Buying a slow cooker {A Three Things Thursday Post}

Dinner time would be a disaster at my house if it weren't for my slow cooker.

I know this. My family knows this. And, I'm fairly certain, you know this.

I use the sent-from-heaven appliance at least once a week, if not twice, making everything from Cuban pulled pork to marinara sauce to chili. I've tried lasagna, meatloaf and broccoli beef with mixed results. If I'm ever lost on what to make for dinner, I toss in a package of chicken and a jar/bottle of sauce (salsa, barbecue, teriyaki) and call it good.

And so does my family. Even if it's not the most delicious or inventive meal, Mark appreciates that we can eat within five minutes of me arriving home and clean-up is usually just the crock.

My current slow cooker is a digital model that I purchased at Kohl's in a hurried lunch break shopping trip. My beloved Hamilton Beach model had a crack in the crock, and I needed one ASAP. As it was not in the budget and the appliance can be surprisingly costly, I grabbed the most affordable one I could without sacrificing size – an Elite Platinum six-quart model.

Looking back, though, I wish I would have considered a few things.

• Temperature settings and how they work. My Hamilton Beach had high, low and warm and when the timer was finished, it switched to warm. I loved this feature as I could put things in at 8 a.m., set it for 8 hours and not worry about food getting cold when I came home at 6 p.m. I'm not even sure my new slow cooker has a warm setting and turns off when the cooking is finished. I worry that food will become unsafe between that time and when I come home. I usually add more liquid and increase the cooking time to assuage my concerns.

• Stay or go or just stay? My new slow cooker has this great locking lid that makes it easy to transport, say, if I was taking it to work for a pot luck. Just one thing: I'll never take it to a pot luck. It will stay on my counter, and I don't need the lid to lock. The mechanism merely interferes with cleaning. And, me being so awesome, I require 10 tries to get the dern thing open.

• Versatility. OK, this sounds silly. A slow cooker does one thing – cooks slow. However, had I taken more time to "research" slow cookers (aka Google the crap out of them), I would have discovered that there's a casserole slow cooker. The crock is rectangular, allowing it to fit in the oven and travel cases one might already have for baking pans.

Or there are multi-cookers that not only act as a slow cooker but pressure cooker and rice cooker. If I hadn't had the bejeebus scared out of me by my grandma, I would have a pressure cooker. But I did as she had one legit, bad ass one and I was warned that using it was an art. The work? Her amazing pot roast. This model, available at Kohl's, also has a delay start that, if it's as useful as the one on my washer, would be the best thing ever.

Now, with all of that said, my slow cooker works and that's all that truly matters as a promptly fed family is a happy family.

◊ ◊ &loz.

Do you have a slow cooker that you particularly love – or hate? And anyone try a new slow cooker recipe that must be shared?

On the Dinner Table

I think Mark was worried that a) the world was ending; or b) I was in labor when I called him to the kitchen frantically on Thursday morning.

But, to his relief, it was neither. The problem? The crock of my slow cooker had a crack. A real one.

I had made a batch of marinara sauce the day before without incident – at least none that I was aware of. After the remaining sauce was put into freezer containers for post-paby and the crock was pre-washed, Mark filled it with soapy water to soak overnight. On Thursday morning, I came downstairs to find some coupons on the counter soaking wet. I looked to see what would cause it and that's when I saw the crock. The black stoneware, once full, was now filled at about 75 percent. The remaining water – you guessed it – was on the counter.

Le sigh.

The slow cooker is older than my marriage, and I use it so often that the buttons on the digital display were worn off. I couldn't expect it to last forever with the wear and tear. But I wanted it to, especially when the $60 to $70 for a slow cooker could easily go toward diapers ... or snacks for my birthing bag.

And maybe that's why Mark was a bit frantic himself when he left for school that day. See how nice I am? I share my feelings!

To everyone's relief and well being, I snagged a slow cooker on clearance at Kohl's for $24 plus I had the unicorn 30 percent off coupon with my charge. $17 digital six-quart slow cooker, baby!

I broke it in last week with the beef and broccoli that I had on the menu, and I plan to use it again for some salsa chicken. Double batch so I can freeze some for post baby.

