Peaches and cream crockpot oats

Making oatmeal in the crockpot has made mornings around here substantially less crazy.  The boys enjoy it and I know I'm giving my kids (and self) a hearty and healthful breakfast with little work on my part.  It takes a little bit more prep work than the little instant packets I had as a kid, but is surely much better for all of us than those were and less costly too.

The first time I made steel cut oats in the crockpot, I made a gigantic mess.  The cooked oats stuck to the crock and it required much elbow grease to clean the mess.  I've since discovered a much easier method:  place all ingredients in a bowl that will fit inside your crockpot, and fill the crock around that bowl with water.  Cook as directed.  If there's any mess, it's confined to the small bowl, but I've found it doesn't get stuck on the way it did that first time.

The original directions for this Peaches and Cream Oatmeal suggest using canned peaches; I used frozen since that's what I have on hand, but the flavor just wasn't there without the juice.  My boys didn't notice or mind, but I (of the instant preference) wasn't really nuts about this.  That's not to say I won't make them again, the boys enjoyed and I didn't mind enough to not eat them, but I will probably add some honey or sugar to my bowl in the future.  I'll share the original recipe for you to try either way!

Peaches and Cream Crockpot Oats Source:  Eat at Home

Ingredients

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 can (15 oz) sliced peaches in light syrup
• enough milk to bring liquid to 4 cups
• dash salt

Instructions

1. Spray inside of crock with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Put steel cut oats in crock.
3. Drain can of peaches, reserving juice.
4. Slice peaches in bite size pieces. Add to crock.
5. Add milk to peach juice to make 4 cups. Pour into crock.
6. Add dash of salt and stir to combine.
7. Cook 3-4 hours on low. You can cook up to 7-8 hours, if needed.
8. Serve with extra milk, if desired.

Crockpot Potato Ham soup

Chilly fall days call for foods that warm.  Comfort.  Satisfy.  

The hectic lives all young families seem to be living these days demand satisfying, healthful meals that don't take a lot of time to prepare.

Enter this soup.  

Everyone in my family loved this soup.  I'm not sure if it was the soup or the amazing 'Marco Polo' we used to dip into the soup, but this meal was a big hit.  It will also make one night this week easier when it's time to make the lunchboxes.  I loved the smokiness the ham brought and it was all those things I want from a hearty fall meal.

This soup was very easy (save a little bit of peeling) and is pretty versatile--I had extra carrots in the fridge, so I used them.  I added some cheese at the end.  As I was eating, I thought, "If not for the boys, this would be good with a little crushed red pepper or hot sauce mixed in."  I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Go check out the Moms with Crockpots for more great Crock pot recipes!

Crockpot Potato and Ham Soup Source:  Adapted slightly from Moms with Crockpots 

•     3-1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
•     ⅓ cup chopped celery
•     ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
•     1 sliced carrot
•     1 cup diced ham
•     3-1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
•     1 t. salt
•     1 t. pepper
•     5 T. flour
•     5 T. butter
•     2 cups milk

Instructions

1. Add ingredients, up to and including pepper, into crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, making sure potatoes are tender before moving on.
2. About 15 minutes before serving, make a roux by melting butter in a saucepan, then whisking in flour. Cook on medium for about a minute, and then and gradually add milk, whisking constantly over med heat until thick.
3. Add the milk mixture into crockpot, and continue to cook 15-20 more minutes.
4. Serve with crusty bread.

• 3-1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
• ⅓ cup chopped celery
• ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup diced ham
• 3-1/4 cups water
• 6 chicken bullion cubes
• t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 5 T. flour
• 5 T. butter
• 2 cups milk

Instructions

1. Stir all but milk, flour and butter into crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, check tenderness of potatoes.
2. minutes before serving, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and gradually add milk, stirring constantly over med heat until thick.
3. Stir mixture into crockpot.
4. Let cook 15-20 minutes more.

- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/12/crock-pot-ham-potato-soup/#sthash.D84qJ5Q4.dpuf

• 3-1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
• ⅓ cup chopped celery
• ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup diced ham
• 3-1/4 cups water
• 6 chicken bullion cubes
• t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 5 T. flour
• 5 T. butter
• 2 cups milk

Instructions

1. Stir all but milk, flour and butter into crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, check tenderness of potatoes.
2. minutes before serving, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and gradually add milk, stirring constantly over med heat until thick.
3. Stir mixture into crockpot.
4. Let cook 15-20 minutes more.

- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/12/crock-pot-ham-potato-soup/#sthash.D84qJ5Q4.dpuf

• 3-1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
• ⅓ cup chopped celery
• ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup diced ham
• 3-1/4 cups water
• 6 chicken bullion cubes
• t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 5 T. flour
• 5 T. butter
• 2 cups milk

Instructions

1. Stir all but milk, flour and butter into crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, check tenderness of potatoes.
2. minutes before serving, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and gradually add milk, stirring constantly over med heat until thick.
3. Stir mixture into crockpot.
4. Let cook 15-20 minutes more.

- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/12/crock-pot-ham-potato-soup/#sthash.D84qJ5Q4.dpuf

Apple butter

I may have mentioned our recent apple picking trip with the family, during which we appear to have picked more than 70 pounds of apples.  You may have realized that this is way too many apples for a family of four to take on and you would be correct.  So we've decided we'd take them down in the fastest and easiest ways we can (since our lives are NUTS and evenings consist of dinner, hanging with the boys, pack lunches, and crash on the couch at 9:00... maybe that's not WE but ME, but I digress), and apple butter has been brought to the table.  

This apple butter recipe calls for 6.5 pounds of apples, which goes far further in taking 70 pounds down than each of us having an apple every single day in our lunches.  Did I mention how much I love my new apple peeler?

I didn't get around to processing (see what our lives look like and consider how many dishes are usually left sitting in the sink; I didn't feel like dirtying another to use the immersion blender), which resulted in a chunky, more like applesauce, concoction, that is incredibly delicious and very sweet.

Quite good on apple bread, if I do say so myself.

I love that this cooked while we slept, and we all woke up to the most delicious aromas coming from the kitchen!

Going into the crock pot!

All finished!

 Thanks to Tastes of Lizzy T for the great recipe!

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Place the apples in a slow cooker. Add the sugars, cinnamon, salt and vanilla to the crockpot. Mix well. Cook in slow cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring every couple hours. The apple butter should be thick and dark brown. If desired, use a blender to puree the apple butter until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze in small containers.

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken and Quesadilla!

Ah Pinterest, what a joy to play and find new foods!

While I've been trying to eat "clean" (no extra or processed stuff in our food), it hasn't always been tasty, easy, or fun.  But when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I'd be trying it soon.  I wasn't sure what I'd do with the zucchini since my husband does not eat it, but went ahead and made it easy by chunking it; next time, I will grate it since neither my husband NOR my children ate it and I noted that it really didn't have a zucchini flavor.

This was so easy to toss together that I was able to make it in the always crazy before work morning (of course, grating the zucchini will take longer).  It came out very tasty, but we both felt that it wasn't very filling.  My husband got the awesome idea to drain some of the liquid off, add some grated Monterey Jack cheese, and turn it into a quesadilla.  Not as much on the clean eating side, but way better than a lot of other meals we could have had instead!  And it was super delicious this way too, as well as way more appealing to the kidlets.

So, give this easy and tasty chicken a try... and turn your leftovers into a tasty quesadilla for lunch!

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken Source:  The Gracious Pantry

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed 
• 1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa (I used Spike's medium and it worked well; even for my "it's too spicy" boys!)
• 1 raw zucchini, halved, quartered, then sliced (shredding works too)
• 1/4 medium, fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

Directions:

1. Cook chicken and salsa together in your slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours, until chicken shreds easily.
2. Pull the chicken apart using two forks and stir in your raw zucchini and fresh pineapple.
3. Serve!

