I stumbled upon a recipe for cauliflower soup that was so simple it made me skeptical.  I looked at a number of cauliflower soup recipes, some with cheese or thyme and multiple ingredients, but because I’m all about simple solutions….

This beautiful soup via Paul Bertolli is simply delicious.  The vegetable really shines and it is just a lovely way to warm up.  Cauliflower is a super vegetable because it is loaded with vitamin C, K and dietary fiber.

Follow the advice of all the readers and don’t get fancy.  I did substitute in a little broth for the water and I used an immersion blender instead of blending in batches.  I think I might try a little crumbled bacon on the top the next time I make it.

Try a bowl and let me know what you think.

Paul Bertollis Cauliflower Soup - Photo James Ransom

Keeping electronic cords and cables under control can be a challenge.  A while back I did a post on our solution to the problem by building a small shelf under my desk and then covering with some pretty fabric.

I’ve recently stumbled upon a couple of other easy and simple solutions that can help to control the cord clutter.  BUYER BEWARE  because there are many options out there but not all of them are stellar.  Some options involve containing the cords in plastic tubing and I’m not a huge fan.  One major thing to keep in mind is how difficult it will be to get at a cord if needed.  If the solution involves unzipping a long tube or untangling a maze, then it is probably not a good solution.

I’ve assembled some inexpensive and versatile solutions below for some of the more common cord problems.

If you need an easy solution to hold your power cords while a gadget is unplugged, then the cord clips below work well.

Cords too long?  The Command Adhesive Bundler is easy to use and will allow for easy access to the cord.  It gives you the ability to loop up longer cords but easily undo them if you need to move items around.

I love the Mini Cable Box with power strip inside.  I imagine it will take a little work to tuck the cords in, so maybe purchasing two and dividing the cords would work well.  There is a larger Cable box but there again I see a mess of  too many cords bundled together and it does not come with the integrated power strip, (although there is space to add one).  I think two boxes with fewer cords would be more functional.

I like the Cable Turtle because it contains each cord separately.  There are similar items that bundle the cords but I think keeping them separated is a smarter move.

Organizing a drawer can sometimes seem tricky.  The space might be hard to fit and hard to maintain.  Try thinking outside of the box to find a product that will help you keep the troublesome drawer in top shape.  A cute inspiring find inside the drawer might motivate you to keep it organized.  Picture a junk drawer that is just so much fun to look in that you HAVE to keep in clean.

Here are some examples to get you motivated.

I love the use of these lunch trays inside a drawer, (top left).

Baking sheets in a drawer – brilliant.

Teacups and saucers? Yes, please.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Oragami drawer or even old Altoid boxes covered in pretty papers

Source: thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I have a fun compilation of apps to help keep you organized over on SkinnyScoop.  Please stop over and vote for your favorite!  I’d also love for you to share your favorite organizing apps so that I can give them a try and share them .

I have a fun find for you this week to share your old photo memories.  I’ve done posts in the past about how to digitize old family photos but this one  is a little different.  The ShoeBox for IPhone 1000 memories app is all about ease in capturing and sharing your old photos.  This is NOT about the quality but more about having fun.  I see this app as a great way to get ready for an upcoming birthday party or sharing old memories quickly with your family.

The app was very easy to set up.  Capturing the photos and sharing is literally a 10 second process.  Try it out, have fun and let me know how you are using Shoebox 1000.  There is a short YouTube video below to show you how it all works.

I’ve been on a soup kick lately.  I received an immersion blender for Christmas and I’ve gone soup silly.  I stumbled upon this recipe for Green Soup while listening to The Splendid Table on NPR last weekend.  The soup is courtesy of Anna Thomas and eating well.com.   It will definitely be my go to soup when I’m beginning to feel run down or if I feel a cold on the way.

The soup is packed with beautiful greens (chard and spinach) and the caramelized onions give it an intense flavor.  I did add some garlic for no reason other than I love garlic.  I waited until the onions were about ten minutes from completion to avoid burning it.  It definitely needs the drizzle of olive oil at the end and next time I make it I will invest in a high end oil because this soup is simple, but worth it.

Via Anna Thomas - www.eatingwell.com

If a healthier lifestyle/mindset is on your “to do” list for 2012, then take a look at this informative and inspiring application from Cleveland Clinic.

Find quick ideas for a fast paced world.  Enjoy wellness on-the-go with their award winning and FREE iPhone app!  I have this on my phone and I must admit it is fun to read them while waiting to pick up the kids.

Daily Tip

Or, Experience a calm mind amidst an active lifestyle.  This app is currently $1.99.  Let me know if you try them!

Stress Meditations

Do you receive a hefty load of unwanted junk mail?  Do you just hit delete because the process of unsubscribing seems too difficult?  Well, if you are a Google mail, AOL, Yahoo mail or Windows Live user, then this Savvy Find is for you.  Unroll.me will  crawl through your inbox and generate a list of what you’re subscribed to.  You can then select the subscriptions you no longer want to receive and press unsubscribe.  Give it a try and let us know what you think!

There are so many talented artisans over on Etsy and I’ve found a number of beautiful items to help inspire you to get organized.  Stop on over to SkinnyScoop to see what I’ve found!

Happy New Year everyone!  First of all, I’d just like to thank all of you for stopping by my little blog from time to time and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy, healthy New Year.

Let’s begin the year with a delicious and savory dish that is quite easy to make.  A regular beef bourguignon is a little overwhelming to me, but this crock pot version is simple and packed with flavor.  I made it last week and the directions are easy to follow.  I would make two minor edits to the recipe.  First,  I would buy a little better cut of meat.  The cooking process did make it pretty tender, but I was left wanting something a step up.  The only other change is that I added more broth.  The sauce however is divine and worth the effort.

Swing by Food.com for the recipe and please comment if you try it!

http://www.food.com