Just An Update

I appreciate the emails of concern for my family and myself. My husband passed away on October 16th. He was buried on 20th. I might expect comments on my blog but instead I got more personal messages via email. It really lifted my spirits to see that even total strangers care.

I doubt that I'll be cooking very much now but I'll certainly pass along any good recipes I find and who knows what the future holds... I might end up cooking more. I still have 2 little grandchildren that love to do things in the kitchen; just not so much in the crockpot!

Difficult Times

I have not abandoned my blog. My husband has been critically injured and is in ICU in an out-of-state hospital. I just won't be blogging for a while.

Meatloaf

Okay, I tried another one. I guess I think I'm going to eventually talk myself into liking meatloaf.

For this recipe, I used:

Ingredients:

 1 pound ground beef
 1 pound ground venison
 2 beaten eggs
 1/2 cup milk
 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
 1/4 cup chopped onions
 1 medium chopped tomato
 1 chopped banana pepper (optional)
 1 teaspoon sea salt
 1/2 teaspoon allspice
 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
 2 tablespoon Valentina mexican hot sauce
 1/2 tablespoon ground sage
 a dash of liquid smoke

Sauce

 1/3 Cup Ketchup
 1 tablespoon liquid aminos or soy sauce
 2 tablespoons brown sugar
 1 teaspoon dry mustard
 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together all incredients. Place in crock pot and mash down mixture to mould to the crockery so that it comes out in a loaf. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. If you're in a hurry, you can cook it on high for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over meat in the last 15 minutes, changing the heat setting to high.

My family likes meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans or green peas OR with corn and fried okra.

As you know from my previous posts, I, personally, am not a meatloaf person. But this time, I can finally say, "I really like this meatloaf".

If you have one of those families that likes meatloaf and like to eat sandwiches from the leftovers, you might want to double the recipe. I've never been a fan of that either but I think I might try that too this time. I'm obviously very pleased with this recipe.

*Taking it out of the Crock Pot is a little tricky. You could use a crock pot liner (which I only recently found out about myself). You can also use strips of foil to line the crockpot with and then lift it out by the strips. I choose not to use anything that might cause chemical reactions and get into the meat. I just slice in the crockpot and lift it out with a spatula.

Also: You might want to make double the sauce and use it to drizzle over the individual helpings after placing it on the plate. This meatloaf comes out to be fairly thick.

Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

8 ounces Cream cheese(cubed)
1/4 cup Whipping cream
5 ounces Frozen chopped spinach
1 (4 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons diced Pimento
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Garlic salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
 

Directions:

Combine cream cheese and cream and place in crock pot. Cover and heat for about 45 minutes until cheese has melted. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and heat on low for another 30 to 45 minutes. Goes great with crackers, bread or raw vegetables.

I've prepared these burgers two different ways in the last month. The first method was to place the pound of ground venison into a bowl with 1 small chopped onion, 1 chopped clove garlic, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce, a dash of tobasco, salt & pepper.

I cooked them on my George Foreman grill.

*********

Here is the second way I made these burgers (very, very flavorful).

1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. grated lime peel
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
2 tsp. cumin
2­–3 Tbs. sour cream
2 Tbs. finely chopped jalapeno
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds ground venison
Hamburger buns, split
Slices of Colby-Jack or Pepper Jack cheese

1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, mustard and lime peel. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

2. In a bowl, combine the onions, yogurt, jalapeno, cumin, salt and pepper, and meat and mix well. Shape the meat mixture into eight patties.

3. Pile them into a crockpot for approximately 3 to 4 hours. When the burgers are done, add the cheese to the patties on top and allow cheese to melt (about a minute) Lift those burgers from the crockpot and add cheese to next layer, etc.

Serve the cheeseburgers on buns slathered with the pre-made sauce in the refrigerator (aioli).

I found this recipe at http://kitchenbitchblog.com/2011/03/10/man-meals-juicy-ground-venison-burgers

Omelettes in the Microwave

I really haven't been cooking very much lately. I actually haven't been eating very much lately. Sometimes when you go through stressful times, you just aren't hungry.

I've mostly been just eating breakfast lately and I try to insure some protein is in it. Either a protein powder shake or an omelette.

I found this little microwaveable omlette pan at Dollar Tree! While I don't usually like to use anything other than glass or paper products in the microwave, I really do like this little gadget.

Scramble an egg with a little salt, pepper and milk, a little chopped onion and maybe tomato or spinach and/or mushrooms and pour into one side of the pan and microwave for about 45 seconds. A few seconds more may be needed, depending on the amount of ingredients you use. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and fold it over to lock in the heat and melt the cheese. It's quick and easy!

Butternut Squash Soup with Curry

We had a little nip in the air the last couple of evenings with very low humidity. It reminded me of fall and I craved something "autumnish". Butternut squash has been in the grocery store all year round this year, so I got one and made some soup. It really hit the spot!

