Lunch - Humorous Homemaking

10 Portable Meals On-the-Go to Save Time and Money

In the Spring of 2014 we officially became a soccer family. And you know what time spring soccer games for 9 year old girls happen? If you guessed dinnertime, you are right! As a mom, and a frugal mom at that, I quickly realized that if we were going to avoid the Taco Bell Drive-Thru, I was going to have to think ahead and get some portable meals going.

Seriously, it adds up going through the drive-thru. Don’t deceive yourself thinking that you are buying something from the dollar menu. Each and every dollar adds up. You get in debt dollar by dollar, and you also get out of debt dollar by dollar. You can go buy a pack of tortillas, and a can of beans for a couple of dollars. And even though you can buy these foods pre-made, if you use these convenience foods to make burritos, it is WAY cheaper than buying a bean burrito at a fast food restaurant. You could make about 10 burritos for the cost it takes you to buy 2 or 3 in the drive-thru. [Read more…]

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken and Zoodles

I’m not gonna lie – I’m running a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit behind this week. Not with anything except blog work, which is a huge bonus. Yay for scheduling!

So, I don’t have time for a long and elaborate post – it’s already 6am and I need to make breakfast, finish yogurt, and pack lunch. Sooooooooooooooooo, here is your short, condensed version of Cheesy Chicken and Zoodles.

It was easy. It was yummy. It was even yummier left over. It should have been 6 servings, but we really liked it and it was only 4. *Burp* Oops? [Read more…]

10 Recipes You Must Try – Take 2

The post I wrote for you guys called 10 Recipes You MUST Try was very popular. You enjoyed me sharing some tasty recipes with y’all…and you asked me for more. So, here ya go: a few more recipes that I’ve made that were top notch – so much so that I’ve made them multiple times. And if you know me, you know that if I make something more than once, it must mean it kicks butt!

So, here we go! Sit back and get your pinning button ready…make sure to add these to your Plan to Eat schedule and Pinterest boards ASAP. [Read more…]

Crock Pot Oriental Pork Chops

Let’s have a little lesson, shall we? What IS a water chestnut anyway? I gotta tell ya – if you asked me this about 5 minutes ago, you would have gotten a blank stare. It’s crunchy…and you eat it in oriental food – that’s about all I had for ya. But then I had go to and look it up on Swagbucks because I got curious and wanted to make sure I wasn’t eating something super weirdo that might gross me out.

Turns out, a water chestnut really does grow in the water. It’s an aquatic bulb plant originally grown in, wait for it…China. Betcha didn’t see that coming. It’s crunchy and becomes slightly sweet when cooked.

I’m not hard core water chestnut – I can take them or leave them. But, I had a can in the basement that I needed to use – so this recipe was born and my can is gone. Thanks. Recipes are born when I have to clean out the pantry. [Read more…]

Baked Parmesan Chicken

What is up with people calling stuff “Oven Fried?” No, honey. Just, no. Do not tease me with hopes of fried chicken and then shoot me down with the word OVEN. You do not fry a chicken in the oven. You don’t. Just no.

Today, I revolt. I will no longer fix something called OVEN FRIED. Don’t mess with my fried food. It’s BAKED. You baked that sucker in the oven. It doesn’t even remotely taste like fried chicken. You can say it does…but you lie. Revelation 21:8 – look it up. Baked chicken does NOT taste like fried chicken. Amen.

But, here’s the thing. I like baked chicken…a lot. However, I don’t want to be misled into thinking that it’s fried. If it’s baked, that’s cool. I like baked stuff. So, today I bring you BAKED Parmesan Chicken…formerly known as “Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken.” As if. [Read more…]

Crock Pot Saucy Cube Steak

I like beef. It makes me happy. Actually, I just like meat. Meat makes me happy. Cube steak? That’s meat…and it makes me happy. I love meat. I especially crave meat when pregnant or nursing. MEAT! It’s what’s for dinner. Ummmmm, meat.

I have this thing for Salisbury Steak too. My Mama’s recipe is rockin’, but sometimes a girl needs to get her gravy on. Can I get a witness?! Beef and gravy together? That’s true love. Gravy love! My gravy love! I need ya, oh how I need ya, love! [Read more…]

100 Days of NO Processed Meals – Crock Pot Style

If you’re new to Humorous Homemaking… let me just say, welcome, we’re so glad to have you here!

My 100 Days of No Processed Meals posts are fan-favorites, and this one full of Crock Pot style recipes is one that I go back to again and again. This post is the perfect go-to reference for awesome no processed meals you can make in your slow cooker. (In the American South, we call our slow cookers by the name of my favorite brand which is the Crock Pot.)

What do I mean by “no processed” meals?

