'LIFE JUST GOT A LITTLE EASIER' MEALS

'Life Just Got A Little Easier' Meals can take place when energy levels are extremely LOW as mine are.  I have to look for easier ways to help me get through the days and still eat.

Avoiding canned energy drinks, I prefer solid foods.  One could always have waiting in the fridge 'salads in a jar' made up for you ahead of time to save time and energy.  On the week-end, prep enough salads in a jar for the week ahead.  Sounds simple enough.

Layer ingredients in a Mason jar and store in fridge.  

First to go into jar is the salad dressing, then rinsed black beans, rinsed chick peas, chunks of feta cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced cucumbers, diced celery, torn lettuces and arugula.  Top the Mason jar with a lid, seal, and place salad in the fridge.  Grab and go at meal time.
 

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If you LOVE Cottage Cheese, then this one is a go for you.  Cottage Cheese or yogurt with fruit sprinkled with slivered almonds makes for a QUICK and EASY meal. Just like that, tis ready and little energy was spent on it.  Easy clean-up.  Tadaah.

WITH SO MUCH TIME and ENERGY GOING TOWARD HOUSEHOLD PROJECTS and having very low energy, I look for ways to cut down on THE AMOUNT OF TIME spent on food prepping and clean-up also cutting costs on the grocery bill.  

Nutritional eating is necessary, but so is being on a BUDGET.  

Fixing sandwiches for a daily meal is one of the tools available.   Serving them up on THROW AWAY PAPER PLATE helps with time and energy because less time and ENERGY goes into washing dishes.  Easier clean-ups for us.

JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE EATING OFF OF PAPER PLATES DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO RUSH THROUGH A MEAL.  SIT A SPELL.  TAKE YOUR TIME.  Eat slower.  Enjoy every morsel of food you are blessed to dine on.

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EASY SANDWICH MEALS

Serve sandwiches on paper plate with a side of fruit, veggie, cottage cheese, apple sauce and maybe some chips along with a tall glass of H2O.

'Life Just Got A Little Easier' SANDWICH EXAMPLES:

PIMENTO CHEESE SANDWICH

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

REAL CHEESE SLICE not cheese food WITH LETTUCE SANDWICH

DEVILED HAM SANDWICH

TUNA SALAD SANDWICH

CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

EGG SALAD SANDWICH

FRIED EGG SANDWICH

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICH

PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SANDWICH

PEANUT BUTTER AND HONEY SANDWICH

ROAST BEEF SANDWICH

BACON, LETTUCE, TOMATO  SANDWICH

SKIP THE BACON, JUST LETTUCE, TOMATO, and slice of real cheese SANDWICH

CUCUMBER SANDWICH

TOMATO SANDWICH

HUMAS SANDWICH

SANDWICH SPREADS SANDWICH

SMASHED OR SLICED AVOCADO SANDWICH

GROCERY PRICES HAVE SOARED where GROCERIES ARE EXPENSIVE.  Highly processed pre-packaged meals are more expensive and unhealthy for you.  AND I do mean less healthy.  So fresh with less chemicals and pesticides are healthier for humans.

AND THEN THERE'S A GOOD OLD FASHIONED BAKED POTATO TOPPED WITH COTTAGE CHEESE.  Clean and prick the tater, stick in the oven, bake at 400 degrees and go off to do something else for an hour.  When finished baking, top with cottage cheese.  Easy enough.

SAMPLE of daily eating schedule:  Two meals instead of three cuts corners.  11 O'CLOCK BRUNCH AND 4 O'CLOCK EARLY SUPPER WITH A 7 O'CLOCK SNACK or smoothie CAN HELP WITH CUTTING EXPENSES WITH THE GROCERY BILL and spending less time in the Kitchen.  

