Archive for April, 2008

A Modest Proposal

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

I would like to talk about a modest area of most homes: the bathroom.  Do not underestimate the power these diminutive areas have to add comfort and refinement to your home.  These pint-sized rooms communicate a powerful message about your housekeeping.  Even more, the condition of the bathroom illustrates your concern for the comfort and well-being of your family and guests alike.

Make a quick assessment of one of your bathrooms.  Does it need general cleaning?  You actually should be able to completely clean a bathroom, from the shower to the floor, in under 20 minutes.  Be methodical and use appropriate cleaning solutions.  I generally clean the sink, counters and cabinets.  I then move on to the shower and/or bathtub:  remove everything first, discarding unwanted bottles, soap pieces and even toys.  Make sure you clean off all of the high edges and even the rails if you have sliding shower doors.   Wipe off the bottles and containers before you replace them.  Next, move on to the toilet.  Clean all surfaces.  Use an appropriate cleaning product and brush for the bowl.  Now, move on to the mirror  and faucets, polishing these to a beautiful shine.  You can finish up by cleaning the floor and floorboards.  You may need to vacuum or sweep before mopping.

Now that you have a fresh, clean bathroom, you can step back and accessorize.  Make sure it is well stocked with tissue, baby wipes, toilet paper, soap, air freshener and even lotion.  Consider adding pretty towels that are soft and absorbent.  A basket of assorted magazines is always a nice touch.   Do not forget to have a trash container conveniently located.  This container can be attractive and should be lined and changed frequently.

Your bathrooms should be maintained daily.  This does not neccesarily involve an intense cleaning every day.   Instead, a clean bathroom should be incoporated into your  family’s lifestyle.  Your children can learn to help keep the bathrooms clean.   They  can pick up their own clothes and towels.  As they get older,  they can be taught to clean the sink and mirrors after they have finished getting dressed. Boys can even be taught certain “rim rules”  that will always help maintain the general appearance of the bathroom.

Your bathrooms can be a point of contention, a source of embarrassment or simply another lovely room in your home.   “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (I Corinthians 14:33).

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Changing Seasons

Monday, April 28th, 2008

I love to transform my menus with the changing seasons.  French Onion Soup and  Beef Bourguignonne give way to lighter fares such as grilled chicken (in so many different arrangements), bright salads, and delightful desserts.

I would like to share with you one of my favorite warm-weather recipes:  Balsamic Chicken with Cilantro.  I have served variations on this  recipe to my family and guests for years.  It is simple enough and it always receives rave reviews.

Balsamic Chicken with Cilantro

12-16    boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves, trimmed

1 1/2   cups Balsamic Vinegar

1/2  cup  Dijon Mustard

1/2  cup dry white wine (optional)

1     tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1/4  cup olive oil

3   crushed garlic cloves or the equivalent garlic powder

2   medium bunches of fresh cilantro, finely chopped.  Discard thick stems

-     Prepare the chicken breasts by trimming and slicing into uniform sizes.  I will occasionally gently pound the chicken with a kitchen mallet.  Make sure you place the chicken between waxed paper before you pound it.  You can even butterfly the pieces if they are too thick.

-      Combine all of the remaining ingredients, except for the cilantro, in a large baking dish.  Stir until the ingredients are incorporated into a uniform mixture.  Add the chopped cilantro and gently mix.  Place the chicken pieces into the marinade.  Fork the chicken and turn it until all of the chicken is covered with the marinade.  Cover with clear plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.  Turn and fork the chicken periodically.

-     Grill on medium heat for 7-10 minutes per side.  (Be careful!  Thin chicken breasts can be over-cooked easily.)

-     Have a warm platter ready.

-     Serve immediately accompanied by Herbed Rice,  a beautiful mixed vegetable dish,  and perhaps fresh fruit.

-     This recipe serves 12.

The Balsamic chicken also makes terrific sandwiches.

I hope you find this easy and delicious!

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Still Life

Friday, April 25th, 2008

Wikipedia defines a still life as:

“A work of art depicting inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural (food, plants and natural substances like rocks) or man-made (drinking glasses . . .).”