10 cups butternut squash cubes (1 large squash peeled and seeded)
1 large chopped sweet onion
l large chopped apple
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk

Place into the crockpot the broth, squash, onion, apple, parsley, curry powder, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Then take about 3 cups out and place in a blender. Add the coconut milk and the brown sugar. Cover and blend until smooth. Return to the crockpot. Continue blending the remaining mixture 2 to 3 cups at a time, returning soup to the crockpot once blended.

Set the heat to high and cook another 15 minutes until piping hot. Serve with chopped apple tossed on top.

*The squash is easier to peel if you microwave it on high for 3 or 4 minutes before cutting it in half.

Rattlesnake

While camping on the Alabama/Florida line for a night, a fellow camper captured this under his RV. Most of the campers said "kill it" but he had mixed emotions. My husband suggested that he eat it. He told him the meat was very good. He said he was thinking about doing something like that. We don't know how it turned out or how he even let go of thing without getting bitten, but it got me to thinking...hmmm..rattlesnake in the crockpot. So, not having any experience with this personally. . . I did a search.  I found RATTLESNAKE CROCK POT RECIPES!!! I cannot vouch for them because I've never done it myself but here are a couple that I got from "rattlesnakerecipe.com.us". Who would have thunk it?!


Before you decide to cook one, do you want to know how to clean one? Check out this crazy "how to" video!



Rattlesnake Stew

1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 bag baby carrots
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 white potatoes, chopped
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can whole tomatoes, punctured
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 can beef broth
2 tbsp. corn starch or flour
1 tsp. ketchup
1 tsp. steak sauce
2 lb. rattlesnake meat
juice from 1/2 lemon

Simmer rattlesnake in water and lemon juice for 1 hour, remove and separate meat from bones.

Combine de-boned meat with the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot and slow-cook for 6-8 hours, or bring to boil in large cooking pot and simmer for 2 hours.

Rattlesnake & Italian Lentils

1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
handful Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. thyme
2 tbsp. dried basil
4 1/2 cups water
1 package dry lentil beans
2 lb. rattlesnake meat
juice from 1/2 lemon

Simmer rattlesnake in water and lemon juice for 1 hour, remove and separate meat from bones.

Combine de-boned meat with the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot and slow-cook for 6-8 hours, or bring to boil in large cooking pot and simmer for 2 hours.

Chicken Tacos - 3 Day Chicken (day 3)

The remainder of the chicken goes into a frying pan with an 1/8 cup of water and 1 packet of regular taco seasoning mix. Once the chicken is thoroughly mixed and completely heated, stuff tacos and prepare as you normally would i.e., lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded cheese and sour cream.

If you like soft tacos, consider trying this:

It makes a flavorful taco and adds just a little heat. It's pretty good with chips too. My daughter loves this with ranch tortilla chips (she's also very skinny and can afford to eat chips!)

So, we've had supper for 3 nights from one crock pot chicken. My family didn't complain.

Chicken Cabbage Rolls - 3 Day Chicken (day 2)

Take the chicken mixture out of the refrigerator and divide into 2 halves, placing one back in the refrigerator for day 3.

Chicken Cabbage Rolls

o Cabbage Leaves (appropriate to the number of rolls)
o 1/2 to 1 cup of rice, precooked (again, based on quantity of rolls)
o 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
o 1 14 oz can of tomatoes
o small can of tomato paste
o salt and pepper to taste

Layer the cabbage leaves in a microwaveble dish and cover. Microwave on high for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  Mix the chicken with all other ingredients. The chicken should be shredded and cold.

Remove cabbage leaves from microwave and lay each one out individually. Add a spoonful of the chicken mixture close to the edge of the cabbage. Roll the cabbage leaf all the way to the opposite end and place back into the microwaveable dish. Once you have made the cabbage rolls and they are stacked in the dish, microwave them high for 3 minutes.

Turn the dish and microwave on high another 2 minutes. This is usually enough time if you have an 1100 watt microwave. If you feel any cold places under the cabbage rolls with your finger, then you should do another 2 minutes or so.

*You can also steam the cabbage leaves or boil them and heat the mixture in the microwave or on the stove by itself and then make the cabbage rolls. They can also go into the crockpot for 2 to 3 hours. I suppose it's a matter of preference.

I made a dozen and used 1/2 cup of rice for 6. The other 6 had no rice and a tablespoon of agave nectar instead of tomatoes (sweet versus tangy). You could also use duck sauce. I just didn't want the extra carbs contained in the rice, especially if I wanted more than one.


Please check back for day 3.

Lemon-Herb Sauce - 3 Day Chicken (day 1)

Busy like me? Try this chicken. It worked for me.

