34 weeks of Clean 2019! Week 5- Recipes

OK friends, we are going to take a week's detour from hard cleaning - week 3 for Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers took me about 4 hours and week 4 of Fridge, Freezer and Floor was hard (and cold) work and I need a break!  Next week, we will be finishing up the kitchen and moving deeper into our houses, so be ready!

But real quick, let me answer a few questions I get asked frequently.

Why schedule one space a week and why so slow?  Here are my thoughts.  A few of them anyway.  Consider it kind of a spring cleaning project that you can do once a year.  Yes, we should be cleaning more often than that, but if we are all being honest with ourselves, some things simply do not get done as often as they should.  Things like blinds, ovens, and behind furniture.  Anyone else?  By concentrating on just one area each week, we run less of a chance of burnout- ask me how I know this!  It is easy to start strong and be excited, hence all of the amazing pictures you all have been sharing, but then real life sets in, we get a little lazy, and all of a sudden time has gone by and something else has demanded our attention.  I get it, because I can be guilty of it.  Accountability, and in my case, checklists, have a great way of motivating people.  If you missed my post last week on Weekly Cleaning, make sure you check it out!

And so why the checklists?  For your ease and motivation!  To help you think outside the box and to help hold you accountable.  Just pretend each time you check something off I am standing there nodding my head and smiling.  Especially on those hard projects.

And let's face it, everyone's definition of hard project will be different.  That being said, NO AVOIDING the hard projects.  If we get to one you REALLY do not want to do, I am willing to bet it is the one you need to do the most! ;)  Just do it, and then enjoy the weeks you are excited about.  Not all will be exciting, but all will get you one step closer to taking your house back!

Let's do this! 

So this week is a simpler project- recipes!


Ok, maybe not simpler, but at least no scrubbing is involved.  More organizing, and I LOVE organizing, remember?  But, be forewarned that this is a little more than just straightening things up a bit.  This project usually takes me several hours.

I often have recipes in several places.  Some places they belong, some they do not.  Let's just say I like to pull recipes out of magazine and copy them off the internet faster than I can file them. It is a bad habit of mine. Well, one of many, but who is keeping track?  Anyway, this is what happens-

I had two file boxes of older, tried and true recipes.  One for only desserts and one for anything else.  Last year, after careful consideration of ALL the recipes, yes one by one, I threw out half and put the rest into just one box.  I asked myself with each one I touched, do I fix this, do I like it, am I ever going to fix it?  

There is NO reason to keep a recipe I am NEVER going to fix because my family would not eat it.  Other recipes that got the axe were ones with a million steps to them.  I know my life and I know my tolerance level- I am not a chef nor do I desire to be one.  Time to trash the recipes that do not fit into my busy life. Quite frankly, I am tired of copying new recipes onto those tiny little cards I cannot read anymore, so last year I adopted a new-to-me system.  Hold on to your hats!

Three Ring Binder.

 Yep, that is it.  Silly easy, huh?

I divided sections into categories that make sense to me and then put the recipes in page protectors. (I even have a new one this year with Keto recipes.) Makes clean up easy when I have tiny helping hands, and makes it much easy to file recipes I pull out of magazines or off the internet.

So here is your assignment:

• Get those recipes organized.  If you have a system that works for you, yay!  Go through it and throw out the ones you don't use.  If not, go buy an inexpensive three ring binder and give it a try!

• Don't forget those cookbooks!  I used to have about a million more.  I even collected a series from Southern Living.  They were beautiful but I NEVER used them.  I finally took them to Goodwill several years ago.  It was time to stop carrying around (we moved often remember) 15 cookbooks just because they were pretty!  Go ahead - pare down, you can do it!

This is what it looked like last year!

Yes, this is really what I kept!

