Mopping the Floor and More

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Six

Mopping the Floor and More

Scripture Memory: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:8-10

 

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In the parable of the lost coin, Jesus reminds us that no matter how far we walk away from Him, He is always and will always seek us out. Like the woman who rejoiced when she found her lost coin, all of heaven rejoices when on of God’s children repents and finds his way home.

Sometimes, even believers have moments of weakness and regrets. I know how hurt I feel when I realize I was not in line with God’s will. It pains my heart to think of how little my faith can be at times! If it is God’s will for me and you to be keepers at home, caring for, and providing for our families, we are sinning if we are not doing those things we should be doing.

I am not talking about those days when nothing goes right or everything seems to work against you. I am talking about day in and day out. God knows what is in our hearts. If we are not keepers at home within our hearts, there is no use in pretending otherwise. We should be rejoicing at the opportunity to serve and minister to our sons and daughters and our husbands.

I am sure you have been working hard this week to get your kitchen clean and fresh smelling just as I have. There is nothing like waking up to a clean kitchen in the morning! I want to stress the importance of going to bed with a clean kitchen. It will start your day off right!

Today, we will be cleaning the walls, the cabinets, and the floors. If you have children, this is a good day to incorporate them in your tasks. So, get your buckets out, fill them with sudsy water. My favorite all purpose cleaner is Mr. Clean. I use this to mop the floors and scrub walls. If you have wood finishes in your kitchen you will want to use a product such as Murphy’s Oil Soap.

Begin with the cabinet doors and the walls. This is a perfect job even for the littlest helper! My favorite product ever for cleaning walls is the Magic Eraser. If you have not yet tried it, you need to! It is even perfect for the two year old who drew crayons on the wall. You can teach a lesson while having your child actually clean the mess!

Before mopping the floor you will need to clear the floor of shoes, chairs, baskets, etc. and sweep really well. You can pre-treat stuck on spills with a spray all purpose cleaner. Older children can help mop the floors. The best clean is done on hands and knees. However, you can use a mop. I prefer the Libman mop myself, although, my children often scrub floors for me and I do not let them use the mop. If you are looking for a creative form of discipline try scrubbing floors! The kids will be able to serve their “time” and help with the cleanliness of the house.

After each meal, remember to tidy the kitchen. Before you go to bed tonight, put away all clutter, food, and wash any leftover pots, pans, and dishes. Start the dishwasher if it is full.

Sanitize your sink and change your dirty kitchen linens for fresh ones. Soak your sponges in the sink with hot water and a little bit of bleach.

Make this a part of your nightly routine. If you are new to doing this on a regular basis, you may find you struggle some with making it a habit, but have faith! If you tidy up after each meal, this should only take a few minutes. I have never had to spend more than 15 minutes in the evening preparing the kitchen for the morning if I have kept up with it during the day. If you plan to bake muffins or pancakes or biscuits in the morning, you might want to prepare the batters before turning in for the night as well.

Spend a few minutes praising God for the simple pleasures of a job well done and His faithfulness for seeing you through.

 

Cleaning the Stove

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Five

Cleaning the Stove

Scripture Memory: “So let us celebrate the festival, not by eating the old bread of wickedness and evil, but by eating the new bread of purity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:8 (NLT)

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Cleaning the Stove Top: Daily:
1. Begin cooking with a clean stove.
2. While cooking, wipe up any spills immediately as is safe. Do not try to wipe up spills if you will risk a burn.
3. For baked on food and grease, use a mild abrasive such as Bar Keepers Friend.
4. Always Wipe down the stove top as part of your daily kitchen clean up.
* Cooking at high temperatures will cause food to spill and splatter more frequently.*

