Friday, January 28, 2011

The Blob - The Clutter!

This is what clutter reminds me of... Horrors!!!!!



This was made before I was born but I remember the kids in elementary school talking about that scary movie, The Blob! Muahahhahaha! Made in 1958. Steve McQueen's first lead role. The history of the movie is very interesting, look at Steve McQueen's salary.

You can see the theatrical trailer here: The Blob (1958)

If you relate The Blob to clutter and excess spending and excess stuff it is quite humorous indeed!



Here is a recipe I would like to share with you all, this is a great last minute supper recipe. Easy-Breezy... That's me!

I'll call it .... Chicken Stroganoff...

Amelia's
Chicken Stroganoff


I always think of a fancy name for my dishes, hubby comes home and he asks...
"What's for supper?"

I always think of a fancy name, it makes it more interesting and a delight to the tastebuds. Yes indeedie.

We had 4 home for supper last night.

I had 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I had 2 small onions.

1 can of Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup.

Okie dokie, you heat olive oil and butter and fry a sliced onion, one large, two small, whatever you have on hand.

Make it nice and brown.

Cut your chicken breasts in little pieces around an inch each. Brown those really well with the onions.

Then you put the Cream of Mushroom soup with a can of milk added. If you browned the onions and chicken really, really well, it will make a nice brown gravy. You can season it up with salt, pepper, garlic powder and last night I added some sour cream, unflavored yogurt works too, but neither are necessary.

Let it simmer a while to tenderize the chicken a bit.

I served mine over brown rice but of course this could be served over noodles or pasta as well...


I made brussel sprouts on the side. Just 2 bags of plane jane frozen brussel sprouts. I add butter and olive oil. When the sprouts are done, we like our sprouts very cooked but not pulverized. I cut them each in halves so they can absorb the good butter/olive oil flavor. I add garlic powder, salt & pepper and there we go.

Easy-Breezy good food. That's me!



Oh yes, I'm still decluttering, and the party continues at least here in our home it does!

The Blob movie really does describe how it feels some days... The more I give away, the more of the stuff that appears!

Yesterday I threw out the flower arrangement high on top of my bedside bookcase. Oh my goodness, the thing had taken on another life of it's own! It was loaded with dust. I marched that thing out of the house so fast! *Poof* Out it went...And I mean POOF! The dust flew! LOL (Remember it had been way up high gracing my bookcase for several years) Normally I bathe things like this, but this poor thing was coated come to find out and I'm thinking maybe these up-high arrangements are truly dust collectors.

Today. Two pair of shoes that were hiding from me, they were favorites of mine. One pair in particular... They are black leather high heels, a 1920s retro style. I've fixed them and fixed them but the heel is at least two inches, it won't work for me. The other pair is a beautiful pair of beige Leo dance shoes, I never danced in them unless it was just dancing around the house or with hubs dancing out of a store on datenight...Remember, I do things like that. : ) But they are a beautiful pair of shoes I had found at the resale shop in new condition. Think: Rockettes. I loved the look of them and enjoyed wearing the versatile color with fall skirts and such. Such is life, someone like me will be so excited to get them. Once again, the heel is a bit high to keep a nice healthy back and stay comfortable.

Here are a few selected tips from Minimalist.com:

  1. Admit that you own too much clothing. That’s all you really need to get started.
  2. Wear fewer colors. Most of us already have a few favorite colors that we wear most often anyway – usually because we like the way we look in them. Choosing to intentionally wear fewer colors means less accessories (shoes, belts, jewelry, handbags, etc.). It also makes too much sense not to try.
  3. Embrace the idea of one. When one can be enough, embrace it – one black dress, one swimsuit, one winter coat, one black belt, one pair of black shoes, one pair of sneakers, one handbag… insert your own based on your occupation, lifestyle, or climate.


You know? It's interesting, I grew up more minimalist and didn't even realize it. I'm an only child and my parents really, really persevered in keeping me un-spoiled materially. I owned one coat, one pair of school shoes, one pair of tennis shoes, one bathing suit. At Easter time I got a pair of Easter shoes, and usually in the spring, a nice pair of leather sandals used for school as well, etc. My parents paid cash for a new vehicle and would drive them til they fell apart. They just didn't get a new car or truck because they wanted something different.

I'm also realizing and learning things about myself. I like comfortable clothing but classic clothing as well. I like very long skirts, I like black, grey and green especially, I also like navy and good shades of deep red or maroon for tops. I like turtleneck shirts and sweaters, I figure if it's cold enough to wear long sleeves it's cold enough to cover up to my chin. Makes sense to me. : ) I also like several cardigans and a couple of blazers very much.

One big thing I've learned is my long black leather coat is being retired unless it's snowing or freezing out. I wore that monstrosity on datenight with hubby and I backed up to sit down at a restaurant and the coat is so huge it almost knocked my chair from under me! Not good! Bye-bye for a while black coat. I have two others that are a shorter length that will work just fine. : )

That's the wrap for tonight.

Sweet Dreams All...


