Help - looking after a family of 4

Penelope_Penguin

sali_mali wrote: »

Now my little sister doesn't like stir frys but a risotto would be a nice change instead of one of the pasta dishes. Do you have a recipe I could look at? I've never made one before.

Delia does a really easy risotto recipe, that you cook in the oven like rice pudding, rather than faffing with hot stock. Her site's down atm, but you could google later,

HTH, Penny. x

champys

there is also a risotto thread on this site - have a look here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=608231&highlight=risotto

THIRZAH

I try to keep the house tidy and keep the laundry under control.It's much easier to do a load of washing every day or so than to leave it and do it once a week.It's also easier to clean a tidy house.

Once everyone else has gone out in the morning dash round and pick things up, empty waste paper baskets and put the previous days papers in the recycling.Those are the kind of things that people notice-nobody's going to notice if you haven't cleaned the windows unless they are really dirty to begin with.

If you have freezer space it's worth doubling up on a few dishes such as pasta bake so if you are having a bad day or want time off there's always a meal ready.

Dumplings made with suet are very easy to make.Just mix the flour and suet together with water and put on top of the stew. You can also use the same mixture eg.8 oz SR flour and 4 oz suet to make a suet crust-like pastry-for a steak pie or you can roll it out, spread it with jam, roll it up like a swiss roll, wrap in greased foil and bake for about 45 mins and you have baked jam roll.

trying-very-trying

unixgirluk wrote: »

I serve Shepherd's pie with seasonal veg (a choice of 2 usually). Carrots cooked in orange juice are nice for a change.

Sorry to butt in here, but unixgirl, I really like the sound of your carrots in OJ. Now I know I'm going to sound thick, but how do you do them

aurora_borealis_2

I'm loving this. I am sali's mum

Please can you tell her to clean more often. The house needs decluttering too. Feel free

I have to say, if she can manage this it will be a godsend - I am seriously knackered!!

Good luck

lil_me

Dumplings can be done easier, you only need the half quantity of suet to flour then water enough to make it stick together. Seasoning and parsly is optional, I like them with chopped leaks in. Sheperds pie, I usually serve with veg. Personally I would put a seafood/fish dish in there somewhere, but all down to personal taste aswell.

Well done on trying this challenge, will hopefully be a good experience and practice for the 'real world' after uni.

If little sister is dumping her things when she gets in, does she have somewhere to put them? A basket, box or bag, even a carrier on a coat hook would give her somewhere to put them.

Gingham_Ribbon

Nice one, Sali! Nothing like baptism by fire. You really are jumping in at the deep end!

Okay, first of all, you will wear yourself out if you try to do too much too soon. So here are my tips:

Get on to www.flylady.net and have a browse to see how she breaks things down re keeping on top of the housework. Setting a timer to get various jobs done works a treat if you're a bit hassled or overwhelmed.

Cook things you know how to do with maybe one or two new things a week so you don't get overwhelmed. If you are getting bogged down, you can make your meal plans simpler by serving good ole mince and tatties instead of shepherd's pie for example or pasta with a basic tomato sauce and veg instead of doing a pasta bake - it depends on how much time you have.

I manage to get the dinners sorted by bobbing into the kitchen at intervals during the day and (for example) peeling the spuds, sticking them in water, going back and chopping an onion, back in half an hour later to scrape and slice the carrots...it can take all day bobbing in for 5 mins but it comes together in the end. If you have the time to get on with it in one crack, stick radio 4 on (or whatever) and just enjoy being creative - don't let it hassle you. You'll do fine!

aurora_borealis_2

Oh bliss ... I have her for a month

-and make that 5 people - she forgot a sister

Churchmouse

sali_mali wrote: »

Numerous posts are good, I need all the help I can get!

Little sister just came in from school, looked around and said how nice and tidy the house was. Then proceeded to dump her bag, scarf, coat and shoes in a trail to the kitchen and make a mess of my surfaces whilst making snack :rolleyes:

She'll be getting a smack in a minute!

Welcome to the grown-up's world:rotfl: :rotfl: Although I doubt you ever dropped your clothing / possessions wherever you happened to be when you divested yourself of them;) Seriously, well done you, and if your mum doesn't appreciate you enough, I can give you a bed (I'll kick one of my son's out!!!!) and I promise to really appreciate you:D You sound a lovely daughter:T

sali_mali

The other sister's not here yet!

Thankyou for the tips everyone. I've managed to keep the house tidy for 2 days and cook a meal without killing anyone so far! I've read through the flyladies thread so I can start with the proper cleaning now too.

I'm starting to regret this already! Tomorrow I have to be up at 8am to take my dad to golf, then take little sister fancy dress shopping, the pick dad up from golf, then take everyone to get a Christmas tree, decorate it, cokk dinner then off to work at a bar 5 til close.

I don't know how people function doing this every day in the real world! I'm staying in uni for the rest of my life!