As you may recall, we did some work on the floors of our house before moving in. This means we have beautiful hardwood floors, perfect for the odd dance or two and sliding around in your socks. It also means that the vacuum is almost worthless on it (plus, using electricity when it doesn't need to be used!).
Initially, the space looked huge, then furniture was moved in, and it looked less huge. Then I realized that I had to actually sweep the floors. The space grew exponentially at that point. First few times, I just swept with a broom, and it seemed to do a good enough job.
But, you see, we adopted a dog back a while back. And she sheds. Add that to my hair, and the fact that we do most of our living in the living/dining rooms, and it makes for some dusty floors! Floors for which a simple sweeping does not suffice.
I pondered my problem for a bit, and remembered my mom dusting with old cloth diapers. Thought the same principle would apply - a soft cloth on wood. Hmm... don't have any cloth diapers, and running out to buy them as dust clothes seems to defeat the purpose.
Know what I do have, though? A plethora of tshirts. Some that are over 10 years old. Some that are more like 15-20+ years old. A number of these have been worn considerably, and are deliciously soft and comfortable as a result. Some are down right thin, and relegated to "around the house" wear only. Also known as "perfect as a dust rag."
I selected one of the softest, most worn old tshirt, put it on the end of dust-pusher-broom thing (think Swiffer broom, but it isn't), and dusted my floors. It worked well. Would have worked better if I hadn't let the dog's hair build up so much. (Winter's coming! Why is she shedding!?) Finished off my sweeping the pile into a dustpan.
My floors were beautiful. Until I let the dog back in. Sigh, at least she's adorable.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The Return of Recipe Thursday! Pancakes
The other night, I was planning on making a split pea soup for dinner (and subsequent meals). I figured that on a cool October evening, hot split pea soup with biscuits would be warming and very satisfying.
But then the weather decided it didn't like October, and opted for more July-like temperatures of the 80s (Fahrenheit). I like split pea soup, but it was just going to be too hot, and too heavy of a meal.
Our pantry is pseudo-stocked. A lot of pieces, they just don't all go together. I had pancakes in my head, though, and we decided on that for dinner. We had almost everything on hand, except butter, which had been used up in making our brunch omelets. Off to the store went my husband, and I set out measuring and mixing.
It was 1.5 cups of flour, sifted with 3 TBS sugar, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. I was supposed to sift before measuring the flour, but I didn't.
Mix 3 TBS melted butter, 1 - 1.25 cups milk, and 2 beaten eggs. Really, I was supposed to separate the eggs, beat in the yolks, and whip the whites till fluffy and fold them in. I didn't.
I actually made two batches, so we would have leftovers (seriously yummy), and each time, I started out with just 1 cup of milk, but thought the batter was too thick, so I opted for 1.25 cups of milk total. This lead to a very thin batter, which made the pancakes really spread out in the pan.
The thin cakes, and using about a quarter TBS of butter to grease the pan between cakes lead to pancakes that were cooked through, but not exceptionally brown, and with a texture reminiscent of a thicker crepe. This is actually delicious.
We had pancakes with butter and powdered sugar as our main course for dinner that night. Can't tell you how devious that can make you feel.
One issue I almost always have with doing eggs or pancakes is temperature control of the pan. My brain freaks out most of the time, and I end up with a pan that is too hot or one that is too cold. This time, I set the pan over high heat initially, and let it get to the right temperature (according to my Joy of Cooking, this is when cold water sprinkled on the pan will sizzle and dance a bit). Then I reduced the heat to medium. I didn't have to turn the heat back up, because, as I am sure you know, keeping the pan over the gas flame for the amount of time it takes to make a batch of pancakes keeps the pan above medium heat! (Another phenomenon about which I have frequently forgotten.)
Looking back over this post, I realize that for someone who likes to follow recipes and directions, I sure do take a lot of liberties with them.
How about you? Enjoy breakfast-for-dinner? Enjoy following recipes or winging it?
But then the weather decided it didn't like October, and opted for more July-like temperatures of the 80s (Fahrenheit). I like split pea soup, but it was just going to be too hot, and too heavy of a meal.
Our pantry is pseudo-stocked. A lot of pieces, they just don't all go together. I had pancakes in my head, though, and we decided on that for dinner. We had almost everything on hand, except butter, which had been used up in making our brunch omelets. Off to the store went my husband, and I set out measuring and mixing.
It was 1.5 cups of flour, sifted with 3 TBS sugar, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. I was supposed to sift before measuring the flour, but I didn't.
Mix 3 TBS melted butter, 1 - 1.25 cups milk, and 2 beaten eggs. Really, I was supposed to separate the eggs, beat in the yolks, and whip the whites till fluffy and fold them in. I didn't.
I actually made two batches, so we would have leftovers (seriously yummy), and each time, I started out with just 1 cup of milk, but thought the batter was too thick, so I opted for 1.25 cups of milk total. This lead to a very thin batter, which made the pancakes really spread out in the pan.
