Simple Choices Every Day

[Rosemary]

This is the place to post things that made your day easier - they could involve spending or not spending, doing or not doing. I'm not waiting until June 1 to post a "June" challenge because that would be too complicated. :)

This week our meals have been super-simple. I cooked a pound of kidney beans on Sunday and DH grilled some pork chops and chicken. We have the usual supply of raw veggies. We've been eating salads and/or steamed vegetables with beans and/or meat since then. Boring? Well, no, they're never the same. Easy? Very. With the time saved I've been able to do some crafts with DD, gardening, and have a non-hectic violin recital evening.

[Gardenarian]

Routines make my days easier. Get up, make the bed, put on the kettle, fill the bird feeder and water the garden, have a cup of tea and write in my journal.

I've had a lot of things disturb my routines lately - maybe I'm too attached to them - but I find it very soothing to have simple rewarding activities that I can look forward to throughout the day. I'm already looking forward to reading with dd before bed (yes, she's almost 13 and I still like to read to her!) We're reading Pride & Prejudice. Then an hour to myself to read before lights out. Nice.

[Mrs-M]

"Simple choices" for today... leftovers. Simple, fuss-free, tasty, quick, easy.

[Blackdog Lin]

This is the third Sunday morning in a row that I've gotten out to the garden, early enough before it gets too hot, for weeding. While it doesn't necessarily make my day easier, it does make it better. (1) fresh air; (2) communing with nature; (3) 45-60 minutes of good stretching exercise; and (5) best of all, come next month when I go out to pick some onions or cucumbers for supper, I'll actually be able to FIND the onions and cucumbers for picking. A win-win situation, and one I hope to continue for the rest of the summer.....

[Stella]

We had a sleepless night with the baby so we are going to the evening mass. I love the evening mass except it is at 6:15 so it complicates dinner. I was going to make lettuce wraps but realized that the kids had just had pbj for a snack and Zach wasn't hungry. Instead I made myself a bagel with cream cheese and smoked trout and called it good. We might have a snack when we get home but there is no need to fuss over a big dinner.

[Rosemary]

We had a very easy weekend. I came down with a nasty flu-like bug right after DH went out of town and was not up to doing much, including cooking. Luckily we had a fridge full of food - some random servings of soup and chili that I had frozen after Wednesday craft & soup days, some cooked quinoa, lots of veggies and fruit, yogurt, granola, salad greens, roasted sweet potatoes. DD and I managed without any real cooking and I am feeling somewhat better now.

It wasn't a bad weekend to be stuck inside sick. Yesterday we had driving rain and thunderstorms, and today it was nearly 100 and very humid. The cats appreciated having company 24/7. DD and I played games, read together (silently; we usually read aloud at her bedtime but I have no voice), did some crafts, and watched a movie. She spent an hour or so today climbing our trees until she got too hot. We made some banana "soft-serve" in the food processor with frozen bananas. She had enough down time to say, "I'm bored" a couple of times - which I always take as a good sign.

[razz]

i find it much simpler to precook the grains or pasta for the week.
I precooked 2 cups rice and will package in one cup portions for stirfries, precooked 1 cup elbow pasta and made cheezwhiz http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/75/Homemade-Cheez-Whiz114934.shtml and added some to one cup precooked pasta with remaining cup for pasta salad, cooked two small steaks and shared one with DH and have the other for a stirfry, made meaty tomato sauce enough for three meals - chili, stuffed peppers using precooked rice and tomato sauce.

It has been so hot and dry that I was able to hang out the light and dark laundry loads as well as the sheets and towels. All done in one day!

[early morning]

Every evening, I pack my lunch for the next day, get the coffee pot ready, make a quick note of anything unusual I have to do before/after work, and pull out my clothes for morning. If I think I'm too exhausted at night to do this, I make myself imagine how tired AND rushed I'll be in the morning, and do it anyway! If we eat dinner at home, I do up my lunch while putting away the left-overs, saving a step later. Makes my mornings really smooth, gives me time to read a little with my coffee, before heading out to a stress-filled day with my lovely students. :)

[iamdavidspersonaleconomy]

This morning I chose to write down all the dreams I had last night. Now I will be able to analyze them later. :)

[Tussiemussies]

My simple choice for today is that I am thourghly cleaning my kitchen which seems like a big mountain to climb since it is a big kitchen, so I take breaks and then go back and do a little more. Did accomplish today's goal!:)

[razz]

I placed the 6lbs of back pork spare ribs in the oven under slow cook option overnight and then, this morning after it cooled somewhat, I easily removed the bones and placed the lean meat in portions that can be reheated another day. I also cooked up small chicken drumsticks last night and packaged them for the same later reheat or salad choice.

My salads are very simple - a cut-up mix of cucumbers, tomatoes and red peppers and 1 oz of mozzarella with a little drizzle of low-cal Italian dressing for supper; large shredded romaine salad with cut up celery, green onions from the garden, a few olives, 1/2 cup of chickpeas or diced boiled eggs, some sliced tomatoes with little drizzle of low-cal sundried tomato dressing for lunch.
Simple salads keep tasting better and better.
Always 1/2 cup of many varieties of fruit for dessert.

[Tussiemussies]

The salads and fruit sound great. :)

[awakenedsoul]

I went to Costco today and did my monthly shop. I love being all stocked up! It saves me gas, time, and energy to "shop at home" in my garden and pantry all month. Bought a nice watermelon for $5.00 and cut it all up and stored it in the pyrex. This way I can just pull it out and spoon up a bowlful. It's so refreshing in this heat! Made a loaf of egg bread this morning. Hung the washing out on the line as it was baking in the oven. Used some of the ham I had baked last week to make a ham and cheese sandwich. So much cheaper than buying sliced lunchmeat! The cheese is a raw white variety that I bought at the Farmers Market. It's divine! Made lemonade with juice I had stored from my meyer lemon tree. I keep a couple of large plastic bottles of it in the freezer. It's also great for making sorbet. Did my physical therapy exercises so that my back and hip stay healed and healthy. It takes several hours a week, but it's worth it. I am grateful to be pain free! Took my fish oil for health and to reduce inflammation.

[SteveinMN]

That sounds like a pretty darn good day, awakenedsoul!

[awakenedsoul]

That sounds like a pretty darn good day, awakenedsoul!

Thank you Steve! I've always enjoy your posts on this forum. Your high consciousness shines through in your writing.