Isn't this a jolly piece of music? It has long been a favourite of mine both to listen to and to play.
Tuesday, 25 February 2014
Mazurka in B flat major - Chopin
Isn't this a jolly piece of music? It has long been a favourite of mine both to listen to and to play.
How I do it: Cleaning and chores
This is the cleaning routine I have been following for a good few years now. It works for me, I don't even need to think about it. When the children were home schooling they each had their assigned jobs and the cleaning was over and done with in an hour or so. It's still the same routine even now I don't have all of them all the time at home.
Cleaning and chores routine
Monday:
Tidy, hoover and mop porch
Tidy, hoover, dust and mop living room
Chairs up, hoover, dust and mop kitchen
Hoover and mop stairs
Tuesday:
Hoover and tidy kitchen and living room
Hoover, clean and mop downstairs bathroom
Change table napkins
Bake
Wednesday:
Shopping (takes up most of the morning)
Water plants
(Change girl bed)*
Ironing
Thursday:
Hoover, tidy kitchen, living room, porch and stairs
Hoover, tidy and mop our bedroom, landing and solarium.
(Hoover, tidy, clean and mop upstairs bathroom)*
Shake out rugs.
Change our bed
Friday:
(Change boy's beds)*
Tidy, hoover and mop boy's bedroom
Bake
"Catch up" day
I still have children at home and their jobs at the moment are as follows:
A. (20 and at home all day) Takes/fetches the boys from school/college (not every day), maintains upstairs bathroom in clean and orderly state. Does kitchen work when necessary.
S. (17 and at college till 2.45) Brings the wood for the burner in from the woodshed on a daily basis. Does kitchen work when necessary.
M. (12 and in 7th grade high school, away for the same hours as big brother) Is responsible for all recycling bins and any other rubbish to be dealt with on a daily basis. Does kitchen work when necessary and is also odd job and errand boy!
The * sign in the list above indicates the jobs that the children are responsible for. They are also responsible for maintaining their bedrooms and study areas in a clean and orderly state, including changing their beds once a week.
All of them are at the stage when they know how to do just about everything, from ironing to cleaning bathrooms to hoovering, doing or putting away the shopping, preparing lunch or baby sitting. They also know that when I call them to help me they have to stop whatever they are doing immediately and come to give me a hand. All three help to clear up after every meal but breakfast, basically because they have to be out the door by 7.45am.
Cleaning and chores routine
Monday:
Tidy, hoover and mop porch
Tidy, hoover, dust and mop living room
Chairs up, hoover, dust and mop kitchen
Hoover and mop stairs
Tuesday:
Hoover and tidy kitchen and living room
Hoover, clean and mop downstairs bathroom
Change table napkins
Bake
Wednesday:
Shopping (takes up most of the morning)
Water plants
(Change girl bed)*
Ironing
Thursday:
Hoover, tidy kitchen, living room, porch and stairs
Hoover, tidy and mop our bedroom, landing and solarium.
(Hoover, tidy, clean and mop upstairs bathroom)*
Shake out rugs.
Change our bed
Friday:
(Change boy's beds)*
Tidy, hoover and mop boy's bedroom
Bake
"Catch up" day
I still have children at home and their jobs at the moment are as follows:
A. (20 and at home all day) Takes/fetches the boys from school/college (not every day), maintains upstairs bathroom in clean and orderly state. Does kitchen work when necessary.
S. (17 and at college till 2.45) Brings the wood for the burner in from the woodshed on a daily basis. Does kitchen work when necessary.
M. (12 and in 7th grade high school, away for the same hours as big brother) Is responsible for all recycling bins and any other rubbish to be dealt with on a daily basis. Does kitchen work when necessary and is also odd job and errand boy!
The * sign in the list above indicates the jobs that the children are responsible for. They are also responsible for maintaining their bedrooms and study areas in a clean and orderly state, including changing their beds once a week.
All of them are at the stage when they know how to do just about everything, from ironing to cleaning bathrooms to hoovering, doing or putting away the shopping, preparing lunch or baby sitting. They also know that when I call them to help me they have to stop whatever they are doing immediately and come to give me a hand. All three help to clear up after every meal but breakfast, basically because they have to be out the door by 7.45am.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Munchy Monday #31: Rice Krispie cake
This neat little tart/cake is made in a jiffy. You could say it's "easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!" Can serve up to ten people, but this is not the case in our family!
