MY NO-IRON SECRET
I have a confession to make....I hate ironing!! I know, I know, not much of a confession right? Most women don't like to iron clothes. And yet a lot of women do it, a lot!! I mean, we don't want ourselves or our families to go out with wrinkled up clothes on do we??
As a pastor's wife, I have the task of picking out my hubby's clothes and having them ready for services on Sunday. Actually, I get all of our clothes ready for Sunday. Where would this crowd be without me?? But, back to ironing....
I, of course, want my husband to look nice when he is on the platform in front of people, preaching God's word. But, that's hard because did I mention....I hate ironing!! Several years ago I discovered the product "Downy Wrinkle Releaser". Tried it, liked it, because it does actually work pretty well. But, the downfall is it's expensive. I think the last time I bought a bottle it was like $7 or something. Crazy!
One day when I had run out of said wrinkle miracle elixer, I decided to try just a spray bottle of water. I figured if I could smooth the wrinkles and then let the garment dry, it might work. And guess what???? IT DID!!! YAY ME!!!!
Now, here's another step to my no-iron secret that is an important one because for most garments this step will mean you won't even need the spray bottle.
Once I've picked out the clothes I need "ready" then I put them in my dryer with a damp washcloth. I set the dryer for 40 minutes and then let the clothes tumble with the washcloth for maybe 5 minutes. I set it for 40 because I want it to use high heat for this and my dryer (most probably do) does a cool down at the end of the drying time. Pull the clothes out quickly and hang them up. Most will be virtually wrinkle free.
Some items don't work this way. Or parts of some items will need more help. For instance, some shirts, skirts, and dressed will "curl" up around the bottom. For any pieces that still have wrinkles, I mist them with water and use my hands to smooth out wrinkles or shape collars or cuffs as they need to be. If left hanging to dry like that it will work.
I realize this method requires some forethought on what you're going to wear. That is just part of who I am to plan ahead so it works great for me. And it means I don't have to iron. Most days I don't have to worry about this but for certain clothing items or for days like Sundays when you're wearing dressier clothes, this system has proven it works for me.
I often get complimented on how well dressed and neat my husband is because most people know it's me getting the clothes matched up and ready that makes it so. I just smile and say thank you! It's my little secret right?? :-)
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
RECIPE ORGANIZING
Do you have a recipe box? I do. And trust me when I say it used to be a mess! I had good intentions. I collected recipes from my family, you know the ones...the family classics that grandma used to make. I wanted those so I could make them for my family.
And I had some that I got from magazines, friends, the internet, and so on. But....there are some problems with recipe boxes. They seem like a good idea, and they make some cute ones. But have you ever tried to write a recipe on a recipe card??? You would have to write like Thumbelina to fit the ingredients and instructions on one of those cards.
And then there is the feat of trying to actually find the recipe you're looking for when you need it. Now, most boxes include these little dividers that allow you to put your recipes under the right category....desserts, meats, veggies, and so on. But, when you've collected as many recipes as I have over the years it's really aggravating to have to dig through 50 dessert recipes just to find the one you're looking for.
Yep, that's what my box looked like!
So, I decided to make a change. I organized my recipes in a binder and it has been so much easier to work with. So easy to find what I'm looking for. I considered several different ways to do this, but went with a plan that has worked great for me.
Much better, don't ya think???
I still wanted to have the recipes divided into different sections to make it easier to find them. First thing I did was to go through and clean out my recipe box. There were several I could get rid of and some that I RARELY use. With the recipes I use frequently I typed them up and punched holes in the sides of course, so they would fit in the binder. I typed as many as would fit on a page and numbered each page. The next step was to make an index so I could easily find the recipe I was looking for.
Little time consuming typing them all, but well worth it!
For the index, I used regular old notebook paper and wrote each recipe name under the heading it belonged under...meat dishes under meats, and so forth. And beside each recipe name I wrote the number of the page it is located on. Now, this does mean that throughout the book, recipes aren't grouped together, but they are on the index so that makes them easy to find. This system makes it easy to add recipes to the book as well. Just add them to a new page, number it, and add it to the index. That's why I decided to do the index hand-written instead of typed. It's just quicker to add the recipes that way.
Index page of Desserts...yummy!!
As recipes are added to the end of the book and you index them the numbers will seem out of order under the categories, but that's ok. As long as you have the page number the recipe is on it will be easy to find. Now, I can easily find any recipe and best of all, I can look through my recipe book for inspiration when I'm getting bored with the old stand-by's.
