Day 16: New Mexico Stew; an unusual meal, but quite popular with my family!

Following the Presidential election, my children decided that they wanted to have a little election in the Erdner household for President of our household.  The President would have certain responsibilities as well as some privileges.  One of the responsibilities would be to help plan the meals for the week. We held our election, and I decided to let the winner be president for 2 weeks, 2nd place would do it for 1 week, 3rd place would do it for 1 week as well.  

My 12-year-old son, David, wrote a convincing speech which included such promises as "more date nights for mom and dad while the children stay homeland watch family friendly films or play games."  So cute.  David (and his running-mate, Nina) won 1st place, and this is the first week of his term.  David helped me plan this week's menu.  I asked him to pick at least one crockpot recipe for every day.  His menu has been in place so far since Sunday.  The choice he wrote on the menu for last night was called "New Mexico Stew."  It's a very meat-and-potatoes kind of meal, whichTodd and I have been avoiding since going almost completely vegan a few months ago.  However, Todd said we should let the president plan, and he and I can always eat salad or makes green smoothie if desired.  We aren't really strict about the eating plan, but follow the principles in general.  This New Mexico Stew definitely did not fit in with the "Eat to Live" plan, but the kids have been missing meat-based meals.  This meal hit the spot for them!!  They DEVOURED it, and want me to make it again. 

The recipe is rather unusual, and as I placed the ingredients in the pot yesterday, I wasn't so sure about it...raw pork sausage crumbled on top of each layer of meat and potatoes...hmmm???  Well, everything cooked through well, and the flavors mixed in well.  The results were a HUGE hit with my family. Next time, I will definitely double this one.  I could even slow cook this one in my giant roaster oven (22-quart) and make a really large quantity of it if I want to have leftovers to freeze.  

New Mexico Stew

Makes 8 servings 

(there was room to double this in my 7-quart crockpot, so next time I will)

2 lbs. stewing meat or steak, cubed

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. oil

5-6 potatoes, cubed

6-8 carrots, diced

2 (4.25-oz.) cans chopped green chilies

1 1/2 lbs. raw pork sausage, crumbled (I only used 1 lb., and it was fine)

1. Salt and pepper stewing meat (I'm Cuban, so I did what I like to do with meat--seasoned it with Adobo instead of salt and pepper).  Brown in oil skillet.  (I omitted the oil--I think it's unnecessary.)

2.  Place half the stewing meat in the bottom of slow cooker.

3.  Layer half the vegetables and chilies over the beef.  Crumble half the sausage on top (yes, raw).  Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste (I sprinkled McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning--just a *little*).

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, layering meat and vegetables and sausage once more to use up all ingredients.  Sprinkle salt and pepper or seasoning on that layer too).

5.  Cover.  Cook on high until ingredients begin to boil. Then turn cooker to low for 8-10 hours.  Do not lift lid, and do not stir during cooking.  (I put a little sign on the crockpot to warn everyone not to open lid--the children sometimes do that while something is cooking in the crockpot).

6.  Serve with a green salad and fresh bread.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Advent so far!  We love the traditions and warmth of this time of year!  Be blessed!!

Day 15: Easy Taco Soup

Today, I made a delicious EASY Taco Soup for dinner.  This was simple to make, and I had everything in the crockpot before lunch.  I LOVE that feeling!  My family loves Taco Soup, especially if it contains hominy!  We serve over thin tortilla chips with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and guacamole.  

I made one recipe of this, and there were leftovers.  It's enough to freeze, and we can stretch it farther by making cornbread casserole on the side the day we eat the leftover portion from the freezer--easy!

Taco Soup 

(Serves 8)

1 lb. ground beef (I substitute turkey meat, and that works well)!

1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix

1 envelope dry taco seasoning mix

3 (10-oz.) cans Ro-tel tomatoes, undrained

2 (21-oz.) cans pinto beans, undrained

1 (21-oz.) can hominy, undrained

1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 onion, chopped

2 cups water

1. Brown meat in skillet. Pour into slow cooker.

2. Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  

3. Cover.  Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Serve over tortilla chips, with sour cream, guacamole, and cheese, if desired.

Note: Increase or decrease the amount of water you add to make the dish either stew-like or soup-like.

Day 14--A Super Side Dish!! (Slow Cooker made, of course!)

