Adventures in Low Carb Cooking: Creamy Garden Veggie, Tomato Basil Soup

What? Two posts in one day...whatever am I going to do with myself!?!?

However, my dinner experiment tonight was too good not to share.

So, without further ado, I give you Creamy Garden Vegetable, Tomato and Basil Soup with Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread.

The picture doesn't do it justice! (well, I have a crappy camera, and a slightly messy kitchen, so what can you expect?)  It is chock full of creamy, healthy deliciousness! Its filling, hearty and just downright tasty...

I know what you're thinking:

What? BREAD! I thought you were low carb!  Well, being low carb doesn't mean that you can't have some of the things you love every now and again, and if you're eating whole grain bread and limit your serving, you shouldn't have any problems helping it to fit into your lifestyle in a healthy way!


AAAAAaaaand the soup is a crock pot recipe! Gotta love that. You won't heat your house up during the summer months, and you can pretty much dump the ingredients and forget them until the end of the process, which is lovely!

So, here is the recipe for the soup (makes 4 one cup servings)

1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 of a sweet red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp Basil
1/4 of a bay leaf
2 cups water
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1/4 c flour
1 c half and half
1/4 c butter
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 tsp garlic salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

In crock pot combine tomatoes, celery, onion, zucchini, bell pepper, oregano, basil, bay leaf, water, and bouillon. Set crock pot to low and cook for 5-7 hours.  In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove as much of the zucchini as possible (its okay if you get other veggies too, I just used a slotted spoon) and puree in a food processor or blender until it is your desired amount of chunky (I wanted a smoother soup for dipping. There were still some lovely little chunks of tomato and celery left in the crock pot to add some more texture.) Return puree to the crock pot.

Then, over medium heat on stove, heat the half and half with butter to melt together. Add the parmesan cheese and whisk in the flour to make a rue.  Whisk the rue in with the crock pot contents.  Allow the crock pot contents to cook for another 15-30 minutes on low. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste as you stir the soup occasionally to keep it from getting lumpy, allowing the flavors to melt together.

Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread:

Take out your desired number of slices of bread (suggested serving is one piece per person)
spread butter onto bread, sprinkle with garlic salt and garlic powder. Top with mozzarella cheese (I just split up some string cheese and laid it on the top.) Broil in oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is browning and crisp....its best eaten dipped in the soup! (Think of it as a take on tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches...)

So...here is your carb breakdown for the soup:
 Per each 1 cup serving you have:

Tomatoes= 1 gram carbs
Celery= 0.25 grams carbs
Red Pepper= 0.25 grams carbs
Zucchini= 0.5 grams carbs
Onion= 1. 5 grams
Parmesan Cheese= 0.5 grams
flour= 6 grams

Soup Total= 10

Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread (1 slice)

Bread= 15 grams (per package, I'm sure you could find whole grain, or low carb bread with fewer carbs)
Butter=  not enough carbs to register...we're talking in the hundreth place after the decimal point...
Mozzarella= 0.5

Bread Total= 15.5

Meal total= 25.5...most people with insulin resistance or diabetes are asked to keep it under 30 grams of carbs in each meal...this meal is filling, hearty, and you won't really feel like you need to eat anymore than one serving of anything.  My husband said he'd eat it again, except he wished there had been some corn in it. Perhaps when I'm not as crazy about having to count carbs I will make it again and add some corn in the last 30 minutes (corn is a VERY carb filled and sugary veggie...at least that is what I remember from working with dieticians.) I suppose if you wanted to forgo the bread, or don't care about the carbs, you could add a cup of corn to the soup. It would add another 7.5 grams of carbs per serving.