1 whole chicken or 6 to 9 breasts (I used breasts)
1/4 cup of chopped onion
2 cloves of chopped garlic

Place all ingredients in crock pot for 6 to 8 hours. Remove 1/2 to 1/3 of the chicken and put in the refrigerater for use the next 2 days

.
Lemon-herb Chicken sauce
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 packets of Truvia or Sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon corn starch

Dissolve the corn starch in the cold water. You can add all the ingredients directly to the crockpot and cook on high for another 30 minutes or you can add all the ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time until thick and bubbly. Serve over rice or noodles.
We added salt and pepper and shredded the chicken. Of course, this is optional.

Check back for day 2 and 3.

Boiled Chocolate Cake

I came across this really entertaining video today. I was so sure it was going to be a catastrophe, but it seems to have worked out in the end.

Cajun Barbeque Chicken

Since my back has been injured, my husband has been very good about cooking. . . on the grill (he's really not great in the kitchen). He cooked something with an unusual flavor that I thought I would share.

He got a large pack of drumsticks and sprinkled them with Cajun Seasoning. When they were getting close to done, he brushed on just plain old, store bought, barbeque sauce.

It might be hard to believe but it was the best barbeque chicken I've ever had and I'm not much of a drumstick person.

Simple and easy, with an excellent flavor.

Italian-style White Fish Filets

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or dried
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or to taste)
1 pound White fish filets (I used Cod)

*1/2 cup sliced black olives or mushrooms (or both, optional)

Directions

In a medium to large microwaveable, glass dish, add olive oil and onion and garlic. Cover and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, parsley, cilantro and Italian seasoning. Add the tablespoon of corn starch to just enough cold water to dissolve it and add to the sauce. Add the optional mushrooms or black olives. Stir well and add the fish fillets on top. Cover and cook on high for 2 more minutes. Turn fish and stir sauce. Cook another 2 minutes and stir. Check to see if fish is done. If not, cook 1 more minute and filets should be done (turned white) and sauce should be thickened. Serve over rice.

My husband hates cod, but he really liked this. I like my fish plain; fried, broiled, grilled or baked with lemon or tarter sauce on the side. I liked this too!

Maple Butternut Squash with Bacon

Ingredients:

2 lbs butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cut into inch cubes

1/2 pound of bacon (8 oz)

3/4 cup chopped onion

16 oz frozen kernel corn

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Process:

Place squash and onion in a large microwaveable dish with about 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook on high about 5 minutes or until almost tender. Set aside.

Place bacon on paper towels and cover with paper towels. Cook 1 minute for each slice. (i.e., 4 slices = 4 minutes)

Now, add corn to squash and onions and cook on high 3 to 4 minutes.

Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and crumpled bacon.

Special Barbeque Sauce

Recently, I went to family reunion in South Carolina where we had a huge cookout. . . the menu was barbeque chicken and huge boneless ribs! The barbeque sauce was a unique color, but I knew I had seen it before. About 4 years at another reunion (also in South Carolina) we had the same sauce. When I asked about it, I was told you could only get it in South Carolina (I guess they don't have internet). This time, I remembered the name... It's Cattlemen's; Gold to be specific.

I don't know where the home office of the company is located, but I know they make these products.

• Kansas City Classic™
• Mississippi Honey BBQ™
• Carolina Tangy Gold™
• Memphis Sweet™

I also know you can buy it at Amazon. I did check our local grocery stores and, sure enough, it's not there.

Try it if you get a chance. It's really good!

If you want to make something similar at home, here's a recipe.

South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe
 

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes

Use this sauce toward the end of barbequing the meat since the sugar will caramelize quickly and then burn. Wait until the last 20 minutes or so, and brush on a couple of coats, letting each coat cook into the meat a bit before adding the next one.

INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 cup yellow mustard (the kind you get at the ballpark)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp dry mustard (like Coleman’s)
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste

PROCESS
1 Heat the butter over medium heat until it's frothy, then add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not let the onions brown.
2 Add everything else, stir well and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or more.
Yield: About 2 cups.

I think I found this recipe at SimplyRecipes.

Coconut Rice Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
18 ounces evaporated milk
1 can cream of coconut (14 ounces)
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Place water, rice, butter and salt in medium saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a full boil, stir frequently. Reduce heat to low setting and cover. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Spray Crockpot with cooking spray. Add evaporated milk, cream of coconut, raisins, egg yolks and vanilla to Crock-Pot and mix well. Add rice mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 4 hours on low setting or 2 hours on high setting. As it cools, the pudding will thicken. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg or chocolate shavings, if desired.

