Info Diet Plan

Day 246. This recipe is taken directly from The Pioneer Woman . We had the best weekend, ever, and spent the night with our good friends at their new house. My friend, Nancy, says, "bring your crockpot and make something really good. Im going to invite my sisters, and their boyfriends, too." Nothing like a little pressure.... But you really cant go wrong with a PW recipe, and I had bookmarked her spicy barbecued shrimp eons ago, and was waiting for a good occasion to make it. I know Ive said it before, but the crockpot rocks. It totally and completely rocks. I love bringing food to peoples houses, but it always becomes a bit awkward when you need to prepare and cook the food while you are there. Will the oven be available? How about a stove burner? You just dont come across that problem when visiting with a crockpot dish. There is always, always an available outlet, and you can easily stash the crockpot in the bathroom or garage if your host is low on counter space . The ...

Day 344. Jessica emailed me a few weeks ago and asked if I had a crockpot dolmas recipe. I didnt, but I do now! These are super easy, fun to make, and even more fun to eat. I was floored at how many my kids ate---they really liked them a lot. The Ingredients. 1 jar grape leaves (8oz of leaves, in juice, near the pickles) 1/2 pound ground lamb 1/2 pound ground turkey breast 1 cup cooked white rice 1/2 cup chopped parsley 2 lemons 1 egg 1 tsp allspice 1 tsp dill The Directions . I used a 6 quart crockpot , anything 4 quarts and up would work just fine. I got this recipe after putting a few together from this website according to the flavors I thought my family would enjoy, and from how I remember dolmas to taste. I really think theres no wrong or right way to do these, its like meatloaf--everyone has their own version. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, rice, egg, spices, and juice from one lemon. Mix well with your hands to combine. Drain and rinse the grape leaves. Put a sm...

Day 273. Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown tonight. Last week, Brenda emailed me ask if Ive ever made a honey cake in the crockpot. I hadnt. After I called my friend, Jennifer (yes, I realize all my friends are named Jennifer), I learned that honey cake is usually pretty dry and dense. She said "I dont like it, I wont eat it. But my dad does." I really like Jennifers dad, and was on a mission to make a moist honey cake---the crockpot delivers moist cakes. Unless you burn it. I messed this up completely. The cake was rising properly, smelled delicious, and was brown and pulling away from the sides of the crock. The top was still pretty jiggly, so I felt comfortable leaving it for 45 minutes on high while we went to swim lessons. I came home to a horrible burnt-cake smell. The top and middle was okay, but I threw the rest away. That said! If I had taken the lid off, and watched it for about 30 minutes, I think this would have been wonderful. Id love to hear back if anyone tr...

Good morning! I made a wonderful meatball soup a few nights ago. I was inspired by Elise Bauers Albondigas Soup recipe posted on Simply Recipes . I bookmarked this soup about a year ago, but hadnt gotten around to trying it. When I found that Costco started carrying some gluten-free meatballs I knew I was ready to test it out. Elise makes her own, which you can too, but youll need to fully cook them before throwing into the crock. They will disintegrate otherwise. I really liked this soup, and what I liked EVEN more about it was that I made do with pantry and freezer stuff instead of going to the store, which makes it "free"! Im speaking with Elise in July at BlogHer on the FoodBlogging During a Recession Panel . The Crock-Pot is such a useful tool when creating low cost meals for you and your family. The Ingredients. 4 cups chicken broth 3/4 cup baby tomatoes, quartered 1 cup baby carrots, diced 3 stalks celery, diced 1/2 cup frozen corn 1/4 cup prepared pasta sauce (I u...

