THE 10-MINUTE RESCUE

THE 10-MINUTE RESCUE by Mrs. Mary Hunt

The phone rings. Surprise! Long lost friends will be at your front door in 10 minutes. You have no time to clean the house. What you need is a 10-minute rescue. This is a terrific technique you should learn right now, and then keep tucked away for that time when despite your best efforts, you’re caught in a jam. So, are you ready? Go!

1. Set a small pan of water over medium heat. Dump in spices like cinnamon, allspice and cloves and leave it to heat.

2. Grab a box or grocery bag. Move through the house starting in the kitchen clearing counters, coffee tables, end tables and all other flat surfaces of clutter. Just scoop everything into the container and stash it in a closet.

3. Gather all bathroom clutter including towels, stuff lining the walls and ledges of the tub and shower, toys, and all the stuff on the vanity and deposit it in the tub or shower. Draw the curtain.

4. Clean all the flat surfaces you have just cleared using furniture polish or all-purpose cleaner as appropriate.

5. Empty the kitchen sink of dishes, pots and so on using the stash methods described above if necessary. The oven and dishwasher are handy hiding places. Scrub the sink, rinse quickly and perform a quick polish.

6. Starting at the front door vacuum the visible areas.

7. Light the candles and the fireplace.

8. Switch on the stereo and turn down the lights.

Whew! You made it. The house looks great. Smells good, too. Enjoy your company and when they are gone, take a few more minutes to go through the box in the closet, the pile in the tub and, above all, anything you stashed in the oven!

** Just remember to clean out all the places you stashed stuff after. I know when I was a young housewife I forgot that pile of pans was in the oven and turned it on to preheat! It wasn't a good experience. Also this really seems like it would take more then 10 minutes but it is a quick clean up if you have guests dropping by!

Maple Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups butterscotch chips

2 sticks of butter

3 teaspoons maple extract

Place all ingredients except the maple extract into a 2-quart microwave safe mixing bowl and microwave on high for 10 minutes, stopping and stirring every 2 minutes. THE MIXTURE IS VERY HOT - so be CAREFUL! Let cool slightly and then beat with a mixer for 2 minutes. Add the extract and beat for another 3 to 4 minutes. It almost looks caramel in texture but it does come out fudge consistency.

Spread mixture into a parchment paper-lined 8 x 8 inch square pan or you can also just butter the pan really well. I have done fudge both ways and it works fine. Chill to set and then cut into squares. I think it was close to 60 to 64 squares.

Service Quote

This is from an old Daily Om horoscope but thought it was a good one to keep around....

"Being of service to others can make us feel empowered. When you participate in making someone’s life better, you honor that person as well as yourself. As you exert your personal power in ways that benefit others, you derive a strong sense of fulfillment because you see how you have the ability to change the world for the better. When you’re of service to others, you receive their gratitude, which raises your self-esteem and revitalizes you. By being of service to others today, you can come to understand that even your smallest contributions to the world’s well-being have merit."

Banana Bread

I have went through many Banana Bread recipes. And they all turn out fine, but for some reason I always come back to the one out of Betty Crocker cookbook. It is easy for me to make. I like that it uses buttermilk too. I always have powdered buttermilk on hand and works and tastes just as good as real buttermilk.

Last week I had a couple bananas nearing that bad point so I peeled them, wrapped them and put them in the freezer as I didn't have time to do banana bread last week. But today I got some time so took those out and made Betty Crocker's Banana Bread (this one on the website is the same one in the cookbook).



1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 medium bananas)
1/2 cups of buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts - optional

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9" x 5" x 3" pan. (Or 2 - 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch pans)

Mix together sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk* and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts and mix until just moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake 8-inch loaves for about 1 hour or 9-inch loaf 1 hour 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan and remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.

* I put the powder for the buttermilk with the flour and then add equivalent in water where it says to add buttermilk.

Meal/Menu Planning

When I make my grocery list, I make up a meal list. I don't put mine on a calendar that says Tuesday is going to be homemade pizza because our schedules just change so often that I might not have the time to make dough on Tuesday. So I have a list I can refer to and see the options. There are also things that are staples in our pantry/freezer/fridge that I can make almost anytime so those meal ideas are usually on the list too. If you have a fairly consistent schedule, writing out the menu on a calendar is a great idea. And if you see on Thursday you are making a roast -- you can write on the calendar the day you need to take it out to thaw. We have a dry erase board on our fridge so I usually write a note to myself there if I need to take something out that morning.