Cleaning the Stove Top: Weekly:
1. Remove electric burners or gas burner grates
and burner drip pans.
2. Place grates and drip pans in the sink. Spray with a fume free oven cleaner or other heavy duty cleaner and let soak.
3. Remove any excess food crumbs or spills.
4. Using a mild abrasive such as Bar Keepers Friend, sprinkle powder over baked on grease (often found around drip pan edges).
5. Wet a sponge or other cleaning cloth.
6. Squeeze out most of the moisture so it is not dripping, but leave very damp.
7. Begin scrubbing until the moisture is gone. Rinse and Repeat as needed until the stove top is clean.
8. Using a clean cloth or sponge, wipe down the entire outside of the stove, as well as under knobs.
9. Raise the stove top to clean underneath and proceed in a similar fashion until the underside is clean.
10. Line with aluminum foil, to prevent this step in the future. If you have already been lining your stove with the foil, simply replace with fresh foil.
11. Lower stove top.
12. Using hot sudsy water and your cleaning cloth or sponge, wipe the walls and cabinets around the stove to remove food and grease splatters.
13. Fill sink with hot water and scrub drip pans and/ or gas burner grates. Rinse.
14. After drip pans and/ or are dry, return them to the stove.
15. Wipe electric burners, while cool, with a damp cloth and return to stove.

Cleaning the Oven: Weekly:
*If you have a self cleaning oven, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. Do not use commercial cleaning products in these ovens.*
1. For non-self-cleaning ovens, use a good commercial oven cleaner. The fume free ones are more pleasant to use. Be careful not to breathe the fumes, wear a dust mask if you need to.

2. Evenly coat the entire surface of the oven.
3. Allow to soak for the recommended amount of time.
4. Wearing rubber gloves, wipe out the oven using paper towels or an old rag.
5. Using a damp cloth, wipe out the stove to remove leftover residue.

Cleaning the Kitchen Appliances

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Four

Cleaning the Kitchen Appliances

Scripture Memory: “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalms 113:9

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Cleaning the kitchen appliances. This has to be one of my least favorite jobs! However, it is something that must be done – and done frequently – in order to maintain a sanitary kitchen environment. As part of your weekly routine, schedule a day to scrub and clean the kitchen appliances. Since this involves cleaning out the refrigerator, a good day to schedule this task would be the day before you do your weekly grocery shopping.

Some appliances, such as a food processor, a blender, or a juicer should be cleaned and wiped down each time you use them. This prevents the build up of grime and grease. Other appliances are more easily cleaned on a weekly basis. These are the appliances we will be looking at today.

The Refrigerator
1. Unplug refrigerator. Manufacturers warn to unplug the refrigerator before washing. Be careful not to splash lights and wires while you are cleaning.
2. Remove food from refrigerator to the counter top.
3. Remove drawers and shelves.
4. Using hot sudsy water, wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. Be sure to clean the walls and inside the gaskets. Work from top to bottom.
5. For nasty stuck on spills, make a paste with water and baking soda.
6. Really hot water may crack glass shelves so be careful.
7. If you have mold or mildew in your refrigerator, use a bleach solution to disinfect. However, using too much bleach will cause the refrigerator to smell like bleach. 3/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. Do not clean and disinfect in one step. Clean first, and then disinfect.
8. Wash the shelves and drawers with hot sudsy water and replace them when finished.
9. Wipe off any sticky food containers before replacing them in the refrigerator.
10. Plug the refrigerator back in when you are done.

Microwave
1. Place a mug filled 3/4 with water inside microwave.
2. Heat water for 1 – 2 minutes. Allow the water to stay in microwave for another minute before removing.
3. Carefully remove water from microwave. You may want to use a towel or pot holders to remove the water. Caution is needed.
4. Remove glass plate (turntable) from microwave and place in a sink of hot sudsy water.
5. Use a sponge or damp cloth to wipe out microwave. Rinse as needed.
6. Wash glass plate. Allow to dry and return to microwave.

Toaster Oven
1. Unplug toaster oven and remove crumb tray and empty into trash can.

2. Place tray in hot sudsy water and wash.
3. Brush remaining crumbs from bottom of toaster oven.
4. Use glass cleaner to clean outside of toaster over.
5. Return crumb tray.

