New York Times bestselling author & Slow Living Expert

thanks for an inspiring year, remember the coloring books, snacks, my parents would always pack a cooler full of chicken salad and piminto cheese sandwiches, which as you know can be made GF or not. ( Use Rice flour bread!) you might also like to pick a book on CD that both you and kids like!

Thanks so much for this blog. I got involved early Feb, and have loved reading all of your entries. I've tried some, plan to try more, and have shared it with lots of people. You have a great writing style, and you should consider this a huge success. Have a great vacation.

Jenny in Seattle

Congrats on your trip (and best of luck with the kids on that long of a drive)

My 4 month old has severe colic/extreme reflux & her Ped (& my local hippy friends) have suggested I cut dairy & wheat out of my diet. Your blog has really helped me still be able to prepare decent meals (other then rice & chicken) for my 2 year old & husband, so I owe you a big THANKS! So THANK YOU!

Woo-Hoo! Have fun.

You look GREAT in mouse ears...you should wear them all the time!
www.whattofeedyourkids.com

Girl, I don't remember how I found your blog but I'm so glad I did! I just posted how I LURVE crock pot meals in a weekly meme I host on my blog. I just gotta tell my peeps about you! Have fun at Disneyland driving there the old fashioned way...without a DVD player! You go girl....and go with a good set of earplugs! :)

Tiffany in Washington...for now!

Congrats Steph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can be so proud of yourself for reaching your goal, and feeding your family, and so many others, some healthy economical meals. I value what you have done!!!! I hope you keep crocking because you crock Steph!!
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...from the bottom of my crock!!!
Luv ya~Lynne in Albany, NY

Hope you had/have fun. Nyquil and/or Triaminic work wonders for long trips. OTOH, as a kid I survived numerous cross country trips w/o a player of any sort in the car. I wonder how???? :D

congrats!!! have a great trip!

I just want you to know I don't read your blog for the recipes...I read it because I think you are funny! I cook and even use my crock sometimes (I only have 2 sizes!) but I think a great sense of humor is more important than the ability to cook delicious food consistantly. Alright, I admit, the family might think differently! :)

Create an amazing day!

You've probably already traveled, but I wanted to give you my little secret to long car trips with kids (and no DVD player)---books on tape! This holiday season we listened to the better part of the Chronicles of Narnia. For your kids, who are younger, you might enjoy all the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A.A. Milne, The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and our favorite, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming (read by Eric Idle). It's amazing how the hours fly with good stories.

Hope you have a wonderful time!!

Sarah

LUVVED READING your blog this year.
By the Way...you can buy the portable DVD players pretty cheap. It's worth your sanity, I promise.

You are so cute. LOVE your blog, love that you did this, and love that you shared it with us all!! I pass on the link to lots of people, and come back frequently for great recipes! Thank you! Have a GREAT time at Disney!!!!

Thank you so much for all your hard work! As a gal who needs GF recipes, your blog has really been a life-saver and wonderful resource. Your writing has always been fun and entertaining and I am excited to get your book!

Rock on!
Heidi :)

I would appreciate some tips... I am fairly new to crockpotting, and there are many recipes for normal stove-top soups that I'd love to try in a Crockpot! I am wondering, does one have to change anything when converting regular recipes to crockpot versions? Any help would be great!

Have fun in Disney!!

I thought of you the other day, not sure if you have a Hobby Lobby near you? I was in Hobby Lobby and they had a crockpot Christmas ornament. Under the Crockpot it said Crockpot queen.

Hope your vacation was wonderful! It was certainly well-deserved!

Have fun at Disneyland and thanks for making this year full of great ideas for my crockpot. I'm glad you'll be keeping this blog up because I know I'll be coming back time and again.

Have a blast! And search out the internet for ideas on long car rides, there's tons of suggestions.

I've just stumbled upon your site, but what an awesome idea for a blog. Have a wonderful trip!

