Summer Recap and Back to School... and Work

Our full school schedule is now starting its third week (we start school late around here, and preschool starts even later), so it's time for life to return to some semblance of normal.

I was expecting my summer to be productive time spent continuing my decluttering quest, in addition to keeping my kids entertained with fun summer activities. Based on the amount of decluttering I completed (very little), I need to adjust my expectations.

All I wanted to do this summer was hang out with my kids. We did numerous non-productive mundane activities, including swinging on our rope swing, chewing bubble gum and learning to blow bubbles, and occasionally making it all the way to the swimming pool. We also celebrated both kids' birthdays and went to the beach twice. For some reason I was expecting to get more done despite the fact that my kids were involved in fewer activities during the day. They were always around, standing between me and their coveted piles of stuff saying, "MOM, DON'T SELL MY BABIES!"

I did have some house projects going on; our masonry and landscaping project took most of the summer, and we had some electrical work done. It took a lot of time and effort to stay on top of these projects (which were hired out to contractors, I wasn't even doing the work myself!) as well as doing the regular tasks that need to be done around the house.

Now, at least I know what to expect of myself next summer: not very much! After my declutter challenge is over, I'll change to a different focus; instead of getting rid of items year round, I'll focus on purging once in the spring and once in the fall.

This means that I need to focus on October as my next big declutter month. My basement is filling up as I recently did Birthday Declutters on my son's room (1 large container full) and my daughter's room (4 boxes!). If it doesn't get decluttered in October, it probably won't leave the house until next year, as I already know I won't have a lot of spare time to work on the project in November and December.

So, we'll see what I can complete next month!

Soup of the Week: Minestrone Soup

I actually made this soup two weeks ago. :) I have two frozen packages left; it is really good! Now that summer is over, I want to get back into the routine of making soups and stocks on a regular basis. I like to have a stash of prepared soups in the freezer to have for lunch or as part of a quick dinner.

This recipe is for Minestrone alla Milanese (from Cooking Class Italian Cookbook) and I got it from my grandmother, who likes to add whatever is on hand, saying, “This is the way Italian cooks make it, using whatever is on hand and using up small amounts of leftovers.”


• ¼ lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 med zucchini, ½ inch cubes
• 1 large potato, ½ inch cubes
• ½ lb cabbage (I omit this)
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I use less)
• 3 Tablespoons butter (mandatory for the flavor!)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2)
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 ½ cups beef broth (I use chicken bone soup or vegetable stock, see * below)
• 1 ½ cup water (or use additional stock if you have enough)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ¼ tsp dried rosemary
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can cannellini beans (white kidney) drained and rinsed
• Baby spinach leaves 1-2 oz (I added this to the recipe)
• Orzo pasta (I added this to the recipe-found whole wheat orzo at Whole Foods)
• Grated Parmesan

Prepare vegetables, make vegetable stock (see * below). In a large stockpot, heat oil and butter. Saute onions 6 min, add carrots and potato, sauté 5 minutes, add celery and green beans, sauté 5 minutes more (stirring often during these times). Add garlic, stir to combine.

Add broth/stock, tomatoes, water, seasonings, and stir well to scrape vegetable bits from bottom of stockpot (umami). Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cannellini beans, cook 30 minutes more but uncovered this time to reduce somewhat, then add orzo and spinach, stirring to combine, and cook 5-7 minutes, or just until pasta is cooked al dente.

Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve w/cheese. Makes about 12 cups.

*Vegetable stock: clean your vegetables well. As you cut up what is needed for the soup, throw the trimmed ends into a large pot full of water. I add onion ends/outer layers, carrot ends, peelings, and tops, celery tops (the more leaves the better), zucchini ends, a bit of parsley if I have some, etc. (I usually don’t add the potato peel but just wash well and leave it on the potato.) Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-45 minutes (while you are chopping everything else and sautéing the veggies for the soup in another pot). Place a strainer over a large pot (I use a large pitcher) and carefully pour the stock through the strainer into the pot. Discard boiled vegetable bits. Measure the amount needed to add to the soup recipe above. You can also freeze vegetable trimmings to make stock at a later time, or add the vegetable trimmings to chicken bones to make chicken stock—but that takes 7 hours, better to do on another day.

Recipe Index

Here is an index of the recipes I've either mentioned or posted on this blog, organized by the following categories:

• Breakfast/Brunch Recipes
• Barely a Recipe
• Appetizers
• Salads and Salad Dressings
• Soups and Stocks
• Entrees
• Vegetarian
• Desserts and Snacks

 Some recipes are listed more than once. I will add new recipes as I discover links to them online, or as I post more of my own recipes. I recommend all of them. Enjoy!

