Disorganized Teens - Symptons of ADHD

Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Yesterday our temp at lunchtime was 69 degrees! Lovely lunch outside. :)

I've noticed that school supplies are out already. So my thoughts today will go in that direction ... preparing for school.

I came across an article entitled ADHD: Not Just for Little Kids by George Schulz, Ph.D. I thought this might be helpful to you if you suspect your teen (or anyone else in your family for that matter) may have ADHD.

The article cannot be republished or copied, so I couldn't include it here. Please click the link above to read it - it's very enlightening.

If you suspect ADHD, have your child examined before school starts to get the year off to a good start! ADHD happens when a neuron is not firing properly, which is corrected by appropriate meds.

Even though many parents don't like the idea of ADHD medicine, it is still considered the best solution. If your child is near-sighted, you wouldn't refrain from buying glasses. Your doctor will also instruct you in behavior modification as well - ways in which ADHD symptoms can be reduced: physical exercise, for example.

A friend of our daughters was not diagnosed with ADHD until he was a teenager after suffering scholastically and emotionally for years in school. Another adult friend just started on ADHD meds as she is going back to college and needs to be able to focus. ADHD is hereditary, so if your child has ADHD, it is likely that a parent has it, too. It is not something you outgrow - take it seriously!

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More on ADHD:
Understanding the ADD Mindset
Helping Your ADHD Child Get Organized
More Tips for Helping Your ADD Child Stay Organized

Increasing Efficiency

Ever feel like that hamster in a cage, moving but not going anywhere? Here are a few ways to increase your efficiency and productivity.

- First and foremost, know your priorities, passions, and gifts. Use these as filters for incoming opportunities and requests. If you're not sure what is important to you, you may be controlled, by default, by others' agendas.

- Create a master weekly schedule that includes your priorities, passions, and gifts. Use this as you plan your schedule each week. If your schedule is erratic, create a master list.

- Say no to those activities which do not contribute to your objectives. If that’s difficult, ask for some time to think about it, compare it with your priorities, and then say no. If you're unsure about whether or not to pursue the opportunity, get some advice from your spouse or close friend who is aware of your priorities and commitments.

- Find ways to simplify your life, schedule, etc. Remove activities from your life about which you are no longer passionate. Remove clutter from your life.

- Create systems and routines for handling paperwork, daily/weekly activities, etc.

- Delegate whenever possible. Train your delegees well, whether it is on the job or doing house chores! And plan a time to follow up.

- Make lists. Write down what you need to do, to remember, to buy, etc., rather than waste time later trying to remember them.

- Plan your errands strategically so as to save drive time and gas.

- Avoid people who are time-wasters, unless you feel “called” to that relationship. Use email or texting when you must communicate with them so as not to be trapped by their lack of control. Or call them five minutes before a meeting or similar commitment, thereby limiting your conversation time.

- Determine if an emergency or interruption is urgent and important or just urgent before you change your scheduled activities. Just because it may be an emergency for someone else, doesn’t necessarily mean it must become an emergency for you!

- Don’t check your email first thing in the morning; instead, do your highest priority.

- Prepare the night before so your morning will run smoothly.

- Keep well-stocked on the essentials - milk, bread, toilet paper, etc. Milk and bread can be frozen (use milk with screw on cap and pour out a little milk before freezing to allow for expansion). This prevents costly (both time and money) emergency trips to the grocery store.

- Make a master list of school supplies your children use frequently. When you go to the office supply store, check your list to avoid running out of an essential. At the beginning of the school year buy project supplies as well as school supplies - markers, colored pencils, poster board, report folders, etc. When your child has a last-minute project, you'll be prepared! No more late-night trips to the grocery store hoping they'll have poster board.

- Do the same with office supplies. Make a list of essentials - paper, ink, labels, legal pads, binders, etc. Each time you go to the office supply store, check your list. Many office supply stores will deliver if your purchase is over $50.

