Skinny Ms. Down Home Chicken With A Twist

A friend gave me the Skinny Ms. Slow Cooker recipe book this last Christmas. A few days ago (this is April) I finally remembered that I had it! I absolutely love it because there is not 1 complicated or time-consuming recipe in the entire book. Every single one is simple and most of the ingredients are either those I keep on hand or are very easily accessible.

I could not find a photo of the recipe results and as I'm crocking this meal right now, I don't have a photo to show you. I should probably wait but the simple fact is that I don't have time. I've got to go pick up my daughter from school, run to town and wait in line for my 120lbs of chicken I ordered (only 40 is for me), run home to scarf up some food & give my husband a kiss and a quick pat on the butt, then run my darling daughter to our local grange so that my best friend and her husband can teach Hunter's Education to this year's crop of new recruits. That'll last until...

Hey, you're not allowed to fall asleep!!

Anyway, I'm busy. No photo. I'm sure you'll forgive me.

Now, I have to tell you my little twist before we get started. The recipe calls for raw chicken breasts but I don't have any yet. What I've got is a large amount of canned chicken in quart jars because I spent an entire week last fall canning my little fingers to the bone from dawn until dusk after our 32cuft upright freezer decided to retire.

Interesting note, it has now been laid on it's back and turned into a feed bin for my pig feed. Yay repurposing!!

I am going to use 1qt of chicken instead of the 4 chicken breasts. I am going to add it about an hour before I shut off the crock. If you do not have canned chicken, just follow the recipe as it is below. I also don't have fresh carrots or potatoes so I'll be adding a can of carrots and a can of baby potatoes an hour before shutoff as well. No, canned is not as good but it's what I have. I also used water + bouillon and omitted the celery because I don't have any. It's all about using what you've got!

The Recipe

     1 tsp ground black pepper
     1/2 tsp sea salt
     1 tsp garlic powder
     2 bay leaves
     4 carrots, 1/2" slices
     2 large potatoes, 1" cubes
     1 tsp onion powder
     2 celery ribs, diced
     2 C chicken broth (or 2 C water + 2 tsp chicken bouillon)
     2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
     4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir, adding the chicken last. Crock on LOW for 6-8 hours until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Do you have a favorite chicken in the crock recipe?

Bread Machine Egg Bread Recipe

One of my favorite kitchen appliances is my Zojirushi bread machine. It's got a horizontal pan that will bake up to a 2lb loaf. I have the BB-CEC20 and I absolutely adore it. They also make a model that has special setting specifically for gluten-free recipes! These are ridiculously expensive but if you bide your time and consistently check Amazon's Warehouse Deals, you can get one for less than $120.

I wanted to make some bread today and I have never tried egg bread before but with all of the eggs I have, 2 to 4 dozen regularly, I decided to go ahead and make it. Not too long ago I bought BHG's Best Bread Machine Recipes from Amazon and I would suggest buying it to anyone with a bread maker. All of their recipes have a 1 1/2lb version as well as a 2lb version.

This bread could possibly be my most favorite recipe so far from a bread maker! It smells terrific, is fairly light, really soft, and is fabulous sliced and buttered with supper.

The 2lb Recipe

3/4 C Milk
1/3 C Water
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp oil, margarine, or butter
4 C Flour, I used unbleached all-purpose
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast

I'd recommend using your bread maker's instructions as far as setting, etc.

The steps I used according to Zojirushi:

Add the first 4 ingredients to the pan, then add the flour. Place the sugar in one corner, the salt in the opposite corner. Make a dimple in the middle of the flour without breaking through to the liquid below. Put the yeast in this dimple.

I used the 'light' crust control setting and the 'basic bread' setting.

Do you have a favorite bread machine recipe?

Meatloaf Spice Mix - McCormick's Clone

I've got an earlier post on meatloaf but I wanted to very quickly stop in and post the spice mix I now make and use exclusively. It takes just like McCormick's, only fresher.

Ingredients

     2 tsp ground mustard
     2 tsp paprika
     1 1/2 tsp sea salt
     1 1/2 tsp thyme
     1 1/2 tsp basil
     1 tsp ground black pepper
     1 tsp garlic powder
     1 tsp onion powder

If you use 1lb pork sausage plus 1lb elk burger (or beef), you'll add 1 Tbsp of this mix to your meatloaf ingredients.

     ...8 crackers, 1/2 C milk, 2 eggs.  375 in loaf pan for 1 hour

If you use 2lbs of elk burger (or beef), you'll add the entire mix.

If using beef and trying to recreate the rest of my recipe, add 3 more crackers as beef contains more fat than elk.

If you have a last packet of McCormick's to use up and want to try it with pork sausage like I do, you'll use 1/3 of the packet.

If all of this is confusing, raise your hand.

How do you make your meatloaf?

Onion Soup Mix, Hold the Onion

I really hate onions. I can smell an onion a mile away and I gag if one slips through my defenses and into my mouth. It's pretty embarrassing in public but that doesn't happen too often anymore. I've learned to just ask if something has onion in it and it's very sad how much that limits what I eat when I eat out.

Over the last 2 years as I've really begun to cook, I've noticed that a lot of recipes for beef (I always substitute with elk or deer as I can't have beef) call for dry onion soup mix. I use it but I have always dry strained the mix over the bowl so that no sliver of evil dehydrated onion worms it's evil way into my food.

Lately I've been on this MMO (make my own) mix kick and today as I was creating a recipe for Extra Hearty Roast Con Gravy, I thought some onion soup mix might be good. Too lazy to look in the cupboard and excited to try my own, I created this Dry Onion Soup Mix Without Onions!

In the photo, you see Knorr Beef Bouillon which I do use, but this particular batch today was made with beef bouillon from the local co-op. It's just a little more spendy than Knorr in the hispanic aisle of my local MalWart. Believe me, I'd go all uppity and refuse to shop there if I could but the simple fact is that I can't afford to, and the bouillon with spanish writing is cheaper than that with only english. Go figure.

