Please check out a wonderful new slow cooker cookbook dedicated to fighting hunger in America. Also a giveaway for the book and a new Hamilton Beach slow cooker!
It’s no secret that I’ve become slightly obsessed with slow cooking but it wasn’t long ago that I barely gave it a second thought. I knew slow cooker recipes were popular but I couldn’t really understand why. I’d had a crockpot for years and every time I cooked with it, I was disappointed. Stringy, flavourless meat and overcooked veggies were what seemed to come out of my crockpot, even when I followed the recipe to the letter. But I have been won over and this little giveaway that I am hosting today is the very reason. Back in May, I attended a conference and saw a Hamilton Beach slow cooker demonstration, and my curiosity was piqued by a recipe for slow cooker chocolate cake. It honestly never occurred to me that you could make anything resembling cake in a slow cooker. I chatted with the reps about testing one of their models, but being the lazy girl that I am, it’s very likely that I might not have followed up on it. But then, serendipitously, a fellow blogger reached out with a great project for a great cause and I found myself falling for slow cooking.
Where Slow Food and Whole Food Meet
Did you know that September is Hunger Action Month? It’s a nationwide campaign to mobilize the public to take action on hunger. There are a lot of people going hungry in the US and any little bit we can do to help is huge. I am thrilled to be part of this slow cooker cookbook with recipes from over 30 amazing bloggers. And all proceeds from the print copy of the book will go to The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
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Spearheaded by Christine of Cook The Story and Jennifer of Mother Thyme, the book is devoted to healthy and affordable slow cooker dinner recipes and includes my recipe for Pork Tenderloin Florentine. Note that this is not a low carb cookbook, although my recipe certainly is and there are a few others in there that fit the low carb bill as well.
Check out our beautiful book! Where Slow Food and Whole Food Meet: Healthy Slow Cooker Dinners from our Kitchens to Yours
In addition, Feeding America food banks from across the country are giving the ebook version as a free gift to their donors. If you make a donation you will be given the ebook as a free gift. Donate right now and get your free ebook by clicking here. Here’s the link http://www.feedhopenow.org/cookbook
Our Sponsors
We would not have been able to put together such a beautiful book without the help of some amazing and generous sponsors.
Together, San Miguel Produce, Grimmway Farms and Old Oak Farms by RPE Produce are making some big contributions to help end hunger. They are each contributing food to their local food banks AND they are giving $5 for every print copy of the book that we sell, up to a total of $600. That’s in addition to the proceeds from the book that are already going to the food bank.
These brands, along with Hamilton Beach, are also helping us celebrate the cookbook launch by sponsoring some fun giveaways!
1. Each participating blogger is giving away TWO print copies of the book (sponsored by San Miguel Produce, Grimmway Farms and Old Oak Farms)
2. Hamilton Beach also provided the slow cookers that many of the participating bloggers are giving away. The Set & Forget Programmable Slow Cooker is the same one I have and the inspiration behind many of my new low carb slow cooker recipes. You will love it!
3. In addition to copies of the books and slow cookers, the co-editors of the book, Christine and Jennifer, are also giving away one prize of free carrots for a year from Grimmway Farms, one prize of free greens for a year from San Miguel and a potato prize pack from Old Oak Farms by RPE Produce including 40 pounds of potatoes and 1 Bamboo Bowl, 1 cutting board, 1 pepper mill, 1 measuring spoon set, 1 recipe booklet, 1 about potatoes booklet.
The Giveaway
One lucky reader will win a Hamilton Beach Set & Forget® Programmable Slow Cooker and a copy of the book. A second winner will receive a copy of the book.
Open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until 12am, September 30th, 2014.
Twitter Parties!
To help get the word out about hunger and how our book is helping, we’re having a bunch of twitter parties. Print copies of the cookbook will be given away at all of them and some will have extra prizes as well. There will even be yet another slow cooker given away at one of these parties!
Our main twitter party is September 18 at 9pm Eastern. Follow #slowNwholeCookbook
We will also be joining Courntey Crozier, a former contestant from The Biggest Loser, for her weekly #justcrunchem twitter parties on September 11th, September 18th and September 25th from 8-9pm Eastern.
