As the weather cools, the sun sets earlier, and the world seems to slow down with the changing of the seasons, you probably find yourself seeking a warm meal, a cozy blanket, and a cuddle by the fire with your favorite people. 

The Danish call it hygge, a delightful word used to describe a quality of “coziness that brings a feeling of contentment of well-being.” (And because we know you want to ask, it’s pronounced “hoog-uh.”) They enjoy simple comforts, all centered around time with their family and friends as the days shorten and the temperatures drop. The hygge lifestyle is one of warm blankets, mugs of steaming tea or chocolate, and gathering around the table with family to enjoy good food.
Here at Beehive meals, we call it Slow Cooker Season.

Slow cookers and fall were made for each other

We know the fall and winter seasons are jam packed with activities. Whether it’s pee-wee football, your first grader’s basketball games, or those ever adorable winter recitals, it probably feels like you have something on your schedule every night. Finding time to squeeze in meal prep can be a challenge at best and seem impossible on the busiest days.

Enter the slow cooker. 

By the time you get home from work or after school activities, you can lift the lid of your slow cooker and serve up a delicious meal before the next item on your to-do list. 

And the meals — ah the delicious meals of fall! Whether it’s a creamy soup or a spicy pork carnita, all the flavors of fall are amplified as they marinate in a slow cooker. Take those meals to the back porch or around a fire pit, and make the memories of a lifetime with your family as you watch the leaves fall and the sun set on the horizon. 

Give your family the gift of time (and food)

Slow Cooker Season is the perfect chance to focus on your family. With just a tiny bit of planning early in the day — it takes about three minutes to put something in your slow cooker — you’re planting the seed for quality family time around the table. You won’t be frantically bouncing around the kitchen come dinner time. You’ll be sitting down with your loved ones to enjoy good food and good conversation, taking advantage of the moments that can never be replaced.

Sitting down with our families, even for five minutes, to enjoy dinner together is the dream, and the benefits of this family time are huge. Harvard’s study on the benefits of family dinners said it was “just incredible” how much of a difference it makes in levels of depression and anxiety, not to mention higher rates of resilience and self-esteem. Kids who eat with their families have a better sense of who they are and who they want to be. 

It’s said the kitchen is the heart of the home, and we couldn’t agree more. Give that heart and your family some love by removing all the busy work surrounding meal prep, and make those minutes quality time.

That’s the life for me

Choosing the slow cooker life doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing quality or taste. On the contrary, you’re embracing the long, slow, beautiful dance of allowing your meals to cook at a leisurely pace, all while living your best life. 

The home chef who embraces slow cooker season has more time for laughs, more time for games, more time for s’mores around the fire. Planning ahead for family events is a breeze, especially during the holidays. Enjoy all the season has to offer during the day, then come home to a warm, cozy meal already prepared and waiting for you to dig in. 

Slow cooker season also means minimal cleanup. One pot to clean instead of many? Plenty of time to cozy on up next to the fire with the ones you love? That’s the life.

Let Beehive Meals give you the best Slow Cooker Season yet

Made with fresh ingredients, sealed in vacuum packaged bags, and frozen for easy storage, Beehive Meals has already done the hard work for you. Just pop a meal in your slow cooker, add a side or two, and cozy on up for a delicious meal with your family. 

Check out our monthly menus (don’t miss our fan favorite soup menu), and secure your own personal hygge for this year’s slow cooker season with Beehive Meals.