Recipe:

• 1/3 C Beef Bouillon
• 4 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp Celery Seed
• 1/4 tsp Sugar

To substitute for 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, start with 2 Tbsp of this mix and add as you like.

Ugh, iiiiiif you haaaaave to have stupid evil nasty gross evil onion flakes, you can add

• 3/4 C Dehydrated Onions

and start with 4-5 Tbsp of the mix to replace 1 packet.

But I wouldn't *shudder*

Save Your Plastic!

I've had a harder and harder time throwing away plastic containers because I really don't want to contribute to landfills more than I have to so I've been coming up with creative uses for the bottles I've emptied or that contain products I don't want to use.

I've been reusing vinegar jugs by filling them with the laundry soap I make and sell. I've also used them to make Emergency Funnels and "WHERE-IS-MY-FEED-SCOOP OH-MY-CRAP-THE-ANIMALS-ARE-GOING-TO-STARVE-BECAUSE-I-AM-SUDDENLY-UNABLE-TO-THINK-OF-ANY-OTHER-SCOOP-CURVE-BOWL-TYPE-THING-FOR-FOOD-GETTING" Scoop.

*sigh*

I just love reusing vinegar jugs.

Vinegar IS the only surface cleaner I use so not only do I end up with lots of free jugs, I don't have to pay a big truck to burn diesel into the atmosphere getting another one to an area near me and then burn gasoline to go pick it up..

AAAAANNNNND

...I'm keeping it out of a landfill...

AAAAANNNNND

...it's already cleaned! With vinegar! All by itself!

Vinegar is my hero.

Back to what sparked the return of my blog writing (I've decided that the photos will land where they feel like it and I know you're polite enough to try and understand or pretend to understand the issues I'm having blogging via mobile and won't mention it if they're wonky) which was using my vinegar cleaner on my bathroom mirrors this morning.

You see, I had been given a body spray and although I liked the smell, I coveted the small bottle & pump far more. Also, I really don't wear "Smelly Stuff" (husband speak) that often.

I live on a farm.

I'm a farmer.

With all of the odors here, trying to combat them or balance them with a more pleasant one is like trying to do something really hard.. like coming up with an analogy when you've barely had 1 cup of coffee and one of your eyes isn't even open yet.

(O_e)

So I had this bottle which was in my bathroom amidst the other Smellies and it hit me... VINEGAR!

It is much more efficient to keep vinegar in the bathroom (and a great visual reminder to pick it up and use it) but not great to have a gallon plopped right out in the open, all awkward like a coworker at your bachelorette party, everyone wondering why its there.

"Hey, why is Deborah from accounting here?"

Nobody knows.

The solution: I poured my vinegar water (50/50) into the rinsed out bottle and now it hides inconspicuously betwixt the Smellies. Its a great way to hide it, to remember to use it, and also to waste less of it.

Speaking of spraying being more effective...

PUT YOUR RUBBING ALCOHOL IN A SPRAY BOTTLE!

And speaking of spraying in general...

SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS!

*Neutering as soon as possible has been proven to prevent 2 out of 3 cats from ever spraying!

*In a study conducted by me over a period of 12 years.

-Chubby, Bobby, and Fion were not harmed in the study-

Barton's Cheesy Buttery Garlic Bread

...you're wishing you could scratch and sniff your computer monitor right now...


Using the Garlic Bread And French Bread Dough Recipe, you've gotten to this point.

You have chosen this option well, Grasshoppa!

What I've chosen to do is to braid my bread so that it becomes pull-apart serving.

You'll need:

     Butter

     Garlic paraphernalia

     Cheese some sort of white, I use mozzarella because I can't find white cheddar locally
  Dough from the  Garlic Bread And French Bread Dough Recipe

To make 2 baguettes: Section the dough into 2 pieces. Roll each out into a long noodle almost the length of the cookie sheet. Wrap the ends underneath and make sure any seams are on the bottom (touching the pan). Lay them both on the cookie sheet a few inches apart. Cover with the oiled cling wrap.

To braid: Section the dough into 3 separate pieces. I've found it easiest to loosely roll the dough and then pinch and twist to separate.

Roll (literally roll the dough, not "use a rolling pin to roll it flat". you're making a strand, here.) each section out to the length you'd like your bread to be. It WILL stretch out a bit more during it's second rising so don't worry.

Fun Fact: Rolling the dough lines up the grains, so to speak. When you pull garlic bread apart you'll notice that the bread all sort of goes one way. Think "string cheese".

It's much easier to have one person hold the ends together while you braid the rest (exactly like hair only less pulling and whining) but if you don't have someone around, just start braiding one side and then go to the other side and braid it out. Make sure to pinch the ends together and tuck them underneath. Try not to pull on the strands too much, it will break them. Cover loosely with the oiled cling wrap.

NOW: Preheat your oven to 350* and let the dough rise for about 20 minutes or so. As the loaf is rising you can very gently lift the ends one side at a time and tug it longer. I do this about 3 or 4 times.

Bake it for about 20 minutes.

I'm sure you've remembered to take the cling wrap off first.

While the bread is baking, make a mixture of butter and your favorite garlic seasonings. I take a stick of unsalted butter, put it into a cup and shake my California Blend Garlic Salt into it, add a bit of minced garlic and microwave it until it's melted. Taste and add garlic as necessary.

Pull the loaf of the oven and brush it with the garlic butter mixture.

Bake for another 5 minutes. It should be lightly browned.

Slice your cheese into 1" squares (one square for every "bump" or inch if baguette)

Take the loaf out and let it cool for 15 minutes. Keep the oven on.

After the bread has cooled, cut slits 2/3 into each bump and down the center in a zigzag (if you've chosen to make 2 baguettes instead of 1 loaf, you would cut a slit about every inch) taking care not to cut down to the bottom.

Use a brush to fill the slits with the garlic butter mixture. Press 1 cheese square into every bump (or inch, if baguette).

