| Author |
Farm Kitchen:  I feel like I'm asking for the impossible...  |
|
|
RachelLeigh
True Blue Farmgirl
635 Posts
Rachel
Rainier
WA
USA
635 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 07 2013 : 2:15:50 PM
|
...but I'm desperate to "fix" the way we eat. I have a super-duper busy work schedule. My husband doesn't work right now, but he takes care of everything in the house (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, trash, etc.) The ONE thing he doesn't do is cook (and that's for the best because he's terrible at it.) So cooking falls to me, which is fine because I love it. The challenge is that I have a very limited amount of time each day AND I work the night shift, so I sleep at weird hours. What I need are simple, wholesome dishes without a lot of fat that only require a few ingredients. (I LOVE one-pot dishes.) I'm not very creative when it comes to this and all of my cookbooks have recipes with an insane amount of ingredients, leaving us to have pot roast cooked in the crockpot - a lot.
So my question is - what simple, uncomplicated dishes do you feed your family? And would you share?
Farmgirl Sister #5159
My blogs: http://14thandoak.com & http://thehomefrontkitchen.com
My Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandmadeHomefront
|
|
|
Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
6631 Posts
Debbie L.
Oregon
USA
6631 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2013 : 2:25:45 PM
|
I love Chicken in the Crock Pot. I do a whole chicken, add my favorite seasonings, veggies on the bottom, carrots, onions, potatoes or your favorite veggies, then add 1 cup of broth, water or white wine. Very yummy, and it is a great 1 pot meal, all you do is serve it.
I hope this helps, any questions email me.
Hugs,
Debbie
"There is nothing better than to end a bad day covered in dog slobber!"
www.etsy.com/shop/CollectThisTreasures
www.etsy.com/shop/MountainWingsAntique
http://debbielynnf.blogspot.com
http://myworld.ebay.com/debbt |
 |
|
|
levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9380 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9380 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2013 : 3:37:33 PM
|
There is a cookbook put out by Gooseberry Patch that we love. It is called 5 Ingredients or less. My daughter liked it so well that she asked for it for her bridal shower I think it was.
Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
|
|
|
Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
6631 Posts
Debbie L.
Oregon
USA
6631 Posts |
|
|
levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9380 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9380 Posts |
|
|
wildflower17
True Blue Farmgirl
3043 Posts
Judy
KY
USA
3043 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2013 : 4:31:33 PM
|
Rachel,
My best advice would be do an internet search when you have a little bit of time. There are lots of things you can make in the crockpot which can be put together and put on low before you leave for work. Unsure of what kind of foods you and your family like so that is why I suggested an internet search. Another great thing is your DH is home so it is very safe to leave your crock pot going all day.
Hugs!
Judy
"Blessed Beyond Measure"!!!
"Country Girl at Heart"... |
|
|
|
Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2013 : 07:54:46 AM
|
Rachel,
Does your honey grill? I often ask my husband to grill extra chicken or steaks and use the leftovers for salad, fajitas or wraps.
By His Grace, For His Glory
~Sharon
|
|
|
|
Emily Anna
True Blue Farmgirl
863 Posts
Emily
Fort Atkinson
WI
USA
863 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2013 : 08:56:27 AM
|
I like throwing chicken into a crock pot with italian seasoned tomatoes, green pepper, and onion. I serve it over rice.
And like sharon said.....you can saute some veggies to have on hand and when it comes to supper time. throw a tortilla on the george forman, put some veggies, cooked meat, and a little cheese, top it with another tortialla and make a quesidilla. It's amazing how throwing something like an ordinary sandwhich onto the grill can totally transform it. |
|
|
|
AlyssaMarie
True Blue Farmgirl
287 Posts
AlyssaMarie
Palouse
Washington
USA
287 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2013 : 1:28:51 PM
|
I have a cookbook called Fix It and Forget It. Its all crock pot recipes. I like it because it isn't complicated and has multiple versions of similar recipes... for those times you don't like one ingredient or don't have something on hand. I also have another cookbook that I've come to love called Don't Panic Dinners in the Freezer. It has you make up multiples of meals to stash away and then take out and use as you need. Lots have heat and serve options for when you need dinner fast.
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
|
|
|
|
Penny Wise
True Blue Farmgirl
1903 Posts
Margo
Elyria
OH
USA
1903 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2013 : 3:22:38 PM
|
i love the fix it and forget it cookbook!
a pull apart pork or beef in crock could give you sandwiches, tacos, etc.....
will your family eat leftovers/ i mean something prepared twice?
a big pot of chili or soup; something you can put over rice?
i have become the only cook at our house and some nites it is overwhelming after working all day!
