Quick and Easy Beef Stew Recipes for the Crockpot

With the cold weather facing us, I know you're thinking of what new, easy meals you can prepare for your family! And if you're like most of us, time is of the essence!

I come from Boston, and beef stew was always a cold weather mainstay in our home growing up. The problem, however, was that it never came out the same way twice! Even with a standard handed-down-for-generations recipe, my mother could never get it to come out right consistently.

Years later I had the same recipe, and encountered the same problem. I could never figure out what was going wrong, but loving beef stew the way I did, I was bound and determined to find solutions to being able to whip up a delectable stew that was perfect every time I made it.

The major issue was always the broth and its seasonings. I figured if I could replace the typical "water, flour and fat drippings" with something that was totally fail-safe, I'd be good to go! So that's exactly what I did!

Try these two recipes for yourself and I guarantee you won't be fussing and fuming with homemade broth again!

NOTE: When purchasing stew beef over the years I have noticed that different stores have a few different ways of packaging the meat. Some of the stores prefer selling the cubes in huge chunks that will need to be cut up when you get home, and other stores already have cut the cubes into the appropriate size for simply placing into the crock pot immediately without any further prep work needed.

Also be careful of how you treat the fat content. In order for any meat to really taste good, you need fat. Don't go crazy cutting off all the fat... let it be! Cut off any grizzle you see, but leave the fat.

Beef Stew with Mushrooms

· 2 - 3 pounds of stew beef. (Don't buy the lean beef... you do need a bit of fat just for the flavor)

· 1 family size can of condensed mushroom soup (I've even used store brands and they are quite acceptable)

· Add to slow cooker. Cook for four hours on low. If possible, stir it a few times.

I typically don't add anything else because my family loves this served over mashed potatoes with a side of either a salad or vegetables, but you can adjust any additional ingredients to suit your family's preferences.

Tomato Based Beef Stew

· 2 - 3 pounds of stew beef. (Don't buy the lean beef... you do need a bit of fat just for the flavor)

· 1 family size can of condensed tomato soup (Again, I've even used store brands and they are quite acceptable)

· 1 envelope of instant onion soup

· ½ cup water

· Add to slow cooker. Cook for four hours on low. If possible, stir it a few times.

· About ½ hour before it's done, add a few cans of vegetables. I add peas, carrots, string beans and a can of sliced potatoes. You can add whatever you like best.

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Learn Ways To Save Money By Using A Crock Pot

Eating out all the time is something that a lot of families have done as both adults are working outside of the home. Not only does eating out all the time cost quite a bit of money, it can also lead to health problems in the future. This is why people should consider knowing how they can use a crock pot to save quite a bit of money and improve their eating habits.

Since the food is going to be cooking for a longer period of time, over a slow heat people can purchase a lower costing cut of meat. Normally people never think about this, but when they are buying a steak cut of meat for grilling they get the top of the linemeats. However, with the crock pot people can start to buy the cheaper cuts of meat and still get the tender and juicy meat they want to have with their meals, thus cutting down on their weekly shopping budget.

Bulk cooking is another aspect which people will enjoy. While most of the time people never think about this, the typical size of a crock pot meal is more than what they can eat at a single sitting. Since there is so much food being prepared, people can make it in bulk and then freeze the leftovers. This way people have meals available in the future when they forget to make a meal in the morning. Or people can cook a meal for the sole purpose of freezing in serving size portions. Having meals available, ready to go will save on having to spend money on takeout meals. Just another savings on the weekly budget.

Meal choices are something else which people will enjoy when they are searching for recipes. Normally people do not think about this, but when they are using a crock pot they will find their food choices are not limited to the soups and stews that people think about but to desserts, cakes and breakfasts. Instead, a simple search will show that people can come up with almost any type of meal idea from the many recipes available, even spaghetti if people have time to make noodles when they get home.

This type of cooking gives people the opportunity to use fresh ingredients in their food. When people are making food at home, they may end up resorting to the quick and easy fast meals already prepared. Not only do these not have the same nutritional value people want to have, but they also cost quite a bit more money. Just another reason for taking 20 minutes in the morning to prepare fresh ingredients to put into your crock pot. So by purchasing fresh vegetables you are gaining a good nutritious meal and saving your money as bulk bought fresh vegetables would be cheaper than prepared meals.

