French Dip Roast Beef for the Crock Pot

Ingredients

3 1/2-4 lbs boneless chuck roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 -4 peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
12 French rolls, split


Directions

Place roast in a 5-quart slow cooker.
Combine soy sauce and next 6 ingredients.
Pour over roast.
Add water to slow cooker until roast is almost covered.
Cook, covered, on LOW for 7 hours or until very tender.
Remove roast, reserving broth.
You may shred roast with a fork and serve on sandwich rolls with the broth on the side for dipping.

http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=103403

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Pork Tacos

3 pounds Pork Roast, cut into large pieces trimmed of fat, etc.

3 garlic cloves minced (or a couple scoops of jarred garlic)

1 small can diced green chilies

1 small can chipotles in adobo sauce – chopped

1 cup water

cilantro – finely chopped

lime juice

Dump errr I mean…Gently place the meat, chilies, garlic, & adobo sauce and the water in a crockpot on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with tortillas, the chopped cilantro, lime wedges, lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, sour cream, etc., etc., etc.
Source- http://www.northerncottage.net/2011/05/warm-weather-recipes.html?m=1

Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
6 ounce jar of pesto
1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup chicken broth


Directions

Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs, pesto, ranch dressing and chicken broth into crock pot. Stir gently to combine all seasonings. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a simple salad.
Makes 8 servings
Source-http://picky-palate.com/2012/09/20/pesto-ranch-crock-pot-chicken-thighs/

Zuppa Toscana (Copycat)

This makes a perfect light supper. Make sure to add a little red pepper, Italian seasoning and Parmesan at the end for more flavor. And don't forget the garlic bread for dipping!

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage (I like mild sausage)
2 large russet baking potatoes , sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion , chopped
1/4 c. bacon bit (optional)
2 garlic cloves , minced
2 c. kale or 2 c. swiss chard , chopped
16 oz. can chicken broth
1 quart water
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Brown meat ( links or sausage)

2. If links cut in half lengthwise, then dice into 1/2-inch slices.

3. Place cooked Italian sausage, chicken broth, water, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on High for 3-4 hours until potatoes are cooked and soft.

5. Optional: Mash the potatoes a bit with a potato masher for texture.

6. Turn the crock pot off and add the kale.

7. Return the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.

8. Add whipping cream and serve.

Source-http://getcrocked.com/2011/10/23/crock-pot-zuppa-toscana-copycat/

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Having no desire to cook one day, I found this recipe to be perfect for my needs as well as for our taste buds. I know you are probably shocked! Hey, I go through my own spurts when cooking is a chore and not a artistic release of expression. Plus, with all the heat we've been having in the Deep South, the last thing I feel like doing is turning on my oven! Don't worry there is plenty more baking to come, but just not for a while. So, I'm encouraging take out nights for everyone!! BUT let’s just make them at home instead. You say what?! Yes, for the next number of weeks I will be sharing with you an assortment of lighter recipes that you might be able to pick up at a restaurant or deli. So, my hope in all of this is that you might be able to find a few summer favorites that will be a little easier on your wallet than going out. But, hey, I don't see anything wrong with splurging once in awhile!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
• 1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
2. Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve. Allrecipes

Burgundy Beef Stew

So, last year about this time I began a long search for some sort of Irish stew, no luck. Well that's not entirely true; I just didn't have any desire to try to make something with Lamb in it again. I suppose you need the back story huh? Well, a few weeks back I had been excising and watching the food network...bad idea, I know! Anyway, one of their more popular cooking hosts had made a lamb dish with pasta. I remember her saying that it was her husband’s most favorite meal that she makes. As you can guess I was sold! Next I began working my food budget to be able to incorporate this more expensive meal in for that month. Hey ground lamb isn't cheap folks! Anyway, I was really disappointed when I finally was able to make it to the grocery store only to find they didn't have any. The butcher of course came out and asked me if there was anything he could help me with. Now ladies and gentleman let me just say I'm fantastic at saying these two words" no thanks". So good in fact that my name should be used when given a definition of these two words together. I'm working on it though, sometimes swinging too far to the other side. Well, this day was different or maybe I had a deep look of sadness, I don't know but he told me that he would grind up the lamb for me himself. The only catch was that I would need to come back the next day to pick it up, he was really backed up with meat, and since normally they have to special order ground lamb which could take up to a week, I didn't think this was too big of a deal. The following day on my way home with my ground lamb I decided there was just no way could I make anything else that night! And so after more than 2 hours of cooking , 3 cranky kids (one of them being my husband) we finally sat down at 7:30pm to eat something my husband and I have agreed was the most horrible food that we have ever tasted, (even though it was properly cooked!). On a little side note our 2 year old loved it; we believe he must have more refined taste buds than we have.

