The Family Table: Turn on the slow cooker
Some weeks, I鈥檓 on top of my game.
I keep schedules straight. I get hot meals on the table. I wash and fold the laundry. Even dishes don鈥檛 feel like such a chore.
It feels effortless, inasmuch as that stuff can be. I kick butt and take names, keeping my mental checklist straight and making sure that everyone else is on track with whatever they need.
Those weeks leave me feeling good. I look back, I reflect on all that I鈥檝e done, and I feel good that I鈥檇 had a week unpunctuated by a cluster of rushing and craziness (or at least punctuated with rushing and craziness that I鈥檇 planned for).
Then there are the other times. Parents, I know you know what I mean: the times when we try our darnedest to keep everything straight, and we just fail.
We forget that little Johnny needs a specifically hued shirt for the school holiday concert, or that Jane has to pack her lunch for the field trip.
If you鈥檙e me, you put everything into the slow cooker, knowing that you鈥檝e made your evening easier because you鈥檒l come home to a hot meal 鈥� only to find that you failed to push start and there is no dinner.
We kick ourselves. We shouldn鈥檛.
The flaws and the failures (big or little) are worthwhile. They produce lessons, make us stronger and offer all of us a chance to grow and do better. Heck, if we choose it, they offer us a chance to laugh.
No matter what happens and no matter how badly we feel about it, we all could do with a little more perspective. There is a lot to be thankful for, even on the bad days. Sometimes, we just need to look for it.
And if all else fails, tomorrow can truly be another day 鈥�. another day to better, to try again, to get it right (or to turn on the slow cooker).
Slow Cooker Chili (just remember to turn it on!)
1 pound ground beef, chicken or turkey
1 medium onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can each: black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup stock or water
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Sautee the meat with the minced onion and garlic. Add the meat/onions/garlic, along with the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to combine and cook on low for at least 6 hours. Top the chili with whatever you鈥檇 like (our favorites are crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and scallions).