Breakfast/Brunch Recipes

Make-Ahead Strawberry French Toast
Peach Berry Crisp (Filling and Topping)
Pineapple Zucchini Bread
Potato-Kale Quiche or Frittata
Strawberry Bread
Summer Squash Frittata
Super Special Spinach Pie
Whole Wheat Banana Bread

It's Barely a Recipe

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
Black-Eved Pea Hambone Soup
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Fried Zucchini
Salt and Pepper Chicken
Salt and Pepper Potatoes
Smoked Salmon Appetizers

Appetizers

Basil Pesto
Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
Fried Zucchini
Gougeres (Cheese Puffs)
Mini Hamburgers/Sliders
Salmon or Tuna Cakes (Bouchons au Thon)
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Smoked Salmon Appetizers

Salads and Salad Dressings

Broccoli Salad
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Green Goddess Dressing

Soups/Stocks


Black-Eyed Pea Hambone Soup
Chicken Bone Soup
Minestrone ala Milanese
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
White Bean and Kale Soup

Entrees

Apple Sausage Risotto
Baked Chicken Tenders
Baked Ziti with Mini Meatballs
Beef with Broccoli--homemade
Chicken Casserole
Honey Mustard Chicken
Lasagna
Lemon Chicken with Carrot Orzo
Maple Balsamic Chicken
Marinated Flank Steak
Marinated Salmon
Mini Hamburgers/Sliders
Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs
Mom's Chili
Pot Roast (My Favorite!)
Pumpkin Seed Crust (for chicken or fish)
Roasted Chicken with Spinach Rice Stuffing
Salt and Pepper Chicken
Soy-Glazed Salmon with Sweet Potato Black Bean Salsa
Sweet Asian Chicken (Marinade)

Vegetarian Entrees/Sides

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
Carrot Orzo
Creamy Enchilada Casserole
Eggplant Stew over Couscous
Fried Zucchini
Kale Brown Rice Casserole
Lasagna (omit ground meat)
Lentil Rice Casserole
Lime Cilantro Soba Noodles
Potato-Kale Quiche or Frittata
Potato Salad with Picky Eater Option
Salt and Pepper Potatoes
Sesame Baby Bok Choy
Skillet Cornbread
Spinach Rice Stuffing
Summer Squash Frittata
Sweet Potato Black Bean Salsa
Super Special Spinach Pie
Whole Wheat Couscous with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes

Desserts and Snacks

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!
Decorated Cut-Out Cookies Part I and Part II
Lemon Lavender Butter Cookies
Mini Sour Cream Pound Cake Cupcakes
Peach Berry Crisp (Filling and Topping)
Pineapple Zucchini Bread
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Shortbread Hearts
Strawberry Bread
Sweet and Spicy Pecans (scroll down to first recipe)
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Whole Wheat Banana Bread

You can find more recipe index posts here at orgjunkie.com.

Menu Plan Monday: September 27th

Okay, I haven't blogged in a month, but I'm still here and everything's fine, just busy, which is why I should be planning these meals out in advance, hm?

 

4 Easy Steps to a meal plan:
1. Type out the days of the week.
2. Look at the calendar and see if the family is scheduled to eat out on any of the days (nope. Darn!) Also check to see what else is going on during afternoon/evening hours (appointments, meetings, etc.) that may interfere with the production or consumption of dinner. Figure out if/when a grocery trip is coming up.
3. Check the fridge/freezer/pantry to determine
                -what needs to be consumed quickly (leftovers, produce, meat, etc.)
                -what else is plentiful

 4. Despite these steps, still hem and haw while trying to figure out what to make this week!

• Monday: Roast Chicken with potatoes, carrots, and green beans (grandma's recipe)
• Tuesday: Leftovers (including Lasagna made on Sunday)
• Wednesday: Apple Sausage Risotto with steamed broccoli
• Thursday: New Recipe- Creamy Tomato Penne with Shrimp I'm planning to replace the heavy cream with evaporated milk as suggested here to reduce the saturated fat.
• Friday: Leftovers
• Saturday: Potluck dinner, make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with my wonderful fresh pumpkin puree
• Sunday: Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs on the grill, roasted sweet potatoes, cucumber tomato salad
• Monday: (my son's favorite) Spaghetti with whole wheat pasta and turkey meatballs, with steamed green beans

I am on the hunt for pumpkin recipes, particularly for some type of pumpkin soup or tips on what to do with pumpkin seeds. Please let me know if you have a good recipe source!

