That's a crock....

I love Thursdays.  No, it's not just because the weekend is a few winks of sleep away.  I love Thursdays because it's the day my local newspaper(The Advocate) publishes the 'Food' section.   In the virtual world we live in, newspapers have become an endangered species.  They are something we use to cover the table at crawfish boils or to wrap breakables to prevent them from shattering in transit or storage.  No one really reads the actual paper anymore...except this girl.  On Thursdays.  I love to check out the food section advertisements for specials at the local grocery & plan my menu for the week.  Perhaps my favorite feature of the food section is the recipe made for the Crock Pot.  I find that I skip straight to that article to see what's cooking.  The slow cooker has come a long way, my friends.  Did you know you can make a cake in a Crock Pot?!?!  That certainly helps me as I am NOT Betty Crocker. Any of your favorite dishes can be made in a slow cooker, so if you're an on-the-go-person like me, you are more than thrilled to come home from a long day with all the dinner work done for you. Even the most novice of cooks who use their oven for storage can work with a slow cooker.  I wanted to leave you with a Crock Pot recipe that will be a hit for family dinner or just perfect to freeze in portions for a later day.  Let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken,White Bean, & Cauliflower Soup

- one pound of boneless/skinless chicken (I use thighs, but you can use breasts or a mix of white/dark meat if you like)
- one head of cauliflower, broken into flourets
- one bag of dry white beans
- one white onion, chopped
- two cloves garlic, grated or minced
- one jalapeno seeded & chopped (use one can green chilis for a milder flavor or a can of rotel will work just as well)
- 3 Tablespoons salt
- 3 Tablespoons fresh ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 quart chicken stock (or enough to cover)
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream

Place chicken on bottom of slow cooker. (You can season the chicken if you like, but all the flavors will season the whole pot). Top with cauliflower, then beans.  Add all other ingredients except sour cream.  Cook on low for 10 hours.  Before serving, stir the sour cream into the the whole pot of soup.  This will make it super creamy.  Ladle into bowls & top with extra sour cream if wanted.