Fwd: Simple Times - 11/05/08 - Autumn abundance; fast dinner ideas

November 6, 2008

dsimpleTo: CyndikrallSent: 11/6/2008 10:26:45 A.M. Pacific Standard TimeSubj: Simple Times - 11/05/08 - Autumn abundance; fast dinner ideas

Simple Times________________________________Vol. 10, No. 21 -- November 5th, 2008http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/ debiCopyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-HoughISSN: 1527-1269 ________________________________Subscribe: join-simple-timesUnsubscribe: leave-simple-times________________________________Celebrating more than a decade of saving your time, money and sanity!________________________________IN THIS ISSUE:-- "Dear Readers": Special Request-- Simple Living Quote-- Quick Tips to Get a Healthy Dinner on the Table-- Autumn Abundance: Decorate for the Seasons-- Letters to the Editor / Reader Tips-- Assorted Information (archives, etc.)________________________________< < < O.U.R S.P.O.N.S.O.R > > > "What the heck... I'll give it a try!""I have to say I'm so glad I purchased your DebtIntoWealthSystem! I was skeptical at first, so I went to the website.It sounded good, so I figured "what the heck," I'll give ita try. My goal was to pay off $5000 in credit card debt anda car loan so I could buy a new home, and get me and my 4girls out of our 2-bedroom apartment. It worked! It's now 9months later and ALL of my debt is paid off, and I justsigned a contract on a new 5-bedroom house! There is nobetter feeling than to have NO debts, and a savings accounttoo! Thanks to your system, my family is going to have abetter life by not being enslaved to debt."--Katrina S. in Houston, TXWhat the heck ... Give DebtIntoWealth a try, today!Click:http://www.debtintowealth.com/simpletimes.html________________________________Dear Readers,This month, a local non-profit childcare center (ACAP) willhopefully be moving back into the education wing at ourchurch's building. ACAP has been located on city propertydown the street from us, but the city's now going to build amulti-use venue on the site and ACAP needs to vacate bymid-November (actually just ten days from now).Thirty years ago, a group of community and faith leaders inAuburn, Washington met to find ways to help low incomefamilies become or stay employed. The focus continues to beon providing children with a positive early childhood educationalexperience. ACAP originally met at White River PresbyterianChurch in Auburn before moving to their current site.For more details, go to:http://snurl.com/acap [www_pnwlocalnews_com] After numerous applications for extensions, grants, and attemptsto sell their current portable buildings, ACAP is faced with thedifficult decision of perhaps needing to shut their doors forever.This would be a sad blow to many low income and needy familiesof our city.ACAP has been the one place in town where difficult-to-placechildren were accepted without question, loved unconditionally,and provided quality care at a reasonable price. Those kids thatother childcare centers in the area were unwilling to take --mainly because of behavioral problems and special needs --now have a caring, committed "family," and a place to call homeduring the day.If ACAP closes their doors forever, these families (currentlyabout 65 kids) will have no place else to turn for their childcareneeds, having already been turned down by other agencies andchildcare centers in town.For ACAP's doors to stay open and for them to be able to moveto their new location at our church, they need to raise some fundsbefore the 15th of this month.Unbeknownst to ACAP, I decided to put this special announcementin Simple Times, just in case anyone out there would like to helpsupport a worthy cause. I thought it would be such a blessing andencouragement to the teachers and board members at ACAP toreceive a few gifts from unknown sources around the country. Noneof the money raised would go to me, or to the church, or to anyother individual -- it would all go toward the moving and upcomingrenovation costs involved with relocating ACAP to their new home.Because ACAP's an official non-profit organization, all gifts aretax-deductible, too. :-)I asked ACAP's Director how people could donate to the movingcosts, and she told me it'd be best for any donations to be sentto the church's address since ACAP soon won't have their currentstreet address available.If you have any sort of a desire to help at all in this project, simplymake checks payable to "ACAP" and send to:ACAPc/o White River Presbyterian Church526 - 12th Street SEAuburn, WA 98002Thanks so much for your patience with this request!And please don't feel any sort of obligation whatsoever to helpwith this. I just thought maybe there might be a handful of peopleout there in Simple Times Land who may want to help with thissituation in a small way. Thanks, again!

