Crockpot Turkey Black Bean Tacos

So easy, and made with ingredients I pretty much always have on hand! These will also make great leftovers.

What you need:
1 lb. ground turkey (or ground meat of choice)
1 packet/1/4 C. taco seasoning
2 cans black beans (drain one and leave one with liquid)
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 can chopped green peppers
1 red pepper, chopped
about 3/4 C frozen corn

taco shells
toppings: cheese, cilantro, sour cream, lettuce, whatever you like
optional:  a few dashes of cumin, a dash of cayenne, and a sprinkling of garlic salt, diced onion

What to do:
Brown the meat, drain off fat, and add taco seasoning and recommended amount of water, allow to soak up the spices. (At this point I put the meat in the fridge overnight so I could throw it in the crockpot in the morning).
Dump meat, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and optional spices and onion into the crockpot.

Cook for as long as you want....everything is already cooked! Mine was fine in the crockpot on low while I was at work, about 9 hours.

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup in the Crockpot

I woke up to snow on the ground and a temperature in the teens...DEFINITE comfort food weather! The chopping is pretty time-consuming so it was perfect for a lazy weekend. It's a forgiving recipe so add and subtract ingredients depending on your tastes and contents of the crisper drawer. The beef was unbelievably tender after cooking all day!

What you Need:
-1-1.5 lb. of beef, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size pieces
-6 carrots, chopped
-1/2-1 onion, diced
-5 stalks celery, chopped
-1/2 C. barley
-1 beef bullion cube
-4 cups water
-1/2 C. red wine (optional)
-1 can diced tomato
-1/2-1 bell pepper, chopped
-1-2 C baby bella mushrooms, quartered
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 t. thyme
-1 t. garlic powder
-2 bay leaves

What to do:
-Heat oil in a skillet, cut beef into small pieces, and brown the meat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. While it's browning, start chopping all those vegetables!
-Put meat and all other ingredients into the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.