I love cooking with my crockpot... in fact, tonight's dinner is slow cooking as I type! Thanks for leaving the site and recipes up... can't wait to peruse it! :-D

Congrats!!! Sounds like a blast!! Enjoy your trip and bring lots of snacks...I am the same way, no DVDs in the car! Good job mama

Thank you for so many wonderful recipes!!! My kids love the brown sugar chicken...around here we call it "candy chicken"

I use your blog as a "go to" when I need ideas.

You are an amazing woman.
Thanks again,

ps... an 8 hr drive is nothing like the 24 drive time we have! Good luck!

Have a great time. Disneyland is great this time of year...

How is it that I just found your site today...at the end of the year. LOL! Oh well, I am going to read backwards, and find recipes.

You go girl!

Good luck! We did it in September, from Toronto (a 24-hour drive) with a 3 1/2 year old and an 11-month old.

Turned on the DVD player near the end of day 2 on the road. Not bad.

Ah yes, but are you taking the oh-so-frugal advice to PACK YOUR CROCKPOT so you can have dinner waiting in the hotel room ;)

Please say no, please say no, please say no ...

Have fun on your trip!!! and thanks for a great year and some great recipes!!

Deanna

i can't accept that the year of crockpotting has ended...i keep clicking on, and see u in your darling little mickey mouse hat. here's wishing u another wnderful year and congrats, again, on your fantastic crockpot challenge.

Have fun on your trip! I hope the car ride is enjoyable instead of stressful!

good for you for not doing the DVD player. It is not common, but can be done. When I am driving my nephews around, sometimes we listen to books on tape instead.

No DVD player? You are a brave brave woman.

Thanks for a great year of yumminess. Hope you are having fun at Disney! (And hope you come back for more crockpot fun!)

I hope you are having a good time. I recently have found your blog. I will be visiting often for recipes. And I hope you will keep the recipes coming!

I can't blame you! Enjoy!

Thanks for the awesome recipes. Happy New Year. May the new year continue to surround you with love, laughter, success, and happiness! Have a safe trip.
~Kimberly

Now that's the way to celebrate! Hope you have a great trip! Just wanted to say thank you for helping with the "what's for dinner" dilemma and making me excited about my Crockpot again. Oh, and I got a Little Dipper and a stick blender for Christmas - mostly because of these recipes! Happy New Year

You are awesome! Have a great vacation!!

Lucky! But you so deserve it! Have fun! Kim in WI

It will all be worth it. We drove from Michigan with 3 little boys, one of whom is cognitively impaired and autistic.

I love the GF facet of your blog; thanks!

I loved your blog and used many of the recipes. thank you!

Carmen

Congratulations and have a great trip. We are WDW nuts (DVC club and Annual Passes) it is a 16 hour drive to Disney World for us but we manage 3 trips a year. We have been to Disneyland once and I look forward to going there again in a couple of years.
Love all the Crock Pot recipies. I can't get enough.

What an amazing feat! If you're getting a bunch of hits today, it's because I linked to your blog on a board I post on. Hope that's ok!

You're an inspiration to us all. ;)

i enjoyed browsing your blog when i could. i ended up with a lot of really great ideas.

thank you for sharing!

and have a great trip!

YAY! Good luck! I've loved your blog this year. But you should make a button, so all your fans can share in style.

You should be SO proud of yourself! Congrats on all that you accomplished -- can't wait to see what you have in store for 2009!! Enjoy your vaca in Disney & the gluten free bevvy of food offerings!

I am totally impressed that you could actually use a crockpot everyday. I want to do that, at least a few days a week but seem to always start too late or don't have enough ideas to work with. I have picky eaters around here and I hate throwing out food. I will have to check out your recipes. Thank You for sharing!!

I hope you have a wonderful time! I love Disney World. I have never been to Disneyland before. I hope to go one day.

Have a great trip, we just got back and our drive was 7 hours without a dvd player. They'll survive, and most likely sleep a lot of the way like mine did! Thanks for all the crock pot inspiration!

Just found your blog and love what I see! Have fun at Disneyland - I'm one of those mean moms too!