Here's what else we're eating:

Sunday: Cincinnati Chili (also a double batch for freezer)
Monday: Thai Chicken Burgers
Tuesday: Grilled smoked turkey sausage with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut for St. Patrick's Day
Wednesday: In-law's
Thursday: Slow cooker salsa chicken (burritos or salad)

Next week, I plan to use the slow cooker a bit more. You know, justify the hefty price tag ;) What's your favorite slow cooker recipe?

Dinner Time Hustle {+ recipe}

I've long been grateful that I have a flexible schedule and accommodating boss. I go to work at 10 a.m. but can come in early or a little late. I can take a lunch and go to the gym. And, with a 7.5-hour work day after pay cuts five years ago, I've been able to leave before 6 p.m.

But that has all changed.

The building recently moved to a new publishing system and to say that it has wreaked havoc would be an understatement. Folks are putting in long and stressful hours as we face errors, an adjustment period and changed workflow. I've escaped unscathed - relatively - but I've lost some of my much beloved flexibility.

Namely: I'm not able to leave as early. It's not significant - 20 minutes to a half-hour later - but it's not been without challenges. Getting home later means that I can't start dinner until nearly 6:30. With bed time starting at 7 p.m. (for Miles, sometimes me), it's been a rush to get food on the table. What could make it more fun? Trying to start dinner with a hungry and tired toddler who wants to be held. No matter how much I love to hold him, I need two hands to cook.

So, I've turned to my old friend: the slow cooker. Two-ingredient chicken (salsa + meat, teriyake + meat), roasted chicken and potato soup have all been on the menu recently. I got a little creative, though, this week and tried my hand on chili.

Now, let me talk about chili in our house for a minute. I grew up in Cincinnati and have a fondness for the Skyline-style sauce. Mark does not eat beans of any kind, thus preferring my homemade version of the Cincinnati-based franchise. The recipe takes hours on the stove, and I make it exclusively on Sundays when I have the time.

Though that family dish will always be No. 1 in my heart and belly, I'm quite fond of what we dished out of the slow cooker this week. It was flavorful, spicy but not overly so and didn't include any offensive ingredients. We found the chorizo added a depth that some basic chilis lack. The bonus: It used ingredients I had on hand and is easily adapted to what produce and pantry items are on hand and your family's preferences (read: beans).

Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chili

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound chorizo
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken or beef stock or water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked macaroni or spaghetti squash (see note)
Optional toppings: Cheese, sour cream, pickled jalapenos

In a non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and chorizo, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until about "medium" or "medium well." Leave a bit of pink but not so much so that the meat will clump together in the crock. Drain meat on paper towel. Add chopped vegetables, tomato sauce, stock or water and spices into crock. Stir in meat. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over macaroni or squash with toppings.

Note: To cut down on evening cook time, make the macaroni in the morning and stir into the chili during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, Moroccan Style

Have you ever woke up in the morning and, the moment you open your eyes, you think: Oh, shit. I forgot to x ... y ... z.

For me, the moment came Tuesday morning and the thing I forgot? Well, it meant dinner for that night was not going to happen - at least the way I planned.

The other week, I had stopped at the coop to get a can of coconut milk to stir into my paleo chicken pad thai. I figured that I'd buy a can for a couple bucks, use what I needed and toss. Wasteful? Yes. Necessary? Probably, at least for me on that day. Lo and behold, I went down the Asian aisle and saw culinary coconut milk in a carton with a resealable cap from So Delicious. I was able to add just what I needed and store the remaining in the work fridge for subsequent lunches during the week.

But I still had some coconut milk left so the plan was to bring it home and make a slow cooker curry. Not only did it sound great but it afforded me the opportunity to make dinner for Mark and Miles so they could see "The Lego Movie" at the library Tuesday night. I was filled with pride Monday night that I remembered to toss the milk in my lunch bag just before I left for the day.

If only I had remembered to put the milk in the fridge, though.