  I had never heard of American Chop Suey before Amy Jo sent me an email wondering if it could be made in a slow cooker. She first learned of the dish on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  I looked the name up on Wikipedia and learned that it seems to be a regional thing---sometimes its called Macaroni and Beef, and it appears that it was the inspiration behind Hamburger Helper. Huh!  I love learning new things. The Ingredients. serves 6 1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained 5 bacon strips, diced 1 large onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes --- any flavor, or plain 1 can water (empty tomato can) 6 garlic cloves, chopped 1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce 1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni (I used brown rice pasta) 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional) The Directions. Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a large skillet, brown the beef, bacon and onion all together until the meat is no longer pink. Drain wel...

Are you ready for some football? I dont know how ready I am to actually follow the game, but I am ready for some football-watching food. I LOVE Super Bowl day. Its a day to chuck any and all New Years dieting-type ideas out the window and eat whatever you want. it would be un-American not to. I made this dip a few weeks ago for a party, and the adults pretty much fought the kids to get their fill---which is saying a lot, because the oldest kid was 9, and I *know* for a fact there was plenty of double-dipping going on. Theres both Velveeta and cream cheese in this dip, so if your cholesterol is offended by these ingredients, you shouldnt make it. Instead, pick something light and healthy from the archives. The Ingredients. serves 12 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese 1 pound velveeta 2 cups jarred salsa (I like the one with beans and corn from Safeway) 1 (1.25 oz) envelope taco seasoning mix (McCormick is gluten free) The Directions. Use a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Dump everything in. It...

Day 191. Hello! Have I mentioned yet that Im on TV today ?! Hold me. When I filmed the segment, Rachael gave me two curry recipes. She had heard through the producers about my sad attempt at making a coconut curry recipe , so gave me two recipes that her kitchen staff perfected for the Crock-Pot--one Thai, and one Indian. I finally (it was so hard to wait!) made the Thai version yesterday. Im going to make the Indian version today, and will post that recipe tomorrow. The Ingredients. - 1 13.5-oz can coconut milk - 1 T brown sugar - 1 T soy sauce (La Choy is gluten free, and so is Tamari wheat-free) - 1 T Thai red or green chili paste, or more to taste (I used red, and went with 1.5 T) - 1 t fish sauce (optional. I put it in because I was thrilled to have another use for fish sauce !) - 1 yellow onion, chopped - 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped - 1 red bell pepper - 1 green bell pepper - 1/2 large eggplant - 1 sweet potato - chicken thighs (I used 5 frozen boneless, skinless) And! 1-inch kno...

Day 218. This is really good! Really, really, really good! My kids new-best-friend, Mallory , emailed me this recipe, and I was eager to test it out. One, because it sounded awesome, and two, because Ive always had a soft spot in my heart for the name Mallory. My youngest was almost named Mallory. After Justine Batemans character on Family Ties . The Ingredients. --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 (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained) --2 already-cooked Italian sausage (I used chicken Italian sausage) --1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters (Hormel turkey pepperoni is labeled gluten free) --8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 T dried) --1 T dried oregano --1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta (if your pasta is tiny, use 1/3 cup. if its big, do 1/2. I used 1/2 cup Trader Joes brown rice penne) --shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later...

  If you didnt get enough of a Mexican food fix yesterday for Cinco de Mayo, heres an easy recipe that will make everyone in the house happy. and since todays Friday, its probably more appropriate to have your celebratory margarita today, anyway.  Right? or another. its okay. I dont judge. The Ingredients. serves 8 1 small onion, peeled and diced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (4-ounce) can roasted green chiles, undrained 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 8 flour or brown rice tortillas (brown rice tortillas are GF; read packing carefully) 4 cups cooked pinto beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained) 4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese optional garnishes: sour cream, sliced avocado, etc. If youre going to use dry beans instead of canned, this is how you do it. The Directions. Use a 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a large one, thats okay--but reduce cooking time a few hours. In...