- Compare prices between local office supply stores and online stores. I have found quality computer ink, shipping supplies, and other items at cheaper prices than my local stores, many times with a better selection. And I don't have to go anywhere!

- Use small snatches of time to do quick tasks. Save large blocks of time for big projects. If you have projects that require lengthy attention, create "no interruption" times during your day. Schedule times when you are available to field questions, phone calls, etc. Record this information on your answering machine.

By increasing your efficiency, your day will be more productive. And you may be able to find some extra time in the day for yourself!

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More on time management:
The "Do It Now" Mindset
Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work
Six Ways to Save Money on Food by Planning Ahead


To Discover your passions, priorities, and gifts, see any of the time management books in the 1-2-3 ... Get Organized series.

5-Minute Stress Relievers - Physical Activity

Yesterday Melody Warnick interviewed me for an article she is doing for Woman's Day magazine on relieving holiday stress. Her article will appear in the holiday issue in November.

So I have been thinking about 5-minute stress relievers lately. :)

As a Myers-Briggs personality profile facilitator, I am aware that different personalities find stress-relief in different ways. Some need physical activity. Others are soothed by music or wonderful aromas. Gaining spiritual perspective is calming for those whose faith is foundational in their lives. Yet others get an urge to clean (not me, that's for sure!). There are many additional ways to relieve stress, as well.

So, I thought I might address this topic periodically over the next few weeks, each time focusing on one type of stress relief. Today we're going to talk about physical activity.

In general, physical activity is a fabulous release for pent-up emotions, tension and stress. We'll be concentrating on activities you can do in five minutes - whether at work or at home - for a quick break.

1. Take a walk at a moderate pace with your shoulders back. Breathe deeply and exhale slowly. One of the many benefits of deep breathing is that it lowers your blood pressure.

2. Do push ups or sit ups. Feel the tension roll off with each rep. Just a few minutes gets your blood pumping and rejuvenates your energy.

3. Climb up and down a few flights of stairs. When your mind is getting numb, a change of scenery and elevating your heart rate release stress and give you renewed mental energy.

4. Go outside and take a five-minute run. Being outdoors plus exertion provide an outlet for nervous energy as well as a fresh outlook on your task at hand.

5. If your muscles are tense, lie in bed or on the floor and stretch out your muscles - one by one from head to toe.

6. Ask someone to massage your back, neck, shoulders or head. Return the favor.

7. Get down on the floor and play with your child or your pet. Just not right before your child's bedtime!

What are your 5-minute stress relievers? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog post.

Decluttering Mail and Phone Calls

In my opinion, telemarketing wastes my time. Even though we are on the Do Not Call list, we still get calls from non-profits. I gather that non-profits can only call those who have given to them, but we get calls from others - especially medical and police/fire groups it seems.

Yesterday during lunch, we received two such calls, five minutes apart. Thankfully we have caller ID, but it still interrupted our lunch twice by having to go look at the phone.

I know we've talked about a couple of these lists that reduce these annoying sources of clutter before, but here it is in one place:

1) Opt Out Prescreen is a centralized service to accept and process requests from consumers to "Opt-In" or “Opt-Out” of firm offers of credit or insurance.

This is a joint venture among Equifax Information Services, LLC, Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Innovis Data Solutions, Inc., and TransUnion, LLC (collectively the "Consumer Credit Reporting Companies").

Stop these offers for 5 years via phone by dialing 888-5 OPT-OUT (888-567-8688).

2) Catalog choice allows you to opt out of the catalogs of your choice.

3) Direct Marketing Association provides a variety of opt out options for consumer assistance. You will need to register online or download the form and mail it in.

4) The National Do Not Call List cuts down on telemarketing calls - 1-888.382.1222. You do not need this for cell phones.

5) Yellow Pages Goes Green allows you to opt out of both white page and yellow page phone books that are left at your door.

