saving Time. How to do things easier. How to get it done and over with, with as little pain as possible. The message I get from this book is one more of learning to enjoy what you're doing. Not one of tolerating it or muddling though, but taking pride in being creative, thrifty and Good At It.

I was surprised at how many of the tips I already knew. I continue to think of myself as a late-bloomer to housewifery, feeling ignorant among my peers. I am not.

(Well. I may be still but I'm catching up to you!)

I was also surprised to know that some of these tips that I know, that I USE, haven't needed improvement for some 40+ years. In how many walks of life will you find that to be true?

For instance; clear nail polish on a run in your nylons. Ammonia and a plastic bag for dirty pots. Other 'new' hints that are now standard store bought items; like, take your kitchen dish rags and sew netting on one side to make scrubbing dishes easier. Those are the rags I buy.

Or, salad dressing in a spray bottle.

You won't find hints on how to clean your microwave. You will find a TON of sewing tips. Everything from making your own sheets to curtains to clothing- even how to make a "cleaning blouse" from a towel- so you don't spot your good blouses.

Some of the tips are charmingly outdated. Such as "Keep 5 to 10 pennies and a few nickels in the glove compartment of your automobile for those parking meters!" When you even see a parking meter anywhere, how much are they now? A dollar? Seventy-five cents?

And "When your 5 year old takes off on his tricycle, tie an alarm clock under the seat and set it for dinner time so little Johnny knows when to come home!" I can't think of any parent these days who would let their 5 year old out of their sight, let alone off to cruise the neighborhood on his tricycle.

Or how to best separate, and care for, your "every day" hose and your "best" hose. It's skirts and blouses, chenille, ironing (and how to avoid blisters from ironing too much!).

Heloise encourages you to change up your routine by doing some of your chores in your living room (parlor). That way, you can view all of your pretty things AND consider yourself "company". Drink your coffee, do your ironing.. just go wild with it!

That amuses me to no end. I cannot imagine it. I guess I don't know anyone who has a parlor, a living room set aside to use only when company comes. We live in every room of our home, I do chores wherever I happen to be standing (or sitting!).

The book speaks of simpler times, makes you nostalgic. Though there are a few tips from men, the overwhelming majority of the tips are from women, to women, for women. When housework was women's work, with no apologies or shame assigned to it. The book isn't littered with attempts to include both sexes or full of allowances for women who choose other "careers". It talks of the men going to work and the women staying home. And liking it.

I love that.

Calzones

A whole wheat crust stuffed with ricotta cheese, roasted chopped peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, ground sweet Italian turkey sausage, mozzarella cheese. Topped with some tomato sauce.

Oh yes...I have a bread machine and I love it and use it often. This recipe I use the bread machine on the dough setting.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in order used by machine. Run on dough cycle.

Calzones

When done, divide dough into 4/6 balls depending how big of calzones you want to make. All to rise for 10 to 20 minutes. Roll out dough balls on a lightly floured surface to 6 to 9 inch circles (depending on the size you want for your calzones).

Layer your favorite pizza ingredients on half of each dough round. Fold dough over filling and pinch edges of dough firmly together to seal. Move dough to baking sheets and pierce in several places. Bake calzones 15 at 350 degrees and then turn and bake another 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

For the above calzones I used roasted mixed peppers, sundried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and browned ground Italian turkey sausage. Topping each calzone with tomato sauce after they are baked.

** The dough could be rolled in to smaller circles to have mini-calzones for appetizers.

Book: Home Hints and Tips

Home Hints and Tips by Rosamund Richardson

Product Review from Amazon - "The first in-depth book on "green" products for the home, Home Hints & Tips offers hundreds of tested tips that are safe, gentle on the environment, affordable, and easy to implement. Straightforward without being preachy, the book covers all aspects of natural home management, from designing and building to decorating with natural materials, as well as ecosafe cleaning and laundering methods, recycling, gardening, cooking, and personal care and health."


I will tell you this book freaked the hell out of me. It freaked me out because it goes into toxins that are in your house right now....the paint, the carpet, many cleaners and pesticides and so on and so forth. Not like I really didn't know it but reading about what they do which the book goes into a little bit freaked me. But after freaking, I calmed down and I really enjoyed it the book. Enjoyed it for all the useful information it did give me. I think some of it is a little bit out of the average persons budget. But there were workable ideas and tips. The set up of the book is very visually appealing too. Broken into good segments.

