191/365 Crock Pots and Vegetable Broth are like PB and J

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

To live frugally doesn't mean you can't enjoy tasty food. Crock pots are an incredible way for people who don't have time to cook to eat well. You set it, forget it (then remember it), and enjoy!

I was given an old but well preserved crock pot as a gift from Kelby's parents; it works great and produced some tasty stoup (stew/soup). My creation was made with the following recipe that I invented. You could really go anywhere from here.

Ingredients:
- 1lbs beef for stewing (or more tender, lean meat if you can afford it or none at all)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red onion
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 1 can cream style corn
- 1 large can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups pasta
- 3 bouillon cubes of vegetable stock
- 5 cups water
- salt, oregano, Italian herb seasoning, and ground pepper

Recipe:
- Pour oil in pan on medium heat, add garlic and beef. Season beef with salt; cook until brown then transfer to crock pot.
- Cook onion in remaining beef fat; add oil if necessary. Once soft, not necessarily translucent, add to crock pot
- Add zucchini, corn, tomatoes, and mushrooms to crock pot.
- Boil water then add bouillon cubes. Stir and break up until dissolved. Pour into pot.
- Add 1/2 tsp oregano, and a couple grinds of the seasoning and pepper.
- Cook on high, monitoring tenderness of beef (which should take ~2.5 hours anyway). After an hour, add the pasta (this was my mistake, my pasta is good but mushy).

Enjoy for lunch for the next week and a half  :)

In health,

Lauren