Family Gathering

Hey guys,

Summer is here, and what a nicer way to spend it than family quality time, I guess we're a lucky family where everyone can get along easily with each other, unlike other families where they have to put an extra effort to get along.

We have a lot in common, the youngster play together, the elderly talk to one another and a lot happens in between.

So my Mom and Dad hosted a family gathering at their home, and it was fabulous, I would love to share some of those moments that were captured with you.

I hope you'll enjoy them, and please don't forget to leave me a comment about your favorite family gathering game!!

Home made Oat Milk

Hey guys,

I needed to find a cheaper alternative to dairy so I tried oat milk. It is so cheap, fast, and easy to make. Three things everyone loves! I also love that there are no emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers or other additives in homemade milk. It’s not going to replace the calcium and protein in cow’s milk so I make sure to keep our diet high in yogurt, cheese, poultry and leafy greens.

You'll find a printable recipe of my Homemade Oat Milk .

Ingredients:

 

• 1 cup oats
• 3 cups filtered water
• 1.5-2 tbsp. honey (or pitted dates), to taste
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

You will also need a blender, a fine sieve, a large bowl, and measuring spoons/cup.

I haven’t tried this oat milk with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag yet, but if anyone does please leave a
comment and let me know how it goes.
 

Instruction:

·          Rinse and drain 1 cup of steel-cut oats. Place oats into a bowl and cover with water. Soak for around 20 minutes. You can soak longer (even overnight) if desired.

·          After soaking, rinse and drain the oats very well. This step is very important because you want to rinse off any of the oat slime that has occurred from soaking.

·          Scoop oats into your blender and add 3 cups water. I prefer using 3 cups of water as opposed to 4 cups because it yields a creamier/thicker milk. Just know the more water you add the thinner your milk will be.

·          Cover with lid and turn the blender on a low speed, increasing the speed gradually, and blend at the highest speed for about 8-10 seconds only.

·          Place a fine sieve over a large bowl and pour the oat milk very slowly into the sieve. You might have to do this in a couple batches depending on the size of your sieve.

·          With a spoon, gently push down on the oat pulp so the milk flows through. This helps push the milk into the bowl, leaving the oat pulp behind in the sieve.

·          Clean out your blender and sieve with a good rinse of water until no pulp residue remains.

·           Place sieve over top of your blender and pour the milk in once again and strain.

·          Add in 1.5 tbsp Honey, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon.

·          Then  pour the milk from the blender into a clean mason jar for storage in the fridge.

·          Notes: This should last in the fridge in a sealed container/jar for 4-5 days. Use it in smoothies, oatmeal, cereal, baking, or drink it straight. If you want to use it in a savoury recipe, you can omit the sweetener, vanilla, and cinnamon.

·          Note:  Homemade milk does separate (remember there are no added emulsifiers!), so be sure to give your milk a very good shake (or stir) before using. I just don’t want you to be alarmed when you see the heavier ingredients sitting at the bottom of the jar.

What can you do with the leftover oat pulp?

I suggest saving it and mixing it into smoothies. Use it in Oatmeal cookies. If you have a dehydrator, I assume you could also dehydrate the pulp and then pulverize it in a blender to make flour.

If anyone has any other ideas, leave them below.
Ups:

• Very low cost.
• Nut-free so good for those with allergies
• Quick to make
• You don’t need a nut milk bag or cheesecloth
• Clean up was easy.
• Decent, but not mind-blowing flavor

Downs:

Not as creamy compared to homemade almond milk

Slightly watery (although this is improved when using 3 cups water instead of 4)

 

Grocery and inventory Tracking

Hey guys,

Keeping track of what you have in your kitchen is key to saving money when grocery shopping and meal planning.

I've been cooking in my own kitchen for quite sometime, since 2005 when I was living alone in collage, while I don’t consider myself old, thank you very much, I guess I’ve spent a good amount of time in the kitchen.

Even before I moved away from home, the kitchen was one of my favorite places. Whether I was baking with my grandmother or helping my mom prep dinner for our large family, the kitchen was my happy place. And over time, my freezer has become one of my most beloved possessions.

The Freezer:

The home freezer, that miraculous invention of the 1940s, it’s been a tool to help me save time, money, and to have a bit more peace of mind. Over the years my home freezer has served me well. Here’s why.

1. I save time.

Through freezer cooking, I can stash a variety of home cooked meals and meal components to enjoy at a later date. Currently I have batches of taco meat, bags of cooked chicken, and bags of marinated chicken. These will make some great, quick meals in the month to come, saving me a ton of time, shopping and cooking.

2. I save money.

Buying and cooking in bulk can save me a bundle, in part thanks to lower per unit costs on bulk items, but also because we don’t eat out when we have meals ready to go. Freezer cooking helps our family eat well – at home — and spend less. In addition to my homemade meals, I use the freezer to help me stockpile good deals that I see, that might be a great sale on chicken breast. My freezer helps me load up on the items we know we’ll use but don’t want to pay full pop for later on when we have a craving for grilled chicken.

