KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).I am pretty sure you've heard this term before. Try to stick to either simple meals like lasagna, chili, pizzas, and casseroles or prepare items like sliced chicken, seasoned ground beef, and sliced steak to be portioned in to storage bags. Some of you might be asking.how much should I put in each storage bag? The weight of these bags really depends on the size of your household. It is so convenient to have your own individual bags of pre-cooked ground beef, sliced chicken, and sliced steak for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, meat sauce, slow cooker chicken alfredo jar sauce, steak salads, and so many more great meals.
Now picture this: It's the same end to that same day. You're still tired, but instead of chomping on that frozen chow chicken alfredo dinner, when you walk in from the garage, your house smells like someone has been cooking your meal all day. No, you don't have a personal chef; it's the meal you threw together in about 15 minutes before you left for work. This is the amazing and simplistic beauty of the crock pot, or slow cooker.
That incident has sparked a wave of creativity for me. One day last week, I made Ramen noodles (again without using the flavor packet) and added a can of mixed vegetables and a can of fat-free cream of chicken soup. This turned out to be a chicken and cream noodle soup that my kids devoured.
Make you own baby food. Particularly if you have a baby who starts solids in the summer or fall months when fresh produce is readily available, try making your own baby food. Most baby foods are simply a puree of water and cooked fruit or vegetables. Prepared purees can be spooned into ice cube trays and frozen, then popped out and stored in freezer bags. Check out your local library for books that give more details about making slow cooker chicken alfredo baby food.
I was at the Dublin Village Tavern last week and gave their Village Chowder a try in honor of the season and this article. Potato, ham & cheese chowder with fresh jalapenos. Let's just say I will definitely be back for more.
Super "trash" bowl - When cooking, set a bowl next to your prep area. This way, you could easily throw in veggie peel or unwanted broccoli stalks into the bowl and make one single trip to the trash bin. It's surprising how much time we spend walking back and forth to throw things out.