Homemade Moon Pies

Microwave Plus Oven

As I was posting about the RC Cola Moon Pie Festival, I decided to post a moon pie recipe also. If you've never had one, you are truly in for a treat. (Recipe below)

You can learn more about the festival HERE

Moon Pies

Yield: About 18 double-decker moon pies

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Bake Time: 30 minutes

For the Cookies:
8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt

For the Marshmallow Filling:
2 egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
Pinch salt
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

For the Chocolate Coating:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
¼ cup vegetable oil

1. To Make the Cookies: With a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg and the vanilla extract, and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and the salt, and mix just until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough in two, shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line at least two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. Working with one disk at a time, roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2½-inch diameter round cutter, cut out the rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about ½ an inch apart. Refrigerate the cookies (on the baking sheets) for 10 minutes.

3. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the pans for a couple of minutes, and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

4. To Make the Marshmallow Filling: Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the salt until firm peaks form, gradually increasing from medium-low speed to medium-high speed as the egg whites gain volume. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, boil the corn syrup over high heat without stirring until it registers 230 to 235 degrees F on a candy thermometer (thread ball stage). Slowly drizzle the hot corn syrup into the egg whites and beat at high speed until glossy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, beat in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar.

5. Using either a pastry bag or a spoon, mound about 1½ tablespoons of marshmallow filling into the center of a cookie. Top with another cookie and press lightly to spread the marshmallow to the edges. Add another mound on top of the second cookie, and top with another cookie, again pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.

6. To Make the Chocolate Coating: Using a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power and in 30 second increments, melt the chocolate and vegetable oil together until completely smooth. Place the assembled cookies on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper. Spoon the melted chocolate over each cookie so that it runs down the sides and covers most of the cookie. Allow to set at room temperature for about 2 hours (or refrigerate to speed up the process). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe obtained from foodandwine.com and browneyedbaker.com

Scrambled Eggs

I was really in a hurry this morning and, as usual, I was running late. It occurred to me that I had no supper last night. What can I do that will be done right now (besides cereal). Scrambled eggs!!!!

Put the egg(s) in a glass microwaveable bowl. Add a little milk or cream or sour cream and salt and pepper.

Scramble with a fork.

Place in microwave and cover. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir. Cook for another 30 seconds. If not done to your liking then cook only 15 seconds at time after the first two cycles. (30, 30 & 15 is all I needed).



When eggs are done, sprinkle with some shredded cheese for extra flavor.

It's fast and easy!

Chicken Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into small cubes
1 (8 ounce) packages sliced fresh mushrooms
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or sprinkle to taste
2 zucchinis, cubed
2 sweet potatoes, cut into cubes
2 yellow squash, cubed

2 large red potatoes, cut into cubes
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth

Chopped Onion and Garlic on Top

Cubed Sweet Potato

Directions

Place all ingredients in the crockpot and drizzle olive oil over top. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (add sour cream, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and stir during the last 30 minutes).

 

I took this to a family reunion, so I cut the vegetables and chicken in advance and put them in the crockpot when I was ready. I also transferred it from the crockpot to a casserole dish for more compact travel.

Mushroom Chicken Stew

3 Frozen chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (or fresh equivalent)
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1 14 oz can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup (I used the cream of chicken and mushroom)
1 14.5 oz can of vegetables or 1 pkg frozen vegetables
1 small can or jar of mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms)
1/2 bottle Rock Light beer (optional)
1 large heaping tablespoon Frank's Red Hot sauce (optional)

Cook chicken breasts, chopped onion and chicken broth in crockpot on low for about 6 or 7 hours. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and vegetables. Cook an additional 30 minutes on high until hot. If choosing the options, add the 1/2 bottle of beer and hot sauce and cook for 15 minutes on high.


*If using frozen vegetables, you can put them in at the beginning.

German Chocolate Nut Crunch Candy

This is not a recipe to be left in the crockpot while you are at work. You should be around to check on it periodically.

Ingredients:

4 oz German Chocolate
3 lbs white almond bark, broken into small pieces
12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
32 oz roasted peanuts

*You can also use two 16 oz bags and you can substitute the nut of your choice.

Instructions:

o Place all ingredients into crockpot and set to high setting. Allow to cook for 45 minutes undisturbed.

o Change heat setting to low, stir and continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours stirring at 30 minute intervals.

o Drop teaspoons of the mixture onto waxed paper. Let cool 30 - 45 minutes -OR- spread mixture onto waxed paper and let cool and then break into pieces.

This candy has a great flavor!

Barbeque Sandwiches

I was in a hurry for supper the other day and I had forgotten to thaw anything, so I raided leftovers in the refrigerator. I had part of a roast left over from a couple of days ago that I had cooked in the crockpot. I pulled the meat apart and put it back it the crockpot (on high) with a 1/2 cup of barbeque sauce. 30 minutes later, we had barbeque sandwiches and a salad.

A little bit of leftover roast really goes a long way when it's pulled and shredded and has a sauce added to it. I also added some chopped onion that I put into the microwave for 1 minute before adding it to the crockpot with the meat and sauce.