Category Archives: Homemaking

Space and Style

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More is definitely less when it comes to decorating.  I find a single piece much more aesthetically pleasing than a cluttered jumble all vying for your attention.

Here is a glass cutting board which I have standing in a clear acrylic recipe bookstand.  It is both functional and decorative on the kitchen bench.

2012-01-18 01The living room has a long, low bookcase and I have this glass bowl on it.

2012-01-18 02Everything about this means something to me.  The bowl was a gift from my daughters.  The rocks were collected by my parents while travelling through western Queensland and were gathered almost 50 years ago.  The doily is Nottingham lace and was a gift from a close friend.

2012-01-18 03The decorative value is accentuated because there is nothing else competing with the bowl.  Simple and effective.

The Ones That Got Away

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Yesterday I ventured down to the vegetable gardens and found these zucchini.  At 1.8kg and 2.8kg they could certainly be regarded as the ones that got away.

2012-01-15 01The photograph shows them beside the food processor which gives an indication of the size of them.

In keeping with my previous post, there was no way I was going to waste them so I cut them up and and scooped the seeds out.  I then cut them into manageable pieces and fed them through the food processor with the grater attachment.  Since the skin is fairly tough on these large zucchini it did not grate particularly well but my work still yielded 8 x 400 g packs of grated zucchini in ziplock bags ready to freeze.

2012-01-15 02These are now packed away in the freezer, ready for use.  I make zucchini quiche/slice which works perfectly well with previously frozen zucchini.  I also add it to bolognaise sauce and lasagne.

I will post the recipe for the Zucchini Slice on Friday in Friday Favourites.

What do you do when you have a glut of a particular fruit or vegetable?

Friday Favourites – Something Different

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The favourite this week is a little different.  It is actually a Friday Freebie.

I brought home several containers of salad, cheese and antipasto items from work.  These came from some colleagues from interstate who were staying at a major hotel and received a special offer of a ‘picnic basket’ tea.  As is so often the case in our society, there was way too much so it was brought into the office, we all had snacks and lunches yet there was still excess so it has come home and part of it has been turned into our dinner.

I added some avocado (free from our tree) and a slice of ham plus some rice salad.  The rice was originally part of my lunch but was superseded by the freebies.  I added a chopped spring onion which was lurking sadly in the bottom of the vegie crisper plus a mild chilli from a bush in the garden.  A drizzle of red wine vinegar and herbed olive oil completed the rice salad.

I hate to see the waste of food in our society and wherever possible I use up anything that is going to be thrown out.  In fact, I even rescued 2 bananas yesterday which had been tossed on the top of the rubbish in the kitchen at work.  They had barely a blemish but were obviously too ripe for somebody’s liking.  We will enjoy a banana cake from them.

The waste of food in our society is appalling.  Do you see food where others see only rubbish?

Make Do

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Last year we swapped the single bed in the sewing room for a new (to us) bed and trundle bed.  Miss O used to sleep in the single bed when she came to stay but once Izz was also sleeping in a bed we had to re-think the sleeping arrangements.  I was not prepared to give up what is primarily my sewing room to have 2 single beds available for occasional use so I had to think laterally.  Bunk beds were not an option due the young age of the children and the proximity to the window, so we opted for the single bed plus trundle.  We found it on Gumtree, in perfect condition and only $50.  We bought new foam mattresses and were very happy with the outcome.

The next question was what to do with the existing bed.  No-one I knew needed one and I could have advertised it on Freecycle but there was a degree of emotional attachment.  Sentimentality is the last thing a minimalist needs but this bed is one that my father made over 50 years ago and I was not keen to let it go.  However, it had to justify its existence in our lives.

We had an old day-bed which we had acquired from Freecycle about 10 years ago with the goal of restoring it for use on the long verandah – imagining lazy afternoons lying reading a book and listening to the birds in the shrubs nearby.  This was a great idea but one that was unlikely to happen due to the very poor condition of the timber.