Day 222. recipe updated in Make it Fast, Cook it Slow to: 2 cups enchilada sauce, and to layer the tortillas with the filling. mmm! Its the two hundred and twenty-second day of the year, the day after 8/8/8. That means today is good luck, too. Ive just decided. Way back on the 9th day of the year, I threw together an enchilada casserole that was really good, and Ive been meaning to do regular enchiladas ever since. We had some leftover brisket , so I used that as the filling---but you could use rotisserie chicken meat, PORK , or leave it vegetarian. Enchiladas are very versatile. The Ingredients. --1 can (14.5 oz) creamed corn --1 cup shredded already-cooked meat --1 cup baby spinach leaves --1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves --2 T chopped sliced jalapenos --1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a packaged Mexican blend) --1 can (28 oz) green enchilada sauce --2/3 cup sour cream --corn tortillas --more shredded cheese The Directions. I used a 6qt Smart-Pot for this. You can ea...

Day 262. I found this lentil soup recipe earlier in the year, and bookmarked it to try. Yesterday I woke to a foggy sky, wet grass, and I contemplated turning on the heater. Soup season has officially begun. I got the funniest email back in July from Kathy, who wanted me to cook with lentils. She forwarded this great article from the Seattle Times about how healthy and packed-full of protein lentils are. Theyre cheap, too. Im embarrassed to admit that I have never cooked or even bought lentils before the other day. When I emailed Kathy about not even knowing where to find them in the grocery store, she wrote back: Stephanie…MUST I come THERE and accompany you to the grocery store?? :-) (How I would LOVE that! Any excuse to escape up-coming move.) You should be able to find “some” lentils on the same shelf as rice – look to the BOTTOM shelf, of course, as they are not particularly popular in this country. As the writer of the article I sent you clarifies, different types of le...

Day 202. Swiss chard! In a soup! I dont really have anything other than that to say. This recipe came from my new friend, Astrid, who grows a lot of chard in her garden, and needed a way to use it up. So we crockpotted the chard. The Ingredients. --2 big bunches of swiss chard, chopped (I only chopped the green part and gave the stems to the guinea pigs) --1 cup baby carrots, chopped --1 onion, chopped --7 baby red potatoes, or equivalent, chopped --5 cloves of garlic, chopped --1/4 cup fresh basil (hey! guess what? chop this, too!) --5 cups broth (I used chicken, but if you want this to be vegetarian you should use veggie broth) --1/2 t black pepper --1 t kosher salt (you might want to add more salt and pepper after cooking, to taste) --garnish with Parmesan/Romano cheese, optional The Directions. Wash and chop all of your vegetables, and add them to the crockpot . This is a lot of stuff, so Id stick to a 5qt or larger crockpot . Add whatever kind of broth you are using. Cover and ...

Day 178. mmmm . Philly Cheesesteaks . I made them earlier in the year, and they were delicious. But perhaps maybe you dont have bread in the house, or you dont want a bunch of carbs , or you dont want to chew a lot... guess what? I have a solution! Make Cheesesteak soup! In the crockpot ! This was a nice weekday dinner for us. I got the soup prepped and plugged in by 9am, and we spent the day out and about and came home to a hot, flavorful, and hearty soup that we all enjoyed. We served it with two salads: spinach and potato. This would be a fun (and memorable) dish to take to a pot-luck or recipe exchange. The Ingredients. --1 pound thinly cut beef strips (I used beef chuck steaks that I cut with kitchen shears) --4 cups beef broth --2 cups skim or 2% milk --1 T butter --1 yellow onion, cut in chunks --2 bell peppers (I used one green, one red) --2 t gluten free Worcestershire sauce --3 cloves chopped garlic --1/2 t black pepper --1 t kosher salt --8oz provolone cheese (t...