You will need:
50 g margarine or butter
50 g sugar
2 tblsp. golden syrup
15 to 18 tblsp. Kellogg's rice krispies
Chocolate vermicelli, shavings or similar, to decorate
Method:
Slowly melt margarine, sugar and golden syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then remove from heat. Quickly stir in the krispies making sure that all of them are covered in "goo". Transfer to a pie plate or similar flat dish and even over using the back of a metal spoon. Decorate with the chocolate vermicelli or shavings. Leave to cool in fridge until needed. Cut as for a cake and eat.
Note: I have tried using store brand krispies but the result was a little mushy, so I would recommend Kellogg's.
You will need:
50 g margarine or butter
50 g sugar
2 tblsp. golden syrup
15 to 18 tblsp. Kellogg's rice krispies
Chocolate vermicelli, shavings or similar, to decorate
Method:
Slowly melt margarine, sugar and golden syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then remove from heat. Quickly stir in the krispies making sure that all of them are covered in "goo". Transfer to a pie plate or similar flat dish and even over using the back of a metal spoon. Decorate with the chocolate vermicelli or shavings. Leave to cool in fridge until needed. Cut as for a cake and eat.
Note: I have tried using store brand krispies but the result was a little mushy, so I would recommend Kellogg's.
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
How I do it: Fitting everything in
Basically, I manage to fit everything in because I know that the work has to be done and that it's my responsibility, as keeper of the home, to make sure it IS done. The secret is to make up my mind and look lively. I think of my husband and children before myself. I woudn't want them to live in a mess! Also, it gives me immense satisfaction to see a job well done - clean and tidy kitchen, squeaky clean bathrooms, neat sofa and living room, etc. This is definitely another motivation factor! It doesn't bother me if 10 minutes later it's all in a worse state than ever. This means that we live here : )
Not so many years ago I turned to the idea of organizing on paper - charts, lists and such. I got the idea from a homeschooling bloggy friend from down under who then had eight children under eleven (now nine under thirteen), a house and a farm, AND she finds time in her day to sew, knit and decorate for her family. There had to be something in it! It was actually a major breakthrough for me. Now I have a routine where each day I do a little of everything and yes, it all gets done : )
It also helps a great deal to be flexible. Flexibility is something I have never had a problem with. I don't mind the "drop and run" idea, it adds a little variety to life! For example, I might go out shopping with Hubby on a Tuesday morning and Tuesday's work I would do on Wednesday. Wednesday's work would then be passed over to Friday.
I have a cleaning and chores routine, a laundry routine and a weekday meals chart. On this same chart there is an extra "to do" list and at the bottom I have added a "to bake/make" list. There is also a space where I write down what I spend on food each week. This keeps me aware of the household economy and helps me to cut back where and when necessary.
Normally, the children help out at the weekends more and this gives me a little extra time to dedicate to more elaborate meals, gardening, extra laundry, personal Bible studies, etc.
I teach Catalonian, Spanish, primary school maths and English most evenings and therefore need time to prepare each lesson. I prepare my youngest son's English for school (year 7) and am now branching out into teaching the basics of piano and theory. I am also an English nanny for four hours a week to two little German treasures.
The children also have their routine jobs. The eldest boy now at home brings in the firewood every day from the woodshed, the youngest takes up the recycling rubbish - glass, plastics, paper, etc. and the normal rubbish. He also helps with the kitchen work. My daughter is responsible for cleaning the upstairs bathroom, kitchen work and taking/fetching the boys from school/college. They are responsible for their respective bedrooms and study areas. They are all at the stage now when they are there if I need them and are all capable of doing anything if and when I need them to do it. (More about chores for children at a later date.)
Friday evenings are generally reserved for taking it easy with the children, watching a film into the small hours and well, basically, chilling! Saturday I like to get everything up together and completed so that Sunday we can dedicate the day to the Lord and enjoy being all together. On Sunday afternoons we often take a country walk or visit friends or family.
Deep cleaning, decorating jobs and other big affairs are done during the summer when I have much more time to dedicate to these things. The days are longer, I don't teach, no school journeys...
An organized routine is the only way I can keep up with everything. I know exactly what I have to do and when. I don't have to waste time on thinking about what to do next or even whether the job needs to be done. It looks a lot but really it's all done in a jiffy.
Above all, I keep these two Bible verses at the forefront:
Ecclesiastes 9 : 10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.
