Project 333: Six weeks of winter

Project 333 is "the minimalist fashion challenge that invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months."

Before Christmas and at the start of this year I was recording just what I was wearing each day. I wanted to get an idea of what I was wearing and if there were gaps in my wardrobe. Unlike many people who declutter their wardrobes, I don't have a huge number of clothes, but more than I need.  

The project is for 3 months. The seasons in my little part of the world are: mid-March to mid-June (spring), mid-June to mid-September (summer), mid September to mid-December (autumn) and then mid-December to mid-March (winter).

My plan is to start a half-project for winter, starting tomorrow. Then on the 15th of March start a proper 3 month project for spring. Excluded from the 33 items are underwear, sleepwear and sportswear. Included are clothing, jewellery, accessories, shoes/boots, coats and jackets.

It was decidedly weird packing my surplus clothing into various drawers. All of my clothes for the 'six weeks of winter' are either hanging in the wardrobe, in the small chest of drawers (underwear, pjs and sports clothes) or being laundered.  

15 Minutes Declutter: Bedroom sofa

The sofa in my bedroom is the unofficial repository of 'stuff'.  In today's declutter, clothes were put away, scarves were tidily hung, and crafting materials were corralled.

15 Minute Declutter: Bedside Table and Top of Blanket Box

Here's where I totally go off-piste.  I've run out of January Challenges, and there's only one February Challenge for me, decluttering the last couple of drawers in the kitchen. The listed challenges are things I have already done, systems already in place (recycling, menus and shopping list), or couponing - something that just isn't a part of my culture. 

So, I'm casting my eye around the house deciding on areas in need of urgent attention.  My bedroom falls into this category.  There's piles of stuff.  It really is a dumping ground.  January has been kitchen month, February is going to be bedroom month.

Today's tenative steps into the bedroom are decluttering the bedside table (actually a little chest of drawers), and the top of the blanket box. 

15 Minute Declutter: Cupboard under the stairs

The cupboard under the stairs used to be a place where everything was thrown in. Last year I had a massive decluttering campaign in there when we needed to gain access to the crawl space. We found a whole host of things the previous owners had left behind, including paint, tiles, cork tiles, wooden slats, and railway tracks for a model railway! That decluttering session was a marathon. This year, it was done within 15 minutes!

There were some items placed there by mistake - people had forgotten the new places it should be stored. There was a woodwork upcycling project I had been thinking about for two years. If I really wanted it done, I'd have done it by now. The sleeping bags were placed on top of the rucksacks.

And, as if by magic, there was now enough space on the shelves to spread out the plastic cake boxes, the kitchen appliances that are used, but on less than a weekly basis, and the pretty glass cake stand and cup cake stand. The light weight items are stored above head height, and the heavier items lower down.

The space needs to be re-plastered and painted, but it's decluttered, and tidy.

Week 5: Recipes, Dishes, Mugs and Glasses

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #5: Recipes

Done.

Tuesday: Declutter recipes

Done.

Wednesday: Sort recipe into categories and organize them

Done.

Thursday: Declutter cookbooks and then organize the rest

As mentioned previously, I was anxious about this week and started early. And finished it all before the actual challenge came around!

Friday: Declutter small kitchen appliances

Done. I've never been one for having lots of kitchen appliances, and in this house there is not enough space to have many appliances on the work tops. Appliances used every day are allowed on the work tops: kettle, microwave, toaster and coffee maker. My new stand mixer (Kenwood Prospero) has an honoured place in a kitchen cupboard. In the cupboard immediately outside the kitchen, we keep the appliances we want, but don't use on a weekly basis. There's a blender, George Foreman grill, small fryer and sandwich toaster.

The blender is starting to show signs of wear and will need to be replaced. Sadly the Kenwood accessory blender does not fit with my Prospero. It would have been good to have an accessory rather than a whole new appliance.

Saturday: Declutter plastic grocery bags and switch to reusable ones

We try not to use plastic bags. We keep a couple of folding crates in the boot of the car and use them for larger shops. My shoulder bag is good for holding a number of smaller items. But of course, there are times when we do use plastic. We have a carrier bag store in the kitchen, and the bags are reused.

The store was almost full in December. I took the plastic bags along to Douglas street market and asked the first stall I shopped at whether they would like some. They were delighted.

Sunday: Declutter plastic silverware and other take out supplies

We have a little stash of plastic cutlery and paper plates. These are get for picnics and travelling. They are on the topmost shelf in the pantry, out of reach for me, but I know where they are.

The takeout plastic boxes are fantastic and I use them many times for my homemade ready meals. We have been very efficient in creating the ready meals, and I'm running out of plastic boxes!

15 Minute Declutter: Plates and Bowls

A February mission I was too impatient to wait for! The plates and bowls have been decluttered. There's a white everyday set, and also the Christmas Tree by Spode.

The remains of a four person set given as a wedding present is on it's way out the door. There's four dinner plates and two side plates. The bowls 'died' a number of years ago. Also the sparse remains of a blue and yellow set I bought about 15 years ago is leaving. One of the large bowls is remaining as it used as a serving dish.