When eating at 11 for the first meal of the day, Intermittent FASTING occurs. About 15 hours without eating has taken place from evening snack until late breakfast/brunch.  Later in the day, 5 hours between brunch and early supper has taken place.  Then between early supper and evening snack/smoothie, 3 hours occurred.  Nice spacing of time when food is eaten helps with sugar spikes.  Taking a leisurely 15 minute walk after meal helps your muscles absorb glucose directly from your bloodstream, reducing post‑meal blood sugar spikes.

Praise the LORD, 

'Life Just Got A Little Easier'

Blessings,

~d

HOME AND BEING A HABITUAL READER

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL IDEA.

Working away to get there once again.

For the time being, we're in over our heads with this next step of dealing with stuff after having cleaned out our storage unit.
In the week to come we should see more progress, Lord willing. I know GOD honors turning chaos into order because HE did it creating our earthly HOME.

So, I desire to be godly. 

We will have a clutter-free HOME in a few months as we make tracks dealing with the chaos.  Praise the LORD, we have made progress.

IT ISN'T UNCOMMON FOR ME TO SNAG SOMETHING OFF THE INTERNET.
Interesting info. I'll share.

So, without further ado...

 

GOD BLESS,

~d

CHRISTMAS IN JULY IS OVER, BUT......

OFTEN I THINK THAT I WILL HAVE MY CHRISTMAS CARDS FILLED OUT DURING THE MONTH OF JULY ready for the Holiday and fail to get this done.  BUT I do think about having an unhurried HOLIDAY where I relax and enjoy the CHRISTMAS SEASON.  

About the only thing I got done toward CHRISTMAS in JULY was to think about it.  Ideas tumble around in my head as to what I will do come December.

As HOT as it has been, I haven't started to desire for the temps to cool down with AUTUMN not far behind.  As long as our air conditioning is working, I am not wanting to hurry into AUTUMN.

We have about 5 months before CHRISTMAS is celebrated.  I have plans of going through my CHRISTMAS DECOR this month and next when we carry it out of the cellar.  Right now the decorations are in the cellar of our COTTAGE.  They will be going to a storage unit that will be known as OUR ATTIC.

WE are inching our way toward getting better organized.  A goal to accomplish and it cannot take 3 years to get there as my heart is pounding to do something else that brings happiness.

We have a huge collection of Christmas decor that I must go through before the end of NOVEMBER so I can decorate this year like a BOSS.

After a few days of resting, we will head out to the unit and begin to straighten out what is in there already.  Lots to pitch for sure.  We have plans of taking a couple of muscle racks out of the cellar and setting them up in the unit along both sides of the outside walls making room for our faux trees. 

As I carry the small boxes out of the cellar, I can take a grand look at what we have and thin out things.  I know off the top of my head that I want to keep the Nativity Scenes.  I believe I have two full sets still.  These I want to keep.  They will be grouped altogether in storage easy to get to knowing what I have.

TWO NEW FAUX CHRISTMAS TREES will be neatly stored.  A number of ornaments in plastic boxes will be keepers.  Twinkle lights as well.

The greenery for inside the house and out on the porch will be a keeper.  Christmas wreaths the same.  They will be all group together for the first time in a long time.  Other HOLIDAY WREATHS will be grouped together as well.  

As silly as it may sound, I start getting excited that my decorations will be ORGANIZED!  It's been a very long time since I could say that.  Drives me bonkers when there's a messy approach to my PRETTIES.  I will eventually get to the place where my PRETTIES are in order and I will kackle that I got them.

In my head, I hear the wicked witch of the West saying I'll get you my pretty!  I want to get my pretties in order so I can decorate like a PRO.  Make it look easy.

It's been a very long time since I got really EXCITED about decorating for the HOLIDAYS.  What happened so I have a better attitude?  Prayer and one less storage unit hanging over my head. When we moved in 2023, we had filled 3 storage units, the garage, the She Shed, the inside of the COTTAGE.  We slowly dug out from under the disaster.  

First unit was emptied after a year of being here.  It's been a huge morphing thing around here and it ate my lunch.  Mental gymnastics has taken place thinking about where things will go. Just a few days ago, we emptied the second unit.  PTL.  