Day 14

Today was super busy, and it was a perfect day for leftovers.  We had enough left over from yesterday's lunch, but we needed something on the side to stretch it farther so no one was hungry after dinner.  This cornbread casserole was easy, delicious, and did the trick! I did go ahead and double this, of course, and we had plenty left over--can you say "tomorrow's lunch"??

Cornbread Casserole

1 quart whole-kernel corn

1 quart creamed corn

1 pckg. Corn muffin mix

1 egg

2 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Combine ingredients in *greased* slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on low for 3 1/2-4 hours, stirring once halfway through.

Day 13 -- Nice Lunch for Company After Church

Yesterday we had planned to have our pastor and his wife join us for lunch after church. So I thought it would be nice to make the meal in my crockpot so it would be ready whenever we got home from church.  Great idea!  It ended up working out great, with one almost huge glitch, but by God's grace it all ended up fine.

I made One-Pot Easy Chicken in my 6-quart crockpot, Green Bean Casserole in one of my 4-quart crockpots, and Apple Crisp for dessert in the other 4-quart crockpot.  I made a simple green salad on the side as well.

The main glitch was that the Chicken really needed longer than the recipe said, so it was almost quite a disaster.  What saved the day was that there was some furniture at the church that needed moving, and so the pastor stayed at church a little later (my dh Todd stayed and helped too), so that bought me a little time to pop the chicken dish in the oven for about 30 more minutes to finish cooking. It was *almost* done, so no big deal.  Part of the problem may have been that I was using my old crockpot that I've had since I got married almost 18 years ago, and it isn't oblong, so the chicken on top needed more time.  When I make this dish again, I will either cook it in the oblong pot (mine is broken, so I will be investing in a new one soon), or put the chicken on the bottom and not on top as the recipe instructed...the juices flowing down onto the veggies is yummy, though, so I may just do it in the oblong pot.  

In the end, everything turned out GREAT, and everyone loved it all!  It was very nice to do all the work and cleanup before church so that we could just come home, set the table, and eat!

Here are the recipes:
One-Pot Easy Chicken (Fix it and Forget It Recipes for Entertaining)
6-8 potatoes, quartered
1-2 large onions, sliced
3-5 carrots, cubed
5 lbs. chicken, skin removed (I used boneless, skinless thighs)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 /2 cup lemon juice or chicken broth

1. Layer potatoes, sliced onions, and carrots in bottom of slow cooker.  (Note: maybe put chicken first -- dredged in seasonings, see next step)
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry.  In a bowl, mix together chopped onions, pepper, cloves, and garlic salt.  Dredge chicken in seasonings.  Place in cooker over vegetables.  Spoon any remaining seasonings over chicken.
3. Sprinkle with oregano and rosemary.  Pour lemon juice over chicken.
4. Cover.  Cook on low at least 6 hours, probably more like 8-10 hours.

Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
The green beans maintain a nice crunch with this recipe
Serves 6 (I doubled for the 13 people eating, incl children, and we only had a little left over)

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, or 2 cups of homemade
1 tsp. gluten-free soy sauce
1/2 cup skim milk (omit if using homemade soup)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup French-fried onions, or 2 cups General Mills Gluten-free Rice Chex Cereal, smashed and mixed with 1/2 tsp. onion powder

Preparation:
1. Use a 4-quart slow cooker.  Wash and trim green beans in even lengths, and put into slow cooker.  Add the soup, soy sauce, and milk (if using).
2. Toss the beans gently to coat.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the beans, and add French-fried onions or homemade topping.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the beans have reached the desired tenderness.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking by Stephanie O'Dea

Apple Crisp (from Fix it and Forget It Recipes for Entertaining)
Serves 6-8 ( I doubled this one as well, and it fit just fine in the 4-quart pot--we had a little left over)

Ingredients:
1 quart canned apple pie filling, OR
        2/3 cup sugar
        1 1/4 cups water
        3 Tbsp. cornstarch
        4 cups sliced, peeled apples
         1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
         1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 cup quick oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature

1. Place pie filling in slow cooker.  If not using prepared filling, combine 2/3 cup sugar, water, cornstarch, apples, cinnamon and allspice.  Place in cooker.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the apple mixture.
3. Cover. Cook on low 2-3 hours.

This was DELICIOUS!!  We served it over Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream--sooooo good!


Today we are eating the leftover chicken and veggies for dinner, plus I will be making a corn casserole in the crock pot to serve with it (recipe will be in my next post).