Farmgirl # 2139
proud member of the Farmgirls of the Southwest Henhouse
~*~ counting my pennies; my dreams are adding up!~*~ |
|
|
|
Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2013 : 9:06:58 PM
|
| One thing I think really saves time is to buy hamb and brown it, drain it, and freeze it. I do this in zip locks and can pull out enough to make spaghetti, tacos, pizza, hamb casserole, and hamb. gravy with mashed potatoes. Baked potatoes with chili and cheese is another really easy meal of course, more for fall/winter time. How about fixing a meatloaf with potatoes sliced under the meatloaf. If you fixed it before you went to work, put it in the fridge. Have hubby put it in the oven at the right time, you could walk into the house and the majority of supper ready. Chef salad with all the veggies cut up and deli meat chopped with previously hard boiled eggs cooked would be easy. Bacon pre-cooked and have BLTs. My hubby eats peanut butter and bananas a lot for supper. May not be enough for you, but it is easy, good, and not much for dishes. |
|
|
|
CindyG
True Blue Farmgirl
293 Posts
Cindy
Fairfax
VA
USA
293 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2013 : 09:38:12 AM
|
We do almost the same thing Cozynana does with hamburger, but we do chicken thighs in the Crockpot. I cook two good-sized "value packs" at a time, which usually ends up to be 12-14. They go in with some water or chicken broth and very simple seasoning: salt, pepper, a chopped onion and whatever form of garlic is handiest. The thighs seem to do better - you know how breasts can sometimes get a pasty texture? The thighs don't do that but are juicy and very tender.
Once cooked and cooled, they get packaged and frozen in batches of whatever size you want/need for a dinner. Then the possibilities are endless with your dinner base of really wonderfully cooked chicken.
Because they are so plainly seasoned, you can transform them in to whatever you want. Some of our favorites are:
-shred or chop it up, cook it in taco/chili seasoning and then build taco salads with it
-make a casserole with Stovetop stuffing and serve with a crispy, cold salad
-bake it with bbq sauce and serve with coleslaw and fries
-shred or chop it, mix it in with whatever jar of international-cuisine goo, some veggies and serve over rice. (BTW how lazy am I - have you used those rice pouches that you microwave for 90 seconds? Love it!)
-serve as is with roasted squash or mashed potatoes and something green
-top with store-bought pesto, a few slices of roasted red pepper (also from a jar) and shredded mozzarella cheese - bake for 8-10 minutes until it is warm and the cheese is melted
Those are the really easy "go to" fast dishes for us. We eat so much chicken I think we're going to sprout pin feathers soon : ) |
|
|
|
AnnieinIdaho
True Blue Farmgirl
437 Posts
Annie
ID
USA
437 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2013 : 08:27:22 AM
|
This may work for you if you have one day you can set aside for two weeks of meals. I used to batch cook when I was in college. I went back as an adult so worked part time, went to classes part time and raised a school age daughter. DH was in the military but home in the evenings. I would spend one day cooking, making a stew on the cooktop, enchiladas in the oven, crockpot a going, etc. Then I would container everything and freeze it. In the morning I would put whatever was the dinner meal in the refrigerator to begin defrosting and then anyone who was home at the given hour would put it in the oven. When I was a young girl of 19 I had a sweet Hispanic woman who was my supervisor. She could tell I was one of those girls whose mom shooed her out of the kitchen, and she would come behind me and plug in her headset when I worked at Directory Assistance. I weighed 100 pounds and wasn't fed much growing up. She would tell me to close my station from calls and just chat a bit. She would give me easy recipes and I soon learned how to cook. She is the one who taught me about batch cooking. She told me how in her culture women would gather and do major cooking all in one day. Cooked rice lasts a long time in the refrigerator as well as shredded beef cooked ahead. Her nickname was Tensie and I now consider her as one of my earth mothers. Most more healthy meals are constructed very quickly. I also go for salads that have multiple ingredients such as canned beans, corn, olives, lettuce, and other veggies. Hard boiled eggs last too in the refrig and can be used to make egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, over toast. Breakfast for dinner is also an easy one. You can make up a batch of pancakes or waffles and freeze them and then pop them into the toaster. Egg casseroles feed a large family. I often have cooked up bacon and layered it between paper towels and but it in the fridge for a quick BLT sandwich. (in the old days when I could eat bread). Well sisters, best to you. Hope this helps out. Love, Annie
"The turnings of life seldom show a sign-post; or rather, though the sign is always there, it is usually placed some distance back, like the notices that give warning of a bad hill or a level railway-crossing." Edith Wharton, 1913 from 'The Custom of the Country'. |
|
|
|
RachelLeigh
True Blue Farmgirl
635 Posts
Rachel
Rainier
WA
USA
635 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2013 : 2:41:23 PM
|
ALL wonderful suggestions, ladies. Thank you SO much! I'm going to look up these cookbooks! I've tried batch-cooking before and it worked out well. Our biggest challenge is a small freezer and no additional deep freeze to put things in.