To see all the amazing bloggers who participated in this cookbook (I’ve given you the name of the recipe they contributed too!) and to see where you can go to enter again and again to win all of these amazing prizes, visit Christine and Jennifer’s blogs.
Participating Bloggers
Broccoli and Cheese Potato Soup from Big Bear’s Wife
Chicken, Potato and Barley Stew from Magnolia Days
Autumn Apple Chicken Sandwiches from Chocolate & Carrots
Pumpkin, Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup from An Edible Mosaic
Thai Coconut Curry Beef and Broccoli from Food Faith Fitness
Chicken Burrito Bowls from Two Healthy Kitchens
Barbacoa Tacos from My Baking Heart
Balsamic Orange Roast Beef from a farmgirl’s dabbles
Cuban Seafood Stew from The Kitchen Prep
Chinese Beef and Broccoli from Belly Full
Pork Meatballs in Marinara Sauce from Savvy Eats
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic from Around My Family Table
Tex-Mex Scalloped Potato and Carrot Dinner from Cook the Story
Cuban Black Bean Soup from Food n’ Focus
Macaroni and Cheese With Sugar Snap Peas from Brooklyn Farm Girl
Sweet and Spicy Carnitas from Cravings of a Lunatic
Pork Tenderloin Florentine from All Day I Dream About Food
Thai Pork with Vermicelli Salad from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Mango Chicken from Stetted
Creamy Buffalo Chicken from Mother Thyme
Spiced Lentil Stew from Je suis alimentageuse
Harvest Chili from WonkyWonderful
Whole Tuscan Chicken from The Little Kitchen
Vegetarian Pumpkin White Chili from Kitchen Treaty
Sweet Italian Sausage and Peppers from Sweet Remedy
Chicken Cacciatore from Poet in the Pantry
Lentil, Sausage and Kale Stew from Jeanette’s Healthy Living
Italian Beef Sandwiches from Yummy Healthy Easy
Butternut Squash Vegetarian Chili from Nutmeg Nanny
Deborah S says
I contribute to Church food drives.
Liz says
I donate to the local food pantries!
Andrea T. says
We donate to the local food bank. Our sunday school classes at church and the local boy scouts collect food.
Jen says
I donate to the food bank!
Sarah says
Donate to food drives/food banks!
Moira says
We donate to food drives and share our food with others.
Jennifer says
I have needed to use second harvest food bank. they are wonderful people.
Chiemika says
I donate to my church and a local shelter.
Anita says
What a beautiful giveaway….
Rachel says
My employer has food drives regularly, I always try to bring something to donate.
Patty G. says
My church has a food pantry donation bin that I donate to. We spent a Saturday working at a food bank, sorting and cleaning canned goods. Got a tour of the facility and learned a lot. Very eye opening!
Mackenzie M says
I donate to the local food pantries. I also love bring food and make goodies and bring them to work to give to our cleaning lady who struggles.
Nicole says
I help fight hunger by donating to our local shelters in the community.
Pamela Staul says
My husband works for a bakery..and although I don’t eat grains…the workers are allowed to take product home…so he drops it off at the local food pantry.
Carol W says
I donate food to local drives. My Library has a food drive that will forgive your library debt for each pantry item you bring in. I use that a lot since I can never get my books back on time.
Jane G says
Worked with my son locally to help package 10,000 meals headed for Burkina Faso, Africa.
Stef says
Donate to a food pantry.
adrienne @ whole new mom says
I was involved w/ a group that worked on getting more gardens in city neighborhoods.
Lisa Thomas says
I donate to a food pantry
Teresa Larson says
My donation is teaching the kids to cook healthy foods/meals in my home and have them take meals home to their family s. Kids love to cook and it is a great way to teach math, science and healthy living all in one.
Rebecca Parks says
I donate to our local food bank and have volunteered at a local rescue mission.