DRENCH the loaf with the rest of the garlic butter mixture and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

SERVE IMMEDIATELY

Garlic Bread and French Bread Dough Recipe

OOoooOOOooOOoo SOOKIE SOOKIE

That's right, it's the bread you've been waiting for!! This recipe is EXTREMELY versatile and I'm going to show you TWO different ways to use this recipe today along with a few Super Tips that you'll be able to use for the rest. of your. culinary. LIFE.

Let's get our stuff together!

     1 C Milk warm

     1 tbsp Honey

     2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast or 1 packet

     3 C Bread Flour  no bread flour? no worry! use regular flour if you need to, it'll be fine

     1 tsp Salt

   

To warm the milk you'll want to use a microwave safe container, microwave and stir in 20 second increments. You don't want to burn the milk or break it down any more than absolutely necessary. If you don't have a thermometer (I don't) you'll know its warm enough when it's not as warm as you'd like to drink your coffee or espresso. You know the temp I'm talking about. The one where you take a sip and make the face because it's all in-between and weird so you head over to the microwave because you were REALLY looking forward to having an amazing sip and it was just TOO gross. THAT temperature. I suppose people call it lukewarm, whatever...

While you're microwaving your milk, put your tightly sealed honey container in your kitchen sink on it's side and run hot water over it. I've found that this is the best way to get my honey moving (other than crying or yelling) and you're doing two things at the same time, you ANIMAL you!

If you're REALLY talented <bowing> you'll also be measuring out the yeast into your mixing bowl.

Just a "real quick" here, use a knife with a flat edge on the back

to flatten out your measurements. Scoop and Scrape, people! 

Scoop and Scrape! 

Except flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup 

and THEN scrape! This will ensure consistent amounts.

So you've got your yeast in the mixing bowl, pour in your NOT-HOT milk and then measure in your tablespoon of honey. Your yeast will be warm and snug and have plenty of food so just let it relax for 5 minutes while you prepare your cookie sheet.

     

Pour a dash of olive oil on your cookie sheet, spread a sheet of cling wrap over it and rub it in well so that the cling wrap has a fine film on it. Peel the cling wrap back to one side and go back to your yeast/honey/milk mixture.

Add in 1 C of the flour, stir once or twice.

StoryTime Break: one day I only had 1 1/2 C of my bread flour left so I used that along with 1 1/2 C of my all-purpose unbleached white flour. It turned out JUST FINE. The bread flour has more gluten in it which makes it stretchier and chewier but no one (including me) noticed a difference. The End

Add the teaspoon of salt, stir once or twice.

-option at this point: add a dash of garlic powder (NOT garlic salt or minced garlic) to the mix-

Add 1 C of the flour, stir once or twice. 

Add the last C of the flour and stir (or use the "fold" option on your mixer. I love my Cuisinart) until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl.

By Hand: knead for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is no longer sticky and stretches well.

By Stand Mixer: mix on LOW (2) using the dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is no longer sticky and stretches well.

Wrap the dough into a ball with any seams being on the bottom. Pinch seams together.

Roll the ball on the oiled cookie sheet until the outside is covered in a layer of olive oil.

 Cover the ball of dough loosely with the cling wrap. Too tight will cause the ball to not expand as well.

Let the dough rise for about an hour until it is doubled in size.

Peel back the cling wrap and push the dough flat with your hands. I love this part!

Now you have a few choices as to what you can do with the dough! Click the links to find directions for the choices.

1. Make Barton's Cheesy Buttery Garlic Bread

OR

2. Make The Best French Bread

  

     of which I do not have a "Fully Cooked" photo of because my sweet loved ones at home consumed it before it could be taken.

Either one of the recipe's would go well with my Baked Spaghetti (pictured is The Best Garlic Bread)

No matter what you decide to make with it, for a loaf this size you'll want to bake at 350* for 25 minutes with the Barton's Cheesy Buttery Garlic Bread having a few more steps after that initial bake time.


As always, PLEASE leave any comments, questions or suggestions as I am motivated by the feedback I receive.

Incredibly Edible Elk Roast... Caffeinated!

Let me start off by saying that I have never liked roast. I've eaten it because that was what we had for dinner and "if you don't eat it you're not getting anything else!" It was always dry no matter who made it and I can recall even now the chewing and chewing, working a piece like it was cud... working a piece until I could hang my NKOTB poster on the wall with small wads of it *shudder*

Not anymore, my friends!

My husband and I both got our elk this year (means LOTS of burger) so I had him make roasts. I went in search of roast recipes and found a couple I liked, making this particular one out of ideas from those.
I made it with the expectation that it would be a little dry. To me, roast = dry. Its just a given. Oh my jeebers, I bet the look on my face was priceless when I had my first bite!

I felt like Indiana Jones when he found the lost treasure.

I felt like a school kid waking up to snow and no school!

I felt COMPLETELY REBORN!!!

I'm kidding.. but it IS spectacular and I love that I have a way to make it that I will enjoy eating.

My first elk. Got it on our honeymoon Nov. 2011

Incredibly Edible Elk Roast

     1 Elk Roast (or beef) -ours were about 4lbs
     1 can Beefy Mushroom soup
     26-32oz Beef Broth
     1 freshly brewed cup of coffee (or 2, I like 2 cups)

Elk has MUCH less fat than beef. Less additives too ;}

 
Now grease your crock!

    Sear the meat on all sides, don't forget the ends. A pair of tongs is great for this because it won't pierce the meat. Try not to pierce any meat you cook because this will allow the juices to escape.

    Super Tip: if you must pierce the meat (taking temp, etc), before you pierce it, have a pinch of flour in one hand. Pierce the meat & when you're done, fill the hole with the pinch of flour as soon as possible so that it seals back up. Trust me.

    Place the meat in the greased crock, try to keep the meat away from the sides so that it doesn't burn.

    Pour the can of beefy mushroom soup over the roast.
    Pour the beef broth over the roast.
    Pour the coffee over the roast.