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff

This may not look pretty, but it's quite delicious.  And so, so easy to make.  The original recipe calls for egg noodles, which makes complete sense in a stroganoff, but I was out of them so served over rice. 

My entire family enjoyed this one, except the 4 year old, who claimed he wasn't at all hungry, though he did try all parts of his dinner.

Make this!!

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff Source:365 Days of Slow Cooking via Lauren's Kitchen

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 Tbsp dehydrated onion or 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained
• 1 (13.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the chicken, onion, mushrooms, cream of chicken soup, and tomato sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Shred the chicken and add in the parsley, sour cream and salt and pepper. Stir and turn to HIGH. Let sit without lid for 10-15 minutes. Serve over egg noodles.

Homemade Yogurt!

A woman with whom I work makes her own yogurt all the time.  I just now got around to trying out how it would work to make my own yogurt.

As many families with young children do, we go through a TON of yogurt.  Since I'm concerned about the impact of pesticides in our food, I try to buy organic yogurt as often as I can.  Of course, like many organic foods, organic yogurt is substantially more expensive.  I also happen to love the even MORE expensive than that Greek yogurt, and have struggled to find an affordable, organic, version.  So I made that too.

I'm pretty happy with how the yogurt turned out.  It doesn't have the exact same taste as store bought yogurt, but it's still good.  My 3 year old tried it with homemade granola, and said it was really good.

I followed The Crockpot Lady, Stephanie O'Dea's, directions exactly, taking the advice in the comments to add 2T dry milk when I mixed in the yogurt starter.  I used organic skim milk and organic non fat yogurt.

To turn the finished product into Greek style yogurt, I put a strainer over a bowl, and put a dishtowel in the strainer.  I put the yogurt I'd made into the dishtowel (you can also use cheesecloth if you're icked out by using a dishtowel), and let the whey strain out, about 3 hours (though I've read it's supposed to sit 8-12 hours, but I had good results in 3).

Hubby said he wasn't much interested in trying the homemade yogurt (even though he was VERY interested in the fact that I was MAKING yogurt), because he "like[s] the fruit goo on the bottom, which hides the taste of the yogurt."  I told him that I like to throw in fruit, but he insisted he wants the goo.  I told him I could puree fruit for him, like I did for the baby, and he said maybe.  I seriously can't make this guy up.

Next up is making a whole milk yogurt for the under 2 set!

The Directions.

This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.

I used a 4 quart crockpot. This is so exciting. My fingers are shaking!

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.


Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.

Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.

Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.  (**From what I've read, you can only use the starter so many times before the live active cultures will die)

Slow Cooked Asian Style Chicken

 

When I think of sweet and sour sauce, I think of that super sweet, gooey orange stuff you get at the Chinese restaurant.  When I saw that this recipe called for sweet and sour sauce, I went to the store and saw it was loaded with high fructose corn syrup, so passed on it, figuring I could certainly find a recipe on the internet for sweet and sour sauce for cheaper.  I found this highly rated recipe for sweet and sour sauce on allrecipes and used it in the place of the sweet and sour sauce; I'm not sure if it made the called for 10oz or not, and it definitely wasn't that tell tale orange.  It was, however, delicious.

I found this on Lauren's blog, and took her suggestion to use chicken thighs (the original calls for beef, which is a no no in the Mad Men Kitchen more often than not).  In the future, I might mix in some chicken breast for the white meat preferring palates in the house, and maybe 1/2-1 can of water chestnuts.

I really enjoyed this meal, and the sauce was great as well--and fairly easy to make too.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
from allrecipes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Place the sugar, vinegar, water, soy sauce, ketchup and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.

Slow Cooked Asian Style Chicken

slightly adapted from Cooking This and That via Lauren's Kitchen

• 2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1 (10-ounce) jar sweet and sour sauce
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, carrots, onions, red peppers, celery, water chestnuts, and mushrooms)
• 3 cups hot cooked rice or rice noodles 

Place chicken into 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with tapioca; pour sweet and sour sauce over chicken in cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours or high heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. At the end of 7 to 8 hours, turn to high heat setting and stir in frozen vegetables. Cover and cook for additional 30 to 60 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

What do you like on your tacos?  When I make them, it's imperative that I have lettuce, tomato, black olives, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and salsa.  I totally get the stink eye when I forget the black olives, so I stock up when they're on sale.

