Under Construction!

Image from this website

Hello, just letting you know I'm doing some re-construction to my site, to make it better, more up-to-date and hopefully more useful to you all. I'm also working on a BIG post about setting the table for all sorts of different occasions, a post I'm rather excited about... so watch this space!

xxx

The Village Fair

Sorry, a non home keeping related post for today. That's because this week there's hardly been time for any home keeping (shock horror! - just kidding, we all need a break). It's been the once a year Village Fair week.

It's just one of the things I really love about living in a village. Our village is not very big, but since we are a full time working couple without kids, we don't always get to see or meet everyone here... but for one week a year, everyone seems to come out of the woodwork. It's kind of a 'twee' village fair, nothing too big, elaborate or fancy really (as you'll see from the photos). During this week villagers open their gardens for some tea and scones, we have the big breakfast morning in the village hall, and of course on the Saturday we have the float procession (all the floats being pulled by the local farmers on their tractors) that ends at the school field for the main event which includes performances by the children and stalls selling plants, food and homemade goods.

Every year I like to bake a cake for the Fair (the cake stand collects money for the Church), and this year I made some pink cupcakes with white fondant roses - sorry, I forgot to take a picture. But I thought you might like to see some photos of the marching band and some of the floats.



The Village Fair Queen on a sledge

The nursery float - sweet!
We were so lucky to have had good weather this year, it makes all the difference to the fair, and today being a lovely day we went and had some scones in the most amazing garden I've ever come across - it certainly has inspired me to make more of our garden. So while we're on the subject of good weather and gardens... some of you might remember that I planted some seeds a while ago, and posted this picture.

Well, look what has become of those seeds now! I am so pleased that my seeds have actually grown into something and I've managed to keep them alive. I'll be planting them out soon and will keep you posted. There are some Verbena, Cephelaphora, Laura Ashley Poppies (yup, you can get Laura Ashley seeds!) and Evening Primroses in my greenhouse.

And I hope you don't mind, but I thought you might like to see what else is growing in my garden...

I have a tomato plant...Some broad beans...
Coral coloured poppies out the front...


Geraniums given to me by some friends...Oh, and... sorry, this one isn't from my garden. He's just a tired dog because he too went to the Fair and ate too much.
I hope your week is filled with some sunshine and lots of things to eat too.
x

How often to clean what...

I hope everyone in the UK has been enjoying the lovely sunshine! It's been scorching hot yesterday and today, but lovely... just what we need really.

I've been bad at getting into my old routine after our holiday (hence not posting regularly). Even our healthy eating seems to have gone out the window since our return. So every now and then I think it's a good thing to be reminded of the basics around that need to be done, so I thought I'd do a post about how often what needs to be done about the house as a reference for others and a reminder for myself. Of course this is only a rough guide, and every household would need to adjust it accordingly. For instance having a dog with muddy paws probably means vacuuming or mopping needs to be done more frequently than in other households. But a basic guide is a great way to help write up a cleaning routine. I myself find looking at these daunting, but the point of them is not to make more work but rather to help create a schedule so that work around the house can be done efficiently and regularly enough so that no job becomes a major task. I'll start from daily tasks through to tasks that need only be done yearly.

Just a small note: Please don't allow this list to make you feel bad for not doing all of these things all of the time. I certainly don't get all of this done, but if you try an do as many of these just as regularly as you can you certainly have nothing to worry about. I remind myself that it's not a requirement but just things I could do to show that I appreciate my house.

Daily tasks

• Make the bed
• Put dirty clothhes in the laundry bin, and hang up or fold the rest
• Sort out laundry, whether it's puttin on the washing, hanging it up or ironing
• Wipe the bath, shower and sink after use
• Wipe down kitchen surfaces after use, and clean the sink
• Wash the dishes/ load and unload the dishwasher
• Tidy away books and magazines in the sitting room/bedroom
• Sweep or vacuum floors as needed
  

Once a week tasks

• Thoroughly vacuum carpets and rugs
• Dust all surfaces
• Change the bedlinen
• Clean and disinfect the toilet bowl
• Clean surfaces and fixtures in the bathroom
• Clean mirror
• Shopping for food and non-food items
  

Tasks for once a month

• Clean the windows (or every other month depending on where you live)
• File all papers
• Turn and vacuum matresses
• Wash mattress & pillow protectors
• Wash the inside of the dishwasher and washing machine (vinegar is perfect for the job), and wipe down the rubber seals with some vinegar
• Wash hair and make-up brushes
• Wash scuff marks on walls and paint work
• Wipe down the oven, microwave and fridge shelves and kitchen cupboard doors
  

Spring cleaning tasks for once a year

• De-clutter by discarding old magazines, outdated catalogues, clothes you no longer wear, and electronics that don't work.
• Check and replace batteries in torches, remote controls, alarm clocks etc.
• Polish furniture
• Wash ornaments
• Dust or vacuum books
• Clean light fittings, shades or chandeliers
• Shampoo carpets, and have soft furnishings, curtains and blinds cleaned
• Turn-out and clean the loft/attic/garage
• Empty and clean all cupboards that are rarely used.
  