With both adults in the family working, people will find they can save quite a bit of money by using a crock pot. It allows the adults to get their meals prepared in advance and start them cooking or time them to turn on while they are at work. Then people can eat at home for pennies on the dollar compared to a restaurant. Not only is it saving them money but time in the kitchen at night. They spend less time cooking the meal and doing the dishes as it is usually a one pot meal. This gives them more time in the evening to spend on other activities.

As many people have found out, working all the time does not always mean saving money. Instead, people may end up spending more money because they are forced to eat out all the time. By knowing about the different ways that the crock pot slow cooker is able to save them money, people will find that they will love the varied foods available. So by spending 20 minutes in the morning to prepare the cooker they can come home to a cooked meal or use the frozen meals in their freezers that they have previously prepared. So it is possible to save money and eat fabulously delicious meals while working full time. Click on this link for some great and easy recipes, http://crockpotslowcooker.com/blog/

10 Tips to Be a Healthy Writer

Writers tend to be very sedentary. That is why eating right is one of the most important things that writers can do for themselves to be healthy and productive.

Just as exercise is important to keep our bodies in shape, eating right is just as important, for writers to refuel and have the right amount of energy. Writers need to provide fuel for their bodies otherwise they burn out. But because of the sedentary nature of our writing jobs, we usually end up nibbling on fatty snacks and salty and sugary foods that are not good for us. Many writers have candy and chips at their desk that they can snack on at all times. These kinds of foods over time can cause a lot of health problems and obesity in writers.

There are ten tips to eat healthy. They are easy to follow yet very important to follow consistently for optimal health.

1. Eat breakfast. Writers tend to pick up a cup of coffee and quickly go into their office to write. So, having breakfast is out of the question because it takes too long to prepare a nutritious meal. Mornings are a time to fuel our bodies. So, even having a protein shake or bar can be helpful along with your cup of coffee. But if you don't eat anything, you won't be writing at your best because your brain won't have the energy and fuel it needs to produce the best work. So, before you head into your office, grab a granola bar or a protein bar.

2. Avoid sugary and salty foods. These kinds of foods are unhealthy and can cause all kinds of health problems. So, make sure that you just cut them out of your diet. And don't have them around the house either. You don't want to have these unhealthy foods available to grab things when you get that rejection letter or if your writing is not going well.

3. Avoid eating too many carbs because they tend to fall on your waste and hips, depending on your body types. So, it is important to snack on fruit and veggies as often as possible.

4. Have three balanced meals a day and three healthy protein-based snacks. This will help you to not get too hungry and help you to balance your energy levels so that you could be at your best and most productive.

5. Have fruit for dessert. Try and avoid cakes, cookies or high sugar and fat desserts. That will cut quite a few calories a day. Also, don't snack on sugary treats in the mid-afternoon.

6. Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water every day. So, make sure that you have a large one liter bottle of water in your office as you write.

7. Have your heaviest meal earlier in the day. This will give you more energy when you need it. You may want to try to have dinner at lunch, and lunch, the lighter meal, at dinner. You will burn more calories and have more energy when you are writing, making you much more productive.

8. Use the crock pot for cooking meals ahead of time so that you have them on hand. You may want to have five to ten frozen meals in the freezer so you can just take one out when you need a quick dinner. This will ensure that you don't eat the wrong foods or go out for fast food after writing for many hours.

9. Read a few crock pot recipe books and prep your veggies and meat the night before so that you could easily put it in the crock pot the next day. While you are writing, you could smell a wafting crock pot preparing your dinner for you so that you don't have to cook after a long day of writing.

10. Refrain from drinking too much coffee or colas during the day. This stuff can be hard on your system. Instead, drink water or green tea and herbal tea. Ice tea is also a good option on hot days.

Writers have sedentary lives. But this doesn't mean that they can't be healthy. One important part of being a healthy writer is eating right. By taking the small steps outlined in the article, you could be your best both as a writer and as a person.

Irene S. Roth writes academically and creatively. She has twenty published books and has a website for writers at http://irenesroth.wordpress.com. She also has a website for arthritis sufferers at http://howtomanageyourarthritus.com.