You lucky girl! I am planning our next trip to Disney as we speak!! Have fun!!! ;)

This just can't be the end... what will I do? what will we eat? nooooo, please tell me you are coming back and crockpotting more.......?? please??

Beginning to go withdrawls, it isn't fun, please come back, my family needs to eat!

I love the picture! You'd make a perfect Minnie Mouse.

Thanks so much for a wonderful year of inspiring us to use our crock pots.

Susan

Yeah! Wish I could come. I hope you have fun. If you register on their website you can go for free on your birthday. Thanks for all the recipes. I'm sooo glad that you will leave them up as I only discovered your blog in October and I have lots of recipes to try now. :-)

I do hope your blog stays up so I can access your great ideas. Thanks, the Vietnamese Chicken is still a winner in this house.

Oh, Crockpot Lady, this separation from you is harder than I expected!

First, I was so proud of you - you did the whole year so well!

Then, I was happy for you - you so deserve a vacation!

But now, I'm just a puddle of missing your daily posts.

I will admit - I have two crocks on the fridge right now with recently cooked food. Which just tells me I need to buy more crockpots.

Thank you so much for everything!

I have been following your blog and I love it! I have never commented until now... because I wanted to let you know that I am in complete WITHDRAWAL!! I keep checking to see if you have returned from Disney! LOL

You've inspired me to start my own cooking blog. I'm now vouching that I'll be doing it every day... but I am vouching to start cooking healthier meals for my munchkins :)

Thanks for all the fabulous Ideas!

P.S. We made ornaments and they were a major success! THX!!

That is because you are The Woman Who Deserves A Halo.

You go, girl! Enjoy. =)

I remember taking long trans-Europe rides in the tiny car with my siblings. Among the hideous "She's looking at me!" times I remember it gave me times for deep reflection and contemplation. How many children are given the gift of just sitting and quietly thinking these days?

Yeah Good for you! We are Anti DVD player too, We have traveled across the country 2 times NY to Utah... with a 3 year old the first time and with a 4 and 18 month old the second, They did great!

i just have toay i am sad your year is over...i miss the daily post*sniff* *sniff*

This blog is absolutely genius! I almost wish I had 5 crockpots, so it wouldn't take me 365 days to make all these recipes!!

We went to DW just before Christmas and it was awesome. Thanks for being such an inspiration and how cute you are in your ears!

I'm so excited! I just found your blog and I've been wanting/needing to get into some more crockpot cooking. Thank you for this! Have fun at Disney!! :)

I am one of those mean momma's too!! No DVD!! Books, extra work to help in school, board games, and maybe a few hours (off and on) of the gameboy.

I just found your website and love it.

You are my kitchen hero!
Did you take the crockpot to Disney and photo graph your self with Minnie & the Crockpot?

Congratulations! I hope you have/had a great time!

Maria SC next time you are down south, let me know.

That's awesome!

I'm SO proud of you!! If I'd known you were going to be there - I'd have shown up myself - just to sing your praises! Congrats on a wonderful year of blogging - my family's tummies will miss you!

pia

Congratulations on a successful year!

I come here when I'm looking for something new and you never disappoint. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for including some of my recipes (was it one or 2?), I still get traffic from you all these months later. I am thrilled for you and all of your success. My only sadness is that we didn't meet at BlogHer!

Oh, and I can't wait to buy the book!

I hope you have a great time at Disney World! You deserve it. I just recently found your blog and regret not being here all year. I'm looking through it and have found many great recipies, easey and yummy! Love this place.

Through out this year in your recipies you have named several kinds of crock pots you used. I would love to see pictures and hear your thoughts on the different crockpots. If you liked them, what they are best for etc.

Thanks for a great blog!
Sharon

I

You guys have a GREAT time!

I can't wait for the cookbook. How fun! I am hoping to try that sometime, too, for the gluten and dairy free crowd. We'll have to see!

