Mountains or Molehills

Posted on April 24, 2018April 24, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

Guess what I did today!!!!!!! I hung towels on the line! Did you expect something a little more exciting? Ok, I may be a bit crazy for being so enthusiastic about a chore most people don’t even do anymore. I will admit, it is a bit odd. I just love the smell that you can only get from clothes hung outdoors. No dryer sheet can give you that! I like that I can save money hanging clothes and it is a really good excuse for me to get to go outside. It is a very relaxing job really. Not only that, but it means that spring is actually here!

Which means….. I planted flowers too! I like the cheery colors I chose this year. Yellow, orange and bright pink. Marigolds, Kalanchoe, and pink petunias. Nothing like getting your hands in the dirt to make you feel close to nature and at peace in your soul. It is such a great feeling!

An article in “Modern Farmer” by Anna Brones entitled “Does Dirt Make You Happy?” suggests that dirt is an antidepressant, an immune booster and suppresses inflammation in the body. I am all for that! No wonder Spring feels so good! Go outside and get your hands dirty and come back to a clean house. The outside dirt is such a wonderful thing but the “dirt” in our homes, not so much!

I used the bathroom downstairs today. I don’t use that bathroom very often. I keep it clean but I don’t actually use it much. I happened to notice the baseboard given my position. ummmmmm….ewwwwww. The bathroom is uncluttered and clean but sometimes something like a nasty dirty baseboard can make a whole room look gross. I am NOT a detailed person. I am just not. I can keep a whole house looking clean and tidy but when it comes to the little things I really have to work to get those done. It doesn’t just come naturally. I know this about myself so instead of waiting, I went and grabbed an old toothbrush, cleaner, and a rag right away. I looked at my watch. 2:14pm. I sprayed the whole baseboard along the longest wall. I started scrubbing at the end where I had started spraying. I scrubbed, sprayed, wiped. I also scrubbed the floor where it met the baseboard.

Right here I am going to interrupt myself to recommend that you NEVER use a sponge mop. Just don’t do it! I can’t think of anything more disgusting than spreading around the nasty grossness that never comes out of a sponge all over your house. Sick. If you must use a Swiffer type mop, fine, not as bad but don’t use it all the time. You don’t want to be pushing ickies to the edges of the room. Use an actual mop that you can twist and wring out and replace the mop head now and then. It will not leave you with gunk in the corners so much or be spreading nasty bacteria. I also spray my mop with Clorox Cleanup after rinsing it when I am done. I hang it to dry between uses.

Ok, back to the baseboard… I got the one wall done and decided to keep going. The others were shorter although maybe even dirtier. All done! I looked at my watch. 2:19. FIVE MINUTES guys!!! Five minutes to do a nasty job that doesn’t get done often but made the whole bathroom look way cleaner! That is my proud moment for this week! We can get so much more done in five minutes than we think we can. We build those things up in our minds and make mountains out of molehills!

Go conquer some molehills friends, and get your hands in the dirt outside too! Spring is here!

Since spring is here that means its time to change up that menu! Move over soup and casserole! Salad and BBQ are ready for their turn.

I am going to leave you guys with my famous potato salad recipe. I promise you it’s the best darn potato salad you’ve ever had and you will have people begging for the recipe! Just be sure to tell them where you got it!

Here is the link to get the program I use for all my recipes and menu planning! Please Check it out!
E’s Potato Salad

E’s Potato Salad

Serves:
12

Ingredients:


3 pounds	red potatoes diced
1 cup	sour cream
1 cup	mayonnaise
1 bunch	green onions sliced
1 pound	bacon cooked, drained and crumbled
1 teaspoon	salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon	black pepper or to taste
1 teaspoon	paprika
1 tablespoon	dill weed
2 tablespoons	pickle juice
1 tablespoon	cider vinegar
	chives for garnish

Directions:

In a stock pot cover potatoes with cool water. Toss in about a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for 15-18 minutes, checking for doneness with a fork. Don’t overcook, you don’t want mashed potato salad. While potatoes are cooking stir together remaining ingredients, except garnish. When potatoes are done, drain and rinse with cold water. Gently stir potatoes into the mixture. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle with chives and more paprika if desired.

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Salads / Salads

cleaning, family, organizing, Tips and Tricks

Less is Best!

