House Cleaning and Steak Casserole

It’s Friday, and I have just arrived at Joanne’s house to do my cleaning stint. It has been raining for days, and I am just glad to be at work.

The Note

The first thing I notice is a note from Joanne. It reads:

Hi Maggie.
Happy New Year.
It was so good to come home to on Tuesday. You have no idea. The place was lovely and clean and tidy again thanks to you.
What would I do without you?
Paul says, any chance of a stew or casserole tonight?
Best wishes
Joanne. x

Smiling to myself, I put the note in my pocket to show hubby later, Just to let him see how much I am appreciated.

The Good Clean

I gave the place such a good clean on Tuesday that it has stayed quite clean, so it just needs a freshen up everywhere.

With a clean, damp duster that has been dipped into some fabric conditioner and water of equal amounts, I wipe down the furniture and television unit. The conditioner helps stop the static electricity that attracts dust.

I notice the fridge is a bit grubby and needs a freshen. I empty everything out and throw away any thing past its ‘use before’ date.

I make a solution of hot soapy water and add some Bicarbonate of soda, which eliminates any bad odours and softens the water for easier cleaning. Once it is clean and fresh I return all the food and drink.

I check the toaster and that needs a clean too. I unplug it, turn it upside down over the sink, and give it a few shakes to remove the crumbs. I remove large pieces with the kitchen tongs and also remove the sliding drawer on the bottom and shake out all the crumbs from that.

Lastly, I clean the outside with a damp cloth.

When I have mopped the kitchen floor, I go upstairs and make the bed, clean the bathroom and squirt some bleach down the loo.

Back downstairs, I set up the ironing board and bring the ironing up to date. Joanne cannot stand ironing but I quite enjoy it and to be paid as well is a bonus.

When I have finished the ironing, I notice I still have plenty of time to prepare a casserole in the slow cooker.

The Steak Casserole

I had noticed some stewing steak in the fridge when I cleaned it out, so I thought I would use that. I chop up an onion, fry it in the pan, then add the cubed steak and very quickly brown it off. I then transfer that to the slow cooker.

I chop up fresh carrots, Swedes and parsnips quite small and add to the steak and onions. In the freezer I find some runner beans which I add to bring a bit of green to the dish and with the help of a couple of stock cubes and filtered water I bring the level of the casserole up to about three quarters full.

I add the seasoning and switch on the slow cooker.

Lastly, I make some dumplings with self-raising flour, suet and seasoning, blend them together with a little water and roll them into balls. Leaving them in the bowl, I cover them with kitchen foil and leave a note to Joanne to place them in the casserole dish, put the lid back on and cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes to cook.

Looking around I feel satisfied that everywhere looks clean and tidy and visualise Joanne’s face as she walks in and smells the casserole cooking.