So, after many hours of searching, I found a truly warm and delicious stew, which I will be making for this St. Patrick’s Day since it has now become a tradition for our family. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 (1 ounce) envelopes onion soup mix
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 large onions, quartered
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup burgundy wine
• 2 (6 ounce) packages fresh button mushrooms, halved
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Toss the beef, flour, and salt in a resealable bag until the beef is coated.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the beef and Worcestershire sauce in the skillet; cook until the beef is evenly browned on all sides; transfer to a slow cooker, but do not clean the skillet. Add the carrots, potatoes, parsley, and pepper to the slow cooker.
3. Combine the boiling water and soup mix in a small bowl; add to slow cooker.
4. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter until soft; transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker and return the skillet to the heat. Combine the wine and mushrooms to the skillet; cook until the mushrooms begin to absorb the wine; pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
5. Place the cover on the slow cooker and set to High; cook for one hour. Reduce heat to Low and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 5 to 7 hours. Whisk together the warm water and cornstarch; stir into the stew; cook uncovered until stew thickens, about 15 minutes. allrecipes

Tex-Mex Chili

This Chili recipe came from Abbie, one of my dearest friends. Best to my recollection, I told her I was in pursuit of a tasty chili recipe. Once again, I had made a chili my husband enjoyed yet I was not a fan of. I’ve never cared much for chili’s style, to be honest. Don’t ask me why, I really have no idea what my tiff seems to be with a much beloved favorite. Anyhow, Abbie told me this was a must try recipe before I shooed the entire thought of chili away. Well, of course she was right. It is simply delish! She definitely impressed me with her chili I really should not have been so surprised. She is an extremely talented woman with a knack at pretty much everything! I have found that she has a true wealth of knowledge on many topics but especially in crafts and photography. That should not have surprised me to since she comes from a very talented family. So, I hope you enjoy yourself with a nice hot bowl of her Chili and maybe this story will help you get out there and be a little creative too!


Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of hidden valley ranch dressing
1 can of white corn
1can of yellow corn
1 can of black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can of dark kidney beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes with green chilies

Directions

Brown ground beef  using half  the packets of ranch and taco seasoning over med high heat. Then pour meat and the rest of the ingredients, plus the seasoning in a stock pot (dutch oven). Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour.

Slow Cooker  opt.  Brown meat then pour the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on med heat for 4-5 hours. Slow cookers vary, so cook until well heated. serves 8-10 nice sized bowls

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Let me began with saying I'm sorry if the photo isn't very clear. I made this soup for my family soon after returning from Christmas. As I'm sure you can tell from this photo I didn't use my regular camera, but in fact used my phone to take this shot. Just so you know I did spend some time running around the house frantic trying to locate it amongst the piles of stuff that still needed to be sorted from the car! Huge sigh. I later found it in the one place I thought I had checked in the beginning …my handbag.

Well, this recipe comes from Stacey. A woman I've been privileged to get to know a little bit over the last few months through my small Bible study group (or aka small group). She made this yummy soup for our Christmas party last month and all the girls including myself were just raving about it. What's nice about this recipe is that you get to choose as much or as little kick as you can handle.

Oh by the way my hope and plan for January is to provide you with a month of delicious soups. We shall see where this leads the both of us!

Ingredients 

1.5 lbs chicken

1 can black beans, drained

1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 can 16 oz tomato sauce

1 can Delmonte corn, Italian flavoring (garlic, oregano)

2 cans Hominy Beans ( can be found in the corn aisle at the grocery store)

1 can red kidney beans

1 can chicken broth (either 8 oz or 16 oz. - if you use the 16 oz, drain the corn and Hominy beans)

1 pkg Ranch Dip seasoning

1 pkg Mexican Taco Mix (original)

Chili Pepper (whatever amount you prefer)

Red Pepper (whatever amount you prefer)

Directions

1.) Cut up the chicken into small pieces, leave raw.

