LifeSkill Secrets

Joyfully Manage Your Life, Your Self and Your Stuff

Self Care

Self Care

Treat yourself with the love and care you would give the person you love most in life. Love your self. Care for your self.

Speak to your self with kindness. You know what I mean. Listen to the thoughts that are going through your head – hundreds per hour. Are they affirming, encouraging, supportive and loving? If not, it’s time to start speaking with kindness and respect to yourself.

You are taking the initiative to learn and do things someone else has done for you and you now are going to do for yourself – self care. Good for you! This takes practice so give yourself some grace.

Basic Cooked Ground Beef Recipes: Tacos, S’ghetti, Hobo Stew

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In an earlier post I wrote about basic ground beef prep. The following three ground beef recipes start with cooked ground beef, so refer to that post if you need a refresher on cooking the ground beef. They are quick, easy meals you can pull together in minutes, especially if the ground beef is already cooked. If you are starting with frozen ground beef, you will need to defrost it in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes per pound.

These are not labor intensive versions of these meals, but are intended to be just good, easy food.

For all of these, you can use ground beef cooked with or without onions (or peppers or whatever else you may have been moved to add). You may add seasoning or other ingredients to any of these as you wish. This is just how I make them. Make them your own.

Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (or about that) of cooked ground beef
  • Taco Seasoning (I use 1/2 package, but you can use however much you want) (try to get one with the lowest salt content)
  • Taco shells (1 pound ground beef makes about 10-12 tacos) (I like hard corn taco shells, but go with what you like or have)
  • Chopped lettuce (we use Basic Salad Base in place of the lettuce and green onions)
  • Green Onions- white part sliced (optional)
  • Tomatoes – diced or chopped (or grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in two) (optional)
  • Sliced black olives (can buy them already sliced or slice or chop them yourself)(optional)
  • Shredded Cheese (We like Mexican Blend or Cheddar/Jack blend or just Cheddar depending on what is in the house)
  • Taco Sauce

Preparation

  1. Place the defrosted ground beef into a 10″ skillet and heat over medium heat until warm.
  2. Add water and Taco Seasoning according to directions and simmer. (simmer means cook it over low so its not boiling. (If you use 1/2 packet, use 1/2 water recommended).
  3. Meanwhile, heat the taco shells according to directions. I use a toaster oven. I turn it on 400 til warm, then turn it off and put the taco shells, on a toaster oven cookie sheet, in for 2-3 minutes
  4. Place the taco shells into holders. (We use Taco Tenders)
  5. Add a small amount of cheese (about 2 Tablespoons) in the bottom of each shell
  6. When the meat is warmed and the liquid reduced, put about 2-3 Tablespoons of meat on top of the cheese, the length of the taco
  7. Sprinkle another small amount of cheese (about 2 Tablespoons) across the meat
  8. Add lettuce or lettuce mixture as desired (we heap it on)
  9. Put on any other topping desired- tomatoes, olives, what you want
  10. Carefully pour a fine line of taco sauce the length of the tacos (or pour a lot if you want)

Buen Provecho

S’ghetti with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cooked ground beef (defrosted)
  • 1 onion if ground beef does not have it and you want it (optional)
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce (24 oz)
  • 1/2 pound spaghetti or angle hair pasta
  • shredded or grated Parmesan, Romano or Parmesan/Romano Cheese (if you can, get the kind in the cheese section, not the dairy section or aisle. It tastes SO much better.)

Preparation

  1. Cook the pasta according to directions on the package
  2. While the water is getting to a boil,
    • if adding an onion:
      • Dice the onion.
      • Add a small amount of cooking oil (I use canola oil) to a 10″ skillet over medium heat.
      • Carefully add the diced onion
      • Heat until transparent, stirring occasionally.
    • Open the spaghetti sauce and place into a large saucepan and place over medium/low heat. Be careful. Spaghetti sauce like to spit as it gets hot.
    • If the ground beef is frozen, defrost it. Once defrosted, add it to the sauce
    • If adding onion, add that to the sauce when transparent.
  3. When the pasta is done cooking, carefully drain (pouring away from yourself into a colander- looks like a bowl with holes).
  4. You can let people serve themselves pasta then sauce, or mix the pasta and sauce together in a large casserole or dutch oven.
  5. Top with the cheese or pass around at the table.

