House Cleaning

One of my New Year's resolutions was to thoroughly declutter the house.  I knew I couldn't do it without a plan, so I found a great one.  I luckily discovered A Year of Decluttering Missions.  There is a great calendar with 15 minute daily missions, and I choose some days to do more.  There are great articles on how to declutter, how to organize, and other cleaning information.  It has helped me so much.  The house feels lighter and freer, and it is much easier for me to keep it clean.

I also have a general cleaning schedule each week to help keep everything under control.  I have made it a priority to keep things neat and tidy, without going crazy about it.  I vacuum and mop twice a week, more if needed.  I dust once a week, and deep clean the bathroom once a week.  Every day I wipe out the sinks, scoop the litter, wipe down the table and counters, and do some laundry.  Once a week I clean the fridge out, clean the garbage cans, clean all the mirrors and change the beds and bath towels.  The kids help with some chores too, and it has made a big difference.

I have found that the house smells fresh most of the time, just by combining the wonderful natural cleaners and this cleaning regimen.  When is gets a little smelly I spray my homemade essential oil air freshener and it takes care of it quickly and easily.

We have cleaned out so much of the basement, and gotten rid of many things we had been holding onto for too long.  After many trips to Goodwill and lots of bulk trash pick ups we feel finally like our possessions are not possessing us, and we are really starting to feel so much more control in our home.  We are starting to hang more things on the walls that we want to see, and we are getting rid of knick knacks that we don't LOVE!  My new rule is that if it gives me stress to find a place for it, its place is outside our home.  We have gone through and organized all our curriculum materials, and started using more of them.

We also replaced all of the mini blinds, which makes a big difference in how clean the house looks to me.  And perception is a lot of it.  The house feels less full, and more tidy, and that makes it easier for me to feel comfortable here, and easier for me to clean.  I know I get overwhelmed with clutter, so I knew clutter needed to go.  Once I got started it got a lot easier.  The first few things were hard to let go of, but the more I put in the give away box, the better I felt.  Now we are very particular on what we keep.  We don't have an attic, and I refuse to pay for storage, so we need to simply have less.  I am finding that a little bit of minimalism is improving everybody's moods.  CJ and Eliza are having a much easier time keeping their rooms clean.  That has been a load off my shoulders.

I am looking forward to warmer weather so that I can declutter and thoroughly clean the car, the deck, the porch, and the garage.  And of course to get started on yard work.  I want this summer to be full of outdoor fun in our yard.  I want to have a big party with a ton of kids running around in the sunshine.  With green growing things all around, and not much work to do in the house.  And I feel well on the way to making the dream a reality.

Vacation

The last week of February we took our first real vacation that the kids will remember.  Usually we just see how many educational day trips we can cram into a week, or do something fun like clean the basement for vacation.  Not this time I tell you, I needed some warmth, and a few days without cleaning, cooking, or planning.  We went to Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg MA.  Water park, arcade, ropes course, and magiquest.  It was AMAZING!!!  We had such a great three days, and I never shivered once, even when in the hot tub in the snow.  It has made us all more patient with each other at home to have had some great family time together.  And I was surprised at the price, it was expensive, yes, but less so than I thought, and we were lucky enough to find a groupon.  Woohoo!  We went to Newbury comics on our way up, and brought new books and graphic novels for all of us to read while there, because we are that nerdy, and we spend hours just reading quietly.  And we saved a little money by bringing stuff to have breakfast and lunch in the room.  There are fridges, coffee makers, and microwaves in each room so that was pretty easy.  We only ate one meal a day at the Lodge, and that was at the buffet meal each night.  We spent a ton of time in our bathing suits on the water slides and laughing like crazy.  Now we all want to make it a yearly vacation.  I am so on board with that.

 View from our room.  See that giant funnel thing?  Most terifying water slide I have ever been on, especially as we did it at night and it was pitch dark.   Eeek, I still shake when I think of it.

 Ropes course.  In case anyone wonders, no I did NOT go up there.  No way.

And the kiddos being knighted for completing their Magiquests, it is like my first LARPing for kids.  We all had a blast.  The pictures don't do it justice, mostly since I didn't take too many pictures.  I was too busy having fun with my family.