Oh, and by way of updating. I don't know if I was bloated on Saturday at the doctor's office when I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, but I think I should mention that after a few days of sticking hard core to a low carb diet, I found out today that I lost 2 pounds- that is,  according to the doctor's scale today at my regular OB's office. I'll keep you posted.  To be honest, my doc had hoped that I would only gain 15 lbs at the most with this pregnancy and so far I've gained 20 (which is amazing when you consider I gained 50 with Faith and still had 20 to lose when I found out that Miss Cupcake was coming) So, I don't think my doc will complain if I lose a little weight here towards the end, especially because they are going to be monitoring my baby's growth more carefully via ultrasound...and neither will I, since it definitely gives me hope for my success in dieting after Miss Cupcake gets here.  Let's be honest, when you're THIS pregnant (almost 33 weeks for those of you keeping track) you pretty much just sit around and do nothing because anything and everything physical is super uncomfortable and, in some cases, painful.

All in all, I was pleased with my efforts...Bon Appetit to anyone brave enough to give my madness a whirl!

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!

Summer Veggie and Pesto Skillet

So....I will start with my husband's critical assessment of tonight's dish...

Quote 1: "Its so good-its almost disappointing because its so healthy, but then there's the bacon."
Quote 2: "This is really, REALLY good. Definitely a make again."

Isn't he so convincing when it comes to trying my culinary endeavors?

When I'm pregnant, I find myself craving certain flavors and I usually find that I'm a little more adventurous in the kitchen than I normally am...sometimes the results are disastrous, but then there are nights like tonight where all of the flavors that I want marry together into one harmonious dish.

The bonus of tonight's dish- Its actually semi healthy.  Yes, there is some butter when it comes to getting a nice crisp hash on the potatoes and the bacon....but other than that, its all summer veggies that you will find in your garden or really cheap in the store right now because its all in season.

Originally, I had intended the zucchini, bacon, and onion sautee part of tonight's dish to be on a bed of linguini tossed in pesto sauce...and you could totally do that (it would probably make it a bit more healthy because you're not cooking with the extra butter...) but I was craving potatoes tonight and decided we'd give it a whirl, if it was a disaster then, oh well...

Here's what you'll need:

4 medium red potatoes, diced
2 medium zuchinni, sliced
1 small red onion (or regular onion would work, red is just what we had in the house.)
1/2 package of bacon, cut into bits
2-4 Tbs of butter
1/4-1/2 c Pesto (to taste, you may like it with more or less pesto mixed in.)
parmesan cheese (optional, topping)
diced tomatoes (optional, topping)
onion salt (optional topping)

Here's what you do:

In a frying pan, melt the butter. Put the potatoes into the pan and cover with a lid for about 5 minutes to tenderize them. Add garlic salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste (keeping in mind that you're going to be tossing them in pesto later) Allow them to fry on each side and turn them to get a lovely hash/fry on each side.  Remove the potatoes from the pan to a large bowl

Add the raw, cut up bacon and allow it to start cooking down. After about 2 minutes add the onions. Cook together until onions are translucent (aka getting a bit of a sautee, about half done) add the sliced zucchini and salt and pepper to taste(they will take less time to sautee- keep in mind again, as you season, that the zucchini are going to be tossed in pesto)  Cook until the zucchini is sufficiently sauteed and them mix in the bowl with the potatoes (trying to drain off as much of the grease as possible as you transfer it over.)

Add the pesto and toss. Be careful how much you add at first, depending on the pesto you use, you may need more or less.  Allow the dish to sit for a few minutes so all the flavors can "marry" together.

Dish into a bowl or onto a plate. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, then tomatoes, then sprinkle onion powder to taste...enjoy!

The perks of this dish?

If you want a vegetarian option, you can TOTALLY forgo the bacon and just use a bit of butter or oil of your choice to sautee the rest of the veggies...

If you're not a potato person, you can always opt to toss a pasta in the pesto and then cover it with the veggies and toppings, so its versatile.

Its in season right now- everything is probably getting ready to come out of your garden or is already sitting in your fridge right now.

For those of you trying to keep your "bikini bod", its light and semi-healthy so you don't have to feel like you need to do a million crunches to make up for eating it.

