As the calendar moves to another page, I notice that there are no days where I can look and say, "Hey, we've got nothing tonight!!". Zack's football still has another month to go - three practices and a game per week - house league hockey has started up and Zack has once again made the Select team. Add in swimming for both, Allie's theatre class and trips to the "Y" and this schedule might be familiar to you.
Well, as a family, we did this last year. However, our new commitment to a healthier lifestyle will mean we can't just stop at McDonald's on the way to practice, or class, or game, etc. So this year we are going to need to use the slow cooker and be more proactive. We will need to have meal plans that we can quickly re-heat so our healthy living can continue all through the winter.
It's so abnormal to have to think about how the family is going to eat when the schedule is filled. I have spent the last three weeks going through recipe books to make sure I give the kids food that will sustain them and be great tasting. Going through a drive-thru really satisfied the time crunch, but it didn't give us what we needed.
So here I go again and I'm going to ask for your families favourite, healthy, slow cooker recipe that we can all share together. When you send them along, let me know how many portions you get out of it because I will be looking for recipes with lots of leftovers that can quickly be re-heated for the family on the go...
Russ
Hey Russ,
ReplyDeleteSome things that we practiced when i was working and busy with kids sports...i am sure some of this you already know or have tried but i thought i would share what works for us:)
Slow cooker meals for sure-roast with carrots and potatoes and then something green like broccoli or brussel sprouts.
Cutting up green onions, red peppers, green peppers, red onions and things like spinach and freezing them. These can be used for quick omlettes, add to chicken for almost any type of meal with pasta or wraps. Cilantro is a nice flavour to have handy also.
We try to have boneless skinles chicken breasts or hard boiled always cooked in the fridge to add to salad in a pinch..and of course a glass of water before dinner and after, or water bottles always handy in youre vehicle.
For the kids..peanut butter sandwich or nutella sandwich depending on what kid, cheese and crackers, always have bananas on hand, and some type of berries, grapes etc to much on..thankfully my kids will choose tim hortons soup instead of macdonalds so maybe thats an option.
I always have nutrigrain granola bars and those fruit to go stick things in my glove box..just in case.
Hope this helps)
Marcia
Easiest stew ever.
ReplyDeleteBrown some lean stewing beef by throwing it on a cooking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes or so (375 is good, 400 if you are in a hurry)For a BIG pot full, I use about 2 kilos.
While the meat is browning....in the biggest pot you have, start to boil 3 cups of water and 3 envelopes of OXO beef stock (use the less salt one if you want)
While it is heating up....start adding chopped whatever you want. The last batch I made I threw in lots of chunked onion, celery, carrots, parsnips, green beans, yellow beans (I used canned but you can go fresh)a turnip, 3 cans of whole potatoes cut in half (fresh potatoes work, they just tend to fall apart a lot especially if you freeze the leftovers)a bunch (maybe a couple of cups) of frozen peas and frozen corn, and anything else that you like.
Add the meat and stir it. Add more water if you think it needs it and 4 or 5 bay leaves.
Let it simmer at least until the veggies are cooked and then as long as you want after that. I usually let it go a good couple of hours giving it the odd stir. I don't season mine. I let everyone use their own salt (the evil word) and pepper at the table. Serve it with a big green salad and Bob's yer Uncle, you have dinner.
It is really better the second day. I package mine up in ziplock bags or freezer containers and it thaws amazingly fast. My kids loved it a thermos for lunch too.
The original recipe comes from the Weight Watchers Cookbook, but this is a no brainer version. Good Luck. Joyce B