Amazing Syrup

I made a homemade Mrs. Butterworth type syrup recently, extremely well received by everyone at the breakfast table.

Super Easy Syrup

In a saucepan combine the following:

1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar

Stir and heat until sugar has dissolved, butter has melted, and everything melds together.  This is awesome on pancakes and waffles.  CJ and Eliza have asked me to make it twice more since the first time.  And the leftovers keep well in a jar in the fridge.  It solidifies a little so needs to be rewarmed, but we like warm syrup better anyhow.  It makes a nice alternative to the pure maple syrup we usually use, and I always have the ingredients on hand.  I think a little cinnamon and vanilla would be nice in the next batch.  Let me know if you try it!

Superbowl Snacks

I couldn't care less about who is playing, or who wins, but I really look forward to good commercials and yummy snacks every year on Superbowl.  Today was no different.

First off I want to thank my friend Diana and whoever gave her the salsa recipe, because I LOVE this salsa.  One of my favorite things in the world is cucumbers dipped in this marvelous stuff.  And it is crazy easy to make, and tastes so fresh and wonderful.

Best Fresh Salsa:
     Combine in blender:
5 fresh plum tomatoes (or so, whatever fits) I quarter them
4 slices pickled jalapeno
1 big spoonful chopped garlic
good size bunch of cilantro
some salt
      Don't you love how precise this recipe is?  Just throw the stuff in the blender and blend till all is chopped and it is getting towards being smooth, till it looks like this:

Next:  These cookies.

Oh my fudgy wonderfulness.  I tweaked this recipe from King Arthur Flour: Flourless Fudge Cookies  I skipped the espresso, and added 2 tablespoons of peanut butter powder.  I have also made them the traditional way, skipping the espresso powder and they are amazing.  I just felt like a chocolate peanut butter mix sounded yummy today.  These take 20 minutes from thought to eating if your oven heats fast.  LOVE them!


We had deviled eggs per the kiddos' request, mini hot dogs in bbq sauce, spinach artichoke dip with homemade gluten free bread, and some chicken quinoa meatballs in homemade cranberry rhubarb ketchup sauce.  They were better than they sounded :) We had veggies and tortilla chips with the salsa and homemade guacamole and the cookies.  It was a delicious Superbowl :)

Make Ahead Fruit Crisp Topping

 The other day, it was cold and snowy, and we all felt like doing some baking.  But after all the gluttonous food of the past months, we wanted something a little healthier.  Enter my favorite fruit crisp.  I make big batches of this adaptable topping and keep it in the freezer.  Use any fruit you like.  I have made it with peaches, pears, apples, berries, cherries, and others, including combinations.

 The topping starts with oats.  Then you add any type of flour you like, all purpose, whole wheat, gluten free, and nut flours all work equally well here.  Don't forget a bit of salt, and some brown sugar.  Don't skip the salt, it needs it.

 Then some fat, butter, coconut oil, shortening, even liquid oils all work.  You want to work it in so you get nice crumbles, but not a large ball of cookie dough.  If you get a big ball, make cookies and start the crisp topping over again.  Trust me.

A small batch of this is as follows, to make a large batch triple or quadruple, just keeping the proportions the same:

1 cup oats
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Mix well

Mix in 4 T oil or butter till crumbly. (A friend of mine doubles this, I don't find it needed, up to you)  Sprinkle on fruit and bake.

You will notice there are no spices.  You can add them if you want, but if I am making a pear cherry crisp I don't always want cinnamon, so I add the flavorings to the fruit.  I make a huge amount of this, throw it in a container in the freezer and make a quick crisp whenever we need a nice dessert.  You can use the topping straight from the freezer, no need to thaw.

I choose the size crisp I want and fill the dish 2/3 to 3/4 full of raw or canned cut up fruit.  For apples I add pie spice or cinnamon, for berries I add vanilla and nutmeg, use whatever you like.  Also sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar onto the fruit.  If using berries, also sprinkle a couple teaspoons of the flour into the fruit, as they will release a lot of juice and you want to thicken that lovely flavor into a sauce.  A favorite combo of mine is 8 apples peeled cored chopped with 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries 4 T sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp orange extract.  Mix the fruit in the dish, top with crisp topping.  Bake at 400 for 20 to 35 minutes until fruit is cooked and topping is browned and all is bubbly.  Alternatively you can do this in a small crock pot, on low 4-6 hours, or high 2-3 hours.  This recipe is very adaptable.  I have never had a bad version yet.  I hope to hear of some new fruit combinations, please comment with any changes you tried :)

Resolutions

Every year I resolve to do things better, and I usually do fairly well, at least until somewhere around October.  I am determined to make it through the whole year this year.

