My Fruitive Challenge: Day 12 — Mother’s Day

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 We gave Laura the afternoon to herself and visited Great Grandma. Then we brought home Thai food: Pho soup, Tom-Ka soup, spring rolls, rice, shrimp, and tofu, with Moose Tracks ice cream and mango sorbet for dessert! Of course, I behaved and ate my own WFPB SOS-Free food ☺️, but I know how much I would have enjoyed eating the special Mother’s Day meal. It’s a good thing I made an amazing crockpot of veggie stew yesterday that filled me up. Thanks Chat GPT for the recipe:

Certainly! Transforming the carrot and potato stew recipe to be made in a crockpot is straightforward. Cooking in a crockpot generally involves a longer, slower cooking process, which can wonderfully enhance the flavors. Here’s how to make the Carrot and Potato Stew using a crockpot:

### Ingredients:

- **Carrots**: About 1 pound, peeled and sliced into rounds or half-moons.

- **Potatoes**: 1 pound, peeled and cubed.

- **Wild Onions (substitute for regular onions)**: 1/3 to 1/2 cup, chopped.

- **Garlic**: 4 cloves, minced.

- **Celery**: 2 stalks, chopped.

- **Dried Thyme**: 1 teaspoon.

- **Dried Rosemary**: 1 teaspoon.

- **Bay Leaves**: 2.

- **Vegetable Broth**: 4 cups (ensure it's SOS-free if you're sticking to that diet).

- **Peas**: 1 cup (frozen is fine).

- **Parsley**: Fresh, chopped for garnish.

### Instructions:

1. **Prepare Ingredients**:

   - Chop the carrots, potatoes, wild onions, garlic, and celery as directed.

2. **Add to Crockpot**:

   - Place all the vegetables (except for the peas) and garlic into the crockpot.

   - Sprinkle in the thyme, rosemary, and add the bay leaves.

   - Pour the vegetable broth over the ingredients, ensuring that they are covered. If not, add a bit more broth or water.

3. **Cook**:

   - Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. The cooking time might vary depending on your crockpot model and how small the vegetables are cut.

4. **Final Steps**:

   - About 30 minutes before serving, add the frozen peas to the crockpot. Stir well.

   - Remove the bay leaves before serving.

   - Check the seasoning and adjust according to your preferences, keeping in mind the SOS-free guidelines.

5. **Serve**:

   - Serve the stew warm, garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

   - This stew pairs wonderfully with a side of rice or can be enjoyed on its own.

Using a crockpot allows the flavors to meld together beautifully, creating a hearty and comforting meal that’s perfect for any day. 


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