It’s finally starting to feel like Spring in North Idaho! It felt like a long time coming….like a looooooooong time. We have never needed spring like we need it now!
We have had a couple of beautiful sunny days that make me want to throw open the windows and clean the garage! Okay, maybe that is just me?! But seriously, have you noticed how the garage seems to turn into a disaster over the winter?
I think we tend to dump things out there, maybe not as neatly as we should because it is COLD out there! It just isn’t as easy or pleasant to put things away properly.
Spring is a great time to spruce up the garage and get it looking nice again! Many of us are home with time on our hands and the last thing we need to be doing is being idle in front of the TV. So, if you are wondering what you should do next….
Here are tips on how to clean a garage.
Make sure you have plenty of time, your tennis shoes on, your water bottle and some tunes.
Pull out as much stuff as you can to the middle of the garage or driveway if it’s nice out.
Make three piles. Keep, Toss, Donate. Don’t get caught up in trying to sell things unless it is quite valuable. Those things usually just get put back and become clutter once again.
Sweep or blow out the mostly empty garage.
Organize your keep pile by like items, such as Christmas Decorations, tools, canning jars, etc.
Determine where to put things according to how often it is used. Less used items should go in places that are less accessible. Frequently used things should be on shelves that are easy to get to.
As soon as possible take the junk to the dump and donations to your local charity. Don’t let it sit in the garage, clutter seems to multiply on it’s own! Before you know it there will be stuff everywhere again! Get it out!
Admire your work! It feels so good to have accomplished something like that! Great job!
I hope this inspires you to get that garage clean! I know I will be working on that this week. It’s in desperate need!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
Chicken Potpie Galette with Cheddar-Thyme Crust Recipe
Servings 6
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
1 1/4cup1-1/4 all-purposeflour
1/2cupshreddedsharp cheddar cheese
2tablespoonsminced freshthyme
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/2cupcoldbutter, cubed
1/4cupicewater
filling:
3tablespoonsbutter
2largecarrots, sliced
1celeryrib, diced
1smallonion, diced
3garlic cloves, minced
1/2cupfrozenpeas
1cupchicken broth
3tablespoonsall-purposeflour
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonpepper
1/4cupheavy cream
2cupsshredded cookedchicken
1/2teaspoonminced freshoregano
2tablespoonsminced freshparsley
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
to go with our Easter dress.
slaving away.
and hang it outside. The spring air is the best 
freshener!
! Instantly makes the bathroom fresher.
and run a full cycle or try a 
.
, 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!
The Self Cleaning House 
