The World Within our Walls. Easier ways...

With Chloe getting married in October I have been writing up recipes and tips for her.  Years ago I made the girls books containing all my best household tips and family recipes... but time has gone by and now I have lots more of both!  I have learned so much since then!

The books contained recipes from both Nans, Mum and me.   There were tips on all kinds of things and many photos, mementos and even Birthday cards given by my Mum to her Mother and so on.
So now I am adding to the books!

First I make some recipe cards and gave Chloe some of my more recent recipe suggestions, many of these are slow cooker recipes.  I decorated these with stamps given to me by Barb.
When life is busy and especially when you have a baby and little children nothing is a help like the slow cooker.
If you want to get started on Slow Cooking this is an early post on some slow cooking basics  Your number one handmaiden.
and part two Crock pot cooking series part 2.  After that there are lots of posts, see my index Crockpot cooking series...

So this is my number one helper.  Having soups, stews, baked apples, curries, etc going is so good and most of your work is done when that busy time arrives late afternoon, early evening.
These things are all good winter meals.  In summer I still use my slow cooker as who wants the oven on?  Even if we are having a BBQ I might have filled the slow cooker with corn or potatoes for an easy side dish in the evening.  And when there is fruit I stew lots and freeze portions and in the slow cooker.

All your winter stews/casseroles always add lots and lots of veggies!  Make it go as far as you can with sides like rice, mash, rolls, pasta... anything!   Your left over casserole will make the most beautiful meat pie fillings!   Pies seem to be a completely different meal and they freeze so well for when you need something fast.  Also you can make child sized ones in muffin trays or family sized ones.  Casseroles, Pies and Curries.

If your slow cooker is really baked on and messy oil it with hot water and a dishwasher tablet or some fabric softener.  Ignore it until the next day. Then it will clean so easily.
Actually this applies to most baking dishes.

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This is my Grandmother (Dad's Mum)  Ivy. 

Harper is Harper Patricia (my Mum) Ivy.

 Meat is pretty expensive to VERY expensive.  I go between a few main ways to save on meat.  My husband loves his meat and I do too...

Method 1.  Buy the best deals and markdowns and know your prices.  Check the fresh meat section, the deli section AND the frozen section of your supermarket.  The difference across these can be huge. See if you have a wholesale butcher near by and sign up for the specials.  At the moment here the best buys are chicken, pork and roast lamb.  Lamb is really expensive unless you buy a leg and then I can get it at $8 a kilo.  Otherwise I can get port at $4.50 a kilo and chicken for less.  Yet it is also easy to pay $44 a kilo for lamb.  So it is not just the type of meat is it the cut.  Knowing all this I still watch for mark downs as well.
If you buy roasting cuts then you also have your own deli meat for lunches.  So you can buy a leg of ham for $8 a kilo and slice your own or pay $22 a kilo or more for shaved ham.  That is so much difference.  Small packets of deli meat are even more some up to $40 a kilo.

Method 2.  Serve meat with a ton of sides.  A curry it easy to do this, by the time you serve Naan, raita, salad and rice it is amazing how much actual meat you need.  This continually amazes me.
Our Nan's served a roast with many veggie sides, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings, gravy... the meat itself went a very long way.  They knew what they were doing!

Method 3.  Use a small amount of a stronger flavoured meat to give the impression of meat but really there is hardly any.  Bacon is awesome for this a few bits of bacon in a salad and a man might like it lol or some chorizo in a pasta or some salami on a pizza..... it is just a bit but it packs a big punch.

This page is in Lucy's book.  It is a page about having a dress up box. 

Dress ups were a major hit at our place and I had enough for all friends to dress up too. 

Set aside or hide your left overs.  If you want this all to become tomorrows lunches, sandwich meat or a freezer meal make it disappear so it doesn't get hoovered up before you have a chance.  I hear this problem a lot!

Don't waste bread.  If you always have bread going stale divide it up and free portions.  Otherwise put left over bread to good use!  I have heard of people that buy a loaf a day and throw out half of it.

Here are some uses for left over bread... Never waste one slice of bread.

Use up all left overs.  If you keep a bag in the freezer for odds and ends for soup or stock then even the ends of a bunch of parsley or the leaves of a bunch of celery will be wonderful and almost free goodness for your next cook up.  Restaurants don't throw these out they would soon go broke!  The same with bones,  left over veggies etc.  It is all valuable.

When you make something make extra.  If I bake cakes, biscuits, scones, anything I am not just going to bake one batch.  Always double (or more) and freeze some.
If you are roasting veggies add a lot more and the next night use them in a pizza, frittata, salad.

If you have left over stone fruit this is a good recipe to use it up Economical and yummy cake.

This recipe is for sweet or savoury muffins and will turn almost any bits and pieces into lunch box fillers...  Miracle Muffins.  And they freeze perfectly!

When you are a bit low on food have a baking day.  Scones and pancakes are great fillers when the budget is low.  So is soup.  A little bit of ham or bacon is enough to make fried rice or a pizza.  You can extend a lot and seemingly make something out of nothing!   There are some cheap recipes here The Money Saving Baking Day.

If your home needs a brighten up a day of cleaning and re arranging makes a world of difference.  Clean windows do too.  It is amazing what a difference a day can make!