I use almost all of these (I haven't tried #3.). They have greatly reduced the irritations of unwelcome clutter coming into my house. (source: NAPO chat)

Similar topics:
Get Organized Month 2009 - Opt Out of Phone Books
Life Lock - Protecting Your Identity
The Truth about Cell Phones and the National Do Not Call Registry

Craft Storage

A few months ago I came across some containers that are perfect for storing small craft items - beads, scrapbooking/card-making items, etc.


They are clear acrylic circular containers that stack and screw onto each other. The advantages:
- you can see all your supplies at a glance
- ease of removing and replacing contents
- compact, consistent storage
- reasonable price.

I bought this set at Hobby Lobby for $6.99. I've heard they are also available at Walmart.

I had previously used flat plastic boxes with multiple compartments. In order to see the contents, you had to open the lid. Removing items like small beads were difficult and even harder to replace. Many times they would fall into the sections next to them.

Some people use a drawer unit designed for nails, screws, and like items. It must be mounted on the wall or placed on a surface. If mounted on the wall, it conserves space, but may not be the look you're going for. Storing it on a table takes up valuable work space.

I store my circular containers horizontally in a drawer. Even though they are a couple of layers deep, it's easy to see what I want at a glance. If you store like items together in the same column, all you have to do is pick up a column and you're ready to go!

I might even decide to use them for storing dried herbs! How about office supplies? OK, I'd better stop.

What do you use to store your craft items? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

Other crafty ideas:
Saving Time by Cutting Out Craft Clean Up
Organizing Your Ribbon

Five Health Benefits of Laughter

I'm going to be interviewed on Wednesday by a writer doing an article for Woman's Day magazine about quick stress-relievers for the upcoming holiday season. So this is what I've been thinking about the last couple of days. Here's a stress-reliever I particularly love.

Five Health Benefits of Laughter

"- It stimulates a mild to moderate cardiovascular workout

- It produces endorphins, which counteract the production of stress hormones

- It appears to optimize the immune system

- It reduces self-consciousness and boosts self-confidence

- It relaxes muscles and helps fight the chronic pain associated with muscle tension."
(Source: “Together, They Laugh The Stress Away,” by Sally Stich, Parade Magazine, April 21, 2002)

When our children were still at home, my husband would just burst out laughing several times a day! He had heard a speaker wax eloquently about how laughing was like a jog for your insides. We would all start laughing - how can you hear someone else laugh without joining in? Give it a try. :)

There are certain movies that make us laugh, Dennis the Menace being my favorite. We drag that out whenever we need a light moment.

Physical humor makes me laugh. I've included some examples below.

What makes you laugh? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.


These make me laugh:
CDC Warning: How to Avoid Getting the Swine Flu
The "Why Plan Ahead?" Awards - Too Funny!
Why I Didn't Make the Olympics
A Little Humor for the Weekend
Poor Planning Humor

A Dozen Tips for Efficient Appointments

Have you ever arrived at an appointment to find that you have been stood up? Or the person with whom you were meeting didn't do what was necessary to make the appointment worthwhile? When appointments are thwarted, it is harder for you to reach your goals in a timely manner. Here are a few tips to help make your appointments most efficient:

1. Know the objective of the appointment before you agree to it.

2. Ask whether the appointment might be accomplished over the phone or via email, rather than meeting face-to-face, saving time.

3. Create or ask for an agenda for the appointment.

4. Determine beginning and ending times for the appointment.

5. Complete any required work beforehand.

6. Call the day before to confirm the appointment, checking to make sure the person with whom you are meeting has completed any necessary work required for the appointment. If not, reschedule the appointment.

7. Start the appointment on time. Be on time to appointments elsewhere. Carry with you something to do if you are kept waiting.

8. Turn off your cell phone and prevent other interruptions during your appointment. It shows respect for the other person’s time and for the importance of the appointment.

