I usually don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but not because I think I don’t need to change anything in my life – especially my eating habits! If I need to alter something in my life, why wait until a certain time of year to do it? I’d like to say it helps me to maintain the change, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. When it comes to food and changing certain habits in my eating, I’m basically a loser.
My bad eating habits? Getting a bag full of Jelly Bellies and eating handful after handful while sitting in bed and watching TV I know – sitting in bed and watch TV is not good; I’ve heard the negative reports, but changing that habit is not in my near future. I’m very accustomed to going to sleep with Blanche of the “Golden Girls” trying to talk her way through a sticky situation with her Southern twang, or the wild-eyed ranting of Matlock’s, “but your Hon-n-nor…”.
Another reason is because there are usually so many things that need to be changed that – geez! – if I did it all at the beginning of a new year, my family wouldn’t know me!
However, I am trying to make a change right now, and I guess since it is at the beginning of 2013, it could be called a New Year’s resolution. This might be a good thing, though, because if I fail, I’ll have a lot of company.
Aside from my crazy resolution-making reasoning, I’m focusing on preparing quick and easy meals. This is mainly because my family usually works late, and we end up opting for a quick restaurant meal we can pick up instead of a healthier, home-prepared meal. The new curbside service thing that many restaurants are offering is just way too easy (along with expensive)! Not to mention that, if my hubby had his way, our only dinner options would be hot dogs, pizza or fried chicken. Ever.
I have studied nutrition in the past, so I know the health benefits of eating a home-cooked meal versus one that has more fat, salt, preservatives, and additives. I just get caught-up in the easiness and speediness of the “curb-side delivery” or “drive-thru lane.”
However, this resolution is easy to make right now because I’m watching FoodNetwork on TV right now, and I just saw a great recipe I’m going to try this evening! Cooking shows make preparing a meal look so fast and easy, and the food looks so darn tasty! But they aren’t showing all of the dicing, slicing, measuring, and chopping – and none of the clean up! And they cut out the boil-overs, burning and spilling the food, and breaking dishes. Oh, and having to stop to tend to a child’s immediate needs. The list goes on...
Regardless of the lack of reality the shows contain, I’ve got a few quick recipes to share. The chicken and corn on the cob are cooked in the crock-pot, (my favorite way to cook), and in the evening, you can just pop a side dish of roasted potatoes in the oven. A loaf of hot, crusty sourdough bread or a few slices of Texas Toast finishes it off. Yummy!
You might not be able to get rid of all the prep work with this meal, but you can eliminate the “What are we going to do for dinner?” question, which will help you to keep that resolution! Also, there’s very little clean-up!
Crock-Pot Barbeque Chicken with Corn on the Cob
4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
4 frozen (or fresh) ears of corn on the cob, cleaned
Butter or margarine, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the chicken in a crock-pot and cover it with barbeque sauce. Wrap each corn on the cob in foil and place them on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for six to eight hours (or until the chicken is done). Before serving, top the corn with butter or margarine and salt and pepper. Serve with hot bread and oven roasted potatoes.
Oven-roasted Potatoes
Small red or white potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
About 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
About 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, crushed
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrub and quarter the potatoes. Dry slightly. Coat the potatoes with the tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining ingredients. Spread into one layer on a large non-stick jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet. Bake about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and nicely browned. If desired, flip the potatoes over half way during the cooking process. Delicious!