"Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes" As "National Cleaning Week" Begins

Long ago, I remember when I was young, spring time meant cleaning or “Spring Cleaning” as my mom would say. This meant that homes all over the country, mostly housewives opened the windows, shook out the rugs, cleaned closets, drawers, and spiffed up the house for springtime. It just seemed right due to the fact that all winter everything was closed up tight. Today, in 2015 we are far too busy to dedicate a week or a couple of weeks just to spring cleaning.

Were you all aware that the 4th week in March just happens to be “National Cleaning Week?” This week is for cleaning up after one season and getting ready for the next. It's for getting your environment clean so you can feel good about yourself and your home. The environment where you spend most of your time can be at home, at work, your shop, basement, or anywhere that you spend a lot of time. It's when we put away and toss out everything from one season to the other and clean up everything that we are going to keep out for the new season. We wash and scrub everything.  

For some reason when we "spring clean" it makes us feel really good. It feels like were getting rid of the old and gloomy winter days and welcoming the new birth of spring. We put away all the winter clothes and joyfully bring out the spring clothes. We open all the windows and doors of the house and we start letting the house air out. We welcome the new spring breezes that blow through all the windows into our house to freshen up every single corner. What do we do next? We clean, clean, clean! We wash the windows, we mop the floors, we swipe the cobwebs out of the corners of the ceiling, and we clean all the air conditioner vents. 

Not only do we clean inside, there is outside that needs cleaning up as well. We pull out the grill that's been stored in the garage through winter and we start cleaning up the grills and adding new parts while replacing the old tank (if it’s not charcoal). We start organizing the potting shed and dragging out the rakes, shovels, hose, and potting soils. We pull out the flower pots and get them all cleaned up because we know they are soon to be the new home of a beautiful flowering plants. We get all the old junk that has collected up on the back porch or the yard over winter and put it all away to make room for the hanging baskets and flower pots. We sweep the leaves that have collected from the winter. We pull all the matching chair cushions out of storage and put them back on the chairs. 

Now I know you must be thinking, oh my goodness where do I start? So much to do and what do I do first? This must be overwhelming for everyone, but not to worry I have some tips that will help make your home and outside look amazing. Pick one thing a week that you would like to tackle. It may be the front closet or the upstairs windows. If you don’t have time to fit these things into your schedule can you hire someone? There are lots of teens looking for part-time work. You don’t need to be the only one in the household looking after all of these things. Teach your children early on about the ‘chores’ that need to be done. Break tasks down and don’t overwhelm them with the sudden urge to have a cleaning day. You’ll only turn them off and make it more difficult to get things done. Find a way to get and keep your organization. Get rid of clutter. Become a minimalist. If it is not necessary – get rid of it and let someone else use it. There are a number of books and sites out there on simplifying life and dejunking your space. Put one or two of these ideas into practice and feel the stress lift. My rule for getting rid of things is, “If I haven’t used the item in a year, then it is out!”

What does “Spring Cleaning” mean to you? If you have any tips or ways to spring clean that you want to share, just comment below…..would love to hear from you.........

Make your own cleaners:

*********WARNING: Never mix cleaning products containing bleach and ammonia as dangerous fumes will result.****************

General Purpose Cleaner:
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dish washing liquid
2 cups hot water

Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.

Heavy Duty Disinfectant Cleaner:
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil or pine-based cleaner

Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.

Wood Cleaner:
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.

Carpet Freshener:
1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up. It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.

Now that you have this valuable information you are ready to clean your house inside and out. Just remember your home is your castle, so make sure you enjoy your life and surroundings, not to get overwhelmed, and if you don’t finish a project remember, that "tomorrow is another day"…..

When you are in a cleaning mood, you have no time to create an elaborate dinner, so I am sharing my mom’s recipe for her “Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes” dinner. It is all in one pan and you can prepare it all ahead and store in your refrigerator till you are ready to bake it. 

“Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes”

Ingredients:
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peel & cut into 1-inch chunks
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded & cut into 1-inch pieces
2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded & cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp of oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
1 pound Italian-style link pork sausages 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F Spread the vegetables in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Make sure vegetables are in a single layer so they will all brown. Pierce each sausage, if using links, in two or three places with a fork. Place sausage in between the peppers, onions, and potatoes. Bake till sausage, vegetables, and potatoes are cooked and browned. Bake about 45 -60 minutes. Serve with a salad and a piece of Italian bread. Enjoy!

 
Till Next Time………….


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