9. Set an alarm on your PDA, phone, or watch to signal the ending time of the appointment.

10. Plan appointments one after another, if possible, to prevent short, unproductive times between appointments.

11. Consider having appointments while standing. People are more efficient if they are not sitting in a comfortable chair.

12. If you and the person with whom you need to meet attend the same event, schedule your appointment before or after the event or during a break to eliminate extra travel time.

Appointments need to contribute toward your goals. Following the tips above will increase your efficiency in reaching those goals.

Comments? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.


Other time management topics:
10 Ways to Double Your Time
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Save Time and Clutter by Making Decisions
Reduce Your Stress - Say No

Organizing Back-to-School Shopping

If we took our cues from the stores, we would think summer is over, even though it seems like it just began! After the 4th of July, all summer clothes are on sale and winter clothes will soon be on the racks, even though we are sweltering! Great time to beef up your summer wardrobe, if need be.

If you need to shop for back-to-school clothes or if you have children who need to do so, here are a few tips:

1. Take inventory of what you have. If you have children, tackle this job one child at a time. Make a list of all tops, categorizing them separately - short sleeve, long sleeve, t-shirts, dressy, dressy casual, etc. Do the same with bottoms - shorts, capris, jeans, skirts, dress pants, etc.

2. While going through the closet, start a donation pile and a throwaway/rag pile and a giveaway pile for clothing you want to pass on to specific people.

3. Make a list of all the possible outfits, both summer and winter.

4. It will become obvious which articles of clothing have no matches or matching accessories - shoes, socks, jewelry, belts, etc.. Make a shopping list.

5. NOW it's time to shop! If you are shopping for your children, make back-to-school shopping a fun event. If you can, take one child at a time, have lunch together, and make it a special day.

Even though this process takes a while, it is far more productive. You may discover outfits you never considered, you'll clear the closet of unwanted items, and your shopping will be intentional rather than haphazard, which will likely save you money. And you and/or your child will have a list of outfits to wear - especially helpful on those days when choosing an outfit seems overwhelming!

Comments? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

Similar topics:
Get Oranized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Clothes Closet
Get Organized for School - Clothing Inventory
Getting Organized for School - Learning Style

Got Cucumbers? Skin Care Rx

Good Morning! It has been a busy time with our foster girls this week - 4th of July parade and fireworks, Amish country, some great discussions, crafts, and more! Hope you're having a good week so far. :)

Here's some interesting cucumber information I found and thought might come in handy sometime ...


Besides being a refreshing veggie loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and dietary fiber, cucumbers have healing properties for your skin!

You've heard the expression "Cool as a Cucumber" - it's no joke! The inside of a cucumber is up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside.

That's why it feels so good to put cucumber slices over your eyes to reduce puffiness. You can also use them to put on minor burns or other skin irritations. How does it work? Cucumbers contain a natural astringent which causes blood vessels to constrict, decreasing swelling.

For skin rashes, insect bites, sunburns, and minor aches, chop cucumber skin and flesh in your blender and spread the paste over the affected area. This paste can also be used to make a homemade skin mask - it brings out the natural shine and beauty of your skin.

Aren't cucumbers amazing?

(Resources: Better Homes and Gardens, February 2009, p. 106. Uses for Cucumbers. The Many Uses of Cucumbers)

Comments? Click here to comment on the original blog.


Similar topics:
Organizing Your Herb Garden, Part 4 - Using Your Herbs for Healing
Reduce Anxiety with These Foods
Mouthwash and Mosquitoes

National Association of Professional Organizers' Best Product in Technology

The National Association of Professional Organizers awarded NeatDesk their “Best Product – Technology” at their annual conference this year. I thought you might like to know about it. I have not tried it, but it looks pretty cool. It costs $499, but they are offering $50 off right now. Here's what NeatDesk's website says about it:

Paper goes in. Information comes out.

NeatDesk is a high-speed desktop scanner and digital filing system that scans receipts, business cards and documents all in one batch. It includes NeatWorksTM software that identifies and extracts the important information and automatically organizes it for you.

