The CrockPot Diet
Eating slow-cooked fare doesn't mean that you need to eat gloppy cream-of-something-or-other concoctions.
There are TONS of ways to eat lightly, and all of the good-for-you stuff from your veggies and beans stay right in the pot.
Score!
We're home, safe and sound. Disneyland truly is the happiest place on earth.
We couldn't have had a better time, and coming home to all of your lovely comments and emails has turned me into a weepy blubbery mess.
Thank you. You are all wonderful people. And! Evidently quite opinionated about DVD players...
While vacationing, I got to thinking that if I gained 8 pounds (down 4 thanks to the extra walking at D'Land) by eating from a crockpot every day for a year, surely I could lose this newly found weight with my crockpot(s).
Right?
yes, steph. It will be easy. Just stay away from this and this and this. And by all means, this.
I folded a lot of laundry the past few days, which means I watched a lot of daytime TV (that's a natural correlation, no?).
And since it's the first few weeks of the year, all daytime TV revolves around health, wellness, and weight loss. There's really no escape.
I used the tools I learned to comb through the archives and came up with a bunch of recipes that seemed to fit the criteria touted on TV.
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Since I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination about nutrition, use your best judgment, talk to your own doctor, and all that other stuff they tell you in fine print.
Soups.
Using your crockpot for soup is a no-brainer, and I have certainly made a bunch over the past year.
These are all oil-free, loaded with fiber and veggies and freeze well. I like to make a big ol' crock of soup on the weekend, then eat on it for lunch during the upcoming week.
There's tons of research pointing out how soup can help kick-start any low(er) calorie eating plan.
Many of these soups can be made vegetarian or vegan if you opt for veggie instead of chicken broth.
I happen to always have a lot of chicken broth on hand.
For an extra boost, you can make your own chicken broth.
16 Bean Soup. Lots o' fiber. You can skip the shredded cheese on top if desired. Vegetarian.
Bean Stew. Can be vegetarian (I used chicken broth). Uses split peas for extra fiber.
Black Bean Soup. You can use fat free sour cream if you'd like for the dollop on top.
Butternut Squash Soup. I am always blown away at how buttery and rich this soup is without any added oil.
Cabbage Soup. The original from the Cabbage Soup Diet, which I've never really done, but Amie has and lost 45 pounds.
Canned Soup. Don't laugh--it totally works. If you don't have time/energy to make your own soup, use your Little Dipper or a mini crockpot. Check labels carefully for hidden gluten. Opt for broth based soups with not-too-much sodium.
Corn Chowder. No cream, butter or oil!
Hot and Sour Soup. I love this soup. I mean I really, really, really love this soup.
Lentil Minestrone Soup (and it has HEALING powers!!)
Moroccan Lentil Soup. A very cheap, fibrous meal. I can't believe how long it took me to embrace the lentil.
Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup. Everyone who tries this soup really likes it. It tastes good and is light and healthy.
Smoky Refried Bean Soup. Vegan. Delicious.
Sweet Potato Soup. Sweet potatoes are super foods, which makes this a super soup.
Sausage and White Bean Soup. Use 2 turkey or chicken sausage.
Turkey and Wild Rice Soup. I couldn't stop eating this soup. It totally rocks.
Lean Meat.
Packed with protein, iron, and other good for you stuff.
5-Spice Steak Strips. Eat on top of salad, rice, or on their own.
Ginger Beef with Onions. mmm. ginger.
Pineapple Chicken. Tropical.
Rotisserie-style chicken. You can have lean meat to pick at for the entire week.
Lemon and Herb Chicken. Company-worthy.
Salsa Chicken. No cream cheese, just good lots of good-for-you stuff.
Turkey Cutlets in Mango Salsa. gobble gobble.
Broccoli Beef. A healthier alternative to take-out.
Fish.
Although I have a new-found fondness for Nemo, I still like to eat fish once a week if I can.