Toaster
1. Unplug toaster.
2. Empty crumb tray over trash can.
3. Use a sponge and all purpose cleaner to wash the outside of the toaster.

Can Opener
1. Unplug can opener.
2. Remove can opener blade and wash in hot sudsy water or place in dishwasher. (You may want to clean this at the end of each day.)
3. Wash outside of can opener with a damp sponge and all purpose cleaner.

These tasks may seem mundane, tedious, or plain out right drudgery. However, remember that as a virtuous woman seeking God’s will for your life, that whatever task is at hand is a task to be done with a willing spirit, and a cheerful heart. How would you feel if you no longer had a refrigerator to clean and no way to purchase a new one. Your life would be so different! We can praise God for simple things like refrigerators.

Tomorrow we will look at how to clean the stove. For now, pour yourself a cup of herbal tea with lemon and sit back and praise God for a job well done!

 

Begin Cleaning the Kitchen

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Three

Begin Cleaning the Kitchen

Scripture Memory: “And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” John 20:7

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Perhaps you have never given much thought to the verse above. Jesus, our King and Lord, had just been resurrected. What was the first thing that he did? He folded the burial cloth that He had been wrapped in. Here is the Messiah, the One who has just given His life for our sins, and He takes the time to perform an ordinary task. Why?

Our God is a God of order. It would have gone against His nature to leave a mess behind. I am suggesting that neatness begets peace. It demonstrates a deeper meaning. A house that is chaotic is not a house that represents the peace and sanctuary that is found in Him.

We have discussed creating a routine for your day and setting up a daily schedule. Today we are going to begin the journey of getting your house in order room by room.

We will begin in the kitchen. For this week, you should either set aside an entire day, or set aside a 1 – 2 hours a day depending on your needs.

It is important to keep the kitchen sanitized and in good working order. Every surface where food might be placed, should be clean and free of germs. Guests will feel better about eating food that you prepare if it is evident that the kitchen stays clean.

1. The best way to get really organized and clean in the kitchen is to pull everything out of your cupboards. From spices to dishes to pots and pans, take it all out. You can do this in sections if you are satified with the arrangement of your dishes, pantry items, and such. Otherwise, pull it all out at once and carefully arrange the items in another room.

- Go through all of your belongings and decide what you really need.

- Some things may be appropriate for giving away or for putting in a yard sale.

2. Fill a dishpan, or the sink with hot water. Add a cleaner, such as Lysol, for really grimey messes. However, if your cabinets are wood, painted or stained, you may want to use a product such as Murphy’s Oil.

3. Wash the inside as well as the outside of your cupboards. If you have not done so before, line the shelves with pretty shelf paper.

4. When deciding how to arrange your dishes, keep these things in mind:

- Place items used frequently within easy reach. Items used every now and again, place on higher shelves.

- Place items near the area where they are used. Or, place items near the dishwasher to make putting them away easier.

- Use storage containers, baskets, or drawers to store plastic containers and lids.

5. Store pantry items where you will be able to easily see what you have in stock.

6. Items such as flour, sugar, cereal, dried fruits, oatmeal, etc. store better in jars. In our house, we store our dry goods in canning jars, or other glass containers. We have a set of pretty plaid lids that dress up the canning jars and make them special. For my flour and other large dry goods, I purchased vintage glass canisters and painted the metal lids to match my kitchen. Make your kitchen pretty where ever you can!

7. Once you have cleaned and reorganized your cabinets, clear everything from your counter tops. Spray with disinfectant and scrub dust, grease, and grime from them. Also, wash the walls between the upper cabinets and the lower cabinets.

This assignment may take you several days. That is okay! Tomorrow we will continue in our task of cleaning our kitchens. It will feel invigorating when it is complete!

In your prayer journal this week, ask God to help you work with willing hands.

