What Ana Does

I find that my mind is a lot clearer when my kitchen island is clear, too. Is that normal? Does my brain have a metaphysical connection to my kitchen counters? Since this is basically my "office" that seems pretty consistent with the concept of keeping a clean desk. Though, in my case, I found a cluttered desk helped me to multitask a bit better. But, after I launched a website or moved on to a new project, a quick tidying up did help me refocus. Is this a Marie Kondo thing? Is the key to joy really a clear kitchen island? Maybe the key to life is finding the thing that unclogs your mind, and then keeping the pathway clear. I don't know. All I'm sure of is a clean island seems to help my days be happier and more productive, and that's not a bad thing. Related links: More thoughts about staying home  

I was getting suspicious but once I started to really clean out my pantry yesterday, the signs were CLEAR. Mice have been getting into the food in my pantry. Cleaning Out In Progress! Yes! Mice! Hungry vermin! Gross Gross Gross Gross Gross! I refuse to go into details. It was a horror movie. After I freaked out a little and dry-heaved in the corner, I got my big girl panties on and cleaned the whole darn pantry out. Anything that wasn't sealed up, got tossed out. And everything remaining (with nuts and chocolate, especially) got put into containers. So this is why people use these beautiful, labeled containers in their super-tidy pantries. ( Like this .) Consider me totally on-board. I also set a few traps because I'm going to catch those bastards and make them pay!! Lastly, I started walking around my kitchen to try to discover where they are coming from and if it's something I can plug up. Like a vermin detective! Ugh. Not the way I wanted to spend my we...

I blame it on my Instagram stream. Here's my secret wish ... I want to be a homemaker. Okay, and not the homemaker you're thinking. This one: But maybe. Because I do these things on weekends and spotty over the week, but I want to be dedicated. I want to master these things. I want to make more food from scratch . Bread. Yogurt. Cheese. Ketchup. Granola bars. Cheese crackers. Tortillas! My heroes are those bloggers who do this. The cookbooks that they put out. I read them with awe. I try but I'm no where near where I want to be. I dream about spending time preparing meals for my family ... now that the kids are older and we can just about enjoy the same food. And having the time to really plan and prepare. Soak beans and make the tortillas from scratch. Stuff like that. I think half of what we buy around the house is because we didn't know we already owned it. Nothing is in the right place. We need to organize and get rid of things we don't need/us...

Today was a busy-in-the-kitchen day. I'm being a happy homemaker! There was instant oatmeal to make -- because that stuff in the packet is just a waste of money. Oats are cheep, folks. Eat them.  Then, I pickled a few of the cucumbers from the garden -- for MY FIRST CANNING project. Ever!  Messy Start! Turned in this... Pickles! Which, Honestly, I Don't Like .... But Dave Does! Then, it was jammin' time. I can't eat all the fruit we get weekly from the CSA. So, for my first food-in-jar project I made apricot and rosemary jam.  Let's just say it was a big learning experience. But overall, wasn't as hard as I thought.  Yummy Apricots and Fresh Rosemary Turned into this... Pretty Jars - Ready for Toast or Roast Chicken! Last, homemade cereal bars to pack in lunches and pre-soccer-practice snack bags. They're my go-to recipe that I'm just starting to master from Alana's cookbook.  I had planned to make spelt ...

Dining Room Vignette Yesterday I celebrated a milestone -- my last day at a job I've held since first moving to Illinois. Overall, it was a great experience and they were generous to give me a summer of part-time hours. We had a great summer. But, I got a new job. One that I hope will be more fulfilling and able to keep a better work-life balance. And it starts on Monday. So today, is my one and only day of unemployment. I packed the kids off to school and pondered what to do. I had two options: Indulge in all my vices like reading, binge watching TV shows, playing in the garden. Or, Option 2: Run errands, tackle to-do lists and generally get some things done. Oh ... how I wish I was the type to be able to take Option 1. But I'm not. So errands it was. Here's a few things I accomplished. Cups in the Kitchen 1. Replace my New Jersey drivers license with one from Illinois. I've lived here for nearly two years, so it's well-past time. I rocked the q...