Cooking fish in the crockpot results in moist, flaky fish with no need for oil. The crockpot also ensures that your house doesn't get an icky fish smell.
Cedar-planked salmon. Fish! on wood!
Lemon and Dill Salmon. A great combo of herb and tang.
Salmon and Green Beans. we eat a lot of salmon.
Tofu.
I was hesitant to try tofu for quite a while, but got over it when I realized it only tastes like what you put it in.
Tofu is low in calories, high in protein, inexpensive, and doesn't fall apart in the crockpot. I promise.
Indian Tofu with Spinach. There are garbanzo beans, too!
Sweet and Sour Tofu. Using jarred sauce.
Honey and Orange Tofu. Somewhat similar to the sweet and sour tofu, but with a homemade sauce.
Ginger Teriyaki Tofu. I loved this, but no one else did.
Lettuce Wraps. I've made two varieties in the past year, and we liked them both.
Traditional Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Inspired by PF Changs.
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Mango Lettuce Wraps. All that is good in the world.
For additional information:
--Here's additional recipes that I labeled "light and healthy" throughout the year (scroll through, some are repeats from above listings).
--Kalyn Denny has a bunch of South Beach Diet CrockPot recipes.
--Miz Fit will help jump-start your workout routine
--Jennette Fulda lost 186 pounds through diet and exercise alone. She has written Half-Assed, the funniest weight-loss memoir, ever.
Okay! Who's in? Let me know if you try anything out. I
'm going to make a big batch of Black Bean Soup this afternoon.
And maybe take the shrink wrap off of the 30 Day Shred. baby steps.
And maybe take the shrink wrap off of the 30 Day Shred. baby steps.
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The 30 Day Shred is a great workout. I just got it a couple of weeks ago. The first day nearly killed me. A word to the wise--the stretching the takes you through after the first workout is not sufficient...you'll want to do more stretching, particularly of your calves, or you're going to be too sore to move for several days after.
ReplyDeleteTry SparkPeople.com (free site) to figure the nutrition information for recipes. There is a recipe calculator. You enter the food and amounts and number of servings, and it will figure out the calories, fat, etc. per serving.
ReplyDeleteAnna
Thank you so much for this incredible year. I have learned a lot about what to put into my crockpot (and a few things not to bother with again!). You have broadened my horizons from pot roast and chicken.
ReplyDeleteI've nominated you for a Brillante Weblog Award. The post linking to the rules, etc. can be found here.
Thanks again. I look forward to your next adventure!
Jen
I also have a never watched copy of 30 Day Shred. It frightens me.
ReplyDeleteA friend just shared your blog with me, and I am reading it from start to finish! Really, the excitement I feel is a little embarrassing. But in the last week I've made Sweet and Spicy Salmon, a blackberry cobbler/pie, granola, play doh, and some beef stew. I love my crock pot again! Thanks!
So glad to see you back! I've been inspired by you...I've started a blog about reading the Bible everyday. Might not gain any weight, might not get on Rachel Ray, but hey...we're having fun doing it! :)
ReplyDeletewww.shannans365bible.blogspot.com
I've got a Masters of Divinity degree in Theology but get to stay at home with my kiddos! Thought this was a great combo! :) Congrats on your 365!!!
Oh I'm so in for using the crockpot AND losing weight! I'm actually a long time weightwatchers on line member and have the ETools which allows me to calculate points etc. for all recipes. I fell "off the wagon" big time this last year, and need to take off at least 20 lbs. I loved following your recipes on this blog last year, but now need to get serious about losing the weight again. I made a lentil stew/soup in the crockpot which is awesome - 8 healthy servings for only 2 points per serving. I'll post the recipe for you if you'd like it, or can send in an email.
ReplyDeletedon't know how the "choose an identity" thing works below, - does that mean my email address will get published here? I'll sign on as anonymous for now until I know more. Thanks Stephanie for all the work you did on the crockpot blog in 2008. It's my new "best friend" appliance in the kitchen. Regards, Kate
Hi Kait, GOOD advice, thank you. I've got a virtual date with my friend Jenny to do it "together" at 10:30
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sparkpeople tip, Anna!
