Vitameatavegamin-or Beef and Barley Soup in the Slow Cooker

We've been on an I Love Lucy kick this month. It's not just a title, I really do love that crazy redhead. We all do, young charges included. The only drawback to too much Lucy is trying to get them to settle down at bedtime after they watch her brilliant oddball comedy. It's more of a hyperactivity catalyst then pure liquid sugar. It's making me laugh so hard that I actually get an ab workout. Hey, I wasn't even trying.

One of the best episodes, hands down, is "Vitameatavegamin."

Remember when Lucy gets sloshed practicing a commercial for the miracle supplement? She tells viewers that the alcohol-laden syrup contains "vitamins, meats, vegatables, and minerals." And that got me thinking about this Beef and Barley Soup in the Slow Cooker. It's got vitamins, meats, vegetables, and minerals. The only thing it doesn't have is alcohol, so you are guaranteed to stay warm, satisfied, and 100 percent sober. It's a cinch to make in your slow cooker, so fill 'er up today. "It's so tasty too; just like candy." Well, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but it's spot-on if you leave out the candy part.

Watch here for sore tummy muscles.

Money Saving Tips:

Use any cut of on sale beef, even a pot roast, cut into 1 inch pieces. Beef bouillion cubes will work well here, just add less than you think you need and taste at the end and adjust. Got any leftover cooked vegetables-just throw them in at the end.

Beef with Barley Soup

Estimated Cost: $6.00 for four large servings

1 lb. stew meat

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ribs celery, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1 clove garlic, mined

5 cups beef broth

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons fresh

Add later:

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley (quick cooking is fine)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

fresh parsley, for serving

Add meat through parsey to crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Add barley for last hour of cooking. Stir in vinegar and sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Next Up:

Crock Pot Mulligatawny

PS Click here to vote for West's More Rockin' Morrocan Peanutty Pitas everyday through 2/12. Scroll down and register-it takes 10 seconds, promise! See yesterday's post if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

PSS West just got an offer to appear on a morning show to make his recipe. He's decided to enter the witness protection program instead.

Creamy Potato Soup in the Slow Cooker

One thing that irks me about some slow cooker recipes is when you are asked to first brown all ingredients in a pot on the stove. For Pete's sake, if I'm going to dirty a pot, I'm going to cook the whole meal in it, start to finish. I know they have slow cookers now that can also brown meats, but I don't have one and I'll have to wait till my circa 1995 crockpot bites the dust before I will lay out more cash for the latest model. For now, if a recipe asks me to cook everything in a pot on the stove, then transfer it to my slow cooker, it doesn't make it into my mealtime repertoire. I categorically refuse to wash two pots for what ought to be a one pot meal.

I have extra justification for my refusal this week. My sink developed a nasty case of slow drip this week. Drip....drip....drip. At first, if I turned the faucet just right, it was an even slower drip. Drip............drip......................drip. But then, it surrendered to dripdripdrip and it had to be addressed. The Quiet Man put on a manly plaid shirt and curled up under the sink for all of Friday night. I was standing close at hand, worried about my sink full of dishes that I desperately wanted to wash so that I could feel that Friday night/peace with the world kind of feeling. At nine thirty plaid-clad Quiet Man informed me that he needed a special part to be able to fix the sink, so would I kindly check Home Depot on-line to see if it was open. Open till ten, I reported. Meanwhile, West found an old flyswatter in the junk that his Dad emptied from under the sink, so he naturally began to chase his sister around the house, who tripped over her Dad who was laying with his face inside the cupboard, fixing the sink. Sailor should seriously consider a career in voice-overs for radio murder mysteries; she can scream, shriek and wail like no body's business. Except I think people would change the radio station, at least I would have if I could have. WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! MOOOOOMMMMMMMY!!!! HE'S CHAAAAASING ME WITH A FLYYYYYYY SWAAAAAAATER!!!!! We piled all of the ear-shattering chaos into the minivan and raced towards Home Depot, which was naturally dark, quiet, and closed since 9 o'clock. I know we're not supposed to believe everything we read on the Internet, but I thought the Home Depot website would have a little integrity. Didn't they know that a sink full of dirty dishes and my sanity were hanging in the balance?