I know! Other than the shopping for non-food items (now that I can do!), this is quite a list and probably reminds you that housework is never done. And well, okay it's not really. But if you have a routine or a list of things to do at a time, or even if you do 10 minute timer cleaning, you will be done for the day and put your free time to something else. For me it's about changing my mindset about housework from seeing at as a chore, to seeing it as just a daily thing I do because I appreciate that I have a roof over my head, and a lovely space to which I come home to. Without wanting to sound airy fairy, we need to love our homes and enjoy them regardless of it's size or status.

Have a great week! I hope to catch up with you all soon
x

Sources:
The Housewife's Handbook by Rachel Simhon
Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendleson
How to be the perfect Housewife by Anthea Turner

Holiday & a birthday cake

I'm back from Egypt now - we had a marvelous time, just what the doctor ordered really!
Egypt is such an exciting, interesting and sunny place to visit, I'd highly recommend it. My favourite was the Nile with it's beautiful green colour and dusty sunsets. I'm also really pleased I cleaned the house before we left... coming back from holiday always a bit of a downer, but allot better if you step back into a fresh and tidy home. Here are some highlights from our trip....

A kiss for the Sphinx

The temple of Philae on the Nile


Coming back from holiday, it's all been a bit of a rush, and I quickly had to get my apron ready because it was our one niece's 1st birthday! (we have 6 nieces and nephews between us).
My sister-in-law sent me a photo of a cake she liked, I adapted it a bit and voila... a girly 1st birthday cake for a special young lady.

Well, actually it wasn't voila... it was hard work! My mum use to make wedding cakes, not to mention the most amazing birthday cakes for us, and still makes birthday cakes for all her grandchildren, so I'm lucky that I've picked up some great tips from her. It's nice to know I can ring her up and say 'mum, the icing is cracking, what am I doing wrong?'. It's certainly not perfect, it has some cracks, lumpy- bumpy bits and is even a bit wonky - but hey, it's a homemade cake, and that's what matters.

Fondant icing can be a real pain to work with, but here are some tips if you decide to try it yourself:

• Always knead and warm the fondant with your hands before you roll it out.
• Use both your hands to lift up the rolled fondant to avoid it stretching - stretching will also cause cracks!
• Adding a tiny bit of egg whites can help prevent cracking and smoothing it.
• I don't buy ready coloured fondant because you can achieve the exact colour you want and you'll need to work the icing anyway before you can roll it out.
  
• To test if the icing is ready, when you tear a piece off it should make a nice 'thump' sound as it breaks.

I hope you like the cake, I wish I could share a slice with you all (it's a vanilla Madeira cake).
I'll have to do a proper 'cake making' post some time.

Thanks for stopping by!
xxx

Herbs in the home

I'm very late with this post, mainly because we've had some trouble with our Internet connection, broke down in my car on the motorway yesterday - long story - and we've been packing for our holiday. But today's post is one I feel passionate about. I love herbs, growing them and using them for cooking. But herbs are also great to use around the home. In fact, have you seen the BBC show 'How to grow your own drugs' ? Sounds a bit dodgy I know, but it's not at all. The presenter is a botanist showing how to make basic health remedies from herbs you can grow in the garden... I've got my eye on the book, and it's on my Amazon wish list now. One of the great recipes shows how to use hops under your pillow to relieve insomnia - so simple, but apparently is works.



As you might have noticed before, I am not a fan of chemicals and generally prefer 'natural' solutions. I've gathered some great simple and natural recipes for using herbs to clean and freshen the home, I hope you can make use of them. I've not tried all of these myself, but do let me know if you use any of these successfully. And I think Spring is just the right time to try them out!

Many of these recipes include Eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus is a great oil that every household should have alongside a bottle of Lavender oil. It's also readily available from supermarkets and chemists. Eucalyptus is not only a disinfectant, but will also keep pests such as moths and fleas out of your home, and it smells really fresh too.

Lavender fresh carpets
The first recipe is one I saw on the program "How Clean is Your House?" with the brilliant and funny Kim and Aggie. Mind you, it's a pretty grim program, and I reckon most people watch it to be able to say 'at least my house isn't THAT bad'. Goodness, I hope there aren't many houses around as dirty as those ones - some of the houses shown on the program makes me feel ill, yuk! This recipe is to freshen up carpets in preparation for vacuuming...


