Project Organization

After all we went through last year, we declared 2011 The Year of the House (more on that in a later post). In preparation for our impending move, I embarked on a couple MAJOR organization projects over the long, cold days of January and February. (Hence the bloggy silence recently.) Now, I am finally getting around to posting about them.


Project Organization #1: the Playroom
As the kids get older it seems their toys come with more, TINY pieces! The constant corralling of teeny, tiny toys was about to drive me crazy after Christmas when I stumbled on some clear plastic tubs on sale at Wal-Mart. That inspired me to do this...

I bought one tub for each set of toys: Littlest Pet Shop, toy tools, animals, My Little Pony, etc. (Since the above picture was taken I have purchased more tubs so they are all contained.) Once all the pieces were collected in their respective bins, I downloaded clip art (or in some cases, the actual brand logo) from the Internet and printed them out. I taped the picture or logo to the inside of the tub and voila! instant toy organization.

I am not naive enough to believe that this small act will cast a magical spell over our playroom so that it remains in a constant state of tidiness and organization, but you would not believe how much it has helped! Not only does it give my kids some direction as they clean up, it also helps when we have friends over to play. Everyone knows exactly where all the toys go. Plus, the tubs stack neatly on a shelf. Magic spell or not, every little bit counts!


Project Organization #2: Recipes
When we got married 8 1/2 years ago, some of the girls I worked with made me a starter cookbook. It was great..a huge 3-ring binder with slip-in sheet protectors and all! I added to it faithfully over the years as I discovered new favorites. As a matter of fact, I added so many that it eventually looked like this:

My recipe collection had outgrown my organization system. In addition to my printed collection, I had various electronic files stored on my laptop (in multiple locations and formats). It actually took me longer to sift through the mess and find a recipe than it would to search for it online! So I set out to tackle the mountain of recipes.

I found some 3-ring binders on clearance and invested in some sheet protectors. First, I started with the recipes I already had on my computer. I formatted them all the same and printed them out. (Sorry, I didn't get a picture of these, but trust me...they look nice!) I had several recipes printed from various web sites, and although they didn't match my format they were clean and easy to read, so I left them as is.

The biggest job was the many hand-written recipes I had scribbled down while on the phone with my mom or my grandma. I spent several evenings typing those up and printing them out (a huge undertaking in itself!). The last type of recipe I had were the ones I had clipped or torn from magazines. I have a terrible habit of finding a recipe that "sounds good," so I tuck it into my trusty notebook, never to be seen again. Since most of these were untried recipes, I couldn't justify taking the time to type those up. I left them as is, rationalizing that I will type them up if and when I get around to trying it (and provided we love the outcome).

Next, I made a list of categories. I had five binders, so I organized all my recipes into five main categories and then created sub-categories for the tab dividers. This may seem like a lot of work, but honestly, this is how my brain works so it just sort of "fell into place" in my head. I even created folders on my laptop that reflected these categories so I always know where to find the electronic files of the recipes. Here are the categories I came up with based on the recipes I had:

Appetizers, Snacks & Dips

*Appetizers

*Snacks

*Dips

*Beverages and Sauces

Breakfast

*Pancakes & Waffles

*Muffins & Biscuits

*Casseroles/Quiches

*Cereals

The Main Course

*Beef

*Chicken/Fish

*Turkey/Pork

*Pizzas

*Pastas

*Casseroles

Soups, Salads, Sides

*Soups

*Salads

*Rice, Pasta, Potato Sides

*Veggie Sides

Desserts & Goodies

*Cakes, Cupcakes & Icings

*Cookies

*Pies, Brownies & Bars

*Cold/Chilled Desserts

*Miscellaneous

Finally, the easy part: assembling the binders. I printed all my recipes, put them in the sheet protectors and organized them in the binders. I put of all my "to try" recipes (remember the ones from magazines?) in one sheet protector at the back of each section. That way, when I'm in the mood to try something new, I can sift through them and see what I find. Once I try it (if we like it), I'll type it up and add it to the section. (I also put extra sheet protectors in each section so I'm ready to add new favorites as I find them.)


It was a daunting (and, at times, overwhelming) undertaking, but I'm so pleased with the results, and they look so nice sitting on my counter where they're so easy to grab!

So what are your organizational secrets? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Books, Books, and more Books

I love books. Hubby often laughs at me, because I leave stacks of books around the house so that, if I have a spare moment (and I do mean "moment" since there are two little ones constantly vying for attention), I can grab a book and get a few paragraphs further in my reading. I currently have nine books checked out from the library...and that's not counting the ones the kids have checked out.

Since I have been relatively "blog silent" so far this year, I thought I would share what I have been doing...mostly, reading and research. When I'm not tending to the kids or the house, shuttling us to preschool or church, running errands, or scouring the Internet for houses for sale (yes, we're still looking), I have my nose stuck in a book or magazine.

