Cleaning and Scrubbing Can Wait Till Tommorow...

Often, I feel overwhelmed with housework.  It feels like I am just running in circles trying to clean up messes while my children are running behind me making more messes.  Try as I might I just can't keep up with them.  Often at the end of the day I feel like the house is still a mess and I have nothing to show for all of my cleaning labors throughout the day.  It leaves me feeling like all my work has been in vain, and then I feel like my time was ill spent because I have nothing to show for it.  It's very frustrating.

I think I need to set a certain amount of time for cleaning in the morning, and then purposely neglect the messes while I focus on more important and fun activities such as: reading to the children, playing with the children, going outside for adventures...

Then, at the end of the day, I can look back and feel happy that I have spent my time with what matters the very most- my sweet little children who are growing so fast.  Maybe I can also remember my little brother and one of his tricks- when cleaning-do it quick!  He is impressively fast at cleaning up after his 3 little children.  So, a quick clean up at the end of the day- particularly making sure the kitchen is clean and off to bed.

When I was a little girl,  I remember a cross stitched piece my mother had hanging on the wall:
"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow for babies grow up we have learned to our sorrow.  So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep, I'm rocking my babies and babies don't keep."

Swiss Chard Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos with no cheese?  And swiss chard?  Well, my kids will eat them with out complaint,  and swisschard grows well in our garden- so this recipe is a keeper!  I have adapted it only slightly from the original:  http://foodplainandsimple.blogspot.com.

I also love that it is fast and easy to put together.
1.  Sautee about 1/2 bunch of chopped chard (stems and all) in 2 tbsp. butter. Put the lid on the pan and allow the chard to wilt and the stems to soften.

2.  Then, add the eggs. I used 4 eggs and the same amount of milk as I would have to make scrambled eggs (about 1/4 cup).  Mix them well in a bowl, then pour the contents into the pan with the greens.

3.  Add salt and pepper. Cook as if you were making scrambled eggs.

4.  Spoon the eggs onto corn tortilla shells.  (I put 6 corn tortillas on a cookie sheet and put them on broil in the oven for a few minutes.  And turn them, and then take them out and put them in between tinfoil to stay warm).  May serve with salsa or sour cream.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

I love this soup.  It is like a taco soup but without the seasoning in the packet.  It is very adaptable, I often leave the chicken out and will substitute whatever beans I have on hand.  Sometimes, I will add a can of diced up olives or a can of green chiles if I have them.  It is easy to throw in the crock pot in the morning and have ready for lunch or even just quickly make it for dinner on the stovetop.  If I am feeling ambitious, I will serve my favorite blueberry muffins with this soup.

Southwestern Chicken Soup   (from Sally Asay)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
8 oz. skinned, boned chicken, cut in chunks
1/4 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
14 oz. chicken broth (I use re-constituted chicken paste)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed - 15 oz.
1 can corn kernels, undrained - 14 oz.
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes - 14 oz.
      *or 1 can Rotelo tomatoes and chilies
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
yogurt or sourcream,and cheese to garnish

Heat oil in heavy dutch oven and cook chicken until opaque.  Add onion, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder
and red pepper - cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant.  Stir in the broth, corn, beans and tomatoes.  Bring
to slow boil.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Top with cilantro and serve with chips or tortilla strips,
cheese and yogurt or sour cream

Perfect Salmon

This recipe was shared with me by Nan Davis and we love it!


Line a glass pan with tinfoil.  Place salmon on tin foil.  Sprinkle salmon with olive oil, salt, and lemon pepper.  Put more tinfoil on top of salmon creating a sealed packet.  Put in the oven.  Then, turn the oven on to 400 degrees.  Cook for 25 minutes and enjoy!

Grandma's Baklava

Grandma's Baklava

*Place frozen phyllo dough in the refridgerater the night before you intent to make up your baklava.
1 pound butter
1 pound phyllo dough
1 pound nuts (pecans or almonds-I prefer pecans)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 box whole cloves

Chop nuts VERY fine and mix them together with the spices: cinnamon, sugar, allspice, and nutmeg.  Mix them well in a large bowl and set aside.

Melt(but don't cook) the butter.
With a butter brush, brush the bottom of a 9x12 inch pan with melted butter and place one sheet of phyllo down, and brush with butter.  (Each sheet needs to bet brushed with butter individually after you lay it in the pan) Lay down 3 more sheets with melted butter on each sheet.

As you are working cover your usused phyllo sheets with a dry kitchen tea towel  as quickly as you lift one off.  This prevents drying and breakage while you work.

Sprinkle nut mixture on top of the 4th sheet, creating an ultra thin covering.

Individually butter and stack on 2 more sheets, and then sprinkle another ultra thin layer of the nut mixture, repeating this process and then ending with 4 individually buttered sheets on top forming the top layer with no nut mixture in between them.

Brush top with butter and BEFORE COOKING, cut into diamond shapes.  Do this carefully as to not upset the layers.  Place a whole clove in the center of each piece if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes til tops are lightly browned.  Let cook until just warm, and then pour the Baklava Syrup over it.

Baklava Syrup(this is the unalcoholic recipe- but not Grandma's)

Bring to boil for one 1-2 minutes:

1 1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
5 cloves
rind of one lemon or orange cut up

Take from the stove, remove spices and rind, then add:

1 cup honey
1/2 cup frozen concentrated orange juice
1 Tbsp. rum flavor(optional)
1-2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Pour this syrup over the cooked baklava while still warm, but not when the baklava is hot.  Place in a cool area and give it time so the baklava can absorb the syrup.

For best results:  make up the baklava 10 days in advance and add the first poring of syrup on the day of baking, then add several more times in the next 10 days.  (Don't over syrup, however, or it will be too saucy.)  Remember to warm up the syrup each time before pouring it over the baklava.

Cover the baklava with a kitchen towel in between baking and serving.  Don't use foil or saran wrap, as it will change the texture.

* Baklava is so good it has never been able to even last 10 days around our house!
 

Choose the Soft Reply

When visiting my parents, I often like to browse their books for good reading.  One book that I came across and loved immediately, and reread every time I go back for a visit is called:  Choose the Soft Reply and is by Barlow L. Packer.  I really should buy this book, the quotes and examples in it are so inspiring.  I feel a great need to learn how to respond to others and to speak with others, especially those in my family, with gentleness and love and respect.  As mothers, I especially feel we set a tone in the home with our attitude and with the way we speak.  I unfortunately learn the hard way- my children sound just like me, and I do not like the tones they are using.  I want to be a peacemaker in our home.  I want to be the calm amidst the storm.  I want my children to learn to control their voices and speak in this gentle way.  So if I want them to change, then I must first start changing me.  In creating this new blog- I chose this title to hopefully remind me of this quality that I want to develop- to speak more softly, kindly, and respectfully-especially to the ones dearest to me- my own family.