Grandma's Vegetable Beef Soup

I grew up not caring for any soup, but this is the one soup I would always eat.  Now I love all kinds of soup, but this one is still a favorite.  I can't believe I have never posted the recipe.  I took a picture of it the last time I made it (without potatoes and added peas)... but still never got around to posting it.  I figured since I am making it overnight tonight for a family gathering tomorrow after church, I would post it.  This time, I made my beef broth a couple of weeks ago and froze it, just to save some prep time this weekend.  I will not be adding the cabbage or butter this time, though, due to Bristol's sensitivity.  I generally always add homemade tomato soup, but the stuff I have in the freezer right now has milk in it, so I bought some organic soup with the fewest ingredients I could find.  This is such a delicious soup.  Let me know if you try it sometime!

Grandma's Vegetable Beef Soup

1 small beef roast (or 1-2 pounds stew meat)
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 Tablespoons butter
1-2 cans tomato soup

Place roast with onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper in a large soup pot.  Cover with water by a couple of inches, bring to a boil.  Boil until beef is cooked through.  Remove roast and set aside to cool.  Cut up into chunks when cool enough to handle.

Strain broth.  Discard bay leaf and onion.  Return broth to soup pot.

Add chopped beef, celery, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, butter, and tomato soup to the soup pot.  Simmer until vegetables are cooked and beef is very tender. 

You can also dump everything into a crockpot and cook on low all day, if you prefer.

Hawaiian Meatballs

I've been looking for new recipes to make using ground beef.  I picked up this year's beef a month or so ago and we still had a decent supply of ground beef from last year... so I'm trying to use some of it up.  In the winter months, I always fear running out of ground beef, so I avoid using it much.  Then when it comes time to get the new order of beef, I find myself feeling like I'm drowning in ground beef.  So when I saw The Mango Duck's recipe for Hawaiian Meatballs on Pinterest the other day, I figured I'd give them a try.  I made a few changes - added some almond flour and an egg, plus omitted a few ingredients since I didn't have them on hand - red pepper flakes, lime juice, and cilantro.  I'll post the recipe as I made it below.  I also changed the cooking method to use the crockpot.  I'd like to try them on the stovetop sometime, as The Mango Duck made them, but we were going away during the day and I just wanted to have an easy dinner, ready to go once we got home. 

These were really good.  We all really liked them a lot.  It kind of reminded us of some thai-coconut curries we've had, but with a little sweetness from the pineapple.  It was yummy!  Carson even went back for seconds.  They were quite easy to throw together, too - at least using the crockpot for everything.  I'll definitely be making these again! 

Hawaiian Meatballs

For the meatballs:

2 lbs of ground meat (pork, chicken, turkey, etc)

3/4 cup almond flour

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

2 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos

2 teaspoon curry powder

2 green onions, diced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 egg

salt & pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1 can coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon Coconut Aminos

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 green onion, diced

juice from 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons crushed pineapple

3 Tablespoons pineapple juice

2 teaspoon basil, chopped

Mix all the ingredient for the meatballs in a bowl and then form into meatballs.  Make them whatever size you like.  Place the meatballs into a crockpot. 

Mix ingredients for sauce in a bowl.  Pour over meatballs in crockpot. 

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until meatballs are cooked through.


This post is shared at:
Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist
Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager
Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke is Online
Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS

Stifado (Greek Stew)

I pinned a post recently for summer slow cooker meal ideas.  One of the ideas featured in that pin was for a greek stew called stifado from Dialed-In Nutrition.  It sounded really good - plus I was trying to use up some of last year's beef before I pick up our beef this week.  So I made this for dinner one night last week.  I cut out a lot of the prep work to make it super easy to prepare and I don't feel like it really cut the flavors or taste at all.  I also cut out the optional ingredients and switched out a few for what I had on hand - I posted the recipe below as I made it.  This was very good - we all really liked it a lot.  My brother-in-law had dinner with us the night I made this and he thought it was very good, as well.  I served it with orzo, some roasted zucchini fries and roasted mushrooms. 

Greek Stifado

3 Tablespoons coconut oil
2-3 pounds grassfed beef, cut into 1 1/2" cubes (I used a chuck roast and cut it up)
1 medium onion, chopped
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup tomato puree (I just used a can of diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Add everything into your crockpot.  Stir to incorporate ingredients.  Cover.  Let cook on low for at least 8 hours. 


