Thanks for all the ideas, everyone. psusaver - please do share your blog.

I made a great veggie stew in the slow cooker:

In a 3-4 qt slow cooker, add:

1-2 chopped carrots
1-2 stalks chopped celery
half an onion, chopped
1-4 cloves garlic, minced (depending on how garlicky you like things)
half a zucchini, slices
1 14-oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
2/3 cup dry uncooked quinoa
2 cups tomato juice
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
tabasco sauce to taste

Cook on low for 10-12 hours. The quinoa will absorb a lot of the liquid and create a pleasant stew consistency. For more soupy consistency, omit the quinoa or double the tomato juice and stock (I didn't try this).

For a 6 qt slow cooker, double everything above.