I use a timer all the time.  I will put it on to remind me about the oven but also for many other things like to put the washer on, bring clothes in, anything!   So many times that timer reminds me of something I have already forgotten.

If you can get more done in ten minutes when you hear a visitor is coming then use this technique to get lots done. Put on your timer for ten minutes and go go go!   Flylady has it that you put on your timer for 15 minutes.  She says you can do anything for 15 minutes.  And it works.  If it is something you really hate than put it on for five!  It will still get done!

Many times getting things done can be helped by thinking about the order we do things in. Some things are obvious like getting the washing hug out and it will be drying while you are doing other things.  But thinking about the order you do things can really be helpful.  There is a post here  The order of the day.

Another helper is to get your handmaidens working.  When I get up I like to get the dishwasher, slow cooker, washing machine and often the mix master going.   Get all your helpers working!  While these are working I can get on with other things.  This really gets things moving!

Both books have stores about the Great Grandmas and photos.

I also wrote up the family tree as far back as I could get. 

In school holidays we would have re arrange the bedroom days.  The girls loved this!  They would dream up a new place for the bed and furniture and we would shift everything.  It was a spring clean and total new look.  They loved it.  It was a win win for me. Sometimes this all took three days of activity and the end result was a "new room" normally it was just a zero or low cost makeover. 

Another school holidays activity was a baking day.  This was usually one or two days before school went back.  We would bake, decorate and package lots of lovely things for school ad some for friends.  It added to the freezer too.  As they got older the part they did became more and more so they learned a lot.  Decorating biscuits and cakes was the most popular though.   We did Gingerbread girls wearing bikinis and other mad things.

A fast and massive lift is to make your kitchen/dining room table loo beautiful.  Plus on a  tablecloth or runner,  some flowers or an arrangement of things in the centre and set it nicely.  This always looks so nice.

Keep bars of soap in your linen press and blanket box to make everything smell lovely. Dove pink soap is perfect for this and cheap!  It smells so good!  Then you always have spare soap and when you open the doors things smell heavenly. 

I am always hearing "my family won't eat leftovers" 

And "my family insist on brand name products"

When you go to a restaurant you are likely to be eating left overs.  They don't waste anything even the onion skins and celery leaves are used.  Left over roast veggies might become soup.... 

If you are inventive with left overs no one knows they are left overs!  And don't tell them either.  That casserole is now "shepherds pie" or "beef and mushroom pie"  and those veggies are now "gourmet pizza" ... you get the idea! 

This is along the lines of when someone says they will never buy thrift store linen.  They imagine the linen in a hotel is brand new every night!  No, it is just washed! 

I use decanters, jars and tins.  In go my Aldi (or other bargain) products.  No one has ever known what brand I am buying as packets are history fast and they have always just eaten what is in m containers.  No questions asked.   This can be a good way to save a fortune.

Keep a gift, card and wrap cupboard.  When there are sales stock up on all of these things or make them.  This will save so many trips to the shops and a fortune. 

When choosing a recipe think of what you have rather than what you are dreaming of.  Apple muffins are really just as good as blueberry and a fraction of the price.  

If there is something you run out of that sends you to the store regularly stock up on it.  We keep fresh milk but also long life, canned and powdered.  I am not going to the store for one thing.

Keep a good pantry and never pay full price for anything.  When you get ahead then you will be able to just wait for the next sale cycle.  Then stock up.  This means you are paying half price for all your regular items.  What a saving. 

Also know your substitutes or learn to use the internet to find them.  If you run out of something find something you can substitute.  

Stain treat things straight away.  I have soaking buckets so that anything with a mark is soaking until it is washed.  If anyone has a stain they can't get out guess where it comes!? 

Never put clean dry clothes in a basket.  A basket is a crease machine!  Even lightly creased things will come out of there deeply creased!   I dry things on hangers and fold from the line.  Never add crumples this defies logic!  It is making so much work! It is like punching yourself in the head. 

When you go from one room to another take things with you.  So much putting away happens automatically then. 

Ask and you shall receive.... if you are wishing for a slow cooker, a bread maker, anything... tell your family and friends.   Most likely someone will have one they never use and give it to you.  This applies to canning equipment, jars, fruit, herbs, veggies, yarn, fabric and pretty much anything.  Put the word out there.   You will be amazed. 

That is enough for today!  I already lost one whole blog post as my laptop seems to be playing up.

What are your best household tips?   I love to find new ones.  Sometimes ONE tip can be a game changer.  A couple of years ago one tip from The Cheapskates Club saved me $600 that year and has ever since.   These are the times you think WHY didn't I think of that!?

I hope you are having a good week!   Busy here.  I have three fruit cakes in the oven and the timer is on! xxx

The World Within our Walls. Being Productive.

Since I was little I liked people who make things.  This was almost everyone in my world as Mum and both my Nan's were highly productive.   Lately I have been thinking about how Nana L spent so much time spinning wool, dying it with natural things like onion skins and knitting up beautiful things for everyone.  These were very happy days for Nan. She was in her element.  She usually had scones cooking in the wood oven and a lot of other things going on.  She was busy all day.