Colossians 3 : 23
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not unto men;
Not so many years ago I turned to the idea of organizing on paper - charts, lists and such. I got the idea from a homeschooling bloggy friend from down under who then had eight children under eleven (now nine under thirteen), a house and a farm, AND she finds time in her day to sew, knit and decorate for her family. There had to be something in it! It was actually a major breakthrough for me. Now I have a routine where each day I do a little of everything and yes, it all gets done : )
It also helps a great deal to be flexible. Flexibility is something I have never had a problem with. I don't mind the "drop and run" idea, it adds a little variety to life! For example, I might go out shopping with Hubby on a Tuesday morning and Tuesday's work I would do on Wednesday. Wednesday's work would then be passed over to Friday.
I have a cleaning and chores routine, a laundry routine and a weekday meals chart. On this same chart there is an extra "to do" list and at the bottom I have added a "to bake/make" list. There is also a space where I write down what I spend on food each week. This keeps me aware of the household economy and helps me to cut back where and when necessary.
Normally, the children help out at the weekends more and this gives me a little extra time to dedicate to more elaborate meals, gardening, extra laundry, personal Bible studies, etc.
I teach Catalonian, Spanish, primary school maths and English most evenings and therefore need time to prepare each lesson. I prepare my youngest son's English for school (year 7) and am now branching out into teaching the basics of piano and theory. I am also an English nanny for four hours a week to two little German treasures.
The children also have their routine jobs. The eldest boy now at home brings in the firewood every day from the woodshed, the youngest takes up the recycling rubbish - glass, plastics, paper, etc. and the normal rubbish. He also helps with the kitchen work. My daughter is responsible for cleaning the upstairs bathroom, kitchen work and taking/fetching the boys from school/college. They are responsible for their respective bedrooms and study areas. They are all at the stage now when they are there if I need them and are all capable of doing anything if and when I need them to do it. (More about chores for children at a later date.)
Friday evenings are generally reserved for taking it easy with the children, watching a film into the small hours and well, basically, chilling! Saturday I like to get everything up together and completed so that Sunday we can dedicate the day to the Lord and enjoy being all together. On Sunday afternoons we often take a country walk or visit friends or family.
Deep cleaning, decorating jobs and other big affairs are done during the summer when I have much more time to dedicate to these things. The days are longer, I don't teach, no school journeys...
An organized routine is the only way I can keep up with everything. I know exactly what I have to do and when. I don't have to waste time on thinking about what to do next or even whether the job needs to be done. It looks a lot but really it's all done in a jiffy.
Above all, I keep these two Bible verses at the forefront:
Ecclesiastes 9 : 10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.
Colossians 3 : 23
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not unto men;
Monday, 17 February 2014
Munchy Monday #30: Orange cinnamon biscuits
This biscuit recipe is one of our favourites, especially in winter. I have just made a batch and four disappeared whilst I was putting them on the cooling rack! The self-appointed taster at large!
You will need:
6 oz plain flour (all purpose)
3 oz sugar
1 oz ground almonds
1 orange, grated rind of whole and juice of half
4 oz margarine
Method:
Mix together flour, cinnamon, sugar, almonds and orange rind. Rub in margarine. Add enough orange juice to make a soft, pliable dough. (Too much will make it tacky, so be careful here!) Grease an oven tray, and start warming oven to 180º C. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and roll out to just under 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Place shapes on oven tray and bake for 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to make sure that the biscuits are not toasting too much around the edges. Remove from oven, leave to cool for two minutes and then transfer biscuits to a clean cloth or cooling rack.
You will need:
6 oz plain flour (all purpose)
3 oz sugar
1 oz ground almonds
1 orange, grated rind of whole and juice of half
4 oz margarine
Method:
Mix together flour, cinnamon, sugar, almonds and orange rind. Rub in margarine. Add enough orange juice to make a soft, pliable dough. (Too much will make it tacky, so be careful here!) Grease an oven tray, and start warming oven to 180º C. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and roll out to just under 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Place shapes on oven tray and bake for 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to make sure that the biscuits are not toasting too much around the edges. Remove from oven, leave to cool for two minutes and then transfer biscuits to a clean cloth or cooling rack.
 |
| Mouth sized munchies! |
Friday, 14 February 2014
This week's menu
Mon.
(L) Pasta soup, marinated steaks with asparagus, fresh fruit*
(S) Potato and green beans, battered squid rings, fresh fruit
Tues.
(L) Lentils with bacon and rice served with semolina bread, fresh fruit
(S) Courgette soup, roast pork hock with poor man's potatoes, fresh fruit
Wed.
(L) Salad, macaroni with sausage, creme caramel
(S) Squid chunks stewed with potatoes and peas, fresh fruit
Thurs.
(L) Salad, griddled chicken with curried rice, fresh fruit
(S) Pizza
Fri.
