The Simple Life
By Sheryl Simons
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness
Simple Pot Roast
I was at the grocery store the other day, and there was a sale on roast beef. Now who doesn’t like a nice pot roast once in a while? However, it was already late afternoon, so no time to put a roast in the oven or crockpot, right? But then I remembered my pressure cooker. Barely more than a half hour and there could be a nice roast beef dinner on the table.
We peeled some potatoes and carrots while the roast was searing on each side. Put 2 cups water in the pan, then dump in the vegetables, and, of course lots of onions and some onion soup mix. Put the lid on tight, and put on the pressure valve. Now, I wanted to make sure was doing it right, and exactly how long to cook it, so I looked around for my manual. No dice. So, turning my laptop on within about a minute and a half, I had the recipe. I did a quick Google search for ‘pot roast recipe pressure cooker’. That’s why I love the Internet. Google is like having a worldwide encyclopedia at your fingertips. You can search points of interest in Tibet, learn how to play a game, or find directions to build just about anything. I’d probably go without morning coffee, but not my Internet. You can find more than you want to know in no time!
The first recipe I found was exactly what I was looking for. Two cups of water was the right amount, and it suggested 40 minutes. I set the timer, and quicker than it takes to watch the evening news, we were eating the most delicious, fall- apart pot roast you can imagine! Now even if I hadn’t had the Internet, I had guessed right. But I think 40 minutes was too long, so next time I will try 35. Tomorrow’s dinner will be stew from the leftovers.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you run out and get a pressure cooker. That would be easy, but not so simple. Just hang on until you are at a yard sale next spring, or visit a second-hand store. That’s where I got mine, for a couple bucks. Now when you think after work meal, most Americans think fast food and unhealthy, or all day in the crock-pot.
Crockpot is a great alternative, too. When you get it all in the crock-pot the night before, (put it in the fridge!) all you have to do in the morning is plug it in. Pull out a salad bag and you’ve got a nice healthy meal. You can do a pot roast, stew, pea or any soup, even lasagna, etc.
But don’t forget about trying a pressure cooker. Chicken, beef, pork, anything that takes a long time, can cook up in no time, even stew in 15 minutes or less.
I’m all for decluttering, and getting rid of all you don’t need, but if you have the discipline to go to yard sales and not buy what you don’t need, you can really find some great deals. Books for a quarter, sets of dishes for $5 (I haven’t bought a new set of dishes in 30 years, but I love changing sets), dressers for $10, and one of my favorites, a corner hutch for $40, that is really cute. Why pay full price? But I go to a lot of yard sales where I leave with nothing, and that makes me happy, too. I know I didn’t buy something that I don’t need. The fun is in the hunt, but only if it’s useful. (If you just have to dust it, it’s not useful!)
* * *
Yes, You can be too Rich!
We stopped to see some cars for sale at a home. When we’d been there, the house was lovely, the landscaping superb. This time, it was all in a shambles. Oh, it was still a nice home, but there was so much “stuff”, that it seemed there was no room to put it all. Things lay here, there, everywhere. Where once there was a lovely estate, there was now a jumbled mess. There were several used vehicles that she mentioned needed a part. There were boats, snowmobiles, campers, and all sorts of toys, but nothing put away – and they were still buying more, telling us of what they were getting soon.
It isn’t that they don’t have the money. They could have easily hired a couple students to rake the leaves off the lawn, trim the hedges, and weed the bushes around the buildings. But it hadn’t been done. Instead of having things put in their place, as it had been last time we were there, everything was askew. Broken lawn mowers, snow blowers, and tools seemed to set where they’d broken. There seemed no reason, except that life had just gotten too busy. They told of all the “clubs” they were in, and all the activities they “had” to participate in. All I could think of was their things controlled them. They were not in control. The indoor swimming pool area was littered with toys, and “stuff”, while the pool filter needed repair! Pools, while nice, require a lot of maintenance. Find out before your purchase how many hours a week it will take. Maybe you can’t afford the time. Don’t let things get away from you. Take care of them when they need taking care of, and when you spend money, remember the time it takes to repair, and take care of things. Things need to be winterized, and kept up. If you don’t have the time, you will have to hire someone to do it for you – unless you decide not to take care of them, and then you might as well not buy them in the first place.
