The Monthly Organizer, Issue #034 -- June 2009

Welcome to another issue of The Monthly Organizer. I hope that you have all been finding success with your organization goals. This month I hope to provide you with a few more tips to help you along the way.

As always, if you need help with a specific challenge, you can Ask an Expert Organizer. While you are there, see if you can offer a suggestion for a challenge another visitor has posted. Let's all work together to get organized!

Monthly Motivation

Sometimes it is hard to reach your goals, whatever they may be. We all fall off the wagon every now and then, but that is no reason to give up completely. The key to success is learning from your mistakes and you might have to do some in-depth self-analysis to figure out where you went wrong so that you can correct the error and continue on your journey.

Don't look at anything in life as "all or nothing." One slip-up does not warrant throwing in the towel. This month try to change the way you think. Allow yourself room for error. Celebrate every single victory, no matter how small and let that fill you with the motivation you need to continue on toward your goals.

Monthly Organization Tip

It is gardening season where I live and I am preparing to make my yearly trip to the local nursery for flowers, vegetables and herbs. If you are doing the same, why not take advantage of this opportunity to organize your garden planning. You can do this by starting a garden journal.

A garden journal is a binder where you can keep track of what you like to plant, where you like to plant it and the care instructions for everything you grow. Draw a map of each garden bed. When you have discovered the perfect arrangement for the bed, draw the placement of each plant and its name on the map so you can recreate the same arrangement next year.

If you find that certain plants grow better in certain areas around your property, make a note on the care instructions for that page. Save seed packets or the plastic tags that come in the plants that you buy and tape them in your binder so you will remember the exact variety you used and how to care for it.

A garden journal can help you turn your outdoor space into an organized haven for you to enjoy.

Monthly Money Saving Tip

In keeping with the gardening theme, growing your own herbs and vegetables is a fantastic way to save money and feed your family healthy, homegrown foods. For as much as you would spend on produce in one trip to the grocery store, you can purchase enough plants to last you an entire season. There is even more money savings if you purchase perennials that will come back year after year without the need to buy new plants each year.

Last year for Mother's Day my husband built me the most beautiful raised garden bed. I have been using it to grow my family's favorite herbs and vegetables, including tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, green beans, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and tarragon. I also have a huge pot of strawberries that my son gobbles up as quickly as they grow.

My family is able to enjoy fresh herbs and vegetables all Summer long without the need to spend a single cent after purchasing the plants. At the end of the season, I use my garden leftovers to stock up for the Winter by making several batches of homemade spaghetti sauce and either drying or freezing the fresh herbs.

If you have never tried growing your own produce, I highly recommend it as a wonderful family activity that will also allow you to save your pennies. If gardening is not your thing, that's okay. Find a local farmers' market to purchase your produce. The prices are still cheaper than the grocery store or produce market and you will be helping your local economy by keeping local farmers' in business. Buying local is the next best thing to growing your own.

Recipe of the Month

One meal that I love to make during gardening season is Homemade Chicken Caesar Salad. Since I grow leaf lettuce and tarragon in my garden this salad is especially fresh and delicious.

Other than a few pantry staples that I always have on hand, the only thing I need to purchase is chicken so it is a super-affordable meal as well. The dressing is a shortcut on traditional Caesar dressing. It is quick and easy to make and it is so delicious, I'm sure that this meal will become one of your family's regular dinners.

Homemade Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
A large bowl full (approx. 8-10 cups) fresh leaf lettuce (or 2 hearts of romaine)
3/4 cup of freshly grated Parmeggiano-Reggiano cheese
2 cups croutons (any flavor you like, store-bought or homemade)
3 Tblsp. mayonnaise
1 Tblsp. lemon juice
2 Tblsp. fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 anchovy fillets, chopped or 1 tsp. anchovy paste
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place the chicken inside a zippered plastic bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Beat with a meat mallet each chicken breast is about 1/2 inch thick. Coat both sides of the chicken with extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper. Grill approximately 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Cut the lettuce into bite sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and the croutons.

Prepare the dressing by placing the mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon, vinegar, anchovies, garlic and 1/4 cup of the grated cheese into a food processor or blender. Blend until well combined. With the food processor or blender running, pour the olive oil in slowly until a creamy consistency is formed.

When the chicken is cooked, cut it into thin strips and add it to the salad bowl. Coat the salad with the dressing just before serving.

Monthly Entertaining Tip

Father's Day is coming up and that means celebrating that special father in your life. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and we all know that mean love their barbecues. What better way to show him you care than to prepare a meaty meal that can be enjoyed in the great outdoors. If you are tired of the same old hot dogs and hamburgers, here are some meals perfect for outdoor dining and hearty enough to satisfy a manly appetite.