Washing our towels without fabric softener.

As you might have  realized by now I buy products on the promise of a bottle of disinfectant smelling like a Canadian pine forest or fabric softener smelling summer raining days.

The one time I don't use one of these lovely smelling products is when I'm washing our towels.

I found the towels were so much less absorbent when using the fabric softener. 

What I do now is add vinegar to the washing machine instead of fabric softener.

I always wash my towels on minimum of a 60 degree wash.

I promise you there is NO smell of vinegar!

In a front loader I just fill up where you'd add fabric softener on a top load about 1/3 ~ 1/2 cup

Replace the fabric softener with Vinegar in the washing machine

More absorbent and NO smell of vinegar

Kids Curry (well not a spicy curry)

We like curry in our house, but we have different levels of spice love.
I think if Hubby was was served a steaming hot/spicy Indian meal  every night he'd be
happy.…hummmm where as I like a butter chicken and that's kind of my limit. I'd also have no problem if the chicken was left out and I was just left with the sauce and a fresh nan bread :)

I realized very soon, that making curry wasn't always the best idea, but as we all liked curry to a level also wanted to make something that all of us could eat. So I came up with the easiest recipe EVER
I also throw this in the slow cooker :)
The Kid's curry came from hubby who said, are you making this for kids…..Hummm yeah yours!

While everyone else can tolerate more spice these day's I can't!

Is it really a curry…? Well it doesn't have the work put into that some curry's have!

you will need

pork/chicken/beef (I used pork in this one)
2 medium onions chopped fairly large
curry powder, Just the basic curry powder ~ (I used about 2 1/2 ~ 3 1/2 tablespoons)
smoked paprika ~ (I used about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
tomato paste     ~   (I used a small can 68g)
tomato ketchup/sauce  ~    (I used one big squeeze)
salt/pepper ~ just a pinch of each
water   So the the sauce is not to thick
oil ~ just a drop for cooking the onions

The measurements are for what suits you!

Put a small bit of oil in a pan, cook the onions until soft.
Sear the meat, then add all the  ingredients into the slow cooker, stir and cook on low for around 4-6 hours.

Cleaning the Microwave

This is one of my easiest jobs. Seriously it is.

It's so easy this post is going to be extremely short :)

In a  microwavable dish add water and sliced lemons.
Making sure you don't OVERFILL the dish
Place in the microwave  and turn the microwave on for 3-4 minutes, longer if you think longer is needed.
Be careful removing the dish. IT WILL BE HOT!!!
Wipe all around the microwave.

You will have a clean and lemony smelling microwave

in a microwave dish add some water and a lemon cut in half
Turn the microwave on for about 3-4 minutes

CAREFUL!!!
THE WATER WILL BE HOT!!!!!

Remove the water and wipe down the inside of the microwave

All clean :)

Quick and easy red curry soup

I love soup and I'm always on the look out for new recipes to try out.

We  have a few favourite recipes, but soup can take a while to make.
Saying that I do find that making soup can be quiet therapeutic, chopping up the veggies, putting the seasoning together.

Sometimes though you just want something quick and easy, and this is quick and easy!

What you'll need…..


Chicken breast (cut into small pieces, the smaller the pieces the quicker it cooks)
mushrooms (as much as you like I peel and quarter them)
pre cooked lo mein noodles (I found them in the chilled veg department in the store)
red curry paste (I used 1 tablespoon)
coconut milk (I used 1/2 a can)
hand full of peas (I used frozen)
fresh coriander/cilantro
water
Sliced red chili's (not that I'd add them to mine, but I would add to hubby's)


Give the can of coconut milk a really good shake

In a pan added the red curry paste and chicken
mix well when the chicken is coated and the chicken has started to cook add the coconut milk
add a pinch of salt
Add some water, add until you have the consistency you want.
Keep stirring and make sure all is mixed
add the mushrooms and the peas. Let the soup simmer and when all is cooked (really doesn't take long)
Add the noodles, mix well.

Serve and garnish with coriander/cilantro

This what you'll need

Not forgetting the coriander/cliantro

Mix the curry paste and chicken and start cooking

Add the coconut milk and mix well
Then add the mushrooms

add a handful of peas

Add the pre cooked lo mein noodles

Garnish with lots of fresh coriander/cilantro

Adding Lavender to the Bedding

Monday is changing and washing the bedding in our house.

I think I might have mentioned before how I buy products for their promise of smells of summer meadows, or winter berries (I still have no idea what winter berries REALLY smell like)
 What I really like is the smell of Mother Nature, when the bedding is dried out in the sun.
Yes the bedding is not quiet as soft but that lovely fresh smell is just lovely.