Nan had friends over once a week and they all would bring their spinning wheels with them!   These friends of Nan's were a happy crowd!  I got to be there quite often and loved it.   Many of thee ladies were very talented.   To me Nan was so happy when she was busy creating and making.
She had other friends who were incredibly productive.   Two of these friends had significant disabilities which I realise now looking back more than I noticed then.   I wrote about them here The Happiness Factor of Creating Something.    You would never have guessed anyway as they were very joyous and generous people.   I have no doubt that they way there were always making something had a lot to do with this.

Small projects I can take with me anywhere help me get lots made!

Over time I have come to realise that it is no coincidence that busy and creative people are happier.  Busy hands do make happy hearts.  You are not usually thinking bad thoughts or worrying about something while you are absorbed in creative work with your hands.   In fact you usually end up feeling wonderful.   Rather than sitting idle and stressing you are pouring your energy into creating and this is good for us!

When we have had a good day and achieved a lot we feel good!  Have you noticed that feeling of great happiness, achievement and satisfaction after completing something or some kind of day of hard work?  It is a beautiful feeling!   Jess wrote the most beautiful series that is very much worth studying here called The Blessings of old fashioned work.   This is glorious!  It explains a lot!
We are designed to work and it blesses others as well as ourselves.

Gardenpat is so productive.  He gardens, preserves, runs a small business. 

Then she added chickens and is even more productive! 

The Proverbs woman has "eager hands," she is making linen garments for the household as well as enough to sell.  She is "strong and industrious" and helps the poor an needy as well as having her own household in such order that they have no fear of the winter.  She is trading and working on her goods into the night.  She can be relied upon.  She is busy and this all is bringing great blessings on her family.   She watches over the affairs of her household.  

Jane and Bluey are so productive.  Sewing, crochet, wood work, gardening, cooking, preserving. Joy! 

 Creating things out of almost fresh air like a meal from random bits and pieces,  a birthday cake from flour and eggs,  a garden from a mess of weeds,  a garment from fabric or yarn.... whatever it is there is a sense of accomplishment and getting ahead.  Using what we have to the best advantage...

Vicky gardens, keeps chickens, preserves, cooks and makes Tutus! 

When I was in my teens a young couple came to our house and they had two little girls.   The wife was Linda and she brought her knitting with her.  She was knitting a striped jumper for one of the girls and I liked her instantly.   She was exactly where I wanted to be in a few years time and we became friends.   I just loved her!   And over the years I have had so many people that I have learned new skills from.   Ethel who made and decorated cakes.  Dawn who embroidered like no one else.  Dorrie who took me under her wing when Chloe was a baby and she taught me stretch knit sewing.  She lived over the road.  I would sew a bit more and run over the road to her to learn how to do the next thing...

Mum makes rugs, jumpers, hats for everyone she knows plus charity. 

She also cooks, preserves, gardens, mends (endlessly) and keeps ducks.

Over the years I learned (at least to some extent) the basic things like baking,  making cleaning products,  knitting, sewing,  embroidery including wool, shadow work, grub roses.... patchwork,
card making,  soap making,  basic painting, mending, slow cooking, yeast cooking,  veggie and herb growing,  jam and relish making...  I have loved learning each new thing!

More recently I learned sour dough cooking,  yoghurt making,  how to make essential oil blends and rollers.

I have LOVED learning how to use essential oils and boy has this blessed our household!   

Now and then it is time to learn a new skill.   We have all seen a child so excited when they learned how to do something.  We are really no different.  Last year with You Tube I learned a heap of new crochet patterns.  It was so much fun!   You know you are loving something when you find yourself counting down to the time of day you can get back to it.  So much fun! 

Kelsey makes cleaning cloths, sews, makes beautiful gifts, gift tags and cooking.

I think in terms of improving skills and learning new ones.   I do not think we have to be good at everything.  If you have one skill that you can get to a good level it gives you something you can also trade and sell.  This can be enormously helpful.   And this is where we will finish up for now as many of us are in fact launching little businesses of our own.    I have followed Patsy's journey in starting up her business this year.   She shared the goal and the steps she took. You can see her shop here Pillowcases by Patsy.

Sewingcreations gardens, cooks and preserves (in abundance!)

I have been accumulating the details of many of your own enterprises and planning a series on selling and trading your homemade or home grown goods.   If you would like to be featured and share some tips on how you did it and how you keep it going please email me at brinkzi21@hotmail.com
We are going to attempt to have a system where by we all share each others shops/businesses with our friends and on social media which could generate a lot of free advertising for each other.   Also ways to help each other build our little businesses.

We are working on becoming more producers than consumers.   The more we can make ourselves the better.   The more we also have to trade and sell as well.  I am dreaming of a giant pumpkin patch, veggie garden and even an orchard.  I have always wanted an orchard!  Fruit trees with chickens running underneath = heavenly!

What do you produce?
What would you like to learn how to grow or make?
Do you trade or sell some of your produce?
What skills could you work on to become better at?
Do you notice that feeling of joy and satisfaction from creating?

This week I am heading off to the farm.  Andy is keeping the home fires burning.  So there will be no post on Wednesday and I will do a big Feather Your Nest post possibly Friday or over the weekend!

Have a wonderful and productive week! xxx

The World Within our Walls. Getting ahead with meals.

