A week of slow cooking // Non-mushy recipes

Hi friends! Danielle here.

Let's talk slow-cooking.

Mushy. Bland. Boring. 

These are words I do not want to use when describing what I've made in the slow cooker.

And yet, I've made a few recipes that were just that. Was it my fault? I don't know, but I honestly just think that there are a lot of slow cooker recipes that turn into what I'd call slow-cooker-sameness. You may have made a few recipes like that, too! Hey, it happens to all of us.

I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way! There are slow cooker recipes that are actually delicious and - dare I say - fresh!

It honestly just takes a little trial and error.

A couple weeks ago, I chose a few recipes that looked interesting, and I'm happy to say, they're all worth posting! Each recipe did require a bit of prep (browning meat, sautéing onions, etc.), so keep that in mind when you're planning your recipes.

Recipe 1: Real Simple's Slow Cooker Pork-Stuffed Cabbage.

Not only did I like the flavors in this recipe, I also loved the texture of the cabbage - it softens, naturally, but sill maintains some firmness.

Recipe 2: Cooking Classy's Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love a good broccoli cheese soup, and this one is great! It's also great for leftovers (I actually froze quite a large portion to enjoy on a rainy day).

Recipe 3: Neighborfood's Slow Cooker Beef Brisket French Dip Sandwiches

I saved the best for last, y'all! 

These little sandwiches (as seen at the top of this post) were excellent! It was requested that next time, I double the recipe so that we have leftovers!

One thing I might try to do differently next time is to thicken the au jus a bit. It had a nice flavor, but I think it could've benefitted from a little stove top reduction (and possibly a bit of added cornstarch).

Also, this would be a great one to freeze individually so that you could grab a couple for a quick (and delicious!) lunch.

Enjoy! XO

Meal Planning // The "Before"

Today, let's talk about meal planning.

Here's what I'll do:

First I'll tell you how I believe I SHOULD meal plan. 

Then I'll tell you how it actually goes down.

See, I'm not perfect. 

Actually, I am in awe of people who meal plan. The name itself implies such a high level of organization and got-it-together-ness!

It's almost you can look at some women and think, "Oh, I bet she meal-plans! Maybe even for the entire month!" So jealous.

All kidding aside, there are a few things I know:

1) Meal Planning means something different to everyone, as we all have our own family size, schedule and other considerations.

2) It takes a little trial and error to finally craft that Meal Planning system that works for each of us. (Hence the title of the post - I'm still in this trial-and-error phase).

Currently, my very loose meal planning system looks something like this (or this is how it SHOULD look):

• My current work schedule allows for Fridays and Saturdays off, so I generally do most of my planning and shopping then. Throughout the week, I'll scour my sources* for recipes I'd like to try, and then finish up my recipe round-up by Friday-ish. I love to keep in mind what I already have on hand, as well, so that I can use what I have as much as possible (I hate wasting food!). One of the hardest things for me is finding recipes that all three of us will enjoy, as my husband "needs" meat and my toddler doesn't want anything "gross / weird / dirty / etc." Le sigh.
• Anyway, after I find the recipes I'd like to try (I usually find at least 2 or 3, which leaves room for a couple days of making quick quesadillas or pasta tossed with olive oil and a simple spinach salad. It also leaves room for a little spontaneity so that we can hit up fun new restaurants at least a couple times a month.), I jot down my list and check gather money from our "groceries" fund so that I'm ready for the store. The list I use isn't extremely practical, but it's cute. If you like it too, you can find it at Urban Outfitters. They have all sorts of things you don't need but like the looks of.

•  And then, it's off to the grocery store. In a perfect world, I guess I could plan the meals on Friday, and then shop on Saturday, but it usually all falls on Friday. Oh well - that's subject to change, I suppose.
• I should probably mention here, that the photos below are from my first venture to ALDI. Have y'all been? I had read some blog posts recently about the bloggers' love for the place, so I figured I'd check it out. I mean, it's owned by the same folks as Trader Joe's, so why not?

• My opinion was that it was awesome. Well, mostly awesome. You see, there is very little choice at ALDI, so you are kinda stuck with one brand (theirs) for each item. Which is good and bad, I suppose, as some things are great. I mean, they have many organic products even, so I was pleasantly surprised to be buying my organic salad mix and organic grass-fed beef at unbeatable prices. But when you're shopping to buy ingredients for a recipe that calls for basil, yet the only fresh herb they have is cilantro, it can be a little bit of a bummer. 
• But I digress. I mean, look at these prices for their brand of pureed fruit pouches (pictured below)! 
• Oh, and this place is NOT Trader Joe's, but I will say I saw one of my fave TJ's items in the ALDI form, so I figured I'd try it. And I can tell you that the dark chocolate sea salt caramels are legit. That alone might make you want to check out the place!
• Plus, don't you think it's awesome to have a wide range of stores you frequent? I love Whole Foods, Sprouts, and now, ALDI. Balance, people.

So, now that I've told you how it SHOULD look, what I actually do looks more like this:

• Scramble for recipes 5 min. before leaving for the store.
• Jot down what I need to grab (sometimes on the cute list, sometimes in my iPhone notes app, sometimes I just take a screen shot of the recipe - gasp!).
• Rush to the store, spend more than I had planned.

There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm okay what that! Let's grow together, friends!

*Sources:
Here are some of my go-to sources when it comes to finding recipes:

• Cooking Light and Real Simple magazines - I know there are many, MANY awesome cooking mags out there, but these are some of my current faves.
• Pintrest - During my "free time" (ha!) I sometimes love to check Pinterest for not only photos of dream kitchens and claw-foot tubs, but also recipes I think my family would enjoy. I simply stash these on my pinboards for later reference, and I also have a "tried & true" pinboard where I keep recipes I'd like to reference later.
• My collection of cookbooks and other handwritten / torn-from-magazines recipe collection, which probably doesn't get as much love as it should. More on that another day.

XO