This exercise has helped me understand white is the colour of choice (my choice) for serving dishes, plates and bowls. I like the Christmas Tree ones as well as they are only used for part of the year, and when the food is on the plate you see a white dish with a green border.

I am starting to gradually replace the white set. I'd like to add to the Christmas set, bringing it up to 8 settings, but that is a low priority. As for the large blue and yellow bowl - it's useful. However, I would prefer a white bowl or perhaps a Moroccan blue and white one. But for now, it stays.

15 Minute Declutter: Shower Room

This is a mission borrowed from June, but I'm sure the shower room will be ready for another declutter by the time that month comes around.

Everything was taken out of the room.  People were invited to select the items they liked and used, These items were washed and were neatly put back into the shower room. The rest was ditched. 

This is getting to be liberating. I want to do more, but at the same time I want to proceed at a good pace.  It is a marathon, or perhaps double marathon as it's 52 weeks, and not a sprint.  Part of the process is getting rid of 'stuff', but it's also about learning to maintain the decluttered, organised areas, not re-cluttering, and learning new patterns of behaviour.  

I want a warm, inviting house that's calm and free from clutter. At this rate, I'm going to get it.  It might not happen within 52 weeks.  If it doesn't, then I'll pick up from where I left off and keep going.

15 Minute Declutter: Glasses

I thought I was borrowing a task from February, but now I look for it, I can't see any instructions about decluttering drinking glasses. Well, anyhow, it was needing to be done, and it's done. We have gone from 'oodles' of wine glasses to half a dozen. They don't match, but they are the ones we use. I've tasked The Beloved to buy a set of six matching wine glasses as soon as he finds a set he likes. We have three other sets of glasses, pint glasses, hi-balls and tumblers.

With this large clear out of wine glasses, there's now enough space on the shelf for the cookery books too.  They will be stored away from dust.

In addition, folded newspaper has been added to the tops of the kitchen cupboards.  When it's time to clean up there again it will be so very simple, as easy as replacing a few bits of newspaper!

Recipe to Try: Goat's Cheese, Onion and Potato Bread

Ingredients

110g firm goat's cheese, cut into small cubes

4-5 spring onions, finely slices,

1 medium potato (approx 175g)

175 Sr flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp chopped thyme

1 egg

2 Tsp milk

2 tsp whole grain mustard

a little flour for dusting.

Method

Pre-heat oven to 190C.

Peel and coarsely grate the potato into a large bowl.  Sift in the flour (use Dove Farm gluten-free SR flour for a gf bread) and salt. Add the spring onions, thyme and two thirds of the cheese. With a palette knife, blend together. Mix the egg, milk and mustard in a small bowl. Add it to the potato and flour mixture and form a lose, rough dough.  

Transfer to a well-greased baking sheet and form it into a round of about 15cm. Press the rest of the cheese over the surface and dust lightly with a little flour.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Serve whilst still warm.

15 Minute Declutter: Recipes (final batch)

The recipe challenge was designed to be completed over 3 days. It has taken me twice as long, but it has not proved to be as painful as I had feared! The last few days I have been chiding myself for not doing any doing any decluttering. The Beloved laughed and asked about the recipe challenge. It was then I realised I'd been enjoying this so much it didn't feel like work. It has been liberating, exhilarating, and has given me a taste for trying new recipes again!

The recipe book above is written by Si and Dave, The Hairy Bikers, and is called 'Mums still knows best'.  It's one of the few recipe books to have survived the cull. One of the reasons is it's a collection of family favourites, recipes that have stood the test of time.

15 Minute Declutter: Recipes

My 15 Minute Declutter today, and for quite a few days is to go through the recipes that have been hand written, photocopies or torn out of magazines. The decluttered ones end up in the recycling bin, and the rest are slowly being added to this blog. Currently the blog is nothing but recipes and decluttering!

Over the course of the weekend I tried three new recipes. The Warm Salmon and Potato Salad has proved to be wonderful. It was good when it had just been made. It looked really appetising when it was cold, and it was good when it was re-heated! This is definitely going to be a recipe we use again and again. And to think until this weekend it was languishing in a heap of recipes torn from a magazine. 

----

That's all the loose recipes decluttered!  There's three to add to the blog.

Malteser Tray Bake

Ingredients

100g butter

200g milk chocolate

3 tbsp golden syrup

250g digestive biscuits, crushed

225g Maltesers

200g milk or white chocolate for topping.

Method

Melt the butter, chocolate and syrup. Add the crushed biscuits and Maltesers. Mix together then pour into a greased baking tin and chill until set.

Melt the additional chocolate and pour over the top. Decorate by placing a Malteser on top of each square before the chocolate sets.

Variation

Mini marshmallows can also be added.

Lemon and Coconut Slice

Ingredients

Base

80g butter

250g condensed milk

250g digestive biscuits, crushed

250g desiccated coconut

1 lemon

Topping

240g icing sugar

30g butter, melted

3 Tsp lemon juice

extra desiccated coconut for decoration

Method

Base: Melt the butter, add the condensed milk, crushed biscuits, coconut, the juice of the lemon (reserve 3Tsp for the topping), and the zest of the lemon. Press into a Swiss roll tin lined with baking parchment.

