Blog - Graceful Order

Let’s Make This The Year

January 2, 2016 · by Maria · 2 Comments

Let’s make this the year that we get organized. Not just organized, but simplified. Let’s finally get rid of all that clutter and unnecessary items, that are filling up our homes and leaving us little breathing room. Just organizing is not always the answer, because sometimes we are organizing junk, instead of discarding it. Maybe what’s excess or unnecessary for you, is necessary to someone else – let’s donate.

I have to confess that while organizing is my strength, purging is my weakness. I tend to keep items, especially sentimental ones, way longer than I should. I am working on this. I am trying to practice what I preach. I don’t think I will ever be a minimalist, but I don’t want to hold on to things that I am not using and probably never will.

Just imagine your whole house organized, everything has a home, nothing is out-of-place. Doesn’t that give you a feeling of peace? Granted, I have never lived in the utopia that I just described, but I am just stating that to show the connection between organization and peace. Mess begets mess and that brings about feelings of despair and hopelessness. Order begets order and that brings about feeling of peace and optimism. At least that’s what it does for me.

So join me in the challenges that I will share with you this year and know that YOU CAN DO IT! Organizing is not overwhelming if you take it one step at a time.

Let’s do it! Let’s make this the year!

Best of 2015

December 29, 2015 · by Maria · Leave a Comment

Hard to believe that we are already reflecting back on 2015. When I was a little girl, years seemed to pass by much slower and I wanted time to speed up. It’s quite the contrary now, but I know that reflection is good and new beginnings are around the corner. But not before we take a little stroll past the favorite posts from 2015. I compiled this list either by the amount of times that the post was accessed, the amount of shares on social media, or the amount of comments from all of you. Please know that I value your opinions and comments and I am careful to take them all into account – basically this is your list of the best of 2015 for Graceful Order.

I started the year with my Refrigerator Organization and that was both popular and a little controversial. Yup, I have a controversial fridge. Who knew? I had an equal amount of comments saying that you all loved the “after” pictures, and others that wondered why in the world I store potatoes and onions in the fridge. Basically, when I have the counter space, I keep them there and I know that is the best spot. When My counters are full, I place them in the fridge and have never had an issue with it.

You can find the post here: Organizing the Refrigerator

Organizing the laundry room was one of the favorite posts of the year and one of my favorites to put together. My laundry closet is such a happy spot and full of storage and function.

You can find the post here : Organizing the Laundry Room

My Favorite Kitchen Gadget post became more popular heading into the holiday season, than when I first published it. Everyone starts to stock up their kitchen and with so many options, we all wonder what gadgets work, and which just take up valuable drawer space.

You can find the post here: Kitchen Gadgets that Work

I did a few more food posts than I had in past years, and none was more popular than this panettone bread pudding. It was pinned quite a bit in December and as you can see, it is perfect for the holidays!

You can read about it here : Panettone Bread Pudding Recipe

The most pinned post during the holidays (especially Thanksgiving) was the one that detailed how to set a proper table setting. Rarely do I set a table full of different utensils but I think it’s good to know how to do it, just in case queen comes over for tea. You never know.

You can read the full post here: How To Set a Proper Table

Those were the top five posts of the year! I can’t wait to start sharing new ideas next year (next week!) and to start the year with a new organizing challenge!

Fresh year, fresh ideas, fresh home! That’s my motto next year.

How would you describe your 2015? Was it a year of changes, new beginnings, surprises?

Thank you for your support of Graceful Order – I value every comment, every share, every “like”… I am thankful for all of you!

Maria

Christmas Tablescape 2015

December 21, 2015 · by Maria · 1 Comment

I have been absent this past week and I missed you! Last week, everyone in my house came down with a stomach bug and it all started with my youngest. We thought it was an isolated incident and then a day later my other son started with the same symptoms, then my husband and last but not least – moi. I was already feeling like I was falling behind on so many things, but the flu doesn’t care about to-do lists and Christmas. The flu is heartless.

I didn’t want this week to end without wishing you all the best holidays ever! In a few days we will have our home full of family and friends and we will be hosting our usual Christmas breakfast. I already went grocery shopping and the table is set. I just have to pace myself with the cooking and the prep work, and of course I have to clean the house. I never give the house a thorough cleaning before Christmas, I just keep it relatively clean and I focus on the bathrooms and the areas that guests will be using. After Christmas, when the tree comes down, that’s when I will break out the cleaning gloves.