And about these little things.  You know that impulse aisle in the grocery checkout aisle?  Well, it is not the candy that gets me.  Well, that gets me too, but it's those little themed recipe booklets that call my name.  They seem fun at the time.  But I cannot tell you the last time I actually used one of those recipes.  So I went through every one last year, yes I did, and pulled out about 5 recipes I wanted and KNEW I would actually use.  They went into my 3 ringed binder and the rest went in the trash.  Yay me!!  A year later- I have not bought one new one!  A small victory!

See, no cleaners or rags involved.  'Til next week! ;) One more week in the kitchen, friends. Hang in there, we are almost done with this area.   Remember, we are on a quest to take back our homes.  That means we are not only cleaning, but de-cluttering and reorganizing as well.  More things mean less room. More things take up space we could use otherwise - in our homes and in our heads!

Have fun and keep only what you need and will use!

Blessings,

Intro Week
Week 1- Holiday Decorations
Week 2-The Pantry
Week 3-Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers   
Week 4- Fridge, Freezer and Floors

34 Weeks of Clean Rinse and Repeat- Week 5: Recipes

OK friends, we are going to take a week's detour from hard cleaning - week 3 for Kitchen cabinets and drawers took me about 5 hours and week 4 of fridge, freezer, and floors was hard (and cold) work and I need a break!  Next week, we will be finishing up the kitchen and moving deeper into our houses, so be ready!

But real quick, let me answer a few questions I have been asked recently.

Why schedule one space a week and why so slow?  Here are my thoughts.  A few of them anyway.  Consider it kind of a spring cleaning project that you can do once a year.  Yes, we should be cleaning more often than that, but if we are all being honest with ourselves, some things simply do not get done as often as they should.  Things like blinds, ovens, and behind furniture.  Anyone else?  By concentrating on just one area each week, we run less of a chance of burnout- ask me how I know this!  It is easy to start strong and be excited, hence all of the amazing pictures you all have been sharing, but then real life sets in, we get a little lazy, and all of a sudden time has gone by and something else has demanded our attention.  I get it, because I can be guilty of it.  Accountability, and in my case checklists, have a great way of motivating people.

And so why the checklists?  For your ease and motivation!  To help you think outside the box and to help hold you accountable.  Just pretend each time you check something off I am standing there nodding my head and smiling.  Especially on those hard projects.

And let's face it, everyone's definition of hard project will be different.  That being said, NO AVOIDING the hard projects.  If we get to one you REALLY do not want to do, I am willing to bet it is the one you need to do the most! ;)  Just do it, and then enjoy the weeks you are excited about.  Not all will be exciting, but all will get you one step closer to taking your house back!

Let's do this!

So this week is a simpler project - recipes! 


Ok, maybe not simpler, but at least no scrubbing is involved.  More organizing, and I LOVE organizing, remember?  But, be forewarned that this is a little more than just straightening things up a bit.  This projects took me about 3 hours total!

I have recipes in several places.  Some places they belong, some they do not.  Let's just say I like to pull recipes out of magazine and copy them off the internet faster than I can file them. It is a bad habit of mine. Well, one of many, but who is keeping track?  Anyway, this is what happens-

Those are actually the ones I threw away.  It was time to be realistic and keep only the ones that I am really going to try, aka simple ones that my family might be willing to try.  I had numerous, (see the picture) for things that sounded good to me, but when I stopped to think about it I realized that they would only sound good to me.  There is NO reason to keep a recipe I am NEVER going to fix because my family would not eat it.  Other recipes that got the axe were ones with a million steps to them.  I know my life and I know my tolerance level- I am not a chef not do I desire to be one.  Time to trash the recipes that do not fit into my busy life.

I have two file boxes of older, tried and true recipes.  One for only desserts and one for anything else.  After careful consideration of ALL the recipes, yes one by one, I threw out half and put the rest into just one box.  I asked myself with each one I touched, do I fix this, do I like it, am I ever going to fix it?  

Quite frankly, I am tired of copying new recipes onto those tiny little cards I cannot read anymore, so last year I adopted a new-to-me system.  Hold on to your hats!

Three Ring Binder.

 Yep, that is it.  Silly easy, huh?