During the month of August and September, that third unit will morph into our ATTIC full of decorations.  The garage will morph into an ART STUDIO.  The cellar will house dishes and the glassware overflow.  Maybe some small appliances.  Somewhere in here the She Shed will become a Victorian Bedroom once again.  

I'll get you my pretty.  I must have an attitude of having success with this adventure.  Gotta have a plan and we do.  May it come to pass.

~d  

WISH GRANTED

MIDDLE OF THE WEEK COLONOSCOPY!  So glad it's over.  Prepping for this was a long drawn out thing.  I did the low residue diet for a week on top of taking Miralax each day then drank only clear liquids for two days, took Magnesium Citrate the day before the procedure pushing the Ducolax and Gatorade with Miralax.  By the time I arrived at the surgical center, I was beyond ready for this procedure to be over.

The night before was awfully short.  4 AM wake up time so I had time to get ready for the big event and travel into Manhattan.  Procedure started at 7:20 AM and I was in recovery by 7:35. Polyp taken out.  Groggy and munching on a granola bar.  Health report will be in a week.  If everything goes well, I'll see you in another 5 years. 

The night before, I made plans to eat real food at a local restaurant for Breakfast then go HOME and take a NAP.  Wish granted. 

I rested for the day and watched THE LEISURE SEEKER with Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland.  It was very realistic, funny and sad at the same time.  She has terminal cancer and he has Dementia.  Together they are on their last vacation together.  The ending wasn't what I would have had it be, but then I didn't write the script.

The Leisure Seeker follows an elderly couple, John and Ella, as they take one last road trip from Massachusetts to Key West in their aging RV. Along the way, they rekindle their bond, share memories, and face personal struggles—his with memory loss, hers with illness—while encountering moments of humor and revelation. Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland’s performances are praised, but critics note the film’s predictability and uneven tone, making it appealing mainly for its leads’ chemistry. 

How quickly this week has gone.  

~d

COTTAGE CHRISTMAS IDEAS

Since I will be going through our HOLIDAY DECOR in the near future as we are downsizing, I can be gathering ideas even if it's AUGUST.

 I could LIVE here, but since I cannot, 

I will copy some of the decor ideas and call it good.

Since CHRISTMAS is on the way and I know it will be here before long, I enjoy what was done to this COTTAGE even if it's AI.

Blessings,
~d on the prairie

This cozy and well decorated COTTAGE makes me smile as it is truly a gem.  Love everything about this place.  The candles, the greenery, the sweet little touches that make this a place a HOME.

Plants with ribbons.  Pillows and throws.  Lights and candles.  A cup of tea and books.

DESSERTS ON THE PRAIRIE

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Every time I do serious dieting, 

I THINK ABOUT FOOD !!!

that I wouldn't normally think about.  

This go round it's no different.  

Especially CAKE.

I'll be alright.  wink.👁

I came across these DESSERTS and thought alrighty then,
I can save these for another day.

~d🎂

The tiny print can be enlarged.

THE SECRET IS 

TO NOT EAT THE WHOLE CAKE.

WELL.

 

GOOD-BYE ETHAN ALLEN SOFA, HELLO AFRICAN VIOLETS and LET's GET THIS COLONOSCOPY OVER WITH

PRAISE THE LORD!  The storage unit is empty.  EMPTY!  I stood inside the unit for a very short time after emptying her to admire a EMPTY STORAGE UNIT #42.  Temps outside were HOT and worse inside the unit so I didn't stay long admiring something that took us 3 years to make happen.  Now a memory.  Praise the LORD. 

3 years ago we loaded the unit with our better furniture that would not fit into the COTTAGE that we were not ready to get rid of.  The unit is ready for somebody else to rent out and we can keep our money to use for something else. $$$$$$$$$$$

Since it is MOVE IN WEEK for college kids at KSU, it was impossible to rent a moving van over the week-end.  We tried on Saturday and got nowhere.  Everything was reserved.  Out of luck. 

