My son phoned the other day to ask about making gravy. He’d picked up a second-hand crock pot and cooked a beef roast with vegetables in broth. A few days later, he’d also cooked a chicken in the crock-pot. I was impressed!
Well, he got me thinking. With the leaves turning and the the days growing shorter…what’s more comforting than the smell of simmering delicacies wafting from the kitchen when you walk inside from the brisk autumn air?
So…I pulled out the crock pot. I threw in a frozen-rock-solid arm roast, a large can of tomatoes and a huge container of Mexican salsa and stewed that baby all day. Levi made his famous fresh salsa, Seth made his delightful stir-fried sweet peppers and onions and we built some amazing fajitas with tortillas, the shredded roast, sliced black olives, guacamole, refried beans, chopped lettuce, grated cheese and sour cream. Mmmm….
My favorite thing about crock pots is getting dinner started early in the morning and forgetting about it all day until it’s time to put everything together. Cheap cuts of beef grow perfectly tender and juicy and chickens create the most amazing juices. Have fun and let us know if you have a special favorite crock pot dish at your house.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
THANK YOU for reminding me that I have a crock pot!!! I sometimes forget since it’s usually at the back of the shelf in my cupboard. Before I ran out to do errands today I stuck some frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot. I added garlic, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and seasonings to it and will probably serve it over pasta tonight for dinner. Yummy!! I’d love to know some more recipes too!
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Have you heard of the “Daniel Fast”. I am reading your book and blog and you have talked about eating healthy and the Lord led me to this fast. I thought of you and was curious if you had heard it or done it?
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
hi Denise!!!
i LOVE the crock pot!!! i use it weekly – making meals in it totally fits our schedule! my favorites are beef stew, chili (i add brown sugar, maple beans and chipotle chili seasoning to give it a sweet smoky taste!) and roast beef with all the vegetables cooked together.
i recently tried a whole chicken – and it turned out great – my first time trying a whole chicken – i found it much jucier than in the oven!!
happy cooking!
November 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Liberty, I don’t know if I’ve done that fast – I’ve heard the term but I’m not sure exactly what it is unless it’s simply from the passage about vegetables and water that they ate instead of the King’s feasts…Thanks for popping in! Denise
Charity you’re making me hungry – and it’s only 9 am! Thanks for sharing – do you start with canned beans or fresh when you make the chili? I love the details…
Denise
November 7th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
hey Denise! for the chili, i use canned organic bean blends and canned maple beans…i know…not as good as fresh – but at least they are organic!!
this is exactly what i put in:
1.5 lbs (or so) organic ground beef
2 cans of organic diced tomatoes
1 can of organic bean blend
2 cans of maple beans
1 can organic kernal corn
mushrooms (canned or fresh – whatever is on hand)
2 onions, chopped
chipotle chili seasoning – i don’t usually measure, but approx 2 teaspoons, i guess.
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
i like to brown the beef with the onions first, then i just throw everything in the crock pot on low and let it cook all day!
this usually feeds our family of 3 for 2 days, plus a couple of small lunch size containers…so, hopefully it will feed all of your hungry boys!!
God Bless!!!
November 7th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Sue’s Sweat Potato Minstrone
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sweet walla walla onion, chopped
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 large sweet potato
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried basil)
Parmesan Cheese for topping
Directions
1. Heat olive oil and saute garlic & onion for 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and carrots and saute for 3 minutes
2. Add the mixture and the rest of the ingredients (except fresh herbs, if you use dried herbs add them right away) to the crock pot and let it simmer on low for all day.
3. Add the fresh herbs no more than 30 minutes before serving. (Ignore this note if you used dried herbs.)
3. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesean cheese.
You can also just boil for at least 30 minute on the stove if you don’t have a crock pot.