So have you made your New Years resolutions yet?

I don't know about you, but this definitely needs to be the year I get back to my normal pre-baby weight. I mean, it's only been 2 years...

Whether you're looking to shed a couple of pounds or just want to include some healthier meals in your repertoire, this recipe fits the bill. And who doesn't love the added bonus of it being a slow-cooker meal??

I've included the nutritional info, as recorded by the original website, for your convenience.

Skinny Zucchini Ziti

(Recipe by fabfitfun.com)

via

Ingredients

• 1 1-lb., 7.8-oz. jar marinara sauce (no sugar added)
• 3 cups penne shells, whole grain, dry)
• 2 cups fat free cottage cheese
• 2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, oregano, basil, and black pepper.
In the slow cooker, spoon 1/4 of marinara sauce onto the bottom, add 1 cup penne shells, 1/3 of zucchini slices and top with 1 cup cheese mixture. Repeat until you have three layers. Top with the remaining marinara and lastly, cheese. Note: Keep penne shells and cheese away from the edges by about 1 inch. Pasta tends to get hard and cheese burns if allowed to touch the sides while cooking.
Cover and cook on low for approximately 2 hours or until penne noodles are al dente (took my slowcooker almost 3 hours... after 2, the noodles were still too tough!) . Not all slow cookers cook the same, so be sure that the penne is done before serving. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Pair a serving of this with a chicken breast and a helping of veggies for a wonderfully balanced meal!
Tip: If you prefer your ziti a little more on the thick side, allow to cook an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Tip: If you’re on a tight budget, try Ragu Lite (no sugar added) and if you’re not, try Amy’s Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce.

Minimum Slow Cooker Size: 5 quarts

Check out other skinny Crock-Pot recipes here.
Nutritional Information:
Makes 13 servings
Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Calories: 168
Total Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 476mg
Carbohydrates: 25g
Sugars: 4g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Protein: 15g

Slow-cooker Beef Stew

I love me some hearty beef stew, especially on a chilly rainy day.

This one is my favorite.

And for you Weight Watchers fans, a cup is only 5 points.
Not too bad for how delicious and filling it is!

The red wine gives it a deep flavor, which is nice. But if you shy away from using wine in your cooking, you can always add some good quality red grape juice.

It only uses a 1/2 cup, so it shouldn't alter the flavor enough to make a massive difference.

Enjoy!

Slowcooker Beef Stew

(Original recipe by Rosa Minehan,
published in Nov/Dec 2007 Paula Deen Magazine)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato soup
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Directions

In a 6-qt electric slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on Low 8 to 9 hours, or until beef is tender.

Southern Style Slowcooker Pork BBQ

I'm a tad partial to Carolina-style BBQ (of course).

However, I've never tried to make it myself. I guess I would get a little intimidated by the thought, figuring there's no way it'd come out as good as, say, Sticky Fingers.

When I saw this recipe, I decided it was time to give it a whirl. It seemed simple enough.
Turns out, it's pretty darn good!
I'm definitely a fan, and hubs inhaled it!
Just give yourself plenty of time for it to cook. Altogether, it takes about 9 hours.

[Funny sidenote: To my horror, I realized I was out of brown sugar. And there was NO way I was going to make BBQ without brown sugar. So I raided the pantry, did some googling, and finally came up with a solution. I mixed white sugar with some dark corn syrup until I got a good consistency. It worked great! You'd never know the difference! However, I still recommend using real brown sugar if you have it. It's a lot less stressful. :)]

Southern Style Slowcooker Pork BBQ

(Original recipe by Ashley at lilblueboo.com)

via

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs of pork roast (or I use 2 2lb pork roasts)
• 2 white or yellow onions
• 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups of apple juice
• 1 tsp of liquid smoke
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I substituted with paprika. I figured the crushed red pepper flakes were going to give it enough kick.)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 a bottle of regular/classic BBQ sauce (about 9 oz) ...try using Sticky Fingers' "Carolina Sweet". That's our personal favorite.

Directions:

Cut up both onions. Place half the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker or crock pot. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and top with the rest of the onions. Place half the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker or crock pot. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and top with the rest of the onions.
Mix together 1 cup apple cider, 1 cup apple juice and 1 tsp of liquid smoke and pour over the roast and onions. Set the slow cooker to cook on low for approximately 6 hours. The roast should be ready to fall apart when you stick a fork in it.
Remove the roast and remove the liquid and onions. (Note: You can strain the onions and add them back into the pot if you like….I prefer to discard them.)
Shred the roast and add it back to the slow cooker. Mix 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup apple juice, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and half a bottle of BBQ sauce in a bowl.
Pour over the shredded pork and cook on low for another 2 hours. Transfer shredded BBQ to another container. I like to chop mine up a bit more before serving. Serve by itself or on bread for sandwiches.