Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot

Ok So I did find some time this evening to sit down and write a little about our meal and our evening. I made a whole chicken roaster and this was pretty simple to do and really I just used what I had in my house. The end result was a quickly prepared, no stress family dinner.

I don't know why I didn't use this device sooner. I would say I have always used onebut not as often I should have been.

I cut up some onions, garlic and potatoes. Very simple. Added some rosemary and seasoned my bird. I tossed it all into the crock pot at about 10:00 and dinner was ready to go by 5:30. It fell apart it was so tender. The potatoes were beyond fork tender and it was served with a salad and side of corn. My children, husband and myself were all happy with the results. The kids are big fans (as is my husband) of mixing everything together on their plate and eating it as one. Even our dog had some drippings that were left in the crock pot over her food tonight. Clean up is easy as well and I have enough chicken left over for tomorrows dinner... Chicken pot pie in a crock pot. My first attempt but I will be hoping for the best.

Tonight was a cold damp typical November night so I am glad we had a warm meal set to go for dinner.

We followed up the evening with the Elf CD and two books chosen by my oldest daughter. We absolutely enjoyed "The Princess and the Pea" by Lauren Child. It is full of character and great illustrations. I thought that the night ended well. Not everyday can go as planned and today we had a few curve balls thrown at us. Nothing awful but Olivia was tired and when she gets hungry she gets crabby, and my 13 month old Jax has a cold so it was a little hectic as the afternoon hours rolled in. I was left feeling a little frazzled. Once my oldest, Mackenzie came home the girls were hit or miss with each other for the evening. Putting on Elf so Olivia could dance and settling down with Mackenzie so she could read was a good way to put the stress of the day behind me. Plus with dinner practically cooking itself I had one less thing to worry about.

Back to the Blog

It hasn't been easy to blog. I admit I love to procrastinate. I love the idea of blogging and connecting with others, but I just have a hard time sticking it out. I love to share ideas of things that work for this SAHM with other parents who are looking for recipes, fun tips and gift ideas. I just need to try and find some time to stick with it and make a post even if its every other day or once a week. So I am once again going to give this blog a go and hope I can stick with a routine of writing and sharing.
I told my husband last night that I had this great idea of sharing a 365 day crock pot recipe planner. This idea came from the fact that the heating element in our oven broke, so while I am waiting on the new part to arrive and my husband to put it in I have been cooking from our crock pot, grill and stove. But I realized that maybe if I just focus on one day at a time and not get ahead of myself I can share one idea a night instead of worrying about 365 ideas to share with everyone right away.
I also thought that with the holidays fast approaching I can share some gift ideas as well that have worked well for us. I love the idea of having a few great quality items that will last for a few years. That's what I look for when completing our list. And not just gifts but craft ideas, recipes and gifts made from home to share with others. I love music as well for the kids especially around the holidays. We just purchased the soundtrack from the movie Elf and the kids love it. Yes I opened it today and no its not even Thanksgiving but who cares I say. Its fun music that they enjoy. So if they like it, then my ears can tolerate few extra weeks of Christmas music.

So tonight I will post my first entry of our crock pot dinner. I love my crock pot. I do wish that Santa would bring me a new one that is larger. My pot works great but its too small for this family of 5. I don't care if its found used or new out of the box I just need a larger one. Ok bringing it back to the blog. I figured it would be best to share the recipe once its finished and its been reviewed by all members of the family at the table including my 13 month old son. So I will set my task on the before and after of my whole chicken in the crock pot meal.

Baby Food Round 2

This is my basic carrot recipe. I peel all my fruits and vegetables before I cook them even though they are organic. I bring the water * you can also use stock for flavor* in the pot just to the carrots so they steam. Once they begin to boil turn the heat down. I wait until the carrots are fork tender and use this method for all my recipes. If you were in the first stages of introducing I would stop here. You can now puree your carrots to a smooth texture adding a little water from the pot as you need to. I have gone on however in picture 4. I added celery and peas.

I am making risotto minestrone for my son who is just about 9 months. You can make risotto or orzo or any tiny pasta you may have on hand. I puree the carrot, pea and celery mix and then add this to my pasta. I stir in spaghetti sauce, homemade or jar is fine. You can also use fresh tomatoes and add those in your puree. Like I mentioned before once you have the basics its really an open canvas.

Baby Food

I have decided to start my blog off with some recipes for baby food. I will be updating the recipes and adding over the coming months. I want to start off with some basics and a recipe that you can use in the first stages and add to it as your little one becomes older

A few things about homemade baby food first : I love to make baby food. I love the feeling of knowing that I put as much love into my son's food as do the other meals at our family table. I recommend everyone try it and if its not for you than its ok. If you get into a routine though it becomes easy. If you are a family where both parent work then trying to do your purees on a Sunday or your days off may make things much easier. Everything can be altered and experimented with. Baby food is an open canvas as your child gets older and is able to chew a little better.

Ok so materials. I will make this part very easy. I bought a food processor from an estate sale. This was very cheap and works like a dream. You don't need to buy anything if you already have it. A blender works good and even a small food processor will do just fine. If you need to buy something it doesn't need to be new or expensive. Check garage sales, estate sales and church sales. If you want to buy containers this is good too. I bought some on Amazon and only used them when my son was first starting. This way my portions were small and I could freeze everything. I still freeze my food when I make it in bulk, however I just use Tupperware at this point and when its time to serve we use measuring cups for portion control.

I like to buy apples and carrots in large quantities and pears as well. Carrots can be bought in bulk (organic) at a cheap price. Organic apples and pears are more expensive and its up to you if you want organic or not.

So lets get started I will break down a few recipes to start step by step with pictures. First is sauteed zucchini. This recipe is as simple as the two pictures as the top of the blog. My son loves this. I wish my two older ones loved it as much as he does. The way I prepare it is for older babies but this can also be put in your processor to puree. I peal and cut the zucchini, saute in a little olive oil. My olive oil is a 1-2-3 count. People like to use more or less this preference and doesn't need exact measurement. Saute until it fork tender and then transfer to plate, and add a little parmesan cheese. Its really good. You can also roast it with other vegetables in the oven.