My new toy...

Work has been brutal the last few weeks.  15+ hour days have had their toll on me (thus the silence from the blog recently), and even mustering the energy to eat has been tough.  So, after much encouragement from numerous friends, I decided to buy myself a crock-pot!  A 3-qt programmable beauty!  No more hungry nights for me!

Ok, so I must admit, I was scared at first.  One: I'm terrified of having something cooking in my house while I'm gone...I have nightmares of coming home to a burnt down home!  Two: I wondered, other than pot roast, what one could actually make in a crock pot...can the food be nutritious and delicious?  

Attempt #1 - turkey sloppy joes.  The recipe called for ground beef, but I substituted ground turkey.  I was shocked to find that it was really, really delicious...(though the turkey made it a bit dry, to be honest...may stick with lean ground beef next time)

getting the ingredients ready...ipad is the BEST kitchen appliance ever! :)

precook the turkey, onions, and green peppers...

add the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker

set to simmer for 7 hrs (or 4-5 hours on low)

and...voila!  fill a whole wheat bun (add some pickles!) and a side of baked chips.

I've since made beef stroganoff (didn't love it...too salty and heavy), 4-bean veggie chili (loved, but will probably add meat next time!), "kitchen sink" chicken (took all the ingredients in my fridge that were nearing death, and put them together in the crock pot...chicken, garlic, onion, jalapeno, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and broth...not bad), and a dijon brussel sprout hash (overcooked it and the brussel sprouts got super mushy and the texture was too offputting...).

This week, provencal beef stew, pork chops, and chicken fajitas...

So, a couple hits and a few misses.  But, I have to say, I'm kinda obsessed with the possibilities!  Hey, don't knock it till you try it.  You CAN use a crock pot and still keep your gourmet cred!