Its fast! It literally took me 20 minutes to cook everything so A) it won't heat up your kitchen B) its technically a better option than a fast food salad because it probably will take you longer to find your keys and drive somewhere...

Bon Appetit

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!

4 Week Meal Plan- 30 Minute and Easy Meals.

Yesterday I posted my 4 week meal plan with the crock pot freezer meal recipes. Today I went through the rest of my meals and (except for 3 of them because they are recipes that I've either made up or have memorized) I wrote out the recipes and found other freezer prep that you can do as you make the crock pot meals to make your life even easier.  So...here are a few more recipes for you to try and enjoy! Happy table time! :)

Beef Meals:

Skillet Garlic Meatballs: Mix 1 lbs ground beef, 1 egg, 1/4 c breadcrumbs, 3 TBS parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Form into 16-24 balls. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly, pour into a freezer safe tupperware or a gallon freezer bag. Label: Defrost in fridge overnight. Add 4 red potatoes chopped, 1 small bag frozen green beans, 1 can stewed tomatoes, and 3 cloves garlic minced. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender. Serve with extra parmesan on top if desired.

Texas Goulash: mix in a bag 1 lbs ground beef, 1/2 onion chopped  Label: Brown Ground Beef and Onion Mixture. Add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 small bag frozen corn, 3 TBS chili powder, 1 TBS sugar, 1tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper. Can be served over Fritos, or with them stirred in. For extra flare pour Fritos over the top and sprinkle with cheese and bake 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Serve with sour cream to stir in and salsa (if desired.)

Country Bean Casserole: mix in bag 1/2 lbs ground beef, 1/2 lbs bacon chopped, and 1 c chopped onion. Label: Defrost and brown meat mixture. Add 1 can pork and beans, 1and 3/4 c frozen lima beans (or 1 can), 1 can kidney beans, 1/2 c ketchup, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 TBS dry mustard, 2 tsp vinegar. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Skillet Shepherds Pie: (No Freezer Prep for this one- sorry!) Boil 3 medium russet potatoes and mash with 2 tbs butter and 1/4 milk or half and half.  While potatoes are boiling, brown 1 lbs ground beef with minced onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/4 c flour and 1 small can tomato paste. Mix well and add 1 c Beef Broth, 1 and 1/2 tsp parsley, 2 tsp worcestershire sauce, and 2 cups mixed veggies. Simmer until mixture is thick and heated through. Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve with Mashed potatoes over the top and cheese (if desired)

Calzones:  Prepare Pizza Sauce for freezer prep- or you can buy a can premade, but why buy it when it tastes so much better homemade?- 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato paste, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp basil, 1/8 tsp parsley,  and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Simmer together for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit and store in a quart freezer bag. Recipe: Brown  3/4 lbs ground beef w/ chopped onion to taste, and 2 cloves minced garlic.  Add in pizza sauce.  Cut pizza dough (prepared by you or a store or whatever...) into squares and spoon meat mixture onto the middle. Top with mozzarella cheese and fold over to form a triangle. Seal the sides and poke the top with a fork. Bake 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until pizza dough is golden brown.

Bacon Stuffed Hamburger Patties: in a bag mix 1 lbs ground beef, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tbs steak sauce, 1egg and 1/2 c breadcrumbs. Label: Divide into 16 patties, place cooked, chopped bacon into the middle of one patty and cover with another and seal. Grill until well done (about 9 minutes each side)  Serve with Sauteed mushrooms and onions on top and steak sauce on the side.

Chicken Recipes:

Bacon, Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas: In a quart bag mix 2 chicken breasts, diced and 1/2 package of bacon chopped with 1/2 onion sliced. Label: Defrost overnight, Brown together seasoning with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and salt to taste. Place on tortilla shell and sprinkle with cheese. Grill on each side until cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly browned. Serve with ranch dressing, salsa, and guacamole for dipping (depending on your desire.)

