Morning multitasking - whole day's cooking

Discussion in 'Recipe Central' started by hrastro, Sep 11, 2014.

  1. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    I'm usually alert and full of life and laughs early in the morning and then evenings... daytime, I need more motivation to do physical work.

    So here goes my morning routine as requested by pinksugar in the thread - is it a good idea to have a cook?


    My morning routine starts the night before. 8:30 – 9:00 p.m

    I set all the vessels inside, clear the kitchen platform, wash the vegetables required to be cut by maid in morning, keep 2 kadais on the right side of stove, keep cooker vessels in cooker at the same place, even 1 vessel for boiling milk and 1 for making tea is kept at the right side of the stove. I fill the kettle and jugs with water from RO system, so that I don’t have to walk up and down and fill water!

    I also put clothes in washing machine and switch it on with delay timer to finish by 4-5 am.

    If I’m making rotis or dosas for the next day lunch for DS, I’ll also make the roti dough or dosa batter ready.

    Next morning, I wake up at 5:00-5:30 depending on my sleep last night and switch on geyser in my room – if I wake up early, I have a bath before going into the kitchen (definitely during my periods) else I brush my teeth, have my thyroid tablets and start work by 5:35 AM

    Maid comes in at the time and starts cutting vegetables – if I need something for that day’s cooking, I tell her to cut that first – onions or green chillies or potato, banana or brinjal becomes brown if cut and kept, so that is done in morning

    Switch on the kadais – biggest burner for vegetable (sabji – I make two sabjis), small burner across the large one for dal tadka, pour a packet of milk into vessel, this goes behind the big kadai on sim (I don’t have to watch it now) and switch on kettle (already filled last night)

    Then, while water boils in kettle, I make cooker ready – 1 cup rice, 1 small cup dal – and keep on induction stove at 2000 – after one whistle – 7-10 mins, I reduce temp to 500 – then timer to 10 minutes, so timer will take care to switch off.

    Cooker kept on induction, kettle ready with water, kadais are hot – add oil – add tadka – add the vegetables, use hot water for taramind soaking if any. Use hot water to quickstart the tea that is also on sim – at the same time I’ll also keep a coffee filter to add hot water to coffee. Add my own premade tea masala and ginger to tea’s water and add sugar.

    Go to hall, switch on TV to Bhakti channel – Suprabhatam and some sahasranam will come everyday.


    Stir the vegetable fry, stir the dal’s vegetables – add salt and turmeric and keep closed. Cooker whistle goes shshhhh. Is it around 5:50 AM. Reduce cooker temperature and keep timer for 10 minutes. Add tea leaves to tea.


    Switch off geyser in my room, switch on geyser in 10 year old son’s room – wake him up with a kiss – he says 5 minutes amma !!

    Come back to kitchen, add boiled milk to tea and check and stir vegetables and dal’s veg and switch off milk and tea.

    Pour out tea for the maid and me, keep the rest for DH and for my afternoon. Take out coffee decoction into other vessel and add more hot water to kettle and the coffee filter.

    If dal’s veg are done, remove to another vessel and add tadka for pulusu (sometimes I boil both dal’s and pulusu’s veg at the same time and just separate them before adding the masalas – till here it is only tadka, veg, salt and turmeric – that is common) – add pulusu masala and the tamarind paste. Sip tea … Aahh tea tastes so good!!!


    Son, are you awake – you have to go to school, DH can you wake up son ?? ok ok !!! but still sleeping!!!


    Dabbas out at the table. 1 more sip at the tea. Remove curd out of fridge. Maid is now folding clothes and drying the washed clothes from washing machine. . Sip at more tea –my tea finished.


    6:10 AM - When maid enters kid’s room to sweep, I again give a shout or walk up to bedroom and either DH or DS will finally get up and wake the other up and brush teeth.

    More hot water in kettle – take out a big glass, pour honey and mix hot water for son !! Ask DH tea or coffee??

    Remove 1[SUP]st[/SUP] sabji from big kadai into a box, keep it open on dining table under fan – if DH comes to brush at this time, he wont like the fan – and I have to insist or sometimes let go :), put kadai back on heat and add tadka, add the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] vegetable.

    Cooker pressure has gone down. Remove Dal from cooker Remove pulusu into a vessel and keep in fridge (it is for night dinner). Keep back the smaller kadai, add the dals vegetables boiled, add dal. Add chilli powder and dhaniya powder etc depending on what vegetable was used and what tadka was used. Let boil for 4-5 mins.

