rockpot Wonders

I am officially in love with my crockpot. I have been for some time, but I figured that I should make a formal announcement. I do wonder if this makes my cooking efforts a little less impressive, but ultimately who cares. Everything I've made in the crockpot comes out delicious. It still amazes me every time how perfectly it cooks food. Plus, it's so convenient to add the ingredients in the morning and come home after work to a wonderful meal. If you're not using yours very often, or...gasp!...don't own one, I strongly recommend showing it some love and letting it work it's magic for you.

Just in case you need further encouragement, I HAVE to share this genius, amazing, life-changing product I stumbled upon in the grocery store a couple weeks ago. Reynolds makes crockpot liners! Check them out here:  http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/product.asp?prod_id=3200. You put the liner in, add your food, and let it cook. Afterwards, you just throw the liner away and voila! There's nothing to clean! Whoever came up with that idea deserves a big high five.

Ok, enough commercial breaks...onto the good stuff. My first Pinterest recipe is a simple Crockpot Ravioli. It doesn't get any easier than this. Only 3 ingredients are between you and a yummy Italian dish. This is a great meal for busy days or Winter nights when you are craving something warm and hearty. Even cooking-challenged boyfriends/husbands can be put in charge of this one (not that I speak from experience). You can also play with different types of ravioli. We tried spinach this time, but I'd also like to try this with a beef ravioli. And bonus, this heats up really well for leftovers.

My next crockpot adventure turned out to be one of my overall favorites so far. I do love Chinese food, but we rarely go to Chinese restaurants. I usually feel icky after eating it because it's so heavy. This recipe is a great compromise: Chinese Beef and Broccoli. It's the great flavor of the classic Chinese dish, but much less filling. There's something very satisfying about creating a dish at home that is generally known as a take-out dish. I like the thought that it's going to be healthier and cheaper than it's counterpart. I have to say, this was really delicious. Michael and I both went pretty crazy for it. I used brown rice instead of white, but I'm sure either would be fine. We just happened to have brown in the pantry. Definitely consider adding this to your rotation if you're looking for a meal that's full of flavor.