It has been suggested (the source eludes me at the moment…) that our refrigerators should exemplify a still life.  This would be lovely!

At first glance, this suggestion may seem outlandish.  Yet, it is achievable on some level.  Simply begin by cleaning and organizing your refrigerator.  Actually, if this can become a bi-weekly or at least weekly habit, you have tackled a large part of this project.

-Remove everything from your refrigerator.

-Clean off every surface.  Use glass cleaner on the shelves and an all-purpose cleaner  on the other surfaces.  You should even remove the drawers and wash them in warm, sudsy water.

Now that the interior is presentable, move on to the contents.

-Discard anything that you know is no longer workable…do not be sentimental.

-Clean off all lids and containers so that they are pleasant to work with.

-Organize your  deli-meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables:

Cheeses and meats should be wrapped in a manner that allows easy access  and yet protects the product.  They both lend themselves to storage in drawers within the refrigerator.

Now for the fruits and vegetables…this is where you can add a beautiful touch to your refrigerator’s interior appearance.  Utilize attractive containers for storage.   It’s great to open your refrigerator and see inviting bowls of pretty fruit and vegetables.

Apples store nicely carefully placed in the larger fruit bins after they  are washed.

-Eggs appear fresh and lovely arranged in a bowl or metal basket.

-Left overs can even look particularly presentable if they are stored properly.  I tend to like glass storage containers with locking lids as opposed to plastic.  They look nicer and do not take on the color or odor of food stored in them.

-Drinks, including large containers of milk and juice, can be stored in a pleasant manner if they are simply kept clean.

Now, just arrange the items in a pleasing, useful manner on the shelves.

Everyone in the family will enjoy the look and usefulness of your refrigerator.

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A Fresh Canvas

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

I really enjoy cooking.  I love to rifle through cooking magazines and cook books.  I dream of spending time at some fabulous cooking school in France.  For now, I  look forward to the planning, shopping and preparing of meals for my family.  They are a terrific audience.  At every meal I can count on nine or ten willing appetites ready to try my latest fare or simply enjoy a family favorite.  They are also brutally honest.  I usually can take it!    “Wounds of a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Proverbs27:6.

Cooking allows such creativity.  Besides experimenting with new recipes, you can alter basics to expand your repertoire.  Certain mediums are actually like a fresh canvas awaiting  your ingenuity.  My favorite blank slates are the boneless, skinless chicken breast; pie pastry; french bread and pasta.  Each allows versatility in the kitchen and can be the basis of so many terrific dishes.

I have  a number of wonderful chicken recipes I’ve collected and customized over the years that I will share with you on a regular basis.  Today I want to give you my favorite pastry recipe.  It is easy to work with and is useful in both deserts as well as main dishes.  This is a recipe my mother gave me.  I believe it originated with my grandmother.

Basic Pastry

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 3/4 cups shortening

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 egg

1/2 cup cold water

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add the remainder of the ingredients.  Attach a flat beater and blend on medium speed until combined into a workable dough.  Divide the pastry into 4 pieces.  Remember to weigh each piece if you can to assure uniformity.  Wrap each piece in wax paper and chill.

You can keep the pastry in the refrigerator for 2 days or freeze after placing in a Ziplock bag up to 2 months.

As you can see this recipe allows for 4 single-crust or 2 double-crust pies.  At times I need a more substantial pastry so  I divide the pastry into 3 pieces.  This works particularly well for quiche.

This pastry needs minimal additional flour for rolling out and allows reworking without destroying the integrity of  the pastry.

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Five Steps To A Pleasant Home

Monday, April 21st, 2008

I love spring.  After being under a shroud of snow for so long, it’s exciting to experience a fresh world again!  I look forward to gardening, grilling outside, and even washing my windows.

Spring is a time to reassess the physical nature of your home.  The first step to creating a lovely, pleasant atmosphere is to declutter.  Everyone has heard this mantra before, but it really is one of the crucial initial stages to organizing your home life.  It’s difficult to think about color and candles and even meal planning when your are fighting piles in every room.  Start small and attack one project at a time.  Perhaps the pile of papers on your kitchen desk needs attention or maybe a closet is sending you over the edge.