* * *
Foot Fungus Treatment: Rub your feet with hydrogen peroxide and let it dry on there. Reported to work well - better job than tree tea oil.
Brown Recluse BiteRecently a lady was bitten by a brown recluse spider, and didn't realize it for about a week. At that time it had grown too large to use a Band-Aid on it. She started researching herbal remedies for bug bites. Mostly Lavender or Tree Tea Oil was recommended. She decided to use both. She put a generous amount on some gauze and put tape on to hold it in place and changed it usually once a day. The next week she could hardly even find the spot!! She never had to go to the hospital.
Shelling Pecans
Put the unshelled pecans in a big pan, like a Dutch oven. Cover them with water, add a dash of salt. Bring them to a boil. Let boil 10 minutes, drain in a colander until cool. They will shell easily and whole.
* * *
"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny." ~~ Albert Ellis
We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory. ~~Bern Williams
"Each today, well-lived, makes yesterday a dream of happiness and each tomorrow a vision of hope. Look, therefore, to this one day, for it and it alone is life.”~unknown
Keeping it Simple,
Sheryl
Please contact me with recipes, questions, comments and simple living ideas that work for you. Email: thesimple_life@yahoo.com
Join the online newsletter to print recipes and look up previous columns:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thesimple_life/
Monday, January 15, 2007
Monday, January 8, 2007
Simple Parenting in Rough Times
The Simple Life
By Sheryl Simons
“The happier you are with the simple things, the easier it is to be happy.”
* * *
Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy. ~~Richard Halloway
* * *
Simple Parenting
Being a parent isn’t easy. Why does the most important job we do not come with an instruction manual? And none of us have a perfect example to learn by. Our kids see our strengths and weaknesses up close and way too personally, sometimes. Being a parent often means being a good actor. When we have a rough day, it’s our job to keep on going and not fall apart. Don’t worry about kids not seeing real life. They see it. But they need to see us being strong. That’s what gives them strength. That’s what we have friends for. When everything goes wrong, the dog bites the cat, and the car gets a flat, and we are late for work, they need to see us handling our troubles with the dignity of an adult, not the tantrums of a child.
Through the worst of times, it’s hard to show our kids we are strong on the outside, when we are falling apart on the inside. My friend Kate was a single mom, raising two kids alone. Then there were layoffs. She didn’t know how she was going to pay her mortgage, or put the next meal on the table. But you know what? Every time I saw her with the kids, she was as chipper as could be. I realized she was determined to get by and not let the kids know how she was suffering. She decided they didn’t need reminding of how rough things were.
Her kids were there, so she could have dumped all her awful feelings on them, but she realized it wouldn’t make her feel better, or make any of her problems go away. When she needed to talk, she found an adult friend or counselor. Not that we have to lock all our feelings inside, but finding healthy outlets, like running, or punching a pillow works.
They moved, she worked wherever she could until she found a good position again. The kids never seemed to let it faze them. They grew into strong people because they learned from her example, not from seeing her fall apart. She also showed that she had faith in God to see them through. She said it often - “We have faith. What kind of faith is it, when you only trust God in the easy times?” They survived, and eventually, things got easier. Then Kate was often heard to say, “See how things worked out? Things are better than before, and I love my new job.” She actually had a better house, too, because the payments were lower and it was more affordable.
During the worst of times, Kate could still let her kids have friends over, she could still bake cookies, she could let her kids live a normal life, and that’s exactly what she did. Instead of buying pizza, they had homemade pizza night, and had fun making it together. She learned where all the thrift stores were, and found what she needed there. “Never let ‘em see you sweat”, doesn’t just apply to Hollywood, does it?
* * *
One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.
If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much.~~ Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. ~~ James Baldwin
* * *
Greasy Stains For greasy spots on clothing from something spilled while eating, simply apply baby powder or cornstarch to the grease spot, and let it sit over night. Launder it the next day and the grease is gone. The powder or cornstarch absorbs the grease spot and takes it out.