Mix some bicarbonate of soda with some fresh lavender that has been slightly bruised and crushed in a pestle and mortar. Add them to a shaker pot and sprinkle over the carpet surface. Leave for approximately 30 minutes before vacuuming the carpet thoroughly.

The lavender not only makes your carpet smells nice, but as it gets vacuumed up, the lavender scent will be spread around the room through the vacuum's air outlet... lovely!


All Purpouse Thyme Cleaner
Thyme is a disinfecting herb that can be used safely around the house.

2 1/2 cups water
1 handful thyme (fresh or dried)
Vinegar
Liquid castille soap (squirt)

Boil the water and then add the thyme. Simmer for 3 hours over medium-low heat, covered. Cool, then strain. Pour the water into a spray bottle, top with white vinegar and add a squirt of soap. Use as needed.


Herb Disinfectant Cleaner
This spray cleaner disinfects surfaces, kills mold, and discourages its return. Eucalyptus,
lavender, and tea tree are all known for their antimicrobial properties.
1 tsp. sodium lauryl sulfate
1 tsp. borax
2 Tbs. white vinegar
2 cups hot water
1/4 tsp. eucalyptus essential oil
1/4 tsp. lavender essential oil
3 drops tea tree essential oil
Mix all ingredients together and stir until dry ingredients dissolve. Pour into spray bottle. To use, spray as needed on any surface except glass. Scrub and rinse with clean, damp cloth.
*Source: The Herb Companion, September 1999

Lavender Laundry
A brilliant Martha tip: Add a Lavender Bag to your dryer when drying your linen and sheets. Can be used at least 25 times.


Lavender Gentle Scourer
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/8 cup (one-eighth) liquid castile soap
5 drops lavender Essential Oil

Combine all ingredients and add enough water to make a smooth paste. Apply to surface, then wipe area clean with a damp sponge or cloth. Rinse well.

Linen Spray
1/2 cup Distilled Water
1/2 cup Vodka
10 drops Eucalyptus oil or any other favourite essential oil

Mix the ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. Shake before use.

Tub Scrub
1 cup Baking Soda
15 drops Eucalyptus oil

Mix the baking soda and oil well then scrub onto bathroom tub and sink with a damp sponge. Leave sit for a bit before rinsing off with clear warm water. I can personally vouch for this recipe working a treat! It really does take the hard work out of cleaning a dirty bathtub and leaves the bathroom smelling clean.

I hope you enjoy and try out some of these - do let me know how you find them in comparison to the usual chemicals in brightly coloured bottles you can buy? I still get sidetracked and end up buying some, but I'm always sorry when I smell those nasty smells.

I found many of the recipes from this fabulous website, take a look for some more:
http://tipnut.com/homemade-herbal-cleaner-recipes/

And a great website to buy bulk cleaning basics such as borax and castille soap in the UK is Summer Naturals.

I'll be away for two weeks - we're off to Egypt! It will be our first ever visit there, and I'm ridiculously excited about it, walking around the house singing 'walk like an Egyptian' over and over. It also means two weeks to get me out of my cleaning routine, so I'll need to remind myself how to do things by the time I get back, so right now I'm off to clean the house before our holiday. Getting back from holiday is always a bit of a downer, but less so if you return to a clean and fresh home. Have a great couple of weeks!


xxx

The best Steak Salad...

We've had some internet troubles at home, so I've not been able to post this recipe on Monday as I hoped. But better late than never.

My sister owns and runs a Medical Spa and Guesthouse in South Africa. At the restaurant they serve the most delicious salad I've ever had, and I am genuinely not a fan of salads in general (lettuce is for rabbits!). But this steak salad is filling, tasty and healthy and would probably be enjoyed by most men too. I've been dying to make it myself and got my mum to interrogate the chef about how he makes it. So shh, don't tell my sister I'm sharing this recipe with you. It is actually a very simple recipe and can easily be adapted, but I think it's the sauce and dressing together that makes this work, so pay attention to those bits!

Steak Salad
Makes 2 large portions to be served as main meals


2 Sirloin steaks - fat removed
1 Diced onion
Mixed salad leaves (I used spinach leaves, and a mixed bag of lettuce)
A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Red/Yellow Pepper, cut into strips
2 Rounds of feta cheese, cut into cubes
1 Carrot grated
olives
1 Lemon
Olive oil
BBQ Sauce
Herbs
Salt & pepper

Prepare the fresh salad by washing the salad leaves, slicing up the peppers and tomatoes, and grating the carrots. Mix in a bowl adding the feta cheese and olives.

