Review and Giveaway-Keep Crockin' AND Crock On

I have some confessions to make:  I love crock pots, but I don't use mine (I have 3) nearly enough. Secondly, I am terrible at getting real meals on the table in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This year is going to be different.  I have 2 fabulous crock pot cookbooks to keep our bellies full for the entire holiday season AND I am going to giveaway a bundle that includes a beautiful pdf of each cookbook thanks to the generosity of author and friend Stacy at Stacy Makes Cents...so now your bellies can be full of yummy goodness too!

Keep Crockin': A Poorganic Slow Cooker Cookbook is her newest release, just published on November 25. (Read what it means to be poorganic.) I was fortunate enough to get a copy of this book several weeks ago and I have tried several of the recipes....and liked them all so far.

This book contains 55 new recipes with easy to follow instructions and Stacy's witty quotes throughout. The book is entertaining, the pages are beautiful and the recipes are delicious.  You can't ask for much more in a cookbook.

She has released the recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala and it is seriously easy and yummy.  I made this last week (using chicken breasts) and I will definitely be putting this on my December menu!

Some of the recipes I have tried so far:

Loaded Butternut Squash Soup --Big yum factor here...loved this.

Hamburger Stew- Delicious

Sweet and Spicy Boston Butt- Great

Italian Casserole- Fabulous...really, really liked this

Chicken Tikka Masala-Super Delish.  I served mine over cauli-rice.  Kids had regular rice.

Sweet Bacon Green Beans- sweet and bacon?  Need I say more?

and the recipe I tested for the book-Almond Flour Brownies

Here is what I said about this recipe:

"Moist, delicious and gobbled up in no time. My family loved these and I love having the option of making brownies in the crockpot. Highly recommend you make these today!"

Did you even know you could make brownies in a crockpot?  I had no idea...and these are great!

Keep Crockin' is available as a download, for Kindle or Nook for $8 and $12 for a physical book.



Stacy's first cookbook, Crock On is a semi-whole foods cookbook with  40 recipes like:

• Deluxe Potato Soup
• Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
• Chicken Tetrazzini
• Pineapple Pork Loin
• Pizza Potatoes
• Upside Down Apple Pie
• Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava cake

go here to see all of the other mouth watering recipes!


There are 40 recipes and you can try Cheesy Sausage Potatoes to get a taste of what's inside.

You can purchase as a digital download, for Kindle or Nook for ONLY $5 and $12 for a physical book.


Stacy also has an affiliate program...so check it out!

You can find Stacy all over the internet and I recommend you do!  First you should follow her @ Stacy Makes Cents, then Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Now for the giveaway which I am running until this weekend so enter NOW!

The winner is Julie N!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cooking, Losing Weight and Using the Crockpot

So during my blogging absence (explained here) I got away from meal planning and posting about my weight loss journey.  If you read my explanation you know that I was pregnant for part of this year. Essentially I have only lost 1 pound since the beginning of the year.  On the one hand it is good.  I am keeping off the 63 lbs I lost and my summer clothes from last year are not falling off so I don't have to buy new ones.  On the other hand....my summer clothes from last year are not falling off and I really wish they were.  I wish I could find some new motivation but I just sit here stuck at a LONG plateau and I don't want to cut back more or exercise.  I used to be so strict with myself and not "cheat" at all.  Over time I have allowed myself a bite of this or that and I really need to not do that. It just gets frustrating to stay the same even when being good.

(I weighed myself today and I am down a tad more...almost to 64 lbs.  At least it's something.)

I thought I'd share a before and current (not "after" because I am NOT done) picture.  The first picture was taken after I'd already lost several pounds...maybe 15??  The other one was taken just recently.

Christmas 2010
(I hate looking at this picture still.)

Here I am wearing my new shawl. April 2012

I must keep going!!!!!

So this brings me to the second subject of this post. Cooking, menu planning, crock-pots.  During the illnesses of 2012, I had to stay home from church 3 weeks in a row with sick children.  I was able to have a nice hot meal prepared when the rest of the family returned from church and it was REALLY nice.  So, I have been thinking that I need to plan ahead and have crock pot meals on Sundays so that we come home to something nice on Sunday.  However, I do not have a good stash of slow cooker recipes that are low in calories (or even have a calorie count provided) and don't take 8 hours to cook (about 4 hours would be ideal...6 could be managed too).  So, I am on a quest for new recipes for Sunday dinner.  If you have any favorites I would love for you to share.  Hopefully, I will be back to Menu Plan Monday soon with some great weight loss recipes for the crock-pot.