boring, bland banana bread

I took this recipe from AllRecipes and ruined it. In the loaf on the left, I replaced the 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of honey, used whole wheat flour, and replaced the butter with applesauce. In the loaf on the right, I replace the 1 cup of sugar with a 1/2 cup of brown sugar, replace the butter with applesauce, and added 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. It baked too long. Honestly, other than the fact that it really wasn't sweet enough, it was pretty good. You could totally taste the honey in the first loaf. It was more moist, too. We topped it with a little butter and cinnamon sugar.

I found two small-ish fire ant mounds but I was, unfortunately, too late. We noticed nasty, pus-filled bumps on the wee one's wee feet yesterday. I boiled two giant pots of water tonight and made their mounds into ant soup.

I'm not going to apologize for mentioning pus and bread in the same post, so there.

bake on saturday

I'd LOVE to bake today. What shall I make? If only I weren't afraid to try bagels... I have this 7 Seed Crust blend I picked up at TJ Maxx and it would make a nice topping for everything bagels. The Wild Yeast blog is my baking wonderland. I read, and dream, of someday being able to bake more than a small, dense loaf of bread. I purchaed The Tassajara Bread Book and The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book a few months ago and realized I don't have the time to read, comprehend, and execute the information and recipes in these books, at this point in my life.

I did make today's activity baking.

Saturday - Yard

Mow lawn (we have a cute little push reel mower)
Spray weeds
Spray for bugs and check for fire ant hills

Big kid cleans out her craft cupboard

Family night (fun dinner, movie, games, relaxed bedtime)
Family meeting (based on format from Positive Discipline)

I will check the propane level in the grill and tidy the garage, as needed.

today's activity

I'm not doing so hot on the *me time* thing. I think I managed to read 4-5 paragraphs of The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Government before I was interrupted for the 10th time. I did accomplish my task of learning something. Did you know The Supreme Court can take as long as they want to return a decision as long as it's before they adjourn for summer recess? Fascinating!

:ho hum:

clean on friday

Well, shoot! That's what I've been doing all week. I wish I would have finished reading the list sooner and saved myself some work. Our place isn't big, but it is bigger than a little house in a big woods. I can't imagine leaving all the cleaning for one day.

Friday - Bathrooms

Wash towels
Replace Towels
Scrub tubs
Wash/Dry rugs
Surface clean

Unload dishwasher
Tidy pet's living space
Pick up laundry room
Organize my desk

I will move the washer and dryer to clean behind and dust the slatted doors to the AC unit as needed.

Today's activity is to read and educate myself. I'll try to avoid reading mindless fluff and focus on topics that interest me. Right now, US government and economics have my attention. Can't imagine why?

cross post

I'm always trying put my ducks in neat, tidy rows. Sometimes I focus on the blue ducks (I've always wanted to see a blue duck), sometimes I focus on the red ducks. Now I'm trying to just focus on the ducks regardless of their color.

I'm doing this by trying to accomplish general order in my life with a routine. I'm big into routines for the kids but never have been able to do them for myself. I take that back. See my duck analogy. I have been known to obsess about the gym OR what I eat OR sewing OR a particular craft OR photography OR you get the picture. I realize it may not be unusual but I'm tired of too many things getting ignored because I'm putting so much into one thing.

Those of you who know me and have ever been to my house may be surprised to know I have never had a cleaning schedule. I do a good job of cleaning when other people are coming over. Here, with no friends, my housekeeping has been pretty sorry. As a consequence, I think, most things about me have been pretty sorry. Which came first, the mess or my sense of self worth? Who knows?

Anyway, I made this pretty little set of business card sized daily chore lists. They fit nicely in the planner I picked up for 10 bucks at ross. I can place mark the weekly pages with the clear plastic business card holder and have my list handy.

Yes, I realize this is just as sick as what I think I'm curing.

I have felt more accomplished and busy so I guess that's good.

churn on thursday

Don't have a cow. Don't have a churn. Instead I'll clean the kitchen.
Thursday - Kitchen

Organize shelves
Wipe outside/inside of microwave
Move the appliances and clean under them
Clean front of stove
Unload dishwasher
Clean outside/inside dishwasher
Clean garbage disposal
Wipe down the trash can
Laundry

One the fourth Thursday of the month I will move the fridge and stove and clean underneath, replace the foil thing in the bottom of the oven, and use the oven self clean feature if it's needed.

A couple of notes, I am saving the inside of the fridge for Sunday because the garbage comes on Monday. No rotting food in the trash is a good thing. Thursday is garbage day, too, but I can't count on getting the fridge done before pick up. That's why I picked today to wipe the can down.

Today's *me activity* is photography. Preferably getting out and taking pictures rather than sitting at the computer fiddling with editing or scrapbooking.

today's activity

Today I was supposed to sew. I've been feeling bad for neglecting a project for a friend and I was going to do it, I swear. Then the wee one didn't nap. No nap meant plenty of whining this afternoon which lead to a very early bedtime for this burnt out Baroness. I was asleep by 9pm, much earlier than the midnight curfew I'd been keeping all week.

