Weekend Chores - Spring Update

This weekend something new went on my to do list that I am super excited about!  Spring is here and it is now a goal to get out and get our 30 minutes of fresh air each day.

Here is what was on  my list this weekend.

The always list:

Laundry - 2 loads and hang to dry
Bathroom - Scrub and sanitize
Kitchen - ditto the bathroom

This weekend or until done list

Kill the mouse - it's taunting us now and watching movies with us

Kitchen list

Make bread - will happen Monday because I forgot to get the sourdough out
Make the pot of beans - yep, create the magic
Dehydrate the excess veggies and fruit - hubby came home with extra mushrooms

eBay store list

reconcile the spreadsheet for February - not even close to happening yet
list 5 items -  on #4 currently

Stormy list

Hug, love and pinch on - and work on numbers
Extra Bubbles bath

Personal list

Keep reading Atlas Shrugged
Knit a pair of mittens
Get 30 minutes of fresh air and walk
Update blog 

Here is what I wish was on my list

Ha Ha - Cabin fever is setting in apparently.  I got to get going, I've only accomplished about 20% of my list and it is Sunday evening already!

Lovin' life 

Snickerdoodles - Now and Later

My weekend hours at home are very precious to me.  I love every minute of it, from giving myself permission to sleep in (which I very seldom do) and actually planning on snuggles and tickles with Stormy as well as "me" time to do personal research and hobbies.  It can be challenging because I have a large chore routine to get through.

Every weekend, I have the same chores to accomplish.  From baking bread, and cookies, to scrubbing the kitchen and bath, laundry, pre-school with Stormy, maintaining the on-line store, food storage and foraging.  I try to accomplish as much as I can on Saturdays because so much of Sunday is set aside for worship.

I wish that I could do some of these chores throughout the week but I come home tired from work.  I don't have a physically challenging job but it emotionally drains me.  I work for a dentist and I pretty much do whatever needs to be done in the office, from assisting chairside, to making appointments and sterilization.  My main job is as a financial coordinator, which is a nice way of saying that I'm the person that does all the collections from insurance companies and people.  

Everyday I deal with people who are in horrible pain and do not have any money.  We live in an depressed economical area where the majority live from paycheck to paycheck.  They literally have to choose between dental care or paying their electrical bill.  Seldom a day goes by where there is not someone in tears that sits at my desk. It stresses me out to the max to take a persons last dollar.

To help me out and save me time in the kitchen, I make my on convenience mixes.  This weekend, I really wanted to make Snickerdoodles and I did bake up a batch of them.  While I had all the ingredients out I also measured the ingredients into 3 more batches for the future.  Every time I bake, I do my best to make multiple batches for the future.  It is just as easy to make 4 batches as it is one.  On weekends, where I am really pressed for time, have unexpected company or need a quick gift, I can grab a jar.  Right now, in my pantry I have mixes for cakes, cookies, breads, cream of whatever soup, and other soups. 

I prefer  to use canning jars for my mixes, but when it doesn't fit in a jar I use our vacuum sealer.  Jars are easier to clean than the bags, and yes, I reuse my food saver bags, unless I use them for meat products.

Why not just buy the mixes or the pre-made baked goods?  Because I am very picky about my ingredients.  Packaged goods that you purchase are full of refined flours and sugars and GMO, non-organic crops.  Not what I want for my family.  There are times that we fail.   Hubby brought home poptarts the other days and the kids really enjoyed them.   I fussed at him a bit but every now and then they sneak in.

So there you are.  One of my kitchen secrets that I would love to share with you.  Almost all your recipes can be adapted and there are plenty of cookbooks and websites to get you going.  One of my go to websites is budget101.com

Lovin' life eating a Snickerdoodle.

Weekend Goals - Progress Updated

Stormy and I are all ready for bedtime, just stories and hugs left to do.  Thought I'd update our progres on these goals, made some and failed others...

I apologize for another boring post but I treat this blog as my personal journal as well.  I have always been a person to write down goals and mark them off a list as I accomplish them.  I won't hold it against you if you skip this post.  I've linked to my favorite recipes.

Kitchen goals:

Make Caprese Quiche x2 (one for Monday's staff lunch and one for the fam)- Sunday
Make Cabbage Soup for fasting days on Tues/Thurs
Load up the dehydrator with apple slices and try not to eat them all up
Make a pot of chickpeas - Dehydrate and make Chana Masala w/Couscous
Make bread
Cookies - Stormy has been asking for them
Note to self:  I need another crockpot...
***Made all of these yummy goals except loading the dehydrator up with the chickpeas - the apples are hogging all the trays at the moment.  The quiche was a winner here at home and the soup is currently cooling down.  The Molasses cookies we made are killing my diet.

Personal goals
Finish Stormy's sock and start MIL Christmas socks
Finish ordering gifts for staff
Order soap base
Take time to read Atlas Shrugged - Part of my yearly reading list
Sleep in Saturday - best goal ever
Load new pictures into digital frame
***I just need to bind off Stormy's sock but I wanted to take a pic. of it before I did and lighting in the house today is horrible (it's a stormy day out there).  Gifts and soap ordered.  I love that all the gifts I ordered were from an educational store.  I was able to read a couple of chapters in Atlas Shrugged - I still don't know who John Gault is but I've learned not to ask questions that cannot be answered.  I slept in Saturday and Sunday.  Grrr, forgot about loading pictures into the digital frame
. Weekly chores:
Laundry
Scrub bath & kitchen
Make shampoo and bathroom cleaner
***I made the bathroom cleaner and it made it a breeze to clean the kitchen and bath.  One more load of laundry to do tomorrow.  I haven't made the shampoo but I did set aside the coconut milk needed for it from the Chana Masala. 
For Fun
Work with Storm and preschool
Go for walk and puddle splashing
Start cleaning up outside toys - snow is in the forecast
***Storm and I did work on some preschool activities, but failed to get outside much.  Stormy weather kept us in.

Stormy and Zoe rock hunting at the beach

Signs of Fall

Exercise:
Elliptical Sat/Sun 30 mins
50% here, too lazy on Saturday but got her done today!
Spiritual:
Family Bible Reading
Sunday Worship
***We,as a family,never miss this unless we are away from home.  We are reading now in Genesis and the message today was about end times prophecy.

That should feel up most of my weekend.  It looks more impressive on "paper" but in truth it won't be hard to accomplish and there will still be loads of time hugs and tickles.

Happy weekend to all!

Always so sad when the weekend winds down but thankful to have a good job to go to.  Hope you all had a great weekend as well!