With this in mind, I knew it was important to include black olives when I made this recipe from Running Mama Cooks.  It wasn't until I opened the can that I realized they also had jalapenos in them.  This is a concern when you have a son who "hates spicy food."

As I was browning the chicken, my husband, who is home sick today, remarked that it smelled awesome in there and wanted to know what was cookin.  I told him, and he got very excited about it.  I expressed my concern that it wouldn't be filling enough for dinner, and threw out adding rice to the dish.  His suggestion was that we use pita bread rather than tortilla chips to dip and also fill our bellies a little more.

Ironically, my three year old didn't complain it was spicy, though the rest of us did.  I added heavy cream to it for all of us, which was a great addition, but it was still way too spicy for us.  I think it was the added jalapenos that did it.  The base flavor was definitely tasty aside from the spice, so I'll be trying this one again and...um...omitting a little of the heat!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

Slightly Adapted from Running Mama Cooks

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into chunks  (I used chicken breast)
Olive oil cooking spray
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped (I used a red pepper)
1 tbs minced garlic  (I used a heaping spoonful of chopped garlic)
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth (I used two cans of chicken broth)
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning (I used 1/2c of this seasoning recipe)
4.5 oz green chili's, drained
1.5 cups frozen corn

2.25 oz sliced black olives with jalapenos

Directions:

Heat pan to medium heat, spray generously with cooking spray. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add onion, pepper and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Add chicken and vegetables. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and/or a little bit of Mexican cheese on top.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

When the hubby's away, the mommy will make the food she likes to eat.  With him away so much lately, we've had chili, beef stew, pot roast, and sweet potatoes.  Tonight was no exception.

This recipe has been going around, and I finally succumbed to the many rave reviews.  I know many people use their crockpots for busy worknights, but for me, it's becoming imperative on nights my husband isn't around to watch the boys while I cook.

It's super duper easy, which was great because my three year old did almost all of the pouring of ingredients.

Speaking of my three year old, I made a few modications for his sake.

First, I used a can of Rotel in place of the diced tomatoes with chiles, since it IS diced tomatoes with chiles.  Rotel is 10oz, though.  I also used a can of plain diced tomatoes, because that's what I had.  I figured this would decrease any spice for my boy.  I didn't measure out the spices, so when I tasted at the end of cooking, it was a bit spicy... and I knew he wouldn't eat it.  So, I stirred some sour cream into his chili, and also topped it with some shredded cheddar.  Not only did he not complain about the spice, he kept telling me how good it was, and that I should make it again tomorrow (and that he helped me cook it.)

I also used chicken thighs, because they are so much cheaper.  I actually prefer dark meat usually, but in this recipe you really can't even tell the difference if you DO prefer white meat.

I've seen lots of folks serve this over rice, over pasta, but we enjoyed it plenty on its own, in mugs.

So, this is yummy.  It's pretty easy to customize (you're vegetarian?  leave out the chicken!).  It's very easy to make, and it's pretty good for ya.  Do it, you know you want to.

Crockpot Barbecue Chicken and Cornbread Casserole

I've been working my way through a few of the recipes in Make it Fast, Cook it Slow.  We haven't really liked too many of the recipes we've made so far, and tonight was the final chance for me.

This was good.  I can't say it was really good because I wasn't in love with it, but think it would have been better with a different choice of bbq sauce.  I thought I had bbq sauce in the basement, but didn't.  I had three different bottles in the fridge, so I went ahead and mixed them together; the bulk of the sauce was a tropical bbq.  It probably would have been better with a smokey type of BBQ sauce.

The cornbread was pretty good, though we both said we prefer a sweeter one like you get at a restaurant.

So, we didn't love this, but think it's worth giving another try with one type of BBQ sauce!