Easy Meals - From Freezer to Crockpot

Dinner in a rush?

It is 6 p.m., you just got home from work, you have 1 hour to feed your family and get back out the door to a practice/game/recital/meeting and you have no idea what's for dinner.

Does this sound like a common story in your life? I admit, it happens to often in my life as well. What a difference it makes when you have a meal figured out, even better - have it already prepared and ready to eat!

I received in the mail this week an ad for a meal prep business. It is a great service where you can go to their kitchen and prepare freezer meals, or purchase ready prepared freezer meals that you simply heat and serve. I looked through the menu and ingredients and decided that I could do better myself. So I did some thinking and planning and in less than 2 hours (after the grocery shopping) I had 10 meals in my freezer ready to go (and one of those included a meal for 10 for my family over the holiday weekend).

I have written before about the beauty of the slow cooker ("crock pot"), so I won't go into detail on how to use your slow cooker. But instead focus on making ahead meals to make using your slow cooker even easier! If you simply take 15 minutes in the morning for meal prep, put all the ingredients in the slow cooker, when you get home dinner is hot and ready to serve.

So now let's take it even one step further.

1. Spend 1-2 hours on the weekend, prepare several meals and put them in your freezer.

2. One day ahead, remove tomorrow's meal from the freezer, place in the refrigerator to thaw.

3. In the morning (when life is busy), simply empty your freezer container into the slow cooker. Turn on low heat and arrive home to a delicious smelling house and dinner ready to eat.

Tips for freezing meals

1. Place meat into your freezer container last so when you pour it into the slow cooker it will be on the bottom.

2. Remove all the air out of your freezer container to maintain freshness.

3. Make 2 of each meal and store for up to 3 months.

4. Though more tender foods such as legumes and fish work well in the slow cooker, I recommend sticking to firmer meats such as pork, chicken and beef for freeze-ahead slow cooker meals.

Meal ideas

Simply place the ingredients into a freezer container in the layers listed below. Remove all of the air from the container, label your container with meal name and date of storage and place in the freezer.

You can find lots of recipes for slow cooker meals, but it isn't necessary. You can use some basics that you and your family enjoy and put together an array of different flavor options.

1. Start with vegetables or fruit you enjoy - sweet peppers, white or sweet potatoes, winter squash, onions, apples, pineapple. Chop pieces to uniform sizes.

2. Add flavors you love. Adding dried herbs and sauces to your freezer packet works well. For the most flavor add fresh herbs or other finishing touches such as citrus (orange, lemon, lime), cheeses or high quality olive or nut oils before serving.

a. Asian flavors may include basil, brown sugar, curry, garlic, ginger, sesame or soy sauce.

b. Italian flavors may include basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano, sun dried tomatoes, or marinara sauce.

c. Mediterranean flavors may include capers, feta cheese, garlic, olive oil, olives, oregano, parsley or tomatoes.

d. Mexican flavors may include cilantro, chilies, coriander, cumin, corn, lime, paprika.

3. Add protein - chicken, pork or beef. Often the cheaper and fattier cuts of meat work wonderfully because they will remain tender. Leaner cuts such as pork tenderloin or white meat chicken breasts will become drier with slow cooking.

Nutty Chicken

Chop 2 cups fresh broccoli, 2 large carrots and place in freezer container. Place 3-4 chicken breasts in container (for 4 servings). Mix together ½ C soy sauce, 1 TB maple syrup, 2 tsp. cornstarch, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp. fresh ginger. ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper and ½ C chicken broth until combined. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables. Remove air and seal freezer container. Label bag and date. Use within 3 months and top with sliced green onion and slivered almonds before serving.

There are endless options of meals you can prepare - find some interesting recipes or use the simple steps above to create your own. Give it a try and enjoy the benefits: reduced stress, money saved on eating out, a well nourished family - the effort is worth the benefits! Happy cooking!

Lynda Enright, MS, RD, CLT is certified as a Wellness Coach and LEAP Therapist who partners with individuals who want to look and feel amazing. Lynda helps individuals improve their health by addressing each individual as the whole person finding the causes of weight gain, fatigue, bloating, acid reflux, congestion, brain fog or achy joints. For tips on eating well and balancing a healthy lifestyle, visithttp://www.BeWellConsulting.com

Crock Pot Corned Beef - Making it Healthier

Crock pot corned beef is an excellent recipe to use as an example of how you can make a dish more "body friendly." That is, to make recipes healthier so you can maintain a healthy diet plan while consuming foods you like to eat.

