Category Archives: cleaning

Handmade

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As I sat down to write this post I was casting around in my mind for a suitable title. After close to 15 years of writing this blog it is inevitable that I end up reusing titles and that does not really matter. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the very simple one-word title of ‘Handmade’ had never featured. This is amazing since so much I what I write about is things that we have made or refashioned, whether it is cooking, sewing, gardening or various constructions.

Anyway, enough about the title and on to a couple of things that I have made recently which I want to share with you. The first is a recipe. This is a quick and easy no-bake sweet treat which is easy to have on hand for unexpected guests as well as a terrific option for times when you need to contribute something at the plethora of end-of-year events which will soon be upon us.

CHOC FRUIT AND NUT BALLS

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup sultanas
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup coconut + extra for rolling
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 – 2 tablespoons fruit juice

Method

Place almonds in food processor and process until fairly finely chopped. Add sultanas and raisins and process a bit more. Add the remaining dry ingredients and finally the juice. Drizzle slowly until the mixture forms into a solid mass. Remove mixture and roll into small balls. Roll the balls in coconut and store in the freezer until ready to use.

NOTE: This ‘recipe’ is my own creation and the quantities are only approximate and very flexible. You can use any dried fruit of you choosing. The juice can be fresh orange or lemon juice or any type of bottled juice.

Additionally, it is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Although I have not tried, if you need a nut-free version you could consider using pepitas or sunflower seeds instead of the almonds.

Meanwhile, I have also done some sewing recently. I had picked up some beautiful quilting fabric from an op shop some time ago with no real plans for how I would use it as they are not the colours I generally work with. I added it to my stash for a yet to be decided project. Last week I used some of it to make these blocks.

I then turned them into 2 patchwork tote bags which are fully lined with a contrasting internal pocket.

They are both being donated. One went to be part of a raffle at a Frocktober High Tea which a friend held yesterday. For those of you who don’t know, Frocktober is a focused month of fundraising for Ovarian Cancer Research. All cancer research is important but ovarian cancer is a particularly insidious disease which usually has very late diagnosis, and therefore, very poor outcomes and survival rates.

The other bag will also be part of a raffle next weekend but this time it will be at a fundraising fete for our local Community Pantry.

I am pleased to be able to share some of my handmade goods to benefit others in the wider community.

A Day Out – Part 2

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As promised, here is the second instalment of our day out in Shepparton.

We went to the SPC Factory shop and I had no real idea of what to expect apart from hoping to buy some tinned tomatoes.

Well it was an absolute eye-opener as they had all sorts of packaged food, drinks and some household goods.

I did buy 3 large tins (2.95kg each) of chopped tomatoes. You can see them on the top shelf as I had put some of our haul away before I thought to photograph it.

I also bought the 12 bottles of passata, 2 packs of gluten free gnocchi as well as a couple of other packs of gluten free pasta shown here.

Other items were 6 pairs of socks, 2 rolls of baking paper, a travel coffee plunger/mug, several tubes of toothpaste and facial scrub.

Everything that I bought was needed and well-priced. It would be easy to go overboard and be sucked into buying things that you do not need. You also need to know that you can successfully use and/or store various items as well as being aware of the pricing in regular supermarkets or other sources.

I am confident that the $114 that we spent was good value. I certainly would not need to shop here regularly nor would I make the 2 hour drive just to shop here. However, it is good to know what is available should we happen to be in the area in the future.

Do It Once

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Almost all of what I, and probably most of you, do is repetitive. Some things are repeated daily, weekly or less frequently. Things like meal preparation and washing up can even be multiple times each day.

However, there are some jobs which can be done once and once only. Many fall under the broader category of decluttering which in itself can seem like an endless task.

I recently cleaned up the desk in our small office which is a built-in desk in the walkway through to the laundry. Keeping this space free from clutter is an ongoing project and I completely understand that.

There were 6 small plastic boxes sitting one one corner of the desk. These had previously held photographic slides that belonged to my father. The slides have all been scanned and saved so I had disposed of the originals. The boxes were covered with adhesive labels and notations in permanent marker and I had been undecided as to whether I could repurpose the boxes. I possibly could but the question really is, ‘do I need them?’

After several months of seeing these boxes multiple times each day I decided that they could be used by someone else. So, the first step was to remove the labels and clean them up.

No before photo but here they are, ready to go. I plan to take them to the Bendigo Share and Repair Shed as I feel that someone will be able to use them.

I am sure that they will be perfect storage for someone’s small treasures.

Just because you don’t want to send something to landfill does not mean that you are obliged to keep it or even to find a way of using a particular item.

Fresh Eyes

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We arrived home yesterday and I am working my way through the washing.

We had housesitters staying here while we were away so naturally I left the house clean and tidy for them and they did likewise for our return. Nevertheless, it is really interesting to come home and look around the house after having been away.

It is 2 years since we moved here and it is mostly set up the way we want it. Our home is definitely not cluttered but there are still some spaces that have too much stuff or are not adequately organised for my liking. Other spaces tend to become a bit of a dumping-ground so I need to be more vigilant about leaving things where they should not be. I have returned with renewed enthusiasm to sort out some things. As always, one thing tends to lead to another and can turn into a bigger project than planned. A quick tidy up can become a major rearrangement of storage options but that is OK because it usually has a better long-term result.

