What a Crock!

I'm thinking of adding a couple of theme days to the blog, including a recipe day, and that got me to thinking about my crock pot.  Don't ask for the full run down on how I got from point A to point crock pot because a) I'm not a good enough writer to take you on that long and winding journey, and b) you'd lose interest somewhere around the point I was thinking about Harry Potter and how that ugly kid really grew into his looks.  Anyway, suffice it to say, the crock pot is useful to the dieter's arsenal because it will eliminate both the "I don't have the money to cook healthy food" and the "I don't have time to exercise" excuses.

First, the money element:

Crock pots are great for cooking cheaper (i.e. tougher) cuts of meat at a lower, slower temperature.  You can also cook leaner cuts of meat in the crock pot and still have it come out juicy without all the added fat.  Crock pots are also great for cooking big pots of healthy soups and stews that you can then freeze in individual bags for lunches and thus eliminate the excuse for popping out to get some dollar menu fast food. I don't care if everything IS a dollar, it's still cheaper to bring lunch from home.  And, because you are freezing your leftovers, you don't have the worry of getting burned out on eating the same thing for lunch tomorrow that you had for dinner the night before.  Variety is the spice of life!

Now, the time element:

How many people, especially women, give the excuse of not having enough time in their day to exercise?  Close to a billion.  That's just an estimate, but I'm pretty sure it's close.  It's no wonder.  I once worked outside of the home and I know from experience, sometimes moms don't have a chance to even sit down until around 10pm.  Forget about waking up early for exercise!  I never could do it.  I had to get up at 5:30 am as it was to get myself, my kid and my husband out of the door on time.  I had a 45 minute commute, one way, would often work overtime, come home and get dinner and a load of laundry started, help the kiddo with homework, clean the house, finish up dinner, eat dinner, clean the kitchen, do more laundry, do more homework, build a lego tower, get everything ready for tomorrow, lather, rinse, repeat. There didn't seem to be enough hours in my day to fit in exercise.

A crock pot can free up at least the hour you spend cooking dinner each night. You can just set up your meals the night before, throw it on before leaving the house for the day, and come home to a wonderful homecooked meal. It's almost like having a personal chef! Get some bagged salad and an easy side dish and you have dinner!

The only issue with crock pot cooking is finding healthy recipes that fit into a diet plan. To find healthier alternatives to crock pot recipes, one often has to dig a little deeper, but that's not to say it can't be done. Almost anything can be cooked in a crock pot with a little modification. I will be posting tried and true recipes on this blog beginning Monday under the heading of Monday Meals. If you have any you would like to share, please comment or send me an email. You will get full credit!