This time of year, I always think Green Day had it right. I wish someone would just “wake me up when September ends.” All of the back-to-school hubbub, youth sports seasons kicking off, thinking about the holidays… do the kid’s winter clothes still fit in case we get a chilly day? Do they still want to be the Halloween costume they picked out two weeks ago? It can be so overwhelming!
Add that to having to constantly feed your family, and it’s enough to make you want to drown your sorrows in a pumpkin spice latte. (Oh, shoot! Don’t forget to take the kids to the pumpkin patch before all the good ones are gone!)
We have sports or after-school activities almost every weeknight (and most mornings, too). For my sanity, I like to make dinner as simple as humanly possible. This is the time of year when I begin to party like a crockstar. You heard me right, it’s time to pull out that good ol’ Crockpot.
Go ahead. Crock, I mean crack your jokes. I know Crockpots are old school. Blame it all on my roots — my mom uses one, my Grammy used one. It’s pretty much how I first learned to cook. From a young age, I vividly remember my mom pulling out her Crock in her full work attire and pumps, and at 6 a.m. she’d already have dinner planned. I didn’t so much appreciate or understand it then, but now walking in her shoes, I.GET.IT.
There is no shame in the Crockpot game. My sister-in-law admitted at first she felt bad just throwing some meat and veggies in there when she was in need of a lazy night. My rebuttal was that she and her husband work crazy, inconsistent hours, and they have two babies under age 2. So long as everyone is happy and fed, who cares if you broke your back over a hot stove all day or threw it in the Crock before you left for work? Coming home to a wholesome, home-cooked meal that requires little to no effort is its own special kind of stress-relieving dopamine. Additionally, it saves the post-practice struggle of, “Mooooom! What’s for dinner?” and keeps you out of the drive-through line (which is ridiculously expensive these days!).
And there are so many things you can make aside from boring old pot roast (although my mom’s is out of this world!). Some of my specialties are stroganoff (recipe in the reel below!), braised beef short ribs, chili, chicken and dumplings, and spaghetti. I actually frequently have to pull out Crock no. 2 because those are whole family fan favorites, and I am requested to make extra batches to share with grandparents and siblings. You can literally make anything in a Crockpot — breakfast, game day appetizers, soup, desserts — I feel like half of Pinterest is full of slow cooker recipes if you have time to go down that rabbit hole. Especially cozy fall favorites.
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It’s just so satisfying to be able to start something in the morning and literally not think about it again until it’s time to eat. It’s one thing I can actually have total control over this time of year without worrying. Just set it, and forget it.
So, if you’re stewing on a way to make your life significantly easier during this busy fall season, don’t be slow to take out that cooker. As for me and my curly-haired gingers, it’s a Crockpot life for us.
*Just please, for the love of Jack, remember to unplug it when you’re done.*