Here are a few photos of some things I want to tackle. I will share how I do it and the results in future posts.

The guest bedroom. There is nothing desperately wrong with it. The bed needs to be remade and I really need to sort out what bed linen is required at the moment for both this bed and ours. I find this time of the year difficult as the overnight temperatures vary widely. The other thing that is bothering me about this room is the bed. We chose to buy it from the previous owners and while it is a good bed in excellent condition, I can honestly say that I hate it. The storage drawers are useful but not having any space underneath increases the difficulty of making the bed. The wide timber surround is also unhelpful. So, I am determined to search for a more user-friendly bed secondhand. The trade-off will be the loss of the underbed storage but although I do have some linen in the drawers it is definitely not essential.

The 3rd bedroom which is still trying to work out what it is but otherwise known as a junk room. It tends to be a collection of things that I am certain do not belong elsewhere. The wardrobe in this room is wine storage, suitcase storage and some items belonging to a community group where we volunteer. I do intend to set up the exercise equipment better so that it can be used more readily.

Our walk-in wardrobe. This is not a massive space since we purloined half of it to extend the pantry. We only recently added the shelves and hanging space and it is more than adequate for our needs. The box on the floor is administrative stuff for our volunteer work which I put here while we were away. That is overdue for sorting and rearranging and it needs to find a permanent home in the 3rd bedroom. I also want to look for a small seat which would be useful when putting on shoes and socks.

Chest of drawers. We do not have a dressing table as such as I use the large mirror in the adjacent ensuite bathroom. This large chest of drawers is shared by GMan and me. Our folded clothes are in the drawers and the top is a shared dressing table although it can be a bit of a dumping ground. Time for a clean up and decide what belongs here or not.

These jobs will take some time but I will share my progress of each space in upcoming posts.

A Replacement

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We recently purchased a new pizza maker as our old one had finally ceased to work properly. I am not sure how old it was but we had definitely had it for more than 8 years. When we first bought the original pizza maker it took about 3-4 minutes to cook a pizza with toppings. Over time this gradually increased until it was taking 7-8 minutes and then finally was not cooking them properly at all. In fact, the dough tasted uncooked which was definitely not our preference.

So, we decided to replace the appliance as it gets well-used and is an efficient use of electricity rather than heating an entire oven. After a bit of research we chose one that is the same size as the original but with some slightly upgraded features.

Better positioned handles that minimise the risk of burns. Also, a glass window in the lid so that you can observe the cooking progress.

A removable pizza stone insert which makes cleaning a bit easier. However, it does not get washed – merely scraped or brushed to remove any debris.

A couple of stainless steel paddles which make it a breeze to lift the pizza in and out of the oven.

We have used the new pizza maker twice so far and I am very pleased to once again have a perfectly cooked pizza in 3-4 minutes.

I know that single-purpose appliances generally get a bad rap as they are expensive to buy, a nuisance to store and only suitable for a very specific purpose. However, we really enjoy making our own pizzas, I have plenty of space to store the item, it is an efficient use of electricity and for me, this is definitely a worthwhile purchase.

More Vegetables

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I want to share a recipe that has evolved in my kitchen since I first discovered that I could use cooked cauliflower as the base for a savoury white sauce rather than the traditional flour and butter roux.

The quantities listed are very flexible and only intended as a guide. The seasoning depends very much on your palate and should be adjusted accordingly.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 large cauliflower, cut into pieces (including stalks)
500ml milk, dairy or plant-based
1&1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoky paprika

Cook cauliflower until tender – microwave or steamed. Puree the cooked cauliflower, gradually adding milk to create the required consistency.

At this stage it should be smooth but will taste like milky cauliflower. Gradually add seasoning of your choice. Other options include powdered onion or garlic.

The mixture freezes really well and is super versatile. Here are 4 jars ready to go in the freezer.

It can be used in any way you would normally use white sauce. I sometimes add to vegetables or use for a pancake filling with mushrooms and chicken. Tonight I used it for the base of a tuna pasta bake.

Here it is almost ready to go in the airfryer.

I will add some topping of flaxseed meal, nutritional yeast and a little grated cheese and serve with some sliced carrots and zucchini.

A Month Later

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Well, here I am. Back again, finally.

The last month has been a bit of a rollercoaster. We headed off on holidays for 2 weeks to Hawaii and California. This was our first overseas trip since 2019 when Covid threw a spanner in the works of our (and many others travel plans). The trip went well and we enjoyed our time away although I was not particularly well for the second week. We still managed to do most of what we had planned but I did lay low for nearly a week once we were home. Consequently, the planned holiday blog posts did not all happen but I have the photos and stories and will update them one day.

We are definitely back into the swing of doing things at home. In fact, so much so that there has barely been time for writing. Blogging, like any other habit, requires constant, regular actions to maintain and I have let that slide a bit but hopefully tonight’s post will herald some regular posts in the coming weeks.

