Ah the Holidays. It's not Silver Bells I hear that tell me it's Christmas. No it's the list of Christmas cards I haven't sent, the decorations still in boxes in the rooms where they should be gracing the walls, those random sweet Pinterest DIY gifts that eat at your soul each day they go unmade {they seemed like a good idea at the time}
Reality is the Holiday's can be hectic! It's not L.L. Bean plaid pajamas, sipping peppermint tea by the fire all season. There is a lot to do and we women can get eaten alive by it.
One of the hardest thing to do when things are busy is make a healthy, clever meal. Papa Murphy's Pizza just sounds so good when you're up to your elbows in tinsel and Christmas socials.
Here's one scrumptious recipe I found on a particularly busy day that saved my bacon and filled my family with healthy things!
Crock pots make my life much easier. Chuck a bunch of ingredients at it and the trusty little guy makes dinner for you! It's like Mrs. Patmore of Downton Abbey. You don't know how she works and dare not ask questions...just enjoy the food!
Seeing as how I'm feeding my very manly Father. A vegetarian meal was not going to suffice. Been down that road...it didn't end well. SOLUTION! I added a pound of our home grown natural ground beef. That bit of beef flavor made a world of difference in the happiness of the ones around my table.
I would suggest though...not being shortsighted like I was in one point in particular. Don't use chicken broth when you are adding beef. It didn't taste bad...but I feel like one meat flavor is enough.
Quinoa is tricky. Sometimes it's hard to cook fully and sometimes it's altogether the blandest bland food that ever was bland. I've only been cooking with it for a handful of months and some days are success and others...well...bland.
PS TIP
One tip I've learned when cooking quinoa is LEAVE THE LID ON! Don't peek at it over and over and let all the moisture and even pressure out. Let it be until the timer goes off and even then...let it rest off of the heat source for a few minutes.
Another tip is to not stir it with a spoon. Don't even bring a spoon to the quinoa party! Fluff it with a fork. Now this is tricky if you use non-stick cookware and don't want to scratch the coating...I understand completely...but there are wooden forks out there that can save the quinoa from a spoon inflicted demise.
Aaand here we are all crock pot ready and 6 hours before supper. What a relief on the brain, knowing dinner is taken care of. One less thing to stress about.
I would encourage you {and myself} to take time to enjoy the season. That sounds so cliche but really...make some tea...put on something plaid and listen to a Christmas album and ENJOY the fruits of your hard work and endless lists!