I joke that I nearly put the girls on Facebook Garage Sale yesterday. They were driving me nuts! I much prefer weekends with 2 parents around, let me tell you. Yesterday was exhausting. I got up this morning just to catch some alone time (and to finish this post). 😊
Yesterday was my first time volunteering in the nursery at church. Let’s just say 8 babies/toddlers with 2 adults and a whole lotta stranger danger and separation anxiety makes for a very long church service. Lord love volunteers – I can’t say I enjoyed my Sunday morning, but the kids were all really cute. The morning ended with one little dude PASSED OUT on me. I handed him over to dad and he was completely and totally OUT. I do miss those moments…
But I am not missing diapers and pull-ups! We are over a week now without any overnight accidents or use of pull-ups! Big news!
After church, the girls chose our lunch location after my selected place was closed…Taco Bell. Mark has introduced them to burritos at Taco Bell and they’re obsessed. So, we did that before heading to Aldi and Big Lots, home to unpack and make cookies, and back out to Meijer for everything we couldn’t get at the other 2 stores. PHEW. That’s a lot of retail with 2 little girls who want to buy everything and not pay any attention as to where they’re going. It made for a long afternoon.
But, it was a very productive Sunday preceded by a very productive Saturday where I purged 25% of my closet. Literally. It feels so good! I kept the purge party going by getting rid of tonsssssss of books. I don’t think I need my Krause from undergrad (that means nothing to those that aren’t nutrition majors or who were nutrition majors at some point).
It was the perfect weekend to stay inside (rain and cold) and get stuff done…all while dinner for later this week simmered away in the crock pot. I just love that feeling. Hands-off slow cooker meals are my jam and if you love them, too, this recipe is for YOU! Quick and easy and if you’re feeling super lazy, you can skip the stove top prep and just throw it all in the slow cooker together. Voila!
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ lbs flank steak, cut against the grain into 4 pieces
- ½ tsp salt and pepper
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup reduced sodium beef broth
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 16 oz pappardelle pasta
- In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Season the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Brown the meat for 2-3 minutes per side; transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes and broth over the beef and add the garlic from step one, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Discard the herbs and shred the beef in the pot using 2 forks.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, return to the pot, and add the sauce from the slow cooker. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the pasta and sauce are combined, about 1 minute.
Weekly Menu: September 29th – October 3th
- Sunday: leftover pesto tortellini, green beans, bread
- Monday: Black Bean and Corn Salad with potstickers
- Tuesday: salsa chicken tacos with guacamole salad
- Wednesday: leftovers
- Thursday: Honey BBQ Chicken Pizza Tacos with salad
Be well,
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