Happy Leap Day! :)
I'm not doing anything super special today. E tu?
With the way the calendar falls, I actually have an 'extra' week for my cleaning chart. I'm through the 4 weeks of Feb. With the end of one month in the middle of the week and a full 4 weeks in March, I have a 'leap' week.
Extra time.
What will I do with it? Use it wisely? Squander it? Wash the bathroom floors that I've been putting off? We'll see.
The nice (surprising) thing about this whole chart is tasks are SMALL and the goals attainable. For example, on Sunday, we had some extra time ... and I was all "Let's clean out the fridge." As in, let's take all the stuff off of the shelves and wipe them down. The bonus is any items hiding in the back that needed to go ... they WENT.
In all, it took probably 15 minutes (however, I only did the shelves, I didn't clean out the door yet). I'll do the door later this week. it will take me another 15 minutes. But that was all we did in the 'cleaning' realm for that day. And with knowing that is ALL we were going to do, Erik seems more willing to help. I confess, I am ALSO more willing to clean if it's the only task on the agenda.
I'm an organized person (for the most part), but I don't consider myself to be totally OCD (Erik will probably laugh at reading this) ... but this chart, it REALLY has been helpful in keeping me on task. Even though I started it in December, it's been a great addition to 2012.
Cheers!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Mini Pizzas!
Oooooh, how good this is! I don't have a photo to share, but GO HERE to check out this awesome recipe for mini pizzas. It's SO super-easy.
I took it to a social gathering last night as a snack and it was a HUGE hit!
For me, the best part of this recipe was its use of tortillas for the crust. Genius! I used my red sauce recipe (I added some diced tomatoes to it, though) .... and omitted some of the spices from the top recipe b/c of food reactions. But the red sauce itself was perfectly good!
For the mini pizzas, you put them in a muffin tin to bake. If you wanted to make these for kids, use a smaller cookie cutter in mini-muffin tins. Seriously, perfect size!
(I found this recipe on Pinterest .... and lately a lot of people have been asking in general 'do you do ANYTHING you see/like from Pinterest?' .... for me, some of it is just dreaming big. But this recipe is a great example of something I found, tried, love and will absolutely add to my hand bag of culinary tricks). :)
I took it to a social gathering last night as a snack and it was a HUGE hit!
For me, the best part of this recipe was its use of tortillas for the crust. Genius! I used my red sauce recipe (I added some diced tomatoes to it, though) .... and omitted some of the spices from the top recipe b/c of food reactions. But the red sauce itself was perfectly good!
For the mini pizzas, you put them in a muffin tin to bake. If you wanted to make these for kids, use a smaller cookie cutter in mini-muffin tins. Seriously, perfect size!
(I found this recipe on Pinterest .... and lately a lot of people have been asking in general 'do you do ANYTHING you see/like from Pinterest?' .... for me, some of it is just dreaming big. But this recipe is a great example of something I found, tried, love and will absolutely add to my hand bag of culinary tricks). :)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Organizing meal plans?
One of my blog friends, Michelle, mentioned in a blog post that she plans her meals for an entire month at a time. Seriously. I thought she was nuts. Off her rocker. Who on the planet is that organized? Not me. That's for SURE!
Yet I continued to struggle with making things last-minute for dinner.
At one point, I'd tried doing it one week at a time, but it just didn't seem to work. *frustrating*
I *think* I've been able to find a happy-medium. I will sit down and go through the recipes we like and ask Erik what he wants to eat over the next 2 weeks. If he has a special request, I'll make it happen. A little direction is helpful. Then I'll fill in.
Oh, and when Erik is off, he takes care of dinner. And I don't plan for Saturday nights either. So I usually only have to come up w/ about 4 meals/week. Or 3 if I want to make something big and plan for leftovers. :)
(no, the colors don't mean anything, it's just me going through post-its).
Here's the MAJOR up side to things: It has VASTLY simplified grocery shopping.
I'll put meals with fresh ingredients, or ones that will wilt/expire more quickly in week 1. If I have a partial ingredient left over from the first week, I'll find a recipe to use the rest of it in week 2. AND it means we have 2 "big" grocery trips/month. Ahhh, bliss! We will usually have to go for milk on the 'other' week, but it's a quick in-and-out dash and it's over. :)
Previously, we'd go for groceries about every 10 days or so, and would just sort of dawdle. No real plans. With a list of what we're eating, I can be sure I have the specific ingredients which is WAY nice.
Now, here's a question for the peanut gallery. I put the main dish on a little sticky note tab thing and stick it on the day. I do this so I can move it around if I need to. If I write it on the actual calendar, I'd end up moving things around and erasing and using arrows ... it'd get confusing.
Because we have a few favorites/staples, I re-use some of the stickies. But they're starting to lose their stick. Or peel or whatever ... I'm looking for a solution to this. Help? I'd like to be able to put on/take off the tag. I really only need to write on it once, but I'd like to be able to move it around as much as possible. On paper.
Anyone have a good idea/solution for me?
Yet I continued to struggle with making things last-minute for dinner.