3. I have more peace of mind.

I do feel better when I know we’ve got food in the house. My freezer is my faithful friend in the kitchen. It helps me feed my family well on a budget and pinch hits on dinner whenever I need it to.

How to make it work?

Whether you have an itty-bitty fridge freezer or a large deep freeze, it doesn’t help you a whole lot if you don’t know what you have. Often we forget about something so long that we end up chucking it.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to keep a freezer inventory that works for me. It’s pretty simple and involves zero technology. Sure, there are a few apps out there that will help you keep a kitchen inventory, but I find the pen easier than the keypad.

All you need is a piece of paper, a pen, and a few minutes of your time.

1. List everything you have in the freezer.

Sometimes it helps to pull things out. Organize while you’re in there, stacking like with like, if you can.

2. Count how many you have of each item and tick ins and outs of the freezer. 

These ticks represent each individual item.You’re basically communicating to yourself and the other cooks in the household the identity and size of every inhabitant in your freezer. So you know what's left in your freezer stockpile.

3. Each time you take something out of the freezer, mark it.

Make sure to ask/insist that the other cooks do the same.

4. Consult your inventory.

Check in when you do your meal plan for the week and definitely before you go shopping.

 Check the free printable of the freezer inventory

The Pantry:

A pantry is a room where beverages, food, and sometimes dishes, household cleaning chemicals, linens, or provisions are stored.

What you need to start your pantry:

It's all up to you and your preference, although there are a few essentials for any pantry, I provided you with the common Pantry Foods and their shelf life, check them out.

Check the free printable categorized grocery shopping list.

Why Pantries are so important in every house?

Keeping extra food in the house is important to me for many reasons:

1. My family feels secure knowing there is always food in the house.
2. I can stock up on key ingredients when food is on sale. Real food on a budget.
3. I have plenty of food around to create last-minute meals, which cuts down on fast food runs. A weekly meal planning is preferable.
4. In case of emergency (natural disaster, illness, job loss, etc.) we would have food on hand.
5. I hardly ever have to make a spur-of-the-moment store run, because I have plenty of food on hand and I can make substitutions to use what I have.

Check the free printable of the pantry inventory.

The Fridge:

To refrigerate or not to refrigerate, that is the question.

Okay, so maybe Hamlet didn't say those exact words, but it's certainly a topic many have pondered.

The FDA recommends refrigerating or freezing perishable foods right away. Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and certain kinds of produce should never be kept at room temperature for more than two hours, or not more than one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. But what about other foods?

Eggs - Yes: You should always refrigerate eggs to prevent the risk of infection from salmonella bacteria.

Butter - Optional : It's recommended to refrigerate butter, and freezing butter if you're not going to use it within one to two days. But many people keep butter in a covered dish outside the fridge. Since it's made from pasteurized milk, it's less likely to grow bacteria.

Tomatoes - No: If tomatoes are kept in the fridge, they lose their flavor. That's because the cold air stops them from ripening and breaks down their cell membranes, giving the fruit that characteristic mealy taste.

Cheese - Yes: Some kinds of cheese, especially soft cheeses such as brie or ricotta, should always be refrigerated. Others, such as pasteurized or aged cheeses like Parmesan, may not need to be refrigerated (but consult package instructions).

The shelf life of refrigerated and freezed of other foods will be found in this list.

Check the free printable of the fridge inventory.


I hope you liked this post. Please give me feedback and share with me your tips on inventory tracking.
 

Office Cleaning

Hey guys,

A clean office makes for a clear head, but who has time to organize with your workload? Setting up systems and sticking to them allows you to work smarter while you work harder. It also gives the impression that you're on top of things. Who wants to leave them standing there while you shuffle through mounds of paperwork to find the one file folder they need?

Here are my five steps to organize your office.

1. Make a Plan.

As with any large project, making a plan is essential to achieving success when it comes to office cleaning. For best results, business men and women should start by identifying what items need to be cleaned, how often they should be cleaned, and where everything should go?

Try to write it down so you don't forget, or at least have headnotes just in case the ideas got lost in your head.


2.  Declutter and separate.

• Get Rid of Old Papers.

        Chances are many of those papers piled high on your desk aren’t of any value to you. As you begin to sort through your stack of papers, begin asking yourself: Do I need this? Why? Where will I look for it when I need it? Then, create a filing system that best fits your needs, and make a point to file future printouts as they are created to keep the problem from reoccurring.

• Separate Business and Pleasure

 Regardless of where you do the bulk of your work, it’s important to keep distractions at bay. Keep a home office free of distraction by having a designated mail location away from your office space, and encouraging family members to keep the area free of toys, tech gadgets, and anything else that might invite lost time and inefficiency to sneak into your day.

• Keep Supplies and Often-Used Items Separate

 Daily-use items that you’ll likely need throughout the course of a day, like your laptop, pens, planner, and Post-It Notes, all deserve a spot on your desk. Other items, such as tape, stapler, paper clips, and envelopes, should be neatly stored inside your desk. This keeps less-frequently-used items from taking up valuable desk real estate, but ensures that they are easily accessible.