I began today by cleaning and sorting out the freezer section of the fridge/freezer in the kitchen. It is probably difficult to really see much change apart from the lack of crumbs in the drawers but at least I now know exactly what is in there.

I also have an upright freezer in the shed which has lots of packs of grated zucchini, mulberries and stewed nashi pears at the moment. It certainly tends to reflect what has been happening in the garden.

I made a batch of chilli con carne and we had some for dinner and there are now another 9 serves in the freezer.

When I cooked the rice to serve with the chilli I cooked a bulk amount and froze enough for 6 more serves. If I am going to use time and energy cooking food I think it makes sense to cook extra for another night.

There are a few other things happening in the kitchen but I’ll save those stories for another day.

Christmas Crumble

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Fruit crumble is one of my favourite desserts but is not usually on the Christmas menu.

This year I am preparing lunch for 3 adults on what looks like being a cool and rainy day despite the fact that it is the middle of summer.

I have plenty of cooking apples and an abundance of frozen mulberries so we will be having apple and mulberry crumble with ice-cream for dessert on Christmas Day.

CRUMBLE TOPPING

Ingredients

1 cup coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain flour (I use gluten-free flour)
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 teaspoons golden syrup
2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 teaspoons powdered mixed spice
90g butter

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the syrup and mix through. Finely shave the butter and rub through the dry ingredients using your fingertips.

Spread the crumble mixture on top of your favourite stewed fruit and cook in oven or airfryer until the topping is lightly browned and crisp.

NOTES: This is a large quantity as I freeze any excess for future use so you may wish to halve the amounts. I only use real butter as it needs to be very firm (not spreadable) for this recipe.

Another Week

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I was contemplating writing this post yesterday and the first step was to consider what I had actually done in the past week that was blogworthy. I have been neither particularly busy nor lazy but just meandering along.

On Thursday we went to Melbourne to see Tim Minchin. It was a terrific show and we made the most of the trip by going shopping during the day. It was mostly stocking up on some food as well as buying descaler for the coffee machine and getting a key cut. Saturday evening was more socialising as we went to see a local band at a small bar in our town.

In other shopping news, I stocked up on some bulk items. I have managed to arrange to collect bulk olive oil from the farm gate about 30km from where we live. We picked up 2 x 20 litre drums of new season organic olive oil which we share with several friends. It is an economical and efficient way of purchasing a premium local product.

My other purchases were online. I have previously bought all of my dishwashing and laundry cleaning products from Kin Kin Naturals, a family business located in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. As it was relatively close to where we lived previously, I was able to buy directly from the manufacturer. I decided it was time to research my options for these products and found that I could buy bulk quantities online from Australian Organics so I stocked up. This was an easy decision as they offered $9.50 flat rate shipping. I found that the shipping costs often make online shopping an uneconomic proposition so this was a great find.

I have also ordered a 15 litre drum of hair and body wash from Envirocare which should arrive in the next day or two. This is another product I am familiar with using and it makes sense to buy a substantial quantity in one go.

Why do I buy in bulk? There are several reasons that make sense to me. It saves time, money and packaging as well as protecting against supply chain issues. I know it is not for everyone as you need to have space to store the larger quantities as well as money available for the upfront costs associated with buying bulk amounts. These are a couple of the reasons that I am happy to share the olive oil with some like-minded local friends. Perhaps I will extend to co-operative buying approach to some of the other products as well.

The Mundane Stuff

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Apart from the one-off things like new-to-us furniture, there are lots of mundane tasks that are required to keep things ticking over smoothly.

When we moved in I unpacked the refrigerated items from our camp fridge into the existing refrigerator which we had purchased with the house. This was convenient as we had sold our refrigerator with our previous home. This one is a little different to what I was used to so the positioning of various items is somewhat different. Where everything belonged had just evolved without a great deal of thought.

Yesterday, I cleaned the interior of the fridge and rearranged things a bit more thoughtfully with respect to where, when and how often I use them.

There is plenty of space in the body of the refrigerator. The top shelf which is a bit high for me to easily reach is reserved for GMan stuff – sourdough starter, ground coffee, beer mugs and beer.

The right-hand door is my ‘go to’ space for milk, juice, assorted condiments and ingredients used regularly in meal preparation.

The left-hand side is mostly taken up by the reservoir for the chilled water/ice dispenser so a block of cheese and container of yeast are the only occupants.

I find that by keeping items in a logical and consistent location means that things are much less likely to be forgotten and end up being wasted.

As a result of tidying the refrigerator and refreshing my mind as to the contents, I was able to plan meals based on ingredients (particularly perishable ones) for several days.

While I gave up diligently menu-planning when I retired from paid employment, I still generally have a rough idea of meals for at least a few days. As well as using up ingredients it helps to ensure a balance of meat/vegetarian meals and also not having the same carbs for successive days.

The current plan looks like this:

Monday – Baked potatoes with refried beans, sauteed mushroom, onion and capsicum and coleslaw
Tuesday – Grilled sausages and vegetables with cheesy cauliflower sauce
Wednesday – Zucchini quiche and quinoa tabouli
Thursday – Stuffed capsicum with coleslaw
Friday – Chicken, mushroom and spinach pancakes