Product Praise – Russian Doll Measuring Cups

Aren’t these cute?

These Babuska-type measuring cups are one of my favorite things in my kitchen as they are not only functional, they look gorgeous sitting on my kitchen bench as well.

I am not one for knick knacks that serve no function, but these measuring cups provide a stylish addition to my kitchen that earn their keep.

There are three dolls in the set and each half is a measuring cup that measures 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 full cup.  The dolls nest neatly just like traditional Russian Babushkas and they’re built from heavy-duty, food-safe, long-life engineering plastics.

Why have boring old measuring cups when you can have these cuties?

Russian doll measuring cups are available online here.

Menu Planning Monday – Using Leftovers

Image by Vincent Ma via Flickr

Welcome to another Menu Planning Monday, and please ignore the fact it is actually Tuesday, I am still catching up!

Since everyone I know is trying to both save money and waste less food I though share my favorite ways to use leftovers.

Some of the most obvious ways to use leftovers are of course to have them for lunch the next day or to pop them in the freezer ready for a meal.  I am slightly fussy and don’t like to eat the same thing two nights in a row or even for lunch the next day so here are some ideas for making leftovers into something a little more interesting.

Leftover plain pasta – Can be frozen and then refreshed in boiling water before serving. Toss in butter and herbs and serve as a side dish or mix with a pesto or your favorite pasta sauce.

Bolognaise sauce – Can be made into pies or used to top baked potatoes (which are particularly yummy when you top the hot potatoes with garlic butter before the bolognaise sauce.)

Spaghetti bolognaise – Put in a greased casserole dish, top with cheese sauce and bake until bubbling.

Chilli con carne – Also good on baked potatoes or place on tortillas, roll up and top with salsa and cheese and bake until hot.

Leftover chicken – shred and mix with salsa, roll in a tortilla, top with salsa and cheese and bake to make enchiladas.  Shred and mix with shredded cabbage, carrot, fresh coriander and sliced spring onions, then toss with an asian-style salad dressing.

Leftover roast meat – Chop, mix with gravy and top with mashed potato for shepherd’s pie.  Fry some curry paste, add chopped leftover meat.  Cut a sheet of puff pastry into quarters.  Place curry meat mixture on half the squares of pastry, fold over to form a triangle and press the edges together.  Bake until golden.

Risotto – Mix a beaten egg and some grated parmesan through the risotto.  Cut some mozzarella into cubes and use the risotto to form a ball around the cube of mozzarella.  Roll the balls in breadcrumbs and shallow fry until golden.

Sausages – slice in half lengthways but not quite all the way through.  Open out flat and spread with fruit chutney, then top with thinly sliced bacon and tasty cheese.  Grill until bubbling.

Leftover vegies – Chop and place in a greased dish.  Add some beaten eggs mixed with a little milk.  Top with grated tasty cheese and bake until no longer wobbly.

What is your favorite way to use leftovers?  Please share, I can always use some inspiration.

Spring Cleaning Party – Week 6

First of all a big apology for the delay on our last spring cleaning post, I have been experiencing all manner of technical difficulties but I’m sure it is all sorted out.

How is the spring cleaning going?  I am absolutely thrilled we are up to the final week of our spring clean, my home is looking much cleaner and tidier!

This last week is going to concentrate on the areas outside your home.  This has the potential to be a huge job if you include gardening, cleaning and decluttering any sheds or garages, pool cleaning, driveway cleaning, etc, but I am going to concentrate only on the areas immediately outside your home such as any outdoor entertaining areas, eaves and windows.

TOOLS NEEDED : Broom, cleaning rags, rubber bands, bucket, sugar soap for walls, warm water, vinegar, methylated spirits, squeegee, spray bottle, paper towel, chux magic erasers, windex, toothbrush, mop, lavender oil(optional), washing basket.

Begin by tidying your outdoor entertaining area.  Put anything that doesn’t belong there in your washing basket to be put away later.

If you have plaster ceiling and walls wrap a rag around your broom and clean as we have in the previous weeks.  If not, you can use your broom without a rag to dust and clean away any cobwebs.  You can also add a little lemon oil to the rag or broom bristles if you like, it smells lovely and acts as a spider and insect deterrent.

Give the floor of your outdoor area a good sweep and possible mop depending on the flooring.

Use your broom to get rid of any cobwebs under the eaves of your home.

Lucky-last job is the one I dislike most – windows.

I use the Shannon Lush recommended method of cleaning the outside of my windows.  Add one cup of methylated spirits to a half bucket of water and transfer this solution to a spray bottle.  Spray this solution onto the glass and wipe off with a squeegee, polish with paper towel if any streaks remain.

Put the contents of your clutter basket away and you’re done!  Hooray!

Time to celebrate!  What are you doing to reward yourself for a job well done?

I am going to have a night on the couch with a pizza and a glass (or two!) of sauvignon blanc.

Remember to keep me updated on your spring cleaning progress, there is a special giveaway for the most impressive spring cleaner and for a random spring cleaner.  This will be decided in two weeks to give you all a chance to finish your spring cleaning.  I know all to well that life gets on the way sometimes and you can end up a bit behind.