Posted originally here.  Her photos came out much nicer than mine!

--1 pound of cooked, or practically cooked chicken, cubed or shredded I used my leftovers from this
--1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks (optional.)
--1 red onion, diced (optional.)  I used white onion
--1 cup frozen or fresh corn  I used canned
--1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (18 oz)
--1/4 cup hot water

cornbread topping:

use a mix and follow the directions on the box (minus the oil or butter), or mix together the following:

--3/4 cup corn meal
--1 1/4 cups of flour
--1 cup milk
--1/4 cup sugar
--1 egg
--1 tsp baking powder (only if using regular all-purpose flour)

The Directions.

I used a 4 qt round crockpot for this---it was the perfect size.

Spray the inside of your stoneware with cooking spray. Cut up the chicken and sweet potato, and add to the crock. Add the corn. Empty the contents of the barbecue sauce bottle, and then add 1/4 cup of hot water to the bottle, shake, and pour that out, too. Mix well with a spoon.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cornbread topping. You don't need to mix well, I just used a fork. Spread the topping on to the chicken mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Ours cooked on low for exactly 6. If you are planning on being out of the house, cook for the shorter amount of time. You can always switch to high to brown the top when you get home.

Creamy Corn and Spinach Enchiladas

I found this in Make it Fast, Cook it Slow, and The Crockpot Lady happens to have all her recipes also posted on her blog!

This took several nights to make, since I kept forgetting to make it!!  But I finally got around to it last night.  We both agreed that it smelled delicious, but looked disgusting.  BAJ thought it was good enough to eat tonight, but that he didn't want it again, while I thought it was awesome, and went back for seconds.

--1 can (14.5 oz) creamed corn
--1 cup shredded already-cooked meat  I used chicken, following this recipe
--1 cup baby spinach leaves
--1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves  I used jarred
--2 T chopped sliced jalapenos
--1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a packaged Mexican blend)  I used a blend of Colby Jack and cheddar

--1 can (28 oz) green enchilada sauce  I used a small can; I think it was 14.5oz
--2/3 cup sour cream
--corn tortillas
--more shredded cheese

The Directions.

I used a 6qt Smart-Pot for this. You can easily use a 4qt, but instead of making each enchilada separately, you can just stack the ingredients in a casserole.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded meat, creamed corn, cilantro, spinach leaves, jalapenos, and shredded cheese. Mix. You may need to use your hands to get the spinach leaves really wilty and coated with the creamed corn.

This is your enchilada filling.

Put a corn tortilla out on the counter, and plop a spoon full of filling in the center. Roll into an enchilada shape and put it seam-side down in your crockpot. Repeat until you run out of filling. I used 10 corn tortillas before I ran out. I stacked them to fit.

Either wash your mixing bowl, or get out another. Combine the green sauce with the 2/3 cup of sour cream. This is optional, I guess, but it tastes really good.

Pour the sauce on top of your enchiladas. Add a few handfuls of shredded cheese for good measure.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or on low for 5-7.
I cooked ours on low for 8 hours and it was too long. Everything got really mushy.

Let stand for 20 minutes with the lid off before cutting into.

Pulled Pork

This popped up in my Google Reader, and I saw pork shoulder on sale, so thought it would be a great thing to make. It comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

My plan was to make it for us, but I ended up not making it so I instead took it to my parents' house for dinner with them.

We all really liked it, though we had a hard time getting Little Man to eat his. He loved the bread, though!

It was super duper easy, probably even easier than the previous pulled pork recipe I made. And it's made in the crock pot, so I just dumped everything in and let it cook away.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I’ve also used boneless pork loin – not tenderloin – but pork loin with good results)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon hickory flavored liquid smoke
2 cups barbecue sauce

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub salt and pepper over the pork and place in a slow cooker. Add water and liquid smoke. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the remaining liquid. Shred the pork using a couple of forks. Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the barbecue sauce and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

This recipe was doomed. I got the meat in a huge hunk, cut it in half and froze half. I gave it a whirl, but forgot to turn the slow cooker ON after setting up the timer and everything. Damn. Next day, I remembered to turn the cooker on, but somehow messed up the timer. Damn. Threw out the meat, since it had been sitting out on the counter for two whole workdays.

