Surprisingly Delicious Vegetable Quinoa + Organizing Under My Bathroom Sink
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Last night Shaun had an idea to make a giant pan of sauteed vegetables and serve it over quinoa.
It's not the most exciting dish, but definitly fits within our 'get back on track to healthy eating' plan now that summer is over and we're both feeling a bit heavier. Though simple ingredients were used and no heavy sauces to speak of, I can't get this dish out of my head! A smattering of seasoned sauteed green squash, bell peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms served atop an onion-laden quinoa made this dish so flavorful, filling and healthy. I couldn't believe how this seemingly boring dish turned out so deliciously! More. I want more.
In addition to finally watching the True Blood finale last night (holyyyy @#$%!!!!...and if you feel the same - or differently - head over to our FB page to discuss...), I felt that I had to get something productive done at home. The disaster I call under my bathroom sink has been bugging me for some time now. Can you tell why?
I didn't even know half of what was hidden under the top layer of hair products. Somewhere in there are loose packets of contact lenses, rogue lipsticks, hair brushes that I haven't seen in a year and lord knew what else. My real goal is to install a double-tiered pull out wire shelf, like this little number from Bed Bath & Beyond. But until I get around to that one, I couldn't stand this mess for one moment longer.
I started by pulling everything out of the cabinet. I moved it into the living room so that I could have space to organize. Here's the new and improved version:
I got rid of the small blue basket and changed it out for a larger wicker one that I had lying around. I separated my things into two categories...hair stuff and non-hair stuff. In the left side, I put all mousses, hairsprays, brushes, blow dryer, and flat iron in this one. I took an old, very cleanly washed out planter to corral my headbands, hairties and clips.
In the second basket, I added the rest of my 'products', including contact solution, deodorant, moisturizers, extra contacts (organized in an old box of twine), mouthwash and more. I corraled tampons and liners in 2 white Ikea planters. Yup, I just posted a photo of tampon organization. You saw it here first, friends. I also left space for my box of makeup remover face cloths and added a smaller basket in the back for rogue items like moisturizer samples, nail files, tweezers and pocket mirrors.
One more shot of the finished product:
Isn't that soooooo much better? I still don't have a solution for my giant makeup case, so that will need to rest on top of one of the baskets for now. It was nice to also make the decision that I do need to install the pull out so that everything, including my makeup, can fit and be easily accessible. For now, I'll take this organization until I get around to a more permanent upgrade! And the entire process really took about 15 minutes tops. Not bad, right?
Questions of the Day:
Have you ever made a dish that seemed unexciting, but you ended up loving?
What simple organizational projects have you tackled lately?
8 Comments | September 13, 2011 | Share Article | Email Article | tagged organizing, quinoa | in At Home Print Article | Permalink
Reader Comments (8)
Like how you organized under the sink. And used the pot for your headbands...I have something similar in my bathroom. I used a little wire shelf to allow for even more products.
How did you cook the quinoa? The last time I made it, it was so bland.
Thank you Sarah! Regarding the quinoa...never ever EVER cook it in water. I always use vegetable or chicken broth. I also add some sauteed onions and then finish it off with a bit of lemon juice, some spices like basil, or a bit of crumbled cheese, like goat or feta! Hope it helps!
love the idea of adding some feta or goat cheese!! i always cook mine in broth too
that quinoa dish looks awesome! i like a light, vegetarian dinner every now + then + that looks delicious. and quinoa is packed with protein, which is an extra bonus. =) i am a constantly reorganizer, so i hear ya on the under-the-bathroom sick re-organization. i even alphabetize my spices, eek! i've had reorganizing/cleaning my makeup case on the to-do list for the last few days. i think i'll finally tackle it today!
I'm definitely going to try this - looks so delicous, and I've finally found a quinoa brand I really love!
I lack motivation to start projects {like organization} but once I get going it's addicting! I have similar baskets in my bathroom too! No cutesy little tampon holder though!
Awesome job with the organization. Since we are moving in a few weeks, mine has gotten kind of out of control, but mine is very similar to yours. Love it when everything is organized. :)
I need to do that in my bathroom, too. I love roasted or grilled veggies piled over some type of a starch like Quinoa or cous cous - this looks delish! One surprise dish I had was just roasted veggies like broccoli, peppers, onions and even olives tossed on some pasta with garlic and lemon...sprinkle with parm and I was in heaven...yum...who needs meat?