I did want to share with you one more thing before I take a little Christmas break, and that is my table setting for the breakfast. Below is a picture taken from my living room, which leads to the dining room. I do enjoy having a formal dining room, although our daily meals are always around our kitchen table.

The living room is always decorated in a pretty neutral palette and I like to use the same colors in the dining room. This year it was gold, green and white. The little deer are from Target and I purchased them last year.

I collect napkin rings and napkins but I rarely buy any holiday-specific ones so that I can use them year-round. Plus, all these items take up space and it’s not worth it to me if I can only use them once a year.

As always, I like to bring in another texture and this really casual, woven placemat does the trick.

The centerpiece was not really a centerpiece at all. I placed little trees (none truly matched the other) along the center of the table, the deer as if walking through the table and finally, a set of ball ornaments in rose gold scattered throughout.

This year I had an extra garland (the one I usually use in the buffet) and I placed it on the lamp. I didn’t have to secure it, as the curves hug the garland in place. It’s funny because I was walking around the house looking for a place to use the garland so that I wouldn’t have to store it back in the garage. #ResourcefulAndLazy I liked how it turned out so much that I may do this every year.

I hope you enjoyed all the tablescapes that I shared this year. I really enjoyed putting them together and sharing them with you.

I hope that we all feel well in time for Christmas day! Enjoy every minute, my friends!

Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken

December 14, 2015 · by Maria · 5 Comments

You know how sometimes you see a recipe on TV and just by hearing the ingredients, you think “That has to be good!” That’s exactly what happened to me when I heard chef Chef Joe Realmuto, of Nick and Toni’s restaurant give out the recipe for his penne alla vodka. Of course, the recipe he shared had to be scaled-down considerably from what he makes in the actual restaurant. The first time that I make any recipe, I follow the instructions to a tee. Then after tasting, I look for ways to modify the recipe to either make it better or better for me. Some recipes need very little tweaking, such as this one – it really is my favorite penne alla vodka.

I did make a few adjustments like using gluten free pasta, less spice than it calls for, half the amount of heavy cream, I added fresh basil instead of fresh oregano, and I added chicken to make it more of a complete meal. This recipe has a few decadent touches (the cream and pancetta) but both in small amounts. The secret to this pasta is how long the sauce cooks in the oven before it is added to the pasta. It is an easy pasta to make but granted, the oven cook time makes it more time consuming – I do promise it is worth it.

Not all a good gluten free pasta was created equal, and Barilla pasta tastes like regular pasta. If you haven’t tried gluten free pasta before, here is some info on Barilla Gluten Free Pasta:

Delicious taste and texture – tastes like regular pasta
Made with corn and rice
Certified Gluten Free
Produced on dedicated gluten free production lines
Non-GMO ingredients

Here are the ingredients that I used for this pasta. I added chicken to make it a full meal, although this can stand on it’s own, even without the chicken, because it is so flavorful and hearty. Best of all, it is homemade and full of fresh ingredients.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (or even less if you don’t want it too spicy)

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 Cup of Vodka

2 (28-ounce) cans peeled San Marzano tomatoes, drained

12 ounces of penne pasta

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of fresh basil (plus a little more for serving)

1/2 cup of heavy cream (or 3/4 cup, if desired)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (plus a little more for serving)

1 chicken breast, shredded (I use store-bought rotisserie chicken, you can use 2 chicken breasts as well)

1/4 cup of cooked pancetta (optional)

Set the oven at 375 degrees F. Find a sauté pan that has a lid that can later go in the oven. Heat the olive oil inside the pan and add the onions and the garlic until translucent. Then add the dried oregano and the pepper flakes. Continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Add the vodka to the pan and allow to cook down by half for a few minutes.

Note: Whenever you add alcohol to a pan, be very careful and do it away from the burner.

Put on an apron and a face shield (kidding about that last part, kinda). Drain the 2 28oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes and reserve the liquid for another recipe. Then add the whole tomatoes to the pan, crushing them in your hand one by one. I have seen Martha Stewart use kitchen shears to break up whole tomatoes, but it’s not as fun. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and a pinch of pepper.

Cover the pan and place inside the oven for an hour and a half. Carefully remove the pan from the oven (don’t forget that the handle is hot) and allow to cool while you are cooking the penne pasta. The sauce will already look delicious. I use an immersion blender to blend this sauce but a blender or a food processor is recommended. Return the sauce to the pan once pureed.

Cook your pasta following the package instructions until it is al dente.