We tried RESTORE and their driver had a broken knee cap so no driver/truck was available to pick up our donation.  We needed a van to take the sofa to GOODWILL.  That's all we had left to get rid of.  One sofa.  We'd have to wait until Monday morning to get a van.  The Hardware store where the moving vans/trucks are to rent were so busy it was a ZOO.  We had a break-through and managed to load the sofa in the back of the truck with ease.  Next, the sofa went to GOODWILL.  Took the truck to get fueled.  Took truck back to store.  It took a long time to get it checked back in.

When it was finished...it was finished.  Tadaah.  

We have been into our 9th week of working on cleaning out this place.  9th.  NOTE TO SELF: Let that soak in.  This has been our late Spring/Summer project.  Mission accomplished. Congrats to us.  A job well done.  I'm stunned that we made it.  STUNNED.  

OH SO HAPPY THIS IS BEHIND US!!!!!

Afterwards, we went to MENARDS to get some African Violet Potting Soil.  They did not have any.  Disappointed, I had to decide what the next step is to get my hands on some.  We went to a beautiful Nursery elsewhere and bought some.  This week, I will hopefully be repotting my African Violets in new soil and give them a squirt of liquid plant food.  If I can keep the Violets alive, I believe I will be quite glad that I have not killed these lovely plants.

So true.

HERE I SIT.  Prepping for the colonoscopy I'll have later in the week.  My system is really slow to clean out, so I have been prepping since last Thursday.  I went on a low residue diet and have been taking Miralax each day for nearly a week.  It's not working like I thought it would. Shucks.  Two days of liquid diet instead of one.  humpf.

Today, I have not eaten.  Sipped Green Tea and water.  Tonight will be vegetable broth for supper.  Yummers.  I have to tell myself that I am disciplined and can do this NOT EATING THING.

I looked in the pantry and noticed I have boxed soups that I can have after the colonoscopy. This is a JUMP START for me to work toward losing weight.  Another attempt in this BATTLE OF THE BULGE.  I might as well as I have had to change my food program doing a LOW RESIDUE DIET for a week for prepping.  If I stay busy, the day will go fast and I will be alright with not eating.

Time for OFF GRID WITH DOUG AND STACY on YouTube.  They're talking about water quality in their area.  Makes sense.

Have a blessed day.  God bless you.

~d

IS THE DEVIL TRYING TO TAKE YOU OUT?

HEART MURMUR for me.  BOTH OF US HAVE HAD THYROID CANCER. BOTH OF US HAVE TYPE 2 DIABETES.  SPINAL STENOSIS for me. OBESITY FOR ME.  HE HAS non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  GANGRENOUS GALL BLADDER FOR ME. UTERINE CANCER and A HYSTERECTOMY FOR ME. A FOOT INJURY FOR HIM. HIP ISSUES FOR ME. KNEE ISSUES for him. ANKLE DIFFICULTIES FOR ME.  SKIN CANCER FOR HIM.  There's more.    

Do you ever get the idea that the DEVIL is trying to take you out???  I do.

He comes to kill, steal and destroy.  He is the molester of our souls.  God is the one who loves us and shows us a better way to live life.  I choose HIM over the demonic.

I am an imperfect human and so is my HUBBY living in a fallen world, but we are children of GOD so we have HOPE and a FUTURE.  Up until a few years ago, we were pretty healthy and then WHAM, we were not.  If we are children of GOD, why so many health issues?  

ALL THESE HEALTH ISSUES mustn't stop us from being productive and living a joyful LIFE. We pray and heal.  We pray and heal.  We grow in ways that we didn't know existed.  We are to lean on the LORD when we are healthy and when we aren't.  Amen.