I read mostly non-fiction, because I love learning about new topics. My latest interest is nutrition. It all started as I was researching food allergies (more on that in a later post) and discovered that many food allergies are related to the "additives" and other junk in all of our processed foods. That led me on a search to discover just what we are eating these days and how to select foods that will provide the best and most nutrition for my family.

Below are three of my recent favorite finds. I had heard of these books quite a bit, but never got around to reading any of them. You may have already seen or read many of them. If not, I encourage you to check them out. While a lot of the nutritional basics are repeated in each book, each one gives a distinct slant on specifics and provides a treasure of nutritional know-how in itself.

Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
I believe this was the original Eat This, Not That book written by the editor-in-chief of Men's Health Magazine in 2007. In it, Zinczenko gives valuable information on the nutritional content of many of your favorite foods and restaurant staples, including suggestions of what to eat and what not to eat at your favorite fast food and sit-down restaurants. This book is a simple and easy beginner's guide to making the best choices at restaurants, the supermarket, and even your favorite holiday gatherings.

Eat This, Not that for Kids by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

A practical tool for any parent, Eat This Not That for Kids provides valuable information on some of your kids' favorite restaurant fare...even those that are not available online. Some of the information is common sense, some of it is rather shocking. For example, did you know that Chili's Pepper Pals Chicken Crispers pack an unbelievable 41 grams of fat? And Romano's Macaroni Grill's Kid's Double Macaroni 'n' Cheese contains over 1,200 calories...and that's the kids' portion! Zinczenko also provides an entire section on school cafeteria and vending machine options as well as several recipes for giving kid-friendly fare like mac and cheese and nachos a nutritional makeover.

Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Survival Guide by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
This is my favorite Eat This, Not That book so far. The book opens with a sort of primer on nutrition, including how our foods have changed in the last 20-30 years (with the introduction of such things as high fructose corn syrup and trans fats) and how that might be impacting our nation's current struggle with obesity. These changes aren't simply limited to process foods, either. Even our meats, dairy products and produce pack less of a nutritional punch than they did decades ago, mostly thanks to "advances" in farming techniques which result in growing plants and animals faster and "stronger." Zinczenko also uncovers some sneaky marketing tactics used by food manufacturers to "dupe" consumers into believing highly-processed, nutrient-lacking foods are actually good for us! The bulk of the book is spent going section by section, aisle by aisle through your supermarket and comparing name-brand product against name-brand product. It is a lot of information, and all of it is beneficial.

I'm also wanting to check out two of Zinczenko's more recent books: Eat This, Not That: Restaurant Survival Guide and Cook This, Not That: Kitchen Survival Guide which gives practical, nutritious recipes for duplicating some of your favorite restaurant meals at home.

For a complete list of books, plus practical tips and nutritional information, visit EatThis.com.

Do you know of any other helpful nutritional resources? If so, leave me a comment and let me know. They'll probably find their way to my stack of books (or list of web sites) soon.

Where to begin...

I sat down the other day to blog since it's been well over a month now, and I got completely overwhelmed. There's so much to catch up on I don't know where to begin. I definitely want to share pics of our amazing vacation to Colonial Williamsburg (as well as updates of Baby Zoe and all the cousins).

And of course, I wanted to share the good news that we sold our house after only three weeks on the market. Then there's the frustration of not finding a new house (at least not the one we want for the price we can afford), the sinking realization that we have to find a place to live in a few short weeks, and the slow resignation (on my part) to the fact that that place will be a temporary duplex, which is smaller than our already too-small house.

Maybe some day soon I'll blog about all those things...and all the lessons that God is teaching me along the way. But for now, I want to focus on something else that has been consuming my almost-every waking moment...my son's food allergies.

We've known for a little over a year that Little Man had a peanut allergy. It came as quite a shock, and provided to be a HUGE exercise in education and self-control for me as I come from a long line of peanut-butter-lovers. (My dad has been known to add the staple to such things as hamburgers and hot dogs!)

Just when I thought I finally had the routine down--checking labels, quizzing restaurant personnel, informing caregivers, sticking brightly-colored "Allergy Alert!" stickers all over him before putting him in the church nursery, hiding and sneaking bites of contraband PB here and there...the stakes got drastically higher.

A couple of weeks ago we visited the allergist with a simple question concerning vaccination and ended up finding out that, in addition to peanuts, Little Man is also allergic to egg and soy. Well, this provided a whole new level of education, adjustment, and more than a little stress to my life. I've known a few other moms who have struggled with food allergies in their families, but I had NO IDEA the level of stress it can cause. I have an all-new appreciation and empathy for families who deal with any type of food allergy or intolerance.