Last years' resolutions were as follows:
1) Practice yoga weekly
2) Spend time outside with the kiddos every day it is not dangerous to do so.  Was doing well with this until the negative wind chill today
3) Spend more active time with the kids
4) Pay closer attention to my own health
5) Be more intentional with lesson planning and lesson implementation
6) Continue to organize and simplify our home
7) Blog weekly here and in Homeschooling: The Journey!

I have done yoga weekly, for the most part, provided I wasn't too sick to move or crazy with the holidays.  So that I did pretty well.  I have spent a lot more time outside with the kids, but not everyday at all.  I lost interest in that once we started having days that were only a high of 2 degrees last winter and again when the average low hit 88.  Baby steps.  I was doing great healthwise, right up until Halloween and then put on a bit of weight (15 pounds) since then.  Now back to regular activity and healthy eating habits.  I have done great with lesson planning and implementation, though I do give myself some leeway during the crazy seasons.  I have totally sucked at weekly blogging though.  My new resolutions are these:

1. Blog biweekly here and in Homeschooling: The Journey
2. Make playing with the kids a priority
3. Seriously declutter the house, and make it easier to maintain
4. Maintain a regimen of regular exercise including yoga
5. Save enough money for a small vacation and to add in our shower and downstairs bathroom
6. Visit a spa just for me

I want to focus for a while on enjoying my kids and improving my health and well being, mentally and physically.  I love my life, and my home, and especially my family, but I need to learn to take a little time and read, exercise, unwind, and play.  Ironically I am starting the New Year with daily decluttering and cleaning activities to help me feel less overwhelmed with the house.  So far we have replaced all the mini blinds, so they are all clean!!!  We have decluttered the school and play rooms, and moved things all around.  The play room is now full of creative opportunities for the kids.  They can paint, build, and create whenever they want.  I will post pictures soon of the way the room looks now.  We have gotten rid of many holiday decorations, and knick knacks that had no purpose, and didn't make us smile.  My rule now is that if it gives me stress to find a place for it, then it shouldn't be in my home.  Today we cleaned out the kitchen closet where the pots and pans and dishes are, and scrubbed all the pots with steel wool to remove the build up ick on the bottoms.  We also seriously cleaned the stove top to prevent it from happening again.  Tomorrow I am going to tackle all the silverware and utensils.  I am going to declutter, clean and organize them all.  Then I am going to play a new video game with Rich in the evening.  All about balance :)  I have cleaned out several little spots that were making me nuts, and now it just seems easier.  I have also found that being more active and eating well has made a tremendous difference in my mood.  Things seem less overwhelming, and that helps a lot.  Later this month I will post more about our cleaning efforts, which are making a huge difference.  Decluttering the kitchen makes it easier for me to do cooking, and decluttering the kids' rooms has made it easier for them to keep them neat and clean, which makes me less stressed and more able to focus on having fun with them.  It has been joyful around here, with less yelling and more creative endeavors.  I think we all needed a little less everything around us, and now we can focus more on what is important.  :)

I LOVE Butternut Squash

One day we had salad and soup.  Salad was mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, apples, oranges, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Soup was carrots and butternut squash sauteed in Ethiopian ghee.  See the recipe here The Joyful Homemaker, vegetable broth, orange zest from the orange I used in the salad, salt pepper, and frozen peas at the end.

And this shows how the meal went over with the kids :)

My latest obsession is this dish from the Pioneer Woman.  Butternut squash and kale.  The only change I made was to use Penzey's Forward instead of chili powder.

 And then this lovely salad.  Spring mix, pan roasted butternut squash, cucumbers, dried cranberries, feta, quinoa, pomegranate seeds and an orange mustard vinaigrette.

 I love this season of rich colors, and deep autumnal flavors.  This type of food makes me happy.  This coming week I might try some new squash recipes.  What ways do you use this lovely vegetable?