Fry the diced onion gently until slightly soft, then add the steaks to the frying pan cooking them to your preferred taste. Add the BBQ sauce to the pan covering both the steaks and onions with the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, slice the steak into smaller strips and toss the steak strips again so that they are covered in the sauce.

Top the salad with the steak and onion. Now squeeze the juice from the lemon into a separate bowl, add some olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs of your choice. Mix it up, and drizzle over the salad to serve.

This is such a perfect recipe for a warm summer's evening - the warm steak goes surprisingly well with the cold salad, and the lemon and BBQ sauce is a great taste!

Enjoy!
x

Scrub-a-dub-dub

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter weekend. We are definitely relaxing a bit this weekend, but we've also still been busy with our spring cleaning. This morning we did a quick 10 minute tidy downstairs, and 20 minutes upstairs using the timer - it worked great and means I can put my feet up for the rest of the weekend. As promised however, here is my post about scrubbing a floor...

I'm not sure if I should admit this or not, but here goes... I have never in my life scrubbed a floor. Mopped, yes of course, I have mopped my floors many times, and may I just add that my floors are mostly pretty clean because I sweep them with a hard bristle broom before mopping. But since it's spring and I've kind of always wanted to try this (probably because I watched the Cinderella movie too many times as a child), I decided to try it myself and blog about it. The majority of our house downstairs has laminate floors, and they don't need scrubbing. Our bathroom floor is a shiny tiny tile floor that I simply wipe clean along with the rest of the bathroom. But our kitchen floor is a lovely uneven slate floor. It's probably about time that it has a 'deep clean'. So I'm on a mission to find out what all the fuss is about scrubbing on your hands an knees, and will it really leave my floor cleaner, undamaged and sparkling?

Before we get started, let me just say that even my Martha Stewart Homekeeping Handbook mentions that scrubbing is not something that needs to be done on a regular basis... phew, I almost started feeling guilty. Secondly, never scrub a surface that cannot handle being waterlogged, or is prone to scratching (eg. wood, laminate, vinyl).

Some people claim that scrubbing a floor on your hands and knees is therapeutic, and having literally just finished I can kind of agree, but I'm more impressed with the amount of calories I must have burnt doing that - bring on a slice of Easter cake!

Let's get started with the supplies, and of course, please do let me know if I have got any of
this wrong, I am after all just a novice at this.

You will need:

• Floor scrubbing brush
• Knee pads or a kneeling cushion (even if you are young and spritely, knees are sensitive things - I used an old cushion that I popped into a plastic carrier bag)
  
• 6 or 7 drops of dish soap in a bucket filed with a gallon of hot water.
• A second bucket filled with clear water
  
• Absorbent sponge, an old towel or a big floor cloth
• 

1. Starting in a corner and working your way towards the entrance of a room, dip the scrub brush in the soapy water and scrub floor in a circular motion paying particular attention to grubby bits and grooves.
   
2. Dip the scrub brush in the bucket with plain water before re-dipping it in the soapy water to repeat step 1 as you move along the floor.
3. When you've covered all of the floor surface, rinse both buckets and fill one with fresh clear water. Roughly go over the floor surface again using long circular strokes, dipping the scrub brush every so often.
4. Use an absorbent sponge, old towel or a floor cloth to mop up excess water to allow the floor to dry quicker.
   

This is me having a go....

So what's the verdict? I'm pleasantly surprised how quick it was (okay, so my kitchen is quite small), and that I didn't feel at all like Cinderella, boo. The kitchen floor does however look cleaner for it, but once again, I don't think this is a task I would add to my weekly cleaning routine (I love my mop too much), but it sure was a great spring clean task. Now, with a stronger back and a distinct lack of guilt I can go have an extra Easter egg for my effort.
xxx

PS: I might just share my new favourite recipe with you on Monday - the best Steak Salad ever!!! Yum.

Today's to-do list

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend with a bit of sunshine. It's nice and sunny here in Oxfordshire, but it's still a bit on the cold side for my liking.

I have a big to-do list for today. Now I'm not much of a fan of to-do lists, maybe because I don't like the disappointment if I don't do all of it, and because I'm a bit forgetful and end up forgetting to look at my to-do lists. But seeing as today is Sunday, and I have plenty of things I'd like to get done before the start of another week, I've written out my list. Here's how it goes:

1. Gardening

• Weed front garden
• Plant seeds
• Dig bed in front of Shed

2. Food

• Plan weekly menu
• Write grocery list
• Do grocery shopping

3. Cleaning

• 20 minute floor clean downstairs
• 15 minute vacuum downstairs
• 10 minute kitchen wipe-down
• Water house plants
• Put on dark washing
  

It's not too bad actually. As you can see I've given myself time limits on my cleaning, because it's easy to get carried away or overwhelmed by tasks at the weekend, and if I use my timer to do a quick clean I don't feel as bad about doing cleaning on a Sunday. I've also not written the list to do in that particular order, but it does help to clearly define the three main areas I'll focus on today (other than relaxing that is - that's my main focus!).