This post is shared at:
Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist
Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke is Online

Crockpot French Dip Beef

My husband loves french dip sandwiches. My son and I think they are pretty good, too, especially homemade. But we haven't had them in ages because we haven't been eating much bread while following the primal/paleo diet. With a new baby arriving in a couple of months, I've been trying to get some easy, tasty, nourishing foods in the freezer so that I can just pull them out for easy dinners after the baby is born. So I decided to make up some french dip beef a few weeks ago. It really couldn't be easier to make and it is so delicious! Using homemade beef bone broth and grass fed beef makes this a very nourishing meal, as well.  We ate it for dinner one night and I was able to put two containers of the beef and au jus into the freezer to have later on this summer. Kevin and Carson ate this on some buns, which obviously is not paleo, but I ate the beef on its own with some au jus over top.  I think I actually like it better without the bun, honestly.  I served it with some roasted vegetables - asparagus, mushrooms, and broccoli.

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

3-4 pound grass fed chuck roast
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart homemade beef broth
2 Tablespoons coconut aminos (a healthy alternative to soy sauce)
Water or more beef broth, enough to cover the roast by about 1/2 inch - the amount, or even whether you need it will depend on what size crockpot you are using. I used a 4-qt crock, so I only needed to add about 1/2 cup.

Place roast in crock. Add onions and garlic, broth, coconut aminos, and water, if needed.

Let cook on low all day until meat is very tender and falling off the bone. Remove the meat from crock and shred using two forks. Add shredded meat back into crock. Serve on its own with au jus over top, or on buns with a small ramekin of the au jus for dipping.

If freezing, be sure to include plenty of au jus in your containers.



This post is shared at:

Real Food Forager's Fat Tuesday

Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday

Paleo Beef Chili

Chili is a perfect dinner for a cool, fall day like the ones we've been having lately.  It's especially good on a night of watching the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS series, or some good football games - Go State!  It's also a very easy meal to prepare.  Normally, I make a big batch in the crockpot, but on this particular day, I made it on the stovetop.  However, this would be perfect for the crockpot, as well. 

I have made paleo chili before, but this is the best one so far.  The bacon adds a wonderful flavor and the carob powder adds a uniqueness to it.  It is so delicious!  I used a recipe that a friend of mine posted on her crossfit facebook page and tweaked some things to make it my own (added butter and mushrooms, more onion, more broth, more spices, carob for cocoa, and used beef instead of bison).  I had about a cup of leftover roast beef that I diced up and threw in here, too... but I don't have it listed below since it won't be a normal thing ton include. 

Paleo Chili

2 Tablespoons grassfed butter
3-4 slices chopped, uncooked bacon
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound grassfed ground beef
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon carob powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

In a large stainless steel saucepan, melt butter, then cook bacon for a few minutes over medium heat until some fat has been rendered.

Add onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook another few minutes until onions and mushrooms have softened.  Add garlic and cook a minute or two more. 

Next, add ground beef and brown it a bit.  You don't have to cook it through since it'll continue cooking, just brown it. 

Next, add the spices, broth, tomatoes, and carrots.  Stir.  Cover and simmer over low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Add vinegar and carob/cocoa powder.  Stir.  Cook another 20-30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with sliced avocado and enjoy! 

Note:  If you want to make this in a crockpot, you can still cook the bacon, onions, and mushrooms before tossing it all in the crock.  Or you can just toss everything in together (except the carob powder and vinegar) and let it cook on low all day.  Add the carob powder and vinegar about 30-60 minutes before serving.


This post is linked to: 
Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade
Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health

Paleo/Primal Stuffed Peppers in the Crockpot

I made these for dinner on Friday night.  It was the first time I've actually made stuffed peppers, but I've had them many times before.  Generally, they have rice mixed in with the meat.  My friend, Jaime, mixes in quinoa.  Both are excellent choices, but unfortunately neither are primal friendly.  I scored some organic red peppers for an amazing price last week... on the reduced produce rack.  I got 8 huge organic red bell peppers for 99 cents total!  Amazing!  I will only buy organic peppers since conventional bell peppers contain an obscene amount of pesticides in them.  I never make exceptions on peppers.  

