Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Slow Cooker Green Beans, Sausage, & Potatoes (Meal Plan)


When planning our Abundant Harvest haul for this week, I noticed some really great deals in their add-ons! The one I was most excited about was 6 heads of lettuce for just $10! Then and there, I decided that we would challenge ourselves to a full week of salads. Every night I wanted to eat a salad, prepared a different way. It sounded like great fun, and would help me achieve my goal blood sugar numbers. (As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.) I then chose all the rest of my add-ons around what would go great with salad. 

Unfortunately, just before pick-up day, it was brought to my attention that the lettuce was being refunded, as it was too late in the harvest season to accommodate the orders. WAH! That certainly threw my entire planning off course, but here is what I received:



Fruit -
1 small Cantalope
12 Figs
8 white peaches

Vegetables -
1 Celery bun
ch
1 Lettuce head
1 radish bunch
2 pattypan (1 small yellow, 1 large white)
4 sweet corn cobs
2 large orange tomatoes
3 large green tomatoes
6 small red tomatoes
5 small yukon potatoes
1 bunch chives
1 bunch shallots
2 green bell peppers
3 red onions (1 is bigger than a softball!)
1 large bunch Sorrel

Herbs -
1 bunch Catnip
1 bunch mint

Meat/Dairy -
2 lb hamhocks
12 oz precooked/nitrate free Italian sausage
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 oz pork breakfast sausage links
1/2 gallon raw whole milk
2qt raw milk Kefir
1 dozen eggs

There are many of these things that we still have to use, but we went through a good bit for our meals this week. 

I am sad to say that more things than I’d like to admit from LAST week, ended up getting thrown out. We just didn’t come up with uses quick enough, and we were dealing with a very cluttered fridge where things were overlooked! Live and learn!

Here is what I DID make happen this week:



Tuesday
Tuna Salad 
made with with lettuce, sorrel, celery, carrot, tomato, chives, radish, cranberry, walnut, parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegarette, tuna, sliced mozzarella stick


Wednesday 
Lemon pepper tilapia, mashed potatoes, frozen mixed vegetable medley


Thursday
My friend Taylor's homemade blueberry pie

Friday
cheat day 
(fast food burger…let’s not talk about it)



Saturday
For breakfast we made an amazing medley of farm fresh goods that was better than anything I’d eaten. Fresh eggs (look at the color of those yolks!), sausage, and Yukon gold potatoes.


Saturday Dinner
Slow Cooker Green Beans, Sausage & Potatoes 
(see recipe below!)

Sunday
Taco Salad
with lettuce, sorrel, onion, tomatoes, radish, seasoned ground beef, 
black olives, taco sauce, sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

 (this one messed up my numbers because it was SO good, I couldn't resist a second serving!)


Monday
leftover taco salad


Tuesday 
Bacon Bratwurst Bitessautéed squash with garlic, macaroni and cheese


Overall my eating habits have changed a lot since being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. I don’t snack all day (the way anyone normal at 8 month preggers wants to!) and I actually read nutrition labels! 

Almost everyday my lunch was a tuna sandwich or salad of some sort. I never grabbed for any frozen convenience food. I didn’t have any soda, and only one sugar-free Starbucks coffee. 

Best of all, I am practicing something I have always struggled with - portion control! My biggest problem aera now is the after dinner desserts! I’m not beating myself up too hard, but it certainly is cheating. It’s hard when my husband has such a sweet tooth though, and is always baking something.

Now on to a new recipe for you all!!




This was actually the second time we made this. The first time was about a week ago. I was out with a friend when a crazy craving struck me over the head and I HAD to have it! 

I immediately texted my husband and asked him to throw a bunch of random ingredients into the crock pot. I just started listing off stuff I knew we had, and crossed my fingers they actually went together. My friend and I were a few hours out, and it was ready with perfect timing once we came back.  Needless to say, it was so good, we did it again this week!

Slow Cooked Sausage, Green Beans & Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 large fistfuls fresh Green beans
2 large red potatoes
half white onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons dried sage (chopped)
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
3 Italian sausage links (also great with Kielbasa!) 
2 small cans mushrooms
1 can Cream of Chicken and Mushroom
1 ½ cups water


1.Rinse green beans and potatoes. Cut off the ends of green beans, and then chop to desired size. Dice potatoes. Add to crock pot with can of cream of chicken and mushroom and water.

2. Add seasoning and mushrooms

3. Slice sausage and add to crock pot.


4. Turn crackpot on high, and let simmer for about 3-4 hours or until beans and potatoes are tender.





Full Plate Thursday


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10 comments:

  1. You have to be a Southern buying hamhocks LOL. I made a collard green stew last week with hamhocks but I have the butcher cut them in half. I only put a small one in the stew and cook the others seperately to cut back on the fat. The hubby and I eat half of hamhock with the stew for each meal. I think I will try your recipe because I have green beans and sage in my garden. Visiting from #fabulouslyfrugalthursday

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  2. I really want to try this in the crockpot. The green beans and red potatoes! I love those together. I've never had it with sausage before. But I will now! Thank you! I'm so glad I found this on the SITS Sharefest today!

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  3. That recipe looks awesome, Jackie!! I'm definitely going to add this to my slow cooker routine. I found you over at Sunday Brunch

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  4. Yum, I love a good easy "one pot" slow cooker meal. Definitely takes the hassle out of things!
    Visiting from Sunday Brunch at Mums. xx

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  5. This looks like such a good hearty meal! Thanks for sharing it with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  6. Looks like a great slow cooker meal. Also looked like a pretty good taco salad ;)
    Thanks for sharing and linking up for Sunday Brunch x

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  7. This sounds really good! I am always looking for more slow cooker meals! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Congratulations!
    Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you enjoy your New Red Plate and have a great weekend!
    Miz Helen

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  9. Looks great! Thank you for sharing this post at City of Creative Dream's City of Links last Friday! I appreciate you taking the time to party with me. Hope to see you again this week :)

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  10. Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. a year has how many weeks

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