Tried again with the frozen meat. WTH, again the timer was messed up. So, I just let it go from where I was, refridgerated it, and had it the next day.

I was concerned M wasn't going to like it, but he commented that it smelled REALLY good. He didn't like the corn tortillas at all, though, but said the carnitas themselves weren't bad.

I liked it... I wasn't thrilled with the corn tortillas because of their texture and that they sort of fell apart (maybe a different brand would be better?) but I really enjoyed their flavor with that of the meat. I thought the meat tasted great, esp considering how few ingredients there were to this one.

I wasn't really sure what toppings to use on this, though. I mentioned to M that he should treat it like a taco, so he topped it with black olives, sour cream, and cheese (we didn't have any of our usual toppings in the house), while I topped with sour cream, cheese, and avocado.

I had used up all my beef broth the first time I tried this one, so I tried chicken broth in the final take.... it still worked well.

This one comes from The Crockpot Lady, whose picture looks way better than mine ever would have (even if I had taken one). Check out her original post here.

2 pounds pork shoulder
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)
7 cloves garlic (whole intact)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
corn tortillas
sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado (optional)

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub mixture all over the pork, then plop into the slow cooker. Add whole garlic cloves. Squeeze on the citrus, and pour the beef broth evenly over the top.Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds quite easily with a fork. If your meat is still fully intact after 8 hours, remove and cut into chunks, then return to the crock and flip to high for about an hour or two.Shred meat fully and serve on warmed corn tortillas with desired toppings.

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/4 cups water I used beef broth
  
• 5 1/2 pounds pot roast

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

I have made this once before, and raved about it. I made it essentially the same way I had made it before, and it was just fine. I wouldn't say I was nuts about it, and our guests seemed to like it, but also didn't really RAVE about it.

The good thing about this one, though, is that it was very easy to make. There are a TON of reviews on allrecipes of this one, and many people give suggestions for improvement, so I imagine some of them are going to improve this.

I also tossed in some quartered potatoes, celery, and carrots with the roast, and I used a 4 pound angus rump roast.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

From allrecipes.com, see the original here.
Ingredients

* 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups beef broth
* 3 potatoes, diced
* 4 carrots, sliced
* 1 stalk celery, chopped

Directions

1. Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
2. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

I made this for "lunch club" at work, partially (erm, largely) due to my husband's dislike of all things beef. I messed up modified the recipe by adding a whole can of beef broth, only using 2 potatoes, and using 2 stalks of celery. It was a little bit too much broth, I thought, but after taking the first serving, I decided that wasn't the case at all, and was glad I had done it.

This was a really flavorful stew, and I will certainly make it again. If you go to allrecipes and read the reviews, someone name Corinne made a bunch of modifications to the base recipe, but I'm not a fan of cooking meat before putting it in a slow cooker, so I went with the original recipe! When I make this in the future, I will add a can of mushrooms (almost did that this time, but, um, forgot) and a can of tomatoes--not sure if stewed or whole would work best. I also might take Corinne's modification of using a package of stew mix, although I love the idea of setting the spices on my own.

The good thing about lunch club is that you get the benefit of the opinions of several coworkers. First, they all commented (as did some students who could smell it in the hallway) on the delicious aroma of the stew. It's funny, you bring a crockpot into work and people think you're a domestic goddess. I heard feedback from two others who ate the stew, and they both commented (unsolicited) that it was really good.

In short, this beef stew isn't like Mom makes, but it's pretty good nonetheless... and until I get around to bugging Mom for her recipe, or finding one that comes close, this is a delicious (and fairly easy) stew!!

Slow Cooker Upside-Down Chicken Pot Pie

I got this from a recipe group on a message board I use. I wasn't really too optimistic that my husband would like this, since he doesn't like chicken pot pie, but he DID comment that he REALLY liked this one.

