Mission Organization: Fridge

Organizing the fridge is something I have not placed a lot of importance on in the past. Let's face it, no one ever looks in your fridge but you...so what's the point?

Well...the point is...I see it. And when it's messy it makes cooking stressful. Also, if you are trying to save money, having a clean and organized fridge helps you determine what foods you have and what you need to eat before it goes bad. Since my fridge has been organized I have definitely noticed less waste happening.

I wanted to have a lot of healthy options for drinks so we are less likely to drink soda. The entire top shelf is filled with liquids (ignore the Cherry 7up in the back). I also LOVE my Anthropologie egg crate and berry crate, they make the fridge look so pretty.

The blue tub is filled with snacks for the week; Yogurts, baggies of chopped vegetables, the sort of stuff you can just grab and go.

Cheese...we love cheese. Currently in my fridge I literally have at least ten types of cheese. We have so much cheese, we had to dedicate one whole drawer to the delicious food! 

 I am waiting for us to go through our condiments, as of now we have multiples of a LOT of items.

Every other weekend, I have been removing MOST items from the fridge and scrubbing it out. It's amazing how quickly the inside of your fridge get grungy and icky. Since I have re-organized, I haven't had to dedicate any time to cleaning out old food...which has been wonderful!


Below is my pantry which I have previously mentioned in a post. I have since made more progress, check it out:

A Little Sanity Never Hurt Anyone

With my new busy schedule I must find small things to keep me grounded. Taking our sweet puppy on walks has certainly been a wonderful break from reality and has been a productive activity for my husband and I to do together. We usually walk him around our house, through the neighborhood and in the forest nearby.

To mix things up a bit, we have been going to an off-leash park near our home that is absolutely FABULOUS! The park is called Thousand Acre Park and it is off of 84 before you get to any of the falls, Exit 18 I believe. It is so beautiful and so vast that it would take quite some time to have explored the entire park. Sampson loves it because he gets to roam free and meet dozens of sweet dogs who can't wait to play.

In the summer we like to ride bikes on the trails. It's a little bumpy but quite the adventure. Beautiful view of Mt. Hood and a fun little tribute to the Lewis and Clark expedition. Seriously guys, check it out...especially if you're a dog owner!

It's the Small Things

My newly (somewhat) organized home and meal planning have been the only things getting us through this crazy time. I recently started Student Teaching and YIKES teachers have a hard job! The hours are long and you are on your feet most of the day, most of the time with no break. These last two weeks have been the most exhausting weeks of my life! It will all be worth it though, and I absolutely love going each and every day...even if it means I have to wake up around 4am every morning.

The meal planning has truly helped so much! Dinner is never stressful and my Husband can easily help out if need be. I have been continuing on my quest to get creative with vegetables!

This meal was beyond easy: Mesquite pork loin kebobs with roasted root vegetables (Rutabaga, Zucchini, Butternut squash and Purple onion) with sauteed Kale and Garlic. So easy, so delicious, so healthy! They leftover veggies were great in a soup the next day. Just puree, heat on the stove, add a little salt, pepper and brown sugar (especially if you didn't have any sweet veggies in the soup like Butternut squash) for flavor and you have a delicious soup on your hands - or in your tummy. If it's too thick you can add in some vegetable broth.

Soups made like this are my favorite. They taste so rich and creamy, yet they are super healthy and full of great nutrients! Perfect for this cold, wet weather. You can basically do this with any left over roasted veggies as well as potatoes!