Holiday Prep: A Series

I have a rule about Christmas. The rule is that Christmas must be contained to the month of December. This means that any and all Christmas decorations must not go up until after my birthday (Dec 9th), and must come down during as soon as possible after New Years Day. Christmas Shopping and Shipping are properly done in December. Holiday Photos are taken in December, holiday cards are written and mailed in December...

I really like this rule because it makes me prioritize and limit Christmas Activities. I enjoy the holiday season, but one month's worth is plenty for me. At the same time, it seems like there is more and more to do to get ready for the holidays each year. As our family grows, and I volunteer to help at school, AND I entertain more around the holidays, I've found that I must be very organized and cheat bend the rules as much as possible if I want to get ANY sleep at all during the month of December!

I am going to share a few of my Holiday Preparation tips during the upcoming weeks in the hopes that they will be as helpful to others as they have been for me.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is incredibly versatile as a side dish or a potluck dish:

• You can serve it either hot or at room temperature
• It makes 6-8 large servings for an affordable price, especially if you make it using produce from your garden
• It's great as leftovers, especially when the cherry tomatoes burst and the tangy tomato juice soaks into the couscous
• It's a great way to use a large quantity of cherry or grape tomatoes quickly--you know, when they are on their last legs and getting a little too soft to add to a salad.
• If you finely dice a portion of the yellow squash, you can serve the couscous only portion to a picky child and they will not notice that they are eating onions and squash with the couscous. (Ask me how I know!)

Adapted from The All New Joy of Cooking, page 268:
Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs zucchini and/or yellow squash (I use 4 medium: 2 green, 2 yellow) in larger bite-sized pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I try to use bone soup or homemade vegetable stock)
• 2 T chopped fresh thyme, or 2 tsp dried
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 cups quick cooking whole wheat couscous (I find this at Trader Joe's)
• 24-36 Cherry or Grape tomatoes (to taste; I like extra)

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions, cook 5 minutes, then add squash and zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until some onions and squash are browned a bit. Don't overcook to avoid the squash getting soft and soggy. Add minced garlic, stir, and cook for an additional minute. Add stock, thyme, and salt, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in whole wheat couscous. Cover and let stand until couscous has absorbed the stock, about 8-10 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, stirring to combine, and cover again to gently warm tomatoes up a few minutes longer. Serve warm immediately, or at room temperature later.

Menu Revisions... Forgot the Fresh Stuff

Apparently this weeks meal plan was the 'What Was I Thinking?' version, because I completely forgot about the large harvest of cherry tomatoes from our garden. I just picked about a dozen, used 3 dozen last night, and have an additional 2 dozen that my daughter has been harvesting over the past week. Some of those may be too old to use by now.

As well as some yellow squash that is growing.

And a couple green pumpkins that are taking forever to turn orange, I think I need to harvest and sun them. There's only one pumpkin in this picture.

Clearly I need to leave a few items in the freezer and focus on the fresh produce growing in my yard! Despite the fact that it is nearly November!

Revised Menu Plan:

• Tuesday (I had this epiphany yesterday) Salt and Pepper Chicken served with steamed asparagus and Whole Wheat Couscous with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes (uses 2-3 dozen tomatoes)
• Wednesday: Leftovers (plenty!) with salad (cherry tomatoes)
• Thursday: Soy Glazed Salmon with Sweet Potato Black Bean Salsa (includes a dozen cherry tomatoes)
• Friday: Apple Sausage Risotto with steamed broccoli (a break from the cherry tomatoes)
• Saturday: Attend a Party (waiting to hear what I can bring... perhaps something with cherry tomatoes in it?)
• Sunday (Halloween/Family Get-together) Lasagna with salad and bread for the adults, the kids will just eat candy (kidding! We'll have spaghetti and meatballs for non-lasagna eating persons)
• Monday: Leftovers

That's better! It's possible that I'll be able to keep up with the cherry tomatoes if I stick to this plan. If not, I'll make a Summer Squash Frittata with halved cherry tomatoes decorating the top.

Purse Funeral

It kills me to have to write this, but it is time for a purse funeral.

I love my beautiful red purse. It is especially special because my husband bought it for me a few years back when we were on a date. (If you know my husband, you know that this is atypical to say the least.) I like to carry it in the fall/winter, as it goes well with both my gray and brown coats. It's nothing special, just a vinyl handbag that happens to be a very pretty shade of red, with teal lining, and is just the size that I like to carry--big enough to serve a few diaper bag functions (water bottles, snacks, extra clothes) without being Huge.

So why the funeral?

This purse has a metal frame opening, and it keeps falling apart. I searched for someone who could repair it the first time it happened, but no one really 'repairs' things anymore. I finally found a clock repairman who was willing to give it a try, despite the challenge of cheap manufacturing. He did his best, and it lasted a bit longer, but now it is falling apart again. When the frame IS holding together, the clasp doesn't hold the purse closed properly. Clearly the lesson here is: Do not purchase a handbag that has a metal frame/clasp opening, no matter how pretty the bag is!