Anyway, I'm jotting down these ideas for future reference. I really appreciate it. You gals rock, as usual!!!
Farmgirl Sister #5159
My blogs: http://14thandoak.com & http://thehomefrontkitchen.com
My Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandmadeHomefront
|
|
|
|
hawkin_farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
Micah
Austin
Texas
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2013 : 10:52:48 AM
|
I am also a fan of one-pot dishes. It makes feeding the toddler easier. So I'll find a recipe that looks good. Usually some sort of meat type casserole. I'll make it as the recipe states and then dump in a bunch of sautéed veggies in it. For example, we really like this beef pot pie with cheddar biscuits on top, but all it called for was a beef and onion mix. So I added carrots, green peas, garlic, and diced red peppers. No side dishes needed and my toddler ate some veggies!
I do that with a chicken and rice bake, any type of spaghetti or noodle dishes, and whatever casserole thing that looks good. Makes clean up a breeze too when I cook it all in one pan. Which is awesome because I hate dishes!
*Micah*
Farmgirl Sister #1478
http://pinterest.com/miss_micahp/
http://misadventuresofamicah.tumblr.com/ |
|
|
|
Dirtduchess
True Blue Farmgirl
693 Posts
Patsy
Decatur
TX
USA
693 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2013 : 10:34:13 PM
|
Rachel,
This is a site that is going around on my FB page. The receipts sound so good. What you do is prepare crock pot ingredients, put them in a freezer bag and freeze. At night you decide what you want for supper the next night and put that bag in the refrigerator to thaw out. The next morning empty the bag into the crockpot. Supper should be done when you get home. The site is
http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/2013/06/8-easy-crock-pot-freezer-meals-make-dinnertime-easy.html
When the site comes up, you will see a message Not Found. Disregard the message.
Scroll way down and on the left you will see Top Posts and Pages.
There are two places that have wonderful receipts. The first one is 8 Easy Crock Pot Freezer Meals. The second site just below is 5 Crock Pot Freezer Meals.
I am retired but there are days that I know I will need one of these freezer crockpot bags. I am going to do some. Hope this helps you. I know several people that have and just love the cookbook
Fix it and forget it.
Patsy
Farmgirl 4678
Leave room in your garden for the fairies to dance. |
|
|
|
Dirtduchess
True Blue Farmgirl
693 Posts
Patsy
Decatur
TX
USA
693 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2013 : 10:36:36 PM
|
Well, I just clicked on the link and it worked.
Patsy
Farmgirl 4678
Leave room in your garden for the fairies to dance. |
|
|
|
Lanna
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lanna
A little town in Idaho
330 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2013 : 01:23:28 AM
|
Freezer meals!!! My favorite site is Once a Month Mom. They're doing some weird tweaking to the site, but I've gotten lovely recipes over the years from them (if you get on their email list, all the recipes will end up in your mailbox at some point from what I can tell - for free! I like free).
I homeschool four kids, and I'm in the brunt of canning season (and refuse to turn on the oven until it's in the low 50's at night to cool down afterwards). So, thanks to freezer cooking... The night before, I pull out some frozen muffins to thaw on the counter for them to start in on when they wake up (buys me another half hour of sleep), then we may have scrambled eggs or sausage or something as well. Lunch is usually leftovers or something simple (sandwiches, quesadillas). Dinner can be any number of casseroles thawed, crockpot meals, meat to grill out on the, well, grill...
Here's a post I did a while back with links to various recipes: http://angrymoosefarm.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/freezer-cooking/
Other breakfasts are homemade McMuffins (freeze in foil, thaw overnight, and toast in toaster until cheese is gooey), egg/ham cups/quiches, french toast sticks, waffles, pancakes, Butterhorns (homemade crescent rolls), Egg Toasties (our house version of Pioneer Woman's Muffin Melts - crustless bread is cheaper/less grain than English Muffins). Those all freeze/thaw/reheat well - especially since I've taught my kids how to use the toaster. 