The book gives information on having a green home: conserving water and energy, decorating, cleaning, laundry and recycling. It goes beyond the home though to healthy natural/organic eating, personal care such as understanding labels for your personal care products, natural health remedies, baby care and also working from home. So it is a tiny book that covers a lot of information. It is a book I would like to have on my bookshelf.

Friday Favorites

A summer time menu from Whole Living

Instructions for Candle and Soap Making

From Zen Habits - It's Time for a New Relationship with Food

Salvage old drawers to make into shelving unit


dwell - a magazine that I have been enjoying online

Enjoy Basil

5 Ways to Enjoy Basil

1. In a salad. Fill a large bowl with your favorite greens. Add 1 1/2 cups shredded basil, 1/2 cup cup shredded mint, sliced sweet onion and cucumbers. Toss with a couple spoonfuls of seasoned rice wine vinegar and ground pepper.

2. As a stir-fry add-in. Perk up any Asian rice, noodle or veggie stir-fry by adding chopped Thai basil leaves just before serving.

3. In a flavored vinegar. Loosely pack a clear, clean wine bottle with any variety basil and 1/8 teaspoon whole peppercorns. Heat 3 cups white wine vinegar until hot but not boiling. Fill bottle and let cool before capping. After cool, put lid on and let steep for 5 days (or up to 2 weeks) in the refrigerate. Shake over salads and grilled chicken or fish. To make its shelf life last longer strain the herbs out after steeping.

4. In a dessert syrup. Bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup lime juice and 1/4 cup water to a boil. Place in a blender with 3/4 cup fresh basil. Puree. Strain. Pour over fruit salad or add to cocktails.

5. With ripe tomatoes. Slice a tomato, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Reassemble the tomato, tucking large Italian basil leaves between the slices. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Of course there are many other ways to use basil. I just wanted to give you a few tips. Please feel free to share your favorite ways to use basil!

* Photo of Caprese salad which is a good way to use basil too. I thought this recipe for Caprese Skewers look really good.

One Day Sale at Amazon.com

Save up to 60% with the Kitchen & Home One-Day Sale. (some great cutlery deals, as well as the usual cookware, gadgets, etc)

Cuisinart cookware sets are up to 73% off, Calphalon sets are up to 69% off.


Sale is June 15 only.

Outdoor Cooking

If you're anything like me, when warm weather arrives, the last thing you want to do is stand over a stove. Solution? Fire up the grill!

While my husband is indeed The Grill Master (lest he read this and have to go outside and pound his chest because I'm challenging his manhood *grin*), I have a terrific chicken marinade recipe to share.

This makes about 4 cups of marinade:

1 1/2 cups vegetable or olive oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (cider vinegar works as a substitute)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley

Mix all ingredients together, and let your meat soak. The longer the better but I've had as little as 30 minutes and still had terrific results.



Tips for grilling boneless chicken breasts:

Trim or pound chicken to equal thickness (if you trim it, you can save the pieces to make chicken stock)

Lightly score the chicken before marinading.

Heat your grill to medium-high. We have a gas grill so if you have charcoal, you're on your own. I'm clueless about charcoal.

Put your chicken on and sear it for 2 or 3 minutes per side. Lower heat or move chicken away from high heat and cook until done (Total cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat.)

Don't poke it while it cooks. That lets the juices out. I know it's done by how it feels when I touch it. It's springy but not soft. Firm but not hard. Or, use a meat thermometer to 165F.

Remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting. This lets the juices redistribute.

That same marinade is awesome for steak, too.

Can you grill a complete meal? Why yes! Yes you can!

Vegetables:

To grill corn on the cob- Carefully pull back, but don't remove, the corn husks and pick off the silk. Roll the husks back up and secure with twine. Soak in water for an hour or two. Toss on the grill, turning every 5 minutes. (If desired, after soaking, peel back husks again and flavor the corn with butter and seasonings, replace husks, tie and grill.) Grilled corn on the cob always gets rave reviews.



I also like to make a vegetable packet out of aluminoil foil, toss in whatever veggies I have on hand (squash, zuchinni, peppers, asparagus work great), add a little olive oil, some seasoning and let the packet steam away while the meat cooks.

Dessert:

Grilled Pineapple Sundae-

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch slices
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
vanilla ice cream

Mix together brown sugar, butter, lemon juice and cinnamon. Brush over pineapple slices. Grill slices over high heat for one minute per side. Put on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and eat warm.



Noms.