Susan the farm quilter says
I donate food and time to my local food bank. I also donate to the local school’s backpack program that sends students home with food for the weekend – about 25% of the student population takes home food every weekend.
michele says
We donate to a local organization that helps abused and homeless women and children.
Rise Ruhl says
Truly a woman after my own heart. End Hunger in Calvert County (Maryland) is our favorite charity! We donate and volunteer and love what they are doing for our community. You rock!
staci mccarthy says
Would like to get involved with a group to get food to the homeless in my town.
Veronique Daoust says
I donate to local food drives on a regular basis!
Linda says
Every Wednesday, about eight of us cook a hot meal and provide homemade desserts for 150 people in our church hall. Fulfilling work!
Cathy Riihl says
What a wonderful win!!
Sarah says
Donate to the local food bank.
Odie says
I help distribute food at a mobile food pantry, and donate goods to the local pantry.
Becca says
Once a month I volunteer at the soup kitchen, making and serving brunch.
valerie (aka ruby) sobus says
My church does a free community meal every wednesday night! Volunteering at that, and a local soup kitchen occasionally.
Christine Castaneda says
I am co-leader of my daughter’s Girl Scout troop so not only do we volunteer at our local food bank but we always ask family, friends and neigbhors if they want to donate and we bring the collected items with us to food bank. They are always very happy to see us.
Ruthie says
Our church provides meal packets for the homeless shelter to give out. If a homeless person asks me for money I offer to purchase them a meal.
Michelle M says
Through work, we hold drives to gather food items to donate and employees get to wear jeans for contributing!
Lisa Brown says
i give often to our local food bank
Laurie says
My parents’ church runs a food bank. My husband wrote a computer program that helps them keep up with all of their clients and statistics. We help them keep track so that things can run smoothly and efficiently.
Jenny Maddox says
We donate and volunteer regularly to local food banks.
Amanda Sakovitz says
i donate to my town’s food pantry
steven weber says
I donate my time and energy to volunteer at a food kitchen.
Sandy says
When I shop at Costco I donate a can of each item I bought in bulk to the food bank. I don’t miss it and it helps someone in the community.
Mary says
We donate to a local food bank.
Thomas Murphy says
I donate to the local food bank.
Sandy Munn says
I raise a good-sized garden every summer. I give away fresh veggies!
melissa says
donating money and food to our church who support local families who cannot provide food for their families
Janet says
I donate to Volunteers of America’s food drive every year
Christine at Cook the Story says
I’m so grateful to you for helping us with this cookbook. Your recipe looks delicious!
Lucretia says
we donate to the local food bank and other drives.
Karen D says
We donate to the local food shelf. And my son, who works a at restaurant/bakery brings back anything left at the end of the day (they bake fresh daily) for distribution there, also.
Jen says
I donate to the local food bank
Dawn says
Our Library has a wonderful program where you can pay your late fines with a donation to the food bank….I donate often with or without fines 🙂
Carolyn Walton says
Love it!
Pamela says
I donate to The Neighborhood House in St. Paul. They help the community is so many ways. Food Shelf, Learning Center, Community Center…they do it all. I also volunteer with them.
http://www.neighb.org/
Laura E says
Thank you for this opportunity! I contribute to my church, and donate to the local food / soup kitchen
Cecelia says
I donate to my church and also the boy scouts have a drive to collect food. Also when they have a sale buy one get one free i donate the free one. We also have one where we work.
Kat says
I personally donate to the local food shelf, but additionally, our office runs a food drive every year.
Leah Huarte says
My daughter and I volunteer at the local food bank.
Emily Smith says
We donate often to local food banks and always help out during food drive events.
Kelly D says
I donate to my local food pantry.
E A says
My church hosts a community dinner every Wednesday. Any leftovers (from that or any meal served at the church) are given to Second Harvest. We also participate in several free-meal programs sponsored by ours and other nearby churches, and a couple of support/housing/job programs for the homeless in our area. We are receiving an award on Friday for one of the latter.
Teresa says
We donate to school, church, and community food drives.
Zenetta says
I help fight hunger in my area by donating food to local food banks and volunteering one weekend a month at different soup kitchens.