    Add idli to cooker if breakfast is idlis – again in induction stove – 5 mins high, then set timer to 10 mins at medium/low


    By now it is 6:20 – 6:25 – dal, pulusu and 1 sabji done, start adding to plates and dabbas. Add dal and 1 sabji for DH lunch and to son’s breakfast plate. Add rice to son’s plate and to DH dabba – Remaining will go into boxes for me for lunch. DH keeps son’s water bottle and snack box into his lunch bag.


    By 6:40 – 6:50 am – son out of bathroom, completes his sandhyavandanam, ready with uniform and belt and comes to have his rice-dal-veg-curd – usually will ask for mixture or chips – his dad will attend to it.

    By now, maid has swept and mopped the dining room and all rooms except kitchen, I have packed the boxes and kept them all aside. The last sabji is going on for night. Keep dosa pan or roti pan if keeping for son’s lunchbox – make 2 rotis or 2 dosas and pack lunch for him.


    By now milk is colder, so add little dahi to make curd in Tupperware glass for DH lunch and in small steel box for son’s snack time. Keep some milk separate if DH asks for more coffee or tea.


    Maid takes all the vessels to the kitchen balcony and starts washing. I keep the kadai and cooker for washing – she will complete a small batch and come back for more – by then my kitchen counter has no vessels – all the vessels – the kadais, cooker, cooker vessels, dosa pan and tea vessels and milk vessels are out.


    In fact by the time maid finishes the vessels, my son would finish his breakfast and put that plate also for wash

    Maid cleans all vessels in the balcony, cleans and wipes kitchen counter and kitchen sink and the induction stove, cleans the kitchen floor AFTER that. And then brings the smaller vessels basket in (there is a huge steel shelf in the balcony, that’s where most of the washed vessels go). And then she cleans the kitchen balcony and takes away the dustbin – clean home, clean kitchen, all vessels washed, all dishes cooked for the day.


    7:20 AM Son out for school bus, DH goes to drop him and brings milk. Maid leaves around the same time.

    Whew!!! What a morning – I flop down on chair with another cup of tea or coffee or hot water, this time enjoy and sip slowly.

    Then I check each vessel that was been washed, wash if not properly done, pour out water and keep upside down so that it dries up. Separate the spoons, knives, glasses, boxes, bring some of the vessels inside.

    Then if I haven’t had bath, I’ll have bath!

    Then, if making dosas for DH, I make the dosas!

    Check if I need to make rotis in night, make dough ! If I’m grinding for dosas and idlis, soak now! Dry roast ravas for upmas, dry roast groundnuts and til for chutneys, keep away the cut vegetables in the fridge, if making paneer tikka for snacks, soak the paneer.

    I fill all the bottles and kettle once again and keep for myself.

    8:30 AM - If any backache, I’ll lie down for some time! If I need to discuss something with DH – this is the time to talk – else he comes very late from office.

    9-9:30 AM – DH goes to office, I start my work from home. Whole day – I revisit the kitchen mostly for hot water only! I hardly switch on the stove.

    Till about 3 p.m, I work, I’ll have lunch at my desk, and lie down/sleep from 3:15 – 3:45 pm. Then go out to bring back son from bus stop.

    4:00 pm son comes home. He will have rice, dal, 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] sabji and curd for snack time OR rotis and sabji or hot dosas – or paneer tikka or cutlets. And complete the curd I set in the morning.
    4:45 pm – music class for son.

    5:45 pm – come home and if grinding work for dosas etc – I do now. Arrange clothes in cupboards, buy vegetables, play with son if I have energy, look at his school work. Check indusladies … yaayaaay

    8:00 pm - Keep rice or start rotis, heat up pulusu and 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] sabji. Keep out curd.
    Arrange everything for next day
     
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  2. preethiitech

    preethiitech Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I wish I did that atleast one day! Its a super schedule ...... the one which i dream to do everyday
     
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  3. aratisajjan

    aratisajjan Bronze IL'ite

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    ohh I am speechless reading your routine.. God you are so organised. This post is really motivating and will surely help many women who struggle to manage household work and office like me.

    I loved everything written in the post. and I am going to apply this whenever possible.

    By the way how much you pay for your maid? sorry silly question,,
     
  4. JigsSM

    JigsSM Silver IL'ite

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    wow... what a schedule. and very good time management, i wonder how can you manage all this. Really very nice schedule and some motivation also for me :p

    Cool to see how you manage it.
     
