Blog - Graceful Order

5 Kitchen Gadgets that Work

August 21, 2015 · by Maria · 1 Comment

I am not a fan of having too many kitchen gadgets and I have purchased many that have been an absolute waste of money. Some gadgets are complicated to use and I end up frustrated, and others are so difficult to clean that they completely defeat the point of saving time by having a specialized gadget.

Today I am sharing a few of my favorite gadgets that have worked for me and have made cooking prep time so much faster.

1. Garlic Press

We love garlic in my family and I add it to almost every dish. Many years ago I purchased a garlic press and hated it. I”m not one to “mince” words. It seemed to juice the garlic instead of pressing it and it would leave a good part of the garlic clove inside the gadget. Eventually, I tossed it and decided that I didn’t like garlic presses and I would rather keep using the good ol’ knife method. Then one day looking through Amazon, I found a garlic press (pictured below) that had so many good reviews and decided to give it a try. I figured it could always return it (let’s hear it for Amazon Prime memberships!). There was no need for returns because this Kuhn Rikon press has worked amazingly well, and with little effort the clove comes out perfectly minced.

Honestly, if I am only using a clove or two for a recipe, I don’t use a garlic press at all, but when I use more than that…this press is my friend! Tip: I always wash this right away after using so that none of the garlic left behind in the press has a chance to dry. It is super easy to use and clean.

2. Ice Cream Scooper

What’s better than a gadget that does what it’s meant to? A gadget that does double duty! I use these ice cream scoopers for the obvious but I also use them to form meatballs (keeps them a uniform size), and to scoop out cookie dough onto a baking sheet. They are also perfect for transferring the perfect amount of cupcake batter into lined muffin tins. Since I use them for different purposes, I have more than one size.

3. Meat Mallet

This meat pounder is sturdy and perfect for tenderizing meat or to even it out for even cooking. I also like to thin out chicken cutlets so that I can add a stuffing mix before rolling them and cooking in the oven. I do keep this one in the hand wash category because many mallets are not dishwasher safe since they can lose their shiny finish.

4. Zester

Zesters are also double-duty kitchen tools. With these Microplane zester / grater I zest citrus, I grate small amounts of hard cheese, nutmeg and grate ginger. They are effective, lightweight and easy to use.

5. Stainless Steel Scraper

This stainless steel scraper is perfect for dividing bread or cookie dough and I always keep it handy to transfer chopped onions or peppers to the pan. I usually leave this out on my cutting board.

These are some of my favorite gadgets but there are a few more that I will share with you soon. I added a link to all of these items in the post but you can find many of these at Homegoods or a local restaurant store. Have fun cooking and don’t be afraid to invest in items that make your job a little easier!

This posts contains a few affiliate links. Thank you for your support of Graceful Order!

Wayfair Housewarming Party: Kids’ Bedroom Storage Ideas

August 20, 2015 · by Maria · 8 Comments

I don’t know about you but I can’t get enough ideas and inspiration for keeping my boy’s bedrooms organized. Sometimes I create systems that I think will work but after putting them in place, I notice they aren’t the best for my boys. When it comes to organizing for my youngest, I have to keep in mind that I will be the one doing a lot of the picking up so the systems have to work for me. While creating systems for my oldest, I have to think of his habits and personality since he will do most of the work – at least that’s what I tell myself when I am enthusiastically labeling things in his room!

Every child is different and an organizational style that works with one, may not work with the other. Also, the kinds of toys they play with changes as they get older and so does the size of the toys. Today I am joining some of my talented blogger friends that are also part of the Wayfair Homemakers team, and sharing some awesome storage ideas for kids’ bedrooms. All of our kids are different ages and I hope that you can find some inspiration for your littles in one of these images and awesome blogs.

The first idea and super stylish solution, comes from Emily at Table and Hearth. I have so many thin books for my 4 year old and this is the perfect storage solution to keep them handy but also stored away. You can see a step-by-step tutorial on how to make this little beauty here.

And since I’m a boy mom, Angela at Blue I Style definitely inspired me with this cute solution for organizing boys’ accessories! How adorable is this denim pocket wall storage?! I know my boys would love it. You can follow her step-by-step instructions here.

Angela also explains how she organizes her basement/play room and shows us some real-life pictures of what it really looks like to live with kids and how to pick up the mess faster! You can read about it here.

If you have little boys, then you have little cars everywhere! I love this cool storage idea from Jillian at I am A Homemaker who used an old mechanics bolt storage tray to store the tiny cars. Love that!

Enough about boys for a minute. Let’s add a little sweetness and whimsy to the mix. Lindsay from My Creative Days used old frames to create a gallery wall in her daughter’s bedroom. You can see the details here.