One of my tasks is to water all the houseplants today, and I thought I'd share some handy tips I've learnt about feeding your plants as you water them:

• When you boil or steam veggies, use the left-over water to cool down and use it to water your plants - a lovely nutritious treat for them.
• You can use cooled down chamomile tea to water young plants if you would like to prevent mould.
• If you own a fish tank, don't throw away any of the smelly water when you clean the tank - the water is full of nutrients that your plants will love.
• Nettles growing in the corner of the garden? Half fill a bucket with nettles and add rainwater. Cover the bucket and leave to infuse for 2-3 weeks. Drain the water (which should have a strong odour), and dilute to 4 parts water for watering roots of plants or to enrich the soil - voila! A nettle manure.
  

I'll be back soon with a post about scrubbing floors! Watch this space...
Have a great Sunday!
x

Rhubarb Crumble and gardening

It's been a bit cooler here this week, but my spring cleaning is still underway. Mr Laundrybasketcase was in the mood for a Rhubarb crumble and I found a delicious recipe by Gordon Ramsay which I highly recommend. Rhubarb is of course in season now in the UK, so it's perfect timing, and you should be able to find some delicious fresh rhubarb from a farmer's market now. My gardening skills are not quite good enough to grow my own, but I'm hoping to try it next year. In the meantime try out this recipe - it's got a couple of tweaks from the original.

Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble

• 500g rhubarb, trimmed
• 2-3 inch piece of ginger
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 40g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• Splash of Calvados
  

For the crumble

• 50g oats
• 100g plain flour
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 45g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 75g demerara sugar
• Clotted cream or ice cream, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/gas 6.

2. Cut the rhubarb into 2 inch pieces and halve lengthways if the stems are thick. Peel the ginger.

3. Gently heat the sugar in a pan until dissolved and beginning to caramelise. Add the rhubarb and grate in the ginger. Toss to coat. Gradually add the butter and shake the pan to combine. Allow the rhubarb to caramelise evenly, turning if necessary. Add a splash of dark rum and stand back as the alcohol may flambé. Cook for a further minute until the sauce is thick and syrupy and rhubarb is breaking down.

4. To make the crumble topping place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until evenly combined (if you want to make your crumble mixture a little stickier also add a splash of water at this stage). Transfer the mixture to a bowl until ready to use.

5. Spoon the caramelised rhubarb into the bottom of 4 small individual serving dishes. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

6. Remove from the oven and serve with a spoonful of clotted cream.

Mmmm... it really is tasty, and I think the reason this recipe is so great is because of the caramelised sugar, yum!

As I mentioned before, I'm a bit of a novice to gardening, but I'm keen to learn. Our back garden has allot of work that needs doing, so I started last year with the front garden. This is what the front looked like when we first moved in.

And this is how it looks now. My next plan is to replace the front path with some stepping stones.

I've also bought a propagator and I'm attempting to grow some verbenas. I've only just planted them last weekend, so I'll keep you posted as they are growing.

Are you any good at gardening? And how's your spring cleaning coming along?
x

Freshen up!

I'm back from my trip to South Africa... as well as having some lovely moments with my family, some sunshine and excellent food I've come back very relaxed and too embarrassed to post because my housework has been so behind. But never mind because in the northern hemisphere Spring is officially here! In the UK we have had some lovely sunny days for the past week, as a matter of fact it feels like I'm still in South Africa some days. With spring in full swing there's no hiding from the fact that's it's time to thoroughly clean the house.

So have any of you started the Spring clean routine? I have started a bit today, I say a bit because I was distracted yet again by the gorgeous sunshine and ended up doing this for half the day....

What's better than a good book in a hammock under the sun? Not much I tell ya!

So as the title of this post says, spring time is time to 'freshen up' the house. It's a time to open all the windows so that air can circulate, hang the laundry outside again, and get rid of clutter. This really is the one time of year when the days are getting longer and our energy levels increase, so there really is no better time to de-clutter than in the spring. And what a great time to clean those places you don't get to clean regularly. But just starting to spring clean without a plan is like trying to do grocery shopping without a planned menu... it could work, but you might not get through everything or have everything that's needed to get you through. So if you haven't got a plan just yet, then here are some ideas to get you started (and me of course because I need to get off my backside and do this properly before Spring is over).

• Make a list of things that really bother you around the house (that Tupperware cupboard, or under the stairs for instance?) Prioritise, and decide which tasks are achievable for a spring clean. Start with these tasks.
  
