How to Make Homecooked Meals Easier as a Busy Mom

Dinnertime as a new mom was really difficult, and as a nutrition enthusiast I know how important home cooked meals can be! I was overwhelmed by the responsibility when my precious baby came along! And I know that is only going to be harder, since number two is on the way in September! What really saved my sanity, my need for nutritious meals for my family, and my budget (not to mention something that helps me be able to stay at home with my babies) is our slow cooker.

I tend to have the most energy mid-morning, and the most motivation for that matter. It's best for me to be able to start the slow cooker during morning naptime - or while Logan is in a good mood and fine playing by himself, which mostly happens in the morning time. Then when "witching hour" for my son comes along I already have dinner made and I just have to scoop it out.

It is also great for letting me throw it on warm and wait until I'm able to have a minute to clean it all up after dinner! Really there are so many reasons why the slow cooker has become my bread and butter for dinners. You can prep a whole bunch of meals, throw them in the freezer and then have some really fast slow cooker meals ready for really rushed days! I am not great at that - but I love the recipes that allow for that flexibility! There are a bunch of recipes that don't take any other dishes than the slow cooker and some measuring utensils, which is a huge bonus for me! Clean up from prep is so easy!

I want to share some of our favorite recipes with you, so watch out for those posts!

I have another confession though... I hate cleaning out a slow cooker. Even when you use cooking spray the sides and bottom are usually caked with food. I always had to soak the pot and then find the motivation in the evening to come clean it... Yuck. Not a fan of that at all!

So instead of that I found Slow Cooker Liners!!! Maybe as big of a lifesaver as the slow cooker itself for me! They are in the aisle with the plastic bags and foil and they are next to the oven bags. Their only draw back is they only come in packs of four... I love them though. You just open one up, and cover the slow cooker with it. Put your food in, and cook like normal. Then you can just lift the bag out at the end. The slow cooker is still clean! It's great! Throw the bag away and the slow cooker is ready to be put away.

I've found Reynold's and Kroger brands, and haven't had any issue with either, never had one rip on me. Just be careful if you are stirring the ingredients directly in the slow cooker.

So that is how I make my life easier and provide delicious meals for my family! What are ways that you have found make it easier on busy days to put dinner on the table??