Baked Ranch Chicken: (the only pre-prep you could do here is to make your own ranch dressing mix, but if you're hesitant, go ahead and buy a premade packet.) Recipe: Mix 1 c breadcrumbs with ranch dressing packet in a bowl or baggie.  Dredge chicken in melted butter.  Coat with the breadcrumb mix. Bake 350 degrees for 45 min or until no longer pink.

Pork/Ham Recipes: 

Crock Pot Ham and Ranch Potatoes: (again the only pre-prep you could do would be to make your own ranch dressing mix)  quarter 2 lbs red potatoes, Pour a 16 oz package of diced ham (juices and all) over the top of the potatoes. Dice 1 package of cream cheese and put on the top, and sprinkle with 1 c cheese. Cook 6-7 hours on low or until potatoes are tender.

Vegetarian Meals:

Spaghetti Squash Marinara (Makes 2 VERY LARGE servings- in fact, could easily serve 4) Freezer Prep: Slice 1 Zuchinni and 1 Yellow Squash. Put into quart freezer bag with 1/2 bag frozen broccoli. 

Recipe: Slice 1 Spaghetti Squash in half. Boil until tender. Take out the seeds and throw away, then use a fork to get the flesh of the squash. Reserve the shells.  Melt 3 TBS butter in a fry pan large enough for the spaghetti squash. Sautee the squash and add your prefrozen vegetables. Pour in half a pint (jar, can, etc...we make our own freezer pasta sauce and store it in pints.) of spaghetti squash and 1 can of diced tomatoes (drained).  Simmer together and heat the rest of the spaghetti sauce separately. Put Spaghetti Squash mixture back in the shell and top with cheese of choice (be it mozzarella or cheddar, it depends on what you have in the house and what you like.) Bake 350 degrees until cheese is bubbling. Pour the rest of the pasta sauce over the top and serve. 

For good measure, I'm going to throw in the Ranch Dressing Mix recipe that I use, in case you want to save a few bucks. :)

3 TBS Onion Powder

2 and 1/2 tsp Paprika

1 TBS parsley flakes

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp pepper

1 and 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix well and store in airtight container. Can be stored for up to 12 months. use 1 TBS for every 8 oz of liquid.  The recipes above will need roughly 2 TBS. :)

Happy meal planning!

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!

4 Week Meal Plan- Freezer Meals

Last week and this week mark my first expedition into the world of the magical 4 week meal plan... I usually only plan for 2 weeks, but my loving husband asked that I attempt the whole month in an attempt to thwart us eating out when I'm tired (and we've been doing that more than I'd like to admit.)  We usually eat out for pretty cheap, but the reality is that no matter where you're eating out, you can never eat out for as cheaply as you can make it at home, and it will always be healthier to eat at home.

I love to cook. It makes me sad that this pregnancy has basically left me exhausted (well, this pregnancy coupled with keeping up with a 6 month old who has no problem with being the princess and demanding all of my free time.) It makes me sad because I know that there is nothing more satisfying for me than being in the kitchen.

So... I'm getting back into it, and purposely planned a lot of freezer crock pot meals so that all I have to do is pull out a gallon ziplock from the fridge the night before I need it and plop it into the crock pot the next morning.   We haven't had our shopping trip yet (we don't get paid until tomorrow) but I'm hoping that the tips I've found online to help economize will make things cheaper...and the beauty is that except for a run for milk and possibly cereal here and there, all our shopping will be done for the month...which means we will save money because we won't be running to the store for random things at random times.

I made it a point to plan 1 vegetarian meal for each week. Obviously, if you're not eating meat, you're not paying for it.  To be honest, these are the nights I'm most excited for. I'm back on a veggie kick (likely pregnancy cravings, but I will be honest and say that I go through periods where I just don't crave meat at all...in fact, the summer before I married Jeff, with the exception of a few meals I was completely a vegetarian- not for any social reasons, just because I really didn't want meat. The honest to goodness truth- I will eat a really good black bean burger over a hamburger any day)

I also used a lot of "cheaper" meats like chicken (which is around $2.28 a pound at the grocery store we usually shop at, but, as always, I will be checking ads to see if its on sale cheaper somewhere else) and ground beef.  