At one point, I'd tried doing it one week at a time, but it just didn't seem to work. *frustrating*
I *think* I've been able to find a happy-medium. I will sit down and go through the recipes we like and ask Erik what he wants to eat over the next 2 weeks. If he has a special request, I'll make it happen. A little direction is helpful. Then I'll fill in.
Oh, and when Erik is off, he takes care of dinner. And I don't plan for Saturday nights either. So I usually only have to come up w/ about 4 meals/week. Or 3 if I want to make something big and plan for leftovers. :)
(no, the colors don't mean anything, it's just me going through post-its).
Here's the MAJOR up side to things: It has VASTLY simplified grocery shopping.
I'll put meals with fresh ingredients, or ones that will wilt/expire more quickly in week 1. If I have a partial ingredient left over from the first week, I'll find a recipe to use the rest of it in week 2. AND it means we have 2 "big" grocery trips/month. Ahhh, bliss! We will usually have to go for milk on the 'other' week, but it's a quick in-and-out dash and it's over. :)
Previously, we'd go for groceries about every 10 days or so, and would just sort of dawdle. No real plans. With a list of what we're eating, I can be sure I have the specific ingredients which is WAY nice.
Now, here's a question for the peanut gallery. I put the main dish on a little sticky note tab thing and stick it on the day. I do this so I can move it around if I need to. If I write it on the actual calendar, I'd end up moving things around and erasing and using arrows ... it'd get confusing.
Because we have a few favorites/staples, I re-use some of the stickies. But they're starting to lose their stick. Or peel or whatever ... I'm looking for a solution to this. Help? I'd like to be able to put on/take off the tag. I really only need to write on it once, but I'd like to be able to move it around as much as possible. On paper.
Anyone have a good idea/solution for me?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Smoothie Talkin' :)
Previously, I talked about making smoothies HERE.
How much I enjoy a good smoothie. :)
Here is my latest version:
1.5 c. frozen* strawberries (might want to let them thaw a little; sometimes hard to process if totally rock-hard solid)
1/2 c. frozen* blueberries
1/4 - 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
dash of honey (optional)
*Notice how I don't add ice in my smoothie? It's b/c I get the frozen component from frozen fruit.
Lately, I've been adding some SURPRISE ingredients:
1/2 c. cooked sweet potato (usually left over from dinner)
-OR-
handfull of baby carrots
The sweet potato gives lots of extra nutrients w/o adding flavor. The carrot, you can taste it a bit more. There is virtually no color change b/c of the strawberries/blueberries.
Put into food processor, blend until smooth. This makes about 3-4 servings, depending on size.
Favorite toppings/sides/mix-ins:
walnuts
graham cracker squares (dip + eat)
granola
crushed almonds
Teddy Grahams (for kids)
The crumbles in the bottom of your bag of cereal.
Some of my friends have more adventuresome tastes.
Yes, that smoothie is GREEN.
I've heard these are good combos:
Frozen mango/pineapple/tropical fruit mix
about 1 c. fresh spinach
orange juice
The word on the street is that you taste the tropical part and not the spinach. I might even add some mint into mine. Just b/c it's green :)
Some other fun smoothie add-ins: mangos, papayas, cherries and peaches. You will notice I omitted bananas. It's not because I'm a hater; it's because my body doesn't process them well. :( They're a great add-in for smoothies, too, though.
I'm curious how other veggies might go in. I'd probably stick with ones that wouldn't add too much flavor/taste, wuch as: cooked sweet potato or cooked cauliflower .... any other suggestions for veggies I could add in here?
How much I enjoy a good smoothie. :)
Here is my latest version:
1.5 c. frozen* strawberries (might want to let them thaw a little; sometimes hard to process if totally rock-hard solid)
1/2 c. frozen* blueberries
1/4 - 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
dash of honey (optional)
*Notice how I don't add ice in my smoothie? It's b/c I get the frozen component from frozen fruit.
Lately, I've been adding some SURPRISE ingredients:
1/2 c. cooked sweet potato (usually left over from dinner)
-OR-
handfull of baby carrots
The sweet potato gives lots of extra nutrients w/o adding flavor. The carrot, you can taste it a bit more. There is virtually no color change b/c of the strawberries/blueberries.
Put into food processor, blend until smooth. This makes about 3-4 servings, depending on size.
Favorite toppings/sides/mix-ins:
walnuts
graham cracker squares (dip + eat)
granola
crushed almonds
Teddy Grahams (for kids)
The crumbles in the bottom of your bag of cereal.
Some of my friends have more adventuresome tastes.
Yes, that smoothie is GREEN.
I've heard these are good combos:
Frozen mango/pineapple/tropical fruit mix
about 1 c. fresh spinach
orange juice
The word on the street is that you taste the tropical part and not the spinach. I might even add some mint into mine. Just b/c it's green :)
Some other fun smoothie add-ins: mangos, papayas, cherries and peaches. You will notice I omitted bananas. It's not because I'm a hater; it's because my body doesn't process them well. :( They're a great add-in for smoothies, too, though.
