I have a weird fear to confess. Back when I used to work in an office environment, I was always afraid to leave my slow cooker on while I was at work. Silly, isn't it? It's about as sensible as saying I'm afraid to put clothes in my washing machine. (I'm not afraid of that. Really. I'm not totally weird ... just a little bit.)

Now that I work from home, the slow cooker is my best friend. Sometimes I'll take a break from work mid-day, get dinner going, and then I get to enjoy the delicious smells of dinner cooking while I'm typing away on my computer.

Cooking Light has a series of healthful slow cooker recipes that I can't wait to try. The Vegetable and Chickpea Curry sounds delicious to me. How about you? Are you a fan of the slow cooker? If so, what is your favorite slow cooked meal?

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The days are getting shorter ... and colder! You don't have to resort to canned cream of mushroom soup to prepare a hearty meal in your slow cooker. There are healthy recipes to be had and precious time to be saved.

You can't go wrong with Crock Pot Black Bean Chili -- beans for protein and fiber, peppers for vitamin C, and herbs and spices for all of their numerous health benefits.

Crockpot Chicken Curry is loaded with zesty flavors, from fresh gingerroot and mango chutney to crushed red pepper and cilantro. This one could be -- dare I say it? -- company food. Serve it over brown rice.

It doesn't have to be another ill-timed chore to put a healthy dinner on the table. Try these time-saving ideas for getting that whole food meal prepared -- fast.

• Cook grains, pastas and legumes ahead of time and freeze in appropriate serving sizes. You'll always have them recipe ready.