A Fresh Notebook Is A Beautiful Thing

I'm a Word Nerd.  I fully admit to loving notebooks, lists, schedules, routines and the grandmama of them all - The Household Notebook.  I've tried various electronic means of managing household tasks (including apps galore), but nothing sticks for me like good, old-fashioned paper and pen.  And I've fallen in love with the freedom a schedule gives me.  Yup, you read that right.  Freedom.

You see, I'm not what you would call an 'intuitive housekeeper'.  I simply don't notice clutter when it has been there for a while - it becomes part of the landscape (sad, but true).  So keeping a mental list of what household tasks need to get done when is never going to work for me.  I'd forget to empty the trash, or go three weeks without changing the sheets, or leave the laundry until 10pm for the eighth day in a row.  And then I'm genuinely shocked when I realize how far behind I've gotten in the housekeeping.

Lists, routines and schedules have saved my home.

There really is something delightful in seeing your plans in hard copy.  My personal preference is, of course, the Household Notebook (or Home Management Binder, or Control Journal, or Homekeeping Record, or....) for anything permanent and referred to often, but I also use a faux-Moleskine like notebook for everyday jotting.  I adore my little black notebook.  It's simple, classic and - don't laugh when I share this - the pages feel smooth against the side of my hand when I write, LOL.  I splurged on a couple of four-dollar pens (they write like a dream) and this is what I use to write notes, changes to my schedule, to-do lists, and anything else that catches my fancy.  These little black numbers are large enough (larger than A5, not as big as A4) to use as a journal too, and I could totally see a whole shelf of identical books filled with years of hopes and dreams. You just don't get the same feeling from a tiny electronic smartphone screen.

Over the next few days, I'll be taking you on a tour of some of my favourite ways to keep track of my housekeeping routines, including the routines themselves and the methods I use to record them.  I also hope to be putting up an updated Household Notebook tour and a bonus tour of a Recipe Binder I set up that has really changed the way I menu plan.  Hope to see you then!

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Another Freezer Cooking Adventure

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It occurred to me today that I have a vast range of 'servants' in my home that I'm not really taking advantage of.  Take my upright freezer, for example.  At the moment, all that it contains is a 6-months-past-due package of puff pastry and a freezer burned beef roast.  My decade-old breadmaker is still perfectly useful but languishing in a dark recess of some rarely used kitchen cabinet.  And my crockpot should be a star attraction in my weekly menu, but isn't.  All of these things should be working to make my life easier, and yet I'm not making the best use of of them.

Part of the reason why certain appliances rarely see the light of day lies within the design of my kitchen.  We have a very small galley-style (walk-through) kitchen, with limited bench space (just two smallish areas).  I would love to have these appliances standing proud and at attention, ready to be used, but we just don't have the counter space.  It's very, very easy to end up with the kitchen a cluttered disaster unless we're continuously on top of the dishes and general 'putting away'.  The precious bench space we do have is set aside for daily-used items such as the kettle and toaster.  As the breadmaker and crockpot aren't used daily, away into the cupboard they go.  And because we have an open plan kitchen / family room layout, any kitchen clutter is compounded by it's exposure to anyone who happens to visit.

Despite the teeny tiny kitchen, I'm lucky enough to have a fairly good sized upright freezer in my laundry room, and a decent above-fridge freezer.  It's time to put them to good use!

In the days to come I'll be formulating a freezer cooking plan.  I am spectacularly on board with the idea of freezer cooking, and have even produced some decent frozen meals in my time, but I've lapsed in recent times.  I'm bummed I missed out on the latest round of Freezer Cooking Days (co-hosted by the lovely Jessica at Life As Mom and Crystal at Money Saving Mom) but no matter - I'll press on and get a head start on next month.  I'll try a few 'one meal' recipes to see if I can stumble across some winners to add to my tried-and-trues.  I have a fabulous Recipe Binder in development with literally dozens of 'in the wings' recipes to have a go at.

See you early next month for the next Freezer Cooking Days!