We have talked about how important meals are to the comforts of home.  Not just filling bellies but the smell of cooking when family come in the door, meal times together. Celebrations.  Soup on a cold night.  There are so many beautiful family moments around the table.

Achieving all these meals is another thing!   There is shopping, budgeting, menu planning, leaning new recipes, using up left overs,  staying ahead of life little surprises like visitors, illness, storms and simply sometimes running out of time.

I am a member of quite a few Facebook groups and blogs and one thing I continually see are posts by people who are simply out of food.   They have children to feed and they have run out of money before pay day and the pantry isn't in good shape either.
Then of course there is illness and other things that go wrong where even if the fridge is full we are too sick to do anything about it!  There are too many reasons we might fail to get dinner on the table to list!   It happens.  It has probably happened to us all at some time.

If you are new here I have lots of posts on Pantries and Preparedness in my index.  I have spent a few years now building up my pantry and supplies so I always have lots of meals I can make even if the shops were shut.

Having a baking day or a baking afternoon is a great way to get ahead with meals. 

And use stuff up!  This is a post with some handy recipes.... The money saving baking day.

It was with the help of Laine that I really changed my shopping habits drastically.  I went from going to the supermarket and getting what I needed and coming home to shopping many different shops, markets and locations every month and menu planning from what I had, what needs using up and what great deals I have found. It kind of flipped grocery shopping upside down!  Shopping this way roughly doubled my stock or halved my bill whichever way you want to look at it.
You can read this post and Laine's menu planning here.

Once I got going on menu planning I developed a system where I keep a list on the fridge of all the ready to go meals I have in the fridge, freezer and pantry currently.  This list is always changing but I like to have at least thirty meals listed.
My pantry itself holds more possible basic meals but my list is usual meals I either have ready to thaw or cook from the fridge.   These are good backups but I also want actual ready meals too, meals that just need thawing with no work involved for times I might be sick or unable to think!
Once I did this it became both a challenge and a form of security.
All the time I am working on building up my list!

During a week I will cross off things as I have used them.   When I shop or do some cooking I will love to add all the meals to my list and get a few more!   Trying to do this has made me see many more ways to stretch a meal, use things up, create a new meal with left overs....  save something over for another meal. I will think about how I can add a meal to my list!
The list also stops me from forgetting something at the bottom of the freezer and later finding mystery packages that need carbon dating to identify!  So less is wasted!

When I cook up some spaghetti sauce this is a chance to freeze a few batches for later.

I will also make up a Lasagna. 

When it is cold it slices neatly and then you can freeze single portions. 

These are so handy! 

Saturday night Chloe came to watch the Royal Wedding.  I had a huge crockpot going full of pumpkin soup and I made pumpkin scones (gf) as I love soup and Chloe loves this pumpkin one.   Andy ate left over roast chicken pieces and scones.  This was all in front of the TV where we were snuggled up!   It wasn't a normal meal but everyone was happy.
Last night I had more soup and I heated up a Spaghetti Bolognese pasta bake for Andy.  I had one individual portion frozen from another time.  He loved that and I loved my soup.   Sunday nights are often a use it up night.  This is a breakthrough for me as years ago I though everyone needed to have the same thing for dinner (for some reason) and now if there are a few things left over then we will have a meal of this and that.

Other ways to build up some spare meals are to simply always double a recipe if you possibly can and put away a meal.

 I have had it where people keep coming back for more regardless of how much they just ate.  (Years ago I had this problem although not now.)    I learned to set it aside immediately and put it out of the way.  

Add a side to a dish that can be stretched to two meals.  And/or add a soup or a desert that will stretch it further into "enough".

To make up casseroles in the slow cooker and bulk them up with lots of veggies.   The left overs then make the most wonderful pie fillings.   Keep some puff pastry in the freezer.   Pies freeze as perfect instant meals.  You can make family sized pies or individual ones.  Little ones in muffin trays are lovely for children.   Pies are great emergency meals!

Have a use it up night and create a pizza, fried rice, soup or something with all your odds and ends left over.  Make extra and fill the lunch boxes for tomorrow.

Serve up lots of left overs Indian style in little bowls,  add some rice, bread, salad or something to make it go further.

Have a toasted sandwiches,  eggs on toast night.   Toasties and soup used to be one of my favourite dinners.

Save ingredients for another time.  Mimi mentions this... be aware of what is enough and save something for another time.  Over time you get extra meals this way.

Half your expensive ingredient and double the rest.   i.e. if I am making something like Blueberry Muffins I will use a single recipe amount of the berries and I will double the rest.  Same with chocolate chips etc.  No one notices, you just get more!   This recipe will use up a tiny bit of anything and turn it into a tray of muffins....  Miracle Muffins.  (sweet or savoury)

When you have an abundance have a cook up.   These were cobblers I made in my last house when I had lots of apricots.  I would just make as many as would fit in the oven....

They were great on soup nights!

The same with baking....  if dinner is a smaller meal I have fruit cake on hand to offer.

Then I am glad I had a baking day and stored these away!

Right now I can get extra meals by having a quick look in the fridge and crisper.  I can freeze some portions of soup giving me a couple of emergency meals.  I know I have two zucchini to use.  I will see what else.... then make a plan to use these up in the next few days.   Doing this I very often get a couple of extra creative meals.  I can build my list!  