On Tuesday morning, I knew immediately that I had messed up and needed to scramble a dinner plan. There was some homemade macaroni and cheese in the freezer and a Barefoot Contessa bag meal (found on manager's special) in the deep freeze. They would work for the boys but not so much for me.

What would work? 

A twist on several recipes for Moroccan Chicken, an idea that surfaced after a frantic Google search.

The dish used staples from my pantry - canned diced tomatoes and ground ginger, coriander and cinnamon - and a few things that I happened to have because, if you hadn't guessed, I'm a sucker for Kroger's manager's specials. Even though I seemed to be in a terrible rush, the hardest thing I had to do was chop two cloves of garlic and that took all of 2 minutes.

Though it was simple to put together, the flavor was anything but. The dish was warm and hearty yet subtle, prompting two picky boys to clean their plates. I served my chicken over broccoli but it would pair will with couscous or brown rice.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Thighs

2 pounds chicken thighs
1/3 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/3 cup dried currants
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup plain yogurt

In a slow cooker, combine chicken thighs, apricots, currants, garlic ginger, salt, coriander, cinnamon, and pepper; stir. Pour diced tomatoes on top. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken from the slow cooker. Stir in plain yogurt to make sauce with the tomatoes. Place chicken on plate and top with tomato mix. Makes 4 servings.

Bite me

There are no words.

Just a recipe.

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onion Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 bag baby spinach
4 Laughing Cow Swiss wedges
4 Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb wedges
1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, more or less to taste
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound linguini, wheat or otherwise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of slow cooker and add onions. Cook for 8 hours on low. During the last half hour of cooking, add baby spinach, Laughing Cow wedges, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add cooked pasta and Greek yogurt. If necessary, thin out sauce with cooking liquid. Serve with fresh Parmesan.

For a non-vegetarian option, add sliced sweet Italian turkey sausage (cooked, obviously).

Disclosure: I was provided with free Laughing Cow wedges as part of the company's Snacking Into the Right Swimsuit State of Mind summer campaign but I was under no requirement to write about the product or create recipes. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

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.

Heat wave

There are few things more comforting on a cold winter's day than a big bowl of soup. Somehow, through dark magic I assume, the mixture of vegetables and broth is able to warm you up from the inside out.

And it is for that exact reason that I made a big batch of taco soup on the week in January when Northeast Indiana is going to see temperatures in the 50s.

I'm such a winner.

Really, I am. Regardless of whether its warm outside, my taco soup is a delicious, hearty meal. The protein from the ground turkey and beans and the fiber from the beans, corn and tomatoes are sure to satisfy. It has a bit of heat from taco seasoning and green chiles but is mild enough to serve the kiddies.

Oh, and it makes a ton. I'll have this soup for lunch four out of five days this week and still have enough leftovers to give some to my mother-in-law and freeze a few bowls. And let me tell you, having  soup in the freezer makes it much harder to justify eating greasy fast food on break because you don't have time to put something together.

If you are worried about finding this time to put this slow cooker meal together, let me assure you that this recipe is my favorite type of slow cooker meal: open and dump.

Skinny Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground turkey, browned and drained (optional or substitute protein of choice)
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (7-ounce) can diced chiles
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 packet of low sodium mix
1 packet ranch mix
Salt and pepper, to taste

Add everything to the slow cooker - tomatoes and corn are undrained - and cook on low for 8-10 hours The longer the better here. Serve with corn chips, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese and plan Greek yogurt. Freezes very well.

Note: If you actually thought of those things before going to the store.

Currying favor

So ugly yet so good.

When I signed up for Dr. Fuhrman's Healthy Holiday Challenge, I knew one of the key things would be not only planning my lunches but finding creative meals that fit the plant-based lifestyle and, more importantly, my tastes.  I didn't want to eat kale salads, though delicious, every day. I wanted hearty dishes that were full of flavor.

Dishes like this Indian buffet-inspired rajma.

There's nothing like hitting the Indian buffet - and hitting it hard. Saag paneer, rajma, chicken tikka masala, basmati, daal, naan. Oh, and that rice pudding and mango lassis. It's utterly delicious but a complete calorie bomb, and you leave feeling like you're going to birth the next Dali Lama. Not quite the goal of the Healthy Holiday Challenge.