   Your roast may or may not be completely covered at this point. If it is not, we will make an exception to the "Never Take The Lid Off While You're Cooking In The Crock" rule and halfway the through the cooking time (or whenever you get back home) you can take the lid off, flip the roast over and put the lid back on. Make sure no one is looking while you violate The Laws of the Crock.

    Once you've got the roast and liquids in, you've got two choices. You can marinate it overnight, or set it to cook. I like things like this that can sit overnight because I prefer to make things later at night rather than in the morning. Either way, this will be delicious!

    Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours  - if it's 3-4" thick, 7 hours on the dot!

  *note: when done, remove liquids and add cornstarch to them for a nice deep, dark flavored gravy.

By Crockies, Egg Nog Cake!

I'm sure you're reading this because you love egg nog as much as I do (maybe more) but just in case you're a nog hater reading this who is completely unable to look away due to some sort of instant and freaky temporary paralysis, dear god, YELL for someone to click the mouse because you will not want to stay tuned for all of the noggity egg noggy horror about to befall a hapless vanilla cake mix.

Or, stare -->HERE<-- until your screen saver kicks in.

I adore egg nog but can only handle a small glass or two a night because it is just SO rich. If I could have the flavor, though..

Another fellow crocker and friend of mine suggested I find a recipe including egg nog for crock pottery (I'm still trying not to use the word CP) and I found this simple one. I think anyone (of any age or skill level) with a crock and none of the ingredients could buy & build this in 10 minutes for less than $10. I think I'm going to let Aly make it tomorrow!

  Egg Nog Crock Cake

   Grease your crock and flour it! No one wants to see a naked crock.

    Although it would save the washing of another bowl, I would suggest NOT mixing this in the greased crock, it will scrape grease off of the crock in some much needed areas.

    Mix together :

     1 Package Vanilla Cake Mix
     1 C Egg Nog
**1 t Rum Flavoring
     1/4 tsp Nutmeg

    Pour into crock, cook on LOW 4hrs

**Everywhere I looked, this just said "t". Not "teaspoon", "tsp", "tablespoon", or "tbs". I have interpreted this as follows:

    If you are sad, this is one Tablespoon of Rum.
    If you are happy, this is one Tablespoon of Rum.
    If you are reading this, it is one Tablespoon of Rum.
    Unless you will feed it to your children, then its 4 Tablespoons of Rum, they'll go to sleep early, you can eat the rest and partaaayyy!

    Holy cats, I'm kidding! Don't waste your good Rum on the kids, use 1 teaspoon of Rum flavoring instead!

**UPDATE** 12/07/11 8:54pm : The "cake" has been in the crock on low for 4 hours. It looks like my crock had digestive issues. It's texture is between that of a custard and a sponge. The flavor is wonderful but I'm not quite sure what to do with the stuff. Maybe put it over ice cream? Blend it with some whipped cream and put a dollop into my coffee or hot chocolate? I made it in Hamilton, thinking i'd like more surface area on top rather than side. I might just get another cake mix tomorrow and try it in Hamilton, Jr.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU DID WITH YOURS AND HOW IT TURNED OUT  

Apple Chrisp

Its not crisp. Its in a crock for crying out loud! Not much is going to be crisp out of a crock. Well, THIS batch I did in a crock. (I hesitate to use the words "crock" and "pot" together after what happened to the chefs formerly known as the "Crock Pot Girls". They were told by the owners of the trademark "Crock Pot" to cease and desist using that name. Jerks. I said it.)

Anyway... the "crisp" part is not crisp in a crock so... Apple Chrisp it is. The 'h' makes it softer.
It is 20 days until Christmas, my favorite holiday, and I'm not feeling it at all. I am bummy. I don't have my tree up yet. Nuthin.

*sigh*

I am going to post this and then eat a bowl of it!

This recipe was introduced to me via Crock Pot Girls (ooooo illicit) and I believe it was submitted to them by a lady named Melissa. I don't want to take any credit away from those deserving; this is just my favorite recipe for Apple Crisp and it is the only one I will ever use.
As always, an O is an indication of an optional ingredient or step that I have not done but you may want to. I used my 4qt crock and multiplied the recipe by 1.5 (9 apples instead of 6, etc) to completely fill it.

  Apple Chrisp Topping
     1 C Flour
     1/2 C Brown or Light Brown Sugar -I used brown
     1/2 C White Sugar
     1/2 tsp Cinnamon
     1/4 tsp Nutmeg
     1 pinch Salt
     1/2 C Butter, not melted or softened
    O 1 C Walnuts
  
Mix all of the ingredients except butter in a bowl, then combine butter to the mix until crumbs form.

   O Stir in walnuts

Set mix aside.

Why do you make the topping first? Because the apples will start to turn brown quickly without the lemon on them. If you plan on making this a lot, make a few of the topping mixes and keep them on hand in baggies! You can also do this with the dry ingredients for the filling, just make sure you have a permanent marker to write on the baggies with.

  Apple Chrisp Filling
   Mix together in a bowl
     1/3 C White Sugar
     1 tbs Corn Starch
     1/2 tsp Ginger
     1/2 tsp Cinnamon

   6 Sm-Med Apples, chopped

   2 tbs Lemon Juice

SPRAY the crock if you have non-stick spray!

I prefer Braeburn apples because they are a good small to medium sized apple, not too sweet and not sour, that is great for cooking with AND great for snacking on. They are very versatile.

I've found the best size of apple chunk to my liking is as follows:

Peel your apples, slice each in half, then each of those in half, then horizontally slice & two vertical slices. I know, that is REALLY breaking it down but some people may not have much experience with cutting :) What you'll end up with is each quarter of apple having been chopped into 6 pieces. I don't like 100% mush so this size is perfect for the cooking time.

Place the apples in the crock

    
Mix in dry ingredients from the Apple Chrisp Filling and then sprinkle the lemon juice over it, mixing just a bit.

Over the now mixed apples & lemon, pour the mix from the Apple Chrisp Topping and cover with the lid.

