You know you're lazy when.... Another post about the Keurig

You know you're lazy when your own mother buys you Keurig pods so you don't have to fill the re-fillable ones in the morning.  Because she knows you're cheap and don't like to pay so much to buy the pods.  And she knows your lazy and would prefer to just put in a pod instead of dealing with filling one.  Yup.  What a good Mama I have :)

You know you're lazy when....

Actual conversation~
DH:  Man- I hadn't realized how little you move in the morning
Me:  So? I've spent the last 3 years waking-up with a start to go feed a baby.  I prefer my mornings... calmer.
DH:  But you really don't move at all.
Me:  That's why I poured the kids cereal last night- so I wouldn't have to move this morning
DH:  So all you do is pour your coffee?
Me:  Nope.  The Keurig pours the coffee into the cup for me
DH:  So you don't even pour your own coffee in the morning?
Me: (with a grin) Nope.

Menu: Items 3 & 4

I have an incredibly lazy rotation of meals, the ingredients of which I keep on hand so I don't need to plan ahead what I'm making for dinner until right before I do.  Planning ahead is not the lazy way.  Anyway, my secret to dinner on the table, without planning, in less than 20 minutes is that all protein is pre-cooked; canned salmon, frozen shrimp, canned beans, or pre-cooked and frozen chicken/turkey/ground beef.  


#3  on my lazy menu is spaghetti.


My "Sneaky Chef" sauce:
can of carrots

"Sneaky Chef" Sauce

can of white beans
can of tomatoes
parmesan cheese


Blend.


Add to any kind of pasta, cooked and drained.  This way, there is protein and 2 vegetables in the sauce.  And cheese.  So, my son, who announces "I don't eat vegetables" even to our pediatrician (thanks by the way) doesn't know it, I don't fight with him about it, etc.  There's plenty of meals with vegetables in plain sight.  I try not to argue about it EVERY night though :)


5 ingredients
5 minutes of work.  (I don't count the other 10 that the pasta is just cooking, seeing that I'm not actually doing anything)


#4 on my lazy menu is lentils.
I love lentils.  They're so easy.  So yummy.  So lazy.


I saute onion and garlic (or just add powdered onion and garlic to the pot in the next step.  yes- I'm that lazy.)


Add:
4 c water
1 c lentils,
1 c brown rice (or white)
can of carrots

Brown rice

can of tomatoes if I'm in the mood for them
Italian Seasoning (I tend to throw it into everything- 
is there a lazier way to season things?)
2 bullion packets


Simmer 20 minutes for white rice, 50 for brown rice.


If you don't count water or seasoning, that's 
5 ingredients. 
5 minutes of work.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C Peanut Butter
1C sugar
1 egg

Mix and drop teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8 min.  Let cool at least 3 min.

3 ingredients
5 minutes

Peanut buttery goodness.
Gluten Free too :)

Biscuits- easy enough for even me.

I don't bake.  Really.  This, however, barely falls under the definition of baking.  They're that easy.

Pre-heat oven to 425
Combine in a large mixing bowl:
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt

Add to that:
1/4 c oil
3/4 c milk

Mix together and knead 20-25 times until it makes a ball.
Pinch parts off, roll into a little ball (maybe baseball size?) and flatten.
Place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake 425 for 12 min

Did you count the number of ingredients?  That's right.  Five.  It maybe takes more than 5 minutes of work, but not much.  I'll time it the next time I make them.  They're so easy I'll make them again.  That, my friends, means that you can make them too :)

Pot Pie-- the Lazy version

Felt like pot pie yesterday.  Obviously I wasn't going to make it from scratch.  Didn't have any in the house- obviously wasn't going ALL the way to the store to get some (its, seriously, 500 yards away).
What to do.

Biscuits (from the can- bake per instructions)
Jar of Gravy
Can of mixed vegetables
Turkey (leftovers that were frozen for just such an occassion)

Mix the gravy vegetables and turkey.  Top the biscuits.  Done.

LESS THAN 5 ingredients
5 minutes

To be less lazy, you can make gravy with a flour/butter roux and boullion dissolved in water or broth
or use frozed mixed vegetables and steam them/microwave them
or make biscuits.  I'll blog about the biscuits next.  They're super easy.  Obviously, or I wouldn't do it.

Super Soup

I love soup.  It is a lazy mom's dream.  If its winter, and you don't make soup all the time, you are not a lazy mom.  I'm sorry if this hurts your feelings.  The truth does sometimes.  If you want to strive for efficient laziness, get on the soup wagon.  Two days ago my husband, as he was leaving for work, said "I'd love some soup tomorrow night!"  Me:  "Sweet"  and I promptly forgot about it.  Until he called to say he was on his way home the next day (he often does 30 hr shifts).  Oh yeah.  Soup.

I boiled some water
threw in some rice
added 2 cans of black beans (rinsed)
2 cubes of bouillon
a handful of Italian seasoning
and a bag of frozen vegetables.

Boiled.
Simmered for 20 minutes for the rice to cook.
Done.
Dinner.
Easy.