The thin cakes, and using about a quarter TBS of butter to grease the pan between cakes lead to pancakes that were cooked through, but not exceptionally brown, and with a texture reminiscent of a thicker crepe. This is actually delicious.
We had pancakes with butter and powdered sugar as our main course for dinner that night. Can't tell you how devious that can make you feel.
One issue I almost always have with doing eggs or pancakes is temperature control of the pan. My brain freaks out most of the time, and I end up with a pan that is too hot or one that is too cold. This time, I set the pan over high heat initially, and let it get to the right temperature (according to my Joy of Cooking, this is when cold water sprinkled on the pan will sizzle and dance a bit). Then I reduced the heat to medium. I didn't have to turn the heat back up, because, as I am sure you know, keeping the pan over the gas flame for the amount of time it takes to make a batch of pancakes keeps the pan above medium heat! (Another phenomenon about which I have frequently forgotten.)
Looking back over this post, I realize that for someone who likes to follow recipes and directions, I sure do take a lot of liberties with them.
How about you? Enjoy breakfast-for-dinner? Enjoy following recipes or winging it?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Blog Hop!
Welcome to the GREEN BLOG HOP
For "Green" Blogs or "Green" Sites Only - Even if you're just starting out!
Please remember to create a blog posting including the button after linking up - Please - It's the best way to get the word out about Going Green!
For "Green" Blogs or "Green" Sites Only - Even if you're just starting out!
* PLEASE make sure to put the button on your site
* Follow the blogs of the ladies in the top three spots :
* Link your green blog to the MckLinky below
* Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back! If someone follows you, it is common courtesy to follow back.
Be Kind - Try and follow at least one other person that is not a hostess
Be Kind - Try and follow at least one other person that is not a hostess
Please remember to create a blog posting including the button after linking up - Please - It's the best way to get the word out about Going Green!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
China, the dishes, and stickers
On the way back home from our recent vacation, we did stop by my hometown to pick up my grandparent's dining set from my dad. We had rented a smallish moving truck for this, and ended up running out of room, so had to leave some furniture my mom was holding on to for us. Just another excuse to visit!
This is a full dining room set that my grandparents had purchased in the 1960s, as far as anyone can remember. So, it is a bit dated, but all the pieces are in good condition (thanks to my dad having them refinished after a water issue in his basement - they were in good condition before that, though), solidly built, and will last a good while.
It is quite exciting because, I've got to tell you, that dining set has turned an empty space into a real dining room (as it would), and has made a huge difference, turning the house more into our home. Combine that with the face that I spent much of Sunday unboxing our wedding china (and peeling off labels and washing it all) to place in the china cabinet, it really is quite homey!
About our wedding china - since we were moving shortly after our wedding, and then in student housing, and, well, transient, for the first several years of our marriage, we didn't completely unpack the china. We opened it, and such, of course, but decided that it was already packed well, and we didn't want to have re-pack it for the many moves that would ensue. (Good call - not one piece was broken!) This is also the first time we've really had the space to store the china in something other than the original box. It has been stored in attics, storage units, and closets, suffering hot and cold temperatures, varying degrees of humidity - all things that are supposed to be bad for china... And all things that made the bar-code stickers harder to get off than dried gum on carpet. Ok, maybe not that bad, but close!
After scrapping a few off with my finger nails, my husband took the windex with vinegar I had used to clean the glass in the hutch and sprayed a label. He waited a bit, and the label came right off. I don't know if it was the windex, the vinegar, or just the wetness that helped, but it sure made the rest of the job a lot easier! So, there's a helpful household hint, should you have stubborn labels
Monday, October 11, 2010
Coming back home
We had a wonderful time on our vacation, and it was great to get away. Didn't realize how tired I was until I could just sleep with no obligations coming up in the next day.
It was wonderful to get away, and spend sometime alone, as well as some time with family. Truth be told, though, I could have used an extra day off to recoup from the vacation! Extra laundry, and all those things that pile up when you're gone. It was worth it, though.
We ended up leaving after work, and driving roughly halfway to our family's that night. Knowing we would most likely stop for the night, but not knowing where, we decided against making a reservation in advance, and instead, opted for the coupon books. For those of you in The States, you know those books that are usually stationed at rest areas, welcome centers, and gas stations along the highway, that have lodging coupons in them? Yup, just a book on newsprint of hotel and motel coupons. We have used them before with great success, and this time, too. The trying-to-be-green part of me does feel guilty about wasting the other coupons/pages of the book, but at least it was printed on recycled materials, and is recyclable itself.