Thank you, Jenny! I had a lot of fun with this project.
lol, Veronica, on questioning my "soundness"...!
Tiffany, I'm happy to help in any way I can.
Shannan, that's terrific!
Kate, I'd love the recipe, thank you. To have a screen name, click on the name/url button, and type in your desired name. Keep the email and url spots blank. You can use the preview function to check it.
xoxo
steph
Thanks for the quick response. I've chosen "Beachgirl" as my name as I'm on the east coast, in a tiny house on the beach, which is covered in snow right now after Storm Carlos went through here this weekend. Should I post the recipe for lentil soup/stew here? Regards, Kate
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the list of great healthy crockpot recipes. I am on a weight loss journey and I can always use new recipes. You can read about my weight loss journey at PUDGET - Losing Weight On A Budget. I will definitely be using some of your recipes. Sometimes it is so hard to find the time to cook healthy but if you can make a big crock pot of soup that will last a few days it is really helpful. Thanks again and I love your site!
ReplyDeletesure!
ReplyDeleteI love the name beachgirl. We're having weirdly warm weather right now---it's only 7:23 am and the doors and windows are open. In January!
xox
steph
good job! In the recipe for butternut squash soup, you mentioned the difficulty of cutting a butternut squash in half. There's a 'relatively' easy way to accomplish this: Knock off the stem and cut off the long top part. You end up with 2 parts (long and seedless, shorter round with seeds inside. These are much easier to cut in half. You can peel the long part fast and chunk it up for roasting. The 'short round' is like handling an acorn squash. I cut it in half, de-seed and then peel it to either chunk or bake.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps someone who's faced with a b-nut and doesn't know what to do.
Here's the recipe for lentil soup/stew. I don't know which to call it as it is not "brothy" like some soups, it's thicker, but not quite a stew.
ReplyDeleteIngredients:
8 oz lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
6 cups of veggie or chicken broth
3/4 cup peas (I used frozen)
1/2 cup shelled edemame (also frozen)
1/2 cup corn kernels (also frozen)
Pinch of each or to taste, oregano, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
6 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP or to taste, liquid smoke
2 TBSP cornstarch, disolved in a little water
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar ( used Trader Joe's)
Directions:
Place everything up to and including the oregano, cumin and crushed red pepper in the crockpot. Stir to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours. After six hours, (or more, if you are out of the house), add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, liquid smoke and disolved cornstarch. Stir well. Switch heat to high on crockpot, and cook an additional hour or so. I left the lid off the last 1/2 hour to thicken it up a bit.
Verdict:
Delish! Calculates at one hearty cup measure of soup for only 2 weightwatchers point and makes 8 servings.
I think what I like about this is that the ingredients are interchangeable. Don't have corn? Throw in equivalent amount of peas. Don't like edemame? Use white or black beans in it's place. It's totally up to you and you can tweak it to whatever you have in the pantry or freezer. I'm off to workout now, and then I know what I'm having for lunch! Regards,
Kate
It's not cheap, but my BodyBugg is helping me lose weight. It tells me exactly how many calories I am burning. That way I know how much I can eat, or in my case,how much I can NOT eat. :) For me, worth every penny...
ReplyDeleteWelcome back!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to trying more of your recipes. I'm so glad I found you, now I use my crock pot once a week--at least!
You are still rocking. I made the salsa black bean soup again this weekend. It's a huge hit here. Thanks for this very timely list. We are hitting the ground running to shed some pounds and get more fit this year. A Hawaii trip this spring is a great motivator for me. So happy you had a wonderful disney vacation.