Hope everyone is having a great day!  We are in full swing with our Christmas decorating and traditions! We love the Advent season.  So many great ways to point our children to Christ!  Of course, we do this all year long, but we love the traditions and warmth that come with this time of year, and the receptive hearts of those around us-even those who don't celebrate!  It's a great time to share what we believe with those around us!

Days 11 and 12

Yesterday (Day 11), I was at a speech and debate practice tournament all day with my 4 oldest, so I just wanted to so something basic in the crockpot before leaving in the morning.  I decided to get a batch of black beans ready to use throughout the week on salads, in enchiladas, etc.  I used to buy mostly canned beans, but most canned vegetables are full of salt, including beans!  So I discovered the easy method of cooking dry beans from scratch I the crockpot. This way, I can get the beans I want ready for any recipe without all the added salt.

1 1/2 cups cooked beans= (1) 14.5 - oz can beans

Day 11
Slow Cooker Dry Beans
Here are the instructions for 1 pound of beans.  I buy my beans in bulk, so I just scoop out what I want from the bucket and cover with two inches of water then cook on low 6-8 hours.  These are more "formal" instructions.

Ingredients:
I pound dry beans (any variety, except see note below)

Directions:
Rinse the beans, and make sure there are no little rocks that might have been missed.  Place in the slow cooker and add water to come about 3 inches above the beans. Cook on low overnight, or for 6-8 hours.

After you cook the beans once in your slow cooker, you'll be able to determine whether you need to use less water (about 2 inches, instead 3 inches). It will vary depending on how hot your slow cooker runs.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans if there is extra water (or strain in a colander).

Yield: 4 1/2 to 5 cups
Total prep time: 5 minutes
Total cooking time: 6 to 8 hours

NOTE:
*Cook extra beans and freeze in bags to use later. I freeze mine in 1 1/2-cup portions so that it's easy to switch out a bag for a can of beans.

*Though all dry beans may look alike, beans that have been on the shelf (or in your pantry) a long time can take up to twice as long to cook completely.  However, there is nothing wrong with eating them once they're cooked.

*Split peas and lentils cook much faster than larger beans such as pintos, black and white.  They are often cooked in a recipe dry, while larger beans are cooked before they are added to other recipes.

*IMPORTANT NOTE:
You can cook any beans in the slow cooker, it be aware that kidney beans can have a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin and need to be brought to a boiling temperature to destroy the toxin.  So boil the kidney beans for 10 minutes before transferring them to the slow cooker to cook completely.  This step is not necessary for other types of beans.

Day 12
Today we went and cut down our Christmas tree, so I wanted to make something easy.  I decided to make a family "staple"--Red Beans and Rice! My family eats this really well, and it is very easy and tasty.  You can use canned beans or beans cooked first in the crockpot (don't try to use dry beans! :))

This is from a cookbook, but I have long ago lost the book in which I originally found it.  So here it is from memory:

Red Beans (and Rice)
1 onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans Red (Kidney) Beans
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp cumin
3 Tbsp. fresh, chopped cilantro
3/4 cup water

Sauté the green bell pepper, onion, and garlic til onion is translucent.  Transfer to slow cooker.  Drain and rinse beans, and add to slow cooker.  Add all other ingredients, mix thoroughly and cook in slow cooker on low 4-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours.  Serve with your favorite rice.  I always make brown rice in my rice cooker to go with this--perfect meal!  It's tasty, cheap, healthy, and filling!

I double this recipe for our family, and we always have enough for leftovers.

Happy crocking, y'all!!

Day 10: "Rainbow Soup"

I first made this Vegetable Soup a couple of months ago.
We are eating more vegetarian dishes and making tons of green smoothies for better health.  The older children have been less than enthusiastic, while the younger children like a lot of what we have been eating, but not all. Todd and I both thought this vegetable soup was so simple and yet really good!  Todd's immediate response, though, when the children were asking what was for dinner as they saw me getting the crockpot out, was "You should find a more appealing name for this so the kids won't write it off without even trying it."  So, I decided to name it "Rainbow Soup," since it is so colorful.  The children really did receive it better than if I had just said, "vegetable soup!"  This is very easy to make, and is filling enough with some nice wheat rolls on the side.  An added bonus is that I have enough leftovers from one 6-quart pot full of this to freeze for another dinner!  I'm aiming to have a full month's-plus worth of meals in the freezer by the end of December!

