imoldgreeeg

I have a busy week coming up so doing some meal prepping and figured I would not be the only one - let's swap notes. Basically I like to prep components so I can swap around with ease with one or two meals in there.

This week's menu

Breakfasts - yougurt + berries everyday

Roast veg salad:

Prep:

• pre roast potato and sweet potato with onion and left over fennel
• pesto+ avo dressing
• seeds and saltanas in a jar to put on top

Assemble:

• leaves, roast veg and toppings in a bowl. Dressing.
• if hungry chuck a chicken tender in the oven too

Stew and polenta - dinner last night Prep: cook and portion (X2 in fridge and x3 in freezer)

Assemble:

• steam veg or chuck rocket on the side
• reheat

Tofu stir-fry

Prep: cut veges and store in fridge cut

Assemble: I'll pan bake the tofu and make a satay sauce at the time. Probably Wed night when I have time. It doesn't last as well so will be dinner/lunch

Mushroom risotto and chicken tenders

No prep but easy. Do risotto in the instant pot so I can leave it unattended and chicken in the oven. Serve with some left over rocket..

I am also cooking some white navy beans to add here and there or just to mash on its own. I have some eggs in the fridge and an apple a day. My aim

I just got an email from my local library (western suburbs) they they will open extended hours today and tomorrow for people to use during the heatwave. Might be an option for anyone needing a quiet, cool, inexpensive option

I have a few people to buy for this year and once again thinking how to do this frugally and sustainability (I get a bit sick when I see mountains of plastic crap in the shops). Any ideas?

Some things I have done in the past:

• Little plant cuttings in jars (got some on the go again this year)
• Op shops and second hand gifts - look for unusual things from the op shop. This works well for some but not unless they are a bit quirky themselves
• Buying a bunch of treats/snacks and doing my own hampers up.
• Baked goods - I always make a big batch of spice cookies and a couple of slices. I am crappy at packing them nicely tho, but I can cook.

I am not great at crafts but I will try anything!

I've been playing around with DIY cleaning at home and thought I'd share my current setup. Love to hear suggestions or other tips

Equipment

• I bought a couple of glass spray bottles from amazon but you could reuse old ones (mine had all broke)
• box of rags - I like microfibre but also old tshirts and tea towels (tea towels are great for drying off surfaces)
• old toothbrush for fiddly bits in the bathroom

Basic cleaner - option 1 : Grease / shiny things / tough surfaces

• fill up bottle with 3:1 white vinegar to water
• add a good bloop of dishwashing soap
• I add in a few drops of eucalyptus oil (optional)

I use this for most things. People caution against using it for stone top benches. I haven't had an issue but if you want to be cautious use this

Basic cleaner - option 2: Gentle and deodorising

• fill up bottle with 100% water
• add a good bloop of dish washing soap
• add a couple of teaspoons of bicarb
• I add in a few drops of eucalyptus oil (optional)

Don't mix the vinegar + bicarb. They will neutralise each other and add nothing.

If you are sensitive to smells etc - use option 2 for everything

In the bathroom

Not quite basic glass and metal cleaner and disinfectant

You can use the vinegar mix for this but I have a fair bit of glass so I bought a litre of isopropyl alcohol from amazon and mixed this in a separate bottle that lives in the bathroom:

• 70% Isopropyl alchohol
• 30% water (you want a 70% mix for disinfecting)
• Bloop of dish washing soap
• optional drops of oil - again I do eucalyptus or clove oil but doesn't matter

toilets and drains

• a tablespoon or two of bicarb in the drain or in the bowl and flush with water is simple gentle cleaner
• For the shower I have one of those squidgy glass wipers and a refillable dish cleaner wand thing for the shower - filled with dishwash soap and some drops of clove oil). I wipe down the excess water after every shower and once a week give it a scrub with the dish cleaner wand and dish soap.

I do still use a name brand toilet cleaner once a week and maybe once a month use some oxygen cleaner or bleach on the shower tiles but I'd like an alternative.

Hard floors

I've got a spray mop and am still working through a bulk by of some eco floor cleaner but I'm thinking i'll just use mix #2 (bicarb) above when that runs out - suggestions welcome

My old xps13 is old in the tooth and the new ones have some things I don't like. So I am after recommendations. My preferences

• Linux (Ubuntu/Debian friendly). Happy to wipe and install and will check compatibility beforehand but if anyone has a Linux daily driver they love let me know
• good CPU and decent RAM (32gb would be nice)
• Lightweight - smaller preferred (currently on a 13" and happy)
• Touchscreen would be nice
• Usb-c
• Decent battery life

I have access to other machines for heavy GPU stuff that's not as important as CPU and RAM.

Uses:

• Programming/terminal use
• Reading docs and papers
• Watching movies etc
• No gaming

That's my wishlist. What do you suggest, Aussie tech friends?