Still Alive...

We've now been in our new house for roughly a month and a half... and I'm still feeling slightly overwhelmed and completely exhausted. All of the boxes have been unpacked, and I'm slowly but surely finding a home for everything. The kitchen is mostly organized, but sadly hasn't been used much. If and when I have the time or energy to cook, I've been making old standbys like Turkey & Black Bean Chili or Chocolate Chip Angel Cookies. My quest (once I get to it) is to find recipes that are super quick with easy clean-up and lots of left-overs. I want to start using the slow cooker on weekends, and I need to start doubling recipes so I can freeze a portion for future meals. So many ideas, so little time.

My goal is to be back in the kitchen with new recipes in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Home Sweet Home

If you don't hear from me for a while, it may be because I'm either packing, moving, unpacking, or trapped underneath a pile of boxes. I'm hoping to be back soon with lots of new cooking adventures in my new kitchen and great tips for how to get yourself and your house organized. I think The Container Store is my new favorite place.

Thoughts on Buying a House (aka The Easiest Way to Give Yourself an Ulcer)

Kevin and I are in the process of buying our first house... we hope. The contract has been signed and the inspection is complete, which all sounds great, except for a little discrepancy in the loan application which may prevent us from actually purchasing the house. Because of this "glitch" we are still in limbo, all while our closing date is quickly approaching.

So what's a semi-obsessive-compulsive control-freak planner supposed to do when she can't pack, set up movers or call painters for bids? She organizes. Yes, I have become an organizing freak. In my need to "do something" while there is absolutely nothing I can do, I've turned all my nervous energy around and found that I can be somewhat productive in the midst of utter ciaos and uncertainty.

It all started as I was purging my magazine collection and I came across an article in Real Simple called "Declutter Your Mind" by Gail Blanke. In the article, Gail explains that as a life coach she asks all her clients to throw away at least 50 things... and how that simple task can declutter your mind as well as your surroundings. Here's a snippit of the article that got my attention.

When you start throwing out a lot of physical clutter and you get on a roll, a new urge kicks in - the desire to clear out all the clutter in your mind. That's when you get into the really good stuff. It's the mental clutter that drags you down and holds you back, that keeps you from stepping into the next great segment of your life - the one that's filled with promise, joy, adventure, and best of all, fulfillment. You can't move forward into the future when you're constantly sucked back into the past.

For some reason, that statement hit home, so I started my quest to declutter my life (and hopefully my mind in the process). Gail instructs you to not just throw away 50 things, but to write them down as you're getting rid of them, explaining that by doing so, you can look back at the list and "actually feel lighter". I reached the first 50 items on my list, but I still didn't feel like I accomplished enough, so I kept going to 100 things. I threw away (or gave away) everything from clothes to books to random food items in the pantry I didn't even know I had. It's now been almost two weeks, and I'm still finding things to get rid of, and I do feel a little lighter. Too bad my pants are still just as tight!

My New Favorite Magazine

I'm in love. In love with a new magazine. Haven't heard of it? Either had I until I stumbled across it at the news stand the other day. It's a brand new magazine dedicated solely to organization. It's packed full of great new products, innovative ideas and projects to make your home and life more organized. It's like they made this magazine specifically for ME!

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Skillet

Recipe from Kraft's Food & Family
Servings: 4 (2 cups each)

This recipe was just okay. I liked the creaminess of the cream cheese, but it definitely overpowered the dish. It also lacked flavor. If I make it again, I'd add less cream cheese, more broccoli and throw in some flavor like curry powder.

3 cups egg noddles, uncooked
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8 oz. package) cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Bring large saucepan of water to boil on high heat. Add noodles and chicken. Cook 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and noodles are tender, adding broccoli to saucepan after 6 minutes. Drain noodle mixture; return to saucepan.

Add broth, cream cheese and mayo. Heat just to simmer on medium-low heat. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly.

Add shredded cheese; stir 1 minute or until melted. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.