I am so disappointed because I am the type of person who likes to use a handbag (or ANY item) over and over again. I keep finding that my expectations are too high for how long an item should last, whether it be a home appliance, or a purse made of vinyl. I know that the companies that manufacture these items want me to go back to the store any buy a replacement item as soon as possible. I get tired of this process.

I've tried different strategies to get around the built in 'wear-out' timer on my stuff. Once a while back, I bought a handbag and I liked it so much that I bought a second one exactly like it (on deep discount) so that I would have a new handbag all ready to go when the first one died (my plan worked!) I have also bought multiples of shoes that worked well for me to avoid having to search all over again for something that fits.

My summer handbag is canvas with a few pieces of leather, and it has tolerated being washed in the washing machine twice now. Next spring/summer will be Season 3 for that bag.

In the mean time, I need to somehow let go of my beautiful red bag, and find a replacement. It's in perfect condition other than the metal frame. Goodwill? The trash??? Maybe I will just put it on the shelf in my closet, to look at once in a while.

Menu Plan Monday: October 25th

Last week I ate out for dinner four times, and it was too much (and it was mostly junk food). I am really happy to return to normal!

• Monday: Baked Breaded Fish Nuggets (sliding from last week) with baked redskin potatoes and steamed asparagus
• Tuesday: Apple Sausage Risotto with steamed broccoli
• Wednesday: Lasagna
• Thursday: Leftovers
• Friday: Salt and Pepper Chicken
• Saturday: Attend a Party (need to ask if I can bring something)
• Sunday: (Halloween/Family Get-together) I am not sure what we will be eating yet. Something that works well with extensive pumpking carving, numerous relatives, and candy-hyper kids!

I also need to make baked goods for two class Halloween Parties on Thursday, which is why that day is Leftover night.

Find more meal planning ideas at orgjunkie.com!

Liven Up Leftovers: Eggplant Stew for Breakfast

Here is a little breakfast I put together using my leftover Eggplant Stew:

• Reheat Eggplant Stew in the microwave (approximately 3/4 cup per serving)
• Meanwhile, scramble two eggs
• Serve Eggplant Stew over the scrambled eggs

Here I served it with clementines and a mini whole wheat bagel with cream cheese. A hearty breakfast like this will stick with me all morning--and I've already eaten a serving of vegetables today! It's a quick any easy way to Liven up your Leftovers. I'm sure there are numerous leftover dishes that would taste good for breakfast served over scrambled eggs.

If only my kids would eat stuff like this... they just don't know what they're missing!

How to Feel More Organized: 5 Little Things

I am a long way from being fully organized, but I like to think that I get a littler closer to having it all together each day. Here are a few tips that I try to follow to help keep everything a little more together.

1. Keep Dollars and Quarters on Hand
If I have a supply of dollar bills (or coins!) and quarters, it helps everything run a bit more smoothly. I'm prepared if I have to feed a parking meter, pay a toll, tip a service person, hire my son to do a project (his fees range from 25c to $1 depending on the task), or play the Tooth Fairy.

2. Charge Up the Technology 
When I take the time to make sure my cell phone, camera, ipod, and laptop are plugged and charged properly, I can just grab them and go. I need to get better about this, particularly for  my cell phone.

3. An Empty box in the trunk to hold Reusable Shopping Bags
I recently left this box in my trunk, and I think it's going to stay until it wears out! It holds all of my reusable grocery bags, which has a double benefit of clearing the bags out of my cluttered pantry along with ensuring that I never arrive at the store without my bags. I can fit two full grocery bags in the box to prevent them from falling over on the way home. I can put messy things, like potted plants, in the box. I also keep a few plastic newspaper bags in the box to cover wet umbrellas when getting in/out of the car on rainy days.

4. A 'Little Bits' Tray
You know when you are clearing things up around the house and you stumble across a small object, but you're not quite sure what it is or where it goes? This Little Bits Tray is where those items end up in my house. Along with various tiny toy parts, it holds some paperclips and other potentially useful items. It's a quick place to stow something small that I don't want to lose, then periodically I go through it and put small items where they really belong.

5. A Running Grocery List on the Refrigerator
I use a large Post-it Note pad to keep a running grocery list, right on the fridge. I keep a pen in the drawer close by so that I can quickly add to the list when I see that I am running low on various staple items--I don't wait until I run out of something to add it to the list! I put items in three columns based on the grocery stores where I typically purchase things. When I am ready to go to the store, I add the items I always buy (milk, bread, produce) as well as anything in particular I need for an upcoming recipe and I'm good to go. When I get away from this habit, I find myself going crazy running out of things that I thought I had!

I would love to hear from others about the little things that you do that make you feel more organized.