ReplyDeleteWow thanks for the link, wasn't expecting that. I actually did the cabbage soup diet last week--lost 8. So there you go. =)
ReplyDelete(My 45 pounds was 1 week of cabbage soup and 3 weeks of WW combined over about 3 months...worked for me)
Happy New Year. Excited to see you shred yourself. ;)
Happy 2009, Steph! Have been a cool weather crockpot user for around 40 years, & still love it. Your year of experiences has been such a refreshing inspiration to me soooo many times, as I've been an almost everyday reader, and have tried or bookmarked so much. Thank you, thank you! (Am looking forward to your year of Organization, too. Is it coming?) I want to recommend to your readers another technique that's been a delicious addition to my cooking from Elizabeth Yarnell's Glorious One-Pot Meals. Not crockpot, but rather Dutch oven cooking. I've tried almost everything in it, and now that her 2nd book is just out, will see what's new. Again, Steph, thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the support Steph, not only with my blog, but with the diet part of my resolution. I make the rotisserie chicken on a weekly basis and am so grateful for you posting it (I would never have
ReplyDeleteknown how to do it without you).
Tonight I am going to make the pineapple chicken and put it on a bed of brown rice with some green veggies. I look forward to making these other recipes too.
The thing I have always liked about your site is the verdicts. If you say it's good, I can trust that we will like it, and that makes me SUPER HAPPY! (said like Ni Hao Kai-lan)
Thanks again for everything!
Smiles and blessings,
Melissa
Thanks for putting the links to all of these. I was just in the mood for some new recipes!
ReplyDeleteAwesome to have a list of all the healthy crock pot recipes. I was afraid I'd have to give up the crock when I went on my diet. Thanks for giving me hope! :)
ReplyDeleteOh and... YOU ROCK! :)
Amy
I love all the soup recipes! Will definitely being trying some! I really enjoy your site!
ReplyDeleteHey Stephanie, what's with the post from "James". It's a direct excerpt from the post I did early this morning?
ReplyDelete11:12 am: completed day 1 of The Shred. My legs are like jello, my right bicep is twitching weirdly and I need to pee. Because I've had 2 kids and just done way too many jumping jacks...
ReplyDeleteweird, beachgirl! I'll get rid of it.
ReplyDeletexoox
steph
Thanks for sharing this selection of recipes. I totally love you for it.
ReplyDeleteHehe, I figured you'd come home and decide to challenge yourself with a new kitchen appliance this year. The oven? The stovetop? The Microwave??!! :) Of course its perfectly acceptable to keep crockpotting, lol. Glad you had a good time. I'm bummed I found out about your blog last week.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. I love my crock pot and I try to prep my breakasts and lunches on the weekends. I typically make up something in the crock pot (or a casserole), and I'm always on the lookout for new recipes!
ReplyDeleteWelcome home. I'm sure you've read it a thousand times before, but loved spending this last year with you and your crock pot. My kids are not as good eaters as yours, but I sure ate well!
ReplyDeleteLisa
Best of luck to you with the shred!
ReplyDeleteI saw that you had mentioned it, and as I find you to be both talented and clever, I figured it must be great!.... so I got it last week.
Prepare to be miserable tonight, because after that first day I could barely walk. Hehe. The second day even though I would rather have layed in a hot tub all day, I pushed through and did the video again and I'm glad I did- it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and while I was still quite sore, I was less sore than before... I just finished my fifth day and while the exercise still kicks my butt and I am puffing through the whole time, I am barely sore at all! So hang in there, push through those first few days and you won't regret it! :)
I just found your blog toward the end of the year. Thanks for the great links to healthy crockpot recipes. I have some tried and true ones my family enjoys, but they definitely can't all be described as healthy. I've bookmarked this post for future reference!
ReplyDeleteI made the beef with brocolli today.. eating as we speak. Hubs and I are on a low carb diet so I subbed the brown sugar with splenda... and instead of rice I tossed in some peppers and make extra brocolli.