With NeatDesk, you get a digital filing cabinet that intelligently organizes and secures all your important information.

Transform your workspace into a space that works. At work or at home, NeatDesk declutters your workspace, providing a central “inbox” for all your papers—ready to scan when you are.

All-in-one scanning. Our removable input tray can scan both sides of up to 10 receipts, 10 business cards, and 10 documents at a time—or even a single, 50-page document.

---

Key Features:

Intelligent Text Recognition

NeatWorks software uses OCR and patented parsing technology to identify and capture key information from scanned documents. On receipts, it looks for the date, vendor, amount and sales tax. On business cards, it captures all of the contact information: name, company, title, address, phone, email, website and fax. And on documents, the software captures all of the printed text and gives it to you in searchable PDF format. You can also perform keyword searches on any scanned item to find what you need quickly and easily.

Scan in receipts to:

• Save digital copies of receipts and records of vendors, dates and totals
• Create expense reports and manage business and personal expenses
• Keep track of expenses for tax time (records accepted by the IRS)
• Export data to Excel®, Quicken®, QuickBooks®, TurboTax®

Scan in business cards to:

• Keep digital images of cards and contact information
• Capture name, address company, title, etc.
• Create your own searchable contact database
• Export data to Outlook and more

Scan in documents to:

• Create searchable PDF files
• Edit text using copy/paste
• Organize and store in your digital filing cabinet

HOW IT WORKS:

What do you think? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

Organizing Your Mud Room

Hope you had a great 4th weekend! We did, and we're headed off to Amish country today.

This was a guest post I did at I'm An Organizing Junkie, but I never posted it here. So ... here it is, with a little revision! The picture was added, compliments of Laura, The Organizing Junkie:

Organizing Your Mud Room

I love mudrooms! They corral clutter before it enters your home! If you don’t have a mudroom, you can even create one in your garage or a hall closet.

Whether your mudroom is inside your house or in the garage, the idea is the same – you want to have a dumping ground as your family enters the house. Start with pegs or hooks to hang backpacks, briefcases, coats, scarves, etc. If you have room, add a bench with storage to sit on while taking off shoes. A chair will suffice, too.

The bench can house sports equipment if you have athletes in the house. Or choose another receptacle for sports equipment. And finally, shoe storage – a shoe rack, shelves, cubbies, etc.

A rug from the bench or chair to the door is a nice touch, if your mudroom is in your garage. If the members of your family are slipper wearers, they could keep them in the mudroom and slip into them after removing their shoes.

By creating such a mudroom, your house doesn’t look like it has exploded when family members come home. It takes a little training to get everyone to put things on hooks or in the shoe or athletic storage, but it is worth the effort! Every few days, have a shoe exchange where everyone picks up an armload of their shoes and takes them to their closets.

Whoever invented mudrooms was ingenious!

photo courtesy of dennace

What have you done to make your mudroom work? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.


Similar topics:
Get Organized Month 2009: More on Closet Organizing - The Closet Purse Hanger
Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Linen Closet
Get Oranized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Clothes Closet

Using Your Drive Time Efficiently

Happy Friday! And happy 4th of July! We plan to go to a parade and see local fireworks. Hope you have a great weekend. :) Here are some thoughts I had about using your drive time well ...

Using Your Drive Time Efficiently

Life is busy! And our time is finite. If we use our time well, life is less chaotic and we have more time for things we love. Here are a few tips:

• Travel during non-peak traffic hours whenever possible.
  

• If flexible hours are offered at work, and it works for you, start your work day earlier or later than normal, saving hours by driving at off times.

• Carpool or ride public transportation if possible, using that time to do something else.

• If possible, work from home one or more days a week, eliminating commute time.
  

• Save up errands, rather than running out several times a week. Write them down so you don't forget them.
  

• Pre-plan errands – combine errands and appointments in the same area to reduce drive time or repeated trips. Add on errands before or after times when you are out anyway.

