Fall is a great time to get your crock pot out to make some homemade comfort food. With the kids back to school beef and vegetable stew pressure cooker extracurricular activities in full swing, easy make-ahead crock pot meals can make your family's life much easier. Or you can settle in on a chilly Sunday afternoon and let your crock pot do the cooking while you watch the game on TV.Vegetables are usually a healthy low calorie food choice whether they are in a can, frozen or fresh. These vegetables nourish your body with filling vitamins and minerals. Eat a few servings each day. You could make a vegetable casserole or a delicious slow cooker beef stew with vegetable broth.Even something as average as baked beans, when they're home made they gain that special flavor that just doesn't happen in a can. Home made beef stew, another excellent choice.After you have made your menu, or before to help plan your menu, you need to take an inventory of what food you have in your house. You don't want to buy a can of green beans if you already have 4 in your cupboard! I usually make a quick inventory and use that to help plan my menu. If I have two meals worth of chicken in my freezer, I will usually try to eat at least one meal using chicken that week. Why buy it if you already have it?Now the final point, and I feel the most important one. Do not talk business at lunch! Let's say that again. Do not talk business at lunch! Okay, there are exceptions. If your customer launches into a business discussion by all means follow. But let them have their say, positive or negative, first. In its entirety. But if they don't bring it up? Ask them about themselves, where they're from, married, kids, sports (yeah, leave politics and religion out, period), the weather, but ask questions.Shepard's pie is a one pan dish that can be prepared in advance and frozen. Defrost it in the fridge a day or two before you want to serve it, pop it in the oven before dinner, slow cooker beef and vegetable stew you can have this comfort food any night of the week.If there are some main course specialties your well known for, these too will make special gifts. Packaged and frozen, to provide quick and easy preparation means those who receive them will be able to have a special dinner at their convenience.Just be sure to enjoy the dishes you do make and be open to experimenting and stick with the easy Crockpot recipes you find. You never know what flavor combination might work better than some of the others. This process in turn can leave your family asking you what meal is going to be created next in the slow cooker for dinner.