Leftovers can be mixed and put in the fridge, the reheated in the microwave (about 1 minute on high per serving) or oven (350 til cooked through).
We would serve this with a salad on the side, or a green veg.
Buon Appetito

Hobo Stew

Years ago I was given a recipe for this, which I keep misplacing. But, this is one of our favorite meals in the winter and its SO easy – and nutritious. Hungry? Ready in no time at all (especially if you prepped the ground beef with onion)!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cooked ground beef (defrosted)
  • 1 chopped or diced onion (if ground beef does not have it) NOTE: If not with the ground beef, you may want to cook as above for the S’ghetti. If ground beef isn’t cooked either, you can brown the onion and the ground beef in a large (10-12″) skillet until cooked through.
    NOTE: Use what you have or like. This is the base recipe. Tomato is important as a base so use at least one can of tomato something. I get vegies with no or low salt. You can throw all the liquid from the vegies in too.
  • 1 can (14-15 oz) each of:
    • cut green beans
    • sliced carrots
    • corn
    • sliced new potatoes
    • kidney or garbanzo beans (or both)
    • tomato sauce
    • 1 can (14-28 oz) diced tomatoes
  • Seasoning to taste. I like about 1t basil or a bay leaf or two, and fresh ground black pepper. (If you add a bay leaf, remember to take it out before serving/eating).

Preparation

  1. Throw everything into a large saucepan or soup pot
  2. Cook over medium heat until warmed through
  3. Serve with a nice french bread and butter.

    4. Enjoy!

Character Development: What and Why and How

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Being a character isn’t the same as having character. What is character development and why would you care?

What is character?

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.
– Thomas Paine

Our character is who we are at the core of our being. It is what our most authentic self is made of and reflects how we relate to our self in the the world and with others. Character development is not a once and done thing, but a lifelong series of choices. Its about making the right choices as you come to crossroads in life. And one thing I have noticed is that the choices get harder as you go.

Here is an example: If you found something of $10 value, would you turn it in to the person that could get it back to the rightful owner? What if it was worth $100? How about one thousand dollars? 10,000 dollars? A hundred thousand?

Why care about character development?

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King is saying that what really matters is the content of one’s character. Character is the only thing that is ours alone and no one can take from us- it is the core of each of us. If you are a person of faith, you know this is the part of you that God will judge. When it really matters, we judge people on their character. A society is built on the collective character of its citizens

How do I develop character?

“An unexamined life is not worth living”
– Plato

Being a person of character requires attention to your SELF and monitoring that your character development is going in the right direction. A simple way to work on character is to focus on one character area for a couple of weeks. Pay close attention to how you are doing in that area. For example, are you being honest or are you not telling the truth by leaving things out (called lying by omission), or telling half truths, or white lies. Are there ways that you can tell the actual truth in a kind and compassionate way?

How is your politeness doing? Not just to your friends, but to the waiter at the restaurant who forgot your drink, or the mailcarrier who mis-delivered mail, or (and I admit, this my downfall), the driver doing 7 miles below the speed limit?

You might also review the image above on a daily or weekly basis and journal where you might have done better and in what area. You can right click on the image > save image as > save to your computer. No beating yourself up allowed. It’s a life-long process

Rejuvenation: Restoring Yourself

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Since summer is half over, this is a great time to talk about rejuvenation. Rejuvenation means to make youthful again, or to put it another way, to restore your health and energy. This post is about taking time for rest and relaxation.
Our bodies were designed to take periods for rest. Just like our mobile phones, we are better if recharged at 50% than if we wait til we’re at 0%.

