Tag Archives: Slow cooker

Mean Lean Beef Stew

Posted in Crock Pot Thursdays, Time Management, Work Mom Balance by

Picture this:  Racing home to pick the kids up from the bus stop, to immediately turn around and drive one child to ballet and the other to soccer.  Repeat in reverse order and return home.  Almost 6pm, kids are beginning to work on their homework and Hubby is about to walk through the door.  What’s for dinner is on everyone’s hungry mind?

Unless I was Iron Chef-ing (the practice of cooking up meals all on one day for the week ahead) the previous Sunday, it’s either a quick pasta with butter or sandwiches on a defrosted hamburger roll from last summer.   All the while, my crock pot sits in the cabinet.

But folks, the weather is getting cold and the hours between work and after school activities and homework and dinner are short.   Whip out the crock pots, because The Harried Mom and are back – for a limited time and as our schedule permits – for some wholesome, delicious crock pot meals.

For my triumphant return to the Thursday Crock Pot Buddies, I decided to cook A Mean Lean Beef Stew.  Hearty, rich and full of nutritious goodness, this is the meal that keeps on giving.  This meal has comfort oozing with every bite and best of all – feeds a family of four at least twice.

Lean Mean Beef Stew

CrockPot2.13BeefStewIngredients:

2 pounds of beef cubes (filet mignon is the most tender)

4 potatoes cut in cubes (skin left on b/c I am too lazy it that is where all the vitamins are)

1 bag of small carrots rinsed

1 large white onion chopped

1 pint of large cherry tomatoes

8 ounces of water

8 ounces of beef broth

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

Directions:

Take the meat and place in a large bowl.  Add a dash of salt and pepper and set aside.

Add the remaining ingredients and the meat together in the crock pot.  Take a large spoon and mix everything together.

Add another dash of salt and pepper.

Set the timer to 6 hours and forget about it until then.

The meal is best served with a loaf of warm french bread and some butter.  Suggested sides can include either rice or pasta but the meal itself is just fine without it.  So now hop on over to The Harried Mom and check out what she is cooking.  If you have a blog, link up with us and share your post here.  If you don’t have a blog, post your comments here or on Facebook and remember……

There is Always Time for a Home Cooked Meal!

 

Twenty Two Days of Thanks

Posted in I am Thankful Today For by

The temperature outside is a very crisp 37 degrees.   The skies are gray and soft.  White flakes are falling.

Inside, a hearty split pea soup simmers in the crock pot and the house is warm and cozy.

In previous years, this would have been such a delightful time.  But knowing there are many in my area without power and heat and electricity – and the very possible outcome that we, too, may lose power again puts me on edge.

However, seeing the smiles on these two faces as they came off the bus today, weakened my fear a bit.  The excitement of a snow day and snowmen and snow forts are very hard to contain.  I do hope this latest storm passes, but in the interim, I am thankful for my children who reminded me of what it is like to feel eight years old again.

Join me in the Twenty-Two Days of Thanks.  Post on your facebook or twitter or blog and in the comment section of this post and the 17 posts to come what you are thankful for.  Let’s share our thanks with others and spread joy and laughter this season.

Falling Back into Better Habits

Posted in Crock Pot Thursdays, Grill-More Girls, Health, Time Management, Work Mom Balance by

For the past week, my Facebook feed has been populated with Back-to-School photos.  It really is one of the best attributes Facebook provides – having the chance to share with your friends (some close and some distant) their important milestones.  And along with the beaming smiles and red teary eyes – from both children and parents – the “I need a clone” posts begin.

It is almost certain, that I will be guilty of making such a post at one point between today and sometime in mid December.  However, this Fall, I am going to try an old approach and fall back into better habits.  With scheduling and planning in high gear, I decided I might as well add exercise and eating right to the list as well.  Looking back through my posts and notes, I tend to be the most productive and clear-minded when I participated in some form of consistent exercise.  Words do not lie and it is obvious what an important role exercise plays in my overall happiness and that of those around me!

Along with scheduling exercise, I am going to commit to making 3 wholesome meals per week.  Take-out and dining out is a very easy clutch to depend on during week nights when there isn’t much time in between work, school and practices, lessons and games.  But with just a bit of planning and scheduling, I am going to make the effort to cook – even if it means I am cooking all three meals on Sunday night and re-heating all week.  Going to dust off that crock pot too!

Taking advice from a very wise lady, I am going to make this season My New Year. Having fallen off the wagon over the summer months, no time is better than the present to start! With a little planning, commitment and visit or two on Pinterest, I hope to keep true to this post not just for my health, but for the health of my little happy clan.

 

There is Always Time for a Home Cooked Meal – Good Ole Chicken Soup

Posted in Crock Pot Thursdays, Time Management, Work Mom Balance by

Perhaps it’s the unusually warm temperatures here in NJ or the fact that I swamped with work, but I never made it around to getting my Crock Pot out to make Cilantro Lime Chicken this week.  Instead, I have been de-frosting and enjoying meals I cooked over the relatively mild winter – one which is made best in a Crock Pot!  So I decided to put a new twist on Crock Pot Thursday this week.  The recipe I am sharing with you is not one I made this week, but one I made two months ago and has been feeding my family dinner and sometimes lunch when I am in a pinch.