  5. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Maid comes at 5:30-5:45 am stays max till 7:15-7:30 !! Does chopping, dries clothes, folds the previous day's clothes and sweeps, mops, and vessels. Only twice a week, she washes bathrooms and toilets - those days she'll do the kitchen and vessels first, then sweeping then bathrooms and then mopping :) I pay her monthly 2000 + some extras
     
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  6. padmaja909

    padmaja909 Platinum IL'ite

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    wow i am speechless. what an organized schedule. I wish I could me more like you.
    By this post you have motivated me. Thanks a lot.
     
  7. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Thanx all!

    It is just that I break up common work and finish off when I have time -- all because when my back problem started some 6 years ago, I could not stand at the kitchen for more than 10 minutes at a time.

    So I used to finish roasting stuff, cutting vegetables (no maid), making doughs and batters etc whenever I could walk!

    And I was determined not to cook food and store in fridge - and needed to cater to 4 year old son and 84 year old FIL.

    So anytime my back complains, I can make something or the other in 10 minutes and finish cooking. So there's always something.

    Now my back is 100 times better, I have learnt to take rest my back for 10 minutes when I work too much, and can even go a whole day/night without the 10 mins lie down, but my habits are ingrained and I worry too much - what'll my son eat if I get back pain - although son is now older and can make a sandwich himself and my FIL is no longer with us.

    But habits and fear is always difficult to fight !!! :)
     
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  8. pinksugar

    pinksugar Gold IL'ite

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    hastro

    thanks very much for taking out time to share all this.
    like others said me too getting motivated now.
    few ques..its not related to the topic but i am curious.. u drink hot/warm water all day is it for weight loss? can u pls tell which kettle u use so much(actually i am too lokking for good stove kettles).
    u work from home ..u r in which area ?is it software? me too resarching all the time for courses/new carriers which lead me to wfh jobs.
    and your maid seems good. do u give her breakfast too?why i asked is i have seen here in south almost all maids expect us to offer them breakfast esp when they see us cooking it in front of them.i dont like this expectation of thers. i always wonder wats correct . so i asked. sorry silly questions..
    thanks again for sharing and encouraging others..
     
  9. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Hi pinksugar,

    I dont give breakfast, I give her tea! She has to rush off to the next house :) I think breakfast is in the next house or the one after that!! There's nothing wrong in sharing breakfast - it doesnt cost much and keeps them healthy (for you own good also :))

    But maid's DD is almost 1 year old, and I have a 2 year old niece, so I get lots of clothes for her baby ! And meds and fruits/other edible stuff etc of course.

    I drink hot water all day long because it is very cold all day at home (Bangalore)!!! however sunny it is outside, it is cold inside and I dont switch on the fan, but feel cold!!!

    And I do software development from home - I need to take breaks, get up and stretch - I would be looking for something to munch because I'm thinking hard about some algorithm - so this is a policy - instead of unhealthy biscuits and snacks I drink tea and hot water and green tea and tulsi tea - it keeps me hydrated and warm and away from munching. Otherwise it is so cold inside the home I dont feel thirsty all day and will forget to drink water!!!

    Getting tulsi seeds/leaves from outside or making the tea or walking around while the kettle boils gives me some relief and break!!! Also, I always walk around the house while on phone during the day - else I dont walk during the day because of my job - I work 10-3.

    Kettle is prestige - mine is a small one 500 ml, fully stainless steel, hidden coil - about ₹ 2000 - 2 years back - but you can buy bigger ones too for cheaper rates online :) - it switches off after boiling - so you dont have to look after it

    Kettles are very useful to speed up things. I use it for many things.
    For hot water to drink with honey - especially if you get wet in rain :)
    speed up hot water for tea and coffee,
    adding hot water to pulav or upma
    soaking tamarind or kokam,
    steeping green tea
    Steeping tulsi seeds and leaves
    Rasam and sambar is so quick
    Put hot water in cooker and it goes shshsh so quickly
    Soaking soya chunks
    soaking rava for rava dosa
    making cold milk warmer (in a steel glass)
    soaking chana, rajma, dry beans and matar
    Quick cook frozen matar and sweet corn
    Soak badam, kaju, and dry nuts and khus khus - poppy seeds to grind for pulav
    Soak tomato for skinning it easily
    Blanch beans, greens
    washing cauliflower
    Sometimes, if I'm in a hurry I'll wash tur dal in boiling hot water instead of normal water and then put in cooker - dal cooks soft very quickly
     
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  10. pinksugar

    pinksugar Gold IL'ite

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    hrastro

    thanks very much for your reply .wow so many uses of the kettle. i am sure getting it..
     
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