December 28, 2006

Five reasons why it is okay to have routines

I have been called rigid and inflexible. I have been told I am not spontaneous. I often ask about the "plan" and am not always comfortable if there isn't one. I like to have a routine. And there's nothing wrong with that.

The results of a 50-year study published by the American Psychological Association's (APA) Journal of Family Psychology show that routines are important to the health and well-being of busy families.

"Routines involve instrumental communication conveying information that 'this is what needs to be done' and involve a momentary time commitment so that once the act is completed, there is little, if any, afterthought," says Dr. Fiese. I couldn't have said it better myself! Routines can include dinnertime, bedtime, chores and all the other nitty-gritty aspects of running a home.

For me, routines...
1. ...keep me from forgetting things. It's early, I'm sleepy and it's time to get ready for work. If I didn't have a morning routine, I would probably forget my deodorant on a regular basis.
2. ...make me more efficient. There are steps involved in each routine, which I have developed to get the job done quicker. That means I can move on to the next thing faster than if I approached the job haphazardly.
3. ...help me stay organized. The Bob may tease me about everything having a certain "home," but this is part of the routine. If my socks are all lined up by color, I don't waste 5 minutes a day looking for a pair that match.
4. ...make me feel competent. Working 40+ hours a week and trying to run a home isn't always easy. Routines at home help me feel like I'm doing as good a job with the "home ec" as I am with my paying gig.
5. ...are comforting. There is a certain comfort in routines. For example, I know that almost every day we are going to sit down to dinner together, spend time talking about our day, clean up the dinner dishes together and then settle down for the evening. It feels like nothing is spinning out of control, and that's a good thing.

Here's my disclaimer. Routines are just constructs, providing structure to our activities of daily living. If they start to take the place of people, they may have become obessions and it's probably time to rethink them.

My routines are important to me despite the occasional teasing I get. If you haven't developed your own routines, start with something simple – like your morning routine. Try thinking through the things that need done and do those things in the same way every day for a week. I think you'll find that you get a lot of satisfaction, and chances are, you won't forget your deodorant!

December 26, 2006

Christmas morning casserole – good for any weekend or holiday

The Bob requested his favorite breakfast for Christmas morning, and it was so easy to throw together the night before, I couldn't refuse. This is almost a standard recipe, but I vary the meat, the cheese and even the bread depending on what I have or what Bob asks for. I have made it with ham, his mom makes it with little sausage links. This time he wanted it with fresh sausage, so I was happy to oblige. After all, it's Christmas, right?


The night before:
1. Crumble and fry 1 lb bulk pork sausage. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, a few crushed red pepper flakes and a little dried rosemary. If you have sage, that would be good, too... I was out. Cool this completely.
2. In a big bowl or pitcher break 6 eggs and whisk together with 3 cups half-and-half, salt and pepper and a grating of nutmeg if you have it.
3. Spray a 3 qt. casserole with non-stick spray. Cut about 8 slices of bread (I used wheat) into 1" cubes. Take half the bread and spread in the bottom of the dish. Layer 1/2 the meat on the bread. Top that with about 6 oz. processed cheese (I used Velveeta) cut into chunks. Then pour about 1/2 your egg mixture over, making sure to soak the bread evenly. Make another layer of bread, meat and another 6 oz. of cheese, then pour the rest of the egg mixture over all. The dish will be pretty full. Cover this with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Melt a stick of butter.
2. For fresh breadcrumbs, take about 2 slices of bread and blitz them dry in a food processor. If you don't want to make your own, you can use unflavored, dried bread crumbs from the grocery. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the bread crumbs and drizzle the butter over all.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until the casserole is puffy and golden on top.

The Bob always wants a sweet bread to go alongside, so I make cinnamon rolls to go with this. It's very rich.

My big gift from The Bob this year was a new digital camera! So, the photo you see here is the casserole as it came out of the oven. I am excited to be able to share more real-life photos of how my recipes or crafts turn out!

Have fun with this recipe!

December 22, 2006

Silly-Simple Tuna Casserole

You may have big, elaborate meals planned for this holiday weekend, but save this recipe for sometime mid-January when you are over all that and looking for something easy for a weeknight meal. The Bob, lover of all things gooey-casseroley, highly approves of this stuff.

Here's what you need:
1 box mac 'n cheese (like Kraft) (and the milk & butter it calls for)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
2 cans tuna, drained
A big handful of potato chips

Here's all you do:
1. Preheat your oven to 350º. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Make the mac 'n cheese
3. In that pan, add the soup and the tuna and stir to combine.
4. Plop it in the pan, smooth it out, and top with the chips all crunched up.
5. Bake until it's bubbly and the chips are a little toasty brown.

Didn't I say it was silly-simple?

December 18, 2006

Happiness. Now in flannel.

The Bob and I are such homebodies this time of year. It's not at all unusual for us to go home after work, make a quick dinner and race to put on our pajamas so we can begin our "power lounging." And of course, since it's winter, we must have flannel. I have always sought out the fun, funky flannel prints for their ability to make me smile. I usually wear the top open, with a solid tank underneath.

Of course there are lots of more upscale brands, but this year I ran across a great find at Kmart. Joe Boxer flannel pajama sets in some very adorable prints, regularly $16.99 but the in-store special was buy one get one free! The store in my area is running this special through Christmas eve. To check the in-store specials for your area, go to the Kmart web site.

I think $8.50 is an excellent price for all that flannel happiness!

December 14, 2006

New Look for the New Year

It's the little things in life that make me all giddy, and this is one of those little things.

I'm pleased to roll out a new look for Home Ec. for Grownups, with new easier-to-scan labels and an improved layout! I hope you like it as much as I do.