Finally, we agreed that the day-bed could be dismantled for firewood except for the wire mesh base which The Duke has appropriated for use as a sieve.  The single bed which is quite narrow (750mm) will be a day bed.  It has been on the verandah for some months now, waiting for me to make a cover for the mattress.  Although it is undercover there can be rain blow in to that area so I had to consider how to manage this.

I decided to cover the mattress in vinyl which can be bought by the metre from Spotlight.  A few weeks ago I did some measuring and we went to Spotlight with intentions of buying the vinyl but I discovered that it would cost me about $120.  I gulped and wondered whether it was really worth spending that amount of money on something which was certainly not essential and was really a way of retaining something I did not want to part with.  So we went home and I looked for alternative ideas.

I found this heavy cotton bedspread (actually I have 2 of them) in the bottom of the linen cupboard.  I am going to use it to make a cover which can be removed for laundering.  This does not address the issue of the mattress getting wet so I found the large, heavy-duty plastic bags that were the packaging from the new mattresses we bought for the trundle beds.  I will make a cover for the mattress from one of these.  We will bring the mattress inside if bad weather is imminent but otherwise I will only have to wash the cover and the mattress will stay dry and clean thanks to the plastic cover.

This project will be completed with no extra cost.  The bed will have a new use and I don’t have to part with it just yet.  We may even put a headboard and footboard on the bed but in the meantime it will be perfectly functional.

I am looking forward to finishing this and enjoying some lazy afternoons.

Marking Time

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I have been back at work since the New Year and after having had 10 days break it feels strange.  While I was at home I made some really good progress on my decluttering journey, most notably, the scanning of almost 2000 photographs.

Now I am at work each day, I feel as though I am just marking time rather than making any appreciable progress.  The last few days here have been extremely hot which adds to the general lethargy.

However, as I review what I have actually achieved I realise that the constant streamlining and decluttering of the past year or so have really made a difference.  It is easy to do very little and still manage to have meals made from scratch, dishes done and kitchen cleaned, the living room neat and tidy and the washing and ironing up to date.

I have resorted to having the same meal tonight as we had last night.  Conjuring up new and interesting meals is not very appealing in the excessive heat after a long day at work, so it is ham and salad again tonight.  I am looking forward to it as I really enjoyed our dinner last night.

The weather will become more moderate and work somewhat less demanding soon but in the meantime I will coast for a few days and all will be well.

What strategies do you have for when you have limited time or inspiration?  What do you let slide and what is deemed as essential in your household routine?

Introducing…………

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My online ‘Made It’ store.  I have set this up in order to sell some of the things that I make.  They are products that fit ethically with my views on sustainability.  These include cloth table napkins, bags to store those pesky plastic bags so that they are available to re-use and food covers.

I will be adding more products over the coming days and weeks.  Re-useable sandwich wraps and snack bags will help to eliminate plastic wrap and single-use lunch bags.  There will be hand towels and in the future I hope to add dishcloths.

I will also have a range of children’s clothing which will be practical and long-lasting.

Here is the link to Viabelle Lane.  Please drop in and have a look.

Friday Favourites – Bolognaise Sauce

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Today’s favourite is bolognaise sauce.  It is a versatile base for may meals and most people have their own version.  Here is mine which has evolved over many years.

BOLOGNAISE SAUCE

2012-01-07 01250g beef mince
1 cup TVP (dry)
1 cup hot water
1 onion (diced)
400g can tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 – 2 teaspoons mixed herbs
Tabasco sauce
Black pepper

Soak the TVP in hot water for about 10 minutes.

2012-01-07 02Cook the onion until soft.  Add the mince and cook until browned.

2012-01-07 03Add the TVP mixture and combine.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer gently for 15 – 20 minutes.

2012-01-07 04HINTS & MODIFICATIONS

The onion I used was frozen in packs of 150g – this is the size of a medium onion.  By flattening the contents of the bag it is easy to break off a portion if you only want the equivalent of half an onion.  These packs were made from onions we grew during the winter.