I divided sections into categories that make sense to me and then put the recipes in page protectors. Makes clean up easy when I have tiny helping hands, and makes it much easy to file recipes I pull out of magazines or off the internet.

So here is your assignment:

• Get those recipes organized.  If you have a system that works for you, yay!  Go through it and throw out the ones you don't use.  If not, go buy an inexpensive three ring binder and give it a try!

• Don't forget those cookbooks!  I used to have about a million more.  I even collected a series from Southern Living.  They were beautiful but I NEVER used them.  I finally took them to Goodwill several years ago.  It was time to stop carrying around (we move often remember) 15 cookbooks just because they were pretty!  Go ahead - pare down, you can do it!

Yes, this is really what I kept!

 

 

And about these little things.  You know that impulse aisle in the grocery checkout aisle?  Well, it is not the candy that gets me.  Well, that gets me too, but it's those little themed recipe booklets that call my name.  They seem fun at the time.  But I cannot tell you the last time I actually used one of those recipes.  So I went through every one, yes I did, and pulled out about 5 recipes I wanted and KNEW I would actually use.  They went into my 3 ringed binder and the rest went in the trash.  Yay me!! 

See, no cleaners or rags involved.  Til next week! ;) One more week in the kitchen, friends.  Remember, we are on a quest to take back our homes.  That means we are not only cleaning, but de-cluttering as well.  More things mean less room. More things take up space we could use otherwise - in our homes and in our heads!

Have fun and keep only what you need and will use!

Once again, I am so thrilled you are joining us! Each week more and more people join us- it is never too late to start!  Keep those pictures coming, put them HERE,  for a chance to be blessed by our friends at 621 Gifts and Redeemed!  Great friends- great prizes!

This week 621 Gifts mentioned their Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate- I am pretty sure I need some!

 

Blessings,

34 Weeks of Clean! Week 5- Recipes!

OK friends, we are going to take a week's detour from hard cleaning - week 3 for cabinets and drawers took me about 5 hours and week 4 of fridge, freezers, and floors was hard (and cold) work and I need a break!

So this week a simpler project - recipes!


Ok, maybe not simpler, but at least no scrubbing is involved.  More organizing, and I LOVE organizing, remember?

I have recipes in several places.  Some places they belong, some they do not.  Let's just say I like to pull recipes out of magazine and copy them off the internet faster than I can file them.  It is a bad habit of mine. Well, one of many, but who is keeping track?  Anyway, this is what happens-

Time to be realistic and keep only the ones that I am really going to try, aka - simple ones that my family might be willing to try, and then actually put them where they belong.

I do also have two file boxes of older, tried and true recipes.  One for only desserts and one for anything else, but I am quite frankly tired of copying new recipes onto those tiny little cards I cannot read anymore, so I have a new-to-me system.  Hold on to your hats!

Three Ring Binder.

shhh-don't tell Kemi I need pretty tabs! ;)

Yep, that is it.  Silly easy, huh?

I divided sections into categories that make sense to me and then put the recipes in page protectors. Makes clean up easy when I have tiny helping hands.

So here is your assignment:

• Get those recipes organized.  If you have a system that works for you, yay!  Go through it and throw out the ones you don't use.  If not, go invest in an inexpensive three ring binder and give it a try!

• Let's don't forget those cookbooks!  I used to have about a million more.  I even collected a series from Southern Living.  They were beautiful but I NEVER used them.  I finally took them to Goodwill last year.  It was time to stop carrying around (we move often remember) 15 cookbooks just because they were pretty!  Go ahead - pare down, you can do it! 

See, no cleaners or rags involved.  Til next week! ;)  Ummm, did I say this was our last week in the kitchen? Oops!  I got ahead of myself...one more week, friends.  Remember, we are on a quest to take back our homes.  That means not only clean, but declutter as well.  More things mean less room. More things take up space we could use otherwise - in our homes and in our heads!

Have fun and make sure you check out the adorable recipe cards that Kemi at Homemaking Organized made for you all!  She rocks!

