"EEK! Next week doesn't look much better!"
I told Brett last week that I seriously needed to get a handle on our daily schedule as I felt the waters closing in. And then I turned around filled everyday this week with "important stuff". Blurg.
But it's not all a loss. I did carve out time this week to ...
~ get laundry done twice (so much better than the one time last week which resulted in six loads!)
~ play a cut-throat game of Sequence with Ashley (she's quite the card shark)
~ spend time reading my Bible (first I had to dust it off ... hence to drowning sensation of last week)
~ walk the kids to school and back almost daily (great for the mornings I opted to sleep through my workout)
~ take a trip to the park with the baby girls (no agenda, just playing and eating)
~ hose down the 3,472 cobwebs from the front porch (shudder ... I still feel a little itchy and buggy)
~ paint my toes (at least some part of me feels fancy)
~ browse my foodie magazines, choose and prepare several yummy meals this week (but not one picture has been dumped from my camera and my schedule doesn't allow for much creativity in writing).
So ... this week I dug through the archives and found a fall post from last year to share with you.
With the crisp cool weather, maybe one of these recipes would warm up your home ... and your bellies!
Slow Cooker Lasagna
(from "Taste Of Home ~ The New Slow Cooker")
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 8 oz package no-cook lasagna noodles
2 cups mozzerella, shredded
12 oz cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
In a large pot brown the beef with the onion and garlic. Add the sauce, water, paste and oregano and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses and egg. Mix well. Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce in the crock-pot. Arrange a few noodles over the meat - break them if necessary to make a complete layer. Spoon 1/3 of the cheese on the noodles. Then meat, noodles, cheese, meat, noodles, cheese, meat.
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meat layer
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cheese & noodle layer
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Put the cover on and cook on low for 4-5 hours until the noodles are tender. Yum!
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The kids scarfed this meal down!
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Five Can Chili
(from yours truly!)
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cumin
Ground Red Chili Pepper
Basil
1 can each of pinto, kidney, dark kidney and chili beans
1 28 oz diced tomatoes
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Doesn't get much easier!
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Brown the beef in a skillet with the garlic. Season to taste with cumin and chili pepper. Transfer to crock-pot. In a colander, drain and rinse all the beans except for the chili beans. Dump all the beans into the crock-pot. Drain the tomatoes of some of their juices and transfer them to the crock pot. Add a few shakes of basil and stir. I let this sit on low for 5-6 hours. We serve our chili with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese and, for the adults, some fresh chopped onion.
(We'll be having this chili for dinner on Sunday ... a no-cook, homemade meal!)
Slow Cooker Enchiladas
(from "Taste Of Home ~ The New Slow Cooker")
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cheddar, shredded
6 flour tortillas
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beginning layers
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In a pot, cook beef, onion and green pepper until no longer pink. Add everything else except the cheese and tortillas - mix well. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Spray the crock-pot with a little cooking spray before starting the layers. Begin with about 1 cup of the beef mixture, followed by one tortilla and 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers until your run out! Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours. We topped our with a bit of sour cream. Delish!
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Ole!
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Pork Carnitas
(from "Dinner Doctor")
Ingredients:
3 lb pork roast
1 small onion, chopped coarsely
1 4 ox can chopped green chilies
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup water
3-4 green onions, chopped
Burrito makings: tortillas, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, salsa, etc.
Place the roast in the crock-pot and toss in the onions and green chilies. Pour the taco season packet on top and pour the water over everything. Put the lid on and walk away! Warning: about two hours into this cooking, your house will be filled with the most delicious aroma. You will spend the day salivating!
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Simmered to perfection!
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About 30 minutes before dinner, take the roast out and place it carefully on a plate. With two forks, pull the roast apart. You are wanting to have shredded pork when you are finished. Transfer the meat back to the crock-pot and stir all the meat, onions and chilies back together. At this point, I like to toss in the green onions for some extra color and a fresh flavor. All that's left is to serve it up! We wrap our carnitas up in tortillas and top them with any of the above toppings. I also like to serve the meat mixture on top of rice and serve in in a bowl with a side of chips. So very wonderful and easy!
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Ready to roll and eat.
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I hope that you will enjoy a few comfort meals this Fall ... and if you use a crock-pot, you can be outside enjoying the changing of the seasons, instead of in your kitchen!
I want to make that lasagna, but not sure how to do a portion for my dairy- free girl!
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