Mission: Moderation

If your like many of the college students I know, balance is the biggest difficulty in everyday life. The decision of do I study, workout, eat or sleep is always in question. Some days I don’t even have time for a shower! A dear friend of mine, Catie Vultaggio is the author of the blog “Mission: Moderation”. This blog is centered around the idea of everything is okay in moderation. Catie has lots of real life experience and shares an insight into her everyday life as an aspiring dietician and exercise enthusiast. She shares great tips from exercise to nutrition and many things in between. Make sure you check out her blog for great tips and tricks on balancing life and being the best person you can be!

Just remember to always “accompany your veggies with cupcakes.”

Mission: Moderation

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

CrockPot Buffalo Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

4-5 Chicken Breast

1 T Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing

1/4 Cup Franks Red Hot Sause

1 Box Pasta

2 Cups Water

Check out the full recipe here:

http://www.lifeshouldcostless.com/2015/07/easy-crockpot-buffalo-chicken-pasta.html

Tricks and Tips

By now, many of you should know how simple and convenient cooking with a crockpot really is. There are few steps involved; prep your ingredients, add them to your crockpot and hit start. There is however, a difference between and “good” crockpot meal and a “great” crockpot meal. Here are a few tips and tricks to get that “great” crockpot meal.

1. Use the right size: Crockpots come in a variety of sizes ranging from as small as 1 quart to as large as 9 quarts. Using the right size is key to resulting in a great meal. Having and under filled or overflowing crockpot doesn’t allow your meal to cook properly!
2. Don’t overfill: Overfilling your crockpot can result in undercooking your meal leading to potential food-safety hazards. This can also lead to longer cooking time for your meal which can lead to some problems after a long day! It is recommended that your crockpot is filled about 2/3 of the way for optimal cooking!
3. Keep the lid on: Taking off the lid to constantly check on your slow cooking meal will result in a lose of heat which slows the cooking!

Why Crockpots?

“Hi everyone, my name is Rachel!

Thanks for listening to convenience cooking’s first podcast. This blog, Convenience Cooking is based around making one of the most important things in our life … yes food … more convenient.

As you have probably noticed by now, my favorite way to cook conveniently is with the use of a crockpot. Although I have given you some ways to put that crockpot to use, I thought I would elaborate on the top 3 reasons why I love using them so much. The first reason is that it is one of the healthiest ways to cook meat. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy, fried chicken and grilled meat as much as the next person, but preparing meats this way comes with a cost to our health. Cooking meat using slow moist heat does not generating the harmful chemicals other cooking techniques do. Another reason why I love my crockpot is because it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Theres nothing worse than cooking on the stove top on a hot summer day. My last, and favorite reason for using my crockpot is because there is always a healthy meal waiting for me when I walk in the door. The last thing I want to do after a long day at school and work is go home and cook, so I don’t! I prepare meals before I leave for the day or even the night before so when I arrive home, I have a delicious home cooked meal waiting for me.

I hope you enjoyed my insight on crockpots, thanks for listening!”

Seasonal Produce 101

Include seasonal veggies in your crockpot recipes to save money and get a variety of nutrients with every meal.

Learn more about seasonal produce at http://www.eatright.org!

Crockpot Kickoff

What better way to spend your Sunday’s than by enjoying friends, food and some football?

Here in New England, fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons. The cooler weather brings us seasonal produce as well as a full house to feed every Sunday. Fresh, fall foods include apples, butternut squash and garlic which are all excellent ingredients for convenient cooking. However, my famous crock-pot style Buffalo Bites are what make the touchdown for me every Sunday. There is no secret ingredient or special sauce. I have learned that simplicity is key to pleasing a large crowd. Accompanied with celery and your choice of Blue Cheese or Ranch, my bone-less Buffalo Bites provide heat and satisfaction. I start by cutting boneless chicken breast into 1.5 by 1.5 inch pieces. They then are coated in egg and tossed in seasoned bread crumb. Next, the bites make their way onto an oiled cookie sheet and are baked for about 20 minutes in one single layer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. After baking, the bites go into the crockpot where one 12 oz. bottle of hot sauce and one stick of butter is added. Baking the chicken before crock-potting allows each bite to stay crispy even after the addition of sauce. Crockpot the baked, breaded chicken on medium heat for about two hours and let the festivities begin!

Check out Pro Pot’s sports themed slow cookers on Amazon.com!

Learn more about seasonal produce at eatright.org.

Save Money with your Crockpot

Are you a college student on a budget? Another great reason to invest in a crockpot! Crockpots are great for cooking big meals to share with your roommates or having enough for leftovers to last you the week. Crockpots can cook great meals with few ingredients and they still taste amazing!

Are you a meat lover? You don’t have to buy the most expensive cuts of meat, crockpots are great for tenderizing meats along with keeping them moist (another great way to save money!) Adding additional ingredients to the crockpots during cooking helps the meat soak up as much flavor as possible.

Following a vegetarian diet? Check out these awesome meatless crockpot options! http://www.buzzfeed.com/deenashanker/delicious-slow-cooker-recipes-with-no-meat#.dpPwlWd573

Looking for more information: check out eatright.org for more great ways to utilize your crockpot!

Crockpot or Slow Cooker?

Education is key to unlocking the endless doors into the world of crockpots! Most people are unaware of the differences between crockpots and slow cookers although knowing the difference is important in order for one to purchase the one that will be most beneficial to you. First comes first, while crockpots are a type of slow cooker, slow cookers are not always crockpots!

Here are some more differences that could be helpful:

Crockpots circulate heat from the bottom and the sides while slow cookers heat only from the bottom.

Crockpot’s heat surrounds the food bringing it up to a safe temperature quickly, while slow cookers heat the food more slowly and the heat is not continuous (it goes on and off throughout the cooking process)

Slow cookers are recommended for soups/stews and small cuts of meat because of safety concerns with the low level of heat while Crockpots are a great way to tenderize meats.

From my personal experience I would recommend a crockpot! I use mine at least once a week and I love it!

Looking for more information: check out eatright.org