How are you my friends? It’s been awhile – work all of a sudden got really really busy and I haven’t blogged in ages. Hats off tto you working mamas, it is so freaking hard! I have been a stay at home mom ever since the girls were born, basically a decade. I had always stayed active, gardening, taking care of kids as my husband works very late hours, volunteering, working here and there as a stylist or decorator but working every single day and most weekend is a different ball game entirely! It was a huge adjustment for everyone, and I really hadn’t yet found a good balance before this COVID virus came and halted everything. Our oldest had had a postnasal drip beginning of March and of course both my husband and I picked it up. His seems to be a cold but mine progressed to bronchitis. Luckily I was able to get my meds and while I am still dead on the couch with a pounding headache, I am hopeful that this will be over soon. Cause I have ton of stuff to do at home and I want to get to it already!
- COOKING AND BAKING
I relied a lot of Trader Joe’s frozen foods while busy at work. I can’t wait to actually cook. I stocked up on vegetables and herbs and insane amount of garlic. Also, I ended up buying this book after seeing him cook on YouTube some of the recipes. They all looked delicious.
He talks about basic skill sets you need to have, I am a fairly competent cook but still haven’t successfully poached an egg, so I’ll find this useful I am sure. Ramsey covers cooking for crowds, cooking in advance, cooking for 2 and I really liked his pasta recipes. I alreadt made the butternut squash hummus with pita chips. It wasn’t bad, I used a lot more lemon and seasonings but the family liked, suprisingly even the girls. Got to warn you though that all his measurements are in metric, I ended up buying this measuring cup to help me along.
My other favorite cookbook is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat – I guarantee this will make you a better cook. She discusses how to build flavor, how to put recipes together and what is absolutely essential for correct techniques. Great gift idea also.
2. GARDENING
I know its only March but there is a ton you can do right now. I had hoped to use the quiet dormant months of January and February to plan out my garden but alas the best laid plans. I have sworn to stop lollipop gardening – buying one pretty plant because I couldn’t resist and popping it down somewhere. You must, repeat after me, always buy in 3s and then stagger them in your beds. Ideally you’d also use no more than 3 colors per bed for continuity.
Here are the March garden chores by Wilton Garden Club’s president Nancy Greeley:
– Cut back dead foliage from perennials (if not already done the prior fall).
– Cut back evergreen or otherwise-persistent perennial foliage. Leaves of European ginger (Asarum europaeum), Helleborus, and Epimedium, for instance, will soon be replaced with a fresh flush. Yes, the plant will do just fine even if you leave it on, but many with early blooms will look better without all the nasty old foliage.
– Prune bushes — roses, hydrangeas, boxwoods, hollies, etc.
– Clear out fallen branches from garden beds.
– Rake debris carefully off beds that hold earliest bloomers first, like where bulbs are trying to push up through leaves. – Cut down ornamental grasses right at the base. Mice and other garden undesirables find them to be a cozy nest, so get rid of them.
-Empty bird houses and wear gloves while at it.
– Put up peony hoops.
– Order bulk mulch and begin to mulch gardens. – Repair fencing and raised beds.
– Sharpen tools.
3. ORGANIZING
I can probably pack away the ski clothes and heavier coats. And maybe see what fun things are hiding in the back of my pantry, read expiration dates etc. Go through the medicine cabinet and toss all random vitamins I have acquired and not used.
Here’s couple of posts on organizing, hope you find these helpful.
Go forth and be productive!
x
-haiku
