homemade ice cream, homemade butter, and more Greek yogurt.
We've been on a from-scratch food kick these last few weeks -- partially due to more time inside during the cold winter months, but also because I got an insane deal on heavy cream and raw milk at a local store (think $1.50 per half gallon of organic cream and raw milk -- yup, I bought many gallons of both!)
During our snow days, we've had fun making lots of butter, buttermilk pancakes, buttermilk biscuits, ice cream, Greek yogurt, fettuccini alfredo, homemade cream of wheat, this delicious candy apple dessert with homemade whipped cream... and of course, lots of bread!
These recipes are all simple -- they only require a few ingredients, they don't take much hands-on time, and the instructions are fairly straightforward.
But they aren't necessarily easy -- they require many bulky tools (mixer, blender, slow cooker, cheese cloths, pots, pans, bowls, etc.) that eventually all need to be washed and put away. These recipes also require mixing batter and dough the night before, fermenting for long periods, freezing for multiple hours, and many "simple steps" that all need to happen in a specific order for the end product to be as tasty as possible.
Simple... but not always easy.
I think the same can be said for many of our home management tasks.
LAUNDRY:It's simple to say you're going to "do the laundry" -- after all, you just throw it in and turn on the machine. However, first you need to gather it all, then sort (if that's something you do), then determine which load you'll wash first. You need to be home at the correct times to transfer it to the dryer, throw in the next load, and eventually fold and put away the clothing. You also need to have the appropriate tools in the house -- enough detergent, stain sticks, OxyClean, fabric softener, bleach, etc.
MEAL PLANNING:You know I have a love-hate relationship with meal planning... it drastically simplifies my life, but it sure isn't always easy to do. Of course, it's simple to schedule meals for each night of the week, but then I need to make sure we have the necessary ingredients in the house as well as the time to prepare each meal. And I need to plan appropriate meals based on our weekly schedule and when we'll be home in the evening.
NIGHTLY PREP:It's so simple to make my to-do list every night before I go to bed... but even after 20 years of home management, I still have to give myself mini pep-talks when it's time to pack lunches, prep breakfast, and get things ready for the next day. It would be so much easier to just go to bed and save everything until morning, but then we'd start the next day on a bad note and feel rushed and frazzled.
Many tips, ideas, and strategies I share in my little corner of the internet are very SIMPLE, but they are not always EASY because they require self-discipline and regular maintenance.
There is no quick fix for this... However, acknowledging that SIMPLE is not the same as EASY is a step in the right direction.
If managing your home doesn't feel easy, it's because it's NOT easy! It's a huge job.
This doesn't mean we should give up and stop trying... but rather, that we should be ready to put forth the effort to get the results we desire.
If you need a little extra motivation, I'll be here, cheering you on, while secretly giving myself the same pep talks!
simple food.
This BBQ Chicken Chili recipe features simple ingredients, and it's easy to prepare in 30 minutes or less (if you have cooked chicken in the house).
It's one of our favorite cold-weather meals… perfect for busy weeknights or slow snow days at home.
When life feels overwhelming and your to-do list feels never-ending, it's easy to give up and give in to procrastination.
If this hits a little too close to home, these 5 simple steps will help break down your overwhelming projects and give you a straightforward path to progress!
100-Car Pile-Up: This picture is a 100-vehicle pile-up just a couple of miles from our house. Thankfully, we did not need to get out, and enjoyed our snow days from inside our home. Yikes!
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