This is important if your goal is to maintain a normal weight and your health. The fact that crock pot corned beef is tasty and easy to prepare make it all the more enticing.

What Is Corned Beef?

Corned beef is beef brisket bathed in salt and spices. It got its name from the large grains of salt originally used for this process known as "corns."

Beef brisket is a very tough cut of meat and boasts a large amount of fat. The salt and fat will have to be greatly decreased before you include crock pot corned beef in your healthy diet plan. This is easy to do but takes an extra step or two in the cooking process.

Lengthy Cooking Process

Crock pot corned beef requires a lengthy cooking process. Don't plan on making this dish unless you have the time to invest in it. Usually you can assemble your crock pot dish and put it on "automatic." It cooks without any further input on your part.

However, to remove the fat from your crock pot corned beef you will have to add an additional step to the cooking process. The extra time and effort is worth it to reduce your fat consumption. This will reduce the calories in this dish.

That's a good thing!

The excess salt found in this dish will remain in the juice, which will be discarded after the food is gone. You will get the flavor but will not consume the majority of the salt.

Less Fat And Reduced Salt

Remove the meat from the crock pot after 8 hours of cooking on low and allow it to cool. Once it is cool remove the large layer of fat off the top. This is most easily accomplished by using a long slicing knife to separate the slab of fat from the meat. Discard the fat. Cover the meat and store in the refrigerator.

Pour the juice from the crock pot into a bowl and refrigerate overnight. The liquefied fat will float on top of the liquid. The cold from the refrigerator will cause the liquefied fat to congeal overnight. In the morning remove the congealed fat from the liquid by gently lifting it off the surface with a slotted spoon or spatula. Carefully decant the liquid back into the crock pot leaving the spices in the bowl. Discard the spices.

Cooked Vegetables Supply Fiber

In addition to the cabbage this dish is traditionally made with you may opt to add red potatoes, turnips, or rutabagas that have been peeled and cut into edible chunks. Cut the vegetables you want to include and place them into your crock pot.

Pour the defatted liquid over the vegetables. Place the corned beef brisket on top and smear with 3 Tbsp. of yellow mustard.

Cover the crock pot and cook 5 hours on low. The vegetables will be soft when finished. Any raw food enzymes present before cooking will have been destroyed by heat, as will most of the vitamins. The main nutritional benefit of this dish is the fiber found in the vegetables and protein from the meat.

Raw Vegetable Diet Supplies Nutrients

The loss of raw food enzymes and vitamins is why a raw vegetable diet component for most of your meals is a good idea. By consuming raw food diets nutritional food quality is retained. The simple corned beef meal arose from humble beginnings. There are numerous variations of this basic recipe using different meats and vegetables. Such boiled dinners are easy to make and turn good cheap food into a hearty meal.

With a little planning these inexpensive healthy recipes can be transformed into good health foods fit for a king. To add raw food enzymes lost in cooking back into your diet you can serve a raw vegetable plate before the meal. Crock pot corned beef may be considered to be a wintertime meal because it is "good comfort food." It is especially popular on St. Patrick's Day.

However, crock pot corned beef can be graciously served anytime. Add a huge salad containing fresh, colorful summertime vegetables and it becomes a feast for any season.

Dale Heil, D.C.

[http://Eat-Healthy-Diet-Plan.com]

For more healthy recipes and weight loss tips please visit:

[http://www.eat-healthy-diet-plan.com/Healthy-Dinner.html]

3 Smart Tips To Use A Vegetarian Crock Pot

The vegetarian crock pot is your faithful kitchen appliance that provides you a hearty and hot meal when you have absolutely no time to spare in the kitchen. The biggest benefit is that they continue to cook your meal over the day, while you work in the office. You come home after a hard day and get a piping hot dinner!

Another benefit is that they retain the nutrients of the food while adding to the flavor. Due to its slow cooking feature, the aroma of the food tends to spread evenly inside the pot, giving your dish a heavenly feel.

