A Slow-Cooker is a Mom's Best Friend

Forget diamonds, a Slow-Cooker is a Mom’s best friend. We were beyond fortunate in Aberdeen that friends (and strangers in the ex-pat community) graciously volunteered to deliver meals to us until Forest was 2 months old. But after 2 months, the meals dried up and I was left struggling to put food on the table while also taking care of a quite demanding newborn. 

At first, it felt like an insurmountable task, but slowly I’ve been able to get back into the groove of providing a somewhat edible dinner each evening. The key is the slow-cooker, my friends. Forest is a pretty good morning-napper which is perfect for getting a meal started. I usually just prepare the ingredients, toss them in, and then by 6 pm we have ourselves a home-cooked meal. 

Honestly, if you are an expectant mom and you don’t have one of these, put it on your baby registry. It’s just as important as a diaper genie or jumperoo, I promise. The things is, with babies, you usually do have time to cook a meal---it just may not be at 5 pm. The beauty of a slow cooker is that you can start it at a time that is convenient for you and either set it on high or low depending on when dinnertime is. If you’re a working mom, even better! Slow-cookers are the unsung heroes of modern parenthood. The wind beneath our weary wings. 

I have a few go-to recipes that are in our monthly rotation, but I’m always looking to switch things up. Here are just a few of my favorites in case you’re having a mental block for what to make for dinner this week: 

Red Beans and Rice

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos 

Quinoa Chili

This week, I attempted my first pot roast dish in the Crock-Pot using this recipe. 

SOURCE

I served it with fluffy mashed potatoes, which was perfect since it doubled as a baby-friendly food. 

Mashed Potatoes: Baby Approved!

The meal was a hit with my meat and potatoes loving hubby and I'll surely be making it again.  Yum yum! 

And below you will find seriously the easiest recipe for pulled chicken ever. Are you ready for this?

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken breasts

1 bottle of BBQ Sauce

1 small onion diced (I buy pre-diced onions in the frozen food section to make this even easier)

Directions: Throw all the ingredients in together and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8. Remove chicken, shred it, and then fold it back into the sauce. Serve it on a hamburger bun with whatever fixings you want. Goes great with mac and cheese, which is also a baby-friendly food. (I am either the worst or the best mom ever.)

Forest thinks I'm the best mom!

Please, if you have any delicious crock-pot ideas, feel free to pass them along! 

Next week we are off on our first post-baby vacation so I may not be posting much. I'm make sure to tell you all about it when we get back though! Have a great weekend and a happy Father's Day!