This post speaks straight to me, I will be tired, or not want to cook, and my boyfriend isn’t much of a cook, so we eat out. :S

Thanks for your great ideas! Fawn :D

much cheaper and just as easy to buy frozen veg and a microwavable dish with a lid. toss in whatever quantity of veg you need, add a *small* amount of water plus butter and whatever seasonings you like, put the lid on loosely (or it’ll blow off) and nuke until done (start with 4min for a small amount, 6 for a lot, then check every 2min).

added bonus: no garbage baggies to throw away.

–Spray the crock with cooking spray
–Add hard veggies in the bottom…potoatoes, carrots, onions
–Add the meat, covering the veggies as much as possible. This allows the juices to drain down over the vegetables.
–Add whatever seasonings you like.
–Top with some sort of liquid such as reconstituted canned soup, broth, wine, etc.

I usually prepare the crockpot the night before and put it in the refrigerator to be turned on the next morning. Potatoes will turn dark, though, unless they are in liquid.

If possible, I turn the crockpot on “high” for an hour or two, and then turn it to “low” for the rest of the day. This allows it to get up to a good, safe temperature for cooking, especially if it’s starting from refrigerator temperature.

But, that only works on the days that my husband leaves for work after I do, so sometimes it’s on low the whole time. On those days, I try to have some of the ingredients (veggies, perhaps) at room temp so the crock doesn’t have to work so long to get to a safe temperature.

Crockpots are old technology, but I still call them “magic cooking”. :)

Robyn

Recritique.com

They also have links to a bunch of other sites in their links area (you have to join for that one) and they’ve been very helpful when I need advice.

My only beef: many of the recipes are for 6-8 hours on low, and I’m out of the house from 7 am to 6 pm. I keep those recipes for the weekends.

Buy a bottom roast and dump a jar of peppercinni’s over it, throw it in the crock-pot. The meat falls apart, we love it. I also steam broccoli and soak it in the juice.

On “I’m too lazy”.
1) Keep a stash of decent cheese, pickles, preserved sausage/meat, re-crisped bread and beer. Or somthing similar. Recrisped bread can be anything from yesterday’s flatbread (as Trent suggests) to a proprietory brand (eg. Rivita). Slice and enjoy. And it’s still better value than BigBrandName(tm) sandwiches.
2) Dry Noodles + veges + leftovers + stock. Slice and heat. Stock can be fish & soy sauces or half a stock cube. Or something more complex. My standard lunch :-)
3) Learn to boil; poach and scramble eggs. If you can scramble, you can omlette.
3) Did I mention eggs? cheese? And leftovers?

On the whole thing.
I roast my own coffee over a flame. It’s cheaper than roasted. Now, perhaps, economically, I’d be better flipping burgers at MickyD;s for an hour once a month and paying the local coffee supplier to roast it.

But I know which is better for my soul.

Here’s one of mine that I just made:

Crock-Pot Roast

2 pound cut of beef
2 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
2 pounds frozen stew vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celery)
1 can water

Put the beef in the bottom of the crockpot. Add vegetables. Combine soup and water and stir until smooth; add to crockpot. Stir veggies until coated with soup.

Cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until beef is “fall apart” tender. This was the one of the best pot roasts I’ve ever had.

Notes: I found the frozen stew vegetables in a local grocery, under their store brand. It contains whole peeled potatoes, crinkle-sliced carrots, and sliced celery. If you can’t find it combined, you can use individual bags of veggies, or canned.

Goodness – see standard French techniques
1) Brown meat (perhaps floured), remove
2) Saute hard veges (onion, carrot)
3) Return meat to pot
4) Add stock/wine/herbs/water/legumes/etc
5) Simmer over low heat until meat is falling off the bone.
6) Garnish
7) Serve

Note that everything has variations.
Even serving:
* serve a stew (meat in chunks);
* serve as soup (serve meat cold next day w/ fresh bread)
* serve as pot roast (meat sliced at table) w/ accompanying veges

But I do get really exhausted at the end of a working day, and knowing that I only have to throw something in the microwave and prepare some fresh vegetables helps keep me from stopping at McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and other numerous takeaway joints on the way home.

I have been doing this for a few years and haven’t fallen sick yet. I am quite the opposite in fact. I’ve only taken about 3 sick days in the past 3 years — and not because I was ill. ;-)

(I gotta stop watching Dora the Explorer with my daughter.)

Maybe I should save this for the now inevitable crock pot post, but…

The best, most moist chicken I ever had was made by simply putting a few simple spices (like salt and pepper) on the bird and dropping it in the crock pot for 8 hours on low. The crock pot ended up almost filled with the juices (which make a great gravy, too). ZERO effort.

2. Cheap and HEALTHY dessert. Instant sugar free pudding from Jello. Read the instructions, but usually you add 2 cups of skim milk with the package (about 60 cents each!), stir for two minutes, fridge for five – and bam- tasty dessert.

3. Hot dogs or turkey dogs. For a grilled taste – put them in the oven on BROILER for a few minutes.

4. Invest in an indoor grill. Find one that has removable plates that you can put in the dishwasher. You can cook burgers, chicken, pretty much anything under the sun. The one we have came with a bunch of recipes too..

5. Red Baron pizza. Got two tonight for less than $3 each. Fed family of 4 with some leftovers.

4. Frozen crockpot meals. Why do all the prep when you can pay $5 at the grocery store?

6. Frozen potatoes – fries, hash browns, and tater tots. Get generic to pay less. Throw in the oven. Take out of oven. easy peasy.

7. Frozen waffles. I get these at Walmart for $1 a piece, again using their generic brand. I get cinnamon and blueberry flavored. The whole family loves them. If you’re living large, add some low fat whipped cream to them. which can also be bought for about $1.25 a carton.
‘
8. Chicken patties.

9. Banquet frozen meals – about $1 each – my kids love ‘em.

10. Salisbury steaks (again, frozen section) – 6 for less than $2

11. Chicken or turkey pot pies. Anywhere from 44 cents to around 75 cents each. You’ll definitely need a side dish, though, as they’re not terribly filling.

My goal is to get my family’s weekly groceries to somewhere between 50 and 70 bucks. This is how I do it.