Daily

We must sleep on a daily basis. It’s how we are designed. Unfortunately, most of us don’t get enough sleep. Sleep is essential to the rejuvenation of our bodies and minds, and getting enough of it can make all the difference in our performance, mood and health. Not everyone needs 8 hours, but if you require a drill sergeant to get you up in the morning, you probably aren’t getting enough sleep.
An easy way to determine what is enough sleep for you is to pay attention to your body. It’s best if you aren’t exhausted to begin. On a weekend or, even better, on a vacation:

  • Don’t set an alarm.
  • Note when you go to sleep and when you awaken naturally.
  • Make a note of how you feel (sometimes we oversleep and don’t feel great when we wake up).
  • Note if you were exhausted when you went to bed or if you had been drinking.

From this you will probably get a good idea of what is a good amount of time for you to sleep.

LifeSkill Secret: What to do when you can’t get the full number of hours of sleep you need

I have discovered that my own sleep cycle is 45 minutes and 8 1/2 hours is perfect for me. If I cant get that much sleep, I must get up 45 minutes earlier or 1.5 hours earlier or 2 hours 15 minutes earlier (note 45 minute cycles down from 8 1/2 hours) or I wont function well.

If you find you awaken refreshed at different amounts of time, you can probably figure out your own cycles to feel most rested. Another way to figure this out is to pay attention for how long you fall back to sleep if you are awakened early in the morning. I realized it was always an hour and a half for me. Waking in the middle of a cycle will make you feel less rested, even if you have had enough sleep. I would rather have 6 hours 15 minutes sleep (waking between my sleep cycle) than eight hours (waking in the middle of one).

Weekly Rejuvenation

So even God rested on the 7th day. Regardless of your faith, getting away from your daily work, cares and issues is a really good idea. Whether you remove yourself from all forms of work, or only do enjoyable projects on you 7th say (Sabbath comes from the word for 7), take some time to shift gears in your focus and attention. You will be much more efficient and effective if you shift gears for one day a week than if you keep working through. Your brain is a better problem solver when shifted into neutral than when stressed.

Periodically

The purpose of a vacation is rejuvenation. Getting away for at very least a week from your regular work is far more restorative than just weekends, and longer is better. Most people find that it takes several days just to downshift out of their normal gear into a relaxed state of being, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to just relax then go back at it. It’s better to take enough time to stay in a relaxed state for a while before returning to work.

Develop Your Own Style to Show Who You Are

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How you look says volumes about you to others. You already know this on some level. You want to look creative, or different, or mainstream, or identify with a particular group. If you take the time to develop your own style, you can have some control over how others first perceive you.

You only have one opportunity to make a good first impression. Think about this: If you don’t care how you look, it tells others you don’t care about yourself. Your poor appearance has them question why they should care about you either. After all, you know you best.

I have learned that you can be very creative and look creative, but still look like you took the time to pull yourself together. One of the most creative people I know always looks well groomed, but his earrings, rings and bracelets let the world know he is a creative. Many of the most famous fashion designers are known for wearing all black.

Where to Start when Developing Your Own Style

You are unique and your own personal style should reflect what is unique about you. In developing your own style, start by getting to know yourself. Ask yourself some questions:

  • What styles and colors do you like and, more importantly, look good on you?
  • What do you want your appearance to say about you?
  • How much time do you want to spend getting yourself together?

Listen to what others say about your hair or clothes when you try something new.  Don’t be afraid to try new styles and colors. When I was a lot younger, I was asked to try on a dress in a color which I would never have tried on my own, and got so many compliments about the color and the dress that that color became my ‘signature’ color. I started wearing a lot more dresses too.

Who Do You Want to Impress?