No processed meals means that nothing in any of the these recipes calls pre-packed items like Italian Dressing, canned cream of mushroom soup, a package of onion soup mix, Velveeta (bless Velveeta’s heart), etc., and that’s a good thing!

You WILL find ingredients for these Crock Pot recipes like soy sauce, ketchup, canned beans, taco seasoning and mustard because there are clean versions of all these products that are minimally processed (for most folks) or are VERY easy to make your own clean version at home. When a recipe calls for “taco seasoning”, I automatically make a sub in my head for the homemade version.

Also, please note…there is a difference between “processed” and “prepared”!

When I say “processed” in this context, I mean foods with ingredients I cannot pronounce: Velveeta, stuffing mix, Hamburger Helper. Prepared foods such as “canned beans,” “canned tomatoes,” or “ketchup” are easily made yourself or found at the grocery store with no added ingredients. A can of beans from the grocery store usually includes: beans, salt and that’s it. So, don’t be sending me hate mail about “You big fat liar! Canned tomatoes are processed food!” Yeah I know, but technically, so is anything you cook in your home because cooking is PROCESSING. Just so we’re clear. 🙂 **Comments on this post have been disabled because of nastiness – ain’t nobody got time for that.**

Mostly these Crock Pot recipes call for good, wholesome ingredients like meat, vegetables, broth and seasonings. And the results are meals so delicious that they make you wanna slap yo mama (if you’re not from the south, please know that’s a good thing).

Some of these recipes are mine and some are from other bloggers. I hope you enjoy the list, and that it’s a good resource for you. And if you like this post, you’ll likely enjoy my post of 100 Crock Pot Dessert Recipes and 100 Days of Meal Plans Whole Foods Style as well.

And while I’m thinking of what you might like, I’d bet you’d enjoy my books: Keep Crockin’: A Poorganic Slow Cooker Cookbook and Crock On: A Semi-Whole Foods Slow Cooker Cookbook – both are available in print or as eBooks. 😉 Shameless book plug. Okay…ON TO THE RECIPES!

NOTE: For daily meal inspiration, follow me on Instagram as humoroushomemaking.

Soups

Sandwiches

Chicken

Beef

Pork

Miscellaneous

Lamb Curry
Seafood Paella
Crock Pot Beans and Rice
Garlic Basil Pasta Sauce
Overnight Chicken Stock
Garden Marinara
Hoppin’ John
Venison Roast
Pizza Sauce
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin and Coconut Black Beans and Rice
Southwest Bean Medley
Potato Breakfast
Macaroni and Cheese

Think these recipes are great? Find more original, unpublished recipes by Humorous Homemaking in her very own cookbooks, Crock On! and Keep Crockin!

or if your budget doesn’t allow for that, you’re always welcome to visit one of the fastest growing posts on Humorous Homemaking:

100 Days of Meal Plans – Whole Foods Style (free)

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Crock Pot Italian Sausage and Cabbage

I’m going to be honest – this post is gonna be short and sweet. Andy is on my lap, pressing buttons (making it nearly impossible to write), and he’s been whiny all day because of his teeth. Annie has spent the day doing things like trying to encapsulate her brother in the laundry basket and hiding the raw honey in her nightstand drawer. Sooooooooo, let’s do this crock pot thing fast. And please ignore any random letters that might show up. [Read more…]

Crock Pot Ugly Chicken Dinner

Sometimes I just throw things in the crock pot to see if they turn out. This was one of those recipes – and it turned out just fine. Except for one thing…it’s ugly. U-G-L-Y, it ain’t got no alibi, it’s ugly.

Have you ever noticed that some crock pot meals are just nasty looking? Yeah sure, they taste utterly delicious, but they look like something your dog dragged in. This is one of those recipes. So, don’t let the ugly pictures turn you off.

Of course, it might also have something to do with the fact that I’m not a professional photographer like my friend Tia – I just don’t have that talent…but I do really enjoy cooking and eating. Is eating a talent? [Read more…]

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

I’m not a huge fish fan. I used to be before I got pregnant with Annie – but after that, my love of seafood tanked. Now I can tolerate salmon, tuna, and tilapia. Other than that, it doesn’t come into this house. Yuck! And all those pictures I see on Pinterest of those soups with actual seafood shells in them? No thank you – I don’t want to have to dig my dinner out of a shell before I can eat it. Unless it’s a peanut…that’s different.

As part of Cooking Through Stacy’s Stash, I made this lovely Pecan Crusted Tilapia…and we all chowed down on it! Even Annie – The Skeptical One. That’s high praise in my book.

When I saw that tilapia was on sale at Ingles, I knew I would buy some and try this recipe – and now I’m passing it along to you…no shells included. [Read more…]