Along the Same Lines

Since I am kind of on this "getting organized" kick, I thought I would share this ORGANIZED PANTRY with you, from Courtney at A Thoughtful Place. 

Here is what her kitchen looks like:

 And here is her pantry:

Let me interject here by saying that the size of this pantry is very comparable to the size of our pantry.  And Courtney has two small children, so Andrew and I have NO excuse for not being able to maintain an organized pantry, in spite of its size. 

Here is a list of things she added to help her get organized:

• hanging wire shelving system from Target {$35}
• wrapping paper to line the back of my pantry {$1} Target
• plastic drawer from Target {$8}
• chalkboard labels . . . DIY here.
• two plastic bins from Target to use as makeshift pull out shelves
• ribbon trim {already had}
• three blue tins from Target $1 section {already had}
• oxo containers {already had and LOVE} 

And here is a handy list she came up with to clear to pantry clutter:

• take everything out of your pantry. Toss what you don’t use or need.
• put things in clear containers so you can see your inventory
• label so even the hubby knows where things go when unloading groceries
• keep things in plain sight {like can goods} so you use them
• place like items together
• meal plan to cut down on the random buys that end up filling your pantry

The reason I like her pantry overhaul so much is because it is totally do-able.  She did not go out and spend an arm and a leg.  In fact, she said that the whole job cost about $45, which is pretty darn good.  

Here are some other inspirational, organized pantry ideas, to help get your organizational juices flowing!

From here

 

This one is a little over the top for my taste.

This one is one of my favorites!

I really like the calendar, grocery list, and meal planner hanging on the door... very cute and clever. (:

Cloffice

Yesterday I painted the closet in our spare bedroom, with the longer term goal of turning it into an closet office.  I did it almost without help... Andrew had to help me take the sliding doors off the closet. 

Here is some of my inspiration moving forward: 

I have not decided exactly which ideas to incorporate and which to do without, but at least I have a little direction!  With Andrew going back to school, we have the perfect motivation/excuse to take on this little project.  Hopefully it will help eliminate the clutter and mess that seem to appear when he walks in the door from work or school, and will give him a quiet place, free to chaos, so that he can focus! 

Images are from:  The Mustard Ceiling, Better Homes and Gardens, and Country Living.

Hey, Batter, Batter

Our OFFER group was supposed to go to a Nashville Sounds game tonight.  Inclement weather thwarted that plan, so I took that as a sign that I needed to attend yoga class with my sister.  So, somewhere around mid-class or so, my mind starting drifting, and I eventually found myself pondering what I should do with the box of Funfetti cake mix that has been sitting in our cupboard at home.

Here are some very promising options:


Cake batter blondies.  These look KILLER.  Thank you, Gracie, for sharing the recipe!  I can't wait to try it!

Although the blondies look like they are probably hard to beat, this Funfetti pound cake recipe looks like is has potential too.  Thank you, Alex!

And who doesn't love a good pancake on a lazy Saturday morning?  These cake batter pancakes, from Jessica, at How Sweet It Is, take "good pancakes" to a whole new level! 

Although the above three recipes all look incredible, this last one takes the cake.  I am so excited to try out these cake batter truffles!

Hmm.... my sweet tooth seems to be flaring up all of a sudden...

Baseball and Strawberries

The past week or so, Andrew’s job has kept him out a little later than normal.  He helps coach baseball, and, along with the beautiful weather we have had lately comes…. Baseball practice.  Since I get home around 5:00 each afternoon, and he does not get home until 7:30 or 8:00, I have had a little bit of extra time to put into making dinner each night.  And by the time 7:30 or 8:00 rolls around, he is more than ready for a good dinner.  Actually, by the time 7:30 or 8:00 rolls around, I think he would eat just about anything, good or not!  

My battle with food has been ongoing.  Our rocky relationship started years ago.  I think that every girl has some sort of issue with food, and the consumption thereof.  The degrees differ, and the issues are expressed differently, but I think we have all had a struggle with food and eating, even if only in some itty bitty way. 

In college, when my issues with food and eating began to interfere with my daily life: my health, my relationships, my goals, it became obvious that something had to be done.  Something that really helped with my healing process, and in my reconciliation with food, was taking a cake decorating class.  Up to this point, I had always had a weakness for sweets, and this class really helped me to embrace that weakness! It was therapeutic in that it helped me see the literal beauty of food.  It helped me see food as an art form.  And just as food can be aesthetically beautiful if put to use in a certain way, it can also be a beautiful thing for our bodies if consumed and used in a proper way.  

