Monday, December 18, 2006

Cat Brush

Having cats in the house usually means having cat hair everywhere. When Charlie was our only cat we were spoiled - he has short hair and spends most of his time outside. With Nola and Brogan in the mix we end up with cat hair on all the furniture. A few years ago my husband was annoyed by our sad little vacuum that did little to clean cat hair out of the carpet. He used a cat brush that we normally brush the cats with to brush the carpet. It worked wonders! Since then we have always used a cat brush for extra cleaning on the main areas of carpets. We currently have no carpeting, but I continue to use the cat brush on stubborn furniture. It also works on curtains. I usually go over things once with the brush and once with the lint roller. I try to do this daily, which really keeps the cat hair buildup minimal!

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Why freeze easy dishes?

I've taken to freezing side dishes in addition to casseroles and full meals. I do this for days when we'll be busy right after dinner. I freeze things like seasoned rice, mixed veggies and pasta with sauce in sandwich sized Ziplocks (several smaller bags thaw faster than one large bag.) When I know dinner will be quick I just pull out the appropriate bags. I can take them out in the morning so they thaw throughout the day or put them in warm water to thaw faster. Although all these sides could be cooked quickly, I also save myself time by having less cookware to wash. Just call it organic tv dinner... :)