Snippets Of Daily Life

Middle (then aged 8) happily engrossed in his favourite activity

So, it's been almost a week since I posted - apologies.  As it turns out, scheduling one's posts during a launch week is quite the prudent thing to do, especially if you're like me, with the kind of luck that makes Murphy rub his hands with glee.  Of course, I did not do this!  There was one thing after another this week - bam, bam, BAM.  So here I am, late to my own party!

This is just a quick check in - it's 12:36 am here at the moment - to keep you up to speed with what's been happening around these parts.

We visited Eldest's potential high school on Monday.  For those not familiar, Eldest is autistic and due to start high school at the beginning of February 2012.  Until now, he has been in supported education (ie, a special ed class within a mainstream school) but the places simply do not exist for a similar set up at the high school level, so it's pretty likely he'll enter eighth grade as a mainstream student, the first time he's ever done this.  This is real heart-seizure kind of stuff for us, but of course we're thankful his development in recent years may have placed him out of contention for a special ed class placement.  He'll always have a disability, but so far he's coping well enough in school to survive with minimal intervention.  It also afforded us the opportunity to check out the school from a 'non-disability' standpoint for when Middle and Youngest take the leap into the bigger fishpond in 2013 and 2015 respectively.  Eldest also has an NEP (Negotiated Education Plan / Individual Education Plan) scheduled for tomorrow so we have lots to talk over.

Middle took a long overdue visit to a podiatrist on Friday.  Apparently he has one of the worst cases of 'flat feet' the podiatrist had ever seen, but to be fair, the young lad looked fresh out of university so perhaps not the best indicator :P Middle will be fitted for an orthotic shoe insert in a couple of weeks and will require more expensive shoes from now on.  This little exercise (the consult, the shoe insert, the return visit and the shopping expedition to procure the new shoes) will put us out of pocket around $300, with a 'rinse and repeat' due somewhere between 6 and 12 months from now.  Again, mighty thankful we have money saved for this kind of thing.

Charlie the Wonderdog saw the vet this week.  Dog's memories are short, I discovered - the last time he'd been on the vet's table was while he still had his, uh, 'bits' intact over a year ago and he spent the entire time showing us the whites of his eyes and shivering like a mad thing.  He did well though and the visit was just for his most recent shots, but there went another $86!  Coincidentally, we'd just finished counting up our coin jar stash the night before and had 'found' $84.  Providence perhaps?

I have been making a very conscious effort to expand my culinary repertoire this week.  Full report in my next Menu Plan Monday post but so far, the big hits of the week have been the homemade Thai Red Curry sauce and tonight's Bacon & Herb Stuffing.  Both used FRESH herbs!  These usually wilt away to nothing in the bottom of my crisper before I get off my backside to cook with them!

I'm really hoping for a quieter week.  With far less expenditure thanks!

Menu Plan Monday ~ Clear Out Your Recipe File Week!

Okie dokie.  I wasn't going to launch The Sort Report for another month, until I had a small (but growing) archive behind me, but what the heck.  It's been such a long time since I participated in a Menu Plan Monday but I'm on a bit of a 'clear the backlog of new recipes to try' kick right now, so it seemed like it was time to catapult myself back into the blogging fray.  Hi there!  Hello!  If you've never 'met' me before, I'm a crazy Australian SAHM with three kids (one special needs).  Welcome!

When I'm sorting out my menus, I like to use the framework of an 'If It's Monday, It's Spaghetti' kind of plan - it's easier on my frazzled brain and it (usually) ensures we don't end up with four or five dinners using the same protein source every week.  In addition to this, I consider my husband's work schedule.  He works a rotating roster and as an example, there's always a week-long stretch of afternoon shift when he's not home for dinner.  We've dubbed this Kid Friendly Week and they're usually helping to choose the recipes, so what ends up on the menu tends to reflect their simpler tastes.  We try to plan meals for this week based on 'leftoverability' and just put aside Daddy's portion to take to work the next evening :)

All the dinners are new recipes, and side dishes are in brackets.

Menu Plan

(July 26th → August 1st)

Monday ~ Pasta

Homemade Gnocchi Delizia (salad)

First time making gnocchi from scratch!  Bechamel-base sauce with semi-dried tomatoes, broccoli and bacon.