Just a little peek into my platform for a minimum of dirty dishes. And with that, I'll share my Creamy Potato Soup in the slow cooker. This soup is satisfying, velvety and creamy. The rich flavor comes from a roux that would require dirtying another pan, but I've created a shortcut using a kneaded flour and butter mixture. I've tinkered and reduced cream and butter to the maximum I could get away with and still create a luxurious texture and mouth feel. You'll love the ease of preparing it, the taste of the soup, and the one (crock) pot clean up when you're done. And incidentally, my sink is working again. I think I'll give it the day off, to celebrate.

Money Saving Tips:

Use any potato that is on sale at your grocer's. Idaho russets are delicious, but Yukon gold and red potatoes make a very creamy soup, too. You can use baby carrots to save yourself peeling time. Swap out bouillon cubes for the broth. You can use low fat milk, but you might want to increase the butter a bit if you do.

Creamy Potato Soup in the SlowCooker

Estimated Cost: $ 5.00 for four large servings

Notes: Roughly chop your vegetables, since you'll mash them down later.

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used Yukon gold)

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried

2 tablespoons softened butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 -3/4 cream, half and half, whole milk, evaporated milk, or evaporated fat free milk

salt and pepper to taste

In a slow cooker, place the onion, carrots, potatoes, broth and parsley. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Use a potato mashed to crush the potatoes and vegetables to an almost smooth consistency. In a small bowl, combine butter and flour until smooth. Using a wire whisk, combine butter mixture with soup, whisking until smooth. Pour in cream and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. IMPORTANT: If you are using milk in place of the cream, do not let the soup boil after adding.

Up Next:

Beef and Barley Soup in the Slow Cooker

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup in the Slow Cooker

Whatever mysterious virus has graced my existence for the last week, has finally found a new patron: The Quiet Man. I made myself an absolute wah-wah baby when I was sick, staying in bed and wailing for frequent cups of cold water and buttered toast. I watched Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version, but on VHS, which means someone has to come and switch the tapes for you every couple of hours, and they'd better be quick about it because I can't bear to be apart from Elizabeth and Darcy. It's amazing how much lung power I still have, even when indisposed.

In contrast, the Quiet Man doesn't ask me for anything at all when he is sick. He heads off to work and holes up in his office to do paperwork, as a sort of self-imposed quarantine. I can't do much for him, except telephone and ask if he is OK. Long pause. "Yes." Are you still sick? Long pause. "Yes." Oh. Darn. Can I do anything for you? Long pause. "No."

But YES, I can do something for him. I can make him old-fashioned chicken noodle soup, a bonafide miracle food for the indisposed. It's good and comforting and it will cure whatever ails you faster than anything you can buy at the pharmacy. And if you make it in the slow cooker, it requires such a minimal amount of attention that you could easily make a steaming serving for anyone in your life who becomes ill this winter season. Ladle a bit into a jar and take it to an ailing neighbor or co-worker. Or stay home and eat it all by yourself. And stay well, while you're at it.

Money Saving Tips: Use bouillion cubes for the broth. You can use bone in skin on chicken; just remove bones and skin after cooking.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup in the Slow Cooker

Estimated Cost: $ 3.00 for 4-6 servings

3 cups water

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken (toss it in frozen, if you like)

3 carrots,peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, peeled and diced

1 large onion, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 1 heaping teaspon dried

pinch of dried rosemary

pinch of dried thyme

2 ounces egg noodles, or broad pasta noodles

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker EXCEPT the noodles. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken from pot and shred; return to pot. Add noodles for last 30 minutes of cooking. Taste soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
Next Up:

Creamy Potato Soup in the Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

A very Happy Birthday to the Quiet Man today. This is a big one, folks. The big 4-0. I've been telling him for the last decade that he was almost forty, just to ruffle his feathers, so now what will I say to tease him? He's almost fifty? And to top it off.....My little boy West was coloring a birthday card and approached me with two crayons in his hand asking, "What color is Daddy's hair?" I wasn't sure how to answer. I think he already knew the answer anyway. One of the crayons in his little fist was brown, and the other was gray. I told West that in the interest of historical accuracy he'd better use both crayons. Since his Dad is just a mere decade away from 50, he'd better get used to the idea. (Besides, he really does look rather dashing with gray hair.)

And now, on to the food. You're really going to heart this one. It's a big sloppy pulled pork sandwich, dripping with savory and sweet juices, with a nice crisp and creamy slaw on a homemade wheat roll. If you're busy, skip the rolls and serve them on bakery buns. I've been using pork chops in various forms quite a bit lately, especially since Albertson's keeps having 2 for 1 sales. They're cheap, fast, convenient, healthy, and can be made into all kinds of delicious concotions. Like this sandwich. Have a great weekend everybody! See you Tuesday with a scrumptious treat for TWD.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Estimated Cost: $4.00

1 lb. pork chops

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons mustard

1 teaspoon or more tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Shred meat.