We are working hard and heavy to get a storage unit emptied so we have one less bill and are better organized/downsized.  It's a long, hard road, but we are crawling on it to a better way of LIVING even in old age.  Presently, we are eating more wholesome foods for better health. Better informed about what we eat has become a mission in my LIFE turning into a MINISTRY. Being well informed is eye opening that we are being attacked from every angle in our world from food, water, air, clothing fibers, petrochemicals, medicines, pesticides, hormone disrupters, etc.  Just how are we to live? 

I have got to be downsized and living a simpler, healthier LIFE.  ORGANIZED.  Praying as I go.  

AT TIMES, I feel defeated and forlorn.  I mustn't stay in this place.

FRIDAY.  In the middle of the night, a very loud thunder storm hit hard with wild, flashing lightning.  It woke me up long enough to acknowledge we were in the middle of a storm then fell back asleep and stayed asleep until 7.  I was not fearful.  Just sleepy.

My body is a tiny bit sore today as yesterday we were incredibly active for two old peeps taking apart and hauling the bedroom set to RESTORE.  We made two trips from the storage unit to RESTORE.  The headboard went on top of our lil cruiser while the rest of the bed and dresser mirror traveled inside the back of the car.

It did rain while we were traveling down the road to RESTORE.  After this batch was delivered we turned right around and headed to the unit to load the body of the dresser into the car.  For such a tiny car, we have really used her like a truck.  Back to RESTORE.  I felt like I had a weight lifted off my shoulders after we donated the Bedroom Set to them and we were free of it.

On our way HOME, we celebrated with STARBUCKS TEA and went back to the unit to load a small buffet in the back of our car.  All that is left in the storage unit is a ETHAN ALLEN SOFA that I want to keep for now.  Hubby will shuffle the SHE SHED to make room for the sofa.  We have to rent a truck to load the sofa and haul HOME.  I will SWEEP UP the inside of the unit and be done with this one.  May it be today.

We started out with three storage units, a packed full COTTAGE, a crowded garage, stuffed cellar and crammed full SHE SHED after our 2023 exodus from the bigger house in a different community.  I was recovering from a hysterectomy due to cancer.  Hubby was battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma and the both of us have type 2 Diabetes.  Slowly and I do mean slowly we are shuffling our way to being organized and working to make our place a HOME.  

We are down to the wire on freeing ourselves from another storage unit.  The first unit we emptied was in August 2024.  That felt awesome to see an empty unit after we worked on her. AWESOME. We managed to make some sense out of the cellar and inside the 

COTTAGE.  After we sold our lovely house in 2023, I fell on my knee and hip causing tailbone issues then within days Hubby injured his foot dancing on a bean can in the snow in January 2024.  He was working on remodeling our bathroom when this took place.  Next to impossible to do everything.  I had cataract surgeries in March and Hubby continued to hurt for a complete year. Tests were ran, special shoes made, x-rays, MRI, visits to doctors and surgeons.  He chose to not do surgery as the surgeon said he did not know what was wrong with the foot!  The doctor. I came up with tarsal tunnel on my own.  His foot healed.  Praise God.  

Cataract surgeries left me with more visual problems than I had.  sigh.  The adjustments have continued.  2024 turned into 2025.  2025 into 2026.  In 2026 difficulties started with my hip where I couldn't WALK.  X-rays and MRI.  A visit to a surgeon who suggested an injection.  I chose chiropractic adjustments first and healed!  I can walk with little pain.  Nothing like before. I learned I have a rotated hip with one leg shorter than the other.  

I started walking again and then my left ankle flared up.  Working at getting this healed.  

SO as you can tell, we are physically challenged and we have to work with it in order to get things done.  Praise the LORD, we are getting things done.  Slow, but steady.  My attitude has to be adjusted from time to time as I am struggling with how long it takes to get results on and for our estate.

Is the devil trying to take us out?  Yes, but I know someone who is more majestic than the little guy in a red suit with a pitch fork and tail.  I know the devil doesn't dress up for Halloween.  He can be very attractive and sly at the same time.  He is a deceiver for sure.

Here's to a GOD BLESSED DAY and life,

~d