While its most important to think about what you like when developing your own style, it does help to also think about who you want to impress. While worn out graphic tees and ripped jeans may be fine for your friends, will they be attractive to the professional women you are interested in dating? What women think is attractive on a person is not the same as what men find attractive. Think about who, besides yourself, you are dressing to dazzle.

Be Realistic About Your Time and Energy

Nobody has enough time, but how much time do you want to invest in your appearance? Are you willing to spend more time to look better? How much do you enjoy pulling yourself together? In later posts, LifeSkill Secrets will address some of these questions in more detail, but for now, ask the questions and know your answers.

Personal Grooming and Cleanliness

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How you care for your self gives others an idea of how you value yourself. You know yourself better than anyone else does. If you don’t place enough value on yourself to take care of your personal grooming and cleanliness, why would they value you? You are setting the bar. All of LifeSkill Secrets is about personal responsibility for self care. That starts with caring about your own state of care.

My cousin had a plaque in his bathroom when we were kids that said,

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and next to impossible too.”

I still smile when I think about it, because I figured boys had a harder time keeping clean. Don’t know why I thought that, since my sister and I liked to dig holes in the dirt in the back yard.

If you are not paying attention to your personal grooming and cleanliness, you may be depressed. If you find that you’re letting cleanliness or grooming slip, you may want to look at what else is going on in your life that those things are not a priority. One of the first steps out of depression is to “live as though”, as if you were happy and therefore taking care of yourself. Taking a bath or shower and a getting a haircut can just make you feel better. Start in one area, and you may continue on until you are looking good.

Cleanliness is just a set of good habits.

Create habits to regularly:

  • Bathe or shower at least every other day
  • Use deodorant or antiperspirant (remember you cant smell your own body odor as much as others can)
  • Don’t overdo scents (if you aren’t sure, ask someone- you may stink from trying to smell good)
  • Clip and file nails – finger nails weekly, toe nails monthly
  • Get a hair cut about once a month (some may need more often, some can go a couple of months)
  • Tweeze eyebrows or clip nose hair as needed
  • Shave at least every few days for men, even with stubble or beard- keep it neat
  • Shave underarms and legs as needed (young women daily)

Personal grooming is creating a neat and tidy appearance.

Sadly, when I googled grooming for this post, the entire first page was about horses, dogs and cats. Does our society care more about how livestock and pets look than we do about ourselves?

Dressing like you care tells people that you care enough about yourself and them to get yourself together. That doesn’t mean that you always have to “dress up”, it just means that you look like you care about your appearance. Being groomed for a position means to be prepared for a particular purpose or activity. Personal grooming for a wedding would be different than grooming for a job interview.

Basics of Personal Grooming:

  • Follow the cleanliness habits above
  • Be sure your clothes (and shoes and socks or stockings)
    • are clean
    • don’t look like you slept in them
    • fit you and go with each other
    • are appropriate for the occasion and the company
  • Check that your accessories
    • are appropriate for the occasion and the company
    • go with the rest of your outfit

You never know when you will meet a future employer, friend, lover, or for that matter, someone of whom you are a big fan. How do you want to look to those people? Imagine running into the person of your dreams (someone you really want to meet, or date, or know) and ask yourself if you would feel good meeting them as you are. If not, work on it. Seriously, over my life I met several people I was a huge fan of, and my future husband, all at times I did not expect to run into anyone. So, be prepared.

Take care of you. You are worth it!

In a later post, I will talk about developing a personal style. Don’t miss it.

You Say Frittata, and I Say Omelette? Crustless Quiche, Maybe?

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What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.
– Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
That which we call a frittata, by any other name would taste as good.
– me

I got into an interesting conversation with a friend about frittatas one day and then had to do some research. I had learned to make them with shredded potatoes (grated hash browns) and always did, but she always made them without. One online source said they are different than omelettes since they are started on the top of the stove then finished in the oven. But then so are baked omelettes. You know what? Don’t care. Doesn’t matter. A frittata is similar to an omelette and crustless quiche in that they all start with eggs and have cheese. They all usually have other ingredients (meats or vegies) that can be in them or on them.

