Fuss Free Clean Windows and My Go To Muffin and Mini Quiche Recipes

Washing windows!! I have always wanted to find a way to clean my windows that actually worked, didn’t cost a fortune or leave smudges. Sometimes you can clean a window, it looks great, then when the morning light or the sun hits it in a certain way, the window that looked so lovely after all your hard work, now doesn’t look so great!

I have always loved the feeling of looking out of a clean window. I don’t like cleaning windows, but I love to have them ; ) And living in the country has it’s fair share of challenges. The only lights out here are our lights so every bug and insect is attracted to our house (windows!) and what is attracted to insects??? Frogs!!! So when I wake up in the morning not only do I have insect marks, but frog footprints and other left behind tell-tale signs of my nightly visitors.

They are lovely, but they are also very messy. I’ve had to let go a lot over the years with my need for clean windows and that’s been good, because some things in life are an uphill battle, we need to learn when to let go and accept. But every week or so, I’ll get my tools out and wash a few and stand back and think, gosh I love a clean window!

My Tools

This is what I use, a cloth nappy/or an old tea towel, a good quality squeegee, mine is an Australian made one ( Willy Wagtail!) a microfibre cloth or any cleaning cloth, and a bucket of water. If I’m using a microfibre cloth I don’t tend to put any detergent in the water, if I use a normal cloth I put a little of Aldi’s dishwashing detergent in my bucket. I personally find this one gives me the best results, I’ve used other ones that just were not as good.

Clean windows and Frank in his bed, yes he has his own recliner chair ; )

I have a lot of windows in this house, these are my windows at the kitchen. It’s lovely to work away and look out at the world around me, and Frank : ) Sid has his little bed out there too. We are stand alone solar, so the theory would of been, good air flow through the house, to keep it cool, which it does, however there is a lot of glass. The way to have clean windows, without smudges is to touch it with a cloth as little as possible. So I wash the window down with my bucket water, use my squeegee to get all the water off, working top to bottom and use my cloth nappy to dry the rim or edges of the window, and it’s done. It takes a few goes to get your technique down with the squeegee, but once you’ve got it your away!

If you have limited space to grow things, bathtubs are wonderful! I have these one’s at the end of my house where I can just go out and pick things for my kitchen. Very handy and great in Summer when it’s so hot, I can spoil things a bit out here with water and shade. I have herbs, carrots, chillies, silverbeet (chard), often lettuce and other greens, at the moment bok choy and various flowers. I just top them up with compost inbetween crops, it’s very easy to maintain.

Some evidence of the light rain we had last night on my rose

I wanted to share with you my go to muffin recipe, it’s another basic and easy one that I’ve had for years, and enjoyed by all ages. This recipe makes about 12-15 muffins. Depending on how big you make them. I like to individually freeze the ones that don’t get eaten in the first couple of days, then pop them straight into lunches.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup castor sugar
• 60g butter
• 2/3 cup mashed banana
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk

In a large bowl, rub together flour, sugar and butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Stir in mashed banana, choc.chips, egg and milk combine, do not over mix.

Spoon into muffin pan and bake at 190 degrees celsius for 20-25mins (check at 15-20mins)

My other go to recipe – mini quiches, I love these!

Sour Cream Mini Quiches

• 3-4 rashers bacon (chopped)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1-2 tsps minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp tomato sauce
• salt/pepper
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 sheets puff pastry

Fry bacon and onion until browned.

Then in a bowl mix sour cream, eggs, minced garlic, tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper (be careful with the salt, the bacon will add some saltiness).

Stir with a whisk until smooth, add bacon and onion then add the cheese and mix.

Cut your puff pastry into rounds, you can use a cookie cutter, suitable glass or empty tin. It doesn’t matter as long as you get the shape and size you need for your muffin tin. I always grease mine with butter and a dusting of flour. I just prefer the taste of this than the spray oil. Place your pastry into muffin tin, then I like to use my 1/4 measuring cup, to carefully fill the pastry just so the mix comes almost to the top. Making sure as much as you can to have an even mix of liquid and bacon/cheese ingredients.

Just about to go into the oven

Bake at 180 degrees celsius until golden

Yumm!!

I hope you try and enjoy these recipes, I have been using them for years.

Here in Australia we have a long weekend for ANZAC day, as we remember and honour the brave men and women who fought, served and sacrificed for our safety, and the safety and freedom of so many. I have so much respect and gratitude for people past and present who give and gave so much to keep us safe. And make/made it possible for us to live the way we do. There are no words really are there, just enormous love, respect and thanks. May we always remember and never take for granted all that they did and all that those who serve continue to do.