Take recipe to heart: A recipe

It seems like these days there's a special designation for every thing. January is Hot Tea Month and National Oatmeal Month. Today is National Bubblegum Day and April 17 (my birthday) is Ford Mustang Day.

But there's one observance that I can get behind, especially as a woman: National Heart Health Month. It's February, hence the post today, Feb. 1.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease, and 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. It doesn't have to be a death sentence, though. A healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and good nutrition can offset many of the risks and improve health.

Though I'm still trying to figure out the definition of good nutrition for me, WomensHealth.gov said you should eat mainly:

• Fruits and vegetables 
• Grains (at least half of your grains should be whole grains, such as whole wheat, whole oats, oatmeal, whole-grain corn, brown rice, wild rice, whole rye, whole-grain barley, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, quinoa, and sorghum) 
• Fat-free or low-fat versions of milk, cheese, yogurt, and other milk products 
• Polyunsaturated (pol-ee-uhn-SACH-uh-ray-tid) and monounsaturated (mon-oh-uhn-SACH-uh-ray-tid) fats (found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils)
• Fish, skinless poultry, lean meats, dry beans, eggs, and nuts 

Did you catch that last part, the one about lean meats? To maintain heart health, you don't have to eat grilled chicken with steamed broccoli and brown rice or unseasoned pork loin with sweet potatoes and steamed spinach.

Nope. You can have something like Slow Cooker French Onion Meatloaf.

The key is to select a quality, lean protein (chalk one up for Weight Watchers' lessons) like Laura's Lean Beef.

Laura's Lean Beef is at least 92 percent lean (some products are 96 percent) and it's free of hormones and antibiotics.

And it's the star player in this flavorful and hardy dish, which Mark enjoyed for dinner two nights in a row and I enjoyed not really having to cook.

Note: This recipe is also toddler tested and approved.

Slow Cooker French Onion Meatloaf

1 pound Laura's Lean Beef
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/3 - 1/2 cup whole-wheat Panko bread crumbs
1 onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf

In a bowl, gently combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, egg and bread crumbs. Form into a loaf and place in the crock of a slow cooker. Arrange onions and mushrooms around the meatloaf. Pour broth over onions and mushrooms; toss in bay leaf. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or until cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

Disclosure: Laura's Lean Beef provided me with product vouchers but all opinions and commentary expressed are my own. I was a consumer of Laura's Lean Beef before the opportunity. For more recipes, visit the their website.