ReplyDeleteits delicious! thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Steph and welcome back. I have had great success on Weight Watchers and have been calculating the points on several of your recipes from last year. I'm happy to share. Your crock pot coconut cake has 9 points per serving if you cut it into 12 slices and don't ice it. To give you some context: I'm 5'9 and weigh, ahem, well, I need to loose about 10 more pounds. My points allowance for the day is 23. But, I made the cake on Friday night and it was soooo worth it. We are also a gluten/dairy/soy free family. Thanks for keeping this blog going.
ReplyDeleteJust found your site...great stuff!
ReplyDeleteCount me in!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a blast at Disney!! Thanks for the "this and this" part of your post. LOL It reminded me that I want to make the cream cheese, sausage, and Rotel dip for our upcoming V Day party. :-) No dieting that night, but thanks for this compendium of recipes! Shirley
ReplyDeleteYeah!!! You're back,You're really back missed you bunches.I will try these recipes out this month and next!!!! Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteI've missed your daily posts. i started reading your blog last fall and really enjoy it. thanks for all the links on this post.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a such a great trip to Disneyland and I loved your "I'm going to Disneyland" picture.
Does it sound crazy to say I MISSED YOU!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteGlad you had such a nice trip...and glad you're back! :)
great list! i must tell you, I made your Taco Soup last night (pretty low-fat too, except for the cheese and sour cream and tortilla chips we added...) and it was an amazing huge sparkly hit!
ReplyDeleteSo thanks.
I hope you keep blogging and cooking with the crockpot:-)
I was positively giddy when I saw your blog pop up in my reader!
ReplyDeleteI am so in. I was just thinking about the cabbge soup this weekend.
Thanks for the fab list!
I AM IN! I rejoined WW after a year off the wagon, so I'm all over it! thank you for listing your recipes that way...I'll just start with the first soup and work my way down! I love the idea of lunching on soup all week.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Steph!
ReplyDeleteShould I take the absence of Buffalo Wing Soup from this post to mean it's not healthy? Darn it! ;)
Great blog! I love using my crock pot! I'd love to have you stop by my blog party with one tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post!
Great idea for a post. Thanks for sharing your lists!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks for the link love!
ReplyDeleteI was so happy to have your post pop up in my email box just now. I had been thinking about you and your blog earlier today...and noted that I might be considered a bit of a stalkerish freak for missing your daily musings. It led to the question of whether you can miss someone you don't actually know. Fortunately I kept it to myself, until now.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had fun in Disneyland.
I have added you to my favorite blogs list - I have so enjoyed your recipes and tips and your humor - welcome home and I look forward to more
ReplyDeletei KNOW you can do it! i'm game with downsizing with you, however I have bunches more to loose than you.
ReplyDeletecouple of hints:
use white meat instead of dark chicken cuts.
use half the soy sauce...up the spices and vinegars and use a dash of molasses for flavoring and iron (good for us girls!)
in your egg dishes, double the veggies and use half egg whites and half whole eggs.
use steel cut oats with molasses and the skin on the apple and 1:1 water:milk. use plenty of cinnamon for flavor.
every little bit (and bite too!) counts.
i personally am trying to have one no animal day a week...keeping the eggs, cheese, nuts, beans for protein.
welcome back!
Welcome back Steph! I'm totally jealous about Disneyland. =)
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of Crockpot Diet I actually have something useful to contribute. (It had to happen eventually.)
I love to use my crockpot to cook Channa Dal. That's an Indian legume that looks like yellow split peas, but isn't!
It's closely related to the garbanzo bean, and oh so full of fiber. It tastes meaty and satisfying no matter how you prepare it.
Why do I mention this? It has an incredibly low glycemic index, which makes it a perfect food for diabetics and dieters.
Try it out - no soaking necessary.
1 cup channa dal (picked over and rinsed)
2 1/2 cups very warm/hot water
Cook on low for 5 to seven hours.
It usually only takes 3 hours for me.
