I have had several emails/comments about my weekly menu planning and my weekly food budget of $40-$50 (I am finding that it is more like $50-$55, which is still great to me!). I am working on 2 more weekly menus (and testing out the $$ cost) and will be posting those soon. I will also be posting some tips about finding and keeping a log of the best prices on staples items (flour, salt, sugar, spaghetti noodles, etc.) that I have found work well for me. Be on the lookout for all of this in the next week or two! :) Thank you for your emails and comments! I am excited to share :) If there is anything else you are curious about with my food budget/weekly shopping, or if you have any tips of your own you'd like to share, please comment or email me!

With Fall weather quickly (hopefully) approaching around here, I always like to get all of my fave crockpot recipes out and handy. Love, love, love using my crockpot because 1) it's great to not have to think about cooking dinner come 5pm if you have a busy day, 2) there's nothing like a hot meal on a chilly day and 3) it's fabulous to have your home smell like a scrumptious dinner all day or come home to these wonderful aromas :)

One of my fave recipes is for Beef Brisket. Anything BBQ, Brisket, etc. is always a winner in our home :)

Busy Day Barbeque Beef Brisket (from allrecipes.com)
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of fat
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce

Combine thyme, paprika, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl; set aside. Rub brisket all over with liquid smoke, then rub with spice mixture. Pour Worcestershire and barbeque sauces into a slow cooker; place beef on top. Cover, and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, until fork tender.

What about you? Do you use a crockpot often? Any fabulous go-to recipes? Please share! :)