Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song” is incredibly addictive. Probably because it relishes in spending a day doing — are you sitting down? — nothing at all, and — are you ready for this? — not feeling an ounce of guilt about it. In fact, the song pretty much glorifies the art of doing whatever the heck you want, which can be oh-so attractive if you’re like me and can’t sit through a movie without feeling frustratingly unproductive.
All too often, we beat ourselves up for “wasting the day,” ignoring the fact that sometimes, laziness is the best thing for us. A day spent doing whatever comes to mind — whether that’s watching a Teen Mom marathon, window shopping or simply staring at your ceiling fan — lets you slow down and put the world in perspective. It always puts all of life’s little stresses in check, reminding me of the things that truly matter to me, so I can stop obsessing over every little item on my to-do list.
Ideally, I’d like to practice the skill of being okay with doing nothing (which is really a sort of meditation in and of itself) once a week, but I’ll be honest: it doesn’t always happen. I know, I know, not allotting a day of the week to do nothing contradicts this whole post, but you know what? I’m taking baby steps. A small way to get there is by devoting a couple hours each week to doing nothing and working up from there.
For me, mornings are my defragging time. It’s when I hit the gym, shower and ease into the day — even if it means waking up a few hours early. It helps me feel refreshed and ready to take on whatever is thrown at me. That’s why I love this Southwest Egg Scramble — its decadent yet it takes less than a few minutes to make, leaving me ample time to do whatever I want.
It’s simple, yet it tastes like you’re indulging. And yet, it doesn’t weigh you down afterward, making it the perfect addition to a guilt-free, whateva-whateva-I-do-what-I-want kind of morning. (The secret: Philly Cooking Creme’s Santa Fe flavor — I was sent a box to sample, and let me tell you: I’ll never eat scrambled eggs without it again. I’m converted.)
Kitchen gadgets needed: spoon, microwave-safe bowl, measuring cups, microwave
Ingredients (serves 2-3):
- 2 tablespoons Philly Cooking Creme (Santa Fe flavor)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 5 eggs
- 3 tablespoons sundried tomatoes (or salsa)
- 1/3 roll of Jimmy Dean sausage (or your breakfast sausage of choice; if you’re cooking in your dorm, you can use microwaveable sausage crumbles instead)
Time commitment: 10-12 minutes
Steps:
- Turn the burner to medium heat, then place the sausage on the frying pan, using a spatula or large spoon to break it up into small crumbles. Cook the sausage until it’s lightly golden brown (about 4-5 minutes), then turn off the burner and drain the meat, getting rid of any excess grease. (Dorm dwellers: Follow the instructions on the package to microwave the sausage instead.)
- In a cup, crack the eggs and add in the water. Use a fork to break up the yolks, mixing it into a pale yellow goo.
- Chop the sundried tomatoes, if you’re including them. Otherwise, pour the egg mixture (AKA “yellow goo”) into the bowl and microwave it for 20 seconds.
- Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the Philly Cooking Creme and sundried tomatoes/salsa. Don’t worry if it doesn’t combine — microwave it for 30-second intervals, stirring alternately until the eggs are fully cooked. Fold in the sausage, and you’re ready to get your lazy on.