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Ready to start off the year on a kick of health eating?

Let’s give January’s National Soup Month designation some attention.

Despite delicious cream bases and crunchy toppings, there are some good-for-you soups.

Soup?

This is the time for crock pot’s (slow cooker) time to shine. See the lid pocket tip below and let’s share some hearty ideas.

If you have faves, send them this way.

Here are some of mine:

• Got extra New Year’s cabbage? It’s still lucky. That good green stuff will nourish you and save time in the upcoming weeks. I’m not a fan of full-on cabbage soup, but shred it thin and it plays well with other veggies simmering in the pot.
• Garlic makes everything better. I use it in all forms and just peeled open a new jar of fragrant garlic powder. Don’t judge. I said “all forms” of garlic are welcome in my house. It lasts such a long time that I tend to decorate the utilitarian bottle with stickers to fancy up my pantry. In addition to monitoring the best-by date, I often write on the bottom when I opened it, if simply to marvel at how long this stuff lasts. Keep garlic handy this soup month.
• Chili, the state dish of Texas, sounds great for Soup Month. We love our Tex-Mex, and it does occasionally get “chilly” enough for chili down here.

Is that a lid in your pocket? It’s a simple concept that has folks going nuts. It’s a sturdy slot you hook onto your slow cooker to hold the lid when it’s not covering your culinary masterpiece. What else is there to say, except to check out lidpocket.com.

Not sure you “need” this. Do you tailgate? Attend church potlucks where several lids have no place to wait but the sink? Then you hope you get yours back and intact? Put the lid in the pocket and show that slow cooker some love.

Blu to Green — Ethylene sounds like a good name for your sweet Auntie, but it’s natural gas from fruits and veggies that concentrates in your fridge. It makes your fresh and crispy greens a nasty brown. A cute little “apple” is waiting to let you know it can be easy being green. And now, Fresh Mats (in purple, yay) are lining my produce bins instead of dish towels. They prevent bruising and promote freshness.

I’m admittedly a sucker for products designed to keep produce fresh and your fridge organized.

Thebluapple.com has stylish offerings designed to save consumers dollars so they don’t toss out wilted vegetables. A blue apple has a “Yellow Submarine” look about it, so this Beatles fan is happy to open the fridge door for salad goods. Combat the gasses that do your lettuce go wrong with these goods. Try these out for a healthy beginning to 2024.

Darragh Doiron is a Southeast Texas foodie ready for a bowl of January’s signature dish. Share your tips via darraghcastillo@icloud.com.