5 minutes of work
5 ingredients

Pajama party

I am again reminded this morning why I really should switch to yoga pants as my PJ bottoms (I always wear long sleeve t-shirts as tops anyway).  A friend stopped by unexpectedly this morning... OK, so it was almost afternoon... and I was still in my Pajamas.  Had I slept in yoga/sweatpants the night before, I don't think the fact that I was undressed would have been nearly so obvious ;) Also, if we need to dash out of the house for some reason, I'll already be presentable.  Presentable without actually getting dressed.  Is that going too far on the lazy scale?  I think its the perfect amount, but that's why I'm so lazy

7 Steps to a Minimalist Wardrobe

Here, miss minimalist guides you though 7 Steps to a Minimalist Wardrobe. Less=easier=less to deal with=the lazy way to live :)
I turned all my hangers around backwards, switching them the right way when I hung them back up after I'd worn them. When I changed my wardrobe out for the winter one from the summer, I got rid of everything almost everything who's hanger was still backwards.

Clothes

I love the blog article by miss minimalist about choosing a base color for your wardrobe.  Brilliant.  Simply brilliant.  The premise is that you pick a color.  I chose black/grey (as did she).  All my pants/skirts are black or grey, except for jeans.  All my tops, then, match almost all my bottoms.  Easy.  Simple.  The lazy way to dress.  This means all my shoes are black now.  Gasp.  I know all of my shoe horse friends might be appalled at such a thought, but for me, who is less than style savvy, this is wonderful.  Only one purse is necessary, because its black, and matches everything.  One coat, that is black.  Or it could be red with black accents.  Or whatever.  The point is, everything matches everything.  We'll see how I like this concept in the summer, so for now I have put all of my brown/blue/not matching black/grey clothes & shoes in a tote and put them away.  Its been several weeks and I can't say I miss them at all.  If anything, I am constantly delighted by the space in my closet and shoe rack.  It actually doesn't feel like I have fewer clothes, since the number of tops I removed from the closet were very few, as almost all of them match black or grey.  Its just easier to get dressed.  Easier, of course, is better :)

Stuff

I love miss minimalist.  She has opened my eyes to the benefits of having less stuff.  Specifically, less stuff = less work = great for this lazy girl.  The less you have, the less you have to clean/take care of/ keep up with/ put away.  This, of course, inspired me to get rid of stuff.  I'm willing to work some if it means a lot more laziness in the long run ;)  I got rid of 5 totes of stuff this past weekend.  FIVE.  Seriously?  Where does it come from?  Now, some of that is from our old townhouse, which we moved out of 6 months ago, and there are some items that we didn't need here in our new apartment.  A lot, however, was just stuff.  Stuff we were storing, putting away, or that was taking up space in our closet.  Check her out.  She's inspiring.

Vacuum

Why do I hate to vacuum so much?  Wait.  I know.  I'm lazy.  It seems to go beyond that somehow though, and I've finally found an answer.  The Swivel Sweeper. I'm not exactly sure why its so much easier than a regular vacuum- it just is.  I guess its lighter... and cordless....and closer, as it stays in my kitchen pantry. I see the crumbs under the table, grab it from my pantry, and I'm cleaning.  No walking all the way across the apartment, lugging out the vacuum, plugging it in, un-curling the cord, vacuuming, then reversing the process of re-wraping the cord and lugging it back to the closet.  I know.  I'm tired just thinking about it.  So this lazy version is great for me.

How to not clean your bathroom

I love Flylady.  Have you checked her out?  You should.  I want to be like her.  She has some amazing amazing ideas.  Too many actually, for this lazy girl to even seriously contemplate "flying" her way.  I have taken, however, what I consider the laziest of her tips.  The swish and swipe for example, is one that I do everyday whenever I think about it.  I put shampoo into the little holder the toilet wand goes in ("soap is soap" flylady says) and I clean the toilet without having to get out cleaner.  "You're so lazy you don't even want to get out cleaner?" you say.  Yes.  For some reason having to only think of it then do it makes it much more likely to be done, (did that phrase make sense to anyone else?)  without any in-between steps, like getting out the cleaner hidden from the tiny ones.
The swipe part is windex wipes (except the frugal side of me doesn't buy the real ones- I buy the knock-off ones from the dollar store, but if you'd like to just sit there and be lazy and order them off amazon- totally knock yourself out) and wipe down the mirror, faucet, counter, sink, then the toilet, then into the trash.  It might take more than 1 wipee.  The sink and toilet, then, stay clean, without hardly any effort on my part.  "What about the shower?" you ask?  Well, continuing Flylady's "soap is soap" concept, I follow her advice to wipe down the shower with shampoo and a washcloth, then rinse it off- while I'm in the shower.   one minute=clean shower=happy.  Seriously, I'm lazy, but I don't want to live like I'm lazy.  I want to have a clean, orderly, peaceful house as much as anybody, I just don't want to work very hard to have one :)

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is such an excellent, lazy dinner. Its like the pasta and vegetable all in one.  A plus is that my kids think they're eating spaghetti.  Kind of.

