Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Money vs. Time

I guess for me it all comes down to quality of life. Right now, despite the extra money I've been making working extra hours, my lack of time at home is affecting the quality of all of our lives. There are tell tale signs everywhere. (The mountain of laundry is just the first clue.) Getting dinner on the table each night has been a real challenge as well. The slow cooker has been a life saver during this time and tonight I'll be relying on it again.

Since our CSA pickup is tonight, I'll be using the last of the veggies left over from last weeks pickup. That means the primary vegetable will be winter squash, although I do have a bit of daikon as well.

I'll start by tossing a bit of scallions and collard stems (already chopped and frozen from earlier in the season) into the slow cooker. Next, I'll add some of the winter squash that I cooked over the weekend. I might puree it if it seems too stringy (or I could wait and puree the whole thing after its cooked). Finally, I'll be adding dried split peas, water, some thyme and some vegetable broth powder. I'll set the whole thing cooking on high for now, because crunchy split peas are a bummer. When my daughters get home from school, I'll have them turn it down to low. (Another option is to boil the water before adding it to the slow cooker and cook the whole day on low.)

UPDATE:
I accidentally forgot to call my daughter to put the slow cooker on low. As a result, there was no need to puree anything because both the split peas and the squash had gotten so soft. Simply stirring before serving was enough. I have to say the flavor of the squash really lent itself to the split pea soup. It was a big hit.

6 comments:

Harmonia said...

Everytime I go to the store I always forget the scallions! Why is that? Yeah. Money vs. Time. I hear ya! ;)

Gavi said...

That sounds very warm and tasty. I think I have a slow cooker, but I've never used it. I'll have to dig it out and look for ideas of what to make in it.

Patience said...

Money vs. Time -- isn't that the truth. I'm currently trying to strike a comfortable balance betwix the two myself....

Barbara said...

Katie:

I was wondering if you tried the bread recipe yet. I'm interested to see what results you get.

I don't have a money vs time issue. I have lots of time and no money. So cooking is fun, not just necessary, for me.

Barbara

Ruthie said...

Katie... amen sister.

Russell and I decided it is time for me to cut back to part time. It IS a quality of life issue, and being frugal and simple yet happy is a huge part of our life that being spendthrift (resturant meals two or three nights a week, shopping trips with friends, etc) and quasi-happy (it's fun.. but the indigestion, incredibly piles or laundry, dishes, kitty litter,and no time to spend enjoying each others' company isn't) just can't match. It's going to be a bit hard to explain to my boss why a young, childless woman with a little bit of debt wants less money, but I think it all really comes down to quality of life. Thank you for reaffirming my belief. :-)

Katie said...

Harmonia,
My solution to that was to cut the ends off the last batch of scallions I bought and put them in a pot on my windowsill.

Gavrielah,
Do dig it out, it can be a real lifesaver.

see-a penny,
Finding that balance is a challenge and its different for everyone.

Barbara,
I haven't had a chance to try your bread recipe yet. I'm hoping to get to it Saturday. I will definitely let you know how it goes.

Ruthie,
No problem! Tell your boss, even childless couples need a good quality of life!