As you work on manageable small projects in your home, you can also implement a daily plan that will allow you to see more immediate results in the physical nature of your home.  Here are  five steps that you can follow regularly.

1)     Throw something away every day.  Everyone has something they are holding on to that needs to be tossed!

2)     Complete one major cleaning project daily, i.e.  the floors or the bathrooms or dusting.  This will allow you to feel like some aspect of your home is always clean.  It’s a mental exercise more than anything.  This will keep you from feeling overwhelmed, as well.

3)     Initiate pickup moments in your home 2-3 times per day.   Even toddlers can stop pulling out toys for a little while and help.  This should only take 5-10 minutes.  You will have to train your children to help but they  will quickly learn what you expect from them when you ask for assistance.

4)     Do your dishes as you cook.

5)     Neaten your home before you go to bed.  This will allow everyone to experience a fresh start in the morning.

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Reality Check Friday

Friday, April 18th, 2008

I strive to create a home that is characterized by peace, order and beauty.  On Fridays, I tend to look back and see a week punctuated by incomplete work,  things I should have accomplished that I did not, and things that I should not have said that I did.  The latter is where I tend to err most frequently.  I am so thankful for fresh starts, new beginnings and forgiveness!

Now I am going to share  a really easy and fabulous french bread recipe.  It’s great because it is so versatile.  I will continue to share recipes in the future with variations on this basic bread.  For now, you can serve it warm with butter.

Have a lovely weekend!

French Bread

Equipment:

Bosch or Kitchen Aid Mixer fitted with dough hook

Large mixing bowl greased (use for first rise)

Cookie sheet greased and lightly dusted with cornmeal

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Instant Yeast

7 Cups Flour

1 Tablespoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

21/2 Cups Warm (105 F – 115F) Water

Scant Amount of Sugar

Proof Yeast:  Add yeast to 1 cup of the warm water and sprinkle sugar on top.  Wait 3 – 5 minutes.  You will know when this process is working as the mixture will foam and froth and increase in volume.

While the yeast is proofing, place the flour and salt in the mixer and combine on low speed.

Add the melted butter to the remaining 1 1/2 cups of warm water.

Now add the yeast mixture (Should be about 1 1/2 – 2 cups by now) and the water with the butter to the flour  – alternate small amounts and mix in between.

Incorporate all of the liquid into the flour.

Knead on speed 2 in either mixer for 6 minutes.

Place dough in grease bowl, cover and let rise until double (about 45 minutes).

Divide dough into 2 pieces (weigh , if possible).

Shape each piece into a long, thin loaf, tapering the ends.

Place each loaf side be side on the greased, dusted cookie sheet.

Let rise until double, about 30 minutes.

Slash loaves 3 -4 times on top and bake  at 425 F for 25 minutes.

Using a wash of 1 egg white and a little cold water, brush the loaves and bake for 2 additional minutes.  This will add a nice finish.

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The Prevailing Tone

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Tone is an author’s attitude toward her work or audience.  It may be formal, informal, sad, satirical, humorous or serious.  This tone creates the mood of the entire piece.  The mood created from the tone is the prevailing feeling or the emotional state of mind throughout the work.  Tone is fluid and thus can change throughout the piece.  However, the mood set in the beginning  will generally not change.

Everyday you, as a mother and a wife, are writing the story of your home.  The tone you set will create the prevailing mood in your home.  This will manifest itself in the behavior of your children and in the relationships within your family.

A lovely tone can be set by creating a beautiful atmosphere at any meal.  Proper planning and preparation will allow you to enjoy a calm, peaceful meal.   Your family is worthy of table linens, including cloth napkins, and even candles.  The presentation of food with a balance of color and textures will turn the simplest meal into a great experience.

The mood you create at your dinner table will have a wonderful effect on your family.  One of the potential effects of this may be increased family time as  you all  begin to linger over meals.  You can raise your expectations concerning your children’s manners as you train them in a lovely setting.   Start small and realize the  power you possess to create a lovely atmosphere in your home.  The Book of Proverbs states “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down”  (Proverbs 14:1).