• Shake any rugs outside and sweep or vacuum underneath them.
• Move all the furniture, cleaning behind and under it - doing room by room.
• Dust and wash walls removing marks and stains.
• Thoroughly vacuum upholstery
• Go through items in the wardrobes and throw out items that have not been worn in the past season and store away any winter clothing if you need the extra space.
• And my favourite task: hang all quilts, pillows, cushions and blankets (without their covers) in the bright sunshine - it gets rid of those nasty dust mites and brings the smell of the sun back into the house.
  

There are of course lots of other tasks that can be done for spring cleaning, but it can be daunting if you decide to tackle your entire house at once. Because I work full-time, I have decided to dedicate two evenings a week to spring cleaning. And some tasks that I don't feel are urgent I am writing on a list to do in the autumn (washing curtains and re-organising our house filing drawers are just a couple of examples).

What have you done for your spring clean so far?
I hope you have all been well, it's good to be back! I've got lost of post lined up for this season... some more recipes to share, as well as a post about using herbs around the house, a post about South African home keeping and a post about scrubbing floors the old fashioned way - sometimes it just has to be done.

Have a lovely week!
xxx

PS: Happy Mother's Day to those mum's in the UK (and anywhere else that's celebrating today).

Procrastination...

Sure, there are many moments on life when tasks just don't take priority. But they are not that often, and most of the time, for things to work we need to do certain things even if they are not our idea fun.
I know that I am way too tempted by new exciting creative projects that also make me think 'I'll do that other task later'. So I also have to start off with apologising for not posting as regularly recently - I've actually not been procrastinating with my blog (I love it too much), I've just been pre-occupied with all sorts of other things... probably due to the fact that I procrastinate and leave other things to the last minute - ha ha.

Actually I've become allot better in recent years, for instance only tonight I finished dinner and immediately set out to pack the dishwasher - even before I had my after-dinner cup of tea. But then I've also come to realise that trying to persuade myself I'll do it later only leads to frustration because 'later' becomes 'too late'. My worst moment was only a couple of weekends ago - we had friends coming over for lunch at our house and I wanted to mop our floor after a naught muddy pawed dog had trailed his way through the house. I had the whole Saturday morning to do it, but put it off until 20 minutes before our friends arrived. They of course arrived early and I found myself staring at them through the front door window mop and bucket in hand and they had to walk on a wet floor to come in. Not my best moment.

In the times we live with the hundreds of distractions available to us with a flick of a switch or a click of a button, procrastinating is easier than ever! And procrastination is probably the biggest problem in keeping a home clean and tidy and presentable. So is it possible to overcome procrastination? Well, I'd love to try, so I've been researching this topic a bit and I'd like to share with you what I've found.

Good 'ol Wikipedia says:

Procrastination is a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Psychologists often cite procrastination as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision. ^[1] Psychology researchers also have three criteria they use to categorize procrastination. For a behavior to be classified as procrastination, it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying.^[2]

Okay, so I realise that not EVERY task left undone in a house is due to procrastination - but it certainly does play a part. If you know that you put tasks off without a real valid reason, then read on.

Routine

Putting tasks off for 'later' happens when we don't have a routine. I've written about routines previously, and mentioned that it takes 21- 30 days to create a new habit. So it's important to turn a routine into a habit ... just part of everyday. That way you will do tasks without having to think about them or give yourself the choice. Flylady.com is great for setting up a home cleaning routine through baby steps.
The trick with a routine is to realise that it's easier to get out of a routine than it is to get into it. Illness and holidays are two real routine breakers. Next time you are ill or on holiday write a to-do list for when you are better or back home. Give yourself a deadline to get back into your routine and stick to it.

Perfectionism

This is one big reason many of us procrastinate. We are so adamant to do a task perfectly, that if we don't have ALL the time available to us that we think we'll need to complete a task perfectly, we'll just put it off hoping the time will come. This is where we need to change our mindsets and realise that picking up just that one pair of shoes from under the sofa is better than not picking up any of them. A good way of overcoming the 'perfectionist procrastinator' is to use 5 minutes available to you to do a task regardless of whether you will be able to finish that task. For example, if you have 5 minutes of waiting for a friend to pick you up, start sorting out your book pile next to your bed - you don't have to finish it, but at least you've made a start.

Rewards

This is the trick I use most often. I know that I procrastinate because I can ALWAYS find something better to do (like reading all your lovely blogs!). So I tell myself that I can have a cup of tea after I pack the dishwasher, or I can surf the net for 1/2 hour after I vacuum the rug in the living room. It works, but don't make it too serious and tell yourself 'I can't have x until I've completed y' - try and stay positive and just tell yourself you are doing this task so that you can relax with your treat.