I'm going to go ahead and post the 4 weeks of meals, but for right now, I'm only going to post how to put together the freezer meals (as I spent the majority of the afternoon planning my prep day and took the time to write them all out....) I will post the other recipes as we use them if they're any good...mostly because when I cook I always find something I want to tweak or some way I want to change the recipe to make my tastebuds happy....

So...here are 4 weeks worth of meals (I plan on mixing it up...I tried to vary what we were eating in this particular list, but let's face it, sometimes you just aren't in the mood for what was planned for that particular evening.) I will put an asterisk next to the freezer meals that I am posting the recipes for.

1. Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice *

2. Skillet Garlic Meatball Dinner

3. Parmesan Dijon Chicken

4. Spaghetti Squash and Vegetable Marinara

5. Texas Goulash

6. Ham and Ranch Potatoes (a crock pot meal, but as potatoes don't really freeze well, it will be prepped day of.)

7. Honey Catalina Chicken *

1. Penne Pasta Zuppa *

2. Country Bean Casserole

3. Crock Pot Philly Cheesesteak *

4. Chicken Pesto Pasta

5. Skillet Shepherds Pie

6. Cream Cheese Stroganoff *

7. Bacon, Chicken, and Cheese Quesadillas

1. Slow Cooker 7 Up Chicken and Rice *

2. Baked Ranch Chicken

3. Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers *

4. Crock Pot Ratatouille *

5. Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

6. Slow Cooker Meat Loaf *

7. Chicken Cacciatore *

1. Crock Pot Sloppy Joes *

2. Basil Chicken *

3. Swiss Steak with Onion and Mushroom *

4. Calzones

5. Bacon Stuffed Hamburger Patties

6. Teriyaki Chicken *

7. Crock Pot Lemon Chicken *

Freezer Recipes:  Just take it out the night before so it will be thawed enough to go in the crock pot. (Bear in mind that these are adjusted for 2 people; however, many of them would serve 4 with a single serving or 2 adults and some small children. :)  Adjust accordingly.) 

Chicken Recipes:

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice- Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup with 1 package of onion soup mix, 1/2 TBS of Parsley, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Pour over 2 diced boneless skinless chicken breasts in a Gallon freezer bag. Label should say: Place 1 small box wild rice mix in bottom of crock pot,  and pour  contents over the top. Cook on Low 8 hours 

Honey Catalina Chicken- Pour 1/2 bottle of Honey Catalina dressing over 2 chicken breasts in a gallon freezer bag. Label: Cook on Low 8 hours

7 up Chicken and Rice- Mix one 12 oz can of 7 up (or generic knock off....)with 1 can cream of chicken soup. Pour over 2 diced chicken breasts  in a bag.  Label: Cook 3 hours on low, add 1 cup rice and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Cook 3-4 more hours on low.

Chicken Cacciatore- 1/2 onion sliced, 3/4 c baby carrots, 4 mushrooms quartered, 2 chicken breasts diced, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 pint of spaghetti sauce. Label: Cook on low 4-6 hours

Basil Garlic Chicken- 2 chicken breasts, 1 c baby carrots, 3 stalks celery diced, 1 onion sliced.  Label: Place 3-4 chopped red potatoes in the bottom of crock pot. Add contents of pack and 3/4 c chicken broth mixed with 1 tsp Garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 TBS basil. Cook on Low 8 hours.