Jenna from Wife in Progress shows us how she added a piece of pegboard to her baby’s nursery. She transformed it into this cute and practical storage solution for the changing area and you can read about it here.

And lastly, my little one’s room and how I organize his closet and toys. You can see the details about his room here.

If you want even more ideas and tips on storage solutions for kids’ rooms, check out this article from Wayfair where they highlight their favorite storage solutions.

What is your advice for keeping kids rooms clutter-free? Do you have a favorite storage solution?

Also from Graceful Order :

Back to School Organization Tips

Big Boy Room Reveal

5 Tips for Organizing Toddler Rooms

Easy Berry Trifle

August 17, 2015 · by Maria · Leave a Comment

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Sara Lee®, and Breyers® but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #EasySimpleSweet http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

Hello friends! Summer is almost coming to a close and while the kids have been home from school, all the meals and desserts that I have prepared have one thing in common – they are all easy peasy. The summer is not a time where you will find me cooking coq au vin (did I even spell that right? Even my spelling ability takes a dip in the summer).

Kids and adults alike have a sweet tooth and I can’t think of an easier dessert than a bowl of ice cream. Scoop and serve – voila (why do I keep inserting french words that I am not sure how to spell?). Of course the trifle in the above picture isn’t quite as easy as serving ice cream but with only a few steps you can make this fancy dessert for friends or even just for your kids.

I love how easy and versatile trifles are. If you are serving for friends or a nice dinner you can certainly place it in a trifle bowl, but you can make these in simple clear glass cups as well to serve them individually. The vessel doesn’t affect the taste and anything garnished with fresh fruit looks beautiful anyway!

Here are the ingredients that I used for the trifle. There are a few steps and shortcuts that I took (the ready-made Sara Lee® pound cake) but you can take even more short cuts if you want. For example, if you don’t want to cook down berries to make the berry sauce, you can just use jarred preserves. If you don’t want to whip the cream, use ready-made whipped topping. This recipe is already easy but you can simplify it even more with a few tweaks.

Ingredients:

1 Butter Pound Cake

16 oz package of Strawberries

12 oz Raspberries

6 oz Blueberries

1 juiced Lemon

2 cups of Heavy Cream for the filling PLUS 1 Cup of heavy cream for the topping

8 oz Mascarpone Cheese (room temperature)

1 1/4 cup of Sugar plus 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon of cornstarch

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

The first step is slicing the pound cake and then wash the berries. Remove the tops of the strawberries and slice them.

For the berry sauce:

Place almost all the strawberries (reserve a couple for the topping) and the raspberries (reserve a few for the topping) in a pot over low heat. Add the juice of one lemon, the cornstarch and the two tablespoons of sugar allow the berries to start breaking down for a few minutes. Set aside and allow to cool and thicken.

For the whipped filling:

In a mixer whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract to soft peaks. Then fold in the mascarpone cheese. Set mixture aside in a separate bowl because you will need the mixer again.

Mix the remaining one cup of heavy cream with a 1/4 cup of sugar until you get soft peaks. Set this aside for the topping.

Now you are ready to assemble your trifle! You have the pound cake, the strawberries and the whipped filling with the mascarpone and the plain whipped topping.

Place a small layer of whipped topping on the bottom of a trifle dish or clear vessel, then top with a layer of the pound cake. Follow with a layer of the berry sauce and top with whipped filling. Again pound cake, berry sauce, whipped filling. As you build the trifle look at the outside of the bowl to make sure that all the layers are somewhat showing. That’s what makes a trifle so pretty after all. You can also start to sprinkle in some of the fresh blueberries within the layers, always reserving some for the final topping.

The final topping will be the plain (not the one with the mascarpone) whipped topping with the fresh berries. And there she is!

So easy, so elegant!

Of course you can serve the trifle on it’s own or with a side of Breyers® ice cream. Or you can save a few slices of the pound cake and add a few scoops. That way you have options for your guests, especially picky little ones.

But when it comes to ice cream, I am a purist. Breyers® ice cream has a lot of variety and they are made with fresh cream, sugar and milk but my go-to is always the Natural Vanilla. You know that I live right on the edge of life and food choices.

If I am feeling especially daring, I add some fudge. It’s as crazy as I get when it comes to ice cream. Of course my kids love different toppings – they take after their dad.

So whether it’s the trifle, the ice cream or both – keep it sweet and simple!

By the way, I purchased both the Breyers ice cream and the Sara Lee pound cake at Publix and you can take advantage of $3.00 off any ONE (1) Sara Lee® Frozen Dessert 9.6-30 oz. and Breyers® Ice Cream 48 oz. (combined purchase required) now through 8/28/15 at your local Publix while supplies last.

What are your favorite ice cream flavors and toppings? Have a great week everyone!