This was so easy to prepare, and so great for my first day of work. I used a smaller jar (I think 12 oz) of turkey gravy, and that just wasn't enough... definitely need to make it with more liquid.

I love that this was an all in one pot meal, with the chicken, the veggies, and the biscuit!

Picture coming soon!
Slow Cooker Upside-Down Chicken Pot Pie (linda98ny)
From Betty Crocker

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 dried bay leaf
1/4tsp pepper
1 jar (18 oz) chicken gravy
2 medium celery stalks, cut into thin slices (I use alittle less)
1 bag (1lb) frozen mixed veggies
instant biscuits (I use the ones in the tube)

1. Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with onion, bayleaf, pepper, and gravy. Place celery on gravy.

2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours

3. About 30 min before serving, bake biscuits.

4. Meanwhile, gently stir frozen veggies into chickenmixture. Cover and cook 15 min. Remove bay leaf.

5. For each serving, split biscuit and place one half on the bottom of a bowl. Spoon chicken into bowl then top with other half of biscuit. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Applesauce

From The Crock Pot Lady blog.

This makes enough for 4 people. If you would like to freeze or can, use more apples.

--4 large apples, skinned ,cored, and cut in quarters
--juice from 1 lemon
--1/2 tsp cinnamon
--1 tsp vanilla
--1 T brown sugar
--1/4 cup H20

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot for the applesauce.

Skin, core, and cut your apples into quarters. Plop the pieces into your crockpot. Add the juice from the lemon, and the water. Pour in the vanilla, and add the cinnamon and brown sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. When the apples are super tender, mash with a potato masher or large fork. My apples were very tender after 6 hours, and I used a fork.

This was good. The problem, however, was that BAJ had made Baked Applesauce a few days earlier, and it was so good, he claimed that he had to hide his bowl, or he would have licked it clean. NICE.

Anyway, this just didn't quite measure up for us as a result. It was definitely EASIER than his, but easy isn't always best.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Originally found here.

I've never made pulled pork before, but was looking for something that wouldn't require much of my time the day before the party. I decided on this, and we were very happy with the results.

I used a small cut of pork butt. It was three pieces, which the butcher at Shop Rite suggested when I told him I wanted to make pulled pork (when he showed me the pork butt I should use, I balked and said, "Um, there's only two of us.")

I also used a can of root beer (Shop Rite brand!) and store bought creole seasoning (because I had it).

This is definitely a keeper in our house. In fact, I will probably be making it the next time we have a big party, we liked it that much!

your favorite cut of pork (shoulder, butt, whatever you like)

8-12 ounces of root beer (some girls use Coke)

spices (I used Emeril's essence)

your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Dinosaur)

Put pork, root beer and seasonings in the crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours. Drain the crockpot, and add the BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 30 more minutes. Remove from the crock pot and shred, adding more BBQ sauce if you like. Serve on sandwiches!

Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

Original recipe here

This recipe makes frequent appearances in our house. It's super easy to make and requires little thought beyond actually putting everything in the crock pot. It's very tasty too. Last night, M said (after eating a hot dog with Sauerkraut on Friday AND Saturday at hockey games) that perhaps this is too much food for the two of us. I think it was the perfect amount for dinner last night and then my lunch today. It was pretty good reheated!

Tip:  If you don't plan to drink all the apple juice, you can measure out two cups, pour it into a sandwich baggie, and freeze it flat for next time you make this.

• 1 lb kielbasa
• 1 (27 ounce) can sauerkraut
• 2 cups apple juice

Directions:

1. 1
   Put all ingredients in slow cooker for 4-5 hours.
2. 2
   Enjoy-- I like to use turkey kielbasa.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/delicious-kielbasa-and-sauerkraut-40789#ixzz1Wecs4bKq

Crock Pot Lasagne, take 2!

This time around, I made the crock pot lasagna with hot turkey sausage. A BIG HIT! I also was a little bit short on tomato sauce (I had 8 oz too little), so after layering everything, I added some jarred spaghetti sauce. Worked pretty well!