Find more menu planning ideas at orgjunkie.com. Happy Monday!

Scheduling Annual Physicals

I just scheduled annual physicals for my kids. It seemed a good time to schedule them for several reasons:

• They both have birthdays this month, so I thought about it.
• I can use the information from my daughter's physical this fall to get her paperwork completed so that I can enroll her in kindergarten next March. A physical over this past summer would be too outdated, which is why I was waiting.
• My son hasn't had a physical since I enrolled HIM in kindergarten a year and a half ago.

 Now that they are booked for November 3rd, which is 2 1/2 months from today, I have questions:

• Is it normal to have to schedule an annual physical over 2 months in advance? I admit I was expecting about a 4-6 week lead time.
• Is is possible to have a reminder system in place to prompt a parent to schedule physicals? We seem to get to the dentist every six months without a problem. Or would the additional appointment load become even more overwhelming for the practice?
• How could I remind myself of the need to schedule appointment in an effective way? (Saying to myself randomly, 'Gee, I should schedule physicals for the kids,' may not be the most effective strategy.)
• What Else? What else is slipping through the cracks because it hasn't randomly occurred to me at a time when I can follow through with the idea?
• Am I the only person who has problems like this?

In other news, I've made steps forward in my own health care by setting an appointment with a specialist (three weeks ago) to see if my own health issues can be improved. My issue isn't serious or life threatening, but it does interfere with my life, and it wasn't resolved by the PCP I visited in May. My options were:

• Make another appointment with the same PCP (whom I don't want to use as my PCP) and explain that my issue isn't resolved. Receive additional unsatisfactory care.
• Find a new PCP to try out.
• Go to a specialist who has helped someone else I know.

So I still don't have a PCP. Maybe I will continue the search after the school year starts back up. This summer the kids have been home the majority of the time, preventing much progress on anything productive, frankly. (I shouldn't blame them. I want to relax and have fun, too!)

Declutter Challenge July Update: Easing Back Into It

Something is better than nothing! I love looking at a nice pile of packages, ready to be shipped out the door. It's so satisfying!

I'm distinctly relieved to report that I made my sales goal for July. It wasn't an amazing month, but at least there are 6 fewer items in my home that have now been connected with others who have a use for them.

It wasn't until halfway through the month that I was able to focus on selling some items. I was getting ready to go out of town and didn't have a lot of time to work with, so I decided to do what has become easiest for me: selling on Ebay. To make things work with my schedule, I reduced my auctions to be 5 days long instead of the standard 7 days. I also started all 5 of my auctions at $.99 to attract as much interest as possible.

There seems to be a psychology to starting auctions at $.99 which makes items attract bids more than other items that have a higher starting price. People can't resist a great deal, apparently, and bid on the items, which increases the perceived demand for the item, or some such. At least I've noticed that my $.99 items get a lot of attention and sometimes sell for higher than identical items' Buy it Now prices. (Also, Ebay collects lower fees on $.99 auctions, so it's win-win unless the item isn't in demand and the item ends up selling for $.99!)

My total sales amount on Ebay (after shipping, fees, etc.) was $119.28. I also sold a book on Half.com (even easier than listing items on Ebay!) and made $6.05, bringing my total for July to $125.33!

All of my buyers paid promptly except for one, so I had to haul that package along to the beach while waiting for payment. I prepared the package and used the Wifi connection at the beach house to obtain the address--and the location of the nearest post office. It was a bit of a pain, but I'm glad I took the trouble to make the sales despite being crunched for time.

Maybe one of these days I will actually sell something on Craigslist. I haven't figured out the secret yet, but I hope to make some attempts in August.

August is Toy Purge Month in our household, due to upcoming birthdays. I don't know if I will actually get around to selling many of the toys, but I hope to get a good supply together to sell/donate/get out of my house this fall!

Another area I need to focus more on is recycling. I have various appliances and other random items that need a new home one way or another that I hope to get to in the coming weeks/months.

Visit The Finer Things in Life to fine more decluttering inspiration!

Amateur Gardening: A Harvest

My son and I explored in our vegetable garden yesterday and discovered some items that we could harvest!

Considering that we don't really know what we are doing and just seeing what happens as we go along, it was nice for the rabbits, ants, and other animals to leave a little food for us to use. In addition to the above, I saw a pumpkin, a melon, and a small zucchini growing. Exciting!

That big pile of basil leaves is going to be made up into some Basil Pesto as soon as I can get around to it. I should add that to my Freezer Cooking list. The kids ate the mini carrots already. They didn't get very big because the soil isn't the greatest. (Note to Self: more soil amendment next year!)