The slow cooker is a big help to me as when you make soup, a casserole, curry etc you can add so many things that are left overs...  my pumpkin soup on the weekend had a bunch of broccolini stalks thrown in.   My last casserole had a few tomatoes added that needed to be used.   Spaghetti sauce is a place you can hide all kinds of grated veggies.   So is meatloaf, sausage rolls, hamburgers, rissoles... you can fill all of these with veggies that need to be sued up and greatly bulk out your meat.  (and also trick kids who are being difficult!)

How do you speech ingredients and make more meals from what you have?

Do you have tricks to get ahead and save?   

I think our Mum's and Grandmas were experts at this!   My Nan used to make a tomato bake Nans Tomato Pie  that consisted of zucchini, onion, tomato, bread and cheese topping.  She also make great stuffing!   These were served with roast meals.  I LOVED them both.  It took me years to realise she was stretching the meat much further by all the sides she served! 

Other cultures do this wonderfully... the English add Yorkshire Puddings.

Asian cultures tend to add lots of little bowls of sides and the meat part is actually quite small but it goes such a long way!  You have wonderful sauces and condiments, rice and veggies... the meat portion goes a mile! 

We can learn a lot from this!

However you achieve it having meals to fall back on when you need them adds a lot of peace and security to your home.  I look at my list on the fridge and think that actually when I shop I need nothing.  The only money I will spend is on absolutely fantastic deals.  With luck these will get me further ahead!

I hope you have a wonderful week!  I have lots of plans including a further afield shopping day and seeing Hilde.... this always builds up my pantry. xxx

The World Within our Walls. A proper day off.

When the girls were little we started a tradition of having a complete day off now and then which we called pyjama days.  I think this was influenced by my Mum who always said prevention is better than cure.   Mostly these were on the weekend.  If one of the girls appeared to be coming down with something then it was better to let them rest than to go to school and wait to get actually really sick.   So there were times I made the decision that a day of rest was best.  Usually this followed very early nights and other things but if these didn't work then the next thing was to try a day off.   Sometimes all three of us had these days too.  We loved them!  The kids would stay in pyjamas all day,  play, watch movies, snuggle up, have soup and generally a proper day off.   I would declare "you are having a pyjama day!" and this went over as the best thing ever!

From when the girls first started kindy, then school,  I found out what really overtired children were.  Children that fall asleep eating dinner.... one time Chloe fell asleep and her head fell in her bowl.  Drowning in your own bowl of food is definitely a sign of over tiredness lol.
Times when kids are crying and they don't know why.  Times when adults are crying and they don't know why either!
Sometimes it was just that feeling of being utterly run down or coming down with something.  Sometimes a crisis of some kind that meant really a quiet day would be a very good idea.
For all these reasons we would declare a pyjama day.   And Mum was right, prevention is better than cure.

Mum has kept everyone stocked with soft warm rugs. We always have some on the lounge.

There is an awful ad on TV here about someone very sick sneezing, coughing and spluttering germs and flu bugs wherever they go. The ad says "soldier on..." and shows them on public transport going to work enabled by a certain tablet.   Meanwhile they are spreading their bug to everyone around them and getting sicker probably!  I hate this ad and the message!   No! If at all possible stay home and keep your germs to yourself.  Look after yourself and do what you can to get better.
The first time I kept Chloe home from school for a day with sheer over tiredness I felt guilty.  The same when I thought she was just coming down with something.   But the results were so good and I think many times we averted getting really sick or run down.  Over the year it tuned out their school attendance was excellent and they got seriously sick very rarely.

Some of Mums work. 

When the girls were little they had pink and multi coloured rugs with sparkles in them.

Mum would put in little knitted pockets for small toys. 

I hope I instilled in them that we need to be aware of how we are feeling.  Are we overwhelmed, over extended, going down hill...  should be stop, re assess,  have a rest or get some extra sleep?
We often need an intervention ourselves... it might be the Doctor saying that we need a week off.  Sometimes then we listen, sometimes not!

I put on a quick chicken soup.  Lots of garlic is the key for germ fighting! 

Now I know there are times and circumstances when people cannot take time off.  The young Mum with several children might never be able to get a break when she needs it... amongst others.  And then there are jobs we fear losing etc.  but I am talking about when we do have the choice and can make these decisions.... there should be no guilt in declaring rest is needed.

People often say I get lots done.  I think I sometimes do but usually it is more the result of keeping at something in small bites and also bursts of activity when I can.  There are days where I just cannot keep going,  have a migraine or just feel too tired,  too overwhelmed.   To me a day off then is my best investment.  Put some soup in the slow cooker.   Drink lots of tea.  Read and write.  This is not a waste.  It is just the most sensible thing to do.

My husband will get very tired and keep going.   He has had tons to do and on Sunday afternoon he said he will keep working on a woodwork project.  I said to him I think he should just have the afternoon off.   And he did. He played music for the afternoon and I could see it did him good.

It is known that we need times of rest for our immune system.  God made no mistake declaring seven days one of which was to be a day of rest.   But many people do not get this day.
I learned a long time ago that if I pace my day and treat it as a job where I get tea breaks and a lunch break then overall I get so much more done.  You feel tired and take a tea break.  Then you are ready to do some more!    I think in the picture of a month or a year taking a day off is the same thing, overall maybe you will actually be more productive.  And sick less often.

