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.

Lemon-Herb Alligator

I was looking for an unusual crockpot recipe for a family reunion. While on my search, I found this one. I don't plan to take it to the family reunion, but I just had to share it. It came from cdkitchen.

How will I ever get this thing into the crockpot?

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds Alligator, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup whipping cream
salt
tarragon or sage springs; or chopped parsley
thin lemon slices

PREPARATION:

In a 3-quart or larger electric slow cooker, combine leek, garlic, tarragon, lemon peel, thyme, white pepper, and sage. Coat alligator cubes with flour, then add to cooker and pour in wine and lemon juice. Cover and cook at low setting until alligator is very tender when pierced (7 1/2 to 8 hours). 

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cream; blend into stew. Increase cooker heat setting to high; cover and cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes, until sauce is thickened (about 15 more minutes). Season to tUfaste with salt. 

If you are looking to buy alligator meat, you can order it from www.cajungrocer.com

3 Bean Casserole

This is a hearty meal without meat! Imagine that.

What You Use:


1 cup dried lima beans
1 cup dried great Northern beans
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
4-1/2 cups water
16 oz baby carrots or sliced carrots
1 chopped onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp tomato paste


What You Do:


Place beans in large saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 1 minute. Turn off heat, cover and let stand for half an hour. Drain beans. Add the beans, carrots, Onion, garlic and 4-1/2 cups water, carrots, onion, garlic and seasonings to a 4 quart crockpot. Mix well. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until beans and vegetables are done. Mix in tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt. Cover, and cook a half hour longer on low. Remove bay leaf before serving.

My Newest Tea

Isn't this tea just gorgeous! It tastes pretty good too! It's Chinese Flower Green Tea. It came from Fante's.


I've ordered Oolong (Wu-Long or Wu Yi) tea from this company before and I loved it. It didn't cost a fortune either. That's why I ordered from them again. I got half the amount for twice the price or better than I did from other companies in the past. Their Oolong tea is much more flavorful too. It's called Formosa Oolong. See it here at Fantes Kitchen Shop

At Teavana, you only get 2 oz for the same price or more, as the 4oz from Fante's, but Teavana has a much greater selection. I'm going to have to try some of them. They are just too tempting. They even have monkey picked Oolong. However, for just a basic, healthy, flavorful, economical Oolong, Fante's is my first choice. 
Teavana's large Oolong selection can be seen here Teava Oolong Tea


I always use Truvia; never sugar.

If you do visit Fante's, check out all the cool kitchen gadgets. I just love this website.

Making Garlic Paste

I love this simple video that explains the generalities of fresh garlic and  how to make garlic paste.

Honeysuckle Tilapia

1 cup of honeysuckle blossoms
3 or 4 tilapia filets
3 heaping tablespoons of honey
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
water


Gently rinse honeysuckle blossoms, being careful not to pull blossoms apart so as not to rise away the nectar. Place honesuckle blossoms into a small glass bowl. Pour in just enough water to cover the blossoms. Cover with glass lid or small glass plate. Put into microwave for about 3 minutes. When microwave cycle is finished. Don't remove them from the microwave. Leave blossoms to soak for about 5 minutes.


Chop the garlic or run through a garlic press. Place half in a coffee cup and add half the marjorine or butter. Add a tablespoon of honey. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the honeysuckle tea.

Drizzle this mixture over both sides of fish and set aside to marinate.


In the meantime, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the rest of the garlic to honeysuckle in the microwave.


At this point, you will pour over the fish to cook it.

You can grill the fish, which is what we did. You can cook it in a George Foreman Grill, microwave it, broil or bake it or even "just put it in a crockpot". You can also wrap it in foil and put it in any of the above.

*If you choose, you can use more of the juice to grill and pour the rest of blossom mixture over the fish after cooking.


Author's Note: I am not one to cook with flowers. I know that honeysuckle is an edible flower and it is so plentiful this year and smells so good that I decided to try it.


I believe this would have been better for chicken than for fish. The fish actually was a little blander than I expected. Chicken would have better matched the flavor.


Since I've never cooked with honeysuckle before, I decided to taste the juice or "tea" right after microwaving it (before the honey and garlic). Yuk! With a capital K. I might as well have been eating grass. I almost ditched this project. But, I had to know how it all ended.


I don't know that I would do this again just because of the trouble of picking the blossoms and the carefulness of cleaning them, but on the otherhand... it would be a great home economics project or something fun just to do with the kids when they are a bit older. Next time, I will use chicken.


*Also, if you don't like to taste or feel of alfalfa sprouts, you won't like eating the actual blossoms. Instead of using the blossoms, you can mash them up with a hand-held potato masher just to make sure you get all the nectar and the strain the blossoms out, using only the left over juice.

Crockpot Blackberry Deserts

I woke up to blackberry winter this morning and I started thinking ahead. What will I do with blackberries this year. Cooking them in the microwave is easy but the crockpot is a little different. I did some searching and I found these recipes that I want to try.



Crock Pot Blackberry Lemon Bread


Ingredients


1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c honey
1/2 c olive oil
3/4 c lemon juice
1 egg
1 c frozen blackberries
1 c Cool Whip Lite




Directions


Stir together dry ingredients. Add in oil, honey, juice and beaten egg. Mix just to moisten. Stir in frozen berries. Pour into greased and floured Bread/Cake Crock Pot Bake pan. Place in crock pot. Cover and bake on High setting for 3 - 4 hours or when bread tests done with a wooden toothpick. 


Remove from pan and let stand for 5 minutes, Unmold on cake rack. To serve cut in 1/4 thick slices and serve with about 1 tbsp of light cool whip. 


Please note that pretty much any fruit can be substituted for the blackberries. Just make sure the larger ones are in berry size chunks. 


To store, wrap in foil or plastic and place in refrigerator for up to 1 week.


Number of Servings: 24

I found this recipe on SparkPeople



Crockpot Blackberry Cobbler


1 package (14 oz.) frozen or fresh blackberries (3 cups), thawed and drained 


1/2 C. sugar 


1/3 C. water 


1 t. lemon juice 


1 C. Bisquick Original baking mix 


2 T. sugar 


1/3 C. milk 


Ground cinnamon


Whipping cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired 


Mix blackberries, 1/2 cup sugar, the water, and lemon juice in crockpot. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours, or until mixture is boiling.


Mix Bisquick and 2 Tbsp sugar in small bowl. Stir in milk just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto hot berry mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon.


Cover and cook on high 20 to 25 minutes.


To serve, spoon dumpling into dessert dish. Spoon berry mixture over dumpling. Top with whipping cream or ice cream. 

I've used this recipe before. You can find it most anywhere. I got this one from That's My Home.