 

 

The Basic Pantry

Photo Credit: Handyman Matters

Cooking is made much easier if you have the right ingredients and tools on hand when you need them. That is why keeping a well stocked pantry is so important if you are going to feed your family well. When I come across a recipe that calls for an ingredient that I do not have, I immediately put it on my shopping list. I keep my on going shopping list under a magnet on the refrigerator. If I like the recipe, I make a mental note to keep that item in stock and let my husband know when he should purchase some more – before I actually run out. Mykal does all of the grocery shopping since he is so good at spending the least amount for the most stuff. I truly enjoy cooking for my family, and the experience is made even better because I don’t have to wonder if I have enough sage to make dressing or enough flour to make biscuits. So if you find yourself deciding what not to cook for dinner when you open your pantry doors….

Herbs and Spices
- Salt: I prefer Sea Salt since it has many minerals that iodized salt does not have. We buy ours at our local bulk food store, but I believe you can find it most anywhere.
- Pepper
- Nutmeg: You can puchase it already ground or you can buy whole nutmeg and grate it yourself for a fresher taste.
- Cinnamon: You will mainly use ground cinnamon, but you may occasionally wish to have whole cinnamon sticks.
- Ginger: You can purchase ginger already ground. Fresh ginger root can be grated for recipes and is also a wonderful medicinal herb.
- Garlic: Garlic is best when used fresh. You can keep garlic powder on hand for when you do not have a garlic bulb. A clove of garlic is on section of the whole bulb.To use, simply take one clove out of the bulb and place on cutting board. Use the flat side of a large chef’s knif and press firmly on the clove. This will loosen the peel which you can then remove. Once you have done this you can leave it whole or dice, mince or place into a garlic press. Garlic is also a very important healing herb for the immune system.
- Ground musturd: This is different from prepared yellow or dijon mustard that you put on hot dogs. Dry mustard is used in a variety of recipes.
- Bay Leaves: These are a flat green leaf that are usualy used whole in recipes. You can remove them before serving.
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
- Sweet basil: My husband’s favorite! You can find it ground or dried.
- Parsley: Dried parsley is good, but frsh is always better.
- Cumin: Used a lot in Mexican and Mediteranian cooking.
- Oregano

Stock Items
- All Purpose Flour
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Self Rising Flour: Self Rising Flour is great except that it has aluminum in it. Use it sparing or make your own.
- Sugar
- Confectioner’s Sugar: This white powdery sugar cannot not be used in place of refined sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Molasses
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder: Look for brands that do not contain aluminum.
- Cornstarch: Used for thickening sauces, soups, pies, etc.
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Nuts: Used in many different types of recipes. You will want to keep a variety of nuts on hand. I like: Walnuts, Black Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews, Peanuts, and Almonds.
- Cocoa Powder
- Unsweetened Chocolate Bars
- Bouillon Cubes and Powders: I keep Vegetable Bouillon, Vegetarian Chicken Seasoning and Vegetarian Beef Bouillon Powder as well as George Wasington Golden Broth Powders on hand.
- White Rice
- Wild and Long Grain Rice
- Pasta: All shapes and sizes of pasta noodles – stock up when they go on sale!
- Barley: Great for adding to vegetable soup.
- Vegetable Shortening: Great for making a variety of baked goods. I would not fry with it as another type of oil such as olive oil is healthier.
- Olive Oil: Use Light extra virgin cold pressed for general cooking, and a fruitier olive oil for recipes such as pasta or hummus.
- Vegetable oil
- Vegetable Oil Spray for greaseing muffin tins and such.
- Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: The health benefits of this vinegar go on and on. We like Bragg’s Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. Do not use distilled white vinegar in recipes as it is not intended for human consumption and it made for cleaning instead.
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Soy Sauce: Look for sauce that is made from real soy beans and not an imitation. You can use Liquid Amino Acids in place of Soy Sauce if you prefer. Amino Acids are very good for you. We buy Bragg’s Amino Acids.
- I also keep Sesame Oil and Rice vinegar for oriental dishes. But these are specialzed items.