Halve the squash and take the goop out of the middle.
Place cut side down on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and italian seasoning.
Bake 400 for 40 minutes
5 minutes to oven- 3 ingredients :)

I like to top it with this "Deceptively Delicious" type sauce:  can of beans, can of carrots, can of tomatoes, italian seasoning, parmesan cheese.  Blend.

5 minutes- 5 ingredients

Lazy Dessert

Note the word "easy" in the title :)

Pumpkin crisp
I seriously do not bake.  I figure if Rachel Ray doesn't, neither should I.  On occasion, however, it is socially acceptable and expected of me to provide a sweet.  This one I love because its scrumptious and easy, easy, easy.

1- get a big can of pumpkin pie mix and follow the directions (add a can of evaporated milk and 2 eggs)
2- add this to a 9x11 greased pan
3- blend a stick of softened butter, and a box of white cake mix (or 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of oats & 1 cup of brown sugar)
4- top the pumpkin with the butter/cake mixture
5- bake at 350 for 40 min

5 steps- 5 minutes to oven- 5 ingredients

Menu: Items 1 and 2

I have an incredibly lazy rotation of meals, the ingredients of which I keep on hand so I don't need to plan ahead what I'm making for dinner until right before I do.  Planning ahead is not the lazy way.  Anyway, my secret to dinner on the table, without planning, in less than 20 minutes is that all protein is pre-cooked; canned salmon, frozen shrimp, canned beans, or pre-cooked and frozen chicken/turkey/ground beef.  


#1 on my menu is Salmon Noodle Casserole
Ingredients:
macaroni
shredded cheese 

cream of mushroom soup
a can of salmon 
a can of peas.  


While the macaroni is cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients.  Add the cooked macaroni.  Done.


5 ingredients
5 minutes of prep


#2 on the menu is Mexican Mix 
So simple.  


can of refried beans
salsa

shredded cheese.  


Mix.
Melt in the microwave.  
Serve with chips.


3 ingredients
5 minutes to the table


Serve with fruit or bagged salad or chopped vegetables if you need to be well rounded.  We don't.

Breakfast: You know you're lazy when...

You know you're lazy when you pour the kids' cereal the night before and place milk sippee cups in the fridge so they can serve themselves without making you get out of bed.  If only I can teach them to bring me coffee ;)

Menu

I am super, ultra, very, extremely lazy when it comes to food.  I'm also very cheap.  These two seem to be in competition with one another, as the laziest way is to eat out or buy a freezer meal, while the cheapest is to make everything from scratch.

Part of my problem is... this is going to shock you... I'm lazy.  I don't plan ahead, as I'm slightly ADD.  Also (***this is another important step in being a lazy mom-- a very important mental attitude) I have low expectations.  If I thought that I should put gourmet meals on the table everynight... well... I won't and I'll be disappointed in myself.  Every.  Single.  Night.  Except for the possible 2 days a month that I actually cook something that takes more than 15 minutes.

To answer the dichotomy of feeding my family lazily AND be cheap about it, I have come to an easy solution.  (This is mostly made possible by the fact my husband will eat anything, and also, fortunately, has low expectations of dinnertime around here ;)  Drumroll please........ All my protein is pre-cooked.  How?  We eat canned salmon, pre-cooked shrimp,  canned beans or previously cooked, cubed, and frozen chicken, turkey or ground meat.

When we do eat chicken, I cook a bunch at one time, chop and freeze it, then add it anywhere, most likely in place of the white beans. We are not vegetarian, but we certainly have a vegetarian leaning and do not eat red meat or pork.  These foods are in my rotation of meals that I keep all of the ingredients for on hand, since, as I mentioned before, I do not plan ahead.  Planning ahead would not be the lazy thing to do.  So, this series will be about my lazy menu.

Nothing takes more than the time to cook the pasta or rice, which is 15-20 minutes, max.  Anything longer than that and I am just not likely to do it.

You know you're lazy when....

You know you're lazy when you spend enough days in your PJ's that getting dressed in the morning prompts your children to ask "Where are we going?"

Lazy Girl, Lazy Mom

This mothering thing is hard.  I love the mom part, I don't so much like the other junk that goes with being a Stay At Home Mom. I'm out to do a good job, with as little effort as possible.  At least the least effort on the unimportant parts.  Loving my kids and helping them become the best versions of themselves- for that even I am willing to put forth as much effort as possible.  For everything else- I just want to be lazy.  Laundry.  Cleaning.  Cooking.  I want to work smarter not harder.

Why write a blog about laziness? Do I really think that being lazy should be glorified? Not really. OK, I do.  OK not really.  Kind of. But not totally.

It seems so many think they should cook like Giada from the Food Network, dress like Stacey from What not to Wear, and be a decorating and crafting diva like Martha Stewart.  Seriously? What I do think is that we need to step back and look at our REAL priorities. Our children. Our spouses. Do they care if our house is perfect? (Perfectly decorated OR perfectly clean) Do they care if they get gourmet meals every night? (I know MY kids certainly don't).  So, why spend all our time aspiring to those things?