These Indian-Spiced Kidney Beans bring home the flavors of your local Taj Mahal without the fat and calories. There's warmth from the cinnamon, a smokiness from the cumin and heat from the chili powder and cayenne. The beans are soft without being mushy and the sauce is perfect to soak up with a piece of whole grain naan.

Even better - it's in the slow cooker. Make it on a Sunday night, and you have lunches for the week come Monday morning. Wait. There is something - it used items I already had in my pantry, and probably cost a whopping $2 to make. Far cheaper than the buffet.

Slow Cooker Indian-Spiced Kidney Beans

1.5 cups red kidney beans, rinsed but not soaked
1 medium onion, diced
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1-inch piece ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups water
1/8 cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Chopped cilantro, to taste

Place all ingredients except the cilantro in the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans begin to break down and become thick.

Remove the cloves. Stir in cilantro.

If you wish, use an immersion blender or masher to break up some of the beans to create a thicker sauce. To make it non-vegan and a bit creamier, stir in 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt.

Serve with basmati rice and naan, if you are so lucky to have it. I managed to time this perfectly with a shipment of Stonefire Naan, which included a whole grain variety.

Food Friday: Tale of two slow cookers

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, lived a girl with striking red hair and the desire to live healthy. She was busy, though - maybe even too busy but she always tried to do the best she could.

One day, she wanted to make fajitas with all the proper accoutrements for dinner - peppers, onions, guacamole, sour cream and beans. The day would be busy, she feared, and dinner would be rushed and uninspired. She threw her head wearily onto the counter in defeat.

Crash. Bang. Thump.

The girl looked down and saw a pair of blue eyes and a mischievous grin. Her toddler was playing in a cabinet where she stored cutting boards, ice cube trays and slow cookers. The trays had clattered to the floor and a tiny arm made his way to a shiny glass object.

"No! Not my slow cooker!" she gasped, swooping in to take the lid from the boy. Just as it almost struck the floor, she was struck with an idea. Her dinner woes could be solved by the slow cooker and his little friend, too.

In the big slow cooker, she layered a sliced bell pepper, red onion and 8 ounces of mushrooms. Chicken breast went on top followed by a seasoning mix of cumin, chili powder and salt. While the recipe suggested fresh lime juice, the girl found she was out. With new found motivation, she was undeterred and added a sprinkling of True Lime before splashing in some chicken broth. The shiny silver pot was turned on low for eight hours. With a bing, dinner was as good to go as she could do.

With visions of re"fried" black beans dancing in her head, she added dry beans, water, bay leaves, cumin and chipotle chili powder to the white slow cooker. It might have been the less impressive, small and non-digital, but the crock was going to hold the night's most prized dish.

She skipped off to work, proud of what she had accomplished. Little did she know that the clouds had rolled in, darkened and the universe was ready to rain on her parade.

Tiny little trolls invaded her kitchen and turned the dinner upside down. The vegetables she so hoped would be cooked but definable became a mush at the bottom of the crock. The seasoning mix became an unpleasant crust on the chicken. Tiny little bones started to appear in the meat. The beans were turned to low instead of high - an egregious error as they had been unsoaked.

When the girl returned, her red hair bouncing with excitement as she walked through the door, walked hurriedly to the kitchen. Fajitas and salads were ready to be made and the bellies of her men were grumbling with hunger.

She took lid off crock No. 1 and gasped. The fajitas were an ugly mess and almost looked inedible. She was not deterred, shredding the meat and mixing it with the vegetables for burritos instead. It's all the same with re"fried" black beans.

Gasp.

Her loss of breath was audible as the girl opened the second crock. The beans were a sunken mass swimming at the bottom of a murky pool of water. She poked them with a fork, hopeful but discovered the trolls had dashed her visions. The beans couldn't be stabbed with a fork much lass mashed for re"fried" beans.

Her dinner was not to be, she resolved, and threw up her hands.

And then those hands turned the small crock to high. Beans might not be for dinner but with another four hours on high, they can make for a delicious lunch the next day and breakfast the day after that.