Feeling Overwhelmed

Another big reason we procrastinate is because a task often seems to big to handle right now. This can also be linked to perfectionism. Have you ever had a pile of laundry at the end of a weekend or holiday that made you think it's just too much to do? And that you'll never have the time to get through all of it? In this case I try and break the task down into smaller tasks. For instance I'll separate the laundry into small piles - one for each day of the week. And then I make sure to put that pile of laundry allocated to that day on first thing in the morning. Even if it takes a couple of weeks, as long as you do the smaller tasks regularly enough it will get done!

Most importantly, try and remember how nice it is to relax after something has been completed, you feel all the better for it!

Do you procrastinate? And what's your favourite distraction?

I sure hope to become better and better at doing things as they present themselves. Do it now, then it's done... I'll keep telling myself that.

Another great resource for overcoming procrastination is:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/overcome-procrastination-once-and-for-all.html

I'm on holiday! Sort of...

I must just take the time to let you all know that I will be flying to South Africa this week to spend some time with my mum who has suffered from a bad knee and has had two operations on it now. I will also be seeing my brand new niece back home! My next post might only be in a couple of weeks as a result, but I'm hoping to do a post about home keeping in South Africa, and pick up some tips from my mum's home. I hope you all have a lovely two weeks!!!

Venison Pie & Sauteed Potatoes

Our house is in order, but truthfully only because we had visitors at the weekend. I'm amazed how a cold can throw out a whole routine and create chaos. It took me ages to clean the house on Saturday purely because I haven't been keeping on top of it when I was ill. And even though all is back in order, I feel guilty to preach bout housework when I've not been doing that much practicing. So while I get my 'housework mind' back in order, I thought I'd share with you a lovely recipe from the weekend.

Mr L and I decided to stay put for Valentines evening (partly because the rugby was on - clearly a woman was not involved in the decision behind having the 6 nations rugby on Valentines day). We decided to cook for each other - I made a venison pie with sauteed potatoes on the side, and Mr L made us some chocolate souffles for desert, it was his first desert ever! Unfortunately it was so good that we ate it before I managed to take a photo. But the Venison pie was also a treat - warm and comforting the way only a pie can be. So here is the recipe for you to try too.

Venison Pie
I didn't have enough meat for the original recipe, so I had to improvise with some veg, and actually it turned out wonderful!

Serves 3 - 4 people
300- 500g Venison cut into 1 inch cubes
Pinch of Nutmeg
Pinch of All spice
Salt and Pepper
80 ml red wine
40 ml red wine vinegar
150ml venison or beef stock (or more depending if it is enough to cover all the meat and veg)
1 onion peeled
2 medium carrots roughly chopped
1 leek sliced
Half a teaspoon chopped Parsley
1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
Puff pastry - enough to cover your pie dish & decorate
1 egg beaten for brushing the pastry top.

• Wash and clean the meat, remove any fat and gristle, and tenderise with a mallet or rolling pin
• Mix the flour with the nutmeg, salt & pepper. Pat the meat in the flour until all pieces are covered.
• Pour the wine, vinegar and enough stock to cover the meat into a pan. Add the meat, bring to the boil and simmer gently for one hour.
• Remove from the heat, add the onion, carrots, leek and parsley (and extra stock if needed) to the broth and return to the heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Remove from the heat again, and allow to cool. Skim off any excess fat and scoop the broth into the pie dish. Add the redcurrant jelly on top, or mix it in.
• Roll out the pastry so that it will be big enough cover the pie dish, as well as have extra sides to make decorations with. Don't forget to put your pie bird in now if you have one.
• Brush a bit of water on the rim of the pie dish, then cover the dish with the pastry, pinching the sides and trimming the excess.
• Make a whole in the centre allowing for steam to escape, and decorate your pie, finishing it by brushing the top with beaten egg.
• Place in the oven and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 20-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Sauteed Potatoes

These are easier to make than deep fried chips, a tad oily, but just lovely!

100g-150g waxy potatoes per person
1 tablespoon of olive oil
15g unsalted butter
Chopped or dried Rosemary

• Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes. Place in slightly salted water and bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 3 - 4 minutes.

• Drain the water away in a colander, then heat up the oil in a non-stick frying pan.
• Next is to fry the potatoes in batches. Place some of the potatoes (they should all be touching the surface of the pan) and some rosemary into the pan, only turning them once they are brown underneath until they are all golden and browned on all sides.

• Turn the done potatoes onto a cloth or some kitchen paper to absorb some of the oil, and keep them warm in a low oven. Continue frying the rest of the potatoes as before.

And there you have it - a lovely wintry meal! Enjoy.

