On the Brink

Since we are a mere few hours away from a brand new year, it's high-time I seek some advice from the experts (that's you!)... I need help fulfilling one of my goals for 2009 - I know I can't do it alone because I've been trying and been somewhat successful but I know I've barely touched the tip of the iceberg.

So what's the big issue? Well, it's become more and more obvious that one of the keys to eating well and staying on budget will involve a more frequent use of our slow cooker! What other kitchen tool takes inexpensive proteins and turns them into delicious home-cooked meals... and with little to no effort!? (that was a rhetorical question... but if you do know one, let me know!)

Thus far, we've found an amazing pulled BBQ chicken recipe, I've done a couple pretty good, very simple BBQ pork recipes here and there, and I'm hoping to try this sometime soon, too... not to be out-done, however, is our most recent find - hands-down the easiest (but still fancy enough to serve for company!) pork EVER. I promise. In fact, here's the recipe:

3 lb. pork loin
1 can cranberry sauce
1 packet onion soup mix

On your way out the door, throw the pork loin, cranberry sauce, and soup mix in the slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours and that.is.it.

*we usually serve this with our favorite yummy nutty whole wheat loaf from Costco or some brown rice to soak up the delicious sauce

I've also dabbled in a great cookbook for slow cookers, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker; we especially liked her Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas and Cumin. And while I'm not even close to ready to give up on this series of cookbooks, many of the recipes (honestly, I find this to be true about slow cooker recipes in general) require a lot of advance preparation (such as browning the meat before tossing it in the cooker) and when I'm running out the door in the morning trying to make it to work on time, browning meat in a separate pan or chopping vegetables (though my smart husband suggested I could prepare the veggies the night before, which I will do!) is the last thing on my mind.

And thus... here I am. Begging for your help.

Do you have favorite crockpot/slow cooker recipes?

Pass along any and everything that you love to prepare and eat from a slow cooker. And your recipes don't have to involve a protein - although we are meat-eaters, we aren't above a yummy vegetarian meal every now and again!

Here's to a healthy, delicious and budget-friendly 2009!!!