Well its winter time and today is cold, damp and extra rainy, so no outside drying today. So there wont be any smell of summer days wafting up my nose today.

What there will be is a hint of lavender.
I always add a few drops of lavender oil to the wash.

As we now have a front loader. after adding the laundry detergent I add a few drops of the oil.

It's actually not over powering.
Just when your snuggling into bed you'll get the occasional whiff of Lavender

After adding laundry detergent add a few drops of the Lavender oil.

Pork meatballs

Have you ever rushed around the supermarket and forgot what you went in for…or even picked something up that was totally the wrong thing in your rush.

Well even when I'm not rushing, I have managed to do both of the above!

A few years ago we were having people come over and I wanted to do warm appetizers/ finger food.

One of the foods I was wanting to make was meatballs in a sauce….I thought this would be easy as then I could use the trusty slow cooker to keep them warm.

Somebody happened to mention in passing that they did not eat beef….well my meatballs were going to beef~ish I said beef~ish because I had wanted to add seasoning to them.

Then I remembered the ground/minced pork that had been bought by mistake the pervious  week and was destined to be in the bottom of the freezer until the freezer was sorted out!

Well they were a success thankfully!

But this got me thinking (at times I do manage a bit of that!) 

I then found a recipe for Italian sausage. It was also a lot cheaper than buying the actual stuff.

So now I actually buy the ground pork.  I season the pork and leave it over night (or as long as possible) Then I bake them. When cooked and cooled I but in freezer bag and throw them in the freezer.

Then when I need a REALLY quick dinner as I have forgotten to take out something for dinner this are life savers.

Make a quick pasta sauce, cook your pasta then add the meatballs to your sauce. 

For this recipe it really is hit and miss and depends on YOUR taste!

1kg of minced pork

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

ground fennel (I use a lot about 2-3 tablespoons)

smoked paprika ( about 2-3 tablespoon)

garlic powder    (I use about 1 1/2 table spoons)

pinch of ground chili
teaspoon of sugar

mix everything up, use your hands,  cover up and place in the fridge. 

When ready, make into meatballs…I normally get 24-28

Bake until cooked.  350/180 

I find this takes about 30 ish minutes

Homemade shower decongestant disc

It's that time of year when coughs, colds, snuffly noses,  flu and all types of nasty germs are in the air.

I do like trying some homemade remedies.

This is not an actual remedy but it  does smell lovely :)


You will need

3 cups of BAKING SODA
water
Lavender oil
Rosemary oil
Eucalyptus oil

In a bowl but the BAKING SODA, making sure there is no lumps
add a bit of water at a time and mix until you have a VERY thick paste
then add the oils 15 drops of each and keep mixing
Place muffin lines into a muffin tin and place mixture into the muffin liners

I can make 14-16 discs

Leave overnight to dry out.

Next morning add a few more drops of each oil to each disc.

The reason I add more drops is because sometimes I find the scent not enough

I break into two and place in the bottom of the shower. Between the water, and steam the scent is released.

The best part is these will just dissolve and wash down the drain smile emoticon

I have NOT used as a bath bomb yet, but I will try and let you know.

2 things to note!!!!

I read about people have reactions to the lavender oil but you could have a reaction to any of the oils. So maybe go a little easy on the oils just to make sure.
We are fine with the oils in our family 

When I first found this a few years ago people were suggesting adding colour to the disks.
PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU DO AS THE COLOUR MIGHT STAIN YOUR SHOWER. 
I had read a few stories that had this problem 
Thankfully I never tried it

Everything you'll need for the disc's

Mix until a VERY thick paste

Add 15 drops of each oil

Put mixture into cake/muffin  liners and leave to dry

I add an extra few drop of each oil when the disc's have dried out
because sometimes I don't think the scent is strong enough

All dried out and ready to use

Store in a jar until needed

Smelly kit

Is there anything worse than a smelly sports kit/uniform…YUCK!!!!

Whether your kids have left smelly kit in school in a bag or you just have stinky sock in the laundry basket  ~  Or your wonderful husband has played a football/soccer tournament in ridiculous heat then had nowhere to wash that stinky kit and its been in a bag for a couple days before flying home…..Well its just YUCK!!!!

Sometimes after washing it's still not lovely and fresh smelling. Then you have to wash the whole load again.
It would always seem I'd need to do the second wash of the not so fresh load when I had a load of laundry to catch up on.

Well 2 things you probably have in your cupboard will help combat this

White vinegar and BAKING SODA

Add 1/2 cup of BAKING SODA and 1/2 cup to white vinegar to the washing machine.
to your normal detergent. I sometimes also add fabric softener but not always when adding the baking soda and vinegar



Seriously it works for us!