Because we left earlier than initially planned, we had the next day more or less free. Sure, we had to drive a few hours more to reach family, but 3-4 hours in one day is nothing compared to the 8 hours it would have been. We took this opportunity to avail ourselves of another state's welcome center to see what there was to see. Ended up seeing the Parthenon in Nashville, as we had originally thought about doing. I went there in 6th grade on a school trip, and Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief was filmed there. It was definitely worth the side-trip, and worth seeing again for me. The exhibit about how a replica of the Parthenon ended up in Nashville was very interesting, as was the "Women in Mythology" painting exhibit. There was an entrance fee, but nothing too steep. (We did decide against touring the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green because of the price. There are a bunch of cool cars to see outside of the museum, though.)
The bulk of our vacation was with family, and we had a great time catching up, and just spending time with them.
When I was little, my mom always made us clean our rooms/the house before we went on trips. Believe me, I complained the whole time, and was a general nuisance while cleaning. But, I always appreciated coming home to a clean room (partly because it was the only time my room was clean...) and clean house. I'm sure she did, too. Without someone else to push me to clean house before leaving, I've not kept to this pre-trip ritual as an adult. But, this time, I did hit the highlights - bathroom highlights, kitchen highlights, light dusting and sweeping floors - before we left. It made coming home even better.
Do you have any trip tips? Any pre-trip rituals you love, or that make coming home extra-special?
On the way back, we did pick up my grandparent's dining set from my dad. We had rented a smallish moving truck for this, and ended up running out of room, so had to leave some furniture my mom was holding on to for us. Just another excuse to visit!
I've got to tell you, that dining set has turned an empty space into a real dining room (as it would), and has made a huge difference, turning the house more into our home. Combine that with the face that I spent much of Sunday unboxing our wedding china (and peeling off labels and washing it all) to place in the china cabinet, it really is quite homey!
It was wonderful to get away, and spend sometime alone, as well as some time with family. Truth be told, though, I could have used an extra day off to recoup from the vacation! Extra laundry, and all those things that pile up when you're gone. It was worth it, though.
We ended up leaving after work, and driving roughly halfway to our family's that night. Knowing we would most likely stop for the night, but not knowing where, we decided against making a reservation in advance, and instead, opted for the coupon books. For those of you in The States, you know those books that are usually stationed at rest areas, welcome centers, and gas stations along the highway, that have lodging coupons in them? Yup, just a book on newsprint of hotel and motel coupons. We have used them before with great success, and this time, too. The trying-to-be-green part of me does feel guilty about wasting the other coupons/pages of the book, but at least it was printed on recycled materials, and is recyclable itself.
Because we left earlier than initially planned, we had the next day more or less free. Sure, we had to drive a few hours more to reach family, but 3-4 hours in one day is nothing compared to the 8 hours it would have been. We took this opportunity to avail ourselves of another state's welcome center to see what there was to see. Ended up seeing the Parthenon in Nashville, as we had originally thought about doing. I went there in 6th grade on a school trip, and Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief was filmed there. It was definitely worth the side-trip, and worth seeing again for me. The exhibit about how a replica of the Parthenon ended up in Nashville was very interesting, as was the "Women in Mythology" painting exhibit. There was an entrance fee, but nothing too steep. (We did decide against touring the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green because of the price. There are a bunch of cool cars to see outside of the museum, though.)
The bulk of our vacation was with family, and we had a great time catching up, and just spending time with them.
When I was little, my mom always made us clean our rooms/the house before we went on trips. Believe me, I complained the whole time, and was a general nuisance while cleaning. But, I always appreciated coming home to a clean room (partly because it was the only time my room was clean...) and clean house. I'm sure she did, too. Without someone else to push me to clean house before leaving, I've not kept to this pre-trip ritual as an adult. But, this time, I did hit the highlights - bathroom highlights, kitchen highlights, light dusting and sweeping floors - before we left. It made coming home even better.
Do you have any trip tips? Any pre-trip rituals you love, or that make coming home extra-special?
On the way back, we did pick up my grandparent's dining set from my dad. We had rented a smallish moving truck for this, and ended up running out of room, so had to leave some furniture my mom was holding on to for us. Just another excuse to visit!
I've got to tell you, that dining set has turned an empty space into a real dining room (as it would), and has made a huge difference, turning the house more into our home. Combine that with the face that I spent much of Sunday unboxing our wedding china (and peeling off labels and washing it all) to place in the china cabinet, it really is quite homey!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Blog Hop!
Welcome to the 15th week of the GREEN BLOG HOP!!
For "Green" Blogs Only - Even if you're just starting out!
The purpose of creating this blog hop was not to create yet another general hop, but to help network bloggers who have taken the initiative to go green for the purpose of education and continuing efforts of saving our planet - one home at a time. We will be monitoring the blogs and will delete those that are not deemed somewhat green.
* PLEASE make sure to put the button on your site and make a quick blog entry - otherwise we will not be reaching the most number of people that would be interested in networking!!
* Follow the blogs of the ladies in the top three spots :
Please remember to create a blog posting including the button after linking up - Please - It's the best way to get the word out about Going Green!!
* Link your green blog article to the MckLinky below
* Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back! If someone follows you, it is common courtesy to follow back.
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