New Schedule, Cooking and Coffee Shops

[abracanabra]

x-post fb/lj--

My current, consistent (okay, consistent-ish--most of the time, but not always) schedule has me at the day job afternoons until 6 PM. This means two major things (in addition to a host of minor things like, "Oh lord, I hope the roomba didn't hurl itself off the stairs while I was gone," and, "I'm so pleased City Center lets people waiting for the bus hover inside by the door and doesn't kick us out into the cold," and, "I have to figure out my optimum schedule again?"):

1. Cooking is a problem. I'm the main cook, I don't get home until 7, which means food wouldn't be ready until 7:30-8:00, and I have a husband who practically self-destructs if he isn't fed immediately upon arriving home. Sometimes he has been cooking, but he's got a really limited repertoire, about where I was at 6 years ago. Sometimes he eats before I even get home, which is great for marital bonding. Sometimes I have been using the slow cooker. But here's the thing. Most of the slow-cooker recipes I have kinda suck. They're from a midwestern cookbook that's all about mixing together stuff in cans, especially canned cream-of-stuff, and the results are not great. So I ask you--what are your favorite slow cooker recipes and/or cookbooks? Bonus points if it's not soup.

2. Mornings are for working on writingy things. Right now, that means lots of editing. I can edit in company just fine. So if anybody'd like to socialize by co-existing in a coffee shop and working on projects, let me know. I'd love to hang out in a coffee shop with friends some morning.

Comments

[sestasik.livejournal.com]

One of our favorites is BBQ Pork for sandwiches. You can search online for tons of versions for this, but one is here: http://southernfood.about.com/od/pulledporkrecipes/r/cpweekly33.htm

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Mm, thanks for the suggestion.

[xcorvis.livejournal.com]

Katie says "beef stew." Half a cup of red wine, beef and veggies to taste, don't add water. Some Indian food, especially curry or dahl type dishes can be adapted pretty easily.

More Best Recipes (sequel to America's New Best Recipes) has a small section of slow cooker meals. They list Pot Roast, Beef Stew, Ropa Veija, Pork and Hominy Stew, Smothered Pork Chops, Sweet and Sour Sticky Ribs, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Chicken with Wine and Tarragon, Coq au Vin, Chicken Broth, Beef and Barley Soup, Weeknight Chili and Italian Sunday Gravy.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Yes, beef stew is good. ...hadn't thought of the Indian curries, but that makes sense!

Have requested More Best Recipes from the library. Apparently it's high demand!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Black bean steak chili (http://www.marissalingen.com/chili.html), which is sort of a soup, sorry.

Potpie notes. () This requires some cooking at the end of the day, but it's just making gravy and throwing a biscuit crust at the top. I have also changed some of my cooking habits since writing these notes, so buying fresh sage seems utterly ordinary to me, and I no longer mind things that smack of gardening, even though markgritter is the gardener in this house.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

The chili looks pretty tasty--but your potpie notes, alas, seem to link back to this post?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Bother. This is what happens when you hit copy but not paste. They should be here (http://www.marissalingen.com/potpie.html).

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

30 minutes cook-time seems like it might be hazardous, but--pot pie is delicious. Worth trying.

And yes, your recipe-writing style amuses me.

[1crowdedhour.livejournal.com]

I waited years to buy a slow cooker cookbook. This is the one I was waiting for: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann, Harvard Common Press.

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

I clicked through to recommend this book specifically.

Also, your basic big hunk of meat doesn't really need a recipe. Slap a chicken in the pot, put on whatever seasonings you like, maybe throw in some potatoes and carrots (underneath the meat), set it on low, and you're good.

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also! That sort of plain cooking--just a chicken, just a pork roast, whatever, with a bit of seasoning, makes for excellent leftovers later. A local grocery had pork butts on sale last week. I bought more than the family could eat at one meal, tossed it in the crock pot with some season salt and a sliced onion. We ate it with mashed potatoes and gravy--and then had bbq pork sandwiches the next day, which took less than five minutes to sauce, microwave, and slap on bread. Mmmm. Two days in a row of low-fuss supper.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Book is requested from library! That's an impressive double-recommendation. And you raise a good point about its ability to cook large chunks of food and make valuable leftovers.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

That's an impressive recommendation. I've requested it from the library to take a look. Thanks!