Tuesday ~ Chicken

Baked Honey Lemon Chicken (rice, stir-fried vegetables)

Simple meal - chicken is put into marinade in the morning, and DH can pop this in the oven if I'm late getting home from my errands later.

Wednesday ~ Quick & Easy

Pizza Quiche (salad)

Homemade shortcrust pastry prepped and refrigerated in the morning.  Throw together kind of meal.

Thursday ~ Beef

Thai Red Beef Curry with Homemade Paste (rice)

I've never made my own curry paste before :)  Leftovers as fall back plan for the kids if it's too spicy.

Friday ~ Misc / New Recipe

Vegetarian Dumplings (Singapore Noodles)

Trying a new technique (and new recipe!) with gow gee wrappers.  Serving this with a noodle creation I'll make up on the night.

Saturday ~ Crockpot / Freezer

Ropa Vieja (tortillas, salad)

Sydney's Crepes of Wrath is an absolute goldmine for tasty, hearty recipes - I have several of her recipes waiting in the wings.  Highly recommended! 

Sunday ~ Roast / Pizza

Roast Chicken with Bacon Stuffing (potatoes, broccoli, carrots, gravy)

Finishing off the week with a hearty family favourite meal.  Baking the stuffing in a pan (new recipe).

Baking

1. Apple Cake (got a head start on that yesterday - a bit 'meh' but still okay)
2. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies (double batch - test freezing some of the dough)
3. Warm Chocolate Puddings (this is likely to be Sunday's dessert - new recipe)
4. Monte Carlos (sandwich cookies with a raspberry cream filling - new recipe)
5. Coffee Walnut Scrolls (new recipe)

(Some of these will be set aside and frozen for the kids' lunches)

Freezer

1. Mocha Pound Cake (you gotta have a pound cake in the freezer for emergencies, right? LOL - new recipe)
2. Fried Rice (a favourite freezer filler - great for side dishes, lunches and DH's work meals)

(Usually I'd set aside between 3 and 5 recipes/meals to put in the freezer - not all single meals, usually duplicates of things like lasagna and cookie dough - but because of the high number of new recipes this week, we'll stick with two)

Phew! That's a lot of cooking and baking to get through this week, but I'm looking forward to adding some new tried-and-true recipes to my trusty Recipe Binder (more on that soon!)  Happy cooking folks!

For more tasty Menu Plan Monday morsels, drop by Org Junkie.

Be sure to check out my small (but growing) list of printables using the tabs in the navigation menu above.  These are free for personal use - and if you'd like to see something specific, I'd love to hear from you.  Just fill out the contact form in the About / Contact section above and I'll do my best :)

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Make Visitors Feel At Home With A "Welcome Guest" Box

As delightful as it might sound at times, being away from the hustle and bustle of home can be a double-edged sword.  Vacations relax and revive you, but you can still feel a little lost and displaced without the comfort of your own 'things' around you - I know I do!

If you're lucky enough to avoid a hotel and be invited to stay at a relative's or friend's home instead, it's a wonderful thing.  Good food, good company, and a comfortable bed.  Even without a separate guest room (our 'guest room' is a sofa bed in the living room), a lot can be done to accommodate overnight visitors and to make them feel at home.

One of the best ideas I ever heard about was the "Welcome Guest" box.  Upmarket hotels and bed-and-breakfasts have been doing it for years - a small box containing toiletries, first aid items and a few small luxuries is set aside to make the guest feel special.  I loved the idea, so I began doing it for myself at home.

I recycled a little straw storage box from elsewhere in the house and with each weekly grocery trip added an extra couple of items to my list - things like dental floss, spare toothbrushes, pretty soap, bandaids, hand lotion, individual purse packs of tissues and paracetemol.  Travel toiletries (mini bottles of favourite brands produced to comply with airplane regulations) are perfect for this because guests should generally be given unopened bottles, although there are exceptions depending on the product (larger bottles/packages of lotion or paracetemol, for example).

While guests should always be free to take the whole kit-and-caboodle home with them when they leave, I've found it works equally well to keep a box in the linen cupboard, and just restock it as needed.  Either way, feedback has been 100% complimentary and guests love knowing they can arrive with almost no notice and hardly anything packed and still know they're well covered with life's little basics!