Some Christmas sap

Here's what's on my mind- and plate- today:

I miss having a dog. Three times a day I get down on my hands and knees and become a human Roomba. 

The babies learned to full-out crawl just in time to yank down enjoy our tree.

Our mantel is the most festive-y slice of Christmas in our home and I'm in love. Story time- the year my husband and I were married, I hit Target the day after Christmas for some clearance action (some things will never change) and found these photo frame stocking holders. They came in packs of two, so I wasn't sure how many to buy. We had talked about aiming for three kids, so I bought a total of six frames. The subsequent Christmas, after a year of infertility workups and failed treatments, seeing those six frames packed away was painful. Fast forward to now- I can hardly believe that this year we get to fill all six frames. It's a total dream come true. 

I think the phrase is "Have new kids but keep the old- one is silver, the other's gold."

That being said- with four kids I am continually trying to come up with easy, cheap, healthy meals that everyone can eat. Today's effort turned out post-worthy. Care for some slow cooker Italian cauliflower and sausage?

Slow Cooker Italian Cauliflower and Sausage
-2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
-1 tablespoon dried parsley
-1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1/2 teaspoon minced or powdered garlic
-Pinch of pepper
-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
-1/4 cup red wine (optional)
-3 12-oz bags cauliflower florets (or roughly two heads, chopped)
-1 package cooked Italian chicken sausage, sliced into coins
-1 8-oz ball fresh mozzarella cheese

Note- if you're really pressed for time, you could just use the equivalent amount of premade marinara instead of the crushed tomatoes. Making homemade truly takes <5 minutes, but you do need to have the seasonings on hand.

Place tomatoes and all the seasonings + wine in the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Stir in cauliflower and sliced sausage.

Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2-3 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, slice up fresh mozzarella into thin slices and place on top.

Serious comfort food- pasta is so good of course, but this comes without guilt or a food coma. Makes five servings. Per serving: 400 calories, 37 grams carbohydrates (Low! With *10* grams fiber!), 12 grams fat, and 27 grams of protein.

Perfect to enjoy in front of a cozy fireplace lined with stockings!