The A Team

Keep it simple, keep it consistent. Just like I tell my oldest son, if you keep practicing it will eventually become habit. Same goes for us as adults. Maybe you feel like your house will always be in disarray. Maybe the cleanest your house ever is is the day before the "keepers" come. Thanks WW! I tell my housewife friends, one thing at a time.

And one "thing" in my book of secrets, is a core group of A Team cleaning supplies. A list of items I always have on hand, which are tried and true in keeping my world shiny. Now your list should be personalized to you and your needs; if you don't like the product what are the chances you're going to use it?! So, here's my list...

• METHOD All Purpose Spray: Kitchen use mainly, highchair, granite, stainless steel, you name it! The bottle says if the surface can be cleaned with water, this spray is safe! Gentle!


• CLOROX Wipes: Bathrooms, doorknobs, light switches, etc. I've talked about my love affair with these babies before but seriously. Everyone needs these. Wipe down a bathroom in less than ten minutes and don't forget those scary-germy door handles and light switches!


• METHOD Le Scrub: Bathrooms. So safe and non-toxic, I just take this fabulous-spa-smelling scrub in the shower with me and clean after I shower. A warm shower/tub area is the key to speedy and effective cleaning. You can throw a little on counter tops too but I wouldn't use it on granite or marble.


• WINDEX: Mirrors, etc. Pretty self explanatory friends. Nobody wants to look at their own gorgeousness with somebody else's toothpaste spit spots on the mirror.


• ORECK Vacuum: It weighs 8lbs people! Come on! Why don't you own one? If they use it at the Four Seasons then it's good enough for me. I vacuum all floors, no matter the type. If you don't have the time to mop or steam the hard surface floors, run your vacuum it's fast. I vacuum every other day at least.

Like I mentioned, your A Team is your A Team. Not mine. But find things that make your routine easier. You'll do it more. Try to clean one thing every day this week. Even if you only wipe down one toilet to start for your first day. You'll be amazed at how it becomes simple to keep it up. Cheers!

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

I do not believe all cooking is easy. Or needs to be for that matter. But, I do believe when you find something that's easy, versatile, and tasty, it is nice to have it in your repertoire for entertaining or family dinner. That's what I love about the Barefoot Contessa. Her ingredient lists are not overwhelming and most importantly, 9 times out of 10, your food turns out like the picture in her cookbook!! Heck yes!

I like to stock my pantry with items I use frequently with many recipes and keep a few items in the freezer that are company and family friendly. Pork loin is inexpensive and so versatile. The classic mistake with pork loin is that it typically is overcooked and comes out dry and bland. Um, not good. This is an easy recipe sure to please little people, big people, and everyone in between.

Herb-marinated Loin of Pork
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

• grated zest of 1 lemon


• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice (4-6 lemons) *In a pinch last week I used 3 limes and 4 clementines and it was great!


• 1/2 c olive oil


• 2 T minced garlic (6 cloves)


• 1 1/2 T minced fresh rosemary leaves


• 1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves


• 2 t Dijon mustard


• salt


• 3 1 lb pork tenderloins (I just buy one package with two in it)


• pepper

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2t salt in a gallon zip loc bag. Double it up with two! Add the pork and cover in marinade. Seal bag and place in refrigerator over night or at least first thing in the morning on the day you are going to grill it.

When you are ready to grill, preheat grill, and remove meat from marinade. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill tenderloin over medium to medium-low heat turning a few times for 15-25 minutes until the meat registers 137 degrees at the thickest part. Remove from grill and place on platter, cover tightly with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be pink which is fine and the thinnest part will be well done. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is a great recipe and can be mixed with anything depending on what you have in your fridge or what the season is! We had it for dinner as a family last week and I served it with julienned red bell peppers (so crunchy and good!) and brown rice. Tonight I will make it for our dinner club and with friends bringing a side and salad, and I bought crunchy sourdough to go with it as well. It's healthy, inexpensive, and delish! So grab those grill tongs and let's get grillin'!

Housewife-ery

Hello one and all!

I am excited to announce that I am moving forward with a little venture I call:

HOUSEWIFE-ERY!

What does this mean to you and yours? Well, you lucky girl, it means I am offering my housewife help to the public! So anyone you know who is in need of the following, please send them my way!

- Organization (closets, kitchens, playrooms... life!)
- Meal planning
- Time management

Anything and everything you can think of that brings more honey into your home, I am here to help! Please contact me with any questions or to book an appointment!