More information on channa dal at www.mendosa.com/chanadal.html (a great diabetic resource).
Wow!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice surprise to find you in my "In-box" tonight. Welcome Home and I Missed You! Looking forward to hearing from you again soon. I hadn't realized how much your emails were looked forward to until there was no more of them.
We just got back from Disney World and I must agree, it IS the happiest place on earth!! Glad you had fun!! (I'm going through Disney withdrawal currently).
ReplyDeleteYou're my new-found idol that I'm following. You sure are giving me inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Nemo is safe...LOL
Glad you had a great trip. We are planning one to Disney World ourselves. Thanks for such great recipes this year! So many you listed here sound so yummy....too bad I have such a picky family!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI love you crockpot lady, i really do. you have expanded my family's menu - i look forward to 'meal planning' on sundays before grocery shopping and love trying new recipes!! My husband appreciates coming home to a ready made meal in the crockpot when i am working at night! I have forwarded your blog to almost everyone i know and put a link to it on my fb account. Not only that, you make me laugh-you are one funny chick! I also ordered the 30 day shred and start this afternoon - along with Bob's Yoga workout dvd.
ReplyDeleteI think we are on the same wave-length! For the past few months I have been kinda doing South Beach and your recipes have definitely come in handy for me. I love your list! Thank you so much for putting this together... and I didn't know that Jillian has a book, now I am very tempted to get a copy.
ReplyDeleteI am making the Moroccan Lentil Soup for my dinner club. I have 4 friends and we each take turns making dinner for the other families. I think the soup will go nice with a homemade loaf of bread. I've never actually used my bread maker!!!
ReplyDeleteI have also been inspired by you. I started a blog about giving something away every day in 2009 - www.ifreecycle.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for being an inspiration!
I was just looking at the 30 day shred on Amazon, guess I should bite the bullet and buy it. I loooove your site b/c I too love my crockpot. I now have 2, I got a smart crockpot for christmas from my mom. I liked your blog so much that you have been nominated for the Lemonade Award. You can find out about it here: http://couponclippinmamab.blogspot.com/2009/01/lemonade-award.html
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Mama B
Wow! Thanks for all the work you went to putting together the great list of healthy dishes. It is much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny, I've been following your blog for several months, but till I read your Frequetly asked questions I hadn't figured out that you use gluten free! I am really excited to go back through and try more dishes, I had been avoiding several titles because I assumed they used wheat- and I am so tired of adjusting recipes to "make it work". So thankyou!!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are leaving this blog up, and look forward to buyin the book when it comes out,
I am very tempted now to buy the 30 day shred, Is there a support group being formed? I would love to jump in and have some support losing weight too.
Debi
Hi, Nancy D. I also made the Moroccan Lentil Stew for dinner tonight. Yum. Thanks, Steph, for the recipe. And we ate it with fat slices of toasted gluten free bread that I make in my bread maker once or twice a week..if not more. Some hints: You could make the GF bread from scratch, which I have done with mixed results (pardon the pun), but have finally settled on Pamela's GF Bread Mix. It takes about 5 minutes to throw together and put in the bread maker. Three hours later-hold on to the peanut butter and jelly-it's ready. Sooo easy. If you can't find Pamela's products at your local store, you can order them by the case (6 bags; each bag makes one big loaf of bread) from Amazon.com. And it's cheaper than at Publix or Whole Foods by about 23% And it arrives on your front door step right on time. Sweet. I have set up a standing order with free shipping for two cases each month. BTW, Amazon's grocery section has a HUGE selection of GF foods that you can order by the case. Some of our favorites: Glutino Pasta, Annie's GF Mac & Cheese, The Gluten Free Pantry's Coffee Cake (to die for) and GF Granola from Bakery on Main.
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog today and I think you must be an angel. Realistic crock pot recipes with candid reviews. I love you.
