Info Diet Plan

We are officially Back to School---it started Monday. Ive mentioned before that I am a meal planner, and the fall brings out a plethora of good intentions to eat wholesome family meals together each night, and share highlights of the day. This year was no different. I had my menu planned out, and a shopping list ready to go. But. This year Im pregnant (baby girl #3!), and I have a new kindergartner . Which means that instead of going to the store while both girls were in school, I disinfected the blinds (thats totally normal... right?) and instead of going right after kindergarten let out, we both fell asleep on the couch during Arthur. I may have even drooled a bit. And all of a sudden it was time to get my third grader who had " so much homework, mom ," and the store couldnt happen. So I made do. This is a variation of the Autumn Sausage Casserole that I made last year, but made with ingredients I had in the house. Other than the spices, the ingredients were all different....

  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...

photo by Tara Donne Weve got 10 days until Christmas! Its time to start panicking! I must be in complete denial because so far Ive got this weird peaceful vibe going on. I sort of feel like things will just get done when they get done. Or they wont. But Im oddly calm about the whole thing. of course it might also be a side effect from all the spiked eggnog.......... Anyhow, if you are in charge of Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner and youre in the mood for ham, you should make this one. Its tasty and it involves citrus pulp, honey, cloves, and ginger ale.  The Ingredients serves 8 1 (6-to-7-pound bone-in spiral cut smoked ham 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 orange, juiced 1 lemon, juiced 1 lime, juiced 1 cup ginger ale The Directions Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham, and discard the flavor packet. Place the ham into your insert (flat side down). In a small mixing bowl, combine th...

  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...

(meatless) Monday: Pesto Lasagna Tuesday: Super Simple Cranberry Roast Wednesday: Traditional Minestrone Soup Thursday: General Tsos Chicken Friday: Puffy Pizza Casserole --->  For the complete meal plan and coordinating grocery list, please see my meal plan page.   The Verdict: Our week runs SO MUCH MORE SMOOTHLY when I take the time to write out a menu and grocery shop for all of the food either on the weekend or the week before. It does take a bit of planning, I know, but I do think youll find that the hectic meal-making hours will be easier if the groceries are already in the house.  The slow cooker already forces you to meal plan, so just by using it (somewhat) regularly youre already way ahead!! have a great week!

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...

Hey Steph, did you really cook that corned beef in the slow cooker? How come its not wet and slimy? Isnt corned beef supposed to be wet and slimy? Until a few years ago, I shied away from St. Patricks Day. I hated getting a plate full of wet meat topped with  lifeless cabbage. (is that too harsh? Im sorry if Ive offended the soggy cabbage and wet meat lovers of the world...including my husband...) Corned beef is quite a delicious piece of meat. Its brined, and packed with flavor all on its own. In this recipe, the meat cooks in its own juice--no additional liquid is required--creating a beautifully roasted (not slimy!) meat with a sweet, mustard glaze. The Ingredients. serves 6 3 pounds corned beef, trimmed of fat 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard 10 whole cloves (or you can use 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves) The Directions Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap the corned beef, and remove the seasoning packet (use it in another recipe, such a...

I can tell youve been really good lately. And because of that you deserve a really, really good crockpot recipe.  Not mediocre.  Not eh, its okay, I guess.  Nope.  A REALLY GOOD RECIPE THATS ALSO REALLY EASY AND ALSO PRETTY CHEAP. here you go: The Ingredients. serves 6-8    3-4 pounds beef roast (I used a trimmed chuck roast) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat-Free are gluten free) 1 head garlic (peeled, but leave cloves intact--approx 10 cloves)  1/2 onion, diced 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 whole jalapeno, diced (be careful! use gloves!) The Directions. Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Okay. This truly cant be any easier. I didnt brown my meat, but I did trim off the visible fat. I can make these directions complicated and tell you to add this or that first, but it honestly doesnt matter. This is going to cook on low all day long, and the ingredie...

The weather has warmed, and were spending more and more time out in the yard.  I love it. But I STILL use my slow cookers more often than not for our family dinners, and I urge you to, too. Slow cookers take up very little electricity to run when compared to your stove or oven, and they do not heat your kitchen up the way those other appliances do. Youre not going to notice that your AC is struggling to keep the kitchen cool, and youre not going to be standing over a hot stove, trying not to drip into your pasta sauce. (ew. thats really gross, steph.) Ive listed my favorite ways to use the cooker below --- if youve got a family favorite, add it to the list! FISH Love, love, love fish packets in the slow cooker. The fish steams perfectly in a foil or parchment-paper packet and you get a beautiful, flaky finished result without stinking (or heating!) up your kitchen. FISH Lemon and Rosemary Chicken We make this chicken pretty often, and I like to use the leftovers on top of salads or...

When Adam and I were in our first year of marriage we lived in an apartment about a half-mile away from his brother and family. We were lucky enough to be invited over for dinner pretty often, and always happily accepted. Adams sister-in-law, Angela, is an excellent cook. Her family owns restaurants, and shes grown up in the kitchen and around food. Ive always been quite impressed with the way she can open a fridge and just start throwing things together to make a really fantastic meal--- no recipe required. She made us a salmon dinner one night (gosh, a good 12 years ago) that I still think about. It was the best salmon I have ever eaten. Ever. ever. She says she doesnt remember what she marinated the salmon in, but I knew pineapple juice was involved. and soy sauce. I think. Ive been trying, unsuccessfully, to recreate this salmon. Last week I tried again. It did not go so well. The Ingredients. (do NOT make this!) 4 salmon fillets 1 fresh pineapple, skinned and cubed 1 large orange,...

  Hello! How has summer been treating you so far? Weve been laying kind of low, with weekend trips scattered here and there, but mostly were just enjoying being at home.  While I type, the big kids are watching an "Americas Got Talent" marathon from the DVR and the baby (now eighteen months! eeps!) is cooking Lincoln Log soup in the play kitchen. and the heater is running. because its 66 degrees in the house and drizzling outside and I AM A GREAT BIG HUGE HONKING WUSS. I promise Ill turn it off by 10am. I think. maybe. I get emails about slow cooking during the summer time, and my answer is that yes, I do use my slowcooker(s) year round. It helps that it is F R E E Z I N G today, but even on hot days I prefer to use the crockpot than heat up the kitchen by using the stove or oven. I like that fish steams so nicely in foil packets without a fishy smell, and Im getting pretty good at making lettuce wraps.  This is a great summer time recipe---- the turkey is seasoned with s...

Its the Bunnykens dish set again! (side note: I really should take a run to the dollar store and get more unmatched dishes so I can post food pictures on the Internet.) I really like baking in the slow cooker. I get it that this perhaps sounds a bit odd---- why should I bake something in the crockpot for 2 to 3 hours, when I can easily throw a pan in the oven and have coffee cake in only 30 minutes? Ill tell you why. Im bonkers. I dont mean this in the clinical sense (although Im sure some could argue otherwise), I mean it in the Im always doing too many things at once and sitting around waiting for 30 minutes for a cake to rise and bake properly just isnt going to happen. because the doorbell rings. or the phone. because the baby needs changing.  or because she plays with a bottle of vanilla extract while "sorting" the spice cabinet and some spills and she licks it up and then her mom reads the bottle and finds out its 26% pure alcohol and maybe-just-maybe over-reacts and ...