My crock-pot broke. (tear)

And being the procrastinating and frugal person that I am, I never went to buy a new one. But lately with my work schedule, I haven’t had the time or energy to make a nutritious meal each night and that’s really been weighing on me. So today I bit the bullet and went to Target.

BTW – Target is fabulous for finds but terrible for my sanity. I’ll stop myself before I get started on all the bizarre things that went on during my trip there. The important part of the story is that I bought a new crock-pot!!

It’s smaller than my last one. 4.5 quarts I think. Not an ideal size. They were sold out of the one I wanted (-3 in stock actually) but it was on sale so I can’t complain. I’m excited to start setting and forgetting once again!

Here’s a few of my favorite crock pot recipes from the past!

No Hurry Vegetable Curry

Chicken and Cauliflower Curry

Sweet and Spicy Lentil Chili

Be creative with your time. If I have a little extra time, I’ll spend it looking up recipes online or cooking a second meal for later in the week.  Have a free moment in the morning?  Prepare the ingredients you’ll need for dinner later on.  On the weekends, chop up some veggies or bake some chicken tenders for salads during the week.  I also take my time in the market, checking to see what’s on sale and only buying foods that I need for the recipes I’ve planned.  Shopping on the fly?  Be sure to make a list before hand so you don’t need to waste time or buy things you don’t need.  And remember:  Stay out of the snack isles. Peruse the perimeter!

Be inventive with your meals. Before I reach for the take-out menu, I always take a look at what I’ve got on hand. Sometimes I make my best recipes with stuff I already had in the refrigerator.  A couple of celery stalks here, a green pepper there.  The last few drops of raspberry vinaigrette.  Saute that up with some cut-up pork chops, and viola! I’ve got myself a stir-fry. And again, be thoughtful at the market.  See what’s on sale and what’s in season.  Sometimes there’s a delicous meal just waiting for you, and at half the cost.

Be savvy with your appliances. My crock pot and I are best buds.  Give me a set-it-and-forget-it-recipe and I’m in heaven.  It’s awesome to come home from a long day at work to the smell of chicken and tomatoes stewing in the kitchen.  My rice cooker is another one.  Throw in some rice on the bottom and steam some broccoli and carrots on the top and I’ve got myself a meal in 15 minutes.

Be Ready for Tomorrow. I’m always making extra.  Leftovers are a great way to ensure that lunch tomorrow is just as healthy as dinner tonight. Whenever I have a busy work week, I make soup.  It’s also easy to freeze and to re-heat.  Making extra ensures that I’ve got healthy, great-tasting food ready and waiting.

Tonight’s dinner was Cream of Broccoli Soup.   I doubled the recipe so that I would have extra.  And boy, do I have extra.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream

Directions

• Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color.
• Add stock and bring to boil.
• Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve!

If butter and cream are not in your diet, you can easily substitute. Why not try a little olive oil and butternut squash?  Stay tuned for an amazing butternut squash soup recipe.  And if you have any questions or need more recipe ideas, drop me a line, I’d be happy to help!

P.S. You ever notice that eating out doesn’t get you fed any quicker?