(L) Cabbage with potatoes, tortillitas de camerón (see below), tinned peaches
(S) Chick peas with vegetables served with semolina bread, fresh fruit
* Here is a list of the fresh fruit that I buy at this time of the year: pineapple, bananas, apples, pears, kiwi, oranges and strawberries.
Friday is the "no meat" day.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend : )
(L) Pasta soup, marinated steaks with asparagus, fresh fruit*
(S) Potato and green beans, battered squid rings, fresh fruit
Tues.
(L) Lentils with bacon and rice served with semolina bread, fresh fruit
(S) Courgette soup, roast pork hock with poor man's potatoes, fresh fruit
Wed.
(L) Salad, macaroni with sausage, creme caramel
(S) Squid chunks stewed with potatoes and peas, fresh fruit
Thurs.
(L) Salad, griddled chicken with curried rice, fresh fruit
(S) Pizza
Fri.
(L) Cabbage with potatoes, tortillitas de camerón (see below), tinned peaches
(S) Chick peas with vegetables served with semolina bread, fresh fruit
 |
| Tortillitas de camerón |
Friday is the "no meat" day.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend : )
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
A poem to learn
This is the poem my youngest son learnt for our family concert at the end of 2012. I just love the images it evokes...
Winter Time
Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.
Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.
Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.
When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.
Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.
Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.
Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.
When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.
Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake
Robert Louis Stephenson
Hmm... I remember experiencing that "frosty pepper" more than once when I was a little girl.
Friday, 7 February 2014
Knowledgeable - How many words have you found?
Remember a couple of weeks ago I challenged all my bloggy friends to find how many words they could make from the word KNOWLEDGEABLE?
Well, here is my list in alphabetical order:
A
able, abode, age, aged, ale, an, and, awake, awaken (9)
B
bad, bade, badge, bag, bake, baked, bald, bale, ball, ban, band, bang, bank, bawl, be, bead, beagle, beak, bed, bee, beg, bell, bellow, blank, bleak, bled, bleed, blew, blond, blown, bog, bond, bondage, bone, boned, bow, bowel, bowl, bowled (39)
D
dab, dale, Dane, dangle, dank, deal, dean, deed, dell, den, dew, do, dog, dole, doll, don, done, down (18)
E
eagle, edge, eel, ego, elbow (5)
G
gable, gale, gall, galleon, gallon, gaol, glad, gland, glebe, gleen, glen, globe, glow, glowed, goal, gob, god, gold, golden, gone, gown (21)
K
kale, kedge, keel, keen, keg, ken, kid, knead, knob, knoll, know, knowledge (12)
L
label, laden, ladle, lake, land, lank, law, lawn, lead, lean, leaned, led, ledge, lee, leg, legal, lend, lodge, log, lone, long, longed, low (23)
N
nab, nag, need, no, nod, node, now (7)
O
ode, old, olden, on, own, owned, owl (7)
W
wad, wade, wag, wage, wager, wake, walk, wall, walled, wan, wand, we, weak, weal, wean, weaned, web, wed, wedge, wee, weed, week, weld, well, wok, wold, won (27)
There are a total of 168 words. (Please note that I have used British English here and words could vary from other areas of the world where English is spoken.)
How did you do? Please let me know if there are any words which you have found that are not on this list.
Well, here is my list in alphabetical order:
A
able, abode, age, aged, ale, an, and, awake, awaken (9)
B
bad, bade, badge, bag, bake, baked, bald, bale, ball, ban, band, bang, bank, bawl, be, bead, beagle, beak, bed, bee, beg, bell, bellow, blank, bleak, bled, bleed, blew, blond, blown, bog, bond, bondage, bone, boned, bow, bowel, bowl, bowled (39)
D
dab, dale, Dane, dangle, dank, deal, dean, deed, dell, den, dew, do, dog, dole, doll, don, done, down (18)
E
eagle, edge, eel, ego, elbow (5)
G
gable, gale, gall, galleon, gallon, gaol, glad, gland, glebe, gleen, glen, globe, glow, glowed, goal, gob, god, gold, golden, gone, gown (21)
K
kale, kedge, keel, keen, keg, ken, kid, knead, knob, knoll, know, knowledge (12)
L
label, laden, ladle, lake, land, lank, law, lawn, lead, lean, leaned, led, ledge, lee, leg, legal, lend, lodge, log, lone, long, longed, low (23)
N
nab, nag, need, no, nod, node, now (7)
O
ode, old, olden, on, own, owned, owl (7)
W
wad, wade, wag, wage, wager, wake, walk, wall, walled, wan, wand, we, weak, weal, wean, weaned, web, wed, wedge, wee, weed, week, weld, well, wok, wold, won (27)
There are a total of 168 words. (Please note that I have used British English here and words could vary from other areas of the world where English is spoken.)