Here is the recipe from Fix it and Forget it Recipes for Entertaining.  I always cook for at least 5 hours, even though this says 4.  We like the carrots to be well-cooked.

Aunt Thelma's Homemade Soup
Makes 10-12 servings
7 cups water
4 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1-lb. pckg. frozen peas
1-lb. pckg. frozen corn
1-lb. pckg. frozen lima beans
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dill seed
28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup diced raw potatoes
1 cup chopped onions
2-3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

1. Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Simmer on high 4 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Thirty minutes before end of cooking time, mix cornstarch and cold water together until smooth.  Remove 1 cup broth from cooker and mix with cornstarch-water.  When smooth, stir into soup.  Cover and continue cooking another half hour.
4. A loaf of fresh Italian bread goes well with a hot bowl of this soup.

My 30 Days of Crock Pot Cooking!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.  I really love this time of year.  I have to say that Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I love that the focus is on being thankful for the things with which we have been blessed.  Every year, we make paper leaves and write our lists of things for which we are thankful.  We go around the room and read them off.  At our house, I usually hang them on a little "tree" where we can see them for a few days.  Then I save them.  I have them all put away. We will look back at them someday.

I have been too busy lately to blog, but things have been going along.  I'm still trying to stay on top of the clutter, and sometimes I'm successful!  :) Lately, I've been thinking about ways to keep our meals yummy, healthy and interesting without working tooooo hard on it every day.  For years, I have successfully planned weekly menus and followed them to keep the stress out of my week.  I have also done a lot of bulk "freezer cooking," which I LOVE for simplifying my busy life.  Something else I really like is using my crockpot!  I came across a Facebook page by "The Crockpot Girl" (http://www.facebook.com/crockpotgirl?ref=ts&fref=ts).  She encourages people to use their crockpot to make life simpler. She has a recipe book available, and posts lots of recipes on her Facebook page.  Last week, she started the 30 Day Crockpot Challenge.  People are trying to use the crockpot to cook something(s) every day for 30 days.  I didn't get to do every day last week because we were traveling, although I did make a Pumpkin Pie Pudding on Thanksgiving day in the crockpot.

I think it would be fun for me to post my thoughts and experiences as I do this challenge this month. Let's see So here it is so far!

Last week, day one was Tuesday, and I made breakfast in the crockpot the night before--Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal!  This recipe is vegan, but I'm sure you could use regular milk with a little vanilla instead of vanilla almond milk.  Most of my family LOVES this.  In a family the size if mine, of course, it's hard to find something everyone loves.  Simeon (age 5) LOVES this recipe, and he asks for it all the time.  If there are leftovers, he will ask me to save them so he can eat it for a snack later.  Here is the recipe, from The Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook:


Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (I multiply this recipe times 5 to feed my crew)
1/2 cup steel cut oats
2 cups unsweetened vanilla-flavored almond milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (store-bought or homemade), just plain pumpkin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
Brown sugar, for serving
Chopped pecans, for serving (optional)

Night Before:
Oil the crock of your slow cooker.  Combine the oats, milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

In the morning:
Stir the oatmeal to get a consistent texture.  Serve in bowls topped with brown sugar and chopped pecans.

I wasn't able to do day 2, but day 3 was Thanksgiving, and I made my contribution to our feast in the crockpot!  Pumpkin Pudding.  This recipe is from Crock Pot Girl. I made 4 times the recipe in two crock pots because we were having tons of people, but it was waaaaay too much!  This stuff is filling!  I could have just doubled I to serve "8" and it would have been plenty!

Day 4 and 5 we were in Dallas, so missed those two days as well.  Now we're home, and I've been in on the challenge Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and yesterday (Wednesday)!!

Sunday, I pulled out my large (6qt) crockpot to make TurkeyBreast with Orange Sauce and then I used one of my new 4-qt crockpots to make Sweet Potatoes and Apples.  This meal was *super* easy, and I had it all in the crockpot before church in the morning!  This was so wonderful in freeing me up for the afternoon to spend time with the family and help Todd clean out our garage.  There were no leftovers at all but all 11 of us were full and satisfied!  I think next time I may need to make more of the sweet potato dish!!

