AT Fall Cure: Days 9 & 10

Day 9: Find a New Recipe and Cook Tonight

UPDATE: My husband hated this soup. He asked me for permission to toss it after a couple of days of taking it to work. I let him: and then I tossed the book the recipe came from!

I cook every night. Nonetheless, I found this new recipe to try:

Autumn Celebration Soup
from Canada's Best Slow Cooker Recipes, by Donna-Marie Pye.

1 lb (500g) rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1" (2.5cm) cubes (about 4 cups or 1 L)
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
1/2 ( 125 ml) cup dry white wine
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 tablespoons (25 ml) brown sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) caraway seeds
1 tablespoon( 15 ml) paprika
2 cups (500 ml) milk or light (5%) cream
Sour Cream
Crisp Bacon bits

1. In a slow cooker, combine rutabaga, onion, potato, carrots, stock, wine, water, sugar, caraway seeds, and paprika. Cover and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 6 to 8 hours, until vegetables are tender.

2. Strain the vegetables, reserving stock. In a blender or food processor, puree vegetables in batches. Transfer back to slow cooker; add reserved stock and milk, Heat on Low for 25 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

3. Spoon soup into bowls and garnish with dollops of sour cream and a sprinkle of bacon bits.

I will skip Step. 2. (and likely Step 3!) This soup will be put in the fridge and kept all week for my husband to take to work for lunch.

(One of the disadvantages of frozen home made soup stock: takes a while to thaw, even after microwaving it).


Day 10: Make a List of Top Six Home Needs.

I already have a list.

It goes like this:

Daughter's Room:

• Hang curtains
• Sand ceiling
• Find solution for “hole” for Chandelier
• Shorten chandelier
• Buy inserts for organizing desk
• Paint ceiling
• Paint shelves in alcove
• Framing Horse Picture project
  

Laundry Room:

• Paint paneling wall
• Paint small dresser
• Re-hang drying cord
• Re-configure donation station table to hold four laundry baskets.

Upstairs Bathroom:

• build new shelves
• Paint new shelves
• Hang new shelves
• Add decorative bits to new mirror
• Install mirror.

Kitchen:

• Paint upper cabinet frames
• Paint upper cabinet doors
• Wash walls
• Paint walls
• Paint pine shelving?

Back Entry:

• Re-paint boards yellow
• Mount hooks on boards
• Mount boards to wall
• Paint walls and "ceiling."

Basement Storage Area:

• Hang new curtain line (attach to old, somehow?)
• Re-hang curtains

Or does Maxwell mean we ought to make a list of the repairs and structural sort of things we need to do? In which case, there is this list of six things:

1. Replace floor tiles in Kitchen
2. Replace flooring in upstairs bathroom
3. Re-wire house
4. Repair cracks in foundation
5. Insulate walls in Basement
6. Install exhaust fan for stove

Or as he did in the video, does Maxwell mean an off-the-top of your head "Today, this sounds good list?"


1. Purchase and install new bath tub surround.

I have long wanted simple, classic 4x4 black and white tiles here. (All white, with a horizontal strip of black.) Inexpensive and not that difficult to do, assuming the wall is sound.

But, it is never going to happen. It would have to be a DIY to fit within our budget: and given this is our only tub and shower--I can't see it being out of commission for the week (or more) I would need to get it done. I don't know. Maybe I'm just too exhausted by the whole idea.

I'm wondering if hubby and I can give each other a new tub surround (in white) installed for Christmas? Imagine, picking something out in a store: and then having someone else do the work. Wow. What a concept.

2. Spot clean or purchase new living room carpet.
My son is eating in there without permission and when we leave the dog alone, he leaves us "presents." Enough said.

3. Build a headboard for the Master bedroom
This has been on my Cure list for some time!

4. Hang the Photo from Montreal in Living Room

5. Do I really have to come up with something else just to prove a point?

6. Well, I'll consider the point proven. We have lots to do. Anyone who is remotely interested in their space can think of things to do. This cure is not for the likes of me, I think. The Eight step cure has room enough: but not this one. Oh well. I'm getting lots done, aren't I?

AT Fall Cure: Days 7 & 8. The Halloween Edition

Day 7: Buy Flowers and sit for 10 minutes

The flowers we bought a few days ago are doing really well!


I didn't sit. I really don't have time. I have to prepare for school next week--last week I timed it and discovered it take 3 1/2 hours--when I have stuff prepared--and I'm not prepared this week. Additionally, I have th Big Shop this Tuesday: so I have to do my pantry inventory and big shop for the month. Last month I timed how long that took: four hours. So, the only place I'm sitting is behind the eight ball.

Day 8: Establish a Landing Strip

I was looking through some old pictures from past cures and I found this one from of my Front Hallway.



It looks like this today:



Fresher, I think, and cheerier, menacing spider notwithstanding. More in keeping with the colourful fresh vibe I want to live in.

The back door is also a busy place: at Aby's suggestion, I hung up a pocket organizer. It's supposed to go inside a closet, I think, and hold socks and shoes and what not, but it is perfect in this narrow space for dog leashes and toys, gardening implements and gloves, sunglasses and things. I just painted the strip: obviously, that blue clashes with the pocket organizer and I need to re-do it. It's a quick job, really, but not one I expect to get to for a long time, yet.



Because I already have landing strips, I washed the walls and vacuumed the floors. Good to get it done. That's all I'll say about that.

AT Fall Cure Days 5&6

Day 5: Buy or replace Eco-Cleaner.

