We eat soup as often as we can in our house, regardless of the season. Now that cooler temperatures are in the air, even in the desert, soup will be on the menu two nights a week: the night it was made and the next day for leftovers. Tonight will be no exception with this Slow Cooker Root Vegetable stew.

The best part is that once you’re finished chopping all the veggies (there’s about 4 pounds worth here) you can let the slow cooker aka crockpot do the rest! Parsnips, butternut squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes: they all blend together for tender deliciousness. If you like your soups with more broth, I recommend adding more of the stock. For our leftovers, we’ll be making some on the side and reheating on the stove top.

And if you’re really inspired by the idea of veggies, then try this Chocolate Beet cake, the original recipe called it Unbeetable Chocolate Cake. Giggle. I’ve left my Bundt pan somewhere (if it’s at your house, could you let me know?) so a square pan did fine. That’s right, you’ve seen me experiment with Black Beans in Brownies, and also Chickpeas in Peanut Butter Bars. Beets in cake makes for a moist batter your family will overlook as they reach for more slices.