Repurpose Leftovers into New Meals

It doesn’t matter what you celebrate around this time of year, it seems that most of us will cook or attend a dinner party at some point over the last few weeks or in the weeks to come. There are always leftover and there are only so many turkey sandwiches you want to eat. I’ll keep it simple today and let the experts show us some creative and really yummy options for your holiday leftovers.

Jamie Oliver’s Turkey con Chili

Click Here for the Recipe

Gordan Ramsay’s Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Click Here for the Recipe

Giada’s Turkey and Pancetta Pot Pies,

Sauteed Green Beans, Tomato and Basil with a Parmesan Crisp,

Potato, Orange and Arugula Salad

Click Here for the Recipes

Ina Gartner’s Turkey Hashed Browns

Click Here for the Recipe

Ina Gartner’s Roasted Vegetable Soup

Click Here for the Recipe

We wish you and your family a very happy and healthy new year!

Happy Organizing!

Post Party Organizing

You had your friends and family over the celebrate the holidays or the new year and now you are left with half open bottles of wine and appetizer plates covering every surface. The worst part of the party – clean up!

Here are tips and tricks to make it easier, ideas to repurpose the leftover and even ways to use the mess to your advantage! 

Good luck! Enjoy the party

Be prepared before the party by:

Starting with an empty dishwasher, empty before guests arrive

Line the trashcan with three or four bags so it’s easy to empty the garbage during the party, if necessary

Keep the clutter out of your way. Think about a week of 15-minute projects leading up to the party.

Think about renting your dishes or using disposable, bamboo is an environmentally friendly option.

Have multiple stations set up for food and drinks so peple mix and mingle

Don’t forget coasters. Lay them around the tables so your guests don’t have to go searching.

Leftover Wine – pour leftover wine into ice cube and store them for future recipes that call for wine. 

Flat Club Soda – Use it to water houseplants or your live Christmas tree. 

Fallen needles from the tree – repurpose them as sachets for your drawers or take the needles outside to use as mulch in the garden. You can also use small springs as decoration on packages.

Ribbon from hostess gifts – you can repurpose the ribbon for packages and presents you are giving.

Cheese – If you have a small amount of a variety of cheeses, why not create your own cheese fondu. It could be interesting!

Water rings – rub in non-gel toothpaste then buff off with a clean towel. 

Carpet Stains – Click Here to check out this cool stain kit to erase any unwanted reminders of your party last night, thank you Martha.

We wish all of you a very happy holiday season! Enjoy the party.

Happy Organizing!

Preparing for Guests!

As the weather gets colder and the holidays draw near, the guests will start to show up as well. Whether it’s a short visit or they are coming for a week you want guests to feel welcome and comfortable in your home. Here are a few tips and tricks to help get your home guest ready!

Keep a basket by the door that you can use to gather loose items over one big sweep. As you walk around replace items where they belong, then you don’t find yourself running around in circles as you tidy up.

If you don’t have space for guests’ coats in the closet, find a few hooks and hang them by the door to keep coats off of the floor and furniture.

Keep easy picky foods stocked to put out. Cheese and crackers are great. Dips are also easy. Hummus, edamame or even cheese dip are great options. Sliced veggis are also a good.

Don’t forget drinks. Keep an extra bottle of wine or prosecco around for unexpected festive visits.

Keep it simple. Don’t overthink plans. Keep dinner simple and delicious. Make dishes you are familiar with or experiment with just one instead of the whole meal. Entertain with ease by preparing as much as possible before guests arrive. Remember you will set the tone of the visit so have fun and enjoy yourself!

Candles are so welcoming and homey. Light a few around the house. Not to mention they will add a wonderful smell.

Consider splurging on a cleaning service or rented dishes if you are hosting a large dinner. When dinner is over, simply put the dirty dishes in the crates and return them to the rental company. Eliminate  the worst part of having guests… cleaning up after them.

Sometimes it takes a guest visiting to finish lingering projects around the house. What projects would you like to finish? Are the holiday lights on the house? Could the bathroom use a good scrub? Do you need to replace the rug in the living room? Whatever it is let your guests be your motivation.

Most importantly, enjoy your guests! They have come to spend time with you, not to critique the food or discuss the lingering dirt in your home.

I’ll leave you with a sweet video from Mrs. Myers a good reminder for this time of year.

Happy Organizing!

Savvy Gift Giving

It’s that time of year again, Hanukkah starts this week and Christmas is right around the corner. One of the many things you have on your todo list this time of year is gifts for family and friends; hosts and hostesses; the kids! With so many decisions to make and so little time we thought it would be fun to put together a little gift guide.

Here it is: Savvy Gift Giving Ideas

For more information about anything you see in the slideshow please visit www.beautifullyorganized.ca

A selection of savvy gift options from the organizers at Beautifully Organized.