For more details, go to:http://snurl.com/acap [www_pnwlocalnews_com] Now, on to our regularly scheduled program ... :-)Simply Yours,Debi(Deborah Taylor-Hough)Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter--Author of the popular 'Frozen Assets' series; 'A Simple Choice: Apractical guide for saving your time, money & sanity'; and 'FrugalLiving for Dummies®--Editor, Simple Times and Bright-Kids email newsletters________________________________Visit my new site!http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/________________________________SIMPLE LIVING QUOTE "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that thehighest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." --John F. Kennedy ________________________________ QUICK TIPS TO GET A HEALTHY DINNER ON THE TABLECopyright Jamie Jefferson Used with permission from EzineArticles.comAll rights reserved. If you think you don't have time to make dinner, think again.With these ideas, you'll be a professional at-home chef inno time. 1) Plan ahead. Nothing has people reaching for the take out menu fasterthan a lack of planning. If you've been trying to plan dinnerafter 5pm, odds are that you give up on cooking most days.Make sure to plan at least five meals each week and havethe ingredients on hand. If you have enough food to makeseveral different types of meals, you'll be less likely to eatout. Each morning, decide what you'll make for dinner that night.At this time, you may decide to put any meat that needs todefrost in the refrigerator, and double check that you haveall of the ingredients. Review the recipe and figure out whenyou'll need to start making dinner in order to have it done ontime. 2) Come up with a system for dinner recipes. Quick dinners are easy when you have a system to follow.Keep your dinners to an easy formula of protein pluscarbohydrate plus vegetable and you'll be able to makedinner quickly. This formula can cover a wide range ofpossibilities -- baked chicken, cheesy noodles and broccoli,grilled steak with peppers and onions served with tortillas,sautéed ground beef with Asian vegetables served over rice.The possibilities are endless! 3) Save time with frozen vegetables. Everyone needs more vegetables and serving frozenvegetables are an easy way to get more into your family'sdiet. Keep a wide variety of frozen vegetables on hand.You can change the flavor with spices, margarine mixedwith lemon juice or even Italian dressing. A few minutes inthe microwave or on the stovetop with a vegetable steamerand you'll have vegetables for your meal. 4) Cook some ingredients ahead of time. Ground beef can be used in many different recipes, fromspaghetti to tacos. It takes just as much time to browntwo pounds of beef as it does to brown a half a pound. Ona weekend, brown and freeze several pounds of groundbeef or ground turkey. This way, the next time you cooka recipe that calls for ground beef you'll just have to reheatit. You can do the same thing with chicken pieces. 5) Keep backups on hand. Even the most well planned menu can come undone fromtime to time. When meetings run late or the family cookisn't feeling well, keep a few frozen meals on hand. Frozenlasagna, skillet meals and other pre-packaged foods areokay every once in a while. You can improve the nutritionof these processed meals by adding more vegetables andserving health side dishes. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:--Jamie Jefferson writes for both Momscape.com andSusies-Coupons.com. Find money-saving promotions fromcompanies that offer prepared meal delivery and gourmetentrees at www.Susies-Coupons.com, including Home BistroCoupons as well as Omaha Steak Coupons. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Jefferson ________________________________O.U.R S.P.O.N.S.O.R

Get Organized Today -- With EasyFile Home Filing System! In your daily battle with "clutter" perhaps one of the mostneglected areas is PAPER! It clutters your home, takes yourtime, and robs you of energy. EasyFile makes it quick & easyto organize your important papers and financial records so youcan easily locate them at tax time -- or in an emergency."Most people spend more time organizing their iPods thantheir financial records." --Sandra Block, USA TODAY www.easyfilesolutions.com/AIDLink.php?BID=11911 & AID=36265 & NEW Garage Sale Kit -- Make Your Next Garage Sale Easier!www.easyfilesolutions.com/AIDLink.php?BID=12677 & AID=36264 ________________________________ AUTUMN ABUNDANCE: DECORATE FOR THE SEASONSCopyright Tracey SchabelUsed with permission from EzineArticles.com.All rights reserved. The children are back in school and the leaves are changingcolors -- it must be autumn. This is the perfect time to welcomethe season with some new décor ideas. No need to spend hoursor huge dollars to achieve a great autumn look in your space.Enjoy the crisp air and take a cue in your decorating from natureand the outdoors. Bring in the fall leaves, gourds, and pumpkinswith these decorating ideas! 1) Think Abundance! Autumn is all about pumpkins, gourds, apples, wheat, and colorfulvegetables. Scout out the local farmer's market and start decorating.Fill to overflowing a large basket or bowl with your fall bounty anduse that as your centerpiece. Tablescape on a grand scale withpumpkins, wheat and other fall favorites. 2) Switch the pillows! Put the summer pillows and linens away. Reach for rich autumnalcolors and interesting textures. Treat yourself to a new throw withgreat texture in chocolate brown, rust, or orange. Orange pillowsinstantly brighten a spot, and orange is the "IT" color this fall. 3) Turn the lights down! Group candles on a tray on your dining or coffee table. Again,think abundance and use a lot of candles -- vary the height andsize, but keep the color the same for maximum impact. 4) Inspired Art! Change the artwork in your living space. Hang a textural wreathwhere a picture was, or take photos for a black/white displaythat shows off your creative side. 5) Bring the branches in! Fill a vase, urn, or terra cotta pot with branches from your fallgarden clean-up. They will look very sculptural in the foyer oron your fireplace hearth. 6) Don't forget the fireplace! Place birch logs in your fireplace when it's not in use. Or groupthose candles again, within the fireplace and set the mood. 7) Bake something!