In making my grocery list and planning meals, I clean out the fridge, freezer and pantry. I toss things that are don't look good or are expired. I usually try to wipe down the shelves as I do that too. But also in cleaning out things, it makes it easier for planning meals because I have a clear view of what is actually available. It also makes unloading groceries easier if things are organized and cleared out.

I try to plan about 2 weeks worth of menus besides the usual staple dinners I just always have on hand (such as stir fry).

In planning the menus I...
go through my recipe box


go through cookbooks


look at recipes I have bookmarked online


look at past meal lists/menu calendars - helps me get ideas but also helps me not repeat


look through grocery ads - often looking through them I find something that sparks an idea or sounds good

look in pantry, fridge, freezer -- is there something that needs to be used soon? Is there something I have quite a bit of so should start using it up? Also is there something I have in the pantry that I always prepare the same way - maybe I can come up with something new for it?

think about seasonal produce -- I think about what I can incorporate that is in season. Fresh produce that is in season always tastes extraordinary without a lot of work put into it. Just a little olive oil and salt and pepper and usually you can have a wonderful side.

ask - I ask Himself if there is anything he is craving or would like to see on the menu

This all might seem a little daunting - taking the time to do this, but the more menu planning you do, the easier it becomes. And you will be thankful that you are not looking in the pantry thinking what's can I make for dinner.


Additional Resources:
Meals.com - I haven't ever used them for planning menus but used a couple recipes before

mealsmatter.org - I just found them today when googling menu planning and signed up so will let you know how I like them in a week or so

Livejournal - Dinner Ideas -- You have to be a member of Livejournal but is it a community I find useful. Because it helps me remember what I made. I can go back and look at what we have had for dinner for the last month very easily.

Uncluttered -- they have an exel spreadsheet or pdf file that you can download to help in menu planning

Whole Wheat & Dark Chocolate Scones

Does everyone have a well seasoned pan they can't part with but probably should? The one that these scones sits on in the 2nd photo -- is mine. It has traveled through all my moves and I just can't get rid of it because I like how things bake on it.

But on to the main thing of this post....the Scones....Oh MY....these are fantastic! I really like to make tasty breads and sweets using whole wheat flour. And at times it just doesn't seem to work out with the whole wheat flour but these really do hit so many levels of wonderfulness! And isn't the dough just so pretty?

* 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
* 1 3/4 cup white all purpose flour
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup light brown sugar
* 1 tsp. baking powder

* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 2 Tbsp. ground yellow flaxseed meal
* 4 Tbsp. oats
* 6 Tbsp. butter
* 1 large egg
* 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (such as Ghiradelli 60% cocoa or Nestle 63% dark chips)

(I have used flaxseed instead of oats so 6 tablespoons of flaxseed and tasted just as good and also when I was out of flaxseed I used oats in place of flaxseed and again just as delicious)

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flaxseed meal and oats. Cut in butter using two knives or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk and vanilla together. Pour into dry ingredients. Using a fork, stir until dough is moist. Stir in chocolate chips. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, kneading two or three times. Divide dough in half.

Pat each half into a circle, about 6 inches across. Cut dough into 6 wedges. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 375 on middle rack of oven for 20-22 minutes.

Makes 12 scones

Cleaning Tip: Garbage Disposal

Whenever I need to juice or zest from lemons, limes or oranges, I take the leftover juiced/zested fruit and cut them into little pieces maybe the size a quarter. I then put them in a zip lock and put them in the freezer. I pull a couple out pieces every once in a while to put in the garbage disposal as it makes it smell good. Plus helps clean it.

Another thing I do with the garbage disposal to help clean it is pour some baking soda down it and then let it sit for a bit. I then take some vinegar that I warmed up in the microwave and I pour that in and you can hear it fizz. I let it sit for a little bit and then run hot water while the disposal is turned on. It suppose to help clean as well as be good for keeping drain clear.

Sour Cream Orange Muffins

SOUR CREAM ORANGE MUFFINS

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup of sour cream - I used light because it is what I had on hand
1/4 cup milk
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar

Heat oven to 375. Line 12 regular-sized muffin cups with paper baking cups (or spray with cooking spray.)