So anyway, I decided to make stuffed peppers in the crockpot for dinner on Friday.  I did not use a recipe, just added what sounded good.  They turned out so delicious!  We all loved them.  Carson said they were his favorite dinner, he loved them so much. 

Paleo/Primal Stuffed Peppers in the Crockpot

2 extra large red bell peppers
1 pound ground beef
1/4 pound italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 egg
spices to taste - garlic powder, oregano, cumin
1 jar pasta sauce, homemade is best

Slice peppers in half lengthwise and remove ribs and seeds.  Set aside.

Mix ground beef, sausage, onion, celery, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, egg and spices in a medium bowl. 

Take each pepper half and fill with 1/4 of the meat filling.  Place into 6-quart crockpot.  Once all peppers are in the crockpot, spoon your favorite homemade pasta sauce over top of each stuffed pepper.  I used about 1/2 pint on top of 4 pepper halves. 

Turn crockpot to low and cook for about 6 hours.  Enjoy!


This post is linked to:
Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade
Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS
Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet

Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

I made beef stew for dinner one night this week.  I've made beef stew many, many times over the years.  We love it.  It's a great, hearty winter meal.  I don't really ever make it the same way twice.  It just depends on what I have in my pantry and freezer, usually.  This week, I made it with some cut up beef roast, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, celery, and onions. We are avoiding most potatoes and grains right now, as we are trying to eat primal.  I would normally put potatoes in my beef stew.  And I'd normally use some flour to make a roux to stir in at the end to thicken up the stew.  Both of these options were out.  Of course, I could sub arrowroot powder for the flour to make a roux, but I got an idea to use butternut squash as a thickener from Life as a Plate.  So I thawed some butternut squash and stirred it in towards the end.  It really worked, too!  And it was a great way to get some squash in Kevin's and Carson's diet since they're both not crazy about the texture. The couldn't even tell it was there, yet we had a good, thickened stew.  It was delicious!  We sent some leftovers for Kevin's mom to have for lunch while she was watching Carson this week and she loved it, too.  We've found that if she's eating the same thing we send for Carson, he's more likely to eat it without any resistance... even though he'll love something and chow down two helpings of it at dinner at home, he'll tell her he doesn't want it since he knows he's got his grandma wrapped around his little finger.  ;o) 

Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

stew meat (I cut off about 1/3 of a beef roast and chopped it up for the stew)
veggies of your choice ( this time I used carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, celery, and onions)
beef broth, homemade is best
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
other spices of your choice
1 cooked, mashed butternut squash

Put the meat, veggies, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and spices into your crockpot.  Cook on low all day.  About a half hour or so before serving, stir in the cooked and mashed butternut squash.  I just used some from my freezer.  Enjoy!


This post is linked to:
Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS
Fresh Bites Friday at Real Food Whole Health
Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade
Gluten Free Recipe Parade at Heavenly Homemakers

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

I have discovered that I love split pea soup.  So does Kevin.  Carson tolerates it.  I wouldn't say he loves it, but he does eat it without too many complaints.  :)  I've tried a few different recipes for split pea soup.  One of which I posted a while back.  Since then, I've tried a couple others, one of which I found on A Year of Slow Cooking, which seems to be our favorite.  I don't make it exactly the same way each time, it just depends what I have on hand, but its generally the same.  It doesn't look too appetizing, which is why I always thought I wouldn't like it, but it is seriously delicious!  And its a great, easy meal to throw in the crockpot and let it cook all day.  I usually make this when I have leftover ham.  I have never tried it with bacon, but I'm guessing it'd be pretty good with bacon, too.  We like a more veggies in ours, so I usually double the amount of veggies that Stephanie recommends when I make it... I've posted it the way I make it below. 

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

16oz package of dried split peas
1 yellow onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups diced carrot
1 cup leftover ham or bacon, diced
ham hock or ham bone if you have them
4 cups broth/stock
1 cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

I soak split peas the way I do lentils.  Cover them with water and add about 2 Tablespoons of whey.  Let them soak for about 7 or 8 hours, rinse them, and they're ready to go. 

Dump the peas, diced vegetables, ham/bacon, broth, and water into the crockpot.  Add the salt and pepper.  If you are using a ham hock or bone, add that now.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4-6. Mine almost always cooks 12-13 hours on low.