The upturned jar of tomato paste in the photo is how I store it in the fridge.  This stops it going mouldy and is much easier than spooning it into ice-cube trays and freezing which is another option.

This batch of sauce included some vegetables as well.  I added a grated zucchini and grated carrot to the mix as well as some pureed leftover vegies from a previous meal.  I did add an extra can of tomatoes as the mix was a little dry.  This ended up making 9 serves which is not bad from 250g of mince.

Other additions can include 1/2 cup red wine, 2 teaspoons of beef stock powder, 1 cup of finely chopped celery.

There are many ways you can use this sauce and it is limited only by your imagination.  Apart from the obvious one of serving over pasta you can make lasagne, stuff cannelloni tubes, top baked potatoes, serve with nachos and make savoury pancake filling.  While some of the ideas are not strictly traditional you can make variations to suit your family.  The addition of kidney beans and chilli turn it into chilli con carne,  cook a bit longer to reduce the liquid and top with mashed potato for a shepherd’s pie or put into shortcrust pastry to make a meat pie.

Apologies for ‘Friday Favourites’ being a day late but my camera was not ‘talking’ to the computer last night.  I hope enjoy the meal suggestions in this post and please add your own thoughts as well.

I have also updated the post for Layered Salad.  I have finally added the photos to this post.

A Christmas Plan

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No, I have not forgotten that it is January.

We have all heard the phrase about learning from past mistakes.  While they are not strictly mistakes, past events can be reviewed to see if it is possible to change things with a view to making life simpler and less stressful for ourselves.

Since it is a new year, what better to review than Christmas and the festive season?

My Christmas celebrations are very low-key compared to some.  However, comparison is not the issue here – streamlining the process and having time to enjoy the seasonal festivities is my aim.

Last year we went on holidays in October/November so I didn’t really focus seriously on any Christmas planning until mid-November.  There are also family birthdays at this time – one in November and one in early December.

Lazy Brownie Day is a concept I may have mentioned last year but it never quite got off the ground.  I believe the name comes from a book character, but regardless of the name, the concept is that the 25th of every month is dedicated to Christmas preparations.   While I may not always be able to do Christmas prep exactly on the 25th of the month due to work commitments, I will have a plan and review it each month.  This year I want to make sure that I do a little bit at a time and that there is no mad rush (physical or mental) at the end of the year.

Based on what I did in 2011 I have mapped out a basic idea of what I need to do each month to ensure that I am organised when it gets to December.  I have taken into consideration what worked, what didn’t and what I wanted to do that didn’t happen.

This is what it looks like:

January

  • Sort and file Christmas cards and letters
  • Make sure any contact details are updated in address book
  • Update Christmas card list
  • Set up complete contact list for 2012 e-cards

2012-01-04 01February

  • Make gift bags
  • Plan home-made gifts
  • Make list of gift recipients

2012-01-04 02March

  • Write Q1 review for 2012 Christmas letter
  • Work on home-made gifts

April

  • Work on home-made gifts

May

  • Work on home-made gifts

June

  • Write Q2 review for 2012 Christmas letter
  • Work on home-made gifts

July

  • Work on home-made gifts
  • Make Advent calendar

2012-01-04 03August

  • Complete home-made gifts
  • Check what other gifts to buy

September

  • Write Q3 review for 2012 Christmas letter
  • Buy any extra dried fruit/ingredients for cake
  • Make Christmas cake

October

  • Write Christmas cards
  • Select suitable photos for Christmas letter
  • Discuss plans for Christmas festivities/venues with extended family

November

  • Buy Christmas stamps
  • Make sure Advent calendar is complete and ready
  • Check times and location of carol service and displays of lights

December

Week 1

  • Put up and decorate the tree
  • Finalise menu for meals I am hosting over Christmas
  • Do major grocery shopping to last until after New Year

Week 2

  • Post cards
  • Take Miss O and Izz to carols and light displays

Week 3

  • Send Christmas e-cards/letters
  • Take Miss O and Izz to work Christmas party
  • Buy fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Relax and enjoy

Since Christmas 2011 is still reasonably fresh in mind, I hope I have covered most things.  There will be other small things I do throughout the year.