I am so thrilled you are joining us! It is your turn to link up all of your clean and sparkling fridges, freezers, and floors!  Each week I share a few on social media in hopes of blessing you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Week 4- Fridge, Freezers, and Floors

Week 6- The Stove and Dreaded Loose Ends

Blessings and Happy Organizing!

Fun Friday- Saving Money in the Kitchen Finale and Giveaway!

Well friends, welcome back to the last installment of Saving Money in the Kitchen.  Here we go...

Dinner time!  What's on your menu?  Fast food, you say?  Honestly, we do not usually eat out just for the fun of it.  Usually the service isn't that great, the food is just OK, and for a family of six it is just plain expensive.  Nope, we usually are only tempted to eat out when mom does not know what is for dinner.  It is irritating, it is unhealthy and it is costly. 

But I struggle with menu planning.  Can anyone relate?  The planning part is not so bad really but the coming up with things to actually put on the plan, well, that is another story.  I waffle between feeling like I am boring my family to death to trying out long, fancy recipes that take a lot of time and they all turn their nose up in the end anyway.  So. Done. With. That!

I have a new solution!  You are going to love it!
I have just finished up my second round of cooking what someone else tells me to cook for a 13 week stretch.  I love it.  I just open the book and follow someone else's plans and recipes.  Easy!

My worn, well loved copy!

I have mentioned Rachel Master's cookbook, Supper's on the Table, Come Home before.  In this 253 page, spiral bound gem, Rachel gives you 13 weeks of 5 meals each with sides along with their recipes. To sweeten the deal she also adds a complete shopping list for each week- staples included!  AND to make it even better, a special dessert and one snack idea are included for each week with all the recipes AND ingredients list.  What else could you need?

It was written by a mom with kids for a mom with kids.  'Ya know what I mean?  None of that creame de 'la something, or fancy-smanshy, I cannot pronounce nor will my family ever eat recipes.  Just real life stuff, with real life ingredients.

These are good solid meal plans- a main dish, a veggie recommendation and often a bread of some sort or a fruit.  Did I already mention kid friendly?  I admit to having 3 out of 4 picky eaters.  I do not know how it happened, but yes, my kids are somewhat picky and opinionated about food.  Out of the 80 meals listed I only replaced about 5.  And they were pretty easy fixes.  Where split pea soup was listed, for example, I just changed it to pork loin. (sorry Rachel)  I simply marked out the ingredients for that meal on the shopping list and added my own.  Now when I shop, I copy the week's ingredients list, mark out all the things I already have on hand and go get the rest of what Rachel tells me I will need.

A no brainer.
And a life saver.

Could it get any better?
Well, actually it can!  Because at the end of the book are bonus recipes for everything from homemade mixes (we use the biscuit mix recipe all of the time) to holiday meal ideas and a even section on food allergies.

Why reinvent the wheel?
Actually, I did reinvent the wheel a little.  I admit the organizational side of me loves this concept, so I got out a notebook and the recipes I have that my family loves and made my own 13 week schedule, complete with shopping lists.  It is not nearly as well done as Rachel's, but it will do.  Now I do not have to menu plan for 26 weeks.  Yea me!

This cookbook makes a great gift for young people just starting out with cooking.  Because most recipes are not too labor intensive, it is an opportunity to learn how to ease into cooking.  Rachel gives start times for each portion of the meal, helping to get it all on the table at the same time.

Want one?  You can order a copy of Rachel's book, Supper's on the Table, Come Home from her website ~ for $15.00.

Or...

Rachel is going to bless one of my readers with their own copy for free!   Enter the rafflecopter below to win.  I know you will love it.  Thank you Rachel!

Looking for ways to save money?  Menu planning can be a great tool to keep you out of the grocery store too often, and keep you from those impulse items that end up costing us way too much.  Give it a try and see if it doesn't help!

Blessings,

This post is being linked up with Amy, At Raising Arrows!

This post in being link to Caroline at The Modest Mom!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- Opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by the publisher.  I did not receive compensation in any form for this review.  The cookbook offered is from the generous offer of Rachel!

