The Trials of Parenthood: Feeding People

Generally, I like to cook.  I like to bake and I like to find new recipes.  However, since acquiring two kids, I find that this can be a very difficult process.

First, I have the food issues to deal with: the dislikes, the allergies and the lack of adventure to try new things. 

Next, I have to lack of time to prepare.  Many nights we have about an hour to cook and eat something before heading off to the next event.  I asked for a crockpot for Christmas and am finding it is a great thing - if I plan ahead.

Finally, I have the problem that the kids like the same things over and over again (one eats chicken nuggets as her only choice at any restaurant we go to), while I like a variety of things.  I'm fine with just fruit one meal and just veggies at another.  Tacos then spaghetti.  Cereal and grilled cheese.  But the girls like a steady diet of spaghetti, peanut butter and chicken nuggets.

At least I have found a great crockpot lasagna recipe that everyone likes and is willing to eat every couple weeks.  As long as I don't use anything too spicy!

Beans & Rice

A blog I read suggested eating more beans and rice.  Her reason was that it was easy to make in a crockpot and rice cooker and, more importantly, all of her children would eat it.

There is also a movement to eat more beans and rice as a way to identify and support countries where the meal is a staple.  The meal is cheap, easy to make and relatively healthy as a vegetarian dish with protein.

And the variations are endless. Add a few spices, and it tastes one way; add some others and it is favored another way.

I decided to try it today, so I made my first batch of black beans (with a bay leaf, onion and garlic salt) and brown rice.  As it was my first use of the rice cooker, I had a slight malfunction.  But by the time to eat, I had everything done.  It had a good favor, and was fairly filling.

I cooked the beans in the crockpot overnight on low and the rice was cooked this morning.  I'm excited to see what I can do with the leftovers - Mexican dishes, cha-cha gohan, and other delicacies.

Slow Cooking

For Christmas, I received a Nesco roaster oven, which is like a crockpot, but has degree settings. Today was the first day I had good weather and time to "smoke" out the pot. So, I set it out on my stoop and let it cook for one hour. The directions indicated this would get rid of some of the smoke from the first cooking.

As the grocery store had a special on pork, I bought several pounds. After seasoning the pot, I started cooking the pork, beginning with the pork chops.

Once the chops were seasoned with onion soup, the house filled with a wonderful odor! Next, I cooked ribs with BBQ sauce. Finishing with a pork roast, I finally got done with the extra pork.

After the meat was cooked, I packaged it to freeze.