If you used a ham hock or bone, scrape off any remaining meat and discard the bone.  Use an immersible hand blender to make your soup a bit more creamy and to have an even consistency.  I usually only do a few pulses of the blender so we still have a good bit of chunk with our veggies and ham in the soup.

Chicken and Rice in the Crockpot

I've been wanting make chicken and rice in the crockpot for ages now, but never have gotten around to it.  Mostly because I didn't want to leave it cooking for 12 hours on a work day.  I had seen a recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking that looked good.  I used Stephanie's recipe as a base and adapted it to our liking and what I had on hand.  I changed it quite a bit, so I'll post the recipe below as I made it... which I believe is a much simpler way of doing it that the way Stephanie made hers. 

This was very good and went over well with all three of us.  Carson even had seconds.  And Kevin had no complaints about chicken cooked in the crockpot, for once!  He normally thinks chicken that is cooked in the crockpot tastes grainy and has a weird texture.  I have to admit, he is right sometimes, usually when smaller pieces are cooked for a long time.  That's why I haven't really made any chicken crockpot recipes for quite a while.  Unless its a soup.  Anyway, I am getting off topic here.  Back to the recipe...  :)

I did use a pint of my homemade cream of mushroom soup in this, but I honestly don't think it's necessary.  If I didn't have my own homemade, I would not have added it.  Maybe add a little milk in place of it.  I bet it'd help make it creamy. 

Chicken and Rice in the Crockpot

1 1/2 cups of brown rice (I used a brown rice medley from Trader Joes)
1 quart chicken broth/stock
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 Tablespoons butter
1 pint cream of mushroom soup
2 cups frozen broccoli
2 cups frozen peas
4 frozen chicken breasts
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper

Soak rice for 12-24 hours for optimal nutrition.  Cover rice with water by a couple of inches and place a plate over your bowl.  Drain before adding to the crockpot. 

Pour rice into crockpot, as well as chicken broth/stock, arrowroot powder, butter, soup, broccoli, and spices.  Reserve the peas to add later.  Mix together.  Place chicken breasts on top.  Cover and cook on high for about 4 hours (probably on low for about 6-8 hours).  If you have some liquid leftover and your rice is cooked, just off-set the lid for the last 15 minutes or so.  Add your peas during the last half hour of cooking.  Remove the chicken breasts and fluff the rice and veggies.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Here is yet another recipe that I made for Christmas this year. I first had this when a colleague of mine brought it into work. It was soooo good! She just uses a recipe found on AllRecipes. I wanted to try making it with my own healthier ingredients... and I wanted to do it all in the crockpot. So I made some modifications and voila! Buffalo chicken dip... and I have to say I think it tastes even better than my colleague's! :) It was a hit at both Christmas parties that I took it to. It doesn't look too appealing, but once you taste it (and if you like buffalo wings), you'll be hooked!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 cups shredded chicken (I used some that I had shredded and frozen... and I just dumped it in still frozen)

2 cups soft cheese (or you could use organic cream cheese)

1 cup Ranch dressing

3/4 cup hot sauce (like Frank's Red Hot, Tabasco, etc.)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Dump all ingredients into a 2 or 3 quart crockpot. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours. Stir before serving. Serve with celery sticks, crackers, or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Crockpot Dijon Brussels Sprouts

I love brussels sprouts! They're one of my favorite veggies. Kevin and Carson like them most days. I usually just roast them, but I've been looking for some new ways to make them. I saw this recipe posted on A Year of Slowcooking and wanted to try it. These were pretty good. My favorite way to make brussels is still to roast them (although another recipe I've tried recently may tie for my favorite way to make brussels... I'll try to post it soon), but it was good to try a new way. The sprouts on the edge get brown and bit crispy on the outer edge... that was my favorite part!

Crockpot Brussels Sprouts

1 pound brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim the ends off of each Brussels sprout, and cut in half or quarters, depending on their size. Toss into the stoneware. Add butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3. Stir well to distribute the sauce before serving.


This post is participating in the GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister.

