My datebook is preparing itself to be shaken by the many birthdays, work events, and family parties of spring. Thankfully, recent weekends have been free, and I’m getting plenty of preemptive rest in my spare time, knowing that upcoming Saturdays and Sundays won’t allow me to sleep in.

Aside from conserving energy on days I don’t have to set the alarm, a busy weeknight calendar as of late will help me ease into the reoccurring frenzy of spring weekends. Between my weekly French class, Joe’s soccer schedule, yoga class in the neighborhood, doctors appointments or dinners with my girlfriends, the evening hours from Monday to Friday are usually booked. Nights I’d usually spend making dinners for two are spent doing other things I enjoy.

The slow cooker did the work for me last Monday, ensuring we’d have something prepared for us not only when we came home that evening, but also for the nights following. With a large piece of pork and a handful of other ingredients, I was able to plan ahead.

Chipotle Peach Pork

5 lbs. pork loin roast

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

16 oz. jar of medium salsa

¼ cup peach preserves

15 oz. can sliced peaches, drained

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped, and 1 tablespoon sauce

Rinse and dry pork. Season with cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker and top with salsa, peach preserves, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Cover with lid and cook on low for approximately 8 to 10 hours. Remove, slice and place in shallow dish. Top with sauce and peaches.

There’s nothing better than coming home to a fully cooked dinner when you’re famished and, often, it’s impossible to make that happen without the help of a slow cooker. The smoky cumin, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce assist in enhancing the jarred salsa in adding a tolerable amount of heat. Canned peaches and peach preserves add a layer of sweetness that typically works well with pork, and grabbing a slice of the fruit from whatever doesn’t disintegrate in the hot liquid is a highlight. For optimum flavor, serve the sliced pork topped with a generous amount of the sweet and spicy sauce.  An alternative recipe, should you find yourself with time on your hands, would be to combine the salsa, pepper and adobo sauce, and peach ingredients in a small pot on the stove, over medium heat. Everything melts together, resulting in the perfect sauce for a piece of meat roasted in the oven and, since it would be thicker than the slow cooker sauce, it would be a great accompaniment served on the side.

At the start of the week, I was able to put the necessary ingredients into the slow cooker and have dinner made by the time I got home. On top of that, I wrapped leftovers up in flour tortillas the following night, and scrambled some together in my morning eggs. Assistance from my slow cooker gave the impression of having a personal home cook, even if I had to do part of the work. Suddenly, my busy calendar doesn’t feel so overwhelming.