Wed. 2.2.11 Okay, I'm ready for my dear friends at Purple Heart. I have 7 white bags, 2 black bags, 2 boxes, 1 green gimmie bag containing hubs roller skates, 2 boxes with an actor friend's costumes he used for drama given to our girls, and a box with antique dishes I found for a great deal once. Someone else may be delighted to get them. We're not using them, they are a little chipped and worn, someone may even like them for crafting etc. My old favorite flower arrangement, I don't use it anymore, it was used in our tree house style house, and looked wonderful on my white tile table back then. It's not right to keep it as it deteriorates, someone else will be blessed by it. One large navy suitcase that doesn't stand up on it's own. (Dds tell me, a problem at the airport) but it might serve someone else fine. My neighbor's were throwing the suitcase away because we know now it wouldn't stand up...I do think throwing it away was a bit harsh and wasteful myself. It's amazing what people throw away that could be given to charity.

People are so in a different sphere, I don't understand the waste. Declutter yes, but waste not. Drives me crazy, everyone is so quick-quick-quick. No one even talks to their neighbors anymore. Throw-away. Throw-away. Quick-quick-quick... What kind of a life is that? No heart I tell you... No heart.

Back to my give-away bags....In the bags are sweaters, porcelain dolls, Wilton character cake pans that aren't being used anymore, tupperware dip & chip not being used etc. Like new tupper-like containers we don't use with lids. A salad spinner I bought at a garage sale in '89, used several times, graduation party decor including two mini autograph doggies, never autographed etc. Dd25 took two huge stacks of books and an anniversary collector's covered edition of Gone with the Wind vhs to Half Price books. We netted $10.50. Some of the books were older but not old enough to be retro but in good condition. Dd25 was in the neighborhood so it works. When we are in the half price books neighborhood it is worth it, but otherwise, books will be donated.

I do get tickled with Dh at times... He said he might want to use the roller skates at the new house. We will have polished & stained concrete floors at the new house, (the loft-look) is a good way of phrasing it? : ) Perhaps skating rink-look might be more appropriate if Dh had his momentary whim? (The skates will be picked up tomorrow per Dh)

And don't ya know? Dh found the *poof*- "gone" floral arrangement in the garbage can outside...He tells me it can be hosed off and it might look kinda nice at the new house... And gee just when I was on a roll... Hmmm...And he tells me I'm the clutter-buggy like my grandma.... That guy.... ; ) He is a cute Italian that I can dress up though. JK! (And...the flower arrangement is on the patio table waiting to be hosed down per Dh) We sha'll see how it turns out. It might turn out nice! We sha'll see! : )

Bye for now dear ones!


1.3.11 Today Okie-dokie, all bags are on front porch per Dh. But there is one remaining bag, the bag with Dh's roller skates. Dh decided those roller skates are worth another year's try...I had to laugh, but not too hard because I know how it is. The roller skates had been hidden and we'll see if now that they have been re-discovered he will be able to enjoy them in the coming year. I hope so.

Listening to an old b/w retro Billy Graham sermon this morning. Have things changed, have things changed...We must keep our heads up high and hold the Light for the Lord and standards high, loving others but also warning. May the church be the church again and awake from it's social slumber; church people frolicking in the water as the tidal wave comes... How will the church reach others if they don't have time to be kind or even polite to one another? If the mailman is kinder and more thoughtful than most churched what does this show? It's certainly not an indictment unto our Father but to those who don't seem to understand or know the Father's Heart, simply by watching their actions. Said the sparrow to the robin?......

All is well here, we have the Lord and the luxury to speak with Him in a personal way at anytime about anything, some days are trying but our God is with us. May God be glorified. Amen.
Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever.

4 comments:

Mary said...

My family were packrats; my inlaws were packrats; I am a packrat. Runs in families. Hopeless. When we were a military family, we decluttered a lot because we moved a lot, and the military gives you a weight allowance. Now that we are civilians, forget it.

I'm told that it is elegant to be a minimalist, and I'm sure that is true. Sigh.

Your chicken stroganoff sounds lovely!

Amelia said...

Oh Mary, you are so funny. My grandparents were packrats too, my mom still has those tendencies despite her dollhouse. (Her closets are organized but full)

I think minimalism means different things to different people, for one it could be a nice clean bookshelf, for others it could be living out of a backpack...For me? I just want to live orderly and decluttered so I can use what I have. It's been upsetting on certain days when I see what I have forgotten because of the clutter, it upsets me to know the time wasted with all the stuff. But the good thing is I have discovered some wonderful things too! : )

Check out flylady.net, she is precious. I like her style. She's a sweetie and speaks my language so to speak.

Beloved's Redheaded Bride said...

HI Mrs. Amelia.
Yum! That sounds like a wonderful meal. I will try how you make Brussel sprouts. OH Heavens, I get such sad looking faces right now when I make them each take a bite. Maybe if I spruce is up a little different that just butter they might like them more! ;)

Beloved said to me this week, “Why don’t we have any Goodwill drop –off receipts this year? Um! That would be because I had a baby just before 2010 and all I have done is decluttered the house into containers for the garage! Very bad of me!! We had a nice day in the 50s today. (I can not believe I just said that was good weather!) So, I entered the garage zone! I just sent off Beloved to go to good will with one little old container! Ha! I have a long way to go! Wait until you see the picture of my container addiction. It will take me a few weeks to get up the courage to show it! I am sure!

Amelia said...

Hi Carmen, yes, the butter on the brussel sprouts does help a lot! I usually do only olive oil on most veggies but brussel sprouts need a little help. ; ) My friend's mother told her they were tiny baby cabbages.

I'll be back here soon and over to visit your blog, I'm packing with my mom today and fighting off a sore throat.

Hopefully more clutter updates and a funny about my hubby pulling something out of the garbage. *giggle*