These days of rest were times when the home as a sanctuary from the world was so important.   The girls would create a "nest" on the lounge with a blanket and a pillow.  A drink nearby and a plate of nibbles.  They would be so snug and comfy.  The house would smell of something cooking.  Nothing could be nicer and more comforting.   We need this so much sometimes.  Permission to do nothing but be restored.

I think a lot of terrible decisions have been made by people overtired, overwhelmed and worn out.  With time to rest, reflect, restore our chances at life are just much better.  This is not time wasted,  it is vital to re charge the batteries.  How often have you re thought something and seen it in a different light after some time to think on it?
Some of my biggest eye opening revelations have come when I have just stepped back and waited for a bit.  Then the penny drops...  something you never saw before becomes obvious.   I credit a quiet day and time out for some of the most important realisations and decisions!

Yesterday I had a day like this!   I planned, made lists, had cups of soup and tea.  Today I am ready to get going and hope to have a great week!

How is your home a sanctuary for the sick,  run down, anxious and sad times?  When I was little Mum would set us up on the lounge with a blanket and pillows, drinks and snacks and I loved it!

Have a wonderful week.  We have a public holiday mid week with Anzac Day.   And lots to do today! xxx

The World Within our Walls. A day of catching up.

When life is busy there is nothing as nice as getting a whole day to yourself at home.  No appointments,  errands, shopping,  just a whole day to do whatever you want.   This can be hard to achieve and although I like a day like this home alone I still count days when Andy is home too as he will get on with his projects and I will get on with mine.   When the girls were little it was the same thing,  they were good at being occupied and I would create something for them to do while I could get on with my day at home plans!

I call this my catching up day.  I love them.  I can get through a whole list of odd jobs that have been waiting.   These mount up!   The kind of day when you attend to the pile on the corner of the counter, pay bills,  wrap a present and write a card,  return emails, look for the thing you can't find,  put photos into albums,  clean the dishwasher and fold the sock mountain.  This kind of thing!
By the end of the day you feel caught up and so organised.  If I am still going strong late afternoon I will clean out the inside of my car.   This feels like extra points!

Usually I will have written a list and enjoy crossing things off.  Such satisfaction!  Also I will just go along steadily and have cups of tea now and then before tackling the next thing.  So I really enjoy it!

The overall affect of a day like this on the house and running of things is fantastic!  I will go to bed at night feeling so happy that I am on top of things rather than the other way around.

If I can end the day with clear counter tops (this is one of my big problems!)...

Washed floors...

A clean and fresh fridge...  (that smells of vanilla!)

And a house that smells good!  (This just adds to it for me.)  THEN it was a fantastic day! 

If I have time another thing I love to do is refresh flowers.   I like a lot of flowers.   I usually have a mix of fresh, dried and fake.   Now and then they all need a change around and re doing but this is lovely especially if I have found something to add to what I have.   Sometimes I will have found a new vase or basket, usually in the op shops.   Some of my best ones are huge and have been a good shape that I have spotted but a hideous colour or design so I just paint the whole thing.  This has given me great vases for a couple of dollars at the most.

If I am having this kind of day usually I have put the slow cooker on early or have a freezer meal thawing.  Then dinner is easy and done!

The benefits of an odd job and cleaning day are huge.   Realistically maybe we can only get half a day sometimes.   I plot to get whole days and when I look at my planner I can see I just do not have one free day and cancel something if possible or try and group things together so I can be home more.  This week is good so far.  I have two free days... one I think I will use to go see Hilde and stock up on bargain veggies to make some soups!  The other I hope will be a stay home catch up day.

Often after a day home someone will ask you what you did.  At that point your mind goes blank and you say "nothing" or fail to even come up with an answer....   as if housework is nothing.   But that isn't true!   Building up your home makes you feel good and blesses your family.   

In Laines Letters I noticed Laine would write down everything she did.  When her husband came home rather than say "nothing"  she would tour him around her achievements.  Often he would be impressed!  He knew she was busy working and they were a team! 

If you are more up with things than me a whole day home can give you the chance to re arrange the pantry or cook up some freezer emergency meals.  And sometimes you also need a day home to just rest.   An actual day of nothing lol!   These are all subject coming up!  

Do you love a day like this?   Or do you conquer all the extra little things in bite sized chunks of time?  There are times when we also have to do that.  We might have a day of cleaning and call it Spring or Autumn Cleaning... the change of seasons always makes me want to get stuck into things that need doing and kind of freshen things up. 

Have a wonderful week.   True Autumn has returned, we have beautiful rain and I have a basketful of new crochet yarn! xxx

The World Within Our Walls. Clean.

Last week I was talking about organisation.   My efforts have been paying off,  lots of areas are so much better.   It is all on going as we use things, put them away and bring things in daily!  This is like cleaning.  It never ends!

To feel peace and happiness in my home it has to be clean.  I will end up with messes i.e. sewing all over the table or too many things out that need putting away and this bugs me but I can't actually stand filth!  And things have to smell nice.   I am always smelling things to see if it smells good!  haha!  I smell products too and I think I'm obsessed with things smelling nice!  

