Table Manners

This past weekend Mr L and I went for afternoon tea at Blenheim Palace of all places! It was actually a gift from my mother-in-law at Christmas, and we've only got around to doing it now.
I felt like a real lady who lunches, and I put on a dress for the occasion even if it was a bit windy.


The palace and gardens were beautiful and well worth a visit, but the cakes, well now, the cakes and sandwiches were just perfect! They were served in the beautiful Indian room, overlooking the fountains... pure bliss.

We even finished every last scrap! And I have a photo of me with my elbows on the table ...

What terrible table manners! I happen to buy a book in the gift shop afterwards called 'The Lady's Book of Manners'. It's a book about politeness and etiquette from 1890.

It's so fascinating, so I thought I'd share some table manners from the book with you, and then we'll move onto some more up-to-date table manners. Seeing as I was caught sipping tea with my elbows on the table I could do with a reminder!

The Lady's Book of Manners says:

It is looked upon as the height of vulgarity to use your knife to convey food to your mouth.

I love the use of the word vulgarity throughout the book!

And a hint that I think can still be applied today...

Avoid too slow or rapid eating; the one will appear as though you did not like your dinner, and the other as though you were afraid you would not get enough.

Do you think table manners still apply today? I think they should. Sure, family meals are allot more relaxed, but it's nice to still have some form of etiquette, even if only used at formal events or at Christmas. So here's a reminder (as much to myself as anybody else) of what is considered 'proper' (as opposed to vulgar) conduct at a table, these are just the basics, but they are also the important ones!

• Wash your hands before sitting down, it's a good habit.
  
• Sit up straight, slouching looks untidy
• Don't speak with food in your mouth - nobody wants to see food flying accross the table.
• Chew quietly and with your mouth closed, this is of course easier to do if you take small bites at a time.
• Keep your elbows off the table, it generlly leads to slouching and takes up table space (that's me told then!).
• Excuse yourself from the table or you might look as though you are storming out on a conversation, or you were displeased with something said.
• Wipe your mouth before drinking or your glass will be full of smudges... eek!
• Never reach across a table, as well as glasses that can be knocked over, you might be cutting someone else off from their conversation.
• Don't wave utensils about in the air, for obvious reasons this could be dagerous.
• And yes, don't put your knife in your mouth!
  
• Don't start eating until everyone is seated.
  

Good 'ol table manners. I hope they never fall away completely!
Have a great week everyone!
x

New uses for old things...

A busy couple of weeks again. I'm afraid I don't get a chance to post quite so often anymore because I am now officially enrolled in a yoga teacher's training course. I've been doing yoga for a bout 5 years now and thought it would be good to learn to teach it. But it means that as well as working full-time, I'm also doing 2 yoga classes a week, and some weekends away. However, I am NOT giving up on my blog, so I'll try my best to still post as often as possible.

I thought today I'd do a post about recycling some household waste into make-shift cleaning supplies. Recycling has become very fashionable in recent years, even to the extent that we now just plonk some household waste into a recycling bin. But what about recycling some of your waste yourself? I have a few ideas... so here goes. Can you think of anything else you could re-cycle to use for cleaning?

Old toothbrushes

It's advised that we replace our toothbrushes every 6 months. I never throw away a used toothbrush, because they are essential for cleaning around the house. Here's how you too can use your old toothbrushes.

* For stubborn limescale deposits, soak some paper towels, or a cloth in white vinegar. Apply to limescale area and leave to soak for 2 hours. Remove and use your toothbrush to scrub away the softened deposits, very helpful for nooks and crannies around faucets.

* The next time you clean your refrigerator, don't forget to clean the rubber seal. Pour some warm water into a bowl along with a drop of washing up liquid. Dip the toothbrush in the soapy water as you go around scrubbing the rubber. Wipe with a damp cloth.

* If your children draw with crayon on your walls, use a bit of toothpaste on the toothbrush to scrub away the crayon. Wipe away the toothpaste with a lightly damp cloth.

* Use the toothbrush and some diluted bleach to remove mildew from window frames. The bleach will also prevent the mildew coming back.

Old and odd socks

Aah, the Anthea Turner way! Use old socks (clean ones only please), over your hand to dust stair banisters, ornaments, plants etc. You're less likely to miss out on tricky corners if you use your hand to dust this way.

Old towels

It goes without saying that if you have pets, keep every bit of old towel you have... they are so handy on muddy days. But old towels are great for a couple of other things too... read on.

• After mopping a floor. Wrap an old towel over the end of a broomstick, push around the floor to speed up drying and prevent slippages. It has the added bonus of buffing the floor.
• Have a designated bathroom cleaning towel (perhaps even mark it with a permanent marker, or if that's too tacky for your linen cupboard, go ahead and embroider). Use that towel to wipe and clean the bathroom once you've finished in the shower. You wont need any chemical, and you'll never again have to use elbow grease to scrub your bathroom because you'll be preventing limescale and oily deposits buildup.
  

Newspaper

Use old newspaper to clean windows. Read more about getting streak free shiny windows here.

