March 01, 2010
The Monthly Organizer
March 1, 2010
What's New at Tips to Organize Life?
Fresh new tips! Check out all of the new information that has been newly added to Tips to Organize Life...New Ask The Expert Q&A - ADD and Paper Clutter
New Ask The Expert Q&A- Keeping Records of Receipt and Purchases
New Cookbook Recommendation - Rachael Ray 365 No Repeats
Add your comment and tell us what you think.
Organization Tip
Spring is in the air! The first day of spring is only 19 days from today. As we all know, spring means spring cleaning and that is something to be excited about, especially if you are organized and ready for it.To help you along, I am giving all of you a free copy of Tips to Organize Spring Cleaning. It is the perfect checklist to walk you through the process of refreshing and rejuvenating your home this spring.
Don't wait for the first day of spring to get started. Start now and create a schedule that works for you...
- One task each day
- One room each weekend
- One entire spring clean weekend
It doesn't matter how or when you get it done. The important thing is that you greet spring with a fresh, positive outlook....and a clean and organized home.
Money Saving Tip
Here is a great money-saving tip that is also environmentally-friendly.To save money on your energy bill, dry as many clothes as you can on a clothesline. If the weather is bad and you cannot hang your clothes outside, you can easily create an indoor clothesline in your basement (if you have one) by wrapping the ends of the line around support poles or exposed rafters. You could also purchase inexpensive laundry racks and set them up in your laundry room or inside a bathtub. It is estimated that hanging clothes to dry instead of using a clothes dryer can save approximately $30 per month for a family of 4.
Recipe
Here is a recipe that I tried for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It was quick, easy and inexpensive, but the best part is that it satisfied my meat-and-potatoes loving husband. I would call this recipe a cross between a pot pie and a shepherd's pie.Meat and Potatoes Pie
Ingredients:
- 2, 8 oz. tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1 lb. ground meat (your choice...beef, pork, chicken, etc.)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 cups mashed potatoes (or 1, 16 oz. package of prepared mashed potatoes)
- 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 envelope brown gravy mix
- water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 3 quart casserole with nonstick spray. Open each tube of crescent rolls as one, continuous sheet of dough. Do not separate the sheets into individual pieces as you normally would to make crescent rolls. Lay each sheet, width-wise across one half of the casserole, overlapping the sheets slightly. The entire casserole, bottom and sides, should be covered with dough. Use your fingers to gently press the pre-cut lines seams back together.
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the meat. Season with salt and pepper ( you could also add any other dried seasonings that you like here). Add the onions and continue cooking until the onions are tender.
Prepare homemade mashed potatoes (unless you are using pre-packaged mashed potatoes).
Layer the meat mixture over the crescent dough in the casserole. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat mixture. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly on top of the mashed potatoes.
Bake for 30 minutes.
While the casserole is baking, prepare the brown gravy mix. Spoon the gravy over individual servings.