If its a tight fit like mine was, don't worry, it will go down some as it cooks. Do not mix the Topping in and do not open the lid until your chosen cooking time is up. Cook on HIGH 2hrs or LOW 4hrs.

I like mine on LOW for 3 hours. When I did my last batch, I accidentally bumped the knob (see the Honey Wheat Bread incident) to the "off" position about an hour and a half to 2 hours in. Yeaaaaaahhhhh.... don't do that. I was able to turn it up in time to have it ready after dinner, but don't do that! I forgot to build a fortress around it with cups and spoons :(

The good news? The night I last made this apple chrisp, I may have recruited another crocker. Oh yes. I'm working on it but I may have made yet another believer!

Can I Bob's Red Mill in a Crock Pot?

I bought a few packages of Bob's Red Mill products that said "gluten free" for my best friend for her birthday. She has fibromyalgia AND a few allergies, one of them being legumes. I didn't remember the legumes until after I bought them and 3 of them (all purpose baking flour, bread mix, biscuit mix) were made with garbanzo bean flour. ARGH! So I gave her the brownie mix and corn bread mix (laaaaamest present ever!). I thought about making the brownies and bringing them to her but that would make me feel like, "you may not want to eat a brownie right now but you have to because I made them and here they are, already made, so eat. Now." I know that's probably not how it would have gone down but I think if you make something, the person is pretty much obligated to try it right then and there and maybe she didn't feel like a brownie. I do not want to be a brownie pusher. "Hey man... Psssst... hey.. I'll sell you a dime-bag of brownies for a dollar, man!" You know, like that.

I hadn't crocked anything in a few days and was feeling the itch when I got home last night (I can quit any time, I tell ya!) And here were these three little bags of Bob's Red Mill just a-staring at me with their soulful little cellophanes practically BEGGING me to make one. I chose the bread and figured, well, I'm not going to lose anything if it doesn't work out.

Did you read my Honey Wheat Bread post? If you did or when you do, you'll know that I realize I need a stand mixer. Baaaaad. I wasn't going to make another dough until I got one because a hand mixer just isn't good for dough. I KNOW this. I was aware of this going into the Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix.

*sigh*

And I did it anyway.

I rinsed my crock under hot water because I don't want a cold crock near anything that's going to have yeast in it. I then greased it very well and remembering how hard it was to get the Honey Wheat Bread out, this time after I greased (with Crisco as always) I floured it. I threw a handful of all purpose flour in it, rolled it around and coated the inside. Then I opened my kitchen window and dumped it out (the flour, not the crock, although I have lost quite a few things through the window this way and my loving husband usually retrieves it for me. Anything to keep the good food coming his way!) into my garden. I love having my garden right outside the kitchen and I love the cycle of food into compost into garden into food! Our animals know that special spot and between the dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens, whatever we dump gets used and the rest spread into the garden. Do you have random lumps, hills, or mountains of soil, compost, animal bedding or rabbit poo? Get yourself some chickens! They do a wonderful job of spreading piles out completely flat! Chickens is where its at!

I took the little packet of yeast out of the mix, microwaved my bowl for 10 seconds to warm it up, poured in the milk, added yeast and covered it with a paper towel. I let that sit to foam for 5 minutes and went to put together the rest of the ingredients.

Not everything goes smoothly, I don't know everything, sometimes I can be a bit ditzy... I read, "1 whole egg plus enough egg whites to make 3/4 of a cup." Okaaaaaay... did that mean I put the whole egg in the measuring cup AND THEN add egg whites into the cup until it hit the 3/4 mark? Or did I add 1 whole egg to the bowl and then fill a measuring cup to the 3/4 mark with egg whites? I still don't know the answer to that.

My chickens have had a cold (one of them was sneezing & wheezing) and are currently on antibiotics so I'm running a bit low on eggs at the moment and I decided to see how far the whites of my remaining eggs would get me before I decided where to put the whole egg. I started separating eggs into the measuring cup (yolk out the window) and it barely registered so I panicked and the last 4 eggs I had went in whole and I ended up dumping 3/4 C total of eggs into the mix, not 1 whole egg plus 3/4. I added the mix and the  apple cider vinegar it called for and got out my trusty hand mixer. There was dried Honey Wheat Bread dough stuck up inside and I knocked as much loose as I could. I girded my loins and prepared to flick the switch, not knowing if it would work (quite a lot of dough had gotten in there) or if it would smoke or maybe shoot flames... and I turned it on (picture me holding it an arms length away).

Quite disappointing that nothing spectacular happened other than  the whir of the beaters rotating. I dipped it into the dough oh-so-gingerly, spatula in my left hand to beat back any encroaching dough, and started mixing. A little less than a minute of the 3 required minutes in, my mixer started bogging down. I started furiously scraping it away from the mixer itself (it kept rising on the beaters) and it got away from me and into the housing. Again. And all over a good portion of my kitchen because I freaked and pulled it out of the bowl.

Sh*#%$!!

I mixed it as well as I could with the spatula and plopped it into the crock pot. It had a lot of peaks and wasn't settling down and (let me repeat) I know nothing about dough so I figured OH WELL. Its going to do what it'll do. I set the warmer on high, timer for 3 hours.

It rose so much that I had to put a heavy pan on top of the crock's lid to keep it down! It looked like brains, though, and not a smooth fluffy bread. It looked sort of like a giant dumpling.

I let it cook for about 2 1/2 hours, took the crock out of the warmer and let that sit for another 1/2 hour. Thanks to my genius idea of flouring the crock, it came out easily and onto a plate. I let it cool for another 10 minutes and carefully sliced it with a bread knife (it is important to use a bread knife on bread -it won't smash it) and buttered a slice. It was... okay. I think it will make okay toast but I haven't tried it yet. I know it would have turned out better had I been able to mix it properly but instead I ended up with a hideous chud of a loaf of bread.

Can I Bob's Red Mill in a crock pot?

I'm going to say... no. Not really. Not yet.