Robin says
We donate food to our local food bank with A Simple Gesture.
Emily @ Life on Food says
I try to buy a few extra staples at the grocery store each week. It is easy to simply put them in the bin by the door before leaving.
Kris M. says
The school I work at does food drives. We also have a program where kids that need it receive a backpack filled with food every Friday so they have food to eat over the weekend.
Mike says
I donate to the local food bank.
Mary D says
IREPLYING donate to our local food pantry
Melanie says
We’ve helped out with our church’s homeless ministry (serving 200 people each Sunday for breakfast!) and food collections at church.
Anne says
Our favorite grocery store makes it very easy to support local food banks, and we let them help us donate food items when we’re shopping.
carolyn says
Our church has a food pantry every week.
Barbara Belvin-Flak says
Our family does food drives and also participates in food related community service
Lindalee Schultz says
I love crockpot meals!!!
Lindalee Schultz says
I love crockpot meals!!!
Skylar S says
We donate to local food drives.
Ashley Cabell says
I made a big pot of gumbo and share it with all my neighbors or have a block party pot luck!
Sherrie Lee Nelson says
I donated my time to a local “meals on wheels” type of service for people to sick to go shopping or cook for themselves. Great organization! Thanks for the give away! I would love to win this new slow cooker.
Sherrie Lee Nelson says
PS- That was before I went out on disability.
nicole says
food bank as often as possible
Kim says
I have donated to soup kitchens and to a thrift shop that supports women supportive services
Rebecca says
I help at our local shelter – donating foods and fixing meals
Jennifer B. says
We have donated to food drives and located our local food bank (we just moved here) for future donations.
Joyce says
Looks like a great book for a great cause… remember to always give to your local community food bank 🙂
Jessica w says
Our church has a food pantry and we help give food to it
Jane says
I glean excess harvest from local farms with an organization that gives the produce to food banks and soup kitchens.
Dee Fedor says
We donate to our local food pantry.
Leslie says
Especially around the holidays, we donate food to our church’s food drive.
Teresa says
We donate to local food banks.
Edward says
I collect uneaten, unserved food from catered events and deliver it to area homeless shelters.
Kelly Garcia says
We donate can goods to our local food bank.
Shelley Adrian says
I round up for the hungry at our local grocery stores and I donate food to our church for our food drives.
Jan says
I donate to our local food bank and to Manna Meal – a food kitchen for homeless and down on their luck folks (held in the Episcopal Church but supported ecumenically across town).
Mike says
I donate cans when they backup.
Nancy says
Would absolutely love to win. Have a slow cooker at home, but rather small and old.
Jenna says
I donate food whenever my work has a drive going. Would like to get more involved with my community.
Jaimie Adams says
We donate to the local food pantry and there is a day where the mail carrier will pick up non-perishables in the mailbox.
Pamela Gurganus says
My church family has a pantry program where we help feed those in need.
San Miguel Produce says
Your dish looks fantastic! Thank you so much for doing this, and for including us in the project. It is our pleasure to support such a worthy cause.
Keep it green,
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at San Miguel Produce / Cut ‘N Clean Greens / Jade Asian Greens
Maureen M. says
My employer has food drives that I participate in and I also give monthly to Meals on Wheels through my employer.
Amanda says
This is amazing and gorgeous! I love everything about it!
Evan says
I can’t actually participate in the giveaway (darn international location!) but I wanted to tell everyone about the food bank at my university specifically to benefit refugees, who are treated terribly in our country. Or more specifically, to remind everyone that while food donations are SO appreciated and needed, that there are also other necessities that are desperately needed and overlooked, such as feminine sanitary products, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and warm socks! I know that’s not particularly helpful to Hunger Action Month but just so it’s rattling around in everyone’s mind 😉
Oh, also herbs and spices! They’re not ‘necessary’, but being able to recreate some of the flavours of home is a huge comfort to those in need– and even if the food bank isn’t catering specifically to refugees, everyone deserves to have food that is interesting and flavoursome!