• Organize Your Computer

 When your favorite desktop background starts getting obscured with icons, it’s time to de-clutter your virtual desktop. File away documents that you’ll need again, and send everything else off to the virtual recycle bin. Not only will you have a much more attractive looking desktop screen, but you will save countless hours searching for your important documents.

• Slow Down

 One of the biggest pitfalls to organization is finding the time. Invest the time to properly organize your space, so files, supplies, and other items are in an intuitive, easy-to-find place. Once you’ve established a system that works for you, stick to it! Spending a few seconds to return items to a designated spot will help you save lots of time in the long run.

3. Clean.

A clean office is vital to the running of a business. It improves productivity, because all items are organized and in their rightful place. It improves creativity and focus.

• Keep a closet or basket fully stocked with all of your office cleaning essentials (glass cleaner, dusting spray, microfiber wipes, rubbing alcohol, paper towels, etc).

• Give every item in your office a place and keep it there. If you have trouble remembering where things are, label the storage locations.

• Clean your office phone frequently by spraying cleaner onto a cloth and wiping that on your phone. Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol to wipe down the dial pad.

• Take out the trash frequently and vacuum frequently in areas that people eat. This will help keep the bugs at bay.

• Remember to clean behind your furniture as well. That strip of dust and dirt behind your desk betrays an otherwise clean and tidy office.

Please check this free printable office cleaning checklist to help you figure out what you want to clean.

4. Organize.

There are many ways and tools to help you organize you office space, here are a few that are essential and affordable:

Binders: If you have piles of papers everywhere, it's probably best to use binder organizers to keep papers from stacking everywhere.

Keyboard organizers:  If you don't have a convenient storage space at your disk this keyboard organizer will help you keep your desk clean and tidy.

Card organizers: If you're like me and have a ton of business cards laying around the office then you need a good card holder or go the extra mile and invest in a good rotary business card organizer.

Desk organizer: You need a place to sort your mail, pending documents, etc. 

Files organizer: Stash your files and bills in a cute file tote.

Drawer organizer: Use drawer trays to organize Utensils, Tools, Crafting supplies or Vanity stuff.

5. Keep it organized.

• File As You Go

One of the biggest office offenders is piles of paper -- on your desk, on your shelves, and eventually on your floor. It's easy to get busy and start stacking papers to file for later, but before you know it, you have a task that's too big to tackle. The key is to process papers as you go. Set up a system of trays or file folders that are clearly labeled and make it a habit to use them. The same goes for your computer desktop.

• Create two zones

Not all work is created equal. You should approach office organization with this two-zone perspective.

Zone 1: Computer work. This is your traditional desktop. You spend most of your time here, knocking stuff out and getting things done.

Zone 2: Non-computer work. This is where you go to do non-computer stuff. It could be the same desk, but simply another area that is cleared of monitors, cords, and chargers. This is where you go when you thumb through documents, use your iPad, sign papers, scan documents, or stamp envelopes.

• Reboot Your Office Every Evening.

No matter how clean you keep your workspace, it's going to get messy during the day. That's okay, that means you're working! It's when you keep it messy that things start to become a problem. To make sure this doesn't happen, clean off your desk every evening. All it takes is 5 or 10 minutes to straighten things up, and you'll come to a clean desk every morning, ready to work.

Finally I hope you found this post helpful, it took me a long time to write and search for links that might be helpful for you.

Tell me your favorite strategy to clean and organize your office, and don't forget to spread the word with your friends and family. Thanks.

Decluttering with Aseel

Hey guts,

I've started a new series on my blog to start decluttering and cleaning the house, the car and the office.

Maybe you may not think you have much to declutter, but you do. I do. I went into working on this post thinking that I didn't have much left to declutter -- but, boy was I wrong! Maybe you have SO much you don't know where to start. So, follow along and you'll soon discover the joy of decluttering -- just be careful because you could feel the exhilarating freedom of getting rid of stuff you really don't need!

The first step is to ask yourself 10 question about each item, it may take time, that's why at the end I'm going to give a schedule to declutter your entire house, so bare with me.

!0 questions to help you declutter

Once you are done with the questions, you move on to the challenge.

It's the (30 bags in 30 Days challenge)

You only need to follow along and your house will be decluttered completely in 30 days, how easy and simple.

When you're done you'll feel a relief like no other, and your house will look more spacious.

Please tell me if there are any special topics you want me to cover on this series down below. Thank you!

House Cleaning Checklists - Room by Room

Hey guys,


Are you tired as I am? House cleaning and organizing are struggles for anyone, not any more, I have decided to start an organizing series on my blog, where I share my tips, tricks, ideas, DIY and checklists to help you with your journey to a better organized and tidy house, Here I provide you with some lists for cleaning the house, to cut down the time you spend everyday cleaning the house. I hope you find them helpful.

Here are the links to download the checklists, room by room.

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

 

 

Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

 

 

Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

 

 

 

Living Room Cleaning Checklist

Entry way and Office Cleaning Checklist

 

 

 



Download your Free printable Checklist for all the rooms of the house

Enjoy, I hope you'll have a restful day.