Cole Slaw

Estimated Cost: $2.50

3 cups finely chopped cabbage

1 carrot, grated

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup mayonnaise or whole milk yogurt

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in medium sized bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I don't bother to mix the dressing separately.)

Homemade Wheat Rolls

Estimated Cost: $2.50

3 tablespoons warm water

2 and 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1 cup warm milk

4 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

milk to brush on top

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine water and yeast. (Make sure the water is baby bottle warm.) Let sit for five minutes. The yeast should be dissolved and starting to puff up. To the same bowl add milk, butter, sugar, egg and salt. Beat for one minute. Add wheat flour, then white flour about 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for about ten minutes. Shape into a ball. Coat the outside of ball with a thin layer of butter and return to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled, about one hour. Grease a cookie sheet. Shape dough into 12 equal size balls. Place on cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Brush rolls with milk. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until nicely browned.

PS These rolls are insanely good plain with just a slick of butter.

Next Up: Split Level Puddings

Dijon Beef Stroganoff-Penny Pinching Style

I'm a little reluctant to post this dinner because, well, it doesn't look pretty. But shouldn't it still be invited to the dance? It has other charms, cross my heart. What it lacks in good looks, it makes up for in inner beauty: Think hearty beef and mushrooms in a creamy sour cream sauce made extra savory with dijon mustard. And it's easy on the pocketbook too. Normally beef stroganoff is made with the most supple cuts of fillet mignon. My Miss Congeniality stroganoff is made from humble stew meat, made lovingly tender by a long simmer. (If you're around the house you can simmer it in on the stovetop; if you'll be away, the crockpot works just as well. ) See, it's a cheap date, fun, and full of tender loving kindness.

And, ahem, contributing to dinner's unassuming appearance: that pile of timid lima beans. An explanation: my boy charge had a science experiment involving four lima beans this week. Unless you are like Jack in the Beanstalk, you will not have four beans lying around the house, and you will have to buy the whole bag of limas. And then what will you do? So after we scientifically identified the cotyledon, future plant, and seed coat we cooked up the rest and ate them alongside our bashful stroganoff. And the charges ate them too. Whaddya know? Maybe next we should do a science experiment with brussel sprouts....

Have a great weekend!

Money Saving Tips:

Stew meat is a great way to savor tender beef on a budget. Stroganoff is traditionally served over egg noodles, but you could use pasta, couscous, or brown rice, as I've done. Button, cremini, or portabello mushrooms would work well here, so choose whichever one you can find the cheapest this week.

Dijon Beef Stroganoff-Penny Pinching Style

Estimated Cost: $7.00 for four hearty servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 lb. stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups beef broth

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoon dijon mustard (my favorite is horseradish Dijon)

rice or noodles, for serving

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about four minutes. Add the beef and sprinkle over the flour. Cook, stirring until nicely browned. Add garlic, mushrooms, and thyme. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours. (The mixture can be transferred to a crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours-or longer if you'll be away.) Just before serving, stir in the sour cream and dijon. DO NOT BOIL. Warm through and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice or noodles.

Up Next:

Getting Started with Valentine's Day Dinner

Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Chicken

My sewing machine is on overdrive. Halloween costumes, it seems, should be finished two weeks before Halloween. Why can I never remember this? We've become so adept at celebrating that each holiday spills out of it's little calendar box into an entire month of festivities. Ain't life grand?
So, even though Halloween is next Friday night, the two charges have a Halloween party tonight, a carnival tomorrow, a wear-your-costume ballet lesson and vocal class mid week and best of all: my two little costumed charges are playing their violins with the Southwest Symphony for a Halloween concert on Thursday night. I can't wait to see Belle and Obi Wan Kenobi up there, fiddling their little Halloween hearts out. So, here I sit at the computer, in pajamas, but covered with bits of yellow thread and brown fabric scraps. But I'm almost done. And it's good to know they'll be getting good use out of these Halloween costumes. All week long.
Our favorite weekend dinner, hands down, is tacos. This four ingredient slow cooker recipe is a huge time saver. I don't even bother to defrost the chicken before plunking it in, smothered in itty bitty tomatoes, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper. That's it. If we have tacos on Friday night, you can bet we'll have chicken quesadillas on Sunday. Have a great weekend everybody.
Money Saving Tips: Chicken is one of those items that can cost you a lot or a little, depending on the sales of the week. When it goes on sale for less than $2/lb, stock up. If you can't find petite diced tomatoes, chop canned diced tomatoes into small pieces. Tabasco to taste could stand in for the pepper flakes.
Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Chicken for Tacos
Estimated Cost: $3.00
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Coat inside of crock pot with no stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded.) Serve in tacos.
Next Up:
Velvety Buttermilk Donuts with Maple Glaze