I'm curious how other veggies might go in. I'd probably stick with ones that wouldn't add too much flavor/taste, wuch as: cooked sweet potato or cooked cauliflower .... any other suggestions for veggies I could add in here?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Domino Effect
You know how it goes. Yes, you. The homeowners. You know how home projects go. You do ONE TINY thing like tear out the wall between your kitchen and dining room and then other projects spiral from that one tiny action.
About 2.5 years ago, I tore out a wall. I was done looking at it. It gave me the stink eye most days. And I was tired of its attitude. Its sass. So I showed it who was boss.
This is what was left:
Yes, that's a hole, and yet is is in our kitchen/dining floor. We just step over it and pretend it's all finished and pretty. Seriously.
Over the years, Erik has said "I'd like to get rid of or cover the tile in the kitchen and get rid of the carpet in the dining room." For YEARS he's said this. Well, Erik is the thinker and I'm the DO-er in this marriage. I finally said ENOUGH! We are going to do this.
It started with us thinking we'd have the hardwood floors refinished. Under our entire kitchen/dining/living room area.
After some consulting with floor people who know more about this than I do, though, it seems the tile in our kitchen could be a problem. Even if we are able to get it up, the floors are probably hopelessly damaged. :( Which makes me sad, sad, sad.
One day, Erik said to me "Maybe we just re-do the floors in the kitchen/dining room and leave the carpet in the living room." I don't have any problem with that. In fact, it'll make the kitchen/dining project MUCH easier! We'll just move appliances into the living room and not have to take them out of the house, along with the couch. This seems like a genius idea!
So now, we're just having the floors in the kitchen/dining done. Project got smaller, right? Maybe.
Think back to the above photo. Notice the hole? It contains a vent. The only vent that went into the kitchen. We certainly don't HAVE to have a vent in the kitchen, but we probably should for the comfort factor.
For the past few weeks, we've had heating/air/duct people tromping in and out to look, see and give quotes for moving this vent. The dog thinks it's Christmas, with so many people coming in to bark at and to sniff.
I *think* we've nailed down who will be doing the duct work, and later this week we'll nail down details on the floors. Sigh. But this has been a process.
I will be so glad when it's all done.
Oh, but the domino effect. We can't forget. So, since we're having the floors done, it makes sense to paint the walls before we care if we drip anything on the floors. In both the kitchen and dining rooms. Did I mention I have not sanded down and re-mudded the big hole in the wall? Yes, I will have to do that BEFORE any priming or painting is done.
Seriously, some days I think I need to have my mental health checked.
So, dear blog readers, if you feel like I'm neglecting this blog in any manner, it's because I am drowning in the domino effect of taking out a wall and deciding to put in a new floor.
It all sounds so easy. Right?
Riiiiiiiiiight.
About 2.5 years ago, I tore out a wall. I was done looking at it. It gave me the stink eye most days. And I was tired of its attitude. Its sass. So I showed it who was boss.
This is what was left:
Yes, that's a hole, and yet is is in our kitchen/dining floor. We just step over it and pretend it's all finished and pretty. Seriously.
Over the years, Erik has said "I'd like to get rid of or cover the tile in the kitchen and get rid of the carpet in the dining room." For YEARS he's said this. Well, Erik is the thinker and I'm the DO-er in this marriage. I finally said ENOUGH! We are going to do this.
It started with us thinking we'd have the hardwood floors refinished. Under our entire kitchen/dining/living room area.
After some consulting with floor people who know more about this than I do, though, it seems the tile in our kitchen could be a problem. Even if we are able to get it up, the floors are probably hopelessly damaged. :( Which makes me sad, sad, sad.
One day, Erik said to me "Maybe we just re-do the floors in the kitchen/dining room and leave the carpet in the living room." I don't have any problem with that. In fact, it'll make the kitchen/dining project MUCH easier! We'll just move appliances into the living room and not have to take them out of the house, along with the couch. This seems like a genius idea!
So now, we're just having the floors in the kitchen/dining done. Project got smaller, right? Maybe.
Think back to the above photo. Notice the hole? It contains a vent. The only vent that went into the kitchen. We certainly don't HAVE to have a vent in the kitchen, but we probably should for the comfort factor.
For the past few weeks, we've had heating/air/duct people tromping in and out to look, see and give quotes for moving this vent. The dog thinks it's Christmas, with so many people coming in to bark at and to sniff.
I *think* we've nailed down who will be doing the duct work, and later this week we'll nail down details on the floors. Sigh. But this has been a process.
I will be so glad when it's all done.
Oh, but the domino effect. We can't forget. So, since we're having the floors done, it makes sense to paint the walls before we care if we drip anything on the floors. In both the kitchen and dining rooms. Did I mention I have not sanded down and re-mudded the big hole in the wall? Yes, I will have to do that BEFORE any priming or painting is done.
Seriously, some days I think I need to have my mental health checked.
So, dear blog readers, if you feel like I'm neglecting this blog in any manner, it's because I am drowning in the domino effect of taking out a wall and deciding to put in a new floor.
It all sounds so easy. Right?
Riiiiiiiiiight.
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