UPDATE 12/05/11:    No! It was most definitely NOT good as toast. My husband really loved it with the Incredibly Edible Elk Stew (recipe to come at some point) and tried getting me to taste it that way. Luckily for him, he was able to duck my flying fork. *shudder*

Pork Chops ala Crock

I like pork, I have nothing against it, its just never been one of my favorite meats. It might be be cause I do not like a lot of fat. Well, I don't like ANY fat really and pork seems to be 50% (in reality probably less than 25%). We raised pigs this year though (first time) so in preparation I scoured the internet for recipes and found this little ditty.
I am aware that a ditty is a song or song-like tune. This recipe makes my tastebuds siiiiiiing! Hence, it is a ditty.
I'm going to make this shorter than my usual posts because I've got to clean my kitchen! Just threw a bread dough in the crock (link will be here soon) and made a hellacious mess because I do not have a stand mixer as of yet! Argh!


  Pork Chops ala Crock
   Grease your crock pot!
     4 bone-in pork chops -the ones from our pigs were 1.5lbs each!

    Place the chops in the bottom of the crock. You may have to layer them.

    In a separate bowl, mix together:
     1 can cream of chicken soup
     1 packet of dry onion *shudder* soup
     1 packet of dry pork gravy -this was hard for me to find dry!
     1 1/2 C chicken broth

I mixed all of that together and then strained it over the chops so that the repulsive onion *shudder* bits didn't get through to taint my meat! You don't need to do this though. I am the crazy picky eater, not you. Or are you?
After you pour the mix over the chops, crock on LOW 6 to 8 hrs.
Pull the chops out and make a gravy with the remaining liquids. I swear, if you try this recipe this way, you'd kiss me if you could!
Please leave any comments, feedback, questions, cleaned up dirty jokes...
**UPDATE** 12/06/11: We had these tonight for dinner, it was my 2nd time making them. My husband hadn't remembered how amazing they were until he took a bite and said such things as:
     "Wow. I never want this taste to leave my mouth."
     "That is CRAZY good!"
     "They should make gum in this flavor so I can eat it longer."
     "You know what the problem with making that is? What can you do to top it?!"
I should rename these "Bribery Chops" because I believe I could have asked for and gotten anything I wanted with a plate of these in front of him :)
One thing I will change next time, I will double all ingredients except the chops. The gravy was so spectacular that a full small sauce pot of it wasn't enough for us! Maybe I'll actually be able to get some in the freezer this time!

I apologize for not having an "After" photo. 

Every time I make these, my family eats them before I can snap a picture!

Lasagna Can Be Crock Potted!!

Oh yes it can!!

Would you like to know the bestest most best ever part in the whole wide world???

The noodles...

don't need...

to be cooked!!!

I know!! You're freaking out! "What?? Let me read that again. She's GOT to be joking! How can you make a lasagna without cooking the noodles first?!"

Well, ladies and gentlemens, like THIS:

It is pictured in Hamilton, my beloved 7qt crock. I used Hamilton because I didn't know how much space the recipe would take up and my other crock is a only a 4qt (Hamilton, Jr.). Once I discovered this, even though I knew it wouldn't cook as well due to so much empty space (remember, you want to fill 3/4 to get the most out of it).

It tasted absolutely delicious, we all loved it, and I learned a few things from this, my first attempt. I will give you the recipe first and then I'll gab some more about my version, tips, etc.

  Lasagna Ala Crock Pot
  
     1 pkg burger (I used buffalo)
     1 onion *shudder*, chopped -I replaced with a small bit of onion powder. That's progress.
     2 garlic cloves, smashed or 1 tsp minced garlic -I used minced
   
   Brown ground meat, onion & garlic. While this is browning, grease your crock. CROCK! Geez.
        
     1 (28oz) can tomato sauce
     1 (6oz) can tomato paste
     1 1/2 tsp salt
     1 tsp dried oregano



    Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt & oregano and cook it just long enough to warm it all.

     12oz cottage cheese -I used ricotta
     16oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
     1/2 C grated parmesan cheese or asiago cheese

     12oz Lasagna noodles uncooked -I used an entire 16oz box

Spoon layer of meat sauce onto bottom of crock.
Add double layer of noodles (try to keep noodles from touching sides as much as you can. It is inevitable that some will, but try anyway) & top with cheeses. Do not mix cheeses together in a bowl first. Trust me.
Repeat with sauce, noodles, cheese until all are used up. (I topped with shredded mozzarella).
Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, I have to leave my house at 8am and don't return home until 3pm so I set my timer for 1:30 so we could eat around 5:30-6. 


This lasagna was good and that's why I'm giving you that version, that option, to try for yourself.

NOW, there will be a few changes to the next lasagna I make! While it tasted great, the sauce was NOT enough to my liking, I have to have sauce under AND over my noodles or else the cheese & noodle layers become one thick conglomerated amalgam of an entity. The next lasagna I do, I will take an extra can of tomato sauce and an extra can of tomato paste, mix them together (pastesauce) in a bowl and layer things suchly:


     Layer of meat sauce
     Double layer of noodles
     Layer of pastesauce
     Layer of cheeses

and repeat!


If you have any questions, comments, versions of your own, or a darn good knock knock joke, please use the comment box below!

Non-Crock Pot Meatloaf!