Slow Cooker Peach Marmalade Chicken

I didn't expect to embrace small town living. Born and raised in a suburb of L.A. county, I thought small town living meant tossing slop to pigs in a galaxy far far away from a mall. But, like Robert Frost, my mom secretly believed that people in small towns, particularly those that raised animals or crops, were of a higher moral caliber than city folk. She tried to create a small town feeling for her big city offspring. Hoping that at least one of her urban children would be inspired to become a humble potato farmer someday, we lived in a home with a backyard barn filled with horses, sheep, and chickens. Up the slope from the barn, we had a fruit orchard and vegetable garden, and we kids had the dreaded responsibility of picking and canning, feeding and watering, cleaning and weeding. I think we were the only kids in L.A. that had to come home from school to gather the eggs, feed the horses, or pick berries for the evening pie.
I'm not sure if her plan worked, because we always had one foot in both worlds. Next to the barn in the backyard, we also had a swimming pool, trampoline, and basketball court, and up the road was the ubiquitious mall. We enjoyed all the pleasures of California living, but with all the chores of Green Acres. Our school mates thought our house was better than Disneyland...and the petting zoo.
Five years ago, The Quiet Man and I moved our family from New York to a small town in the west. Part of the appeal was the chance to live across the street from my parents, who had finally left the city. The idea of raising children in small town America was enticing too. I don't know if it will have any effect on their moral character or not, but at least they'll know what it's like to grow a tomato, throw rocks in the creek any day of the week, have a rooster (we have one in our backyard that has adopted us) and march in a local parade. And ironically, at this point in my life, one of the big selling points for small town life was no nearby gigantic mall.
This last weekend was our little town's fall weekend festival, including a parade, live entertainment, fireworks, pancake breakfast, and an early morning 5K. The Quiet Man and I ran up and down Main Street to the race start line, ran the race, and then ran home so we could have the kids ready for the wee parade that started about 200 yards from our front door. See my Sailor-girl on this singing float with her vocal group? Now she's throwing candy and bossing her brother to pick it up faster. Reluctantly, with light saber perched on his chair, he rushes into the street to grab it. He'll get the hang of it later, to the tune of two bulging cargo pockets crammed with sweets.
Along the parade route, and just 1/4 mile from our house, is a small vegetable and fruit market, open from May till November. With such fabulous local produce within walking distance, it's tempting to skip gardening all together. With pumpkins and watermelons jockeying for position, you know that Fall has newly arrived. Summer fruits are trading spaces with hard winter squash.And there is Quiet Man. Quietly hiding behind this display of peaches and tomatoes, chard and peppers. I didn't expect to embrace small town life, but with charm and quiet, it has really grown on me. And with farm-fresh dinner inspiration just 1/4 mile up the road, I doubt we'll ever be able to move. We bought some juicy peaches after our run, tossed them in the slow cooker with chicken and condiments, and were able to enjoy the rest of the pleasures of a small town festival and still come home to a warm and comforting dinner with my little sister and her family as guests. The sweet peachy chicken juices are particularly delicious spooned over the savory walnut rice, with caramelized onions and green beans on the side.
Wherever you live, wherever you are at this moment, I hope you take the time to enjoy and appreciate what this very moment has to offer. City slicker or country bumpkin, the world is so full of a number of things.
Money Saving Tips:
Be sure to buy loads of chicken when on sale. Fresh or frozen peaches work equally well here. Canned peaches can be substituted, but add them only for the last hour or they'll be too mushy. For the rice, you can use a chicken bouillon cube or substitute water and 1 teaspoon salt. Walnuts can be traded for pecans, almonds, or cashews.Slow Cooker Peach Marmalade Chicken
Estimated Cost: $5.50
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. chicken, boneless, skinless
2 tablespoons flour
2 peaches, peeled and sliced or about 1 and 1/2 cup frozen peach slices
1/2 cup orange marmalade or peach preserves
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
Pour olive oil into crock pot. Sprinkle chicken with flour and salt and pepper to taste. Combine remaining ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Serve with rice pilaf and green beans.