I have realised that when you cook and craft a lot then you have a lot of messes to clean up!   And also when you are absorbed in a project mess is meantime mounting up!

So how do we keep a clean house and balance that with everything else and also keeping a nice atmosphere at home?   There is cleaning too much.  Once I was at someones house and literally you could feel her wanting us to leave so she could vacuum.    I think getting the balance right is a life long battle!

I tend to clean two ways.... the regular routine... do dishes, wipe surfaces, wash clothes, wash linen, clean the bathroom and so on.   Never ending cycle.
Then have blitzes....  go crazy, clean all the windows, windowsills,  wipe out cupboards,  do things I normally cannot reach,  pull out the lounge and do underneath, wash the lounge covers...  wash the front door, clean light fittings...

We obviously learn a lot of our ways from our Mum and our Nan's and others.  But then there is still more to learn as appliances have changed things and now we need to know how to clean appliances!
The other day I took apart the Dyson and washed the filters and the brush etc.  It works so much better.  I had to learn how to do it first though and learning these thing usually happens when something goes wrong and you have to actually face up to reading the manual!

For many years I followed Flylady.  She is a great help for setting your routines.  Also for realising things do not have to be perfect.   She says that cleaning doesn't have to be perfect to Bless your family.   She also has a routine of a weekly "House Blessing" and you kind of do a power hour that includes mirrors etc. and  this has great results!    I have always continued to clean out the inside of my car every Friday as that was part of Flylady routine... and the inside of my handbag!
When I need some motivation I still go back to Flylady.  She is also on You Tube and is very funny!

The other thing Flylady aught me is that you can do anything for fifteen minutes.  If fifteen is too long then do five.  You set a timer and just work on something that needs doing.   I have conquered huge daunting projects this way, a few minutes at a time.   There was a lady I read about on Flylady who had serious health problems and could only stand a few minutes at a time.  So her timer went on for three minutes.  In her three minute bursts she kept up with her house.
This is like my elderly neighbour and her huge beautiful garden.  I asked her how did she manage to keep up the weeding (she was in her 90's) and she said she pulled four weeds a day.   This is how small things done consistently works... the end result is mind boggling.

My friend Helen told me about another You Tube lady called Love Meg.  She is a young Mum who shares how she cleans.  It is weirdly mesmerising to watch someone clean.  But I have learned a lot from her!  It is motivating too.   I was standing on my benches cleaning the high shelves on account of her the other day.

My favourite cleaning product is the Miracle Cleaner I make up.   The scent is so fresh that the house smells amazing for a good couple of days.

I love to have soft cloths made up and I stuff them into a big jar with some water and some miracle cleaner.  Then I will wipe everything with these, surfaces, windowsills, door knobs...

I LOVE microfibre cleaning cloths and magic erasers.  I use both endlessly!  If I had to name one cleaning product I couldn't live without it is the magic eraser!

I have found my current mop with was $17 from K mart is the best mop I ever had.  It is the Kmart Spray mop.    I love this mop so much I have a spare.  

Right now we are having a warm spell and then we hope rain is coming.   This is the last of the warm weather,  but I keep saying that!   So I wash the underlay on the bed which is thick wool, the doona,  the pillows,  cardigans, blankets,  lounge throws, the lounge covers.... 

All of the are washed with my homemade Wool Mix.   

The recipe for the wool mix is here.  I make up a big batch and it lasts years and years.  But your woollens and soft furnishings come out so soft,  softer than you thought possible... and they smell divine.   

There is only one thing better and that is sunshine.   Combined your bedding now smells and feels like sunshine and clouds. It is heavenly.   No dry cleaner and bunch of chemicals can compare! 

For the high up dusting I have a very long handled feather duster.  

It is huge!  I take it outside and hit it against a post and watch the dust fly out.  It is kind of satisfying!

In my bathroom I now wipe surfaces down with my homemade Thieves Spray.  This smells so clean too.

I do the floors with my mop with water and miracle cleaner.   I wipe the bath out with miracle cleaner on a sponge.   Flylady taught me soap is soap.  I will swish and wipe everyday and it takes a few minutes. 

As I use the slow cooker a lot it gets baked on at times.   I fill it with hot water and leave a dish washer tablet in it over night.  The next day it just wipes out clean.  No scrubbing!  This works on any baked on dish or pan.

The outside splatters come up in a second with a magic eraser.  Like new.

The magic eraser has my mix master looking like new also... dough gets stuck on things but this fixes it quickly.

I have soaking buckets for laundry.  I use Aldi laundry soakers.  Andy's work shirts go straight into a soaking bucket.   When they go through the wash they come up perfectly.

I take the filters out of the range hood and put them through the dishwasher. They come up like new.

Then I cut a lemon in half and do a cleaning cycle to freshen up the dishwasher and it comes up sparkling and smelling lemon fresh.   I use a toothpick to clean all the little holes in the arms in there...  

I have to say the weather plays a big part in cleaning.   Yesterday was so warm so I took this chance to wash a lot of linen.   The bed all pulled apart is the time to clean behind and under it.   I asked Andy to help me flip the mattress so I could clean and rotate that before the underlay goes back on.  In the end it all feels so nice!   The doors and windows are all wide open.  