Your healthy slow cooker can put together fine dishes for a great picnic or a home party. You can give a mouth-watering feast during important celebrations like Thanksgiving, Halloween, or Christmas, and even on New Year's Eve. A delicious and nutritious main course cooked in a vegetarian crock pot put together with a crunchy salad, freshly baked bread, and concluding with fresh fruit or yummy pie is the ultimate guest's delight!

3 Smart Tips

• Fix a digital appliance timer. It switches off the power to your pot when the food is ready. It can also switch it on at the time you set it. This is best when you need to leave your crock pot alone at home while it's cooking. (The device is affordable.) 

• Want to cut down the cooking time? Preheat your vegetarian crock pot at high. During this time, put your ingredients together and bring to a boil in a pan. Put them all in the pot. Your dish will be ready in half the time it normally takes. 

• Have to rush to the office? Vegetarian recipes come to your rescue at this time. Simply throw all the ingredients-grains, beans, cut vegetables, and water, along with spices and oil-into the crock pot and cover it. Set the digital timer for 8-hour cooking. You can sprinkle salt over the dish when you return.

Tips To Prepare Rice And Beans In The Vegetarian Crock Pot

Beans can happily simmer in it the entire day. However, brown rice may not love this! The best thing to do is to keep the rice soaked all day. When you return from work, cook the rice. Soaked rice takes less time to cook.

To make your beans spicier, chop some vegetables and stir fry them in a pan. Add spices and beans, plus some cooking liquid blended in corn starch. Add tomato and soy sauce, pepper, curry leaves or paste, fresh herbs (coriander gives a heavenly flavor), and salt. You can also add pieces of fresh cottage cheese or whatever you like to make the dish more interesting. Serve this with hot rice. This is a meal to remember!

If you're a working mom, a vegetarian crock pot can become your best friend in the kitchen. You can work all day in the office, yet provide a healthy and hot dinner to your family. Experiment with new recipes, and create exciting dishes with your slow cooker!

The yeahtips.com offers excellent vegetarian crock pot recipes. To know more about the vegetarian crock pot and how to cook effectively in it, log onto the site.

Crock Pots: Cooking Healthy With Them

If you didn't know by now, crock pots or slow cookers can be used to cook a variety of things. You can make bread, oatmeal, brownies, and and even drinks. They're very convenient kitchen appliances to have in your kitchen.

A slow cooker is a counter-top kitchen appliance used to cook food for hours, unattended. They cook food for a few hours using low heat and liquid. The liquid keeps the food heated. They're especially convenient to people with busy lifestyles. Just put on a meal, go about your day and do what you have to do, and when you get done, your food will be cooked without you even paying any attention to it.

Crock-Pot is actually a trademark and IS a slow cooker. The only difference is the name. A slow cooker will not always be a crock pot. For instance, some people say "kleenex" for all tissue even when its not the Kleenex brand. If you search for them on Amazon, you'll notice that brands such as Hamilton Beach do not have crock pots. It's because they're not allowed to use that name. They have slow cookers. Hamilton Beach Crock Pots do not exist, or else Hamilton would probably get in trouble.

Now that you know some of the basics of what they are and how they work, you should try out some delicious recipes. One of the things people like to do with them is cook healthy recipes. Why? Because it's easy, convenient, and good for you. You're also not limited to only a few select meals.

A good, healthy recipe is overnight cinnamon apple oatmeal. Just combine oats, apples, flax, milk, sugar, and butter, put them in the slow cooker, and then go to bed. Wake up in 7-8 hours, and you'll have a delicious healthy crbreakfast already prepared. You're mouth will water the instant you smell the oatmeal. Just add salt and then enjoy.

There are many more recipes like this. There's pumpkin bread, brownies (yes, brownies made in a slow cooker), greek yogurt, tacos, etc. Once you start cooking healthy meals in a crock pot, you won't stop.

Eating better is made way easier when using these slow cookers. You have no more "I have no time to prepare a healthy meal so i'll stop at the nearest fast food place" excuses.

If this doesn't convince you to go and get one, I don't know what will.

For more recipes such as the overnight cinnamon apple oatmeal and more information on crock pots, visit http://crockpotzone.com/