In a large bowl mix 1/2 cup sugar, oil, egg, almond extract and orange zest. Add sour cream and milk and mix until just blended. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle batter with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm or cold.

Danae

I live in western Colorado and have been in a service oriented M/s relationship with Michael for the last 6 years. I am wired for service, to obey and be property. I am bisexual, masochistic, sexually submissive and poly.

I am a long time blogger - blogging about my life and thoughts/beliefs of the lifestyle. We have a website that is called within Reality because although we are a kinky Master/slave couple we believe in keeping our feet firmly planted in reality. It has our thoughts on the lifestyle as well as various resources and essays. I also have a group on FetLife devoted to Domestic Servitude.

This blog was started because I enjoy making Master's home life streamlined and satisfying. I enjoy being in domestic service to him as I am a girl who enjoys all things domestic: cooking, entertaining, crafts, DIY, decorating and even cleaning.

From my favorite resource Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping a House by Cheryl Mendelson:

"It is scarcely surprising then, that so many people imagine housekeeping to be boring, frustrating, repetitive, unintelligent drudgery. I cannot agree. Each of its regular routines brings satisfaction when it is completed . These routines echo the rhythm of life, and the housekeeping rhythm is the rhythm of the body. You get satisfaction not only from the sense of order, cleanliness, freshness, peace and plenty restored, but from the knowledge that you yourself and those you care about are going to enjoy these benefits."

my blog
website: within Reality
within Reality: Domestic Service
FetLife Domestic Servitude Group
Domestic Servitude Books
Email Me

Rheya

My name is Rheya and I live in an area caught between being a suburb of Atlanta and part of rural Central Georgia with my owner and my kitties. I work outside the home as well as taking care of my domestic responsibilities.

If you had asked me 20 years ago where I would be now, and suggested that I might find my bliss in domestic servitude, I would have thought you were crazy. I shunned domestic responsibilities having taken care of young nieces and nephews since I was young myself.

But... cooking, cleaning, sewing ... those were in my blood. My family tells stories about my crazy aunts and their cleaning rituals. Someday I'm sure there will be stories about me.

Email Rheya

Princess Mandy

I grew up in Texas but currently live with my Owner (and two cats) in California . I knew from a very early age that I had different ideas about love and relationships, but while the ideas were clear in my head, an actual definition of what I craved eluded me. I guess I was about 16 when I heard the band Depeche Mode for the first time and after hearing songs like Master and Servant and Strangelove, I realized there must be others like me out there. Of course it wasn’t until a few years later when I got my first computer that I was able to actually find anyone else like me.

I attended my first lifestyle event at 21. Eight years later I met my Daddy and Owner. I always knew I needed an Owner, but the Daddy part was a surprise (for both of us!). We stumbled across one another on a mutual friend’s Live journal. We corresponded for 3 months before I flew to North Dakota to meet Him on December 26th, 2003. The following May I left all my family and friends to pursue the relationship that I had been dreaming about my whole life. The relationship was great, but the subzero temperatures and near constant snow were not…thankfully we were transferred to California in September of 2005.

We were married on February 18th, 2006.

I am submissive and enjoy all aspects of service, humiliation, and control. I joke that I used to be a masochist, but He beat those desires right out of me. Thankfully there’s a weird trigger in my brain that’s able to eroticize sessions after the fact – otherwise, I don’t know where I’d be!

I love cooking, baking, entertaining, and all things crafty. I love to travel and my favorite place in the world is Disneyland . I take more pictures than any one person should – especially when the one craft I struggle with is scrapbooking. When I grow up I’d love to be a submissive Martha Stewart – but for now I guess being Daddy’s little domestic slave will have to do.

Email Me
FetLife Profile
My Livejournal

Jen

I am a wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. I just turned 40 and have to say that I am looking forward to what my 40’s bring. I have one child who is 2 years old and an absolute delight. We are expecting another baby in April of this year to round out our family. I have been married to my Owner for the past 5 years, and in his service for the past 8 years. It’s been an interesting evolution from a non-emotional M/s relationship to one of complete love, friendship, adoration, service, obedience, marriage and family. Our dynamic is ever changing and evolving with the one thing remaining constant is that he is the head of our family, the captain of the ship, so to speak. All else follows his will.

