it’s confession time.
are you ready?
i’m not always crazy about cooking dinner.
oh, you too?
you see, we have a rule in this house. you either cook or you wash dishes. i’d rather cook than wash dirty dishes any day so my husband so graciously takes cleaning duty every night.
it’s not that i hate cooking; sometimes it is a wonderful creative outlet for me. it’s just that after work, going to the gym & dealing with the not-so-glamorous parts of my life all day, i’m a walking zombie come dinner time.
queue the crockpot.
bless the crockpot.
i used to have this weird guilt thing about my crockpot. i thought that if i made dinner in our crockpot, i was actually cheating & the meal wouldn’t be as delicious or complete.
well, i’m here to tell you today that i believe in The Crockpot & it’s time saving graces. i’ve made some delicious meals from our crockpot & this week’s dinners are no different.
i thought i’d share my meal plan with you this week just in case you’re suffering from the cooking blues & need some inspiration…
side note: i don’t always cook a week of crockpot meals. this week just happens to be a busy one so i am relying on my crockpot to make meals ahead of time. i do actually make dinner in the pm hours every once in awhile, hah!
monday: crockpot pinto beans & homemade cornbread – simply add dried pintos to your crockpot & cover them with a generous amount of water. cook on low for 7-9 hours. you’ll come home to a pipping hot southern dinner around 5 pm! add toppings, such as cheese, to your pintos & enjoy with cornbread & sautéed veggies.
wednesday: crockpot enchiladas – i use the recipe from simply in season (buy this cookbook if you don’t already have it!), but this recipe from skinnytaste is similar (substitute flour tortillas for corn tortillas if you’re gluten free)
thursday: crockpot tomato bisque soup with garden fresh salad
friday – saturday: i will be out of town so leftovers will be plentiful for luke. the benefit of crockpot meals is that there are almost always leftovers.
sunday: family dinner night!
supplemental reading: details on how i meal plan & how i save money on our food budget
printables: my meal planning printable comes from here & my grocery list printable comes from here.
do you use the crockpot regularly? what are some of your favorite crockpot meals? please share!
love,
natalie
p.s. don’t forget! registration opens TOMORROW for the holiday craft party! you can find more details about the workshop & how to register here.
thank you to our small businesses, bloggers & makers for supporting natalie creates this month:
if you would like to support my blog, click here. this small fee includes an ad on the sidebar along with an optional giveaway for my readers & ig followers. the holidays are just around the corner & right now is the perfect time to promote your business!
love,
natalie
friends, it’s happening again.
& i am freaking out with excitement (!!!).
i’m hosting a holiday craft party at shindig paperie on november 15th from 5-8 pm!
you see, my heart was filled to the brim when i taught the gals canning at our farm. it was that lightbulb moment in my life that flashed in neon lights saying,
“natalie you must keep sharing!
you must keep teaching!”
so even though it’s crazy scary & often times i feel like i am not even qualified to teach you amazing people, i am in for this adventure.
the holiday craft party with natalie creates will be three hours of pure crafty bliss.
only fifteen participants will be included in the evening’s festivities. over wine, good food & chatter, we’ll complete three projects for you to take home & decorate your nest for the upcoming holiday season! we’ll end the evening with a fabulous swag bag stuffed with goodies from some of my dearest maker friends.
& just one more secret in case crafts & wine aren’t enough for you people…
erin of tweetpotatopie is flying in to assist at the party(!!!)! i can’t even begin to share my excitement! y’all, she’s a northern yankee, but oh lawd, she’s sweet as pie & as creative as they come. i can’t wait for you all to meet her!
so here are the details:
+ the holiday craft party with natalie creates is on november 15th, 2014.
+ location: shindig paperie in fayetteville, arkansas
+ the party will start at 5 pm & end around 8 pm.
+ the cost is $100 per person.
+ the evening’s registration fee includes dinner, dessert & drinks galore!
+ your registration also includes supplies & instruction for three craft projects.
+ a swag bag will be included for each participant.
registration opens at 9 am cst on tuesday, october 14th. to register, simply email me anytime after 9 am cst on tuesday morning. i will invoice you soon after. the first fifteen to pay in full will be chosen for this intimate & oh so memorable event!
bring your gal pals & craft with us!
love,
natalie