The month I stopped cooking
Posted on: November 1, 2009
- In: Life
- 12 Comments
November is a big month for our family.
Julia turns 2.
Two of my best friends from college are coming to visit.
We are spending Thanksgiving in Tennessee; it will be the first time in 10 years the whole family has been together.
And, of course, I’ve decided to give up cooking.
Well, not entirely.
I might, on occasion, brown some meat.
Or boil water.
But for the most part, I will not be cooking.
My crockpot will.
In the “eating healthy on a budget” world, I have stumbled across this site numerous times. I’ve read about it, heard about it and even talked about it, but never given it much thought. Until this past month.
I love to cook.
I love to bake.
I love pretty much anything revolving around the kitchen and food.
But it’s gotten harder and harder to incorporate Julia and Hannah into my dinnertime cooking. I want Julia to “help” as much as she’s able, but 4:30-5 seems to be Hannah’s fussiest time of the day (she’s phasing out her last nap). Which means, I find myself a tad stressed with a little helper, a cry-baby and the clock ticking. So, I resolved to make things easier.
Starting tomorrow (or for most of my readers, today), I am making crockpot meals every week day for the month of November*. This will allow me to have Julia help me with dinner in the mornings, free myself up to have more time in the late afternoon to focus on both girls, while still providing nutritious meals for the family.
It’s a win-win.
Here is our meal schedule for the month (most of these recipes are from Crockpot 365, but a few are ones I already had):
Pumpkin Soup
Pasta Fagioli
Maple Dijon Chicken
Harvest Stew
Turkey and wild rice soup
Peppercorn steak
Potato Soup
Sloppy Joes
Salsa chicken and black bean soup
End of summer harvest soup
Philly cheesesteak soup
Chicken makhani Indian butter
Autumn sausage casserole
Chicken and sweet potato stew
Pumpkin black bean soup
*I currently have planned to have leftovers for the weekends, but I’m sure I will end up cooking at some point over the next month. Unless I can convince Jonathan on those times….
12 Responses to "The month I stopped cooking"
November 2, 2009 at 10:52 am
Andrea, it’s http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
I’ve been doing monthly menus for about 18 months now. It’s pretty awesome, because I can plan for deals and such. Plus, I always got tired never knowing what to make for dinner, throwing out leftovers, etc. Now I don’t have that problem as much. 🙂
November 2, 2009 at 1:19 pm
OH MY WORD! You made my day!!! I have a hard time wanting to cook with two children AND working 50 hrs per week! I found the blog about Crockpot 365, and I’m going to plan my month TONIGHT! Thanks so much for the tip!!!!!
November 3, 2009 at 12:12 am
I’m making two of these recipes this week, thanks so much for sharing! If you get a chance it’d be great to see a monthly menu….. (or something like this week) I am doing weekly menus now but getting stuck on the same ole same ole and would love to save money and shop better too. Thanks again for sharing!
November 3, 2009 at 9:57 am
Katie – with the exception of a little rearrangement, the list above is my menu day by day this month. Before No Cook November, here’s a weekly sample of my menu (Monday-Friday)
– Turkey tenderloin with potatoes and veggies
– Tex Mex lasagna
– Turkey salad (using leftover turkey from Monday)
– Spaghetti (using leftover ground beef from Tuesday)
– Bean and cheese tacos (a staple for my family!!)
I try to always cook a little more to use for later in the week. Helps cut down on my kitchen time. B&C tacos are always a dinner choice around here. Quick, easy and very yummy (especially if I’ve made the tortillas). We do them at least once a week for dinner and several mornings for breakfast.
November 3, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Thanks! I didn’t realize that was enough items for a month (because I didn’t count or read the part about leftover weekends). Okay okay one more question: where do you get ideas?
November 3, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Katie – I have only 15 recipes listed, since I’m doing No Cook November only M-F and will be gone most of Thanksgiving week and have planned to eat out 2 Fridays this month.
Where do I get my ideas? Good question. I’ll write up a new blog cause it’d be a long post. 😉
November 3, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Nice, Sarah! I’ve rediscovered my appreciation for the crockpot since I’ve started my new job! I’ve never planned my menus a month ahead before–I usually do it weekly (or more recently, 3 days a week…), but maybe I’ll try it out.
November 3, 2009 at 8:48 pm
PS-I bought the Crockpot 365 cookbook since I loved the blog so much. Have you guys eaten End of Summer Harvest Soup yet? It’s my fave!
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November 2, 2009 at 10:42 am
What is the site name where I can get the recipes? That looks great!! I am impressed you plan a whole month at a time! Wow!