Posted on April 20, 2018April 20, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

We went camping last weekend!! Yes, it rained and possibly snowed just a bit. It was cold and wet, but we went camping!! I am just a little excited that the camping season is upon us. At least for us crazy diehards, it is. We did go to our State Park where we had electric hookups. We didn’t go all survivor style or anything. We just needed to get away for a couple of nights and have some nature therapy.

I love the fresh air, the dirt, the grass, the trees and walks in the rain and roasting marshmallows. Most of all I love the memories we are making. Memories are what holds families together. Memories will be what’s left when we are gone.

I want to give my family a clean, organized home that is a comforting safe place to be and leave them memories that will live on long after I am gone. I know that sounds like having your cake and eating it too! How do you have time to make memories if you are keeping a clean and organized home?

I know for me, personally, I had a tough time trying to balance cleaning and laundry and cooking with spending time with my kids. I loved reading to them and baking with them and working on schoolwork together, but it was hard to do when I had so much that had to be done! I knew that there had to be a better way.

I have spent years developing that “way”! Thinking it out and perfecting my system. I wish I could have had my ducks in a row when my kids were really young. I hope they knew I was trying! It is my goal and passion to pass what I have learned on to you!

Breaking down household chores into little bits and doing those little bits each day, establishing habits that are seemingly effortless, and eliminating excess, creates what is the “Self Cleaning House”.

Eliminating things that create clutter helps to cut down your workload and keeps your house tidy. More is NOT better. Less is best! For example, I HATE dusting! The best way I avoid doing this job is simple. I just don’t have things that need to be dusted. I am a minimalist when it comes to knickknacks and decorations. Having very few “things” makes a room look more open, less cluttered and just simply beautiful. It makes it easier to tidy up and much easier to do the dreaded dusting. Less “stuff”, even if its pretty “stuff” gives the illusion of a much more tidy home.

We get used to seeing our stuff. It becomes like furniture. It’s just there. Even if we don’t like it, it just sits there and pretty soon we don’t see it anymore! Do yourself a huge favor this week and take a close look around. Walk into your home and pretend you are a guest. Look at everything with fresh eyes. What do you see? What do you like? What don’t you like? What looks out-of-place or outdated or just blah…? Then gather all those things up and take them immediately to your local St. Vincent’s or another thrift store you choose to support. Don’t stick them in the garage or closet just creating more junk to clean around. Be rid of the stuff!! Just say NO to stuff!

Dusting a flat surface takes very little time. I still don’t enjoy it but at least it doesn’t take long. Less time doing housework equals more time with your family and more memory making! Get rid of some stuff and go do something you love!

cleaning, family, food, planning

Not the What, but the Why

Posted on April 13, 2018August 17, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

bible

I sat quietly preparing for my day this morning, as I do each morning before anyone is up. I was planning my work for the day, reading, praying and just getting mentally prepared for housework, cooking, and many toddlers. I looked at my chores list that doesn’t change much from day-to-day and sighed. Running a well-organized home is very monotonous. Cooking, dishes, laundry, repeat.

notes

(The books I am reading right now are “Secrets of the Proverbs 31 Woman” by Rae Simons and “Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be” by Dona Partow. I highly recommend them!)

books

“Housework” is often very devalued and looked upon as menial, less important and those that do it full-time have little to no status. In actuality, those chores that feel monotonous, unimportant and often unappreciated are some of the most important things you can do.

Having clean clothes is pretty important. Just stop doing laundry for a couple of weeks and see how everyone starts noticing! Making meals for your family is important. Important to your budget, and your family’s health. Sitting at the table eating dinner together is vital to family relationships. Having a clean home is important for many reasons!

laundry

So why do we give it such little value? When you clean your home, cook meals, wash clothes, put away toys and shoes, and make appointments for your kids and file paperwork and go grocery shopping, you aren’t just taking care of your home. You are caring for your family! It’s not about the laundry and the dusting, it’s about why you’re doing it. You are creating a safe and stable place for you and your family. A place of peace and not chaos away from the crazy world. A place that your kids can feel taken care of like God cares for us. It is being organized so that there is less stress before everyone leaves for the day and has to deal with stress at school and work. It’s planning ahead for dinner for the family when you all come home so everyone can unwind.

table

“Housework” is the most valuable thing you can do. It shouldn’t be looked down on, or resented! God has given us the very important job of caring for our families. We are blessing them and blessing God by doing those seemingly menial tasks. It is not only valuable, it’s priceless.

While I was thinking about this I decided to change my sigh into thanking God for honoring me with the responsibility of caring for my family by “housework”. He trusted me to do this!

