Recipe Round-Up

In just 36 hours, I report back to school!

For the past couple of weeks of now, I find myself becoming anxious just at the thought of school starting back up.

One the positive side:  I'm beyond excited to get into the classroom and start working with the kiddos.  I know there'll be a few rough days, but I'm sure the good days will outnumber the bad...or so I hope :-)

On the negative side:  Trying to get back into a routine and working 60 hours a week!

I worked just 7 weeks at the school before summer break started--then I had almost 3 months of working part-time at CASA.  And now the inevitable is here!  I return to my schedule of being at the school during the day and then running down to my office at the visitation program for a few hours afterwards.

But here's the catch--in addition to work, there's still the fun chores of life to tackle!  I've realized that in order to get everything accomplished in a day's time, it will require me getting up earlier in the day.  Which is going to suck...I am NOT a morning person at all!  I plan on switching to morning gym classes to ensure I get a work-out in--I've been so glad to get back into working out this summer that I really, really don't want to give it up :-)

The thing that has been creating the most anxiety though is meals!  I hate fast food and I really don't like eating out all that much--I know, crazy, huh?!  It's expensive and upsets my stomach--who wants to pay for that?!  Lol...Last spring I tried to cook decent meals but I felt like my whole evening was spent in the kitchen and cleaning up.  Not fun.

I've decided the best option is slow-cooker meals and casseroles!  Sundays have always been our housework/yardwork days and we'll just add cooking to the mix.  If I can get everything prepared on Sunday and waiting in the spare fridge to be cooked during the week, Justin can throw it in the oven/crock pot and it will be ready when I get home from the office :-)

As with a lot of other people, I feel like we rotate the same 5-6 recipes...I've been looking all over the internet for easy but healthy recipes that we can throw into the mix for some variety.  If any of you have recipes for casseroles & crock pots, pass them along!