ROCK OUT with your CROCK OUT -- vol.3

day: 23
hiya bloggy peeps!

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welcome to rock out with you crock out!!
this is my homage to my most favorite kitchen gadget ever – the blessed crock pot.
because even i can crock pot like a mofo!
i mean who can’t really??

and all of the recipes featured here will be healthy and/or weight watcher recipes – this is a weight loss blog after all.

so here it goes…
first i gotta brag… cause that’s what ya do when ya gotta big crock!

kapow!

look at this brandy-new massive 7-quarts of hot kitchen gadget-ry!
and i got it all for my bitches (that’s you by the way) because… size does matter!

anywho --
tonight i made crock pot minestrone!
a recipe that my weight watcher leader tricia handed out last friday at our meeting (that nano second i was paying attention instead of being pissed off).
she snagged it off of skinnytaste -- an ah-may-zing site – go perv it when you can.

crock pot minestrone soup
gina's weight watcher recipes
servings: 6 • serving size: 1 1/2 cups • old points: 4 • points+: 5
calories: 215.7 • fat: 0.7 g • protein: 8.7 g • carb: 42.0 g • fiber: 6.7 g

1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
3 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
1 oz chunk of good parmesan cheese rind
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh italian parsley leaves
salt and fresh pepper
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows (al dente)
extra parmesan cheese to top (extra pts)

(here are my shopping-on—budget ingredients)
rinse and drain beans. puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.

(i mashed in lieu of blender and it was fine)
in a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

(looks awesome and smells so freakin’ good)
forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. cover and cook 30 more minutes. add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese.

(i served with a crusty italian bread for extra points and some vegan parmesan on top for extra points)
i omitted the parmesan rind (seriously do people have this stuff lying around i ask you???). i also used tiny bowtie pasta and dry herbs (sadly as i fucking killed my herb garden a month ago).
i also found that this needed the full 8 hours of cooking time – although i doubled the recipe (was really way too much food) and because i am still tweaking my new crock pot.
(i gotta caress it like a new lovah and learn it’s turns on and such… apparently this bad boy likes to take his time --- purrrrrrrr, yeah baby!)

this is a super easy über delish recipe!
hearty, fresh, healthy, low in points and perfect for the impending fall weather (although we are still sweating balls here in rhode island and i am doubting fall will ever come our way?).
the 1 ½ cup serving (with the slice of bread) was more than enough to satisfy my amazonian hunger.
and perfect for my vegetarian/vegan friends!

two thumbs and a spoonful of minestrone up!
my family agrees -- they better – we have minestrone for days!

i believe my *can crock pot like a mofo* status is officially reinstated.
that’s right!

now go on – crock pot something why dontcha.

spread the bloggy l♥ve, eat your veggies, and love yourself!
xxoo
cyn