By Linda Wilson

Busy lives! Aren't we all busy, busy, busy? Bring out the crockpot or slow cooker and you can make some tasty, economical meals for your family and cut down your kitchen time, too. For these recipes, all you have to do is add a salad, perhaps bread, and you've got dinner. Dessert can be elaborate or as simple as cookies or a bowl of ice cream.

Pork Roast with Onions and Potatoes
This recipe requires a 4-quart slow cooker for best results.
Approximately 3 lb boneless pork loin roast, trim off fat
1 large garlic clove, sliced
5 medium potatoes, washed, cubed, unpeeled
1 large onion, sliced
3/4 cup water (or tomato juice, if desired)
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water

Make slits in roast and insert slices of garlic. Place roast under broiler to brown. Put potatoes in slow cooker. Add 1/2 the onion slices. Once brown, place roast atop vegetables and cover with remaining onions. Combine water or juice with soy sauce and pour over roast. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low about 8 hours. When ready to serve, remove roast and vegetables from cooker. Combine cornstarch and cold water. Add to the liquid in the slow cooker. Turn cooker to high until liquid is thickened. Slice meat and serve thickened liquid over the meat and vegetables.

This recipe has a few more protein grams than carbs so it is excellent for diabetics who want to enjoy some good old "meat and potatoes."