Alright, I know we've been through a lot of steps and yes, I know it seems like a lot of work for a recipe book. But, for me, it has been well worth it. Once you get it started, it's easy to keep it going. So, let's review....
Organize Your Recipes!!
1. go through existing recipes and weed out ones you don't need anymore
2. get a binder, paper, hole punch, notebook paper, and pen
3. type up recipes you want to organize and number each page
4. make your index with the headings that work best for your book (meats, beverages, appetizers, soups, etc...)
5. write recipe names and their page numbers under proper headings
6. put book together and enjoy having recipes easily on hand
I use the pocket in the binder to hold recipes that I want to try. I don't usually add any to my recipe book until I know I like them.
I don't type up any recipes that I don't have to. Like this recipe from a magazine. I tear out the page and add it directly to the book (and number it of course).
Same with recipes that I print online. Easily added to book.
I sometimes add notes to the recipes in my book. Like, who I got the recipe from or I may add a note about it being a family favorite, or any changes I have made to the recipe.
Well, there you have it! That's my Recipe Organizing 101! If your recipe box needs an update, I hope you'll give my system a try. It has worked great for me!
And if you have a favorite recipe, please share. I may just want to add it to my recipe book.
Do you have a recipe box? I do. And trust me when I say it used to be a mess! I had good intentions. I collected recipes from my family, you know the ones...the family classics that grandma used to make. I wanted those so I could make them for my family.
And I had some that I got from magazines, friends, the internet, and so on. But....there are some problems with recipe boxes. They seem like a good idea, and they make some cute ones. But have you ever tried to write a recipe on a recipe card??? You would have to write like Thumbelina to fit the ingredients and instructions on one of those cards.
And then there is the feat of trying to actually find the recipe you're looking for when you need it. Now, most boxes include these little dividers that allow you to put your recipes under the right category....desserts, meats, veggies, and so on. But, when you've collected as many recipes as I have over the years it's really aggravating to have to dig through 50 dessert recipes just to find the one you're looking for.
Yep, that's what my box looked like!
So, I decided to make a change. I organized my recipes in a binder and it has been so much easier to work with. So easy to find what I'm looking for. I considered several different ways to do this, but went with a plan that has worked great for me.
I still wanted to have the recipes divided into different sections to make it easier to find them. First thing I did was to go through and clean out my recipe box. There were several I could get rid of and some that I RARELY use. With the recipes I use frequently I typed them up and punched holes in the sides of course, so they would fit in the binder. I typed as many as would fit on a page and numbered each page. The next step was to make an index so I could easily find the recipe I was looking for.
For the index, I used regular old notebook paper and wrote each recipe name under the heading it belonged under...meat dishes under meats, and so forth. And beside each recipe name I wrote the number of the page it is located on. Now, this does mean that throughout the book, recipes aren't grouped together, but they are on the index so that makes them easy to find. This system makes it easy to add recipes to the book as well. Just add them to a new page, number it, and add it to the index. That's why I decided to do the index hand-written instead of typed. It's just quicker to add the recipes that way.
Index page of Desserts...yummy!!
As recipes are added to the end of the book and you index them the numbers will seem out of order under the categories, but that's ok. As long as you have the page number the recipe is on it will be easy to find. Now, I can easily find any recipe and best of all, I can look through my recipe book for inspiration when I'm getting bored with the old stand-by's.
Alright, I know we've been through a lot of steps and yes, I know it seems like a lot of work for a recipe book. But, for me, it has been well worth it. Once you get it started, it's easy to keep it going. So, let's review....
Organize Your Recipes!!
1. go through existing recipes and weed out ones you don't need anymore
2. get a binder, paper, hole punch, notebook paper, and pen
3. type up recipes you want to organize and number each page
4. make your index with the headings that work best for your book (meats, beverages, appetizers, soups, etc...)
5. write recipe names and their page numbers under proper headings
6. put book together and enjoy having recipes easily on hand
I use the pocket in the binder to hold recipes that I want to try. I don't usually add any to my recipe book until I know I like them.
I don't type up any recipes that I don't have to. Like this recipe from a magazine. I tear out the page and add it directly to the book (and number it of course).
Same with recipes that I print online. Easily added to book.
I sometimes add notes to the recipes in my book. Like, who I got the recipe from or I may add a note about it being a family favorite, or any changes I have made to the recipe.
Well, there you have it! That's my Recipe Organizing 101! If your recipe box needs an update, I hope you'll give my system a try. It has worked great for me!
And if you have a favorite recipe, please share. I may just want to add it to my recipe book.
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