Spring Forward – Excited about More Daylight

After a long, depressing, freezing cold winter, I am excited, anticipating, anxious and thrilled about more daylight. I Can’t wait to hear the birds to start coming out and chirp, when the sun comes out early in the morning and sets after 9pm, the beautiful flowers start blooming, the trees become green once again, the warmth in the air, the beautiful colours of spring and summer. With Spring just around the corner, I feel so good with that transition from a long harsh winter. I love to wear lighter colour clothing, and just enjoying the beauty of this season and more. Just to enjoy life, stopping to smell the roses, and just enjoy the beauty of a vibrant season.

I want to take up walking and go to the malls a lot more, visiting friends and family a lot more, being outdoors all day, finding activities to do, probably go camping and enjoying nature.

I have many plans for the spring and summer months. I have already ironed out some of the places I want to go as well as of course hanging out with my family, friends and just going out and getting fresh air that we really do need. We are so cooped up indoors from all the freezing weather, and snow we endured since Beginning of November and now that we are approaching half way into March, I am excited to be opening up windows, and breathing outdoor air. It feels incredible. I do not plan to stay home and try to go out and do a lot of things.

I absolutely love giving water to the flowers, washing the cars from all the snow, salt and winter debris that is left on it, as well as washing down all the salt left on the car mats and so much more. I am jumping for joy. I have never liked winter and I never will. That is how excited I am.

What do you like about transitioning to spring and warmer temperatures? Have you planned your days yet? What do you enjoy most about it all?

Bring on the daylight savings time and lets spring forward shall we?

***Remember to turn your clocks forward 1 hour March 8, 2015 at 2am in the morning, so before you go to sleep to change the clocks***

 

Have a wonderful season and best wishes.

Kitchen & Time Saving Tips for The Upcoming Holiday’s

It is that time again and it is quickly approaching where we are just a few weeks away from Christmas and New Year holidays, and a lot of people get so frustrated, and are confused with what to cook, what to do to save time in Kitchen and so much more. The Holidays are about spending time with your loved ones, making memories and cherishing precious and personal moments with them and to spend less time in the kitchen, which is why I have these tips and tricks to help you in that department. Well, without further a do, here they are:

— 1 or 2 weeks before your big dinner night with your loved ones, decide on the menu and what you will cook and serve as snacks, as dinner and dessert. We know how hectic it can be to make several types of dishes, but simplicity is key. Do not overload your table with so many options of foods. Limit the amount.

— a week before the big event, do all your grocery shopping. Do not wait until last-minute as that time is to start preparing the day or 2 before, but if they are foods that will need to be prepared on the day of, make sure you start early in preparations.

— If you have more than 10-20 people or more or less, it is a good idea to buy Christmas Holiday style disposable cutlery and plates to set the table or set them to the side like a buffet table along with of course napkins, disposable cups and glasses for juice, soft drinks, wine, beer, alcoholic beverages, so that no washing dishes are involved. Keep the garbage bags on standby where you can get a reach of it quickly. (The only washing of dishes would be servers, and plates, pans that have the food that is cooked from it.

— Before your loved ones arrive, set all the desserts to the side where it will be quick to bring out.

— Do not spend half your time in the kitchen. Besides your loved ones came to get together and spend time together, to see each others faces. Preparation in advance is so important to do. Do not be afraid to ask for help, and delegate tasks for the whole family to do before others start coming over.

— Of course the house should be clean and tidy, use a rug at the front of the door to put people s shoes and organize them so that shoes will not be everywhere. make room in your closet for people’s coats. So take all the coats out that you and your family who live there and take them and put them in another room. If you have enough space for all jackets in your closet, then its all good.

— Before the meal, when people start knocking on your door and come in, have vegetable trays and chips bowls on the table or whatever snacks you will serve, but not over indulge in the snacks so that you have room for the main dinner. Then after the dinner is done, put out the snacks and dessert table. again limit the desserts as well.

— In the kitchen when you are about to start cooking, take out all cooking equipment out and once you use something and will not need it anymore, simply wash them, dry them and put them away, so that you have less dishes to wash later.

