Hello, everyone! It’s JoAnna, resident healthy hen here at Moink. Like any working mama of littles, my life is a balancing act. I’m trying to manage family, friends and fitness, all while trying to raise kids who don’t end up living in prison, or my basement! Some days I nail it, and some days I’m counting down the minutes until bedtime (and Pinot Noir) by 9 a.m.!
While I’m certainly not perfect, I do have a few survival tips up my sleeve. I want to share three of my tried and true, healthy weeknight dinner recipes, but before I get to that, here are a few things you might want to know about me.
Number one, I drive a mini-van. I know, I just lost a lot of cool points with some of you right out of the gate. But listen, I brought home three baby boys over the course of three years. That’s right, I’m a girly girl who was raised with five older sisters, and now I live in a Lego-ridden mad house run by a tiny army I made myself. And that army is made up of what often seems like drunk pirates in superhero capes. We held out on the “swagger wagon” for as long as we could, but when we went from man-to-man to a zone defense, we finally caved. You SUV-driving cool cats can call me lame, but the van sure makes life easier, and it has a sweet sound system.
Which brings me to my second confession. I’m a die-hard Taylor Swift fan, and I’m not afraid to admit I blast her music at ungodly volumes in the car and during my workouts, and the words, “Alexa, play Taylor Swift” come out of my mouth on the daily. My kindergartener may or may not know the words to her latest single. No matter how many feuds she gets caught up in, how many break-up anthems she writes, or how many ridiculously dramatic awards speeches she gives, I’m a Swifty. Just let me do me, people!
One more fun fact about me: I think the crock pot is the greatest invention. I use that 6-quart beauty at least twice a week. I love turning it on at 1 p.m. and knowing that in just a few hours my whole family will reap the benefits of my forethought and preparation. (Take that, witching hour!) Also, it’s pretty hard to mess up slow cooker recipes. This is coming from a woman who has almost burned down her home trying to steam some broccoli! I like that I can take a few liberties with the recipe’s ingredients and their amounts, and things (usually) turn out edible.
Since I became a Moink Hen (Did you know we’re all working moms of little kids living in multiple states?) and started getting regular deliveries of exceptional-tasting meat, I’ve seriously upped my crock pot game. Now my deep freezer is always stocked with grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken, so I can pull dinner together on the fly and still feel great about feeding my family the good stuff (aka, no riff-raff like hormones, antibiotics, solutions and preservatives allowed). Plus, I get to support family farmers who care for the animals and the environment.
In honor of National Slow Cooker Month, here are three of my go-to one-pot-wonders for chaotic weeknights.
Chicken Enchilada Soup – I’m not exaggerating when I say that I make this meal every. single. week. The chipotle chili in adobo sauce gives it a smoky, slightly spicy flavor that never gets old! The best part is loading the bowl up with all the tasty toppings. Give me all the avocado!
Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies – Another winner, winner chicken dinner, and this one is so easy! If you can cut up a few potatoes, you possess all the skill required for this comforting, family meal. Sometimes I swap out the chicken thighs for breasts, depending on what I have on hand.
Pot Roast – There are a million pot roast recipes online, but a lot of them call for soup/spice mixes full of sodium, MSG and other junk. It would be a shame to take an ethically-sourced, humanely-raised, grass-fed Moink pot roast and spoil it with a bunch of chemicals and preservatives, and this recipe only uses simple ingredients. To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of pot roast until I tried Moink’s, and now I’m all about it. So tender and flavorful!
The days are long, the years are short, and being a working mama isn’t easy, but I’m rocking it out with a little help from Moink… and my crock pot! Are you ready to join our merry gang of tender-hearted carnivores? Try a Moink Box today!
We can’t wait to see what sorts of recipes you make with your Moink Box! Be sure to tag us @moinkbox or #GetMoinked so we can see your yummy creations. Enjoy!
Ready to join the Moink Moovement and help us fight for the family farm?