Got food allergies?

We do not struggle with food allergies at our house, praise the Lord!  But the older I get, the more people I know that do or more commonly, have kiddos that do.  And my hat is off to them.  It takes hours of research, reformulating recipes, keeping an eagle's eye out on labels, lots of frustrations and tons of prayers just to keep their children fed and healthy, sometimes even to keep them alive.

I met Angie years ago in Albuquerque when our family was stationed there for the 3rd time.  We have reconnected thanks to the wonders of Facebook and she has recently begun to blog some fabulous recipes for people with allergies over at Conscious Eatery.  I am sharing her blog with you, friends, because she is a wealth of information that will hopefully save you some time and trouble; not to mention they all sound yummy!  Community is amazing, and I know for those with food allergies, it is vital.

From Angie's web site:

As a mom of a child with severe food allergies (dairy, eggs, nuts, peanuts, and wheat), I've had to become a flexible, creative cook and allergy-free, vegan baker. Over the years, several friends and fellow moms have asked me for recipes and ideas, so I thought I would finally join the blogging world. My hope is that I can inspire and encourage other moms and dads to provide their families with delicious allergy-free foods.

 

 

Even if you do not cook for anyone with allergies, the recipes Angie posts are amazing!  On our menu this week are her Lettuce Wraps!

 

 

 

While you are visiting her blog, would you please take a moment and vote for Angie in the 'Top 25 Mom Allergy Blog'?   You will find the pink button to the right on her side bar!

 

Happy Fall Cooking, ya'll!

 

Crocking Fun Friday-It came in!

Yes, my new Crock Pot arrived!  With a little bonus crock called the Little Dipper!  And programmable to boot!  (Can you tell I am a little excited?)

So because of my excitement you get two recipes, one for each!

The first is simple and comes from The Crockin Girls' Slow Cookin Companion cookbook.

Idaho Dip
1 pkg. sausage
2 pkgs. cream cheese
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

Cook sausage and drain.  Place in cooker with cream cheese and tomatoes.  Cook on low for 2 hours or until heated through. 
Serve with chips or crackers.


The second, not so hard either, and one I do on a regular basis.



The name-
 Whole Fryer Chicken (aren't I original?)

I add one fryer chicken to the slow cooker.  Usually it is frozen solid!  Yes, I know there is "extra stuff" in the cavity.  It gets cooked as well and discarded later, but since it is a good source of nutrients, it stays in for now.

Sprinkle over the top-
sage,
garlic powder,
salt
and pepper.
Or anything else you feel like throwing in.
Add 2-3 cups of water.

I turn my Crock Pot on right before we go to bed and set it on low for 10 hours.  By the time we wake up, the cooker has switched to warm and the house smells good!

 

Sorry, this is a HORRIBLE picture, but funny story!  We were half way through eating dinner, and yelled stop!  (scared everyone to death!)  I realized I had not gotten a pretty, before picture, so you get the half eaten one!

 

Anyway, once the chicken is done cooking here's the plan-

We either:

1- eat chicken that night for dinner and freeze the leftovers for later use in a casserole or similar meal

or

2- I debone the whole chicken, freeze 2 cups portions and save some for homemade soup for our lunch.

Regardless, we always get several meals out of that chicken which saves money, we have cooked chicken ready to pull out of the freezer for easier and quicker meal prep, and I always have plenty of homemade chicken broth to freeze.  Haven't bought a can of chicken broth in a LONG time!

Happy Cooking!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Hello! I'm the oldest daughter, ALP, and mom asked me to guest post today while she is in surgery. So here we go. =)

The topic of today's post: Home-made Laundry Detergent. 