Cleaning the sink pipes

I'm the type of person who buys cleaning products just because they smell so lovely. So if the bottle promises me the smell of winterberries that will make me feel all cwtched/hugged up I'll buy it!
Not that I have any idea what winterberries actually smell like.

 When I was a child I remember  my mum used to use a disinfectant that smells like flowers. I used to love when my mum used that. I have bought the product since and they have changed the scent and its still nice but no where near as lovely as when I was a kid.

When we lived in Asia I couldn't always find what I was looking for in the cleaning supply aisle. Not that cleaning if my favorite thing!!!!
Pictures on the products only go so far in helping you!!!

So I looked up natural ways to clean ~ how clean with products you have in your home…your getting my drift.

Well two that came up and seemed to have lots of thumbs up were these two and they work for me.

1. The egg shell cleaner

2. The Baking Soda and Vinegar method 

I do the both.

The egg shell down the drain apparently is good because the sharp edges help to take away gunk! 

It's also natural :)
Now Im not saying collect your eggs for weeks and then try this….I do this when ever I use eggs.

If you do try the egg shell method, BE CAREFUL when breaking the shell up as it's sharp!
Scrunching in in your hand does hurt at times 

You do have to make the shell quiet small to get it through the top of the drain

For the BAKING SODA and vinegar method, you'll need
1/4 cup of BAKING SODA
1/2 cup of vinegar

So you have your egg shells that you'd normally put in the bin

Bash them up, careful not to cut yourself!!!

start running the tap at full blast!!!
Make sure all egg shell is down the drain!

Add 1/2 cup of BAKING SODA

Pour white vinegar onto the BAKING SODA

The mix will start to bubble up

Put a plate over the top of the drain and leave for 30 minutes.

Ricotta, lemon and blueberry pancakes

Pancakes are always a hit in our house. I have one recipe that I use to make one big batch of pancakes for the week and then they just help themselves until we are running low and I'll make more.

I wanted something different though. I had the ricotta, and blueberries and always have lemons.
It made me think of breakfast with the ladies back in Yokohama when we would go to Bill's for breakfast. I would always have the ricotta pancakes.
While these are not as big or even taste anything Bill's Pancakes they are good!
with a soft and very moist, almost but not quite  gooey middle.
I can also tell you they taste just as good next day :)

So I looked at some recipes online and adapted to what I had in the house

2 things you should know about my recipes/cooking

1. when a recipe calls for liquid, for example 1/2 cup of water. I use my dry measurement cups not liquid cup sizes…I'm not sure if everyone does that :)

2. when making a recipe especially if its my own I don't always measure. I add what WE like :)

This recipe makes about 10 pancakes 

1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of BAKING POWDER
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup of ricotta cheese (with liquid drained off)
3/4 of a cup of milk
2 eggs separated
dash of vanilla
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of half a lemon
Blueberries (I use about a small container which was a 250g Well thats what the box said. I also ate some as I was making this )

Separate the eggs, then whisk the egg whites until stiff

Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
In another bowl mix the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, vanilla and the lemon juice.
Then mix the dry ingredients into the ricotta mix.
Add the lemon zest and blueberries

Then start to fold in the egg whites. FOLD don't use a mixer for this part.

Then heat a NONE STICK pan

Then ladle/spoon the mixture which will be quite light and airy into the pan.
cook for about 3-4 minutes, turn over and then cook for another few minutes

Cleaning the slow cooker

For us basketball training means that we are always home just after what used to be dinner time. Making dinner from scratch at that time of the evening/night time is not an option.

This means I have started using the slow cooker a lot more.  Meals are waiting when we get in, I might have to warm up the rice, potatoes or boil some pasta. This is a LOT quicker than starting dinner so late.

There is a slight problem with that ~ the lovely thick welded on food…NOT!!!!

I absolutely hate wasting  a scouring pad cleaning this, sometimes 2 scouring pads have to sacrificed ….I also hate that it takes ages to clean it. I seem to get more water over me than what  should be in the sink :( 

So I'd read somewhere about filling the ceramic dish part of the slow cooker with water and then adding a dishwasher tablet. Then turning the slow cooker on and leaving for a while. Throw the yucky water out. Then wipe and give a quick swirl with water.

I find this REALLY works for me and really saves me time.

PLEASE DON'T ADD WATER TO THE ELECTRICAL PART OF THE SLOW COOKER!!!

YOU COULD DO YOURSELF A SERIOUS INJURY AND RUIN YOUR SLOW COOKER!!!