Thank you Carolyn not just for your ongoing awesomeness with this website but also for promoting and supporting important causes like this– and thank you to all who commented on this post for your support for your communities as well! You’re all making a huge difference to people’s lives 🙂
Carolyn says
Hi Evan! You’re right that there are other good donations and refugees are typically treated poorly in many countries (US and my own Canada included!). My kids’ school does toiletry drives along with food drives and I always like going to the drug store and picking out useful items.
shannon brown says
We have a wonderful church food pantry, and contribute to it as much as we can…
Kelly Page says
I donate and am currently arranging a volunteer day at LA Kitchen to cook for the homeless.
dina says
i contribute to food drives at work and the grocery store.
mary says
Wonderful cause. it warms my heart.
Lynsie says
I donate to food pantry at church.
Andrea says
I contribute to a local food subsidy program.
gina says
We donate to a local food bank as often as we can.
Lynn says
Donate to local food banks
Jenny Bailey says
Donate to food bank
Tracey T says
I donate to the food bank
Jan says
I love the drives such as the one the Boy Scouts have where they leave a bag at your door to be filled and then come back to pick it up on the weekend. I’ve also given to the church food pantry and food drives at work.
Ashleigh says
I give to my church’s for pantry
Marilyn Fulton says
I donate to the school food drives they have every year..
Angie says
My family and I r actually working at the food pantry on the national day of service on the 20th plus donating items
Linda Miller Norton says
We help feed our community by donating to school can drives, local food pantries and actually have a family we directly help.
Lisa D says
We donate to the local food pantry and when we here of other in need
Deb Bergman says
My family runs two annual food drives in honor of our deceased brother.
Jenifer Anderson says
I help out at my church and provide meals to families in need.
Amanda Reed says
My church puts on a homeless meal once a month and I always donate food. I’ve been proposed to over my mashed potato recipe. lol
Blenda says
We participate in packaging food twice a month for Kids Against Hunger.
Bryn says
We donate to a food pantry and to a weekend food program for local children
Carolsue says
When there is a Buy One Get One Free Item, I donate the second item to the foodbank
Carolyn says
Hey, that’s a great idea, I never thought of that!
Dani Ellerton says
We donate to our local food bank, to our local Boy Scout troupe, and a yearly donation to Feeding South Dakota (through Feeding America).
Kelly Minyard says
This may seem unconventional, but I am a clinical counselor who works with children in the school systems, and I contribute to fighting hunger in our community by empowering these children. When they are able to find their voice and speak up about the problems they are facing at home and at school, their needs, both physically with proper nutrition, and emotionally with proper love and support, are met more appropriately. Part of my job is also connecting low income families to the resources, such as food banks, they need!
Steph M says
Love your recipes,! Thx
Tina W says
I use coupons to be able to have food to share with friends and family, and donate extras to the food bank. We also have a large backyard garden that we share with many of our neighbors and a group of senior ladies who live in a mobile home park.
Carol Heikes says
Our church does a food collection every month that I donate to.
Erin says
We donate to local food drives.
Nikki says
my work is doing a food drive
Bev says
Donations to church food bank. Volunteer
Louanne says
We donate to the food bank and animal sanctuary.
C.J. says
I work in a social service agency that has an emergency food pantry.
Rhonda M says
Crockpot meals are awesome!
Barb says
we have a local food bank to donate to also have many co workers in need and try to help as much as i can so no one goes hungry
Dawn says
I like to maximize so I just simply skim through all of the non perishable food that I have and fill up a bag for donation to local food bank, I can easily gauge the food bought that we changed our minds about or forgot about etc. and also help support the local food banks. Usually, I add to the donation bag with BOGOs too.
Dita MacDonald says
I love crockpot cooking and could use a programmable one. Thx for all your wonderful recipes & hard work.
Kim says
I have a very limited répertoire of crock pot/slow cooker meals. Being a working mom, I’d love to expand my knowledge, especially if they can be low carb/keto adapted!
Kim says
Oooops, missed the instructions until after I posted! See my next post to address the prompt.
