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    Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
    Friday, December 9, 2011

    Cooking Lull

    Don't know about anyone else but I seem to find myself in cooking lulls every now and again. Something will disrupt my normal routine and I get so out of sorts I cannot function properly. Lately I've been working a lot more than I would've liked to as my manager took holidays. So I was working rather irregular hours and more of them. I went from cooking 3 meals a day (yes, cooking for breakfast lunch and dinner) to barely being able to scrap together a decent meal for dinner even on my days off. 
    I get quite disappointed when this happens because I feel like I let my family down. Don't misunderstand me, they still eat. Cereal, toast, spaghetti tins, sandwiches, fish fingers, ol' 3 veg garden salads, store bought biscuits etc. I don't cook them proper meals or snacks. I also understand that this is the norm for most Australian families, but I have noticed when I actually cook and prepare nutritional meals 3 times a day everyone (especially my husband!) feels happier, healthier and more content. As to opposed right now I've got my dirty old grumpy pants on that I get when I've not eaten properly. 

    So enough complaining about it, what am I going to do about it? Right now, not much I can do. We have just done the shopping for the next fortnight without meal planning (another sign of me just not caring!) You know planning ahead is one of the best ways of keeping on track. The amount of mornings lately I've woken up and gone, it's too hard to think of what to make you for lunch hubby, just buy something (OH MY IM HORRIBLE!) But it's honest and it's true. I have to have preprepared at least the rice or defrosted the meat the night before unless I want to be up from 5am making lunch. 
    I assume also silly season is attributing to my lack of concentration and ability to cope. I have hopes of making gingerbread men, gingerbread house, sugar cookies, pavlovas, chocolate mousse tortes, roasts, bakes and more. Without preprep I doubt I'll get anywhere. 

    I guess it's time to stop complaining about my lack of preparation and get to preparing! 

    Nya! =(^_^)= いってらしゃい!

     
    Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Cleaning Tip #2 - Timers

    Timers can be an excellent tool to help you stay on track! I love my iPhone and the ability to time things. It can really be the difference, for me, of completing something or forgetting altogether!
    Just now I've put the washing machine on, and I know it take 1 hour to do it's cycle. So if I set the timer for 1 hour, I can take the washing out as soon as it finishes! Before realizing I should time the wash I pretty much always forgot about it and would have that damp smell on the clothes which would mean another round in the washing machine.
    If you washing machine is close by, you don't have to worry! But mine is downstairs and I can't hear it!

    Another great timer idea is for spot cleaning. If your anything like me cleaning is a daunting task. I can cook for hours but cleaning, nah uh! So give yourself a time limit, 15 minutes works well, and clean for that time only. When the timer goes off congratulate yourself on a job well done! (even if you didn't finish the task!) A bit done is much better than nothing done at all!

    So give the timer a go! Set yourself a few timer tasks a day. 15 minutes cleaning your bedroom, 15 minutes scrubbing the bathroom, 15 minutes ironing. I know you can do it! After all, 15 minutes is no time at all, I guarantee you'll be pleased with your efforts!

    Nya! =(^_^)= いってらしゃい!