How did you do? Please let me know if there are any words which you have found that are not on this list.
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
10 things to know about salt
1. Salt helps to maintain the fluid in our blood cells and is used in the transmission of information in our nerves and muscles.
2. Salt is essential in the prevention of sunstroke.
3. Salt helps your body digest food.
4. Salt stimulates the adrenal glands and keeps calcium and other minerals flowing in the bloodstream.
5. Add salt to fried, griddled or grilled meat just before serving. This prevents the meat from losing it's juices and will be more tender.
6. Adding salt to your curry dishes when you add the curry, enhances the flavour.
7. Add salt to pulses AFTER cooking. This prevents the skins from hardening and digestion will be easier.
8. Add salt to already boiling water and not before, as it will take longer to reach boiling point.
9. Mediterranean cooking needs salt. All cooking needs salt. Don't overdo it but don't underdo it either.
10. Avoid the use of table salt as this has too many additives. Using a good quality sea salt gives your cooking a professional taste and will add real minerals to your diet.
Monday, 3 February 2014
Munchy Monday #29: Haricot bean omelette
Back in the good old days, when I could eat everything, this was one of my favourites. Maybe it isn't the first item which might occur to you use when you decide on omelettes for supper, but I can guarantee that you will enjoy it and that you will feel full having eaten it. I serve it with a light soup, salad and tomato bread. Serves 1 or 2, depending on individual appetites!
You will need:
2 medium sized eggs
3/4 cup cooked haricot beans
Salt
A little oil to fry
Method:
Warm the beans in a non-stick frying pan using a little oil.
Lightly beat the two eggs together, adding a little salt. Add a little more oil to the pan, turn the heat up and when hot throw the egg over the beans, making sure that both egg and beans stay evenly distributed over the whole pan base.
Almost immediately, turn the heat to low, cover the pan and let the egg gently solidify, about 2 minutes. Loosen the omelette from the sides of the pan and carefully flip it over using a flat saucepan lid or a plate. Gently brown the other side for a minute or so.
I like to serve it beans side up.
This is a typical supper from the past, when the farmers of Catalonia came in tired and hungry from the wintry fields, they needed something warm and filling to satisfy their appetites! It also had to be easy to eat and economical and this omelette was everything in one! Enjoy!
You will need:
2 medium sized eggs
3/4 cup cooked haricot beans
Salt
A little oil to fry
Method:
Warm the beans in a non-stick frying pan using a little oil.
 |
| Warming... |
 |
| Ready to be covered... |
 |
| Flipped! |
 |
| Ready to eat! |
This is a typical supper from the past, when the farmers of Catalonia came in tired and hungry from the wintry fields, they needed something warm and filling to satisfy their appetites! It also had to be easy to eat and economical and this omelette was everything in one! Enjoy!
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Peg pan stand
This is a pretty straightforward craft project that I can recommend for children from eight years and up. It is best done over two or three days. This gives time for the glue to dry thoroughly and the pieces are less likely to come unstuck. Be sparing with the glue so that it doesn't squeeze out the sides when the peg pieces are being pressed together.
All you need is:
A packet of quality wooden pegs*
Good wood glue
Instructions:
Take away the metal spring from each peg.
Glue the pegs together in pairs, back to back and leave to dry on a tray for some hours.
When dry, arrange the pegs to form a circle, with the fine end at the centre, to see how many you will need for your mat.
Stick them in groups of three. Leave to dry.
Then, when completely dry, stick the groups together to form your pan stand. The longer you take over this process the stronger your pan stand will be.
*Note: If your pegs are not good quality you will find that they will differ in length, width and colour making the paring up more difficult. Neither will the hole in the middle be very even.
All you need is:
A packet of quality wooden pegs*
Good wood glue
Instructions:
Take away the metal spring from each peg.
Glue the pegs together in pairs, back to back and leave to dry on a tray for some hours.
When dry, arrange the pegs to form a circle, with the fine end at the centre, to see how many you will need for your mat.
Stick them in groups of three. Leave to dry.
Then, when completely dry, stick the groups together to form your pan stand. The longer you take over this process the stronger your pan stand will be.
*Note: If your pegs are not good quality you will find that they will differ in length, width and colour making the paring up more difficult. Neither will the hole in the middle be very even.
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