Sitting ominously on the counter I saw my means to an end. I had to feed my family. But what to make? My mind was blank. Quietly sitting there was 2 lbs of ground Angus beef. The clock was ticking and nothing was coming to mind. It seems I had become bored with all the usual suspects. Spaghetti, nope...sloppy joes, nope....meatloaf, nope....hamburgers, nope....
Having nothing in mind, I plopped the meat into the dutch oven and started searing it. Dumped some spices in then put the cover on. Wandering about, I opened the pantry door. There staring back at me was a very large can of baked beans. Closing the door, I couldn't bring myself to put baked beans in with the meat....or could I??? Opening the pantry door, in somewhat disgust with myself, I grabbed the beans. What to eat with it? Bread. I know, pathetic, isn't it? However, I must say, yesterday was Wednesday. And the person dropping off the boy I babysit after school was late at the drop off site. So we got home 15 min later than usual. Why is Wed such a big deal in the equation in all of this? We have Midweek church service on Wed nights. We leave for church by 6:45 which means we have to have all schoolwork and piano practicing done, be cleaned up, dressed and presentable then fed before we leave. That 15 min is priceless on a Wed night! I usually try to do an "easy" meal on Wed nights b/c of those things. However this Wed night, I wasn't very prepared. So After I added the beans, I thought "What am I doing? I just ruined all this meat." I grabbed some barbecue sauce, garlic, mustard and ketchup then added the appropriate amounts to taste. What came of it was a tomato-less chili. I toasted the bread and scooped a spoonful on top...My husbands had a piece of melted cheese on the toast. I sheepishly handed each plate to each person, thoroughly embarrassed by decision to make such an atrocity. Before I knew it, I heard hmmm...then a mmmm....everybody liked it!! Go figure!
I hear ya on the Wed night thing!!! I have to pick the kids up myself so by the time I get home it is almost 4 and we need to leave the house by 6pm the latest. So homework and chores and showers are a mad dash every wed. (i am usually out exercising and running errands for hubby all day so shower time is after I get the kids from school) Crazy busy!! This is when the crockpot comes in handy. I usually like to have a 2 crockpot meals sched. every week. One for Sunday and one for Wed. That way the fam gets a good hearty meal on both days and I never had to panic and do much. It's a great invention!!
ReplyDeleteOne thing about a croc pot, you have to plan ahead! AKA: being organized, yadayadayadda...which is a very good thing to be when you have to juggle so many things! My croc-pot broke recently, I dropped the cover while checking on a roast beef...glass went into the meal and chipped the pot! I haven't replaced mine yet....sigh...oh well.
ReplyDeleteBummer about the crock pot. :D Ya, sometimes you have to plana head but there were days I just grabbed a bunch of frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer and dumped a bunch of veggies, spices and canned soups into the pot and turned it on. It can be a pretty easy and versitle thing when you are rushed. :D
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