[malcubed.livejournal.com]

Christine has a pretty fantastic vegetarian slow cooker cook book whose title escapes me at the moment.

[chesh.livejournal.com]

Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

That's a rather ominously-named book. Man, though, these cookbooks are popular--they're all on wait at the library. I have requested it, however, and look forward to eventually trying it out!

[susanofstohelit.livejournal.com]

if Phil's getting home an hour before you, you may also be able to put things together the night before for him to put in the oven when he gets home. lasagne, stuffed peppers, enchiladas, or pretty much any casserole can spend 16 or 24 hours in the fridge safely.

also, may I recommend a small snack when he gets home? I usually do that to take the edge off if I'm hungry and then eat dinner later.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Good point! If only he didn't hate anything called "casserole." But I suppose that applies for many baked dishes...must investigate...thanks!

[grntserendipity.livejournal.com]

Try What_a_crock here on lj! I have gotten a ton of great recipies there.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Turns out I already had it friended but had (some time ago) filtered it off into the list of communities that I very rarely read. Silly me! Thanks for the reminder.

[fayde.livejournal.com]

Coffee Shops - I have no class on Fridays and I could meet you somewhere to work on homework while you edit. But you may be subjected to me mumbling Spanish every once in a while.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

And you may hear me muttering in English more than once in a while....

Sounds good! I currently have no work this Friday morning (subject to change without notice)--want to hang out?

[fayde.livejournal.com]

Barring sub -10 weather, sure! Any ideas of where? Maybe you should call me about this...

[fayde.livejournal.com]

Also LJ has a What a Crock community of crockpot "cheifs"/recipies you may want to check out.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Turns out I already had it friended but had (some time ago) filtered it off into the list of communities that I very rarely read. Silly me! Thanks for the reminder.

[fayde.livejournal.com]

er...chefs..

[mischief03.livejournal.com]

My mother gave me a crockpot cookbook for x-mas that I haven't had a chance to try the recipes in. I can lend it to you for a bit if you'd like.

Also, I'm very often available in the mornings. We should play! And by play, I mean write.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

You should try the recipes first--and pass on your favorite ones!

Yes, working. Not playing. ::sigh::

Sure. Email/call me some night when you don't have to work the next morning, and we could actually plan.

[thoughtdancer.livejournal.com]

Pot Roast, Beef Stroganoff (?sp). I'ld be tempted to try chicken and dumplings. I know most of those are old standards, but they can each be dressed up to be interesting.

Also, we make large batches of stuff on the weekends and freeze them as single servings. We have lots of these now: stews, currys, sausage gravy, lasagna, kibbeh, chili, and so on. During the week, we usually only need to make rice. We defrost what we want, nuke, serve with rice and salad.

We don't eat together, either, but I do chat while he preps his (he gets back late, and I prefer lunch to dinner).

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Good suggestions. Thanks.

[dmbaird.livejournal.com]

Tying into the suggestion of preparing dishes the night before that your sweetie can just toss in the oven when he gets home...I have a good half-dozen varied lasagna recipes if you're interested. They range from tomato-based to white, involving things like spinach, sausage, ham, asparagus, chicken, and I even have a Italian-Mexican fusion lasagna that is pretty tasty! Just let me know if you're interested.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Sure! I have a good basic lasagna recipe, but I'm always interested in variations.

[opheliac-9.livejournal.com]

On a side-note, I wrote you in on my Harmony Valley membership form as having referred me... so I'm hoping you go with them again!

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Yes! Just sent off the membership form, actually.

Now am broke again.

So who are you splitting your CSA with, or did you just go with a half-share?

[opheliac-9.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm insane, and got a whole share. (!!!)

I've already set up a spreadsheet of recommended storage of veggies, how to preserve them, and will be getting a canning unit before summer to get some stuff jarred for colder months. Also, dinner parties. Lots. Yes, I'm crazy... and am looking at this as an exciting challenge.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Uh--that's enough to feed a family of four vegetarian adults. Well. Good luck--I find it a challenge cooking up half a share, and that's with Phil around to eat vasty amounts.