ReplyDeleteKEEP BELIEVING
I've started a cooking blog, you were my inspiration. I'm also trying to lose a few pounds! I've been using the recipe calculator on Sparkspeople (like someone already mentionned) then I use another link to calculate the WW points (since I'm trying to shed my weights with weight watchers). All these links are on my Tomato Tomato blog. :)
ReplyDeleteSo happy you are back. I got a crockpot while home in Canada this summer and brought it back to Budapest (where we live). I had never used one, and no one here was able to help, since they don't really exist in Europe! That is when I fell upon your blog, while googling for help! Thanks so much!!
My favorite crockpot recipe is Beef and Guinness stew. My husband and I have taken ours from a few different recipes. I'm making it this week and I'll email you our final recipe for "Laughlins Beef and Guinness Stew"
ReplyDelete~ Lucy ~
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI look at your blog at least once a week for great recipe ideas with my crockpot. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have saved a lot of women a lot of time and effort! Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteI made the rotel, creme cheese dip and it was so good but oh so caloire laden. Hubby won't let me make it again for just us as we'd gladly eat the whole thing & have chest pains after! I'm making the taco soup for a work lunch meeting!
ReplyDeleteMan, I'm so disappointed that I'm JUST NOW finding your blog!!! My 5 year old son has Celiac so I will be reading every single archive of yours at least twice!! Thanks so much for all the recipes that I'm about to explore!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting this! I do freezer meals as much as possible so I don't take myself into the drive thru, and your suggestions are great. And I started the 30 Day Shred. I'd been working out for an hour 5 days a week for 3 months prior, and I tell you what, her 20 mins on level 1 kicked my butt. I'm on day two, and am soooo sore. It's got to work!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you're not going to let this blog die! I've had so much fun finding and trying out new crockpot recipes the last couple of months!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm thrilled that you're highlighting low-cal/healthy crockpot recipes here. The hubby and I need it (Yes, we too enjoy the cream cheese/sausage/Rotel dip!!!). Anyways, if it doesn't taste low-cal, and I don't tell him... hey - all the better. (He's not one to really like low-cal stuff).
By the way, if you want to splurge and have THE DIP (you know, the cream cheese/sausage/rotel) - try it with the ground sausage that is like hamburger meat. The sausage goodness infiltrates the cheese better that way! ;-)
But keep it up with the healthy recipes!
I'm definately in! Making some soups as well as making my own beans to put in them. There are chickpeas in my crockpot at home as I type this :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGlad you're back!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to tell you that I made Creme Brulee in my brand new crock pot thanks to your recipe, and my boyfriend loved it. Thank you.
Hi there! I'm going to try your Corn Chowder recipe and I had a question regarding serving sizes. If this (or any other recipe) has 4 servings, how do I know how big the serving size is? In other words, many cups are in that serving? Am I completely retarded?? Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteHi Miss V., No, you aren't. I really don't know. I didn't measure at the time---I just threw stuff together and cooked. If I say 4 servings, I mean that it was plenty for Adam and I to have full servings, the kids to, and a bit leftover. If it was just enough food for me and Adam and the kids, I'd think it's really 2 servings.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted to, you could calculate how much broth and ounce of ingredients that go into a recipe---stuff doesn't really cook away in the crockpot.
--steph
I've been trying to make soup at least once a week in the crock for much lunches ... keeps me from eating the kids' leftover sandwiches and such. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in! For the black bean soup, anyway... it helps that when you're trying to lose weight, even a pot of black bean soup is so bloody fantastic you may want to lean back and have a smoke afterwards...
ReplyDeletecrockpotting has helped me to lose 15 pounds in the last couple of months... i'm too tired to cook when i come home from work, so i used to get takeout every night... now i throw everything in the crock on sunday, and have dinners to last me all week.
