Let's Get Organized - Mission 3

Mission 3 : GARAGE SALE

So of course when you start cleaning and organizing, you will come across items that you just don't use anymore, need or something you may use 3 years from now, but you just don't have a place for it.  GET RID OF IT!  I usually just give items away, but a lot of things I didn't need were brand new, a lot of clothes that don't fit me are still very cute and in good shape.  I decided to have a garage sale.  In my neighborhood, garage sales are HUGE.  I love going to them myself. 

I put together boxes of books, a tub of clothes, unused kitchen items : food processor (which was replaced by my magic bullet), small rice cooker (which was replaced by a larger rice cooker), measuring cups and spoons that had also been replaced by better ones (why do I need two sets of measuring spoons/cups?), craft items, my daughter's old toys, picture frames and beads from the jewelry business I'm now closing. 

I sold books for $.25 to $.50 each, clothes for $.50 each, small cooking appliances for $2 each.  The key is to keep prices low because the main idea is to get rid of it.  I didn't think that selling these items for so low would amount to me making $200! 

We made about $200 from selling these items that we don't use and are taking up space in our house.  We made money from selling our clutter!  Yes, we do have the leftover items that we didn't sell.  Am I having another garage sale?  No, but these items are not coming back into my house.  I am looking for a women's shelter and other great organizations to donate them to.  The key is to make sure I actually follow through and donate these items that are sitting outside my door.  *If you are interested, these places that take donations will give you a tax form that may qualify you for a tax write off. 
*I just can't understand why some people throw away valuable items that someone else may be able to use...especially more unfortunate people. 

Sesame-Oyster Sauce Chicken (Pinterest inspired)

Here is another recipe I tweaked a bit and made my own.  Not trynna brag, but I think my version is so much better!  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was called Thai Cilantro Chicken, but there's nothing Thai about it and you can hardly taste the cilantro, so I made up my own name. 
**This recipe is baked, but my mom suggested stir fry and I thought that was an excellent idea for a different type of meal (chop the chicken, and add veggies such as snap peas, water chestnuts, mushrooms, broccoli maybe, sliced carrots, etc, be creative)  Will update when I try it as a stir fry.  Great idea Mom!

Sesame-Oyster Sauce Chicken
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
 Fresh Ginger Root - I used about a heaping tablespoon or more of chopped ginger to give it a more oriental taste
*You may also use 2 cloves chopped garlic, but this time I skipped it.
4 Tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
3 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp oyster sauce (recipe called for fish sauce, but I had oyster sauce)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

Instructions:
1.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, and a light sprinkle of sesame seeds (both sides) I always do this right in baking pan using tongs to flip.
2.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. Combine sauce by food processor, but I've just mixed it before pouring over chicken. 

*The recipe says to let marinate for 15 minutes, but I just let it sit in the sauce until oven is pre-heated.  Takes about that long anyways.
4.  Using a spoon be sure to cover all parts of chicken. 
5. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes covered with tin foil. 
*Always check chicken in middle to see if cooked!

I serve with rice and green salad (with Sesame Soy dressing).

Let's Get Organized : Mission 2

Mission 2: Kitchen Counter-No space to prepare meals or cook!

Problem: #1One part of my kitchen counter is the first ledge when you walk in the door, so it serves as a place where mail, keys, waterbottles, candywrappers, and all kinds of junk accumulates. 
Besides that, when I cook, I always seem to leave something out, some spice, flour, sesame seeds, whatever.  So I vowed to myself to try to put things back in the cupboards immediately.

#2 On the other part of my kitchen counter is the toaster, and my coffee maker, creamer and sugar.  In the mornings my husband likes to make toast and I NEED to make my coffee.  Since they are right next to each other it's very irritating (mostly for me).  The most irritating thing was that the bread would always be placed on top of my cream and sugar containers to get it off of the counter space so that the counterspace can be used for toast.  Well, I never knew where to put the bread and it was always just floating around and moved in all different places.  Petty, yes, but irritating!

#3 To the left of my sink is where we keep the microwave, rice cooker, crockpot, spice rack, magic bullet (food processor), and dirty dishes that can't fit in the sink ( I know I'm so horrible!)  This corner just always looks so cluttered cuz it is!