*GASP*!
I know what you're thinking, "whatwhatWHAAAAT?! Meatloaf NOT in a crock pot?! Blasphemy! You are not a true potter of the crock!"
Yes, I know.. I know... I KNOW how it looks but just hang in there with me. Stay with me, for I will take you on a journey of AMAZINGLY easy and tasty culinary delights! I will do a crock pot meatloaf soon and then you will have this to compare it to! The bright side is always beautiful, isn't it? Allow me to provide you a double rainbow in the form of my Non-Crock Pot Meatloaf RECIPE..PE..PE..!! Holy cats, what an echo!
Wait, before I give you the recipe (ha ha made you wait) let me first clear the air (Darnit, Brenda! Lay off the legumes!) and tell you how I feel regarding using some pre-mixed ingredients. I'm fine with it. While some people may feel it is "cheating" (isn't the result the same??) or not true cooking (really?) I put my crock pot in one plug in at a time just like them. In my life, super ultra mega busy as it is, I need easy and quick. Packaged pre-mixed ingredients allow me to spend more time with my family, animals and job without shirking anything at the expense of trying to make a nice meal. Also, they are more affordable short-term. If I'm wanting to try a new recipe but maybe don't have enough cash to get all of the individual ingredients (or maybe don't want to spend the time deciphering them), spending $1 on a packet is clearly the better choice in my view *hurrumph*!
So don't you be ashamed if you throw taco seasoning in your chili or a gravy packet on your roast! Packet away and know that you've got extra time to play charades or, "What's That Clickin' Noise?" and play with PRIDE!
I should also make clear that we grow and raise and hunt as much of our own food as possible. I do not have to eat organic but if I have the option I will take it. The meat we have is always our own and always packaged in white freezer paper. This will be reflected in the types and portions of ingredients as you will see so I will give you conversions:
     Elk = Chemically Enhanced Beef
     Deer = Hormone-Ridden Beef
     Bear = Beef With Unnatural Chemical Additives
     Buffalo = Beef That May Have Been Raised/Slaughtered Cruelly
     Package = 1 lb
I'm kidding (no I'm not). I will eat hotdogs and that is nothing BUT chemically enhanced and hormone filled mysterious meat product and I enjoy it. I, however, do not choose to eat it regularly and avoid anything that strictly says "Beef". Except hotdogs. I know they're lying. I will eat beef hotdogs.
Onward to the recipe!
   Non-Crock Pot Meatloaf
     Heat oven to 375
     Grease or use non-stick spray on your loaf pan
     Add the following to a bowl:
     1 pkg Pork Sausage
     1 pkg Elk or Deer or Buffalo burger
     1 slightly rounded tbsp (or 1/3 of) McCormick Meatloaf Seasoning packet
     2 eggs, lightly mix them with a fork    
     1/2 C milk
     8 crackers, crumble them well as you put them in

   Mix it together with your hand(s). This is the absolute best way to make sure that not only are the crackers crumbled enough but that the sausage and burger are well blended also. Roll up the remaining packet of McCormick's for the next meatloaf.

   Plop the mixture into your greased loaf pan and pat it around evenly with your hand

   Placed uncovered in middle rack of oven and bake for 1 hour.
Sometimes I run out of pork sausage and I will substitute it for the venison sausage we make ourselves. When that happens I use a full packet of McCormick's because the venison sausage is much, much milder than the pork sausage.
When the loaf is done, let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing. This little trick is something you will want to do with ANY meat you're baking. BUT if there are any juices, immediately pour them into a small sauce pot and THEN let the meat rest. I like to take a slice of the loaf and crumble it as tiny as possible into the juices in the pot and make a gravy, adding water and cornstarch (flour dulls the flavor and you will need to add spices if you use it instead of cornstarch) as necessary to create as much gravy as you need with the thickness you prefer. I usually pour it over my homemade organically homegrown mashed potatoes (we grow a ton of Yellow Finn's in our garden). MMmMmmmmmMMM!
Due to a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization at the local school, of which I am the Vice President) meeting after work today, I did not have time to make mashed potatoes. Instead, thinking of the intensely flavored loaf, I am choosing to have sides thusly:
    
     Knorr Pasta Sides "Alfredo". A nice mild backdrop to the SuperFlavor of the meatloaf.... and it only takes 10 minutes in the microwave. Also some green beans with butter seasoned with California Blend Garlic Salt.
Hey! Microwaving IS cooking and I'll tell you a little something, its much more energy efficient! I guess you could just say I really love the environment *sniff*.
Please leave comments, questions, jokes....
**I will post photos tomorrow**

Honey Wheat Bread

Next we have an excellent Honey Wheat Bread. I will keep this short and sweet, only telling you that I totally ruined my own because SOMEHOW the temp knob got turned to warm and it ended up almost burnt on the outside, too gooey in the middle, and perfect in between. I used a 100% organic fine-milled whole wheat flour that was grown, milled, and packaged by a farm in Montana. It sounds exotic that way. I'm really trying to distract you from asking the name because I CANNOT REMEMBER IT and I want to tell you the name of the brand because I like it very much. The flavor and texture of the "done right" part of the bread was extremely good and I do intend to make it again... right, this time!

     

  Honey Wheat Bread
     
     2/3 C powdered milk
     2 C warm water

  Dissolve the milk in the warm water, then add:

     1/4 C honey
    .25oz (packet) or 2 1/4  tsp active dry yeast

  Grease your crock! Now add:
   
     3/4 tsp salt
     2tbs vegetable oil
     1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
     1/2 C flour

  Mix on LOW for 2 minutes then add:

     1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
     1/2 C flour

At this point it was really getting thick, bogging down my hand mixer so I figured, "Hey, let's kick this speed up a notch!" Wrong choice. SO wrong. I now have dough all up in my mixer's grill and I can't get it out. On the positive side, it's a great excuse to buy a new mixer!! It will have to be another hand mixer because I can't quite afford a KitchenAid mixer. Someday we will be together, KitchenAid Mixer. On this day, I vow that I will wait for you!

*ahem*

Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. Do not do what I did. Make sure you have it on HIGH and that it does not get bumped. Maybe make a little fortress around it using coffee cups and forks? Please post pictures of your attempts at fort making and as always, please post any comments, feedback, questions and ENJOY!

Bread in a Crock Pot. Seriously!