Other dinners... I freeze chicken drumsticks in buttermilk/herb marinade so as they thaw they soak that yummy stuff up and we have fantastic fried chicken (or as my 5yo girl calls it, 'that bone chicken!'). Assembled Poor Boy sandwiches, garlic butter french bread, marinated beasts (pork chops, chicken, whatever) to grill or cook on the stove/oven. Chicken Louisianne - the ingredient list seems long, but I make like a dozen sauce packets at a time. The kids and hubby *love* it, and every other person I've gifted it to (when a friend has a baby/bad day/loses a family member, I'm the nutso one who drops off freezer meals) has loved it.
I'm also a fan of quick/easy pantry meals, I've gotten a bunch from The Prudent Homemaker (my kids *adore* the Alphabet Vegetable Soup, everybody loves the Minestrone, and everybody but my kids love the Lemon Poppyseed Muffins). Since I do a bunch of canning, I have all the stuff on hand to toss together - down to canned zucchini if I so feel.
*****************
Lanna, homeschooling mama to four little monkeys that still try to jump on the bed |
Edited by - Lanna on Aug 15 2013 01:43:09 AM |
|
|
|
Cissik
True Blue Farmgirl
579 Posts
Sylvia
Kent
WA
USA
579 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2013 : 3:47:26 PM
|
I absolutely love this cookbook. I enjoy it so much that I've given so many copies of this book to friends and family. It should really help you solve your problem of what to cook. It has so much variety.
quote:
Originally posted by AlyssaMarie
I have a cookbook called Fix It and Forget It. Its all crock pot recipes. I like it because it isn't complicated and has multiple versions of similar recipes... for those times you don't like one ingredient or don't have something on hand. I also have another cookbook that I've come to love called Don't Panic Dinners in the Freezer. It has you make up multiples of meals to stash away and then take out and use as you need. Lots have heat and serve options for when you need dinner fast.
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
Sylvia
Kent, WA
Farm Girl #5389
|
|
|
|
danyel
True Blue Farmgirl
350 Posts
Danyel
Robertsdale
PA
USA
350 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2013 : 6:24:28 PM
|
There is a magazine that is called, 30 minute meals or less ( often only a few ingredients, that you already have on hand). I have tried a lot of recipes from there and my family likes them. ( even the picky ..what is that? ..eaters)
A few of our favorites:
Baked Buttermilk chicken fingers with dipping sauce
Golden pork and noodles
Tuna stuffed twice baked potatoes
to name a few.
White chicken chili
Baked potato soup (made with left over baked potatoes)
if any sound good let me know I can type you the recipe
Danyel
Farmgirl sister 4202 |
|
|
|
Madinet85
True Blue Farmgirl
94 Posts
Elizabeth
Indiana
USA
94 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2013 : 11:53:24 AM
|
I'm with Lanna, I love Once a Month Mom. Their new website is www.onceamonthmeals.com I like to put things in the freezer so my husband can just pull them out and reheat them. I print out the instructions for each meal on a mailing label and put it right on the meal so there are no questions. The website has a lot of options outside of just your stereotypical cassaroles too. The have menus where you prep a bunch of crockpot meals a head of time, so you just dump it in the morning you want it. My husbands favorite are the dinners that I prep ahead that go on the grill. You do have to pay for the site if you want grocery lists, freezer labels, etc, but its worth it to me. My MIL and I share an account and split the bill, (we're naughty I know).
This method of cooking I think has saved my marriage many times. I'm the kind of person who gets really cranky when I'm hungry, so coming home to the DH asking what was for dinner, caused a lot of fights. Now he has everything ready when I get home and everything is golden.
Farmgirl Sister #4915 |
|
|
|
Lanna
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lanna
A little town in Idaho
330 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2013 : 1:49:36 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Madinet85
You do have to pay for the site if you want grocery lists, freezer labels, etc, but its worth it to me. My MIL and I share an account and split the bill, (we're naughty I know).
I, ahem, have friends that do a similar thing. One gal, all the moms in her neighborhood share the same account, they each make multiples of one or two dishes, then they get together and trade out with the others. I've been signed up for their email updates for so long, I've got a ton of the recipes in my inbox waiting for a rainy day. The Bourbon Molasses Chicken is freakin' awesome, my hubby adores it. :D
*****************
Lanna, homeschooling mama to four little monkeys that still try to jump on the bed |
|
|
| |
Farm Kitchen: I feel like I'm asking for the impossible... |
|
I feel like I'm asking for the impossible...
