Where's the Beef?

What I’m listening to this week: 

Main meat meal: To start this week, I threw onions and squash in the bottom of a crock pot, and put about five pounds of beef on top of them.  I loosely based the recipe on this one .  It was a little bland, but I forgot to add the salt, so that's on me. I served it with lefse on the side, because it was on sale.

Day 2: I made rice and steamed broccoli.  To top the rice, I made roux with 4 T butter and the beef fat I skimmed from the leftovers, mixed with a heaping quarter cup of flour.  I added two cups of drippings and a cup of beef broth.  I then threw in a bunch of the leftover beef.  I let it all simmer together and served it over rice.  It was great!  Exceeded expectations.  

Day 3: Quesadillas in the car.

Day 4: I mixed a can of refried beans with salsa and shredded beef and spread those on the last lefse and sprinkled cheese on top. This would also be good with tortillas. 

Day 5: Not my circus

Day 6: Weekend rush

Day 7: leftovers

Fun with Fowls

My sister found this one during our mid-week commute:

Main meat meal: This week I started with a whole chicken from my freezer.  I have less experience with whole chicken, but we made it work.

Monday: I put in the bottom of the crockpot: onions, celery, carrots and potatoes.  I put the chicken on top of that, rubbed the skin with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and paper and let it cook on low all day.  For dinner, I put the vegetables in a bowl with the some chicken for everyone.  My 9yo remarked, "Oh good!  I like it when we have meat and vegetable meals!"  I know.  I was surprised, too. 

Day 2: I used this recipe and made some CSA green beans on the side.  It was a big hit.  Very few leftovers. 

Day 3: We eat in the car on this day because of crazy commuting, so there were quesadillas with the option of burrito filling inside.

Day 4: Picnic day with Daddy.  I sauteed peppers and onions and added some leftover chicken.  I put these on buns, added a little tomato sauce to the top, and sprinkled shredded cheese overall.  I broiled them till the cheese melted and made sandwiches, with sliced peppers and sliced cucumbers on the side. 

Day 5: Not my circus.  Daddy brings home dinner. I am using the last bones of the chicken to make soup, though, to fend off a cold.

Day 6: Weekend rush: Where we will polish off leftovers. 

Day 7: We'll know when we get there.

So, life has been crazy, as it often is.

I'm getting back into the swing of writing again and I have this great new system.

I love the convenience of the crock pot, but I can't seem to gauge leftovers well.

I love the idea of pre-cooked meat that cooks up quickly with vegetables, but that stuff is expensive!

I love the freezer-to-crockpot method, but I can't always hit on recipes that please the carousel of picky kid eaters.

So, I have my own system: I get meat cheap on sale and freeze big portions.
Then at the beginning of the week, I cook a lot of meat.  The first day, everyone gets a lot of protein and whatever vegetables I managed to sneak into the crock.  The second day, I start getting creative with leftovers and use what I can on the days that are left.

It gives me a great deal of flexibility and the ability to work in my CSA (community supported agriculture) box each week.

So, cheers and enjoy!

Also, I'm going to throw a song I like at the heading of each week, because music lifts me up. <3

What I'm Listening to This Week:

Main meat meal: Teriyaki Chicken in crock pot (onions, garlic, squash, carrots in bottom of crock, 5 pounds of chicken breast, top all with a can of pineapple chunks and a cup of terikyaki sauce. Cook all day)

Day 2: stir fry with more veggies and leftover chicken.

Day 3: Quesadillas with chicken.

With Labor Day weekend and an unexpected rush on Thursday, this was a somewhat abbreviated week, but you get the idea. :-)