Day 251. I tried to make fruit leather in the crockpot . It didnt work. I think it could have worked----everything was right in theory----but I cooked it way too long because I fell asleep and it was my sleep-in day so I didnt get up right away to check on it. The house now smells like a charred apple pie. The Ingredients. blurry picture. I didnt change the lens. --4 apples, cut in quarters --2 tsp vanilla --1/2 cup dried cranberries --juice from one lemon The Directions. I used apples as a base, but you can use any fruit youd like. Except this doesnt really work, so youd mostly just be wasting fruit. I didnt peel the apples, but quartered them (removing the seeds and core) and threw them into a 4-quart crockpot . Add the juice from one lemon, 2tsp of vanilla, and a 1/2 cup of dried unsweetened cranberries. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The apples will be quite squishy, and it will be like applesauce. Blend the applesauce mixture in a blender until the mixture is blended into a...

As is tradition, my Hungarian clan – all 18 of us  –  will sit down together for Christmas Eve dinner. Its a diverse group of eaters — carnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, raw foodist, flextarian, gluten intolerant. And while there are some staunch vegetarians in the world who cant stand to be around meat, and some meat eaters who equate veg heads with the food police, my familys pretty laid back about it all. More choices means more food. And in my clan, its all about the food – and lots of it! Granted, my eating raw at first seemed drastic to them. Last years holiday dinner felt to me more like a food intervention than a celebration, but weve come a long way since then. Mom no longer sees it as a personal affront if I dont eat her chicken paprikash, and everyone has become quite accustomed to the various dishes Ive shared at family gatherings throughout the year. Some have even requested recipes. Imagine. So well gather. And well feast. Well tell stories and reminisce ...

The last time I attempted a rice pudding it didnt go over very well . I tried too hard to "fancy it up"----this is a basic recipe, that is darn near perfect . and it makes a LOT. The Ingredients. 8 cups milk (I used half soy milk, and half fat free cows) 1 cup long grain white rice 1 cup sugar then: 1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt The Directions. I used a 4 quart slow cooker . Spray the stoneware insert with cooking spray, then combine the milk, rice, and sugar. Stir well and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for about 4. It took longer than I expected for my rice to become bite-tender---I did low for 3 hours, then high for another 2. When the rice is tender, mix in a large mixing bowl, the eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Scoop a 1/2 cup of the hot rice mixture into the mixing bowl and whisk. Keep adding 1/2 cup at a time of the rice and milk mixture into the egg bowl until about half of the m...

Tapioca pudding is the ultimate in comfort food. I made it the "normal" way during my 2008 challenge, and have used that recipe LOTS to wow the neighborhood kids during playdates. Its easy, it makes a TON, and keeps really well in the fridge. You can make a batch on the weekend and nibble all throughout the week.  I wanted to kick the normal recipe up a notch for the new cookbook, and after opening and closing the pantry doors a bunch of times (you do that too, right? you stare at your pantry waiting for something to pop out?) I zereoed in on the cocoa powder I was given at the BlogHer Food conference. This is Scharfen Berger---its delicious, smooth, and kind of expensive. Its not something Id buy on my own, especially after learning that its owned by Hershey (might as well just buy the regular stuff!) dude. Anyway, I combined some of the cocoa powder with some almond extract because I was trying to recreate that yummy chocolate almond biscotti flavor. In tapioca. because why...

Day 343. Chicken and dumplings! Finally! I dont know why it took me so long to make this----it was terribly easy, and very tasty. Thank you so much for all of the recipes that were sent in. This is a compilation of recipes from Tamara, Kimberley, Danette, and Renee. Thank you! The Ingredients. --3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I used frozen thighs) --1 yellow onion, chopped --1 cup mushrooms, chopped (I used baby portabellas ) --16 ounces frozen vegetables --2 cans cream-of-something soup, or combine in a saucepan: 4 T butter 6 T flour (I used Pamelas baking mix) 1 cup milk (I used soy) 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 tsp poultry seasoning --1 can refrigerated biscuits , or one batch drop biscuits (I used Pamelas Baking Mix, and used the drop- biscuit recipe listed on the back of the bag) The Directions. I used a 6.5 quart crockpot . Anything 4 quarts and up will work. Put the chicken and vegetables into the bottom of the...