How to Get Dinner on the Table … Even On the Crazy Days

Whether you’re dealing with a fussy newborn or a cranky toddler,  there are days when it can seem impossible to get dinner on the table.

Mama, meet your new best friend.

My slow cooker and I are in love.

Okay, maybe the feeling’s not mutual.  My slow cooker has never actually professed its feelings for me.

But at any rate, I am in love with my slow cooker.  In fact, I use it so often that my dear husband has been known to light up like the 4th of July over a humble grilled cheese sandwich, just because it didn’t come out of the slow cooker.

Yeah, I use it that much.

So mama, if your slow cooker is collecting dust in the back of your pantry, if it’s in the section of the basement dedicated to unused wedding gifts, or if you {gasp} don’t own one …

It’s time to bust it out and get your slow cook on.  This little guy will help you feed your family, even on the crazy days, without turning to frozen pizza or Burger King.  Not that I’ve ever done that.  {Ahem}

Here are just a few of the reasons I love my slow cooker:

• It’s forgiving.  If you’re tossing ingredients into the slow cooker and you have to step away to change a diaper, then soothe a boo-boo, then rescue a beloved fire truck that got stuck under the couch, no harm done.  The slow cooker will be there when you get back, and your meal will taste just as yummy.

• It’s easy.  Literally, anyone can cook with one.  Most recipes just require you to put ingredients into the pot and stir.
• It’s flexible.  Slow cooker meals leave a lot of wiggle room as far as when they’re “done” cooking.  So if your husband gets home from work late, the meal will still be hot and ready for him.  It’s not like it’s a chicken cordon bleu fresh from the oven that will be cold and rubbery if it’s not eaten immediately.
• It frees up your time.  I don’t know about you, but 4pm – 6pm is the most stressful time of day for me.  (There’s a reason they call it “the witching hour.”)  Little Man is cranky because he’s hungry and tired, my husband isn’t home yet, and I’m usually exhausted by then.  The last thing I want to be doing at that time is standing over the stove tending some high-maintenance dish.  On slow cooker days (which is just about every day, if we’re being honest), I just toss in all the ingredients in the morning and I can spend the rest of the day getting other stuff done.
• It saves money.  Slow cooking tenderizes even the toughest of meats, so you can get away with buying cheaper cuts of meat.
• It’s cool.  I don’t mean “cool” as in “hip” or “sexy,” although I suppose that point could be argued.    I mean it doesn’t generate a lot of heat.  I hate, hate, hate to be hot — which is why I eschew the stove from June to August and cook with my slow cooker all summer long.
• It’s versatile.  I’ve whipped up everything from pot roast to banana bread in my trusty o’le slow cooker.

The slow cooker works around your schedule, which is why it’s so great for busy stay-at-home moms.  Later this week, I’ll share a super-easy weekly meal plan that even the busiest mama can handle, with plenty of slow cooker recipes.  Stay tuned!

God bless,
Megan

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