Topping: Mix together the icing sugar, lemon juice and melted butter. Spread over the base.  Sprinkle a little coconut over the topping before it sets.

Variations

Use gluten-free digestives for a gluten-free lemon slice.

Pineapple Delight

Ingredients

Base

250g digestive biscuits

2 dessert sp golden syrup

50g butter

Middle

80g butter

140g icing sugar

1 egg

Topping

1 can crushed pineapple (450g)

290ml double cream

chocolate curls

Method

Base: Put the butter and syrup in a saucepan. Crush the digestive biscuits. When the butter had melted add the crushed biscuits to the butter and syrup. Spread the mixture over a greased Swiss roll tin.

Middle: Cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Spread over the biscuit base.

Topping: Drain the pineapple and spread over the tray. Whip the cream and add to the top of the pineapple. Decorate with chocolate curls.

If you are unable to find crushed pineapple, use pineapple chunks cut into smaller pieces.

Variations
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free digestive biscuits.

A tasty alternative is to use ginger biscuits instead of digestives.

Paradise Slice

Ingredients

Base

100g butter

60g sugar

90g plain flour

1 egg, beaten

Topping

100g butter

100g sugar

2 eggs, beaten

25g ground almonds

25g glace cherries

25g sultanas

25g raisins

40g plain flour

Method

To make the base, rub together the flour and butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg and mix into a dough. Roll out the pastry to line the base of a Swiss roll tin.

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

For the topping, cream the butter and sugar, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Spoon on top of the pastry base.;

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden, and the centre of the cake is springy. Remove from the oven and dust with caster sugar.

Fruit Loaf

Ingredients

3 cups dried fruit

1.5 cups water

1.5 cups sugar

170g butter

3 tsp mixed spice

3 cups SR flour 

3 eggs

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 170C. Line 3 loaf tins.

Into a saucepan put the dried fruit, water, sugar, butter and mixed spice. Bring to the boil and then hold at a rolling simmer fo 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Mix well the flour (I use Dove Farm Gluten-free SR Flour), eggs and fruit mixture. Divide between the 3 loaf tins and bake for about an hour.

Luscious Lemon Cake

Ingredients

170g butter

225g sugar

3 eggs

300g SR flour

100ml milk

zest of 2 lemons

Syrup

juice of 2 lemons

4.5 Tsp icing sugar

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Grease two loaf tins and line with baking parchment.

Combine all ingredients of the cake and mix until light and fluffy. Divide between the loaf tines. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Make the syrup by combing the icing sugar and the juice of the lemon. Whilst the cakes are very hot, spoon the syrup over the cake and allow them to soak up the syrup.

Variations

To make the lemon cake gluten-free use Dove Farm Self-Raising Flour.

Mars Bar Crunch

Ingredients

75g butter

3 Mars Bars (~180g)

2 Tsp golden syrup

3 cups Rice Krispies

200g chocolate

Method

Cut the Mars Bars into small pieces. Melt butter, golden syrup and Mars Bars together. Add Rice Krispies and mix well.

Press the mixture into buttered tray. Cover with melted chocolate. Leave to set. Cut into squares.

Variations

Neither Mars Bars nor Rice Krispies are gluten-free. Snicker Crunch can be made by substituting Snickers for the Mars Bars, and Nature's Path Crispy Rice for Rice Crispies.  These are both gluten-free.

Kate's Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base

350g gluten-free digestive biscuits

75g butter

Cheesecake filling

150g Philadelphia cheese

1 large egg

50g castor sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp lemon juice

Topping

275ml soured cream

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

2 Tsp castor sugar

Method

Crush the biscuits and mix with melted butter. Press into a lined sandwich tin., on the base and up the sides. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer.

Pre-heat oven at 180C.

Mix all of the ingredients for the cheesecake filling. Smooth on top of the biscuit base and bake for 20 minutes.

Mix the ingredients and smooth on top of the cheesecake layer. Bake for 5 minutes.

Chill.

Notes
The amount of cheesecake to base seemed rather imbalanced. I have adapted the recipe and the new recipe is here.

Week 4:Fridge and Freezer

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #4: Fridge & Freezer. Done.

Tuesday: Declutter old food from refrigerator. Done - there was a bottle of salad dressing that had been in the fridge just a little bit too long, and half a glass of fruit juice.

Wednesday: Thorough cleaning of refrigerator. Done.

Thursday: Declutter front and top of refrigerator. Done.

Friday: Declutter freezer. This was done before Christmas, and is still looking mighty fine.

Saturday: Fill out freezer inventory. Not needed.

Sunday: Declutter top of kitchen cabinets. Can't be done until The Beloved is home. Even standing on the kitchen step ladders I can't reach the top of cabinets. However, I know there's two wine glasses and a load of dust to be decluttered. (The Beloved cleaned the top of the cabinets after dinner and disposed of the wine glasses.)

As this was such a simple set of tasks, I threw in 'deep clean the microwave'. It seemed to fit in with the theme.