• Listen to a recorded book or seminar, podcast, etc. while driving.

• Capitalize on the time spent stopped at lights - file your nails, remove trash from car receptacles, make a list, listen to the news, read a few paragraphs in a book, do deep breathing exercises, butt crunches, or finger exercises, etc.

• While shopping, if you find something you know you will need in the future, buy it, rather than having to make another trip later.

• Try to find doctors and other professionals near your home or workplace to reduce driving time. Do the same with shopping and restaurants.

• Share driving responsibilities with other parents for team practices/games, youth group, etc.
  

• Keep your car in good working order, preventing emergencies, missed appointments and wasted time.

How do you use your drive time efficiently? Subscribers, click here to comment on the original blog.


Similar topics:
10 Ways to Double Your Time
Organize Your Shopping Trips
Restorative Moments and Margins

Helping Your High School Graduate Make an Intentional Plan for Transitioning into College Gracefully

Good Morning! We have girls coming this morning. One of them has graduated from high school and will be heading off to college in less than two months. Going to college is scary the first time! So I thought I'd chat with her about transitioning into college gracefully.

We usually go out to coffee together to have some uninterrupted time together when she's here. I want to ask her how she can make her transition into college a positive one, even though she has a bunch of emotions going on.

She is scared. I want to mention that everyone is scared when they go to college. Just voicing it out loud makes it not so scary. And to know that it's normal helps, too. My own children were scared and excited at the same time, and they had far fewer hurdles to climb than our foster girls have had.

She's be anxious to have freedom! To be a guardian of the county carries with it many guidelines and restrictions. Just to be able to call a friend, their social worker must interview the friend and family! I want to talk to her about the pendulum - how she wants to maintain the same values she has maintained this year and not go to an extreme in the opposite direction just because she can.

I've seen many college students who come from rather controlling homes go crazy their first year in college because they don't know how to handle their freedom. They haven' t been trained in how to make decisions, use discernment, or manage their time. During our girls' last year in high school, we tried to give them more control: we stopped asking if they had homework and such to prepare them for the total freedom they would have in college. We still expected to know where they were and when they'd be back, though. :)

She is so done with the childishness of her peers and siblings. Our girls were ready to move on from the beginning of their senior years! Everyone else at school seemed so petty and immature! I want to talk with our foster daughter about leaving well for the sake of the younger girls in her house. She is setting an example for them - hopefully a graceful one - on transitioning.

Many times our foster girls don't have the luxury of smooth transitions. Their parents do ridiculous things which are unpredictable, and create unpredictable lives for our foster daughters. They are yanked from their homes, schools and neighborhoods. Sometimes over and over. So smooth transitions don't come naturally.

I want our foster daughter to keep the younger girls in mind as she is transitioning - that they are the ones being left, that they will miss her, that they are looking to her as a role model.

She is stressed. There is so much to do before leaving for college! I want to help her think through what her tasks are before leaving: packing, shopping, paperwork, etc. To plan out those tasks will relieve the stress of being rushed at the last minute. I want to help her remove any chaos that doesn't need to be in her life during a very chaotic time.

She is insecure. She is probably wondering if she will be successful in college. She has already changed her major several times this year! I have gone over the Myers-Briggs personality inventory with her to pinpoint what is important to her in a vocation. So that is a huge tool in her tool belt.

I also want to work through my Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student with her to help her determine her own passions, priorities, and gifts. In doing so, she will be confident going into college because she will know what is important to her. And can measure opportunities that arise in light of her own priorities. She will be able to plan her schedule to include her own goals, rather than be at the whim of others. She will be less likely to flounder.

So ... we have a lot to talk about! If you have a child going into college, help make that transition graceful! Tears come, but that's normal, too. :)

Comments? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.


