1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, 4.....

OK....so I know potatoes are not the most healthy food in the world, but I would also have to argue that they are not the worst either.  At least I want to believe this.  I love potatoes...  baked potatoes, fried potatoes, twice-baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, breakfast potatoes, julienne potatoes.  Ok, Bubba, you get the idea.  Any kind of potatoes are delicious.  A baked potato can hit the spot- and depending on how you top it- varies in fat content and nutritional value.  So whether you opt for the full-on deliciousness of the loaded tater (to be specific- lathered in sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese, and bacon bits) or maybe top it with some leftover turkey chili or some crisp green onions, and it is a sure winner on these cold winter days.

I recently discovered a quick and easy way to make baked potatoes in my crockpot. Yes- for real. I needed to use up some potatoes in my pantry before they started going bad.  It couldn't be any easier.  Take a few minutes in the morning to throw these together in the slow-cooker and then you have a quick meal ready to go when you walk into the door.  No waiting an hour for the darn things to cook.  No microwaved, chewy potatoes.  You will love this simple, yet rewarding dinner.

First of all, wash each potato and pierce with a fork.  Lay the potato on a small piece of foil. Brush with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  I like to use tasty sea salt just like the restaurants do.

Repeat with all the potatoes.  (It took me about 10 minutes total to repeat this process with about 8 potatoes.)

Simply place all the foil-wrapped potatoes in your crockpot.  No need to add water or anything like that.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

...and you are DONE!  Enjoy your baked potato with a salad or your favorite cut of meat.  I just like to set up my own little baked potato bar for my family with the healthy (and no-so-healthy) fixins' and there you have it- a quick and easy dinner!

What other crockpot recipes do you enjoy or what would you like to see included on this blog?  Please comment and leave your ideas for a future post!

Beef (Soup): It's what's for dinner.

As you will quickly learn, I am a huge advocate of my crockpot.  I have gotten to the point that I use it at least about twice per week now.  Being the neat-freak I am, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that it has earned a permanent spot on my kitchen counter. If I can, I chop and prepare what I need to the night before and throw it all in the crockpot before I leave for work in the morning.  By the time I get home, there is a delicious ready-made meal awaiting my arrival.

Today I can smell the savory aroma of a lesser-known winter favorite- Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup.  Last night, I chopped up a bag of carrots and an onion and threw them in a container in the fridge.  I bought beef chuck that was on sale, and it was already cubed so that was one less worry.  The rest was cake.  Or should I say beef?

I threw the following ingredients in my crockpot this morning:

•  2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion- chopped (Prepared the night before) 
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (I used the stuff out of a jar.) 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (I simply chopped up a bag of those mini carrots.) 
• 1 cup of uncooked pearl barley 
• 1 small bag of frozen peas
• 1small bag of frozen green beans
• 1 can of corn (You could also use frozen.  This is just what I had at home.) 
• 2 cartons of (32 ounces) beef flavored broth. 

Set the crockpot to low and then cook 6-8 hours.  Dinner is ready to go, and I will enjoy some soup for lunch over the next couple of days as well!  Now I just have to wait until I get home from Yoga to actually enjoy it....