White Bread

I know, I know... it's not the best picture ever but it was scared to leave the house for a photo shoot. I snuck up on it and took this photo before I had the blog going. Next time I promise I'll hire some hunky model to hold it and I'll drape him in nothing but an apron. You want blonde or brunette? -You're welcome-

Before we get to the recipe (I'm going to make you wait for it. You have to read this boring part first. Yes, I'm aware that you can just scroll down but I'm counting on your kind nature and willpower to refrain.) I'm going to make sure you understand a few things first. Maybe you have no one to give you tips but me (I'm honored) or maybe you're a pro, but I'm going to share the little bit I learned thus far (it's not much but it's all I have and yes, I talk like this in real life. With parenthesis and everything. You should see my "air quote", it's quite something.) and I'm going to share it in a very slow, easy to understand manner. Some of you may be new crockers :)

Always grease your crock. CROCK, you dirty minded little bugger! I use unflavored Crisco and I buy the sticks in bulk. Grab a paper towel, wrap it around a few of your fingers, swipe it through the end of the Crisco bar until you have a nice chunk on there and swab the inside of your crock with it. Don't forget to go up around the top too and make sure you've got the L of the bottom meeting the sidewall very well. Using a paper towel will keep most of the grease off of your hand and what soaks through is a great hand moisturizer! Win-win!

The bowl you use to place the yeast in when you're activating it... make it a glass or ceramic one and microwave it for about 10 seconds before you put anything in it. Warmth is your friend when it comes to yeast!

I'm not sure if I have to say this or not, so I will. Never have the warmer ON before you have a crock full of stuff in it! There is never a need to pre-warm the warmer or pre-warm an empty crock. Crocks work best when 3/4 full anyway.

Still here? Wow, you made it pretty far! To the recipemobile!!

  White Bread

      .25oz(packet) or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
      1 tsp sugar
      1/4 C warm water

      Combine those in a bowl. Allow yeast to foam, about 5 minutes (this is when I usually grease the crock). 

  Add:

      1 egg
      1/4 C vegetable oil
      1 C lukewarm water
      1 tsp salt
      1/4 C sugar
      2 C flour

   Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir in:

      1 1/2 to 2 C flour

Place dough in greased 4 to 5 quart crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. Remove stoneware from cooker & let stand 5 minutes before slicing. 


I really enjoyed this recipe. As it is, it created a wonderful bread great for buttering to accompany your dinner or toasted and spread with my homemade raspberry jam (made with raspberries from my very own garden. I will share that recipe next year when my raspberry bushes ripen again!) but since I can't give you MY jam, it will probably taste almost as good with yours!

Please make sure to post feedback, questions, or ideas of your own!

     

Picky Potato Soup

I'm a super picky eater!!!! I used to try and hide that fact but now *stretch* I'm feeling the freedom! So I give you my Picky Potato Soup and all of the Options you might enjoy. Know that I make mine without the Options and it is fantastic. So fantastic that even my onion *shudder* loving husband is hooked on it! Potato soup crack GO!!

GROUP 1

     6 lg Potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes
O  1 lg Onion
     1 qt (32oz) Chicken Broth
     1/4 C Butter
     3/4 tsp Garlic, minced
     2 tsp Salt
     1 tsp Pepper

GROUP 2

     1 C Cream, half & half, or evaporated milk -I chose cream
     1 C Sharp cheddar, shredded

GROUP 3

O  3 tbs Chives, chopped
O  1 C Sour cream
     8 Slices of bacon, friend & crumbled -I took fat off after cooking
O  enough cheese for sprinkling on top


I soak my potatoes for a bit, or at least rinse them well, to get rid of some extra starch. Grease your crock pot, throw the GROUP 1 ingredients in. At this point I usually put it in the fridge so that its ready for me to start cooking the next day.

When you are ready, cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4. Any time I have this option I choose the longer, slower choice because it increases the flavor and also tenderness of any meats used. Like me, if your CP doesn't come with a timer, go buy an appliance timer and use it. I bought a Brinks Digital Appliance Timer at a well-known large chain store that rhymes with Bal-Mart for less than $10. I chose digital because it is easier and I'm all about the easy!

After 8 hours (please, don't even use the shorter, higher temp option) very gently rub/mix/mash until the potatoes have broken apart a bit. Now add the GROUP 2 of ingredients!

Just before you serve, garnish with your GROUP 3 ingredients.

Any way you make this, don't expect it to last long at all. I made a HUUGE batch that didn't last 24 hours :)

**recommend serving with garlic bread using my garlic bread dough recipe and then directions for my french bread or some other crusty bread**



DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ADD YOUR CHOSEN DAIRY PRODUCT TO THE BATCH AT THE BEGINNING!! It will spoil and smell nasty and have to be thrown out. I was in a hurry the other day and COMPLETELY SPACED and added it in the morning. I came home to a spoiled potato soup :(

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Oh my, doesn't that look nummy?! I prepared this last night as my chicken & dumplings were going in my other crock pot. I bought an APPLIANCE TIMER (why the caps? Because when I was trying to figure out what "that thing is called that you plug your crock pot into and set it for a certain time?" I found out the proper name and am very proud of that fact!) and set it to go (LOW 3 to 4 hours) from 2pm to 6pm and I will start checking it at about 5pm. What? Get to the recipe already? Well FINE, rudepants!

     1 can cream of mushroom OR cream of celery (pictured with cream of mushroom)

     1 regular sized jar of Cheese Whiz
     4 C frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I used a mix of peas, beans, carrots & corn)
     3/4 C water
     1 can evaporated milk
     1 tbs dried minced onion *shudder*      
  
  I do not like onions here or there,
  I do not like onions anywhar

Okay, you pressured me so I had to list the ingredients by memory and *cough* I, uh, I think that's it. I did NOT thaw the veggies before I mixed it all in because I prefer to make mine the night before I'm cooking it, so I threw it all together in my greased 4qt crock pot, mixed it up and put it in the fridge overnight. I'm hoping it thawed....

I have to confess that I haven't tried this recipe yet, I just loved the simplicity of it and wanted to see what it turns out to be. Hopefully edible!


**I'd suggest serving with a nice crusty garlic bread**


UPDATE: My husband Shawn and I loved it but our 8yo daughter thought it was too cheesy. We all loved dipping the crust of the garlic bread into it and i will definitely be making it again in the future.

!!!!WINNER!!!!