Category Archives: Recipes &Cooking

Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing

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My mother-in-law made this (I took pictures as she was making it), and we thought it was delicious.   The great thing about this is you can put all the ingredients in the slow cooker, leave the house to go shopping, and then come back home in three hours to a delicious meal.  Just add a salad and/or veggie.

    • INGREDIENTS:

    * 1  to 1 1/2  pounds cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite-size pieces  (or use canned chicken or turkey, rotisserie chicken, or cook chicken tenders – what we did)

    * 1 6-ounce package Stove Top
    * 1 large onion, chopped
    * 1 cup chopped celery
    * 3 eggs, beaten
    * 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
    * 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
    * 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (or mix of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme)
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    * 2 tablespoons butter cut into small chunks  (I want to try using EVOO)

    .

    Grease a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker.  Combine all of the ingredients, except for the butter, and mix gently.  Using a cup, place mixture into crock pot. Place the butter chunks onto of mixture.  Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.  Do not remove lid while cooking. Serves 6-8.

    Rotisserie Chicken – Make the Most of It

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    Being able to pick up a delicious rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or Walmart is wonderful!  When you’ve had a hectic day and do not feel like cooking, it’s so easy to pick up one from the deli and then when you get home just open a bagged salad and cook one veggie.  That’s an easy “home-cooked” tasting meal.

    My husband and I can usually have four meals off one rotisserie chicken.  This is what I did a couple of weeks ago:

    • Meal #1 – had rotisserie chicken with salad and a veggie
    • Meal #2 – used meat from the chicken to make chicken tacos using whole grain taco shells
    • Meal # 3 – liked the tacos so much we had them again the next night
    • Meal #4 – made chicken soup:  Took what was left of the chicken (the carcass), bones and all.  Placed in a large pot, covered with water, brought to a boil and simmered for 30 minutes-1 hour.  Let cool and removed chicken and bones from the pan.  Took the chicken off the bones.  Skimmed most of the fat off the remaining broth.   Then using the chicken stock as the soup base, added the chicken back in, plus chopped onion,  frozen veggies, and favorite spices.  Brought it to a boil and let it simmer for 30 more minutes.

    Ortega Whole Grain Taco Shells

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    I was in the grocery store, noticed these taco shells, and was impressed with the higher fiber.  But would they taste good?  Yes, they tasted very good when I used them to make chicken tacos.   I used left-over rotisserie chicken which made for a quick meal.  All I had to do was heat some olive oil in the skillet with bite-size pieces of chicken and some fajita seasoning.  The taco shells took four minutes to heat in the oven, and then I filled them with chicken and our favorite toppings of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.  This was an easy meal!

    Homemade Beef Stew in Minutes

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    Here’s a recipe for “Quick & Easy Beef Stew” from Gooseberrry Patch’s cookbook, Ready, Set, Eat!  Sounds delicious & like a great 30 minute meal:

    INGREDIENTS:

    • 1 tablespoon oil  (I would use EVOO)
    • 1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
    • 10 ounce can French onion soup
    • 10 ounce can tomato soup
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
    • 24 ounce frozen stew vegetables

    Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add meat.  Cook and stir until brown and juices have evaporated.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes.  Serves 4.

    Note:  Gooseberry Patch offers several cookbooks.

    Snow Pudding

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    I saw this recipe on the back of a Kroger’s package of pecans.  It sounds appropriate for all the snow we’ve had the past couple of days!

    INGREDIENTS:

    • 1 package (10 ounces) marshmallows
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream, whipped
    • 1/2 cup pecan pieces
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Combine marshmallows and milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until marshmallows are melted.  Cool.  Fold in remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8-inch pan.  Chill until firm.

    Cut into squares and top with fresh berries or peaches (or canned peaches).  Keep leftovers in the fridge.

    Four Foods On Friday 106

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    Somehow I got a week behind, so this is actually this week’s FFoF:

    Val says, “Hi all!

    One question again this week.

    What are four spices you must have in the house?”

    Besides the basic ones, salt and pepper, I always have these on hand:

    • Bay leave
    • Cinnamon
    • Rosemary
    • Thyme

    🙂 And Parsley and Cilantro.

    Easy French Fudge

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    Using the microwave makes this fudge super easy!  Great for Valentine’s Day!