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Kid Food

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

I am not a fan of kid food.  I have never relished the thought of preparing or serving gummy worms in pudding.   An appetite for delicious, healthful meals should be nurtured throughout a child’s life.  They certainly enjoy great food in a beautiful setting as well as adults do!

A Happy Meal at our house does not resemble the commercial version.  Instead, it includes cheese, crackers and turkey slices tastefully displayed on a plate and served with fresh fruit and yogurt.  This is followed with cookies for dessert.  It is a meal that is never boring as you can vary each item on the menu.  My children love to make their own little sandwiches. 

Now I am going to leave you with my recipe for whole wheat bread.  There is nothing that satisfies a child’s appetite like whole grain bread.  It is a favorite snack of my teenage sons. 

I grind my whole-wheat flour in a GrainMaster Whisper Mill grinder. However, you can buy whole-wheat flour in grocery stores and health-food stores. My equipment for the following recipe includes a Bosch Mixer. This allows me to knead up to 14 cups of whole wheat flour.  You can do the same work in a Kitchen Aid mixer.  However, you must cut the recipe in half.  If you do not have one of these mixers,  please send me an e-mail (bonavitablog AT hotmail.com) and I will help you work with the recipe to fit your equipment.  Whole grain flour can be hard on a mixer.  I have worn out a Kitchen Aid after about seven years of working with this recipe.   It was worth it!  This bread is terrific.

                                                                 Whole Wheat Bread

Pre-heat your oven to its lowest possible setting.  Ideally this is 135 F.  

Grease ( be generous here) 4 bread pans.

4 cups white flour

10 cups whole wheat flour (If you aren’t using freshly ground flour, you may need to add 2-4 tbls gluten)

4 tablespoons instant yeast

1 1/2 cups powdered milk

1 tablespoon salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup honey

4 cups warm water (105 F to 115 F)

Place all of the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl including the yeast and mix for 15 seconds.  Alternately  add half the oil, honey and water slowly mixing after each addition.  Repeat with the remainder of the honey, oil and water until all of the liquid ingredients are incorporated into the flour mixture.  In the Bosch Mixer, knead on speed 2 for 6 minutes. 

Divide the dough into 4 pieces.  I do utilize a kitchen scale to weigh the dough to ensure that the 4 loaves are equivalent .  This ensures even cooking.

Place the dough in the prepared pans.

Place the pans in the pre-heated oven.  If your oven will not set below 175 F, then leave the door open   a bit during the first 25 minutes as this is the rising stage.

Set your timer for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes at 135 F ,  you will now set your oven to 350 F for an additional 18 to 25 minutes.  The bread stays in the oven as the temperature is rising from 135 F to 350 F.   The total time for rising and baking is the original 25 minutes plus the 18 – 25 minutes for baking.   The timing is dependent on each individual oven.

Remove the bread from the pans immediately after you take the bread out of the oven.  You will need to gently loosen the bread from the sides of the pan.  An icing spreader works great for this.

It can be a little frustrating perfecting your wheat bread.  You need to get used to your oven,  pans and mixer.  If it doesn’t work the first time….do not give up.  The time and effort to perfect this recipe will be well worth it.  Once you have the recipe working,  it becomes a fairly quick, easy process.

Enjoy!

   

 

 

 

 

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Home Life

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

I am often amused by the preconceived ideas some have about our life at home with nine children.  Concern has been raised  that we might be overwhelmed with chaos, clutter and crayon marked walls, not necessarily in that order.   This supposedly all  occurs as we serve our family non-descript  casseroles and fish sticks on a regular basis.  What a picture.

In reality, our home is generally characterized by a peaceful atmosphere.  We all enjoy  a beautiful, uncluttered and yet, cozy home.  We meet at the dinner table for terrific meals prepared with tasteful ingredients.   And we all, from the yougest to the oldest, help to maintain this environment.   We have been blessed and our gratefulness manifests itself by working together to maintain our home life.

A sense of beauty and contentment in a home is a mindset, not a function of size.  Order and a sense of aesthetics can be instilled in children from their earliest years.  Train your children to respect their home and to be grateful for their surroundings.   They will ultimately imitate you.  Your desire and willingness to create a lovely, peaceful home will be the example for all in your house to follow.

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