More blogs about college:
Organizing For College - Dorm Room
Organizing for College - Guest Blogger Sarah Scrafford
Packing for College, Round 1

Shadow Boarding Your Tools

Hope your summer is going well! We are having a bumper crop of raspberries this year! I love it!

Here's a re-post of a one I did last summer:

Now that the weather is nicer, you may be spending more time outside and using the tools in your garage more often. One way to make sure your tools get put back in the correct spots is to do what the professionals do - shadow board your tools.

Shadow boarding consists of tracing the outline of your tools with a marker or paint onto the pegboard or wall where they hang. This is especially helpful if you have other people using your tools. Even a child can see where to replace a tool once it is used.

If you loan out your tools to neighbors, family, etc., you may even want to keep a list of who has borrowed which tool and when. Then if one turns up missing, you'll have a record of where it might be rather than having to remember who may have borrowed it.

Comments? Subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

Other Garage blog posts:
Spring Cleaning the Garage - Storing Hazardous Materials
It's that Time Again - Swapping Out Your Seasonal Tools
Storage for Your Garage

Getting the Maximum Mileage out of Your Veggies

I don't know about you,but I get bored with the same things all the time. So I try to be as creative as possible with whatever veggies I have on hand for the week in order to save money and not bore everyone to death!

Using the same veggies, you can serve:
- a veggie tray
- grilled veggies in foil using salad dressing for a marinade
- a tossed salad or dinner salad
- a salad comprised of cut-up veggies tossed in Italian, ranch, etc. dressing (no greens)
- stir fried veggies - add some meat and it's a meal
- steamed veggies.

At the beginning of the week I usually buy a veggie tray from Sam's. With such picky eaters as our foster girls, it's nice just to put the tray on the table and let everyone choose what they want. The price is so reasonable ($10), and I don't have to do the chopping!

Depending on which girls are here, I'll take veggies they like and place them in foil and drizzle Italian dressing over them. Fold up the foil into a packet and grill about 15 minutes on medium. Broccoli cooked this way was a big hit. This week while we've been off, I combined asparagus and mushrooms. Squashes, peppers, and onions are great candidates for grilling, too.

Small potatoes can be wrapped in foil and grilled for about half an hour. When my husband turns on the grill to sear the meat on high, he puts the potatoes in at the same time and then turns down the heat for the rest of the cooking time. We have also made foil packets with thinly sliced potatoes. You can just add butter and salt and pepper or mix dry onion soup with oil (the recipe is on the box). They take abut half an hour, too.

This week my veggies were carrots, cucumbers, asparagus, grape tomatoes and mushrooms. These can all be used in a tossed salad. Or made into a dinner salad if you add your choice of meat, cheese, nuts, beans, or seeds. I enjoy adding fruit, too - apple, grapes, pears, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, or berries. When the girls are here, I set the ingredients out and let everyone make their own salads according to their tastes.

One day this week I chopped cucumbers, asparagus, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, a tad of onions and tossed them with Asiago cheese salad dressing. The dressing's strong flavor was a great compliment to the mild taste of the veggies.

Stir fry is a great option when you have small amounts left of several veggies. I start with some of my Teriyaki marinade as a cooking sauce. Next I add the veggies that need to cook longer (carrots, onions, green beans, cabbage) followed by those that need to cook less (mushrooms, peppers, brocccoli, snow peas). If I'm going to make it a meal, I add cooked meat with the second batch of veggies. Serve a plate of fruit and dinner is done!

Steamed veggies are always a stand-by. My favorite seasoning for fresh green beans is garlic salt and butter. Same with cabbage. Really brings out the flavors.

After you've tried all these variations and you still have some fresh or cooked leftover veggies that no one wants, put them in the freezer for soups in the winter. Do the same with bits of meats, rice or beans, and you have a free meal one night!

Comments? To comment on the original blog, click here if you're a subscriber.


Similar topics:
Quadruple Batch of Teriyaki Marinade
Who Invented Meatloaf Anyway?
Grill Your Entire Meal