School started five weeks ago. I enjoy the structure that the school year brings. Everyday is a routine. I like routine. Then, we have our after school activities. Tuesday and Thursday nights are karate. Wednesday night is gymnastics.
What this means is dinner has gotten pretty boring. We are making the same 10 meals (who am I kidding, 5) over and over. Since we are out past 5:45 three nights a week, either David gets dinner going or we do something super easy. Like the other nights masterpiece of cheese crisp and vegetables dipped in Ranch.
Before I met my husband, I was happy to have a tuna sandwich for dinner. But him, not so much. I'd be happy to have cereal for dinner. Him, no way. And honestly, our kids deserve/need more than a bowl of rice krispies after sweating in karate for 70 minutes.
David and I were discussing this last week. When he said, "Why don't you try to cook one new meal a week?" I looked at him like he just turned red and sprouted horns and I told him, "Why don't you try to flap your arms and fly off a 10 story building?" Ok, well, I didn't say that, but the look I gave him suggested that I may have thought something along those lines. The point being is that we all are craving something different, fast and easy for dinner.
Then, I thought about the crockpot. It would solve all of our problems to make a crockpot meal on Tuesday and Thursday. I'm not giving up my Wednesday night housewife, so we don't need to mess with that. I remembered reading about a lady who blogged about a new crockpot meal every day for a year. So, I went to her web page and looked around. It was overwhelming. Some looked okay. Others I knew the kids (or Ben really) wouldn't eat. Some I knew I wouldn't eat. Some I knew the dog wouldn't eat. She just cooked lasagna in the crock pot. Now, I'm Italian and that's just wrong. My grandmother from Italy would have a heart attack if she knew I made lasagna in the crockpot. After about an hour, I hadn't printed one recipe.
The only thing I currently make in the crockpot is a roast with carrots. On the side, I make mashed potatoes and gravy and it's far from fast to make and the dishes take 30 minutes to do afterwards.
So, I'm turning to you guys. Do you have any great crockpot recipes?
Or should I just give my husband a cape for that 10 story free fall?
3 comments:
i love doing soups in the crockpot. i'm always trying to simplify things, too. i subscribe to that girl's blog on my google reader and have yet to be inspired either. i'm into super easy and simple...and not running out to buy random ingredients.
easy meals i do in crockpot:
minestrone soup (add the noodles about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before serving)
chicken chili soup
wendy's chili recipe (doesn't say to make in crockpot, but i always do)
beef brisket
bbq pork ribs
any soup, really
what's your e-mail address? maybe if i can continue with how i'm feeling right in this moment, i can handle thinking about something food-related. hurry. it may pass sooner than i can get through the word-verification process. :)
i'll just give you mine:
amyrbarry[at]hotmail[dot]com
LOL :D
I'll have to see if I have any recipes. I normally use the crockpot in the winter months once in a while.
I totally know what you mean about dinner, coming up with new ideas, who will eat it, etc. It's frustrating at times and I'm like you where I want to provide a meal for my family (but I too am happy having just a light snack for dinner and do so when I'm on my own for the evening, which is rare nowdays).
I have several crockpot cookbooks, but this one is so easy, uses few ingredients and has pictures!
http://www.amazon.com/Rival-Crock-Cooker-Recipes-Shaped/dp/1412721830/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header
It's a board book!
Post a Comment