It is the second week of May and if it weren’t for my iPhone calendar, I wouldn’t know what day it is. We are in the throes of baseball, soccer, school concerts, karate testing, and gymnastics; this piled on top of the everyday business of jobs, school, sleep, chores, and family time. And meals! Don’t forget the need to eat 3 or 4 times a day. I keep asking myself, “How did we get here?” I never wanted to be that crazed, over-scheduled family — the parents harried and jacked on caffeine, auto-piloting from one activity to the next, one foot plodding after the other until they crash into bed late at night. I saw it so many times in the eyes of my friends and smugly thought, “Not us.”
And, yet, here we are. We held off as long as we could. How do we say ‘no’ to kids who are full of enthusiasm and energy and want to do everything? They want to play baseball. They want to play soccer. [Does it have to be all in the same season? Apparently so. I was begging them to just pick one, but caved big-time to the testosterone lobby in my house.] And so, we spend 3-4 nights a week at baseball, a few times a week at soccer, and squeeze in karate when we can. What’s a mom to do? They are good kids, they do well in school, and live in a household devoid of the usual comforts like cable TV and an Xbox. We’re not complete ogres, so we say yes to these interests. And try to maintain some sense of order amidst the chaos.
Good nutrition often takes a hit. One day last week I realized none of the kids had more than 2 servings of fruit or vegetables the entire day. Argggh! How do you keep the family fueled up when you are on the run all day, then again from 4:00 to 7:00 pm? Three things I know that help: planning, smart snacking, and a stocked pantry. This crockpot chicken taco recipe is a good example of quick and easy meal you can plan to do ahead, with ingredients you are likely to have on hand. Throw it in the crockpot in the morning, and whenever you happen to get back, it will be ready. More ideas for feeding the on-the-go family coming in my next post.
Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Recipe courtesy of the fantastic Barbara Duff
Serves 6-8
2 1-lb packages of boneless chicken tenders
15 ounces lower-sodium chicken broth (like College Inn)
12 ounces salsa
1 package of lower-sodium taco seasoning (like Old El Paso)
Add all ingredients to crockpot. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken to cutting board and shred with two forks. Return shredded meat to crockpot and stir to combine with sauce. Serve on soft or crunchy tortilla with avocado, chopped onion, tomatoes, light sour cream, hot sauce, shredded cheddar, taco sauce, etc…
Building your own taco is light creating a work of art. Georgia made me promise I would include the taco she built as well 🙂
That’s all for now, but I leave you with this question: what is your favorite healthy go-to snack for yourself or the kids when you’ve got a chaotic afternoon ahead? Let me know and I’ll include them in the next post!
Thanks Jules!! We were having these tacos every Tuesday night and calling it “Taco Tuesday” since about December…..believe it or not, they are now just getting sick of them. So, we have to come up with another Tuesday night crock pot dinner idea, preferably something that begins with the letter “T”……any suggestions?
Hmmmm. Tuesday Brewsday wouldn’t be appropriate for the little ones, would it?! Let me thunk on it, get back to you!
Thanks for the tip – will check it out!
This is great Jules – thanks so much!! Our family LOVES tacos, and the traditional make on the stove kind just doesn’t fit into a schedule with 6 days/week of Trev’s baseball, plus work, volunteering, tennis, etc.
I do use the crockpot alot during baseball season – it helps me get food in Trev before practice/games and it’s still there/warm for Brian when he gets home from coaching (he doesn’t come home in between). During this time of year, you’re right, it’s a stocked fridge/pantry that keeps us going – lots of grab and go fruit, G2’s in the fridge (to go with the water bottles of course) and pick-up-packets like nuts, energy bars, etc. Things with good protein seem to really help hold us over.
All good ideas. Definitely protein along with the carbs (aka “energy”) helps.
In our house it’s known as red chicken & we make burritos with black beans, cheese & rice with a side of steamed broccoli. One of the few things we all agree on.
Sounds delish!