Crockpot Apricot Chicken

I made apricot chicken in the crockpot for dinner a few weeks back. The recipe is from A Year of Slowcooking. I used some homemade preserves that I bought from a woman at the farmers' market. They're made from apricots from a tree in her yard which she grows organically and cans with natural sweeteners. So I felt pretty good about using it to make this dish. I'm glad I tried it, it is very good! We all liked it a lot. It has a sweet flavor, but its not overly sweet. It'd be good to serve with rice so it could absorb some of the sauce... we had a lot of sauce leftover in the crockpot.

Crockpot Apricot Chicken

11 oz jar of apricot preserves (homemade with natural sweeteners)

1 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes (I just chopped some fresh onion and added it)

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon soy sauce (I used worscestershire)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional, I left this out)
6 chicken thighs or equivalent body parts

Place the chicken into your crockpot. In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients. Pour on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, high for 4-6 hours.

Crockpot Corn and Spinach Enchiladas

I tried another recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking a few weeks back. I've had this recipe marked for ages, but just never got around to trying it. I can't believe it took me this long. These are great! We all really liked them a lot. This is a versatile recipe, too, you could add or subtract different ingredients to make it to your liking. I made it as is for the first try and it was delicious.

The pictures don't look the best, but it honestly was really good!

Crockpot Creamy Corn and Spinach Enchiladas

1 can creamed corn
1 cup shredded already-cooked meat (I used pork tenderloin)
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped, sliced jalapenos (I skipped this since I didn't have any and just added a pinch of crushed red pepper)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheeses
1 can (28 oz) green enchilada sauce
2/3 cup sour cream
corn or flour tortillas (I used flour since that's what I had, but corn would be awesome, I think)
more shredded cheese for topping

I used a 4-quart crockpot for this and made this in layers. You could also fill each tortilla with the filling and later the rolled enchiladas in the bottom of a bigger crock.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, corn, cilantro, spinach, peppers, and cheese. Mix well. This is your enchilada filling

In another bowl, combine the green enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Spray your pot with cooking spray or rub with butter. Layer tortillas with your filling in several layers and top it all with the sauce mixture. I think I had 4 layers of tortillas and 3 layers of filling - tortillas, filling, tortillas, filling, tortillas, filling, tortillas, sauce. I also sprinkled some shredded cheese on top.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or on low for 5-7 hours. Let stand for 20 minutes with the lid off before cutting into it.

Homemade Yogurt in the Crockpot

I made homemade yogurt a couple of weeks ago. I have been wanting to try making it for a really long time. I even had a yogurt maker on my Christmas list last year. I didn't get it, so I am trying out some different methods using appliances and other items I already have. I decided to try making yogurt in the crockpot first. It sounded very easy - too easy, really. So I gave it a go. I followed the recipe/method on A Year of Slow Cooking. It was as easy as it sounded. It is time consuming, but it involves very little active time. Unfortunately, my batch didn't turn out as thick as I'd like. I know homemade yogurt is often thinner than the store-bought stuff, but this was way too thin... it was thicker than milk, but much thinner than yogurt... it was like buttermilk. It had a good flavor, though, so I saved it (some in the fridge and froze some) and will be using it like buttermilk. After doing some reading after-the-fact, I think my heating/cooling/incubating was just off. I've since read that many people have found that turning the crock on low for 10 minutes or so every hour or two during the incubation time will help keep it warm enough so it thickens up better. Maybe I'll give that a try sometime. Anyway, I wanted to post this method, even though it was sort of a flop, for future reference if I ever do try it again.

We eat a lot of yogurt and the cost savings of making your own is just too huge for me not to try it again. A quart of homemade costs less than half of a quart of organic yogurt at the store. So I wanted to try again... so I decided to try the cooler method the day after I tried the crockpot method. I'll post again soon with my second attempt (which worked very well, by the way).

Yogurt in the Crockpot

8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk, pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized (I used pasteurized, non-homogenized milk)

1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (I used Stoneyfield Farms Organic Cream Top Plain)

frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring (optional)

thick bath towel

This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor. I used a 4 quart crockpot.

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.

Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.

You can blend in batches with your favorite fruit. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.

Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.

Crockpot Quinoa and Chicken

I made this a week or two ago. This recipe comes from The Nourishing Gourmet. This is very quick and easy to just throw in the crockpot and its very healthy. And its so yummy, too! It is very versatile, as well. You can throw in whatever kind of veggies you like. I added some garlic and some cannellini beans to ours and was wishing I had some fresh mushrooms to throw in, too. Some spinach thrown in at the end would be really good, too!