    INGREDIENTS:

    • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
    • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

    In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, milk, and salt.  Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir.  If not melted completely, heat at 15 second intervals until completely melted.  Take out of microwave and add vanilla and nuts.   Pour fudge into 8 or 9 inch square pan, lined with wax paper.  Chill in fridge until firm.


    Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

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    Hi everyone! I’m Charla’s daughter, Christi, and I’ve asked her if I could post a recipe review every once in a while. Thanks for letting me join in!

    I’ve been trying to eat healthier this year (cliche, I know… but hey, whatever motivation works, right?) and have used a lot of resources to find good recipes. My favorite recipe site is allrecipes.com. I love that you can search by ingredient, but the best feature to me is the reviews. I read quite a few reviews for any recipe I plan to try – many of them offer suggestions for how to improve it, or ways you can change it if you don’t like one thing or another.

    The latest recipe we tried is a new fave. I made it this past weekend and am already planning to make it again tomorrow – it’s THAT good, people! Plus, as a bonus, it’s a slow cooker recipe – set it and forget it. Here’s a link to the recipe, and then I’ve listed my modified version below:

    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Taco-Soup/Detail.aspx

    SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TACO SOUP

    Ingredients

    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans
    • 1 (15 ounce) can of corn, drained (I left this out of our version, though)
    • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
    • 12 ounces of chicken broth
    • 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
    • 1 small (8-10 ounce) can of chopped green chiles
    • 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning (recipe listed below)
    • 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or tenderloins – I bought the pre-trimmed, 98% fat-free kind and think it was totally worth a little extra cost)
    • shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
    • crushed tortilla chips (optional)

    Taco Seasoning Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper

    – Hide quoted text –

    Directions

    1. Place the onion, black beans, green chiles, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
    2. Remove the lid to your slow cooker and use two forks to shred the chicken breast. Then continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

    A couple of notes regarding my changes – first, I can’t stand corn, so I left it out. Most of you will probably want to add that back in. Also, the recipe calls for chili beans – I prefer black beans, so I just used two cans of those instead. We also like things a little spicier, so I added the can of green chiles (it still wasn’t TOO spicy, in our opinion). And the original recipe called for beer, which I a) didn’t have and b) read that it could give the soup a weird taste. I opted for chicken broth, and think that was definitely the right choice. You’ll notice the taco seasoning recipe isn’t included in the recipe on the site – I found that in the first review I read, which happens to be by the author of the original recipe. This taco seasoning is GREAT and we had most of the spices needed for it on hand. We used red pepper flakes that had come with pizza, so save those pepper flakes next time you order Papa John’s! 🙂 Anyway, we plan to try that seasoning recipe next time we make tacos. But I digress… the last change I made to the recipe is leaving out the sour cream. We actually used light sour cream the first time we made it, but felt it didn’t really add anything to the flavor – and who wants extra calories if you don’t need them!

    I’d suggest putting the taco seasoning together in a container the night before, and chopping the onion. Then the next morning you can quickly throw everything in the crock pot and be on your way! The aroma alone of this soup is AMAZING. My husband said it kind of reminds him of a southwestern chicken chili, so I guess you could call it that too. It’s got a nice heartiness to it and is pretty filling. The flavor is great – a nice balance of seasoning, not too overpowering or too spicy. Our (very picky) two-year-old ate, and liked, the soup. That alone says a lot!

    I hope you’ll give this soup a try and that you’ll love it as much as we did!

    Recipe Ideas for Super Bowl Parties

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    I wonder how many Super Bowl parties will be taking place this weekend.  I imagine a huge amount!  Well, here are a few Super Bowl party recipe ideas just in case someone is looking for something else to add to their menu:

    Sweets:

    Healthy Breakfast Bars

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    This recipe sounds healthy, delicious, and like a good recipe for kids as well as adults.
    INGREDIENTS:
    • 1 1/2 cups flour  (I plan to try  Spelt flour)
    • 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
    • 1/3 cup sesame seeds
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2  teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 1 egg
    • 3/4 cup buttermilk
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (if you use Stevia powder in place of brown sugar,  increase the molasses to 3 T)
    • 1/3 cup oil  (I plan to try olive oil)
    • 2 tablespoons molasses
    • 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
    • 1/2 cup chopped dates
    Mix the dry ingredients (first 8 ingredients) together.  In another bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil, and molasses.   Add the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients; stir just until moistened.  Fold in the carrots and dates.  Spread evenly in greased 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool.  Cut into bars.