Back to School Organization Tips

August 13, 2015 · by Maria · 5 Comments

My boys will be going back to school in 14 days and 3 hours but hey, who’s counting?! As soon as the school year starts once more, I ~~jump for joy~~ start missing those sweet boys! All kidding aside, the summer is fun but the school routine is a welcome change in our home. Here are my favorite tips to get organized for getting back to “school mode”.

1. Restore the sleep routine.

Yes, all those weeks of saying “ah, let them stay up. There’s no school.” can catch up to you. It’s important that a week or two before school starts, we start to cut back on bed time. They should start to slowly adjust back to their sleep schedule prior to summer.

2. Create a space for homework.

Clearing out their desks or designating a spot in the home to do homework can be important in them being able to focus once again on school and their homework responsibilities.

My son’s desk has a few items including a desk mat to protect his desk, sharpened colored pencils (he loves to draw) and a diffuser. I use the diffuser to either diffuse oils that help him focus while doing homework or lavender to help him rest at night. If the boys have colds or congestion, I use oils that help with that. We all have diffusers in our rooms but I was glad to find this black one for him because it was a perfect match for his room and as he would say “it’s manly”.

3. Buy school supplies.

Many school websites already have a general list available detailing what the kids will need for the school year. I like purchasing supplies as soon as I can so that I can beat the rush at the stores right before school. I also like to stock-up his desk with new supplies so that he is excited to work at home as well. Freshly sharpened pencils are waiting to be used in his drawer.

4. Create a launch/landing pad.

Depending on the age of the child, they will need a spot to place their book bag and possibly a wallet or keys. I found this little shelf at Target last year (from the Young House Love line for Target) and I spray painted it to match his room. For now, it only holds his book bag. It’s important to have a launch/landing pad so that mornings are smoother and important items don’t get lost. This will help them develop this important habit for the future.

5. Organize clothing and closet.

My boys use uniforms for school so I just removed last years uniforms and replaced them with the new ones. This is a great time to go through their clothing and get rid of items that no longer fit. That way you don’t have to hear in the morning “Mom, I don’t have jeans! Nothing fits!”.

Kids (and parents) can be anxious before school starts and having things in order can make us all feel more calm and ready to tackle the next school year! What is your favorite tip to avoid the back-to-school madness?

~ ~ This posts contains links, a few are affiliate links. Affiliate links don’t affect what you pay for the item, so you don’t pay more by purchasing through the link. As always, thank you for your support of Graceful Order!

Quick Breakfast Ideas with Jimmy Dean

August 11, 2015 · by Maria · Leave a Comment

Quick Breakfast Ideas with Jimmy Dean : “This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Jimmy Dean, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JDGreatStart http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

You know how when you are craving breakfast food, nothing else will do? There is something comforting about any dish containing eggs, sausage and cheese. I mean, cheese and comfort are pretty much synonymous right? The drawback is time. All these breakfast meals take time and time is what we are short of during the work/school week.

Admitedly, because the weekday mornings are rushed, the boys will sometimes leave for school after eating just a bowl of cereal. But I don’t want them to have cereal every day and frankly, they get tired of cereal. As for the adults, many mornings I just have a cup of coffee. The most important meal of the day is sometimes the one that gets the least attention.

Some of my favorite quick breakfasts include:

Greek yogurt with honey
Fruit Bowl (our favorites are strawberries, blueberries and any melon variety).
Cappuccino (I usually have a regular cup of coffee so a cappuccino feels pretty special).
Smoothie (Always different depending on what fruits and veggies are in the fridge).
Breakfast Sandwich (great because they are nutritious and portable)

I want to share with you two of my favorite Jimmy Dean breakfast options and why I like them. I am more of a bacon fan but the boys love sausage so I usually buy the sausage sandwiches because I am outvoted over here! This past week while at Publix Supermarket, I purchased the Jimmy Dean Delights English Muffin and the Jimmy Dean Delights Breakfast Bowl – both made with turkey sausage.

This particular morning my son wanted the breakfast bowl and I opted for the sandwich. These breakfast sandwiches pack protein, calcium and fiber and they are so convenient for school days. In our home when mom (me) is working on a food post, there are suddenly lots of visitors in the kitchen who always casually ask if I am done taking pictures of the food. What is it with boys being hungry all the time?!

So after I took this picture of his breakfast bowl:

He sat down to feast! Notice how he is laughing in the last picture…I was sneaky and served him grapefruit juice instead of orange juice. I’m sneaky like that! He is still aquiring the taste for grapefruit but we are not quite there yet.

And then mommy sat down to eat because taking pictures of food will open up your appetite!

What are your favorite easy breakfast ideas? Have you tried the Jimmy Dean breakfast varieties?

Links to more info:

http://www.jimmydean.com