Thanks for all the fun this past year. I recommend the site to everyone. I am going to go back through and taste and pick all my favorites to bookmark (which are a lot - my family is addicted to the play dough!). Your writing always gives me a smile for the day.

I just found this blog today -- go ahead and mock me -- and I've been devouring it. Pun intended. I like my Crockpot, but I'm still figuring it out, so your tips (and stumbles!) have been really helpful. Hope you had fun / are having fun in Disneyland! Love the ears.

I do realize your year is over, but I just found your site. My two favorite crockpot meals..
Put a frozen turkey breast in the pot and cover with a bottle of Italian salad dressing and leave on high for eight hours. You can lift the bones out and have fabulous turkey.

or

Put a frozen tip beef roast in covered by a bottle of A-1 steak sauce. Leave for 8 hours on high. Yummmm

Have fun!!!
Thanks for all the recipes. I just made the spicy barbeque shrimp last night and everyone loved it.

Congrats on completing your year! Thank you for all the great recipes!

Steph: you are awesome.

It's not that bad, we made a 1200 mile trip with no DVD and 5 kids, but they did have a couple MP3 players to pass around. Good luck!

My son's girlfriend (who doesn't have a crockpot or Celiac) just sent me the link to your blog last week and I am totally addicted. Our kids are all grown, and I miss cooking for a big crowd. Hubby and both daughters are off gluten/dairy/and soy. Your blog was the perfect gift.

Sooo...I have purchased not one, but two new crock pots (4 qt and 3.5 qt) to keep my old one (6 qt) company and have already made several of your recipes: Butter Chicken (looked like dog food, but tasted great)and Tamale Pie (looked and tasted great; didn't cook it long enough so it was really polenta pie...still tasty though) as well as dualing desserts last night: coconut cake and peach cobbler. We ate the cake with ice cream (the coconut milk iced cfream from Whole Foods is to die for) and played monopoly til 2 AM. I almost won.

It's been a great week. Thanks. Hope you and your family had a wonderful trip and that the new year brings you many blessings, great joy, and a freezer full of skinless chickens.

Ok, I just found your blog an hour ago, 10 p.m., MST, on Jan. 10, 2009. My cousin had it listed on her Blog List. I'm fascinated with crock pots, so I, of course, had to check it out.

I've read all 281 comments before mine. I've resolved to check your blog every day for the next year, catch up, you know, & hope that you'll be adding to it occasionally.

We have a son on the autistic spectrum, so never dared travel very far. He's 21 now, so, if he's driving, we do great. Maybe Disneyland could be doable.

What a great site--I just found it, in a google search for "cornbread stuffing" after a failed cornbread recipe prompted me to roast a chicken and make stuffing, and WOW. I'm excited to try many more of your recipes in 2009; many thanks!

I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed your blog since I discovered it around April of last year, and I've tried quite a few recipes and saved MANY to try later on. So far, we've liked all the ones we've tried. Except the lasagna that I overcooked one time, but that was my bad and had nothing to do with the recipe. :)

Enjoy your time off and have fun!

Oh, and when we'd go on long car trips when I was a kid, I found it quite entertaining to sing my favorite version of the "99 bottles of beer" song. I called it "1 million bottles of Dr. Pepper on the wall." I never really was allowed to make it past 999,990 bottles, though. I don't know why. My parents just didn't appreciate my creativity.

What a great post! Clever girl. LOL You looked great as Minnie!! I bet you did find without the DVD player. (We drove 20 hours to the Keys once with our very young son. He did fine. We armed him with crayons, markers, and a huge pad of paper. He drew terrific pictures and we had a splendid time.) Shirley

I say No to the DVD player too but with each trip Im beginning to think YES! God gave us technology for a reason lol

LOL... I see that you survived after all. :-) Sharlotte

P. S. I'm following your blog on mine. :-)

I commend you! My brother and I never had a DVD player in the car, and we were always the family that drove on vacation. One year was NC to Arizona! Some of my fondest memories with my brother are coming up with road games and bonding during boring, flat states. Your kids will thank you later, I promise!!!!