Crock Potting Craze

One thing you will see a lot of on this blog are recipes and kitchen hacks. I have found that the single greatest way to create more time in my family life during the week is to plan and prepare ahead in the kitchen.

Let me break it down for you using my brand of logic here.

After working all day and picking up kids from two different schools at two different times, I'm usually trying to beat the clock as we get ready to head to one or more sporting practices or church events. I imagine this is the same for many other people anymore. There's usually somewhere to be in the evenings. Almost always. The last thing I will feel like doing is preparing a nutritious, well-balanced meal for my family. If we eat at home, they are totally eating Spaghettios or Mac N Cheese (I'm guilty!) I know they need to eat a well-balanced meal...But if left to my desperate devices, I'll run through a Jason's Deli and pray they select something of some nutritional value. Usually my oldest son picks a few lettuce leaves smothered in shredded cheese and buried in ranch dressing and bacon bits. My younger son picks pasta. Every. Time. I tell myself that we will do better tomorrow. And then we don't have time to do any better tomorrow.

So when on a Saturday afternoon I can carve out a little time, here's what I CAN do about it. I can research a few recipes online or on Pinterest and compose a grocery list (10 minutes.) Go to the store and purchase said items (45 minutes if I stick to my list.) Separate my items and pack family meals into freezer bags, label, and throw in the freezer (1-2 hours depending on how many meals I make.)

All in and out in about 3 hours. Here's what I get as a return on my investment:

Before I run to the kids to school and go to work in the morning, I throw a completely frozen meal into my crock pot and turn it on low (2 minutes.) I come home after grabbing the kids and MY DINNER IS READY. We eat at home and not only did I reclaim the time it took to make it (25 minutes?), I save the travel time to and from a restaurant (20 minutes?) and save about $20 each time (Eating at home is far more cost effective!)

SO WORTH IT!! SO SO SO WORTH IT!!