I am going to give you my recipe for Frittata and you can call it whatever you want. We make this often for brunch or dinner. It makes 6 servings so can make more than one meal, reheats nicely in the microwave, is nutritious and (depending on what you put in it) can be fairly economical.
I do not use an oven, so Its a nice summer meal since it doesn’t need to heat up the kitchen with the stove.

Basic Frittata (4-6 servings)

NOTE: These are great and worth the wait, but can take 45 minutes to an hour to make. Allow for that. Want it first thing? You could make it the night before and nuke in the morning. See note below.

Tools

10 inch skillet/fry pan and cover
I use nonstick. (You can use a bigger or smaller one if making for more people or fewer. I sometimes just make 2 servings by cutting down ingredients in a 7 or 8″ skillet)
Non-metal spatula
bowl or measuring cup in which to beat eggs and milk
I use one of the smaller bowls from my stainless bowl set
Fork or whisk to beat the eggs well
Cutting Board and knife
to cut up vegies and meat if necessary
Grater for cheese
if not using already grated cheese

Ingredients

1/2 package refrigerated or frozen hash brown potatoes (I use one half of a Simply Potatoes 10 oz. package found in the refrigerated section near the eggs)
Canola Oil
A little: 2-3 Tablespoons
6 eggs
Beat well in a measuring cup or stainless bowl
2 Tablespoons -1/4 cup milk (about) or cream
dash nutmeg and /or ground black pepper (I use both)

Vegies and/or meat to suit
Some combos we like:
Swiss (with or without Gruyere- I love it but its expensive. Try to use a little at least) and Spinach
Swiss (with or without Gruyere) and Asparagus
Broccoli and Cheddar
Bacon, green onion and Cheddar
Ham and Cheddar
cheese to suit 
I use

  • 1/4 cup Gruyere and 3-4 slices Swiss or
  • 6 slices Swiss or
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar or
  • 4-6 slices cheddar

Directions

  1. Cook the potatoes

    according to package directions. NOTE: If you really like chopped yellow or white onion, you want to add 1/2 cup or so to cook with the potatoes

  2. Prep all the other ingredients

    While cooking the potatoes, which take about 15 minutes, do the following:

    • Egg prep
      • beat the eggs in a bowl or large measuring cup (glass one for liquids)
      • Beat in milk or cream
      • Add seasonings as desired
    • Veg and other ingredients prep
      • If vegies need cooking first, like spinach or broccoli, and are not already cooked, do that
      • Drain and Chop the vegies or grate carrots
      • Cook bacon if using it and cool, crumble or chop
      • Chop any meat that needs it
      • Grate any cheese that needs it, or get out sliced

  3. Add, then cook the eggs

    Once the potatoes are cooked, lower the heat to just above low. allow a couple of minutes for the pan to cool if using a gas stove, a few more minutes if using electric.
    Gently pur the whipped egg/milk/seasoning mixture over the potatoes and cover.
    Cook for about 10 minutes.

  4. Add the meat and veg

    The eggs should still be liquidy as you gently add the vegies and meats (not the cheese) around the top and re-cover for another 10 minutes or until the fritatta is not completely set- should still be jiggly in center. In case of doubt, better to add too soon rather than too late.

  5. Add the cheese

    Lay the cheese slices or grated cheese over the top of the fritatta covering as mush as possible of the top. Re-cover and cook until the fritatta is set (not jiggly or wet even in the center).

  6. Serve

    with a fruit or vegetable side and a nice bread, if desired. ENJOY!

Frittatas can be stored in the fridge and reheated in the microwave on high for about 1 minute per slice. I make this when I know I will need to have meals on the fly available.

They are great for brunches, so spend some time testing and creating your own signature combination. Then wow your Mom for Mother’s day or your significant other on their birthday, or friends on a holiday weekend.