I am fortunate enough to be afforded the luxury of being able to stay at home with my child and be the best wife, mother, slave, and all around obedient driven person that I know how to be.

We live in Northern New Jersey and while not the ideal state that I would choose to live in, it is one that is centrally located to the beach, mountains, large cities, and all things cultural.

I have a love for all things domestic and have since I was a young child. Cooking especially is a passion for me and it is something I find most rewarding and relaxing. I especially enjoy it now that I am feeding a family and getting to watch my child learn about food and the things that she does and does not enjoy. It is a wonderful way to be able to open the door to all things around the world, through food.

I love searching out new things to make my domestic bliss a bit more complete and am always in search of a new cleaning tip, new craft idea for things around the house, new recipe to try out, or new website filled with tons of family related information.

I also enjoy sharing all of that type of information with others. And look forward to sharing all of this and more with you.

Jen
email: surrenderedsoul70@gmail.com

Daphne

I’m living with my Owner in a beautiful town on the south-eastern coast of Sweden. In late autumn 2005, I took what I could carry and left northern Sweden, to move in with the man of my dreams. He is the most honorable and kindest man I’ve ever known. We’ve been together for almost seven years and we’ve lived as Owner and property for four. As his property, I usually don’t use personal pronouns, so please don’t be shocked if you email me.

I’m his cook, maid, nurse, secretary and numerous other things. As such, I live a life of domestic servitude. I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to please him, from how to get the inside of a CPU-fan clean to what to cook for supper.

I study for a Bachelor’s in Food Science and Culinary Arts. That doesn’t make me a cook or chef, but we’ve spent a lot of time learning the basics of food, produce quality, hygiene and food politics. At the moment (spring 2011), I’ve two out of three years left before graduation. During these years we’ll be creating ideas for ready-made meals and new products, we’ll learn about marketing and PR, and study nutrition and health. I try work when not in school, in whatever restaurant kitchen that’ll have me. I’m very excited to hear about recipes and food culture from the world over; the how’s, why’s, what’s and when’s of food and meals intrigue me.

Overall, food and cooking is my thing and it’s what I love to do.

I’m on FetLife, but I don’t blog. Feel free to send me an email or PM!

- Daphne
FetLifeProfile

Kaya

I'm a 38 year old wife, mother, and grandma-to-be (squee!). I've been a domestic slave for about 5 years now. We mostly employ a 1950's style marriage, with a healthy dose of s&m thrown in for spice.

It feels like Master and I have known each other for forever and a day. The phrase "We've come a long way, baby" fits us the best. Though it's only been 5 years, we've conquered and battled so many things. From learning to co-parent and blending families, to unemployment, to cross-state moves, to teen pregnancy, through depression and financial woes, home purchasing, almost-break ups to reconnections. We've packed 20 years into 5 and come out stronger on the other side for it.

Master is an engineer and works long, hard hours to afford me the opportunity to stay at home and be the wife he's always longed for and the mother the kids need. Because of that I do my best to save money where I can, and perform to the best of my abilities. He sometimes travels for work so I'm adept (now) at switching gears between the submissive wife who is content to follow his lead, and having to step into the leadership, decision-making role.

My children (mine from a previous marriage) are the most important things in my world. I consider motherhood to be the most difficult and the most rewarding "job" on the planet. There is nothing that fills my heart more than seeing them healthy and happy. Though they aren't perfect, they are all 3 extremely talented, bright, beautiful and engaging souls. Being their mother is my greatest achievement.

I used to work as a nurse's aide, exclusively with elderly and Alzheimer's sufferers. I miss the job sometimes, but I wouldn't trade the peace, serenity and simplicity of life now for a million dollar job offer. If I could, I'd turn back time and live Little House on the Prairie style.

The last three years have allowed me to focus quite heavily on domestic service as a stay-at-home wife and mother. I did not take to it like a duck to water but more like a duck learning to drive. It did not come naturally to me.

I was a single parent working full-time for many years. I had never been taught how to cook beyond boxed/frozen dinners, and I relied on, and loved, the convenience of buying household products that made my life easier. So when I was suddenly thrust into the position of "domestic goddess" and told to cook from scratch, make bread and learn how to save money - I flailed around for quite awhile.

I still sometimes feel like I'm just barely treading water, especially when I am in the company of my idols (like Danae and Mandy!) but when I look back on how just a few short years ago I would burn water, I know I've made a lot of progress.