With everything smelling so good when I emptied the kitchen bin I filled that with hot water and miracle cleaner for a soak.   Then I drained it on the lawn and dried it up and washed the lid in the same solution.   Once you get going there is a bit of a domino effect. 

It feels really good!   It changes the atmosphere.   It brightens things up.  You feel accomplished!

I love learning how to do a better job.   I love the good results!  I never want to give the impression that I hate cleaning or I hate my home.  Or I hate cooking.  This is awful to me.  I would rather look at it that  I love my home,  I love feeding my family.   As Flylady says it doesn't have to be perfect to bless your family but that is what you are doing ... building up your home and blessing your family.

What are your cleaning tips that make it easier? 

Do you have any products you just love?

I forgot to mention a Vanilla fridge spray I get from Coles.   I wipe out all the shelves and every time you open the fridge it smells beautiful.   A sparkling and organised fridge might be another subject as this is so nice!

Have a wonderful new week.  I am still in catching up mode! xxx

The World Within our Walls. Easiest meals.

Last week we were talking about how the smell of baking, full tummies and the family gathering around the table are such cherished and important parts of the world within our walls.   They are important memory making times too.  Often they are times when people will relax and talk and share their day, thoughts and problems.  This is all so important.
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to share family memories about your own families cooking and traditions.   There were so many beautiful memories too.
When we consider our own memories we soon realise the impact we are having on our own children and grandchildren with the meals we make and the comforts we create at home for them.

I was reminded of lots of things too!   I remembered how when I stayed at Nan and Pa's the bed was made up so crisp and tucked in so tight it was hard to get into.  And when you did you basically couldn't move! haha!  But I liked it!  And Nan would always have heated the bed first with a hot water bottle.  When I would wake up I never knew where I was until I saw the wardrobe then I knew I was at Nans.  Then I would get out and race into Nan's bed,  Pa would make us toast and vegemite and it was delivered on to a tray on the bed.  It was great!   Pa always make Nan breakfast in bed for all the years I remember.

We also established that most of the meals we loved were not fancy they were ordinary good comforting things.  My Nan almost always seemed to have soup on. She very often made scones.  There was just always warmth and food.  There was plenty.
So today I want to look at really very simple meals.  Meals that we can have ready in a few minutes or ready in the slow cooker.   Comforting wholesome food.  Ways to serve up something that is affordable, manageable and easy.

To start us off we have  Mimi's recipes in four sentences.  You will find this at the top of her home page at A Tray of Bliss. These are my kind of recipes.   Busy Mum's need this kind of thing. Further down she has a few a bit more complex but still easy and good.

I have had many recipes from the books in the 4 Ingredient series.  I have seen people mock this but in my opinion very simple recipes are wonderful to build up the confidence of a starting out cook.  Some things are more assembly than cooking.  But for both starting out and super easy and fast then these four ingredient recipes are wonderful.   They have many free recipes and a Facebook page also.
4 ingredient recipes.   Better yet, many are thing you hopefully have in your pantry... a can of soup, a few eggs, some rice etc.  Many are VERY clever.  Certainly better than take away!

My go to recipe website is Taste.com  and they have a section of quick and easy recipes.  They are in sections to explore but there are some great super fast things there.   Taste. Quick and Easy.

Tonight dinner is this easy recipe.  I already made Pesto last week but you could buy a jar.

You slice up and pan fry some chicken. When it is cooked add a big spoon of pesto and some cream, enough to cover the chicken.  Stir and taste.  Add more pesto if needed.  Serve over rice and veggies. Tonight we will have a big bunch of broccolini and carrots.  That's it!

Hopefully you have some left, use the chicken in wraps or rolls.  So good!


A winter recipe I make is Easy Golden Syrup Pudding.   This is ridiculously easy and everyone loves it.

This is good when you have served a light dinner or soup and need to fill people up! 

Other easy meals are cheats meals.   I call them cheating but they can be so good.  One of mine is to simply  cook up a heap of pumpkin and sweet potato.  Then blend in a can of chicken soup or a packet, taste and adjust.  This is kind of emergency soup but it tastes really good!

Another is cheats sausage rolls.  Someone I knew always served these and finally I asked how she made them.  To my shock she said she just wraps sausages in puff pastry and cooks them.  Then she slices them up into bite sized pieces.  Kids go mad over them.  Well, so had I!  Mind blown!  haha!

Another is Hilde's Scones.  In the US biscuits.  We serve these either as a sweet i.e. with jam and cream or as a savoury with soup etc.   They are so handy and will fill a lunch box too.   Another meal stretcher.   Here is the recipe... Hilde's Scones.

Apart from easy things my regular trick is just to always at least double recipes and then I have another dinner or a meal to freeze.  Very often I quadruple recipes.  A meal from the freezer very often saves the day.

Next week I plan on sharing family recipes, recipes that have been passed on by Mum and Nana.   But this week I thought lets just do the very easiest and fastest things ever!

So over to you... what is your recipe in a sentence or two?   What do you make when time is out!  Between us all I hope we can come up with a good list that will help everyone have a few more of these kinds of recipes up their sleeve.   I will share a few more in comments later in the day too.

Have a wonderful new week!  xxx