December 13, 2006

Thankfully – an easy leftover turkey casserole


I know it's been a few weeks since Thanksgiving, but I made a turkey breast in the crock pot this past weekend (see my previous post here for the how to), and had some leftovers I wanted to use up. This time of year, The Bob requests big comfort foods, so I cooked up this easy pseudo-Thanksgiving-leftovers casserole for him. This is falling-off-a-log simple.

You'll need:
1 box of cornbread stuffing mix (such as Stove Top; serves 4)
1 can of corn, drained
about 2 cups cooked turkey, cut up
1 jar of turkey gravy
1 pkg instant mashed potatoes (serves 4; flavored is okay)

Here's how to do it:
1. Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9x9 square baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Prepare the potatoes per package instructions (I did them in the microwave), and reserve.
3. Put the stuffing mix in the bottom of the dish and pour the water/butter over, following the package for measurements. Stir to make sure all the stuffing is moistened. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides to create a crust.
4. Over the stuffing, layer the corn, the turkey and the whole jar of gravy. Drop the potatoes on top and smooth with a spatula. I raked a fork across the top to create a lattice pattern.
5. Pop in the oven for about 30 mintues, until heated through and the top is a little browned.

You could easily use chicken in place of the turkey, and switch up the stuffing and gravy to suit. Bob likes corn, but that could be omitted.

An easy, very fast, turkey casserole that you'll be thankful for on a weeknight.

December 11, 2006

Mini-Review - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)


Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)


Synopsis: Keep all arms and hands inside the ship until it has come to a complete stop at the bottom of the ocean.

Note: Possible spoiler included.

I actually purchased this DVD because I knew this was my kind of movie. Turns out I was right – and wrong. Big waves, big monsters, and big crazy swashbuckling scenes are the order of the day in the second installment of the wildly successful Pirates of the Caribbean series. The crew of the ill fated Flying Dutchman, and especially its captain, Davey Jones, are extremely creative, and pretty darn scary, seamonsters. Jack Sparrow (Depp) Will Turner and and Elizabeth Swann (Bloom and Knightley) are all great fun, running around trying to save each other and Sparrow from an eternity of servitude under Jones. All that is right up my alley.

Spoiler alert!
What wasn't up my alley was the doggone cliffhanger ending. It's a personal quirk of mine – I like a beginning, a middle and an end! It was still a great thrill ride and I will definitely watch it again.

It's rated PG-13, for "intense sequences of adventure violence, including frightening images." Take that to heart if you have kids.

December 06, 2006

It's beginning to look (and smell) a lot like Christmas

Here's a cute decoration I accidentally came up with a couple of years ago that I just love. After decorating the tree, I had a strand of plain white lights left over, so I plopped them into a big Longaberger basket I have, just to get them out of my way. For some reason I looked at it and thought to plug it in. The way the light came through the weave of the basket looked really pretty, I thought, but looking into the basket and seeing the lights wasn't so pretty. So, I grabbed a bag of cinnamon-scented pine cones I had picked up at Michael's and threw them in on top of the lights to disguise them. Plugged the whole thing back in and a few minutes later the cinnamon scent was all through the house. The lights put off just enough heat to warm the pine cones, releasing the fragrance. (I always unplug them when we're not home, just to be safe.)

This year in addition to the pine cones, I wove strands of red and natural wooden bead garland through, draping them here and there over the rim of the basket. Then I stuck in these apples and pears to add more interest. The end result is so cute, very homey, and of course smells delish.

Any basket with a somewhat-loose weave would give the same result. I also think you could use any fragranced pine cones or pot pourri – evergreen would be wonderful. If you're not into a rustic look, try spray painting a basket gold or silver, and put shiny colored Christmas ornaments on top of the lights. Then you could weave in some satin ribbon and silver or gold bead garland. If you want the fragrance, you could try some esential oils on a cloth or cotton balls, which would be hidden by the other decorations.

The Bob and I love the way the house looks, feels and smells at Christmas. Try this decoration and let me know how it works for you!

UPDATE 12/29 – Since The Bob gave me a neat-o digital camera for Christmas, I thought I'd update this post with an actual shot of my basket decoration. I hope you try this next year!

December 01, 2006

Ten very unscientific ways to deal with holiday stress

I posted this over at my other site, Shopping Tips Online, but I thought it would fit in well here, too.

I am not a psychologist or a doctor of any kind. I'm not a guru, yogi or guide. If you want advice about beating holiday stress from any of those types, there are articles out the snow globe all over the Internet. Have at them. Here are three I found in a matter of seconds. Take the stress out of holiday shopping. Tips offered for holiday shopping stress. 10 tips for stress-free online holiday shopping. There you go.

That being said, I have 10 very unscientific ways to deal with holiday stress. (The standard disclaimers apply.)

1. Shorten the gift list. This is not a joke. This year, buy only for the people closest to you. Give cards and a hug to the rest. You will feel like a thousand pound weight has been lifted. Don't feel guilty.

2. Admit you're human. There are only so many days, and only so many hours. If you’re not ready to admit that, check out the dark circles under your eyes and the vein popping out on your forehead. It will be okay.

3. Play A Charlie Brown Christmas – The Vince Guaraldi Trio every chance you get. It's like a sedative.
charliebrownchristmas.jpg
4. Have an eggnog, hot buttered rum, hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps, or the holiday drink of your choice. A little glow from the drink and a glow from the Christmas lights and all will be right with the world. (Drink in moderation.)

5. Avoid the situations you know will make you mad.
I can't drive into the parking lot at the mall after Thanksgiving without feeling like I have a severe case of Tourette's syndrome. So I don't do it. There is always somewhere else I can go to get what I need. Saving a buck isn't worth feeling like the top of my head is going to come off.