Let's face it; Laundry detergent is not only expensive but also contains harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances (code for more chemicals), and dyes. A few years ago I started exploring websites and blogs, looking for an easy laundry detergent recipe. It had to meet the following criteria:
1. It had to be easy. (Mom was not totally on board with this yet so complicated recipes were going to be a no-go.)
2. It had to be a powdered recipe. (see number 1. Mom was not going to go for a huge 5-gallon bucket of slime sitting on the laundry room floor. I also didn't like the idea of having to melt soap like so many of the recipes called for)
3. It had to work in a high-efficiency washer.
4. It had to be cost effective. (a tough thing to live up to, as mom was ((and is)) a coupon queen and got laundry detergent at great prices)
5. It had to work. (obviously)
 After some experimentation I have come up with this recipe, which is very close to this recipe.

You will need:

One 4oz. (or close) bar of natural soap. Any will do, such as Kirk's Castile (pictured here), Dr. Bronner's, or Kiss My Face, which can be found in the laundry aisle or in the organic/natural section of your grocery store. Ivory soap can used in a pinch but does contain fragrances. 

Fels Naptha, although recommended by many, contains harsh ingredients and comes with an eye and skin irritant warning - not something I want to use to wash my clothes! If you are looking for a soap to use, read the label and look for something that has only a few ingredients, ones you recognize! Kirk's Castile does list fragrance as an ingredient, but it is that last thing listed and will not make your clothes smell. It is sort of the least of all evils, if you will. =)

 Washing Soda, found in the laundry aisle in a Yellow box.

 Baking Soda (usually cheaper if bought in the baking aisle or the dollar store!),

 and Borax, found in a white box in the laundry aisle. 

Please do not be afraid to make your own laundry soap, it is super easy!

 First, grate (or have your children or siblings or husband grate) the 4 oz. bar of soap with a cheese grater. (oh, and please be sure to wash it after you are done. thank you.)

 You want the flakes to be fairly small, not huge soap shavings.

 See?

You can sort of mash them up if they are too big.

 Next, add 2 cups of Borax,

then add 1 cup of Washing Soda,

and 1 cup of baking soda.

Mix well, stop to take a picture. ;)

Now, this is where you can get fancy and add 2-3 drops of an essential oil to make your clothes smell nice. I have yet to do that. But please feel free. 

Put your laundry detergent in a container. Mine happens to be a vintage glass jar that came from an falling down house on a family farm but a plastic dollar store container works just as well. =) 

 

 You can also make a fancy tag, if you are so inclined. And you are done!

To use: just add 1-2 tablespoons per load. Now, if you are like me, you will want to add a cup. After all, (in my mind) regular laundry detergent works that way and if 2 Tbs. is good a cup will be better, right? Wrong. Regular laundry detergent is watered down so it is cheaper to produce and so you have to use, and therefore buy, more. This detergent is not watered down at all so you do not need nearly as much of it. 1TBS for regular loads and 2 TBS for heavy or super dirty loads like towels or gym clothes. Trust me.  Much more will not get rinsed out, leaving soapy residue on your clothes.

Now for the details.
1. It is safe for top-loading, front-loading, regular, and high efficiency machines.
2. It will not foam and bubble like store bought detergent. This is normal, and makes it safe for HE machines. Trust me, it is still working.
3. It will not make your clothes smell like a forest, spring meadow or rainbow. The smell that we have come to associate with clean is actually a toxic combo of chemicals. Please realize that until you get used to the lack of "clean smell" (aka pink cherry blossoms or lavender dream) you might think the clothes don't smell clean. They are clean, and I promise that you will get use to it. You can, however, add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice if you would like your clothes to smell like something.
4. It makes about 90 loads worth of detergent. Our family of six does a minimum of 9 loads of laundry a week. That means I only make more detergent about every three months, and it only takes 10 minutes to do. (Ok, more if you photograph it.)
5. Cost break-down. I figured it out at one point but I'm not sure where it went (maybe it got washed...). Suffice it to say that we are still using it, so it must have been cheaper than what mom was paying for detergent even using coupons. =)

There you go! Easy, cheap, and natural laundry detergent.

Please continue to keep mom in your prayers and we will keep you up to date with how she is doing!
 Blessings, ALP