Kim says
Our local high school has a huge food drive that we have always paricipated in.
Karen D says
Can’t like Grimmway Farms on Facebook, but I sent them a friend request. Please let me know if that qualifies. Thanks.
Lana G says
I donate to my local food bank, and my school does a food drive a couple times a year.
Arlene says
I donate to the local food bank thru a program at work.Also to the local Post Office and Boy Scouts when they do their drives.
Lisa says
Our family helps others by donating to our local food bank and helping a local church keep their food pantry full.
Marsha says
We have a local organization in our small town, Manna Pantry, where we donate food, and we also donate to our food drives withinin our school district.
Sharon T says
I donate to the foot pantries as well.
Julie says
We volunteer at a local ministry that serves lunch and dinner 6 days per week.
Beth C. says
My family donates to the local food pantries each month, and we help with the local “backpack program” which stuffs backpacks with food for kids who need it after school, over the weekends, and over school breaks.
noranora says
I would like to win please. And make slow-cooker lo-carb cakes. Definitely the cakes.
Keryn says
When ever we can, me and my boyfriend donate to the food bank.
Barbara says
I am a senior in central Florida, and I want to thank you for helping those like my neighbors and I who are feeling the awful pinch in our Social Security along with very high food prices. We have little income, but once a month or more I make a complete meal for my neighbor who is a very elderly widower who cannot cook for himself, and at other times I make nutritious treats for several other single widowed neighbors. I also sometimes make some double sized meals and seal the extra in freezer bags so when someone comes home from the hospital (it happens frequently here in our retirement community) they can have a ready made meal to put in the microwave.
Barbara says
I would like to say that donations are nice, and very appreciated, but many seniors can’t get out to go to food banks.
Barbara says
Most elderly seniors also don’t do Facebook, so that leaves us out of the contest.
Carolyn says
No it doesn’t. The only mandatory entry is leaving a comment.
Joyce says
I love crockpot meals. What a wonderful giveaway!
Bevin says
We donate to our food bank and my girls have volunteered there often.
teri says
Love my crockpot and love the food bank!
Marsha A says
I donate at my Church! I LOVE your website. Awesome recipes and great blogging! Keep up the fantastic work!
tammigirl says
We donate to our local food pantry, volunteer at the local food pantry, and donate to the local food bank when the school does their food drives each year. I also feed a LOT of people at my house ever week – at least 15, sometimes as many as 40. We are instituting a Friday night dinner starting next week to get 15-20 people around the table together every week.
ShannahO says
we donate to care and share here locally!
Margot C says
In our area the fire dept collects for the food bank, so we take supplies there.
Laney Smith says
such an exciting give away!! Thank you!!!
Amy L says
I recently donated to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. I tend to overbuy at the grocery, but the silver lining is that I always have dry goods available to donate to local food drives.
Katie says
Well, I donate sporadically to local food pantries, but an working quietly on connecting the youth organic farming programs on Austin and Lubbock, to engender community among these youth who are turning their lives around by learning sustainable farming practices. Hanging in there as I make acquaintances and start this initiative. Also support local farmer’s markets, locally grown, and sustainable permaculture practices and groups.
shelleyb says
We help the hungry in our area, just down the road. My sons’ attend an elementary school with a mixed socio-economic group. There’s a food pantry that has volunteers to “fill special backpacks” on Fridays for specific children. It feels good to give some canned goods for the cause.
Chris says
We donate with the Boy Scouts in our area, and give donations to our church to help the needy.
Stacy says
As a Pampered Chef consultant, we can round our customer’s orders up to the next whole dollar and the extra change goes to a food bank in our community through Feeding America.
Karen Lynch says
We donate to our local food pantry and through our church.
AlexisB says
I participate in local food drives!
Koshie says
I donate my time to my church, which focuses on feeding and housing the homeless.
cindy jones says
I donate to the school and community food drives.
rust says
I donate items to the food bin at my local grocery.
Leela says
I donate.
Annette says
I regularly donate food to the local women’s shelter.
SandyN says
We donate to the local food bank.