Used spray bottles

I never throw away a spray bottle. They are great to use for making up your own cleaning concoctions. Try some of these chemical free ideas. Also, I use one when I iron... simply add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil and you'll have lovely smelling laundry.

Mismatched china

Use an old teacup, or a pretty bowl to freshen a room. Fill it with a few spoons of bicarbonate of soda and a couple of drops of an essential oil, and place it on a shelf. The bicarbonate of soda will absorb any nasty smells.

Banana skins

Use the skin of a banana to clean leather shoes before you throw the peel into the recycling. Or you can also use it to polish the leaves of a houseplant.

Flat Cola
Don't pour flat cola down the sink, instead pour it into you toilet bowl and leave for an hour before flushing. It'll get rid of any limescale deposits and stains. Best not to think what this means for your stomach :)

Well I hope that's given you some new ideas, so get cleaning!

Oh, and one more thing...
We had some friends over for dinner and I needed to make a starter that would be tasty but quick to put together. I ended up doing a Tomato and Pesto tart from the BBC Good food website. It was delicious, and SO easy! I highly recommend it. Find the recipe here.

South African 'Melktert' recipe

This weekend I again attempted to make a tart that I've failed to make successfully before. It's a traditional South African recipe called 'Melktert' or directly translated as milktart. A melktert is usually a shortcrust pastry base with a filling not dissimilar to a custard tart, but much more milky and softer than a custard tart and topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon. This really is comfort food although South African, the recipe has some Dutch influences.

For a bit of history on this tasty dessert:

Before the Suez Canal was built, all ships travelling east to the spice islands of what is now Indonesia had to sail round the tip of South Africa. The Dutch and their East India Company were a force to be reckoned with along the spice route for a large part of the 17th century, and South Africa was a convenient stopping place on the long journey from Europe to Asia.

The first permanent Dutch settlement was established at the Cape of Good Hope around the middle of the century. The cinnamon used in this recipe would have been imported from Indonesia; and the milk would have come from the increasing number of Dutch farms that sprang up around the Cape to supply the Dutch ships and their scurvy-ridden crews with fresh vegetables, meat and dairy products.

Extract taken from an article by Cecily Layzell on Suite101.com

I'm happy to say that for the first time I have made a successfull melktert! This is with thanks to a new recipe I tried that I adapted from here. However, I used my own shortcrust pastry recipe which I'll share with you too. If you're not up to making your own pastry, just buy those ready made pastry cases or bake a ready-rolled shortcrust pastry from the supermarket... but give pastry making a go, it's fun! Just remember to keep all your ingredients as cold as possible, and it will help if you have a blender or mixer.

I'm also dedicating this recipe specially to my blog friend Ivy from Little Ivy cakes... she always does great recipes on her blog and loves trying new things, so this one is for you Ivy - I hope you get a chance to try this one yourself one day.

Melktert
This recipe is enough to make 2 tarts.


Sweet shortcrust pastry

• 200g unsalted butter (cold)
• 300g plain flour (I put mine in the freezer for 20 minutes on a hot day)
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 small chilled eggs beaten

Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the food processor or mixer (use a flat blade in the mixer) along with the flour. Blitz the flour and butter until it resembles breadcrumbs and there are no big lumps of butter. Add the sugar and blitz again. Now add the beaten eggs only a little at a time (you don't have to add all of it, instead check the consistency, it musn't be too wet) until the mixture binds into a ball. Dust the dough with flour and form it into two discs and cover with clingfilm. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Butter two pie/tart dishes. Now roll the two discs out to about 3- 5mm thickness or to fit the dishes. Once the dough is in, prick liberally with a fork to prevent the pastry rising. Put some parchment paper and beans inside to blind bake the crust.

For the Filling

• 4 1/2 cups milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of corn flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
  
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
• cinnamon to sprinkle over the top
  

Mix the dry ingredients together.
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, and then slowly add the dry ingredients whilst whisking.
Bring the milk to boil in a large saucepan, then remove the milk from the heat and add the mixed ingredients slowly into the milk whilst stirring to avoid lumps. Turn the stove top down low, and return the saucepan on the stove and slowly boil, stirring until the mixture has thickened - do not be tempted to remove from the heat before the mixture has thickened to a thick custard consistency or the filling wont set. Remove from the stove again, and add the butter and the vanilla. Pour the mixture into the two pastry cases whilst the mixture is still hot. Note: This tart does not get baked again, the heating of the milky filling is sufficient for the tart to set.

Allow to cool, cover with clingfilm and put the tarts in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. Once the tart filling has set, sprinkle liberally with ground cinnamon. Serve cold on it's own or with fresh berries as a dessert, or enjoy it as a teatime treat!


And now I have to show you my poppies that I have grown from seed... I am so excited that they have opened! They are Laura Ashley seeds, and I was expecting them to be more pink than dark purple, but I still think they are gorgeous! I'd send you all some seeds if I could. Well, actually, if any of you do really do want some seeds, leave me a comment before next Sunday saying you've emailed me, then email me with your address at laundrybasketcase @ rocketmail .com (remove spaces) and I will try and collect some when the pods have dried in the autumn and post them to you with instructions how to grow. I can't guarantee they'll be exactly the same, because the bees might be cross-pollinating them, but it' worth a try.