Solution: #1 I moved the mail organizer to my desk in our bedroom and plan to pay bills, sort mail, etc.  This way mail and paper junk isn't the first thing you see when you walk in the door.
I have been pretty good about not piling junk on this counter as soon as I walk in.  (Don't ask me how the dining table looks, one step at a time, haha)  I have also been pretty diligent about putting my cooking supplies away as soon as I'm done with them to clear up my counter space.

*I have also added "Wipe counters" to my daily cleaning routine, right after washing dishes. =)
#2 I bought 3 nesting baskets a while ago because I knew I would use them and the smallest one fits the bread PERFECTLY!!!!  The bread now has a home and it's not on top of my creamer and sugar!
It seems silly, but makes me so happy in the morning.

#3  Why didn't I think of this earlier?  Do I need the crockpot on the counter at all times? NO.  Do I need the Magic Bullet on the counter at all times?  NO.   So, I found a place for them in a cabinet, almost directly underneath the place they used to be, so they are still easily accessible.  I thought this part would have been a pain when I did need them, but it really wasn't!  Yes, I have kept up with putting them back when I'm done with them.  The rice cooker stayed out because I use it every few days, and the spice rack looks so pretty in the corner, so that stayed also.  As for dirty dishes, still working on that part...

So all in all Tips of the Day:

•  Change your bad habits into good ones.  Practice makes perfect.  As soon as I forced myself to put things away, it became a good habit.  

• Find a permanent home for items that seem to "float" like my bread.  Baskets are great!  They look great and can hold a lot of items.

• To clear up counters, put away (or hide as I like to put it) items that you don't use on a daily or almost daily basis.  Store them close to where you will use them so it's not such a hassle. 

Introduction : Let's Get Organized -Mission 1

I have been messy my whole life.  Messy NOT dirty.  I have had friends compliment me on my house being dust-free, but never neat and organized.   Well lately I've been having this desire and need to be more organized and neat.  (Perhaps it is my 11 month old's mess taking over my house that has converted me.) I've seen many blogs/posts and pins on pinterest about how to be more organized and decided to check them out.  I came up with my own system.  It was inspired by another blogger organizing one space per day.  I've also seen cleaning routines where certain things are cleaned everyday and others once a week and others once a month.  I also read that if done right, organizing a small space a day takes only 10-15 minutes.  I loved these three ideas and got started.

This is how I started a transformation of my very self...

Mission 1: Under the kitchen sink cabinet - grocery bags: paper and plastic
Before: Paper bags and Plastic bags literally tossed under the sink in an unorganized attempt to re-use them.  They are great for making paper flowers (see earlier post), giving away items, and re-using at grocery stores.   It was so bad that you would open the cabinet door and a few bags would tumble out.  That had to stop!
Solution:
1. Paper Grocery Bag Container:  I found a Kirkland wipes cardboard box, cut off all the top tabs, then cut out some paper bag labels and glued them to the box.  Then I neatly (semi-neatly) placed folded paper grocery bags in the box, small lunchbag size in the front, grocery size in the middle and large with handles in the back of box.  SO much easier to find bags now!

*This project took a little longer because I decided to decorate the container

2.  Plastic Bag Dispensers: I found two different plastic containers and stuffed all my plastic bags with handles in one and the smaller produce plastic bags into another.  The larger plastic bags I stuffed into a large Costco bread bag.

Here are my new organized containers in their home.  These containers were perfect for their space.

Special Guest Feature: Grandma's Fried Rice

So, since I emailed my mom a link to my blog, she has been inspired to cook more often (she used to cook a lot when I was growing up but has seemed to retire from it)  Well, these days she has been cooking up a storm!  She prides herself in using what's in the fridge or the pantry. 

 Here's one of my favorites: Fried Rice

Grandma's Fried Rice

Cold Rice (Left-Overs)
Charsiu*
Roast Pork*
Round Onion
Green Onions
1 T. Mirin Sweet Cooking Seasoning
1 T. Oyster Sauce
2 T. Shoyu
Garlic Salt
Black Pepper

Chop charsiu and roast pork into small pieces keeping the fat which will replace oil.

Using a wok, brown meats and add cold rice breaking up rice and mixing it evenly with meats.

Add chopped round onions and chopped green onions (white stalk section)

Add mirin, oyster sauce, and shoyu.

Sprinkle in garlic salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with finely chopped green onions.
*May substitute with left-over meats. (ie. ham, spam, roast meat, etc.)

Be sure to coat wok with oil if meats are fat free.  I like using chopped bacon instead of oil.