How's that for a fairy tale ending?

Soup's on: Slow Cooker Smoky Potato Chowder

There's a fire in my belly, and it feels so warm and comforting on these decidedly fall days.

Once the temperatures start to dip and the days grow shorter, there's nothing I crave more than soup. Hot, hearty, satisfying soup. Paired with a sandwich or salad, it's the perfect weeknight dinner and the leftovers offer quick and healthy lunches for the week.

I've had a bag of potatoes in the pantry that were getting close to shriveling up and sprouting eyes, and I figured that there would be no better way to save them than to put them in a soup.

Potato soup, obviously.

We all know, though, that potato soup has a reputation for being rich and calorie-laden but a few tweaks - and a lot of flavor - bring it down to size. Cumin, garlic, fire-roasted corn and diced tomatoes with green chiles offer an unexpected twist on what I'm calling Slow Cooker Smoky Potato Chowder.

I served it up to one hungry boy and one hungry girl (soup is too much effort on my part to give to Miles) and both of us would have been ready for seconds had it not been so filling.

We enjoyed the chowder with sandwiches. Turkey and tomatoes on white with mustard for him; turkey, tomato, mixed greens, broccoli sprouts and a smear of light mayonnaise on Ezekiel 4:9 Spouted Whole Grain Flax Bread.

Now tell me - whose sandwich looks better?

I normally eat a light wheat bread that has 35 calories per slice but I had a chance to try the Ezekiel bread. I have to say the chewy texture and nutty flavor was a welcome departure for me. It was hearty enough that I just needed one slice and, at 80 calories, it wasn't a diet buster.

Good thing, too, because I am OBSESSED with this blood orange sorbet from Kroger's Private Selection line. It might be cool enough for soup but it's never to cold for ice cream.

Slow Cooker Smoky Potato Chowder

2 pounds Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
2 cups broth, vegetarian or chicken
1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk or equal amount non-dairy cream
1 cup frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles, drained

In the slow cooker, add chopped potatoes and chopped onion. Sprinkle with cumin and garlic powder. Toss in bay leaf and pour broth over top of everything. The broth will not cover the potatoes. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are soft. Add evaporated milk to slow cooker. Puree the potato-milk mixture with stick blender or in batches in a traditional blender. Add corn and drained tomatoes. Cook for 20 minutes on high or until the flavors meld and everything is hot. Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 235 calories, 0 grams fat, 49 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein

Food Friday: DIY stock

It was ugly. Oh, so ugly.

After all, it was for all purposes garbage ... but one person's garbage is another person's dinner.

Or something like that.

My friend has been making his own vegetable stock lately. He's always talking about saving the bulb of the celery and having leftover carrots and tossing it all in a pot and making stock. While he's a proficient, if not accomplished, cook, I doubted the ability of a person to toss in old vegetables into a pot of water and come out with something edible. It didn't seem worth the risk when there's cute little boxes at the grocery store that make all of that so easy.

Until I was left in a dinner quandary.

I had intended to make chicken and noodle soup for dinner (so smart given the week's heat wave) but found myself with no stock and just leftover chicken meat - no bones to make my own broth. I did, however, have a bunch of carrots, some celery and some onions on their last leg. I had nothing to lose by trying to make some vegetable stock ... except some vegetables destined for composting.

I searched a variety of recipes and settled on a slow cooker one because it made the most sense for the day. With a bit of trepidation, I tossed in:

• About celery stocks, with leaves
• 6 carrots
• 1 white onion
• 1 red onion
• 4 mini sweet bell peppers
• 1 potato
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 teaspoon each: dried oregano, parsley and sage
• 14 cups water
• *Note: Vegetables are unpeeled but cut into chunks

I set it on low for 8 hours and went to work. Upon my return, I found the house full with the aroma of home-cooked food.

I strained the broth in a colander (not the fine mesh strainer recommended) and made chicken and noodles. The meal was tasty but unremarkable though not the fault of the broth - and more the fault of the German noodles I bought.

I have about 10 cups of stock leftover to redeem myself, though, and it cost me nothing but some garbage and the 42 cents in electric the slow cooker required. 