— when your loved ones are over, make sure everything is ready, then all you do is just bring them over to the table which won’t take more than 5 minutes, keep the food warm on the oven, until it is time to serve. After serving your food, and after eating, clear the table and of course throw out the disposable plates, cutlery and cups and glasses, then just give the table a quick wipe. Then quickly convert it to the dessert table where everything is self-serve. Also use disposable dessert plates and cutlery as well.

— Leave the washing of the big dishes until later so that you can enjoy your loved ones to the fullest and if people want to volunteer to help you clean and wash, allow them and it will be fun as well-doing things together. just not all on you.

— make the coffee, espresso and put the water into the coffee maker, in advance. after dinner, just press the button and the coffee will start to brew. Also make those disposable cups. Remember less washing the better it is for you.

— decide on decorations on table, centerpieces and theme. I have read that people dress up in Christmas sweaters, and same colours, sometimes people just come in anything.

— This is super important if your loved ones have a little too much to drink, do not allow them to drive a vehicle and make sure they stay over, until they are sober to drive again. Do not drink and drive and enjoy the holidays responsibly. You can save your life, your loved ones lives and others lives who share the road with you. When you know there is alcohol involved and you know that your loved ones will drink, ask to collect everyone’s car keys and place them in a basket and put the basket in another room and keep the door locked and when people leave just bring the basket out and let people grab their keys only if they have not drunk. or if they had one drink or something that still gives them the capability to drive.

— When nature calls, some of your loved ones will want to use the washroom. It is a good idea to have paper towels on standby so that your towels won’t be soaking wet when another person decides to dry their hangs, and a couple of rolls of toilet paper on the side, and extra hand washing soap if need be.

That is all for now, but if there is any particular questions you need to ask, do not hesitate to comment or personally e-mail me. You can find my e-mail on my contact me site which is located on top of the page. Thank you and have a great, safe, happy Christmas and Holiday season!

 

Have A Clean Kitchen While Cooking and Baking – Here is How

Do you ever wonder why it takes a long time to clean up after doing your cooking, baking and spending so much time after all that is done to clean, wipe mess, washing so many dishes and having to deal with a big mess after dealing with scrap of food left on the counter-tops, in the sink, or dropped on the floor? Are you looking for efficient ways to spend more time with your loved ones and less time in the kitchen preparing, cleaning, washing dishes and all that jazz?

Here are some tips and tricks to keep you organized in the kitchen and having a spic and span kitchen:

– When you know what you are cooking or baking, take out all the ingredients and food that you will use all in one section.

– Take out cutlery, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, cutting boards, pots and pans and have them ready.

– Foods, Veggies, Fruits, or other things that must be washed thoroughly and very well, wash them first before you turn on the oven or anything. before you wash them take out stems, and ends on fruits, veggies, and then throw all the scrap in the garbage before starting anything else, then if you see your counter-top dirty or cutting board. Give it a rinse and wipe down the surfaces while doing so. have a clean cloth.

– Wash whatever utensils, cutting board before you start to cook, so that you know not to worry about washing so many dishes at the end.

– When dealing with meats, have a separate cutting board or bowls to marinate your meats or however you want to cook it. Always a good idea to mix all your ingredients in a separate bowl then incorporate it with the meats so it will have an even flavour, then after you wash the bowl you mixed the ingredients with so that again less time washing later.

– Set up your table while the pan, pot is getting warm and hot and then that is where you start to cook. Now each time you put your food in the pan or pot or whatever, again wash the bowls that you put your food in and then all you need to do is just focus on cooking, then having to wash so many dishes before people come over, and having to clean up a huge mess in the kitchen. Have clean cloths ready and toss the other dirty cloths in the laundry hamper.

– When baking, it’s always a good idea to store your flour in a safe place so that you can just take it out, take the amount of flour needed then putting it back before you start any baking or anything. For safety reasons and for spill prevention all around. The sugar or baking powder that you use too. put everything back after using instantly.

– Now you want to give your guests your undivided attention and you want to spend as much time with them as possible right? So when you know they are coming over, always prepare things before hand and have things organized because if you start cooking, and everything when they are over, you will spend so much time in the kitchen and less time with your guests, family, friends or whoever comes over, so you want to prevent that and get organized with everything.