I rarely buy pre-packaged food, I'm a newly-obsessed gardener, I make my own bread and have reduced our cleaning products to the simplest and cheapest items. I can throw a decent dinner party for 10 with barely a blink, and I love love love to have my Man come home to a sparkling clean house and a home-cooked meal on the table.

We've recently moved to the country, to a fairly isolated area where we have room to become more self-sufficient. We're positively giddy at the opportunities opened up to us here.

My new goals for this gardening season are to learn how to can/freeze the vegetables that I hope to grow, and how to make salsa, pickles and spaghetti sauce. Blueberries grow in wild abundance here so I'll try my hand at whatever it is one makes with blueberries.

We're going to build a chicken coop and raise our own chickens starting real soon, but probably just for eggs to start. We'll possibly do meat chickens after I've mastered chicken rearing. We're talking about getting a nanny goat too, but I find the idea of milking it for drinking or making cheese to be beyond my abilities right now. I'd like to try and raise a pig for slaughter but Master said I'll just fall in love with it and want to keep it as a pet so his answer is no.

It should be an interesting summer with lots of new experiences. Hopefully, I can share some of them here with you all.

~kaya

Website: Under His Hand

Katie

I have been owned by and serving my Master, Jeff, since May of 2000. I’m a domestic girl with a heart for service and obedience. I like to please and know that I’m pleasing to the man who owns me. It is my truest nature to be a homemaker and servant.

I have a profound love and passion for homemaking, as I believe the home should be a refuge from the world. I do my best to make Master’s home inviting and warm through the many homemaking skills I learned from my grandmothers. I have a fondness for “old-fashioned” womanly chores which my Master encourages. These chores include baking and cooking from scratch, gardening, home preservation (canning & dehydrating), sewing, knitting, cleaning, etc.

Service in the context of consensual slavery is hands-down one of my most favorite things to talk about and learn about.  I'm constantly trying to improve and learn new skills in order to better please the man who owns me.

Email Me

Jouet

I'm a service-oriented, obedience-driven epicure with a penchant for adventure, adrenalin, and the pursuit of pleasure. I gravitate towards owner/property dynamics and am currently in service.

The lure of domesticity for me is that I want to live well. For me, this translates to creating a welcoming home environment that is a sanctuary from the chaos of everyday. I find little personal touches make all the difference in creating the sense of 'home'. I believe that food can be a sensuous, indulgent experience that is often unappreciated or rushed, and that a super comfortable bed with high quality linens is an essential in any home.

Above all else, it is an expression of the heart for me to care for someone's home, to cook their favorite meal and provide desired personal service which ultimately makes their life more comfortable and better, at least in their eyes, for having me in it.

"There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves." Thomas Wolfe

I'm hopelessly organized, anti-clutter, extremely goal oriented and a frustrated perfectionist at heart. I'm a reader, gardener, crafter, fledgling wine connoisseur, and avid traveler. Through the years, I've contributed recipes for a column oriented for slaves, articles for 'lifestyle' columns, and maintained my own personal writings on my experiences in slavery. One of my passions is discussion, particularly in matters related to service as well as the hearth and home.

My profile on fetlife

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Please let us know by leaving a comment or emailing danaewhispering@yahoo.com.

Domestic Servitude

A while back I was going through my bookmarks and saw a link to domesticservitude.blogspot.com and remembered a good friend who is a truly a domestic inspiration to me had it as her blog for a while before moving it. I was surprised when I clicked on the link and saw that it hadn't been snatched up because it seemed liked a really good title for a blog. So I decided to nab it while I had the chance, but really I didn't know what I was going to do with it. I just knew that I enjoy domestic service and the title reminds me of my friend. I let it sit here for probably about 6 months before starting to share all things domestic.

Soon I invited some friends to join in and share also. Creating a space that I hope many will enjoy and learn something new and interesting.

For those that are not in the lifestyle coming to this blog. This blog will talk about an alternative way of living life, but mostly it is about all things domestic: cleaning, cooking, decorating, entertaining and everything in between. Please enjoy the posts, but please be respectful of our choices and life. Although they might not be yours -- we enjoy our lives as I am sure you enjoy yours.

Thank you for stopping by and ENJOY!

~ danae