Walnut Rice Pilaf and Green Beans
Estimated Cost: $4.50
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, 1/2 sliced, the other 1/2 diced
1 and 1/4 cup long grain rice
2 and 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
6 ounces fresh green beans
In a medium saucepan, heat butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add diced onion and rice; saute for about 6 minutes or until onion is beginning to brown and rice is translucent. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 18 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in medium saucepan. Add onion and saute until browned, about 6 minutes. Add green beans and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until green beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Remove lid and cook until water evaporates. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Coming at the First Light of Tuesday:
Tuesdays with Dorie:
Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake

Corniest Corn Muffin and Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Want to hear a corny jokc?

A man walked into the Dr.'s office. In his ear he had a carrot, in his nose an ear of corn, and in his eye a wedge of cucumber. He complained to the Dr. that he wasn't feeling his best. "Well," the Dr. replied, "The trouble is you're not eating properly....."

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

If you're going to make a recipe named "CORNIEST" corn muffin, then you'd better have some corny jokes to go with it.

Like this one: What did the kernel say to the other kernel? My pop's bigger than your pop.

Ooh, boy-that's pretty corny.

Or if you prefer that no one roll their eyes, serve up your corniest corn muffin with a less obnoxious partner, like William Sonoma's Crock Pot chili. Both recipes are part of my Fall Kick Off Menu, which also includes:

Pear and Walnut Salad with Honey Dressing (coming tomorrow)

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili

Caramel Apple Wedges (coming soon)

Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Crumbly Apple Bars

Corn bread is particularly delightful baked in a muffin tin, since it provides lots of crispy surface area. Besides having fresh corn kernels in the batter, these are extra corny with a high ratio of cornmeal to flour. Serve these up with loads of honey butter to bring out that natural sweetness.

Money Saving Tips: Cut any corn off a leftover cob for this recipe. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, just put 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a 1 cup measure. Pour in milk to the top and let stand for five minutes. If you're out of cornmeal, you can grind popcorn kernels in a wheat grinder or powerful blender to make your own.

Dorie Greenspan's Corniest Corn Muffins

Estimated Cost: $2.00 for 12

Notes: For picky eaters, you might want to make some without corn kernels. Just pour some batter into the tins before you add the corn, and add a bit less corn to the batter to compensate.

1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat)

1 cup cornmeal

6 tablespoons sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

3 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen or even canned

Preheat oven to 400. Thanks for the the reminder, Cat!:) Grease a 12 cup capacity muffin tin. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, oil, egg and yolk. Gently stir wet ingredients into dry just to blend. Stir in the corn kernels. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

William Sonoma's Slow Cooker Chili

The convenience of slow cooker chili is chief among its virtues. In fact, I first made this recipe about five years ago on The Quiet Man's birthday which also happened to be the day that we were running a marathon. How do you host a party (or do anything that requires movement at all) after a 26.2 mile run? I made the chili the night before and stuck the whole crock pot in the fridge, plugged it in the morning, left for the run and came back to scrumptious birthday dinner.

Money Saving Tips: Buy your ground beef in bulk during chili season. (Albertson's and other supermarkets frequently have it on sale for about $2 per lb.) Divide it into 1 lb. portions and freeze it for easy dinners. Cook your own beans from dried for an even cheaper meal.

Slow Cooker Chili, adapted from William's Sonoma

Estimated Cost: $8.00 for 8 large portions

2 lbs. ground beef

3 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3-4 tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons corn meal

1 cup beef stock

2 (14 ounce) cans beans (I use almost any variety I've got on hand.)

In large frying pan, brown the ground beef. Transfer to crock pot with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the fat. Add remaining ingredients to crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, onions, and sour cream.

Coming Tomorrow: Pear and Walnut Arugula Salad with Honey Dressing

Pennywise Tip

With the weather heating up and the air conditioning coming on, it seems counterproductive to crank up the oven. Did you know it only costs about 25 cents in energy to use your slow cooker? This week, try using your slow cooker to make baked potatoes. Wrap each potato individually in foil, poke with a fork and place in the slow cooker. That's it. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 3-5 hours. The spuds emerge hot, fluffy, and surrenderingly soft.

Serve them plain with butter as a side dish.Or stuff them with meat, veggies, and cheese and make it an easy meal. Either way, you're saving your pennies.