Good Ole Chicken Soup is great anytime of the year.  The soup is so very hearty and filled with nutrients and simple goodness.  The recipe is easy to make and if you have one hour  to spare to prep and divide the meals into containers, the rewards are endless.

I recommend purchasing disposable Tupperware containers in three different sizes.  This allows you to use the container that best suits the amount of people you need to feed.  For example, I use the bigger container when I am feeding my family of four and use the smallest container when I need to feed just my children.

So to make this delicious Good Ole Chicken Soup you will need the following:

2 cups of bite sized carrots

2 cups of bite sized celery

2 cups of bite sized potatoes

2 pieces of chicken breast w/bone

1 small piece of parmesan cheese

2 quarts of water

1 bay leaf

Place all the veggies first and then add the chicken, cheese, water and bay leaf.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Once complete, remove the chicken and shred.  Remove the cheese and either discard or taste a tiny piece.  It’s sinfully delicious, but very fattening.

Once the chicken is shredded, place it and the veggies in the various containers with the broth and let it cool down.  Once at room temperature, snap the lids on and place in the freezer.  If you have extra broth, place that in a jar and save it in your fridge for up to 10 days to use in various other dishes (great for smashed potatoes).

When you need a good, healthy meal in a pinch, reach into your freezer and defrost the soup in a pot.  Boil water for pasta and in less time it takes to heat canned soup, you have a delightful and rich Chicken Soup everyone will enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

So now it’s your turn!  Post your recipe on your blog and link with The Harried Mom and I or simply post your recipe in the comments section here on Facebook!

There is Always Time for a Home Cooked Meal – Juicy Pulled Pork

Posted in Crock Pot Thursdays, Time Management, Work Mom Balance by

If it’s Thursday, you know it is time for Crock Pot Buddies! 

This is now week five for me and my cooking-partner-in-crime Debra over at The Harried Mom.  Have you tried any recipes yet?  Let us know!

Trying to recover from last week’s debacle of a meal, I decided to try a recipe that was not only easy, but that would redeem my cooking abilities.  On the recommendation of my PTO President and Mom extraordinaire, I set out to make a Juicy Pulled Pork.

Sunday afternoon, without the gaggle of children to distract me, I set off to the “civilized” supermarket.  What is the civilized supermarket?  In a nutshell, it’s not the chaos that is known as ShopRite.  While ShopRite prices are unbeatable, the staff friendly and their selection fresh, in my neck of the woods, its Super Bowl Sunday and Thanksgiving craziness every day.  So I save my pennies and treat myself to shopping at McCaffrey’s -the civilized way.

Making my way through the aisles with a warm roasted cup of gourmet coffee, I arrived at the butcher section and found at least a dozen varieties of pork to choose from.  Then the panic set in.  Which piece of pork would work best?  No sooner had the thought crossed my mind, then appeared the McCaffrey’s butcher (who for the sake of this post – let’s say resembled a handsome Tom Cruise,  “pre” couch jumping) to help me select the perfect cut.  Soon I was checking out my groceries and heading home excited to cook my Juicy Pulled Pork.

Sunday became Monday and soon Monday became Tuesday and I had yet to plug in the Crock Pot.  Perhaps it was the fear of another failure or just down right hectic schedules, but it wasn’t until 2pm Tuesday afternoon that I pulled together the nerve to cook.

In my honest opinion, the pulled pork came out delicious.  It was moist and tangy and flavorful.  With a side of smashed potatoes (because the skin is healthy a.k.a., “I don’t peel potatoes”) and crisp green beans, the pork was complimented with not only flavor, but color.

Now, if you ask my hubby (who I am sure you will find commenting below) there was an “overpowering taste of vinegar”.  I neglected to add brown sugar to the recipe in fear of a repeat of last week, but hubby insisted as he ate his portion, that brown sugar would have made the recipe perfect.

Dinner was served and eaten and without a piece of pork left over – much to the disappointment of last week’s canine recipients of burnt rubber chicken.

In my book, Juicy Pulled Pork is a winner!    Buon Appettito!

Juicy Pulled Pork

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Serves: 4 Adults and 2 half-lings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of pork (Butcher Cruise suggested the loin cut)

1 cup of vinegar

3 cups of vegetable soup

1/2 cup of ketchup

1 package of McCormick pulled pork seasoning

1/4 cup of brown sugar (if you so wish)

Directions:

Place pork in the crock pot.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the pork.

Around the 3rd hour of cooking, pull the pork apart with a fork and leave until the 4th hour of cooking.

Serve warm and enjoy!


Now it’s your turn!  Visit The Harried Mom who is cooking up Pork Ribs in Tomato Sauce and share your recipe.

If you do not have a blog, simply share your recipe with us in the comment section below!