I've only begun my research, so I'm sure there is much I still do not know. But I wanted to take some time to list a few things I've discovered in the last few weeks. I hope this will be helpful to any who have, or know someone who has, food allergies.

1. Soy, soybean oil, and soy lecithin is in almost EVERY processed or prepackaged food (even organic or all-natural foods since soybeans are a natural food).
2. Some sources say soybean oil and soy lecithin do not contain the protein that causes an allergic reaction and therefore are safe. However, our allergist maintains that those ingredients can and do cause a reaction. We choose to avoid them to be safe.
3. I have yet to find a bread, tortilla, or wrap that does not contain soybean oil. I did find a whole wheat pita bread that seems to be safe.
4. It is important to check the ingredients on EVERYTHING! (I found soy listed on my cornstarch, and my friend found it as an ingredient in her flour!)
5. Some sources maintain that only raw egg contains the protein that causes allergic reaction (because heating the egg changes the protein). While Little Man has never reacted to anything with an egg cooked or baked into it, our allergist recommended avoiding it as it can cause a reaction.
6. You can use the following substitute for 1 egg in any baking recipe: combing 2 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp water, 1/2 tsp baking powder. (I have used this in muffins and didn't notice a difference!)
7. You can also substitute 1 Tbs of flax seed and 3 Tbs of water for 1 egg in any baking recipe. (I have not tried this yet, but found the recommendation on the side of the flax seed box.)
8. Children will likely outgrow many food allergies, including soy and egg by the time they are in preschool. The chances of outgrowing a peanut allergy is much lower.
9. Those with a peanut allergy should also avoid tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.), even if they do not test as reactive to those allergens, because most plants process them together and there is a high risk of cross-contamination.
10. Soynut butter is a good substitute for peanut butter for those with peanut allergies. We used it for awhile until Little Man developed the soy allergy. (Yes, apparently they can develop an allergy to a food they've not reacted to previously.) Sunflower nut butter is also recommended as a substitute as it is not processed with nuts and therefore no risk of cross contamination. (However, the only brand I've found so far is manufactured in a plant that processes soybeans!)

I'll share more as I learn. Right now I'm working on "tweaking" some of our favorite recipes to be Little-Man-friendly and will post some once they've been tested and approved. :)

If you know someone who has food allergies, I recommend the the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network web site. It's a wealth of information. If you have food allergies, what tips and tricks have you learned along the way? I'd love to hear from you!

Menu Plan Monday

OK, here is my first attempt at "public" Menu Plan Monday (and yes, I did it for the free giveaway...keeping my fingers crossed!) Anyway, here's what our menu looks like this week:

Monday:

Rotisserie chicken (from the grocery deli as I need to go grocery shopping this afternoon)

Pasta salad (from a box)

Green beans (from a can)

*It was a crazy weekend and I haven't been shopping yet, so keeping it easy today!

Tuesday:

Lasagna (frozen from a couple of weeks ago)

Salad

Garlic toast

Wednesday:

Chicken Divan (recipe below)--recipe from my friend Jill, haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure we'll love it!

Vegetable medley

Thursday (breakfast for dinner):

Egg and sausage casserole (click here for recipe)

Fresh fruit

Toast

Friday:

Family night (which means dinner out!)

Saturday:

Grilled hamburgers with buns

Corn on the cob (on the grill, of course!)

Cucumber and blue cheese salad (click here for recipe)

Sunday:

Eat out after church, then whatever you can find for dinner!

Chicken Divan
2 pkgs. frozen broccoli, cooked

pieces of cooked chicken (whole chicken, deboned, or 4 chicken breasts)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (mix 1/2 c. milk with soup to thin)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Layer the above and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Burgers and Fries Remix

I am not an official participant of Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday (for more info, click here)...not yet at least. (And yes, I know it's already Wednesday). But MPM has inspired me to put forth a more concentrated effort in menu planning. So I dusted off a few of my cook books, and I'm rediscovering some old favorites.

Today was one of the first "warmish" days so far this Spring (if you can call what we've been having "spring"), so I fired up the grill and did a variation on the ol' burger and fries (a healthier variation at that...much to my hubby's chagrin. But he said he liked it.) I thought I'd post a couple of the recipes here in the hopes that you enjoy a good recipe discovery as much as I do.

Southwest Turkey Burgers
2 lb ground turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate the mixture 10 minutes, then form into 8 patties. Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the patties on the grill. Cook for 20 minutes, turning once, or until well done. The inside of the burgers will look whitish when cooked through.

Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries
4 sweet potatoes, cut into large fries
1 Tblsp water
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
2 Tblsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cut sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe dish with water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, then drain. Toss with Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread fries in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once, or until fries are crispy on the outside.

Hope you enjoy!