All our detergents are phosphate free. I stear clear of anti-bacterial soap and everything except the toilet bowl cleaner is "environmentally friendly."

I recently started using micro-fibre cloths for window and mirror cleaning --they're wonderful!


Day 6: Floor and Surface Clean One Room

I had intended to do my bedroom. And, in fact, I may still do it tomorrow as it needs a thorough dusting and vacuum.

But, I went down to the basement to declutter and wash my pantry shelves--and wound up doing a surface clean of the entire laundry room --including folding laundry and taking it to the places it belongs. (I even put away some of it!)

Remember how it looked a few days ago?


I've been plugging steadily away at it.

And here is it as of tonight:

(sigh. A basement is still a basement.) I like Leena's suggestion of going with painting that back wall white, as indeed, the contents of the room are visually chaotic enough. I was also reminded tonight of an idea I once had to paint the rafters white too--since, if you look closely, it seems someone already started.

Unfortunately, my camera is acting up dreadfully. I don't have all my before shots--nor all my afters, neither. I do have a little from today though, just to give you a taste.

This is taken from standing at the washer and dryer--looking back at the stairs.
We keep recyclables here as well as items for the bottle depot.


We have a nice donation of old towels for the animal shelter all bagged up and ready to go!




And here is the pantry. It's is directly in front of me when I fold the laundry. It's quite soothing, all spiffed up!


(We've had that cubby unit since I was 14--at that time it held record albums. It is shaped like a ziggeraut with the cubes painted to accentuate that. I love it. I merely added some inexpensive "closet organizers" to the mix and now it looks vaguely like a well stocked tansu.)

AT Fall Cure: Days 3 & 4

Day 3: Find 6-10 Inspirational Photos for your Home.

Yes, sir!

I love this part of the cure. Though, I must say it is a wee bit disappointing to have the "style tray" concept reduced to a mere collection of pictures. The style tray was intended to capture more than just stylized photos of interiors--but everything and anything inspiring for your home: things you could touch and stroke: stones, pieces of wood, luxurious fabrics, textures like cork, or glass and colour--from paint chips or fall leaves

That said, I've always used pictures. I have an enormous folder where I collect images whenever I'm browsing the web. Once again, if anyone can help me out with credit, I'd welcome it.

Here's what appeals to me today:



I love this: but I'm absolutely and completely intimidated by it.

This is Lynn Von Kersting. Cote de Texas (where I found this image) calls her the "Queen of Clutter"-- and yet this is incredibly sophisticated and balanced. It feels like if there was just one more thing--the room might explode. Check out the link above, if you're interested. She does amazing work and it isn't easy to find, apparently.

This image is somewhat similiar, really. I hadn't realised it until I saw them next to each other. This is a pared down version, obviously, but I love the mix of fabrics.



How do I go from the above to the below? I'm not sure, except I love the yellow and turquoise together. I used this as inspiration for my kitchen painting project which I realize I haven't revealed yet. The table runner I want to use for the photo is in the laundry.


(image from the House of Turquoise)

I'm not sure where I found the image below: but it contains my absolute favourite colour: orange. Mixed with green, the colour combination is one of my favourites. I fell in love with it a few years ago and only recently decided to embrace it.

I read once that one of the things which can unify a home is to repeat the same colour--one colour--but whatever shades and tints you like--in every room. Once upon a time that colour was green. I'm slowly turning over that colour role to orange.

And this image is just pure romanticism.


PS: this collection acuurately captures my schizophrenia when it comes to interiors, I think. In truth, my style can be summed up thusly: Ikea meets Value village meets the second hand bookstore.

Day 4: Remove One Item and Set Up the Outbox.

My outbox is permanently set up: and I removed two, count 'em, two things from my home last week (not counting the clothing donation.) Still, my "outbox" --otherwise known as my "donation station"-- is falling over itself. So I can certainly gather a few things together for dropping off.



All cleared out: (well, mostly.)



I want to change this set up--as convenient as it is, I need a place for our clothing baskets (or, I think I do.) I like the way they're arranged here:

(from BH&G)

I am flirting with the idea of setting up something similar where I currently have the donation station. It sure would be handy.

AT Fall Cure: Days 1 & 2

Yep.

I know the website is on Day 9, today, but I only found out about the Fall Cure a few days ago. The format has been changed: from eight week to four. I don't know if I will enjoy this home cure as much as I have done others in the past. I'm combining it with the kitchn cure, too. I don't know why I think I have to keep myself so busy with these sorts of projects. But I do enjoy them. (And I'd just do something else, anyway. This way, I get to share.)


Day 1: Floor and Surface Clean One Room.

Not terribly exciting, this one, agreed, but essential. I decided to do my dining room office.



Because I am also taking Time Management at Simplify 101, I decided to see just how long everything really took.

Dusting, with a feather duster: 5 minutes
Picking everything up off the floor, putting it away, sweeping the floor and clearing the surfaces: (table and desk): 15 minutes
Mopping the floor: 6 minutes

I didn't time actually washing down the table, or cleaning the computer screen. I didn't time taking a scraper to the tougher bits on the floor (I think someone ground in red licorice. At least I think that's what it is.)

Ta Da!



All in all, I am pleased to know that in about 1/2 hour I can clean the room so that it is quite presentable. The shelves above the desk need a serious de-clutter and clean, though.

Day 2: Buy Fresh Flowers

I cheated and had hubby pick some up for me on his way home yesterday. I asked for "nothing dyed" and this is what they had. I put out one stem in a vase at my desk.



It makes me smile.