ReplyDeletehi steph! i made the smoky black bean soup and it was delicious. i added a chipotle pepper for fun:)
ReplyDeleteit always feels great to feed your family something really healthy. thanks soo much for stoppin by the blog still and checkin in. love, moe
salsa chicken & black bean soup was a MAJOR HIT at my home tonight. threw it in the cp before church, came home, baked some cornbread & had a fabulous meal in no time. THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI definitely said that I was going to fall in love with my crockpot this year. It makes life so much easier!
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't wait to try the lighter versions of food (holidays are definitely to blame).
Glad you loved Disneyland (besides the fact it so darn expensive!).
I made your butternut squash soup, and it was amazing!!! I even ate some for breakfast, it was so good. Thanks for a great tasting, extremely low fat recipe.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for organizing all the soups!! We are watching our calories and I still needed some crockpot recipes for my busy days:) Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI made a pot of your black bean soup yesterday and it was a huge hit with the family! I loved that I could throw it together in about 5 minutes with the cans I had on hand and added whatever chopped veggies I had (1/2 a zucchini and a handful of snap peas). I modified it slightly because I was trying to clean out the fridge - used 1/2 can diced tomatoes and 3/4 can chicken broth and made up the difference with tomato paste and tomato juice rather than open more cans. Didn't have taco sauce so just added in a clove of garlic and tablespoon each of chili powder and cumin. We had it chunky with corn bread. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make the black bean/salsa chicken soup this week, sounds fabulous! Thanks so much for all the recipes!
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE the 30 day shred! I hate workout videos as a general rule, and even though I run a lot, I hadn't been able to do anything about the extra twenty pounds I'd packed on over the last decade. The 30 Day Shred really worked for me, I think both because it's so short (hard to find the "no time" excuse), it's not "dancy" (which annoys me), and it's such good strength training, which I'd been missing by doing only cardio.
Grease the crock pot with the butter & leave the excess in the crock - Spread cream cheese onto one side of the bread slices. Place the bread, cream cheese side down, into the crock.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking for some healthy and delicious crock pot meals. You have the best blog I've seen so far. I, too, love to cook and I love to cook in the crock pot. But, thanks to you I've put on weight this winter and I'm going to try some of your recipes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Again.
Teresa Anderson
This blog is absolutely incredible. A new years goal that turned out in 2008.
ReplyDeleteSince my wife started using a crock pot I have fallin in love with meals cooked in a crock pot.
Thanks for the blog and sticking to your new years resolution!
Your blog is absolutely wonderful- I just decided two days ago that I would bring out my Crock pot and finally start using it (after 15years, I think I have used it maybe 20 times). So, today I made my first dinner and it was delicious. So easy and quick. So I was looking for more easy recipes and I found your blog at a friend's blog. With four kids and a busy life, this is just wonderful! Now, I can have dinners ready before the kids come home and have to run them all to soccer practices and church activities. Thank you! I'm sooooo excited to start trying your recipes. YUMMY!
ReplyDeleteTonight I am going to make the pineapple chicken and put it on a bed of brown rice with some green veggies. I look forward to making these other recipes too.
ReplyDeleteI freaked out when I learned I had to make a crockpot -pot roast, so the first thing I did was come to you, Steph. I found the one my mom made. I totally forgot I had to shake that hunk of meat in a bag of flour with s&p. Anyway, I followed your directions and I made the best darn potroast any of us had ever tasted. I was so proud of myself I thought I was in hog heaven (excuse me cow). I adore your site and am now going to try my crock pot out for many new cooking adventures. Thanks for saving my day. Julie
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info! I am on Weight Watchers and am not very comfortable in the kitchen, so I love cooking with my Crock Pot!
ReplyDeleteOne tip I'd give is to always use the "low fat/low sodium" chicken broth to lighten up any dish that calls for chicken broth. Also there are lower-fat dairy options that can make recipes healthier.
Thanks for your blog. I just landed up in your blog and I really appreciate your blog. It is full of resourceful information.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips and great recipes, thank you so much, there are so many useful information here!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post!! I love the thought of dieting using my cockpot! I will definitely be sharing this with my readers!
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