Have a great week!
x

Setting a table the correct way...

My work on the site is done and as you might have noticed a couple of things have changed on my blog. I've been working very hard to add a few extras, update some of my labels, and change the layout with a new template. It's fairly busier than my clean layout from before, but I hope yo enjoy it nonetheless.

I'm excited about today's post because I love learning about etiquette, you know, doing things the 'proper' way. Generally speaking I can set a table correctly for informal family meals, but when I recently served up some tea and scones to work colleagues of mine, I had to go look up how to set the table for a tea party. Whilst doing my research I went the whole hog and looked up how to lay a table for all sorts of occasions. I am no expert, I'm merely trying to learn myself, so I can't claim that these images are 100% correct nor do I have all the necessary glassware, forks and spoons... but then you might not either, so I hope you find this post useful. And if you'd like to correct me on any of these, please do so and I'll update the pictures.

Let's start with laying the table.
Tablecloths look smart, but they are not essential. Instead you might want to show off your glass or antique table and use place mats instead. This is also a good option if you don't fancy ironing a tablecloth. Because, of course, a creased tablecloth looks very untidy unless you're going for a very creased linen rustic look. But saying that, it's only for formal dinners where the tablecloth needs to be immaculate IE. showing only one crease line that runs the length of the cloth. Unlike shown in my amateur photos, a white damask cloth is used only for dinner (silly me!). Prints and coloured cloths are great for ordinary home meals where you might like to re-use the tablecloth more than once (that is a clean cloth for dinner to take you through breakfast and lunch the next day).

A centre piece is not essential, but makes an occasion out of any meal. Using a simple centrepiece of picked garden flowers is elegant, and will make even the simplest family meals feel special.

Now, onto the specifics...
These are of course basic guidelines only. Place settings should be adapted depending on what is served in what order. Cutlery should always be laid with forks to the left, knives to the right with two exceptions: the fork goes on the right when there is no knife, and an oyster fork goes to the right or on the plate. All utensils should face upwards, with the sharp edges of knives turned towards the plate. Spoons go to the right of knives. The utensils that are to be used first are laid at the outer positions. Water glasses are set above the tips of the knives, wine glasses are to the right of water glasses. And if two wines will be served, three glasses should be set in a triangle. Dessert utensils are placed above the main plate, and teaspoons are placed on the saucers. Never lay out any utensils at a setting that do not have a purpouse during a meal.

Breakfast
I've only set out a bowl here, but actually, it should be a plate for hot food, a bowl for cereal on top, toast plate with butter knife on the top left. A glass for water, a glass for juice and a cup and saucer to serve tea or coffee to have with the breakfast.

Lunch
This setting is for a lunch serving that includes a small plate at the top left for salad, and a large plate for the main course. Two glasses above the knife and spoon are provided for juice and water. The napkin can of course be placed to the left of the forks as with other settings.

Morning or Afternoon Tea
I've shown a setting that would be used with serving cake and scones. The knife is for the butter, and the fork for cake. It is preferable to use a small cake fork of course, but I don't have any. Generally a smaller 6" luncheon napkin should be used, and looks ever so sweet in a neat triangle.

Informal Dinner
This setting has a small plate and knife for bread and butter, a soup bowl and soup spoon, a main plate with knife and fork and two glasses, one for water, the other for wine.

Formal Dinner
Once again, I'm afraid I don't quite have all the necessary utensils. But this setting has a bread and butter plate with knife, soup bowl and spoon. There's also a salad fork, main plate and a the teaspoon for use with tea or coffee that is served after the meal. The teaspoon can also be placed on the saucer (I have found evidence of both uses, but perhaps one is wrong?). The glasses are set so that either white or red wine could be had, and a water glass.

Extras:
With formal meals, or meals where guests are attending, try and avoid commercial packaging on a table (jars, cartons, butter tubs etc). Three things I think are essential to add to your dinner services are a milk jug (my mother-in-law is particularly oppose to having a milk bottle at a table), a butter dish or small pots to put butter into and a pretty oil and vinegar set. For serving tea, there should be an extra pot with hot water and for the sugar, sugar cubes are ideal or a pretty sugar bowl and spoon set. Remember that when serving tea, if milk is taken, it is the 'proper' thing to add the milk before pouring the tea. Also remember that water glasses are filled three-quarters full, and wine glasses half full (I'm sure that rule goes out the window as the evening progresses).

So there you have it - a quick basic course on setting the table. Have I left anything out? Do let me know. Oh, and is there anything else you as a reader would like to see added to my blog?

Speaking of which, I'll soon be starting a new weekly post alongside my normal ones about doing one odd-job around the house a week. You know, little things that might not get done normally, so kind of a reminder of one cleaning odd-job to do every week.

I've also found a new home-keeping blog called This Home Sweet Home. Pop over and say hi, there are some great informative posts there about all things home related.

Have a lovely week!
xxx

Many of my tips are adapted from Cheryl Mendleson's "Home Comforts" - an excellent all rounder weighty book for home-keeping. A favourite of mine.

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