Nothing says autumn like the smell of comfort food and spices.

The smell of cinnamon and spices, even if its cheating with a

pre-bought pie placed in the oven, makes everything cozy and

warm. 8) Paint your front door! Add instant curb appeal when you paint your entry door. Arich color will freshen up tired landscaping, and usher in thefall season. 9) Plant those mums! Splurge on some new fall plantings in great colors. Groupthem all together in terra cotta pots for maximum effect andmore cost effective. 10) Wash those windows! Nothing says "I take great joy in my home" more than cleanwindows. A little elbow grease goes a long way! Enjoy the autumn season -- take long walks, collect leaves,carve pumpkins, sip cider, and marvel at the beauty of nature.Open up your home to nature's seasonal bounty and startdecorating! In this season, more is definitely better -- sodecorate with fun abandon! ABOUT THE AUTHOR:--Tracey Schabel is the editor of http://www.GirlzDealz.comand http://www.GirlzNetwork.com websites "for women bywomen", where you can find ideas, tips, and deals abouthome and lifestyle trends. Be sure to check out our websitesfor the latest in interior decorating, green living, lifestyle trends,handpicked shopping deals, entertaining, book reviews, andmuch more. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracey_Schabel________________________________Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)________________________________LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READER TIPSWe'd love to hear YOUR tips and ideas for simplifying daily life.Send your simple living comments/tips to: DSimple == How to grow a reader == I believe one reason my older children especiallylove books comes from their childhood. My husbandspent lots of time at sea in the Coast Guard so I hadhim record reading books to them. They could listenat night once they were snuggled in bed. That keptthem connected to Dad but also brought out a love ofbooks. Whether you volunteer to read at church, at thelibrary, or in a daycare center, reading to young childrenwill encourage them to become readers themselves.--Karen ________________________________SIMPLE TIMES RECOMMENDED BOOKSBook list for frugality and simple livingGo to: http://snurl.com/simplebooks_______________________________< < B E . O U R . S P O N S O R > >Would you like to place an ad in this newsletter? ContactLaura at marketing Subject line: simple-timesDiscover the modest rates for reaching this targeted market.________________________________As always, a special "Thank you!" goes out to Gary Foremanand the friendly folks at The Dollar Stretcher for making thismailing list possible!== http://www.stretcher.com/ ==________________________________EDITOR'S BOOKS AND AUDIO RESOURCES:Books and resources by Deborah Taylor-HoughEditor, Simple Times Email Newsletterhttp://snurl.com/debisbooks________________________________DEBI'S ON-LINE RESOURCES:Personal Blog: http://dsimple.wordpress.com/Frugality/Simplicity: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.comCooking Ahead: http://frozenassets.wordpress.com/Bright-Kids: http://brightkids.wordpress.comTupperware®: http://snurl.com/DebiTupperwareKids' Books: http://snurl.com/books4kids________________________________NEWSLETTER INFORMATIONSubscribe: join-simple-timesUnsubscribe: leave-simple-timesPlease feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. This is a private mailing list which isn't sold or shared with anyone else. Tips and articles are printed for entertainment purposes only. This free service is brought to you by www.SimpleMom.comCopyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough. .3930 A Street SE, Ste 305-119, Auburn WA 98002Contact us at: DSimple

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