SIMPLE APPLE BREADIngredients:2 c sugar1 c canola oil4 eggs2 t vanilla1/4 c sour milk (add 1 teaspoon vinegar/lemon juice in milk)1 teaspoon soda4 cups flour1 teaspoon salt4 cups chopped apples1 cup walnuts (optional) Mix together all ingredients. Divide batter between two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (You might have to bake theloaves for 10 or 15 minutes more until they feel set when tapped). Note: Batter will be stiff.
Keeping it Simple,
Sheryl
Please share recipes, questions, comments and simple living ideas that work for you. Email: thesimple_life@yahoo.com Join the online newsletter to print recipes and look up previous columns: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thesimple_life/
By Sheryl Simons
“The happier you are with the simple things, the easier it is to be happy.”
* * *
Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy. ~~Richard Halloway
* * *
Simple Parenting
Being a parent isn’t easy. Why does the most important job we do not come with an instruction manual? And none of us have a perfect example to learn by. Our kids see our strengths and weaknesses up close and way too personally, sometimes. Being a parent often means being a good actor. When we have a rough day, it’s our job to keep on going and not fall apart. Don’t worry about kids not seeing real life. They see it. But they need to see us being strong. That’s what gives them strength. That’s what we have friends for. When everything goes wrong, the dog bites the cat, and the car gets a flat, and we are late for work, they need to see us handling our troubles with the dignity of an adult, not the tantrums of a child.
Through the worst of times, it’s hard to show our kids we are strong on the outside, when we are falling apart on the inside. My friend Kate was a single mom, raising two kids alone. Then there were layoffs. She didn’t know how she was going to pay her mortgage, or put the next meal on the table. But you know what? Every time I saw her with the kids, she was as chipper as could be. I realized she was determined to get by and not let the kids know how she was suffering. She decided they didn’t need reminding of how rough things were.
Her kids were there, so she could have dumped all her awful feelings on them, but she realized it wouldn’t make her feel better, or make any of her problems go away. When she needed to talk, she found an adult friend or counselor. Not that we have to lock all our feelings inside, but finding healthy outlets, like running, or punching a pillow works.
They moved, she worked wherever she could until she found a good position again. The kids never seemed to let it faze them. They grew into strong people because they learned from her example, not from seeing her fall apart. She also showed that she had faith in God to see them through. She said it often - “We have faith. What kind of faith is it, when you only trust God in the easy times?” They survived, and eventually, things got easier. Then Kate was often heard to say, “See how things worked out? Things are better than before, and I love my new job.” She actually had a better house, too, because the payments were lower and it was more affordable.
During the worst of times, Kate could still let her kids have friends over, she could still bake cookies, she could let her kids live a normal life, and that’s exactly what she did. Instead of buying pizza, they had homemade pizza night, and had fun making it together. She learned where all the thrift stores were, and found what she needed there. “Never let ‘em see you sweat”, doesn’t just apply to Hollywood, does it?
* * *
One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.
If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much.~~ Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. ~~ James Baldwin
* * *
Greasy Stains For greasy spots on clothing from something spilled while eating, simply apply baby powder or cornstarch to the grease spot, and let it sit over night. Launder it the next day and the grease is gone. The powder or cornstarch absorbs the grease spot and takes it out.
SIMPLE APPLE BREADIngredients:2 c sugar1 c canola oil4 eggs2 t vanilla1/4 c sour milk (add 1 teaspoon vinegar/lemon juice in milk)1 teaspoon soda4 cups flour1 teaspoon salt4 cups chopped apples1 cup walnuts (optional) Mix together all ingredients. Divide batter between two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (You might have to bake theloaves for 10 or 15 minutes more until they feel set when tapped). Note: Batter will be stiff.
Keeping it Simple,
Sheryl
Please share recipes, questions, comments and simple living ideas that work for you. Email: thesimple_life@yahoo.com Join the online newsletter to print recipes and look up previous columns: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thesimple_life/
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