Eph. 6:7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 9:10a Whatever you do, do well. (NLT)

Each tedious task is an opportunity to bless our families and bless God. Cleaning the toilet is still not glamorous. Let’s be real. It is still hard to be excited about vacuuming. But I am going to really try to remember that it is not about the chore, it’s about the why.

This is my “why”!

family

cleaning, family, food, Tips and Tricks

Welcome Spring!

Posted on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I hope you all took time to thank our God for allowing His Son to die and rise again that we can be forgiven and be allowed to someday be in His presence. The Bunnies and the chocolate are so fun but I never want to lose sight of the reason for the celebration!

jesus

We had a fairly quiet Easter. My husband was working, as per usual on Sundays. My oldest was sleeping because she works nights. My youngest and her husband spent time in the afternoon with his Mom.

My middle daughter and my granddaughter and I went to church in the morning and then we went to our neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. There is a great little cafe in the park across the street from us, Chomper Cafe. They put on a great egg hunt and had cookie painting. They even provided pies, lemonade, and coffee. The hot coffee was a big hit with the parents. BRRRR!!! North Idaho Easter is not your typical sunny spring day. Around here we pick out a parka to go with our Easter dress.

Easter signals Spring! I love spring. I love the fresh feeling and the clean smelling air. It is a sign of new beginnings and hope. It’s time to start fresh! It also means spring cleaning!! No groaning… I don’t want you to spend a week in sweats and rubber gloves slaving away.

570bc37441c099f88b8c703fbba7ef0f-spring-quotes-spring-renewal-quotes-e1507164654569-300x282

“Happiness spring – cleans the heart.” ~ Japanese Proverbs

seaon-of-rebirth

Here are 7 tips for spring cleaning without getting overwhelmed!!

Never do anything that will take you longer than 30 minutes at a time. If it is a huge project, break it down.
You can do more in 30 minutes that you think you can. Don’t over complicate it.
Wash all the bedding and hang it outside. The spring air is the best laundry freshener!
Buy a new shower curtain liner! Instantly makes the bathroom fresher.
Your dishwasher, it needs to be cleaned! Dump in a half a cup of bleach and run a full cycle or try a dishwasher cleaner.
When you clean your oven, put foil on the bottom that you can replace when it is dirty. (only if you have an electric oven) Self-cleaning is really hard on your oven so I try not to clean it too often. Cleaning the oven in the future will be a breeze!
Throw open the windows and let the spring air in! It will do wonders for your home and you!

Cheering-Spring-Quotes-for-Good-Mood-3

I have tried some really awesome new recipes in the last week that I am excited to share with you! I found an interesting twist on Chicken Pot Pie in my Taste of Home Magazine. Chicken Pot Pie is like the all time comfort food. It may be spring, but like I said, around here, it is still cold! I am going to use every little bit of this chilly spring to make comfort food before we are grilling and making salads in ninety-degree weather.

This “Chicken Pot Pie” is simple and almost rustic, you could say. It is open face instead of the traditional top crust. I think its simplicity is beautiful!

galette

The original recipe at Taste of Home can be found here.

Despite the cold, my brave oregano plant had plenty of new growth to offer up for this dish! I love being able to walk outside and cut my own fresh herbs.

herbs1

This is the link to my awesome recipe and menu planning program!

Here is my version of this fantastic recipe.

Chicken Potpie Galette with Cheddar-Thyme Crust Recipe

Servings 6

Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

1 1/4 cup 1-1/4 all-purpose flour

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup ice water

filling:

3 tablespoons butter

2 large carrots, sliced

1 celery rib, diced

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Yield: 6 servings

Directions

Combine flour, cheese, thyme, and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; refrigerate 1 hour.
For filling, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion; cook and stir until slightly softened 5-7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 2-3 minutes. Add frozen peas.
Whisk together broth, flour, salt, and pepper; slowly pour over vegetables, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add cream. Stir in chicken and oregano.
Preheat oven to 400°. On a floured sheet of parchment paper, roll dough into a 12-in. circle. ( I found this to be tricky and needed an extra pair of hands to hold the parchment paper) Be sure to roll it quite thin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Spoon filling over pastry to within 2 in. of edge. Fold pastry edge over filling, pleating as you go, leaving center uncovered. Don’t worry about making it look fancy!
Bake on a lower oven rack until crust is golden brown and filling bubbly, 30-35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 6 servings.

Originally published as Chicken Potpie Galette in Taste of Home April/May 2018

Source: tasteofhome.com

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