Teriyaki Chicken- Mix 1/4 c soy sauce, 1 c water, 1/2 tsp ginger, 3 TBS Brown Sugar, 1 clove garlic chopped or minced, and 1 TBS cornstarch mixed in 1/4 c cold water. Set aside. Put 2 diced chicken breasts, 1 c baby carrots, 1/2 onion sliced, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, and 1 can of pineapple undrained into a bag. Pour sauce mix over the top.  Label: Cook on Low 8 hours, serve over rice

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken-  Mix 1/4 c Dijon Mustard, 1/2 c lemon juice, and 1/2 c chicken broth. Pour over 1 onion sliced, 3 cloves garlic chopped, 2 chicken breasts diced in a gallon bag.  Label: Cook on Low 8 hours, add 1/3 c half and half in the last half hour of cooking. Serve over noodles or rice.

Beef Freezer Meals: ( Some of these couldn't be adjusted for 2 people, so they will easily serve a family of 4-6 -or more- comfortably) 

Philly Cheesesteak- 2 steaks sliced thin, 1 onion sliced, 1 bell pepper sliced. Label: Add  1 TBS butter, 1/2 c Beef Stock mixed with 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 TBS garlic powder. Cook on Low 6-8 hours. Serve over hoagie or Kaiser Rolls with provolone (or desired) cheese and mayo/miracle whip.

Cream Cheese Stroganoff- Cube 2 steaks, add 1/2 onion chopped, and 8 oz of cream cheese cubed. Mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 2 TBS worcestershire sauce, 1/4 c beef broth, and 1/4 tsp garlic salt. Pour over steak and onions in the bag.  Label: Cook on Low 6-8 hours.

Stuffed Peppers- Combine 1lbs raw ground beef with 1 cup rice, 1/2 onion chopped, 1 carrot shredded, 1/2 tsp salt, 1tsp worcestershire, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 can tomato sauce. This will stuff 6 peppers; however, if you don't need 6, you can stuff the number you want and store the rest. Stuff them 2/3 full so the rice will have room to expand.  Label: Top with 1 can tomato sauce. Cook on Low 6-8 hours.

Meatloaf- Combine 1 lbs raw ground beef with 1 egg, 1/2 c breadcrumbs, 8 oz tomato sauce, 3 TBS onion chopped, 3 TBS bell pepper chopped, 3 TBS celery chopped, 2 TBS seasoned salt,  3 tsp parsley.  Label: place in a greased crock pot shaped in loaf, not allowing it to touch the sides. Top with mixture of  1/2 c ketchup, 4 TBS Brown Sugar, 4 TBS vinegar, 1 TBS mustard powder.  Cook on high 1 hour then move to low for 6-8 hours.

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes- Mix 1 lbs raw ground beef with 1/2 onion chopped, 2-3 stalks celery diced, 1/2 bell pepper diced, 1 can tomato sauce, 1/4 c ketchup, 1/4 c barbecue sauce, 1 TBS brown sugar, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 TBS worcestershire sauce, 1 TBS vinegar. Label: pour into greased crock pot, cook on low 4-6 hours stirring as needed to keep ingredients mixed.

Swiss Steak- 2 steaks, 4 mushrooms quartered, 1 onion sliced. Mix 3/4 c beef broth with 1 and 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 c apple juice, 2 TBS parsley.  Label: Cook 8-10 hours on low. Add 1/4 c half and half mixed with 1 TBS corn starch  20 minutes before end and stir in to thicken juices.

Vegetarian Freezer Meals:

Penne Pasta Zuppa- 1 can white beans or kidney beans, 2 diced yellow squash, 2 tomatoes diced, 1 onion diced, 3/4 c carrots diced, 1/2 bag frozen green beans, 2 cloves garlic chopped. Label: Add 4 c. chicken or beef broth mixed with 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.  Cook 2 hours on high, then 6 hours on low. Add pasta and more water if necessary to cover during the last 30 minutes of cooking time or until pasta is tender.  Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Ratatouille- 1/2 onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic chopped, 1 small eggplant diced, 1/2 red pepper diced, 1/2 green pepper diced, 1 zuchinni diced, 1 small can tomato paste, 1 can chick peas, 1 can diced tomatoes undrained, 1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.  Label: Cook on Low 4-6 hours, serve over rice

Happy Eating! :)