I am going to print this post and put it in a folder for reference and with the assistance of Lazy Brownie days I plan to have a smooth, non-stressful lead-up to Christmas 2012.

Do you have any particular timelines for Christmas preparations?

Back to Basics

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A new year is a good time to remind myself of my aim.  It is to live simply while adhering to the principles of organisation and sustainability.

Today I have done something that ticks both boxes.  It may seem like a small, or almost insignificant action, but I see it as worthwhile.

After doing a trial last year, our council have decided to offer the option of receiving rates notices by email.  When I saw this mentioned in a promotional booklet before Christmas, I sent an request for this option.  I have now registered our details, and while I am not exactly looking forward to our next rates notice, it is good to know that I can receive this notification electronically.  This means that there is no paper used (sustainable), the council saves money on postage and I do not have to handle and file the paperwork as it lands directly in my inbox (organised).

We receive as much correspondence as possible electronically.  This includes statements, phone and internet bills.  There are probably others that I cannot think of right at the moment.  Automatic payments and direct debits also help to streamline and simplify the business of running a household.  By automating as much as possible this leaves more time for doing productive and fun things.

Speaking of productive activities, yesterday The Duke and I planted out 23 rockmelon (cantaloupe) seedlings.  If they all thrive and produce fruit I will be able to run a market stall!  Some were planted in the rather desolate area nicknamed ‘the snakepit’.  It is a barren patch near the low part of the garden and seems to be filled with rubble.  Some months ago I managed to plant a couple of pumpkin seedlings which i had rescued from the compost heap and they are doing well.  I counted at least 10 tiny pumpkins growing on the vine yesterday.

Do you receive mail electronically or have automatic payments set up in order to streamline the business of running your household?  What other strategies do you use?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

A Big Project

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I have been debating for some time about how best to arrange my photographs.  I have about 1500 prints in albums, a shoebox full of prints, hundreds in digital format on my computer and the prospect of this number continuing to increase.

As it stands, we rarely look at the albums, never sift through the shoebox and occasionally look at the ones on the computer.  We mostly look at the holiday ones which are actually sorted and categorised which makes it easy to select what we want to view.

2011-12-30 01So my project for 2012 is to have all of my photos sorted and filed.  I have started by scanning the photos in the albums.  The first 650 are done and I hope to have the 5 albums scanned by the time I go back to work after the long weekend.

I have had fun looking at some of them as I go along.  Here is one you might like.  Note the boxes stashed under the change table.  That was one of my storage solutions for my ‘stuff’.

I plan to keep a full set on the computer as well as a couple of USB sticks kept in different locations as well as uploaded to the web.  Hopefully this will minimise the chance of them all being wiped out by a disaster.

Our current television is networked with the computer so it is easy to view the photos directly on the screen in the lounge room.

I will also be able to put together a selection of relevant photos on DVD for Missy and Belle so that they have a record for themselves.

So, what am I hoping to achieve?

1  The photos in a sensible order and easy to access format so that we can view and enjoy them rather than having them stashed away gathering dust.

2  Not leave an uncatalogued jumble for someone else to sort out when I am gone.

3  Declutter the albums from the bookshelves.

This will all take time but I am pleased that I have made the decision to do it and I am clear in what I want to achieve and how I will do it.

Alongside working on my photos I will be continuing to streamline and simplify both my home and my life.

I have just downloaded a new book to my Kindle.  It is Simplify by Joshua Becker.  I found it on his blog, Becoming Minimalist.  I am off to read it shortly and will let you know what I think.  It is good to see as many perspectives as possible on a subject and minimalism is no exception.

Do you have any big goals for 2012?  I would love to hear what you have planned.

NOTE:  Friday Favourites is on holidays but will be back next week ready for 2012.