– It is a good idea to clean and wash left over dishes left from cooking or baking, then put them away and out of your sight so that all you need to wash are people’s plates, utensils and the cooking pans, pots which then shouldn’t take so long to do and when people ask would you like some help, include them into your cleaning process. gets done quicker and more time to relax later on.

Nowadays time is very precious and a lot of us deal with work, school, kids, family, friends, and this world has become so fast paced with everything like technology and its changed so much and we barely have time with our loved ones and the people who matter to us the most, and we want to do everything we can to make time and to save 10 minutes there, 5 minutes there, half an hour, so that is why I have come up with a method of cooking, cleaning in the kitchen so that you do not have to do it later and spend hours cleaning your house where you can spend hours with your family. I know with kids, pets or both can be a struggle to clean the house, but then again you gain more time with your family which is so important.

More tips, recipes and other things to come. Stay tuned.

Have A Clean Kitchen While Cooking and Baking – Here is How

Do you ever wonder why it takes a long time to clean up after doing your cooking, baking and spending so much time after all that is done to clean, wipe mess, washing so many dishes and having to deal with a big mess after dealing with scrap of food left on the counter-tops, in the sink, or dropped on the floor? Are you looking for efficient ways to spend more time with your loved ones and less time in the kitchen preparing, cleaning, washing dishes and all that jazz?

Here are some tips and tricks to keep you organized in the kitchen and having a spic and span kitchen:

– When you know what you are cooking or baking, take out all the ingredients and food that you will use all in one section.

– Take out cutlery, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, cutting boards, pots and pans and have them ready.

– Foods, Veggies, Fruits, or other things that must be washed thoroughly and very well, wash them first before you turn on the oven or anything. before you wash them take out stems, and ends on fruits, veggies, and then throw all the scrap in the garbage before starting anything else, then if you see your counter-top dirty or cutting board. Give it a rinse and wipe down the surfaces while doing so. have a clean cloth.

– Wash whatever utensils, cutting board before you start to cook, so that you know not to worry about washing so many dishes at the end.

– When dealing with meats, have a separate cutting board or bowls to marinate your meats or however you want to cook it. Always a good idea to mix all your ingredients in a separate bowl then incorporate it with the meats so it will have an even flavour, then after you wash the bowl you mixed the ingredients with so that again less time washing later.

– Set up your table while the pan, pot is getting warm and hot and then that is where you start to cook. Now each time you put your food in the pan or pot or whatever, again wash the bowls that you put your food in and then all you need to do is just focus on cooking, then having to wash so many dishes before people come over, and having to clean up a huge mess in the kitchen. Have clean cloths ready and toss the other dirty cloths in the laundry hamper.

– When baking, it’s always a good idea to store your flour in a safe place so that you can just take it out, take the amount of flour needed then putting it back before you start any baking or anything. For safety reasons and for spill prevention all around. The sugar or baking powder that you use too. put everything back after using instantly.

– Now you want to give your guests your undivided attention and you want to spend as much time with them as possible right? So when you know they are coming over, always prepare things before hand and have things organized because if you start cooking, and everything when they are over, you will spend so much time in the kitchen and less time with your guests, family, friends or whoever comes over, so you want to prevent that and get organized with everything.

– It is a good idea to clean and wash left over dishes left from cooking or baking, then put them away and out of your sight so that all you need to wash are people’s plates, utensils and the cooking pans, pots which then shouldn’t take so long to do and when people ask would you like some help, include them into your cleaning process. gets done quicker and more time to relax later on.

Nowadays time is very precious and a lot of us deal with work, school, kids, family, friends, and this world has become so fast paced with everything like technology and its changed so much and we barely have time with our loved ones and the people who matter to us the most, and we want to do everything we can to make time and to save 10 minutes there, 5 minutes there, half an hour, so that is why I have come up with a method of cooking, cleaning in the kitchen so that you do not have to do it later and spend hours cleaning your house where you can spend hours with your family. I know with kids, pets or both can be a struggle to clean the house, but then again you gain more time with your family which is so important.

More tips, recipes and other things to come. Stay tuned.