Then add 1/2 cup of cream to the sauce. They recommend a full cup, but I cut back and it was still fine. It is totally up to you how much you add as long as it’s a cup or less, so that you don’t dilute all the flavor that you have built up. Taste for seasonings and if needed, add another pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Your sauce is ready!

Add the pasta to your pan and 1/4 cup of parmesan and stir.

Add the chicken and a few pieces of the pancetta (optional) and simmer for another couple of minutes.

Voila! It is just as delicious as it looks. There is not a lot of pancetta in this dish, not a lot of cream, not a lot of cheese, but you can totally get away with it because the sauce is so flavorful after cooking in the oven. There is always a way to cut back the most decadent dishes without completely substituting the ingredients – roasting and allowing flavors to develop make it so that this recipe needs very little else to taste amazing.

I think it deserves a close-up.

Add a little extra parm if you want…and who doesn’t want?

For more Barilla Gluten Free recipe ideas, check out their Pinterest account that shares new recipes all the time!

Enjoy!

One more thing! I purchased this pasta at my local BJ’s Wholesale Club. Visit BJ’s Wholesale Clubs on December 22nd and 23rd to see an in-store Barilla Gluten Free pasta demo at select clubs.

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

For more awesome ideas and pasta dishes, check out the delicious options below! Don’t they look amazing?

Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Sauce

December 12, 2015 · by Maria · 65 Comments

I think this is one of the most beautiful and elegant desserts I know of. It is perfect for Valentine’s Day, if you make it in the heart mold, in the holidays because of its vibrant red color, or simply when friends are coming over for a casual dinner. I first saw this recipe when Ina Garten made it on her show (that woman has skills!). After we visited France 2 years ago, I started making all sorts of french food which surprisingly is pretty simple to make – at least the dishes I attempt to make are. I wanted to come up with a good Coeur a la creme (heart with cream) recipe that included orange flavors and of course a delicious topping of raspberry sauce. Most recipes are made with cream cheese but I decided to also add mascarpone to make it even more flavorful and creamy.

Ingredients:

4 oz creme cheese

8 oz mascarpone

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 1/4 cup of heavy cream

1/4 sour cream or creme fraiche

2 teaspoons of grated orange zest

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For sauce:

1 Cup of fresh strawberries (plus more for serving)

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup of raspberry jam (or strawberry jam)

2 tablespoons of cointreau

Note: This dessert needs to drain overnight in the refrigerator. The cream cheese and mascarpone should be room temperature before using in the recipe.

For this recipe you will need either an actual coeur a la creme dish (that I just added to my Amazon shop) or a sieve lined with cheesecloth will do.

First let’s go ahead and prep our mold – whether the dish or the sieve. Place the dish on top of a plate so that it can drain overnight and collect the liquid. If using a sieve, place it on a bowl that keeps it leveled so that it can drain into the bowl overnight. Line the dish or the sieve with a few sheets of cheese cloth. There will be excess cloth on the outside of the mold and that’s perfect. Later you will fill with the mixture and fold excess cloth over the top.

First we are going to make the actual coeur a la creme. To a mixer, add the mascarpone cheese and the cream cheese and blend on medium-low. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar and beat for a few minutes until incorporated. Then add the heavy cream, sour cream, orange zest and vanilla and beat until it has soft peaks.

Place the cream mixture into the lined mold (you may have leftover) and press a little on the sides so that it takes the shape of the heart. Now fold the edges of the cheesecloth over the mold and cover the mixture. Allow to rest overnight in the refrigerator.

While the coeur is in the fridge, let’s work on the sauce. The sauce is almost exactly as Ina makes it, except I added cointreu to accentuate the orange flavor inside the creme filling. I also strain my sauce to get rid of the raspberry seeds.

Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water inside a pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. The raspberries will quickly soften and create a beautiful sauce. Turn off the heat and add the jam and the cointreau to the sauce. Allow to cool slightly and place inside a food processor and mix until smooth.

I take it a step further and strain the sauce, so that I don’t have any of the raspberry seeds in the sauce. Of course, this part is optional. Place the sauce inside the refrigerator.

The next morning you can un-mold the coeur onto a plate and discard the liquid that drained over the night.

Pour the sauce around the plate and drizzle some on top, along with fresh raspberries.

Isn’t it a beautiful dessert? I hope that you try it soon. Feel free to pin the below image so that you can easily find it when you are ready. It will be perfect for the holidays or you can wait to try it for Valentine’s Day. I wouldn’t/couldn’t wait though.

What is your favorite dessert to make when you have dinner guests?

~ This posts contains links, one is a affiliate link. 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!

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