I guess it does beat those boxes in the grocery.

Smells like teen, err, Indian spirit

This week, I am that co-worker. You know the one. The one who brings in unattractive leftover and uses the microwave to warm it to the point that its aroma permeates the entire office.

Yep, that's me. Me and my Indian-spiced lentils.

I bought lentils awhile ago to make ... to make ... well, I was going to make something and I never did. The dried legumes have been henceforth sitting in the pantry. Mocking me. Taunting me, each and every time I opened the cabinet to fish for something to occupy Miles while I cooked dinner.

Finally fed up (well, maybe just the opposite) with the appearance of the bag, I decided to finally use them. I went over to The Perfect Pantry, typed in that I had lentils and came up with Indian-Spiced Lentils made ... wait for it ... in the slow cooker.

Sweet Jesus, I was in love.

Now, I must disclose that after selecting this recipe that it took me a good three weeks to remember to pick up ginger at the store. I blame our new grocery routine - I do the bulk of the shopping at Aldi and fill in at Kroger. Aldi has no ginger and Miles is cranky by the time we hit Kroger.

Anyway, I got the ginger, I had my lentils and I had a slow cooker free (yes, I have more than one). That recipe was going to be mine!

Slow cooker Indian-spiced lentils
Barely adapted from The Perfect Pantry

2 cups small lentils, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (not optional)

In a 3-quart slow cooker, add all ingredients. Stir to combine, and cover with water to within 1 inch of the top of the cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours, or cook on low for 6 hours, stirring once or twice during that time and checking that there is sufficient water in the cooker. If the lentils have absorbed most of the water before they finish cooking, add enough water to cover the lentils again. After the cooking time, taste, and season with salt as needed. Add cilantro and serve hot. Or, pack into small containers, let cool completely, and freeze. Serves 8.


Note: The original recipe said 2 hours on high, 4 hours on low. I tried this. It didn't work. I cooked mine for 2 hours on high, realized they were not done and cooked it on low for 2 or 3 more hours.

And if you want to know how they taste? Better than they look because, well, they look like baby poo. I like the flavor and find it to be a filling lunch when served with a 1/2 cup of basmati rice. Miles has tried them, too, and though he was was a bit hesitant at first, he ate them with enthusiasm.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Boot camp is proving to be a challenge. And not just because my instructor decided that it would be super fun to combine plank jacks and burpees into one exercise. (Really, how do you think of things like that?)

L and me, pre-plank jack torture

The twice weekly class has been a challenge for my schedule. More specifically, meal planning. The class is from 6 to 6:45 p.m. - the time fame when I would normally arrive home from work and prepare (and eat) dinner. In another life, I would have just made something quick for Mark and myself when I got home at 7 p.m.but that hour is now devoted to baths, jammies and nursing.

By the way, in that other life, I would get to sleep past 5 a.m., eat with both hands and would never feel guilty about taking a shower.

Anyway ... if I had a bigger entertainment budget, less of a conscience and one of those mythical metabolisms where you can eat whatever you want, I'd probably pick up dinner from one of the many fast food restaurants that dot my route back home. Arby's, Long John Silvers, Big Boy, Taco Bell. Heck, I might even go out of my way and hit up KFC.

But why would I do that? Especially when I can make a healthful (and affordable!) chicken dinner in less time than it takes to go through the drive through.

Here's what you do in 5 easy steps.

1. Buy a whole chicken. It works best if you plan ahead and buy the chicken during your weekly grocery trip.

2. Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Don't forget to take the chicken out of the packaging and remove any of the innards.

3. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings of choice - seasoning salt, pepper, garlic powder. You even could go super fancy and use lemon pepper. You do not have to add anything else. Not even liquid.

4. Cover the slow cooker and turn on low. If you have a programmable one like me, set it for 8 hours.

5. Come home. Eat.

Seriously, it's that easy. Whip up some mashed potatoes (I made them in the morning so all I had to do was reheat them) and pop a steamer bag of broccoli in the microwave and you have a whole meal.

What is your favorite go-to meal in a pinch?