These days, I have expanded my diet from just sweets.  Although I do try to consume a healthy variety of foods, I still prefer sweets.  And indulging in something sweet is something I do daily.  I think that indulgence has its place in a person’s life and diet just as control does; both are perfectly acceptable in moderation. 

With this principle in mind, and with extra time on my hands, I have begun the process of spreading my efforts in the kitchen from baking to actual cooking.  My meals are never fancy; in fact, they are very basic.  For instance, I hard-boiled my first egg ever last week. 

On the menu for last night: Spring Strawberry Salad.  Here is the original recipe.  I made some slight altercations in order to fit Andrew’s taste.     

Spring Strawberry Salad

• 1 bag of salad
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
• 1 pint of strawberries
• 4 ounces of goat cheese
• 6 ounces of almonds, sliced or whole (I used whole because that’s what we had)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing

Place the chicken in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette over medium heat.  Cook and stir until the meat is browned, about ten minutes.  Put the meat in a bowl and let it cool. 

Place the lettuce into a large salad bowl; scatter strawberries, goat cheese, and almonds over the lettuce and toss or stir.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette over the salad and top with chicken.

The salad can be served warmed or chilled. 

I wanted to add blueberries to the salad, but they were extra expensive at the grocery store yesterday.  Since I was really craving them, I compromised and bought a sixty-nine cent Kroger brand blueberry muffin mix and had a blueberry muffin with my salad.  The muffins were a perfect compliment to the light, springy taste of the salad. 

And Andrew LOVED it!  In my book, that means it was a success.  

It is freezing and gloomy outside now, so strawberry salad seems a bit out of place.  But it was a great little splash of spring against the yucky winter backdrop!  And, if you ask me, spring cannot get here soon enough!

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like these blogs:  


Carrots n' Cake


Little Bitty Bakes


Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

Blog Hopping

Due to my perpetual lack of internet access these days, I have been a little behind in my visits to new blogs, but here are a few that I found entertaining, inspiring, and, if nothing else, pretty!

Concha is a Portuguese transplant now living in England.  Her work is beautiful.  You can check out her blog, Saidos da Concha (I think in English that means "Said Concha," or "Said of Concha..." something like that?) to learn more about her, and see her work.  You can also go shopping at her Etsy shop!  I love her work, and it is especially fun to look at in the bleak of winter.  In contrast to the cool, crisp colors outside this time of year, she uses lots of bold, bright colors and patterns in her work. 

For those of us who are lacking in our ability to knit or crochet (It is okay; I blame left-handedness), Craftzine has provided us with a step-by-step on how to make fingerless gloves from long socks.  I have not yet worked up the courage to attempt these, but they are definitely somewhere on my "to do" list. 

Image from here

Deanna, at Recycled Lovelies,  has organized her crafting area.  The transformation is incredible!  She used mason jars to organize her craft supplies.  Practical and pretty!  She also has great tutorials that accompany many of her crafting posts.

Thanks to her post, my mission for this week is to organize my crafting supplies in... MASON JARS!  :)   

That is bound to be interesting!

Favorites for the Week

I fell in love the moment I saw this picture. The bright colors are cheerful as can be. This is a really small space, yet there is so much going on in it, and it is incredibly multi-functional. Somehow, at the same time, the designer manages not to make the area look overly-cluttered, or too busy. There is extra seating, a great eating or writing surface, and awesome lighting, via the window (which is adorably curtained), and the lamp, which takes up virtually no space in the room at all.



Here is my source, as well as one of my favorite blogs!



This picture, from here, reminds me of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Mama Bear's chair, Papa Bear's chair, and Baby Bear's chair! But what really caught my eye were the colorful tiles around the fireplace! Those little pops of color make all the difference. If you are curious to see what the rest of this house looks like, simply click here!


Without explanation, this picture seems random, I know. So, allow me to explain.
My dad has an odd affinity for Saltine crackers. I am not exactly sure why, but he generally likes to have a box on hand. My fiance (to whom I will be married in eight days) is obsessed with his pocket knife. He looks for any excuse to pull it out of his pocket (since he never goes anywhere without having it there) and show it off. Yes, I realize the knives in the picture are more butter knife-ish, and less pocket knife-ish, but, in my book, a knife is a knife. Finally, my mom and I have been collecting glass bottles for months, to be used in the wedding (Did I mention, by the way, that it is a mere ten days away now?) For these reasons, this picture struck a cord on my heartstrings this week.