One of my goals for 2011 was to stop considering cereal as typical and acceptable dinner fare. Â Sure, in a pinch, a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats is better than say…a wedge of cheese with a side of potato chips (not that I’ve done that), but still, I’m a believer that dinner should be hearty, flavorful, and nutritious. Â Shane and I have made great strides in our meal preparation this month, since it is indeed frugal month for us, and we cannot trade in our Cheerios for a yellow curry from our local Thai place, or burritos from our favorite taco stand. Â The crock pot we bought the day after Christmas has proved invaluable in helping us prepare simple, delicious, multiple-serving meals. Â Today I threw a whole mess of stuff into the crock pot, flipped it on, took care of a bunch of Sunday to-do’s, and come dinner-time, voila! Â Vegetable beef stew. Â Fabulous.
A couple of crock-pot tips and tricks, based on our limited experience:
– Â If you are crock-potting on a weekday and plan on your dinner cooking while you are at work, make sure the crock pot is actually on when you leave the house. Â Otherwise, you are due to come home to a pot of raw, devastatingly wasted pork loin. Â Lesson learned the hard way.
– Â I pulled ingredients from a few different stew recipes today, and threw in a couple of strips of orange zest on a whim. Â The subtle tang was a nice addition.
– Â Serve stews with a slice a crusty bread, and follow up with a piece of home-made carrot cake. Â Your spouse will adore you.