Hello Dear Reader,
I thought I would share my mornings and how I make time to get the supper prepared before I leave for work. To start, we get up at 5.30 as we leave for work at 7 am. That leaves me an hour and a half which is plenty of time to get the house, our breakfast, lunches and supper ready before I go to work.
Dearly Beloved gets in the shower first and I go down stairs and make myself a slice of toast and a cup to tea. Whilst the kettle is boiling, I unload the dishwasher and put the contents in the respective cupboards. I get supper ready whilst padding about in slippers and pyjamas. Our simple food is really quick to do and took less than five minutes to get ready.
Lamb Hot pot.
1 pack of frozen lamb chump chops - taken from where the rump meets the loin(I left it to defrost over night on a plate on the draining board)
1 onion sliced
4 carrots - peeled and sliced
half a swede, or turnip if you have it - chopped into cubes.
5 potatoes, washed and sliced - no need to peel.
1 pint of stock.
Sprinkle of rosemary
Place the meat, onions, carrots and swede into the crock pot, cover with stock and layer the potatoes on top.
Switch on low and go to work. I like the way the potatoes and vegetables soak up the flavour of the meat, I like that homely stewiness. I like the way the meat just falls off the bone and that I could have eaten my supper with a spoon had I chosen. I like the way a crock pot makes very humble food tasty.
When I got home, I carefully lifted the potatoes out and set them aside on a plate. You can see some of them broke but they still tasted as good. Then I lifted out all of the bones and put them to one side. I added some instant gravy powder and then added the potatoes back again.
It's a very simple supper and to be honest a my crock pot is just what every working person needs so there's a hot meal waiting for them when they get home. It's like walking through the door and your mum having dinner on the table within ten minutes.
Back to my morning. Dearly Beloved will come down stairs and then take the dogs out for a walk. I will go and shower and get ready. We only have five minute showers so none of this takes long. I don't have lunches to get ready as we eat a smaller portion of the meal we had the night before in a lunch box and heat it up at our respective places of work.
We always have time for some housework in the morning, on a rota I clean the bathroom, or vacuum down stairs or upstairs, in the summer months we hang washing on the line. It's pretty easy for us as we live in a tiny house and a minuscule amount of work keeps the place clean and tidy.
So, that's our day. We leave for work at seven in the morning and get home at six in the evening. A crock pot is a real help for long commutes and a long working day.
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxx
Hi Froogs, thanks for the explanation! I am still in awe of your organisational skills! I take ages to get myself ready in the morning and don't achieve half what you do. Luckily I'm not normally out at work for so long! xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing I will be making this soon, I am determined to use the slow cooker more.
ReplyDeleteI love things cooked in the slow cooker and I would definitely eat this recipe - looks delicious. the problem is my other half is the fussiest, most boring eater in the whole world, totally unwilling to try anything new and I haven't got time to cook two separate meals. Chicken nuggets again tonight!
ReplyDeleteHillary, don't begrudge yourself the food you enjoy just because hubby's taste buds are fussy about what gets past them! This is such an easy recipe taking only a few minutes to prepare either in the morning or the night before - come supper time of course you'll still have to cook something boring for hubby but YOUR supper will be already cooked - and there'll be plenty left over for another meal. - (Footnote; this goes down really well with some fresh crusty bread and a nice of glass of wine...)
DeleteI miss my mums dogs, we both work full time. How do you manage it when you have three? Does someone let them out? We would love a dog but just can't. Xxx
ReplyDeletePlain and simple organisation!
ReplyDeleteFroogs, I could have easily written that very post, pushing the time clock back to 5 a.m. when I rise, and 6:30 when I leave for work. The Crockpot is certainly a working person's friend!
ReplyDeleteMy new love is baked potatoes in the crockpot. Just wash and put on low for 8 or so hours. No need to even prick them. They are delicious. For an easy dinner I can serve them with chili, cheesey vegetables or just grill something quick. I always fill the pot so I can have leftovers or home fries another day.
ReplyDeleteLove this. Great idea, thank you!
DeleteI work three days per week so I bulk cook 3 meals and put them in the fridge. No messing when I get home - I have two little ones to sort out so I like to just warm something through. This week I made - cauliflower curry, pork meatballs with red pepper and onion sauce and a oxtail stew. 2 dishes were made in the slow cooker. Looking forward to your posts on this!
ReplyDeleteOur slow cooker is a godsend at this time of year. Nothing better than walking home from the train station cold and wet, to a nice warming meal that only needs to be dished up! I have just put a lamb casserole in ours ready for tonight. It's not fancy but it's bloody tasty and hits the spot on chilly autumn nights.
ReplyDeleteI love my slow cooker and love lamb hot pot, lamb can be quite expensive but it is so worth it, I love the sliced potatoes on the top especially the crispy bits,great post x Dawn
ReplyDeleteI love Crock Pot recipes that don't require any advance preparation, such as browning the meat or sauteeing the onions, and you just throw in the ingredients and let 'er rip. Any recipes you have like this, including the one above, will be much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I realized my chicken cacciatore recipe was basically marinara sauce with added onions and oregano--so now, when I'm in a hurry, I just pour canned spaghetti sauce, a few extra onions and a sprinkle of oregano over the chicken. Couldn't be easier! (My marinara comes in a can, although it typically comes in jars. Mine is cheaper).
We've discovered foil wrapped potatoes and dinners in the crockpot for individualized (picky) eaters.
ReplyDeleteWow, you are so organised! xx
ReplyDeleteI will make several crockpot meals and place in gallon freezer bags and freeze in a shape that I know will fit the pot. An example might be chicken thighs, largely cubed potatoes, onion & peppers and some BBQ sauce. I grab one in the morning and remove from the bag and plop the frozen food in the crockpot and it is ready when I get home. I start it on high and since hubby is home during the days he will check and turn down if necessary. Some people have expressed their concern about it thawing and cooking but I have never had a problem and I most often cook poultry or pork.
ReplyDelete