Have a great week.

Effective Filing

One of the biggest problems I have come across in dealing with paper in people’s homes is filing cabinets.

It seems that it is easy enough to file things in the appropriate folder.  The problem lies in these files not being maintained.

The aim of files is not to hold every piece of paperwork you ever receive.  It is so you can easily put your hands on whatever document it is that you might need.  I often see files that have still got paperwork from last century in them!  This works against you as the more paperwork you have in the files, the harder it is to find what you need.

I recommend going through your files at least once a year to purge what you no longer need.  Shred what is no longer needed, such a paid bills over a year old, warranties that have expired, insurance booklets that have been superceded, instruction manuals for appliances you no longer own, superannuation statements that are no longer accurate, etc.

Paperwork and receipts related to taxes need to be kept for seven years but I recommend moving this information out of the file and into an archive box (keep all the info from that year grouped together).

Another problem encountered when filing is having to broad a title for your file and then having difficulty wading through the piles of paper in there to find what you are after.  A good example of this is having a file labelled “Insurance”.  In this file you have paperwork relating to home and contents insurance, car insurance, life insurance, income insurance, boat insurance, health insurance, public liability insurance, ambulance cover, the list can go on and on.

To make this file work more efficiently you need to introduce sub-categories.  An easy way to do this is to use labelled manilla folders that then go in the insurance file.  I also recommend having a separate folder for health insurance as this tends to have a lot of paperwork relating to it.

I recently changed my filing system at home from a filing cabinet to using folders.  I first encountered this concept in a book called “Sorted!” by professional organiser Lissanne Oliver.  She describes filing cabinets as a “graveyards for paper”, going on to say that “people who use filing cabinets tend to put things away never to look at them again”. Lissanne recommends using lever arch binders as files.

The benefits of this system is that it is easy to create sub-categories in your binders by using subject dividers.  You can store your paperwork by either punching holes in the paper and putting it in the binder or by using page protectors.  Receipts can be taped onto plain paper.

If you file by putting the new paper work in front of the old it is easy at the end of the year to go to the back of the binder and remove what is no longer needed.  It is also a great way to store receipts for tax.  At the end of each month just add a plain piece of paper at the front of the binder with the name of the previous month.  Then at tax time your receipts are already in chronological order and separated into months.

For more information on Lissanne Oliver’s methods for organising not just your filing but your entire home you can purchase her book from Kikki K or visit Lissanne’s website Sorted!

Product Praise – Lucite Photo Frames

Okay, so these photo frames are not really an organisational product but they are functional and gorgeous and I love them.

They are available in quite a few different sizes and look great either grouped together or just singularly.  Another bonus is that it is so easy to change the photo in them, just pull apart (the two halves are held together magnetically), take out the old photo and pop in the new.  This is particularly appealing to me as I like to change the photos in my frames quite often but hate how fiddly this is to do in normal photo frames.

Lucite frames are available from Country Road.  There is only the 5×7 size available online but there are many sizes available in store.  Kikki K also have a 8×10 size available online but once again, I think they have more sizes available in store.

If you have a spot in your home that could do with a little something a lucite frame (or three) might just be the answer.

Menu Planning Monday – Encouraging Kids in the Kitchen

Getting my kids involved in what goes on in the kitchen has always been very important to me.  This is not only because I believe being able to cook is both fun and an important skill to have but also because I believe it is good for kids to realise that households do not run themselves.  Planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning up after a family is a very time-consuming task and the best way for kids to learn this is through first hand experience.

Having children who are competent cooks also takes the pressure off you.  How nice would it be to come home after a long day at work to a delicious dinner prepared by your child or to have them cook the school snacks for the week?

So how do you encourage your kids to be involved in the kitchen?  Here are my top tips to get your kids involved in the kitchen :

1.  Set age appropriate tasks Kids of all ages can be involved in the preparation and cooking process.  Very young children can wash fruit and vegies, once children are school aged they can measure ingredients, crack eggs, mix and chop with a bluntish knife.  Once kids hit secondary school you can give them free rein.  This is the age that you could possibly expect that meal prepared for you!

2.  Keep it Simple Start your kids cooking simple recipes that only have a few steps.  Packet mixes, especially things like brownies and muffins are a great place to start.  As your kids get more experienced in the kitchen you can give them more challenging recipes to keep them learning new skills.  Also remember to provide variety.  You want your kids to be able to prepare a variety of different food, they can’t survive on brownies when they leave home.

3. Get them Involved in Menu Planning Allowing your kids to have a say in the food that is going to be prepared for the week will help to make your kids feel involved in the process.  Get them to help with the shopping, teach them how to choose ripe fruit and vegetables and encourage them to buy and cook with unfamiliar ingredients.  It is amazing what kids will try when they have prepared it themselves.

4. Be Patient and Relinquish Control This is a tricky one, but try not to hover over them in the kitchen.  Be close by to help when asked but otherwise let them do it themselves.  Everyone learns from their mistakes and chances are you will all still love what they cook even if it is not perfect.