*this is being blogged on the 9th but I hate messy chronology.

mend on wednesday

Well, I did make today's *me activity* sewing. Does that count? I do have patches to sew on both the big kid's uniform and the Baron's uniform.

Wednesday - Living Space

Pick up
Dust
Vacuum
Mop
Wipe down dining room chairs

Unload dishwasher
Run errands (including grocery shopping)

On the third Wednesday of the month I will clean the baseboards, fans, and blinds as well as vacuum the furniture in the living spaces. Here, that includes the toy room, dining room, and living room.

today's activy

Today's activity didn't go as I'd hoped. I was going to make some Halloween inspired felt hairclips but spent my window of time sucking up copious amounts of dust. The AC quit working and I didn't notice until it was 80 in the house. I had enough ice built up in there to make virgin daiquiris for the whole neighborhood.

You see, dusting isn't my thing. I'm allergic (yeah, who isn't) and I hate the itchy skin, watery eyes, and stuffy nose I get whenever I dust. Of course, having a house full of dust isn't any better. In my defense, I dust the basics fairly regularly but the slats of the closet that conceals the air conditioning unit have never been a priority.

I did manage to get some frames I've had hanging on the wall for 2 months, only half filled with pictures, finished today. Yay.

iron on tuesday

i-r-o-n? iron? I could take a iron supplement. I could get fit and pump some iron. I do not iron clothes. I don't buy clothes that require an iron. I have nowhere to be and nobody to impress (wish I did) with clothes made from fine woven fabrics. Instead I'll focus on cleaning the kid's bedrooms and bathrooms.

Today's *me focus* will be to do a craft other than sewing and that doesn't require the computer.

Tuesday - Kid's Bedrooms

Pick up
Dust
Strip beds
Spray pillows & mattress
Gather laundry
Vacuum

Unload Dishwasher
Surface clean bathrooms
Write grocery list from menu plan and gather coupons

On the second Tuesday of the month I will rotate toys from bedrooms to toy room, dust ceiling fans, and clean windows.

Building on today being "Craft Day" - I'd like to come up with something we can do in the evenings that is crafty. Maybe not every week, but once a month. Go with a season or holiday theme. Perhaps next week we can make something ghoulish together. True family bonding.

today's activity

I made today the day I explore new recipes and foods. This is one of a few recipes I added to my menu plan for next week. I miss the hot food bar at Down To Earth in Pearl City. I'll try (again) to recreate this chewy tofu dish.

Korean BBQ Tofu

a note about my full life

In all seriousness, I'm trying this schedule thing with the hopes of working the kinks out of many areas of my life. I promise to try this new routine I've drawn up for ONE WEEK. I'm not promising any more than that. I may do this for weeks. I may do it for months. I'm only going to post the details the first week to give you an idea of how important and irreplaceable I am. Please be advised the sarcasm is heavy in that last statement.

wash on monday

Just Monday? Thank goodness for modern technology. I can see only being able to do wash once a week as a pioneer. Heating water, shaving soap, boiling the laundry, rubbing out the stains, scrubbing on the washboard, rinsing, and hanging to dry would be an all day chore. Fortunately (unfortunately?), for me, I can accomplish more on a Monday.

Here's my busy schedule. Boy, I'm so glad I don't have friends to tie up my day.

Monday - Master Bedroom

Pick up
Dust
Strip bed
Spray (Oust/Lysol) pillows and mattress
Gather laundry

Unload dishwasher
Start laundry
Vacuum (do stairs on my way up)
Switch/Fold/Put away laundry as needed
Enter coupons on my have/wish lists @ HCW
Menu plan (Wednesday - Tuesday*)

The first Monday of the month I will clean the mater bedroom walls, blinds, baseboards, and fans.

*Grocery store sales run Tuesday through Wednesday. I'll shop on Wednesday and this way I get out when the sales are fresh.

I'm also going to figure out a schedule for the things I love. I think Mondays will be my day to focus on new recipes since it's already menu planning day.

creating something out of nothing

I am going to have a busy schedule. How, you ask? I'm going to come up with a daily routine for myself. I piss away too much time online. I buy (read: get paid to take) too much stuff I don't NEED and have nowhere to put it. I don't play with my kids enough. I am inconsistent with my cleaning, organizing, and errands. More importantly than that, I don't give myself quality time. I steal minutes and hours to *escape* without accomplishing any of the things I want to do.

I want to read both for entertainment and to educate myself. I want to bake more bread. I want to cook new and interesting meals. I want to get outside and explore with my children. I want to take more photos. I want to get active as a family. I want to buy pretty fabrics and sew things for people. I want to be more creative with my hands. I want to play more games.

Maybe if I pretend to be busy and fulfilled it will become reality. Eh? Think it will work?