Here are the recipes, from Fix it and Forget it Recipes for Entertaining:

Day 6
TurkeyBreast with Orange Sauce (Serves 6, or more if children)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. pepper
2-3 lb. boneless, skinless turkey breast
1 1/2 cups orange juice

1. Place onions in slow cooker.
2. Combine garlic, rosemary, and pepper.
3. Make gashes in the turkey, about 3/4 of the way through at 2" intervals.  Stuff with herb mixture.  Place turkey in slow cooker.
4. Pour juice over turkey.
5. Cover. Cook on low 7-8 hours, or until turkey is no longer pink in center.

Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Makes 8-10 servings
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 large tart and firm apples peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt
1/8-1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
Toasted sliced almonds or chopped pecans, optional

1. Place half the sweet potatoes in slow cooker.  Layer in half the apple slices.
2. Mix together seasonings. Sprinkle half over apples.
3. Mix together butter and maple syrup.  Spoon half over seasonings.
4. Repeat layers.
5. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
6. To add a bit of crunch, sprinkle with toasted almonds or pecans when serving.
7. Serve with pork or poultry.

 Monday I made a Garbanzo Soup that was very well-received by most of the family.  I was able to freeze the leftovers for another full meal in the next few busy weeks!  I was pleased at how well everyone liked it.  We are trying to limit meat to only a few times per week, so this was prefect!

Day 7
Garbanzo Souper
1 lb dry garbanzo beans
4 ozs. raw baby carrots, cut in halves
1 large onion, diced
3 ribs celery, cut in 1" pieces
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 28-oz. cans vegetable broth
1 broth can of water
8-oz. can tomato sauce
8 ozs. prepared hummus
1/2 tsp. sea salt

1.  Soak beans overnight (or do quick soak method).  Drain.  Place in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Add carrots, onion, celery, and green pepper.
3. Sprinkle with basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
4. Cover with the broth and water.
5. Cover.  Cook on high 6 hours.
6. Half an hour before serving, stir in tomato sauce, hummus, and salt.  Cook until hot.

Tuesday was Turkey Chili. Everyone liked it, and it was super easy.  I also had plenty left over to freeze for another meal in the future.  I doubled this recipe from Fix it and Forget it Recipes for Entertaining.

Day 8
Turkey Chili
Makes 6-8 servings
2 lbs. ground turkey (browned)
16-oz. can pinto or kidney beans
2 cups fresh or canned tomatoes, diced
2 cups tomato sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, chopped
16-oz. can Rotel tomatoes
1-oz. package chili seasoning

1. Crumble ground turkey in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.
3. Cover.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Yesterday I made Baked Acorn Squash as our main dish.  Todd and I liked it a lot.  The kids did ok with it.  About half of them liked it pretty well, the others ate because they had to...not their favorite.  This would be a great side dish to serve company. The leftovers will be my lunch and Todd's lunch over the next day or two. I made 3 times this recipe from Fix it and Forget it Recipes for Entertaining.

Day 9
Baked Acorn Squash
Makes 4 servings
2 acorn squash
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter, melted
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. orange juice

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds.
2. Combine remaining ingredients.  Spoon into squash halves. Place squash in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours, or until squash is tender.

Day 9-10 Last night before going to bed, I made Crock Pot Apple Oatmeal to be ready when we wake up in the morning!

Apple Oatmeal
I double this recipe to feed my crowd.
4 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups oats (not quick oats)
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup dates or raisins (optional)
Spray a large crockpot with nonstick spray.  Combine and mix well.  Cook on low overnight or 8-9 hours.  Stir well before serving.



Today I will be making Veggie Soup in the crockpot.  Stay tuned for more details later today or tomorrow. 
Quick comment about equipment.  I was thinking about getting a crockpot buffet cooker/server, which has three 3-qt crocks in a big unit.  I thought how cool that would be to have and make a whole meal in the crocks at one time.  I was slightly concerned with the size of the crocks, however, because we can finish off what is in a 6-quart crockpot sometimes!  Over Thanksgiving, there was a unit like the one I wanted on sale at Kohl's, but the crocks were 2 1/2 quarts each. It was $35 on sale!!  What a deal. As I was standing in line with my mother- and sister-in-law (Black Friday shopping buddies), we passed a stack of 4-quart crockpots that were on sale for $10 each.  My mother-in-law suggested I get two of those instead of the 3-unit buffet server.  It would cost less, take up less space and give me more cooking space!  I have 2 large crockpots at home already, so now can do a whole meal with leftovers and even have a beverage as well!  Seems like a lot, but on Sunday it proved to be a great thing!  I really like to freeze leftovers, so the bigger crockpots will allow for that!  Yay!