In the Refrigerator
- Butter or margarine: Regular margarine or butter is best for baking. Light margarine is better for using as a spread.
- Eggs: If you do not want to use eggs you can purchase an Egg Replacer or make your own.
- Milk: We mainly use soy milk in our house. My favorite brand is Better Than Milk for cooking. It comes in powder form and you mix just as much as you need.You can find great soy or rice milks at your local grocery store. If you are going to use Cow’s Milk, try going for Organic. My favorite Organic brand is
Promised Land Dairy. You could even try goat’s milk.
- Cream: Even though we generally use soy milk, I do occassionally use a heavy cream for making certain dishes. Keeping some on hand is great for adding a little here or there to sauces and soups.
- Yellow Mustard
- Dijon Mustard
- Ketchup
- Mayonaise
- Bread
- Cheeses: Mild Cheddar, Jack, and a Parmesan Wedge (I like to grate my own. It tastes better.)
- Potatoes

If you keep these items on hand you should be able to most recipes. My pantry is located in the basement where we keep an assortment of all types of non-perishable foods as well as winter squash and root vegetables. I keep my herbs and spices in the kitchen and the items that I use regularly. When you have the items you need cooking can be an enjoyable part of your day.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner… these Red Velvet Heart Shape Cupcakes from The Way the Cookie Crumbles really do take the cake!

Date Honey

This recipe is found in The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola.

Date Honey

1 cup pitted dates

1 cup water

½ tsp cinnamon

Pour dates and water into a small saucepan, making sure dates are completely covered. (Add additional water if necessary.) Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 45 – 60 minutes or until dates are very soft and broken down. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly for about 15 minutes. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Sprinkle in cinnamon and stir well. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator.

Preserving the New Year

I will be busy canning this week! You can see what I have already canned this year on my sidebar. Preserving foods is one of my passions! I am going to see how many recipes I can come up with for all of this food chilling in the garage:

4 pounds of mushrooms

5 bushels (or more) kiwi

12 bushels apples

1 bushel oranges

1 bushel red, orange, green bell peppers

1 bushel beets

1/2 bushel turnips

1  bushel sweet potatoes

I think that’s everything… Should keep me real busy!

Have you canned anything this winter?

“Chicken” loaf (or Patties/Meatballs)

This is a great holiday loaf for all your vegetarian/vegan friends.  It is easy to make, and has a great presentation.  If you make it as patties, try them with tarter sauce.

1 bag Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chicken Strips, thawed and cubed.

1 16 oz. block firm tofu, drained and rinsed.

3 TBSP nutritional Yeast Flakes

1 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 ½ c. Special K cereal (or Rice Krispies)

1 c. Soda Cracker Crumbs (Whole Wheat ones work well too)

1 small onion or one bunch of green onions (all the white and about 2 inches of green)

2 tsp. Celery salt

1 tsp. Seasoned Salt

1 tsp. parsley

Rinse tofu, break into about 8 pieces and put into a food processor with the onion (unless you’re using green onion), Yeast Flakes, soy sauce and seasonings.  Puree.  Put diced chicken strips, (chopped green onion if applicable), Special K and cracker crumbs into a large mixing bowl, pour the tofu mixture over and stir until evenly mixed.  Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and spoon mixture in, smoothing the top so its slightly higher in the middle – shaped like a loaf of bread would be.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Allow to chill at least 2 hours, or even overnight.  Slice, lay on a oven safe platter and reheat for your meal, about 20 minuets.

If making patties, form the patties (2″ diameter, ½” thick) instead of putting the mixture into a loaf pan.  Place on a baking sheet coated with non stick cooking spray and bake for 20 minuets.  Serve immediately.

This dish goes well with mashed potatoes, Vegan Chicken Gravy and Savory Butternut Squash, and any other Thanksgiving Day items you enjoy.

Homemade Cheese Dog Treats

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, butter, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets. Add cornmeal, sugar,  milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg and combine well. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Mix in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2″ thickness. Cut with cookie cutter – bone shapes are fun – and place 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container. Your dogs are sure to love them!

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