2.) Dump everything into a big pot including the chicken.

3.) Turn on medium heat.

4.) Stir occasionally.

5.) Once chicken is cooked, it'll be about done. 

6.) Keep it on low or simmer until you serve.

7.) Preparation - tear up tortillas and drop in the bowl, add cheese and sour cream. 

This recipe can also be made in the slow cooker 6-8 depending on heat

Chicken and Dumplings

Cool crisp nights, little ones tucked into bed and curled up with my honey on the couch. As he (my husband) makes a comment on how silly my socks are. I have this love for fluffy fuzzy socks and yes some of them even may have a cute animal or two on them. I have to say my Grandmother was the one that got me hooked on those irresistible socks as a kid. She would always pick out the most perfect socks for every season. It wasn't uncommon to find a pair in your Easter basket, Valentines package, or even your Christmas box. Oh and when I was really small she sold Avon.  I remember how she had cabinets just full of bubble bath, make up and jewelry. She always loved to give my sister and I those little plastic kids necklaces (which we cherished). To tell you the truth both of my Grandmothers sold Avon for a while. I remember one Easter receiving the same little sheep faux pearl necklace from both of them. It was the first time in my life I had to handle a situation like that and I did what all good little girls do...I turned to my Mother to rescue me. She was very quick with a response and encouraged me to tell her how pretty it was and thank my Grandmother for being so kind, generous and for her thoughtfulness. You see my Mother always taught me to be thankful for what I was given, but that I never had to keep anything that I did not want, like or need because there is always someone else who is in great need or will absolutely love the object. In this story it was my little sister who wore that necklace everyday for almost a year. I hope this little story touched your heart and I hope it reminds you of fond memories of your family. This recipe might not have come from one of my Grandmothers but it defiantly makes me feel like I am at Grandma's house when I make it. Enjoy

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 (14 ounce) can of chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp of poultry seasonings
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
• wide egg noodles (if desired)

 Directions

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup , onion,chicken broth, and poultry seasoning in a slow cooker.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 45-1 hr and a half before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.
3. Boil noodles 20 min before ready to eat( if desired)

The Perfect Pot Roast

This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Angela. This special friend has mastered the crock pot so in saying that truth I hope to receive many more yummy recipes from her! I believe this by far is the best pot roast ever made! The secret is the wine and vinegar attributes that give this pot roast its extra zip. It’s funny because that is how I would describe Angela full of zip! She’s always ready and there to take on life challenges and with such grace. I feel truly blessed to have her as a friend. She has been a strong rock during some of life’s toughest challenges for me and I will always be eternally grateful to her for that. So with challenges there must be comfort go ahead and have some true comfort food…pot roastJ

Ingredients

3-lb beef boneless tip roast

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1/2 c. red wine (I think the combination of the three is best but another option is 1 c of red wine vinegar)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mixed dried herb leaves (such as 1/2 tsp. marjoram, 1/4 tsp. basil and 1/4 tsp. oregano)

Directions

1. If beef roast comes in netting or is tied, do not remove.     
2. Place beef roast in 4- to 5- quart slow cooker then surround roast with potatoes and carrots. Pour wine and vinegar over beef  and then add garlic ,herbs, salt and pepper
3. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours

Corn Chowder

It's funny  that when I think of this recipe what come to mind are all those childhood thoughts of what fall was about. It was a time when I made plenty of drawings of Pilgrims and Indians and when Stone Soup was considered exotic to a young child's mind (and truly disgusting). Yes, even though Thanksgiving is still over a month away and we haven’t even had much of a fall harvest yet I believe all wonderful attributes of fall can be appreciated. Maybe you’re fortunate to live in a cooler state with the fall foliage in its full glory right now and corn stalks and pumpkins galore. Well either way if you live in a cooler climate with the crispness of fall and the beauty of the colorful leaves floating through the sky like a great masterpiece in action or dreaming of it like me you will enjoy this small token of fall.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 3/4 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• 1 pkg. of fully cooked bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup of matchstick carrots
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4- 6 hours.