Crockpot Chicken and Quinoa

1 cup quinoa (soaked overnight in water, than drained and rinsed in a strainer. If you don’t soak your grains still rinse to remove a bitter substance from the grain)
2 cups of chicken broth
1/2-3/4 cup of white wine (I skipped the wine and just added a little more broth)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
4-6 carrots, peeled and cubed
3 celery, sliced
1 onion, minced
2 chicken breasts or thighs
3 Tablespoons of butter (opt, for added richness and flavor)

Throw all the ingredients in your crockpot, cook on high, 4 hours or on low, 8. Shred the chicken when done, and stir into the stew and you are done!

Crockpot Pizza Soup

I was going through some draft posts I'd saved a while back and realize I never posted this recipe. I made this back in April. Its from A Year of Slow Cooking and it is so good! It really does taste like pizza in a bowl. We all loved it! I'll update with my picture of it if I find it...

Crockpot Pizza Soup

1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce
3 empty jars full of water
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (I used 1 can diced tomatoes)
2 already-cooked Italian sausage (I used 2 sweet Italian sausages (uncooked), cut/broken in chunks (casing removed))
1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 Tbsp. dried)
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta (I used organic whole wheat penne)
shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

Use a 5 or 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. Serves 4 hungry adults, or 2 hungry adults and 2 kids with enough leftovers to feed them all again.

Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot. Cut up the sausage into small pieces. Add to crockpot. Cut up the pepperoni, add it, too. Add basil and oregano. Pour in the pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high. Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Crockpot Breakfast Risotto

I made another recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking. This time for a breakfast risotto. This was pretty good. It was kind of strange eating rice for breakfast, but it was tasty, at least. We all liked it. I'll make it again sometime and I'd like to try out some other variations.

I forgot to take a picture.

Crockpot Breakfast Risotto

1/4 cup butter
3 little apples
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t cloves
1/4 t kosher salt
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cups of liquid. I used a tiny can of apple juice, and half and half for the rest (I used non-homogenized whole milk)
(I added a splash of vanilla)

Turn your crock to high and add the butter so it can start melting. Wash and cut up your apples while it begins to melt. Add the rice to the butter, and stir it around to coat it nicely. If the butter isn't completely melted, don't worry. Add the apples, and spices. Stir in the juice/milk. Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours, or on low for 6 or so.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

I made this for dinner one night this week. Its from A Year of Slow Cooking. This was very good and very simple to throw together in the morning before work. Definitely a keeper recipe. We all really liked it a lot - Carson wanted a second sandwich, even!

I forgot to take any pictures.

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
(I also added a bit of honey)

Use a 6 quart crockpot. Trim meat, and place into your crockpot. Add sliced onion. Squeeze in 2 cups of ketchup, and then pour 1/2 cup warm water into the ketchup bottle and shake. (I skipped this and just added the water.) Pour the ketchup-y water into your crock. Add vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Serve over rice, or make sandwiches on rolls or sliced bread.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

We had an Irish meal in honor of St. Patty's Day this week. I found some naturally raised, hormone/antibiotic-free, grass fed corned beef briskets at Whole Foods Market and figured I'd give it a try. I've only ever had corned beef once... in a casserole... and I was not a fan. So I was a little skeptical about trying this. I'm so glad I did, though! This was delicious! All three of us really loved it and I will definitely make it again if I can still find some good, quality briskets. It had a really good flavor and the meat was just falling apart, it was so tender.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound baby carrots
3 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

I made another recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking for cream cheese chicken the other night. This was very quick to prep, super simple, and very tasty. Definitely a keeper! Its pretty much like chicken stroganoff. We all loved it! I'll add a pint of mushrooms next time to make it even better!

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

2 cups homemade cream of mushroom soup (I used a pint of home-canned)
frozen chicken--enough to feed four adults
2 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (I just used some garlic, rosemary, oregano, parsley)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves minced garlic
block of cream cheese (to add later)
pasta (I used up some random organic sprouted wheat ribbons and organic egg noodles)

Put everything except for the cream cheese into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and begins to shred. Shred the chicken with two large forks, and mix in the block of cream cheese. Switch the crock to high and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is fully melted. Serve over pasta.