A Workable Kitchen

I'm back after the nasty cold got me down for a week. So I do apologise for not stopping by your blogs very often! I am feeling much better now, and I'm almost back to my cooking routine. Which brings me to the kitchen.

Kitchen's are often described as the heart of the home, and a nice sized kitchen is something most of us aspire to when looking for a new home. I am very much a 'visual person', so I like nothing more than a 'pretty' kitchen. But getting more into cooking I have realised how important it is that a kitchen functions well.

Style in a kitchen in a kitchen is great, and can actually become part of how the kitchen functions. The great thing about a rustic looking kitchen is you can have everything to hand on open shelves and racks. But even minimalist kitchens work really well if all the equipment is well organised. In some regards, I think minimalist kitchens work well too because there's a distinct lack of unnecessary items. But the basics of any kitchen should be a space in which you can move around systematically. I'd like to share some tips that I have picked up along the way (one of my favourite sources being my Jamie Oliver cookbooks) and some photos of how we got our small and modest kitchen to work hard for us.

Most of us are stuck with the kitchen layouts we inherit from the previous home owners, but if ever you are lucky enough to start from scratch, remember the 'work triangle' system. It's not an absolute must, but basically it boils down to the most used items (IE cooker, fridge and sink) should be grouped together so that you can easily move from one area to the next. Examples of how this works are shown below.



The majority of us do not have enough cupboard space in a kitchen. But think logically, and put things you don't use often higher up out of the way and those that you do use often, put them closest to the area you use them in. You're only making things hard for yourself if you have the cups and mugs stacked in a cupboard on the opposite side to where the kettle is.

If you have a small kitchen, or just too many kitchen utensils, here are some space saving techniques:

• Buy stack able mugs and glasses. We have only one narrow shelf for glasses, but because they are stack able IKEA ones, space isn't an issue.

• Use a turntable in an awkwardly shaped or deep cupboard
• Do the Jamie thing of using a pan rack (or laundry rack) on your kitchen ceiling to hang your pots and pans from.
• Store equipment that you don't use often (blenders etc) out of the way.
• Make use of wall space for utensils, spice racks and recipe book storage. Most recipe books are beautiful and deserve to be on display.

I'll share with you what makes our kitchen work, I always enjoy seeing what others do with their kitchen spaces, and I hope you find something new here too.

This is our kitchen when we first moved into our house.



And this is it now... as you can see, we are not minimalists (probably because I have a hoarding habit).


Our kitchen is not big, but we have made the most of the space with the following:
As you can see, we replaced low wall cupboards with ones that reach all the way to the ceiling for more storage space (and it means I don't have to dust the top of the cupboards!).
We added extra shelves alongside the window for displaying and using. We installed a shelf above the cooker from which to hang pans we use regularly, and a wall rail for utensils. All of this has made cooking such a joy!

A few other things I can't go without in my kitchen...

Plates stacked in the corner cupboard near the cooker & toaster. Essential that they are close to the action.

My coffee, tea and sugar tins (they are from a Laura Ashley sale).
These little pots are from those ready-made deserts that we have bought from the supermarket over the years (a bit naughty having so many!). They are so useful for cracking eggs in, mixing spices or herb, and a quick melt of butter in the microwave. They are the things I use most often.
Below you can see my little shelves. They are now in what was once a hatch that went through to the lounge. Instead of closing it up, Mr L put up a little shelf for me. This houses my other favourite items... my sugar shakers. These beautiful glass shakers are from Debbie English Treasures' shop. They are SO handy, and I was lucky enough that Debbie sent me an EXTRA one in our kitchen swap. I have one for icing sugar, one for flour (as you can see I dust flour directly onto my work surface for rolling out dough), and the other one I am going to use for cocoa powder (great for sprinkling on hot chocolates), and my new fourth one is going to be a cinnamon-sugar one for pancakes! I keep them covered with a round piece of cellophane and an elastic band.

Another idea that I came up with after seeing it in an expensive kitchen catalogue, was for Mr L to make us an organiser for our knife drawer. It use to drive me bonkers that the knives were sliding all over the place in the drawer and you could never see the actual knife you wanted. Mr L used 2 pieces of wood cut to sit inside the drawer on a thin piece of board, and made slits to fit the knives in. Oh, and a bit of leftover wallpaper for the base. Perfect!


Lastly, I love Jamie's idea that you draw an aerial view of your kitchen and where the main things are that you use (spices, plates, fridge etc). You then imagine yourself cooking a meal... now draw the route you would take to and from areas to cook the meal. If there are many lines all over the place, you'll be exhausted by the time your meal is cooked, and you should look into re-organising things. I hope this has inspired you.

How do you use your kitchen? Have you got anything you can't do without? And have you got any more ideas for us all to streamline our kitchens?

Thanks for stopping by!