5.  Remember, Things Might Get Messy but you are teaching your children a very important life skill.  And part of cooking is cleaning up, this is also a skill they need to learn.  Show them how to clean up properly, how to pack the dishwasher, what order to wash dishes in etc.

6.  Make it Fun Let them cook yummy things with little nutritional value now and then. Encourage them to plan and cook a meal for their grandparents or another family member.  Allow them to set the table, my kids love to make place cards and put flowers and candles on the table.  Teach them how to present food in an appealing and appetising way.  These are all skills they will be glad to have later on in life.

Spring cleaning Party – Week 5

We’re on to our second-last week of our spring cleaning and this week is the big one, the kitchen.  Because the kitchen is where we all spend so much time it tends to become a dumping ground for all sorts of clutter but this week we’ll sort that out!

Let’s get cleaning!

TOOLS NEEDED : Broom, cleaning rags, rubber bands, bucket, sugar soap for walls, warm water, vinegar, bicarb soda, paper towel, chux magic erasers, windex, toothbrush, vacuum cleaner and attachments, duster, mop, lavender oil(optional), washing basket, 3 medium sized boxes or washing baskets, pen, writing pad.

As usual we will begin with a quick tidy up.  Place your washing basket which we will use as a clutter basket somewhere in close proximity to the kitchen and place all the items that do not belong in the kitchen in there.  We will return them to their rightful homes later.  Make sure you clear kitchen benches of everything that does not belong on there.

Now wrap a rag around the head of your broom and secure with a rubber band.  Use this to wipe over the ceilings and walls to remove any dust or cobwebs.  You can dampen the rags slightly if you are allergic to dust.  You can also add a little lemon oil to the rags if you like, it smells lovely and acts as a spider and insect deterrent.

Remove any marks from the walls with your magic eraser or if the walls are really dirty give them a wash with some sugar soap and warm water.

Fill your bucket with some warm water and add half a cup of vinegar.  Use this to clean window frames and sills, using a toothbrush to get into any nooks and crannies.  Give the glass a wipe over with windex and a soft, lint-free cloth.

Now use the vinegar mixture to wipe over the fronts of the kitchen cabinets.  Don’t forget to do the kickboards and under any breakfast bars.  If you have any stubborn marks, try using the magic eraser.  You can also use this mixture to wipe over the front of the fridge, dishwasher and rangehood.  If you have stainless steel appliances buff dry with a soft cloth.  TIP :  A quick wipe over with baby oil helps to keep stainless steel looking great but don’t use too much!  Just a very thin film will do the job.

Now it’s time to concentrate on the inside of your kitchen cabinets.  I like to declutter at the same time.  To do this lay out your three boxes, labelled with sheets of paper from your notebook.  You need a ‘Keep’ box, a ‘Toss’ box and a ‘Donate’ box.  Remove items from your cabinets, concentrating on one cabinet at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed by the mess.  If you are decluttering as you go sort your items into the boxes as you go. Seriously consider tossing or donating any item you have not used in the last year or any item you have multiples of that is not a high use item.  For example, if you do a lot of baking it might make sense to have two lots of measuring cups, but any more really is clutter.

Once the cabinets are empty give them a wipe out with the vinegar and water solution, wipe dry and then return the cabinet’s contents, giving them a wipe over also if they are grimy.  Repeat until you have cleaned every cabinet.

Now, onto the pantry!

I wrote a post during the week on how to clean and declutter your pantry so refer to this for pantry cleaning.

Give your oven a clean using whatever method you prefer.  I like to turn my oven on until it’s warm and them clean it with bicarb and vinegar.  I use the Shannon Lush double sponge method for this, first you dip one damp sponge in bicarb soda and then one in vinegar.  Put the vinegar sponge over the bicarb one and use thin to wipe out the oven. Don’t forget the door!

Pull the filters out of the rangehood and either wash them in hot, soapy water or run them through the dishwasher.  Allow to dry and then replace them.

Give the kitchen sink and taps a clean with the vinegar and water solution.  If around the taps is a little grimy use a toothbrush dipped in bicarb to clean around these.  This method also works well on grimy plugholes.

Give any splashbacks a wipeover with the vinegar solution and buff dry with a soft, lint-free rag and wipe over your benches.  If you have bar stools in the kitchen, give them a wipeover as well.

Time now to clean the fridge!

Remove all items from the fridge, tossing anything that is past its best or past its use-by date.  Give all shelves and inside walls a clean with hot, soapy water.  Don’t forget to give the crispers a good clean, and remove them to clean under and behind them as well.

Go through your freezer, once again tossing anything that is past it’s use-by or that has been in the freezer too long.  Food does not keep indefinitely in the freezer!  If in doubt throw it out!  Defrost the freezer if it doesn’t have an auto-defrost function.

Complete your kitchen spring clean by vacuuming and mopping the floor.

Now relax!

Well done!  The kitchen is in my opinion, is one of the toughest rooms to spring clean, and you’ve done it!

Only one week to go and you will all have a clean, tidy, decluttered home.  Remember to let me know how you are all progressing and I would love to see some before and after photos!

Have a great weekend!