The challenge: clear a counter

When you walk into your kitchen, what is the first thing that catches your eye?  What are things that your husband sees as he is walking in the door after a long day at work?  When you have guests, what do they see first?

I know that the counters can be a quick catch for everything that leads to clutter especially in a large family.  But even if you have all the dishes done, the counters cleared of papers, and the food put away, our counters can still be cluttered with decorations and appliances that rarely get used.

Why make the change:

As with everything in life the more simplified we can make it, the more peaceful and calmer we will be.  If we are constantly fumbling for something, or trying to find counter space for this item.  If we have to move one mess just to make room for another mess.  We are just adding chaos to our life.  The goal of simple lifestyle challenge is exactly what it says to SIMPLIFY OUR LIFESTYLES.

How to make the change:

How do you go about de-cluttering and organizing your kitchen counters?  First clean up your kitchen as you normally would, putting away all items that are not normal left out.  Then leave the room and walk back into the kitchen, pretending you are viewing it through the eyes of another person.  What types of areas are your eyes drawn to?  Is it the stack of papers and notes that you leave out because you need them everyday?  Or is it the many appliances that you leave out because you use them a few times per week?  Is it the sink with its messy dish rag and bottle of soap?  You need to identify areas that need de-cluttering and fix them.

Start with paperwork.  You need to identify what the paperwork is and where it came from and then where it is supposed to go.  Sort through your mail by the trash can and immediately throw away junk mail.  Open the bills and place them in an area that you pay your bills at.  Put the magazines and newspapers in the area that you read them at.  After you have read the magazine or newspaper throw it away.  If you have an article or recipe that you want to save from the publication then cut it out and place it in your household binder or in your recipe box.  If it is paperwork for your husband place it in an area just for that.  I use my wall clipboards for that purpose.

If your counter-tops are covered in appliances, you need to reevaluate which ones you actually “need” out everyday and which ones you can put away because it takes probably 10 seconds to get it out again.

Keep your counter-tops cleared.  It is more pleasing to the eye and makes a nicer workplace for you to be in.  Clearing the clutter from the kitchen is not a once and forever job, it is something that needs to be evaluated every few months.  Clutter creeps up on us and we need to keep our eye on it so that it doesn’t take over.  Clutter makes our daily work harder to do because we have to fumble around it.  You need to train yourself to constantly evaluate the clutter factor in the area where you are the most. And for most of us ladies it is the kitchen.  Keep it clutter free.  You just might be motivated to de-clutter other areas of “chaos” in your home.

 

Beef fried rice

This has become something that I make on a regular basis.  Especially while I am trying to lose a few pounds.  I don’t always make it with the beef but I didn’t think many people would just view the vegetables and rice dish that I enjoy eating for my dinner during my weight loss:)

Rice is a wonderful whole food to eat.  Make sure to not buy the white rice, keep it brown.  You want it to be a more natural food.  It fills you up and is good for digestion and tastes great too.

For most of my dinners, I make a cup of rice and add some frozen mixed vegetables and let it simmer.  To top it I sprinkle on some low sodium soy sauce and sesame seed oil.  Top with some green onions and you have a great tasting meal that will fill you up.  Your body will digest it quickly so don’t worry that you eat a large bowl to fix your cravings.  Those will go away eventually.

On the other hand, my husband doesn’t really like to eat my “healthy” lower calorie meals and likes some beef.  So I compromise and came up with this recipe.  I can enjoy the rice and vegetables and he can have the beef to fulfill his “man” need of meat.

 

For the beef I take whatever size roast I have. I usually buy a rump roast at the meat store and cook it all day in the crockpot.  When it is done it makes the most tender meat.  I then cut this into strips and will put in the freezer until I need them for recipes.  Very simple, no need for spices or tenderizing, the crockpot will do the work.

I then take my 2-3 pounds of beef and saute it with 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic.  1/2 of chopped green pepper, 2 T beef bouillon, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and few dashes of sesame seed oil.  Saute over medium heat.  If you want more flavor add more of the soy sauce or sesame seed oil.  However you like it.

In my wok, or a chicken fryer pan whatever you have in your home.  We just got the wok as a Christmas gift so we use that, but we did it for years in  a chicken fryer pan.  Add some vegetables.  We like frozen mixed vegetables, can of bean sprouts, and water chestnuts.  We cook that until it is thoroughly heated.  Add a few dashes of soy sauce and sesame seed oil.

 

When it is all heated we cook some eggs.  Push your vegetables around the sides of the pan and crack a few eggs in the center.  We were making enough for our large family so we did 6 eggs.  But for the average person figure 2 eggs per person.

We cook up a separate pot of brown rice.  Measure however much you will need per person.  Figure a cup of uncooked rice per person.

I keep it all separate and then build it with rice, veges, and beef.  Top with green onions and add some more soy sauce and sesame seed oil for taste.

I have found I really like to add sweet chili oil as a condiment to my rice.  It gives it a nice spicy taste and is yummy.  Spicy foods are good for the metabolism.  Try it.