Project: Organize

These last two weeks of organization have been a bummer for me.

The garage is the husband's zone--not my place to organize, but his. And he has done a fabulous job of doing so!

The office is a no-go, too. In dividing up our "chores" the husband so graciously (and thankfully!) took the job of doing the bills. I don't feel as though I can go in there and mess around with his organization. It works for him, and he does the bills. I'm not about to get in the way of that. I would be upset if he took it upon himself to organize my craft space. So I will sit another week out, and enjoy the fact that I don't have to take care of the bills for this household.

I may take some time tonight, though, to pick out carpet colors, wall colors and hardwood floors (upgrades to the ol' hacienda coming soon!).

Project: Organize #4 The Pantry

Sadly, I didn't get around to organizing the garage. It has been a very busy week and I decided to take most of it off from the blogging world.

I do love the blogging world, though, so I couldn't stay away too long! Although, I will not be participating in A bowl full of lemons.' pantry organization challenge. You see, I organized the pantry not too long ago. Surprisingly, it is still in great organizational shape. Typically after I take time to organize something, it falls apart after a month or two. Which probably means that my system isn't working, but I'm not a professional organizer...I don't really know what I'm doing.

Here is a link to my pantry organization.

{recetas} Garlic Pepper Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussels sprouts. I wish I could say I always have, but that's not true.

I think I was 25 when I first tried the delicious vegetable. That's a mere three years ago. My curiosity got the best of me when I saw the bulk bag of Brussels sprouts at my local Costco. I purchased...okay, my mom purchased 4 pounds of them.

I talked with my brother-in-law, a man that thoroughly enjoys to cook, about the vegetable and learned that boiled Brussels sprouts weren't so fabulous. Instead, he informed me, they should be cooked on the stove with some oil.

What you need:

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• grape seed oil
• salt
• pepper
• red pepper flakes

What you do:

• Wash the Brussels sprouts and trim away the stem. I always peel away the leaves that look yucky, or super loose.

• Cut each sprout in half, from the top to the stem (I think the inside looks rather interesting).

• Place the sprouts (I got sick of typing Brussels) in a bowl and drizzle with grape seed oil (or an oil of your choice). Give it a good toss.

• Add a few cranks from the salt grinder and a few from the pepper grinder. Toss again, then add the red pepper flakes. Add everything to a saute pan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently. Turn the heat on the stove a bit lower, cover and cook for five minutes.

That's it! Super easy. Tonight, my husband had a few as a side to our burgers and baked potatoes (he doesn't care for Brussels sprouts). I had mine both as a side and as a topper for the baked potato. It was delicious!

Project: Organization #3 The Kitchen

Well, my friends, I've completed the kitchen as part of A bowl full of lemon.'s Home Organization 101. Honestly, it wasn't difficult as I have kept my kitchen rather organized since I moved in with the husband.

I did make a few changes, though. Over the course of the year that I have lived here, I have come to realize that I do not like counter top clutter (especially since my counter space is so limited). When I found the perfect white pot for a buck at Bethesda (the thrift shop!), I knew it needed a home on the counter that was easily accessible. Away with the knife block, hello magnetic strip from IKEA.

I also moved the coffee maker to the other side of the sink. Because of where the bottom of our upper cabinets sit, the coffee maker cannot be directly underneath any of the cabinets. Which means it needs to be right. next. to. the. sink. It's kind of annoying, but that's where it has to be. It now sits next to the canister of coffee beans and the grinder. Makes sense, right?

I also found this dish at Bethesda and couldn't find it's home for the longest time. It has now become the harvest bin. Any veggies that we pull from the garden will sit there until used (except tomatoes...too many for the harvest bin!).

Although there weren't huge changes to the kitchen (husband will be happy!), I feel refreshed and energized to organize other parts of my home. The contents of the fridge and pantry have been cleaned out. Expired items discarded, Shelf stable items I know I won't use have been unloaded at the food shelf. The drawer of utensils has been cleaned out (I just wish I had enough room to get the more frequently used utensils off the counter).

I've linked up at A bowl full of lemons.

Organize Schmorganize

I love to organize. The look of a beautifully organized cabinet, fridge, bedroom, anything brings a smile to my face. I've come to realize, though, that I lack the know-how to be a truly organized person. I try, but the organizational system seems to fall apart in a day.

Because of this, I've enrolled in a "class" per say. I follow the blog A bowl full of lemons. and am super excited for her 14 week organization series. My plan is to follow along and post about my trek through the world of organizing.

She's starting with the kitchen, so it is probably best that I start there, too.

Did you go check out her first post in the series? Isn't her kitchen amazing!?