Easy Ground Beef Vegetable Soup in the Crockpot
November 10, 2011 - Written by Diana
Last Christmas, my sister in law Pam, gave me a copy of a church recipe book – Seasoned With Love that her church had created for a fundraiser. It’s a fun family recipe book, the recipes were donated by the congregation. When I was out east taking care of mom, my mother in law stayed with my son. He’s 19 and old enough to live alone, but we knew that boys with girlfriends who live nearby probably should be supervised. That, and he doesn’t always eat enough to sustain himself. So we asked mom to come.
Mom made my college son this soup (contributed by Kellie Loudin) and since there were enough leftovers, my husband and I had a bowl when we arrived home. The soup was delicious but the best part was my son. He told us his grandmother made this soup that was easy – just cook up the ground beef, dump it and the vegetables into a pot and let it cook.
Almost Salsa Chicken in a Crockpot
October 13, 2011 - Written by Diana
Almost Salsa Chicken
I put out a request for quick dinner ideas -something that wouldn’t take that much work, but would be healthy and delicious and maybe my son could do it. Crockpot suggestions came in, but I knew my son couldn’t be trusted to stop and think that far in advance. Crockpot was out for him, but on my day to cook, it’s always a welcome suggestion. Jenn Fowler suggested Salsa Chicken – and knowing the way my family feels about salsa, I was ready to try it out.
Unfortunately, the cupboards were not fully stocked, so a few substitutions were made. The dish came out a little less mexican, and a little more health nutty, but it was delicious. Instead of black beans, garbanzos aka-chick peas were used. Then instead of rice, some wheat berries were made in the rice cooker (brown rice setting) and gave the dish a nuttier flavor. The wheat berries and salsa chicken was served on top of some butter lettuce and arugula. A little white cheddar (from a local …
Keep It Simple – Crockpot Beef Stew in Red Wine
May 19, 2011 - Written by Diana
As you know, I am a big fan of keeping it simple. You can ruin a dinner by fussing too much. My dad was a perfectionist and though his meals were technically perfect, sometimes there were other factors. Ask my mom how her friends loved dinner with my dad when his perfect meal didn’t show up until 9:00. Ask how much we loved running out to the store at the last minute to pick up the perfect ingredient, that he couldn’t do without because the recipe called for it, and he didn’t do substitutions. Some of my favorite meals take just a few ingredients and a little bit of time. Spending a couple of hours preparing an appetizer that disappears within a couple of seconds can be such a let down and who wants to come home to start a really in-depth dinner, when you just want to relax? This stew is super easy, fast and delicious. I start meals like this before I go to work. The first one home adds the carrots and …
Chipotle Baked Beans and Kolbasz
January 19, 2011 - Written by DianaChipotle Baked Beans and Kolbasz (originally Kielbasa) comes from Slow Cooker Winners – 300 Easy and Satisfying Recipes by Donna-Marie Pye. My husband and I were invited to my brother in law’s to watch a Steeler’s game. We had a bit of running around to do beforehand, but I wanted to bring something to eat. So I went to the crockpot for my contribution. I didn’t tell anyone I was bringing a pot of beans and kolbasz, but it was a good decision. My sister in law’s chicken was bad when she defrosted it, so we would have been sending out for pizza. I’m so glad I decided to bring something along, it’s always a good choice to contribute something. This recipe turned out really well. We also brought along some whole grain rolls, and butter, along with a little cheese to sprinkle over top if you wanted. It was a nice hearty, smokey, slightly spicy bean and kolbasz dish. Notice Kolbasz, not kielbasa. I used nice Hungarian Kolbasz instead of kielbasa because I wanted to – hey I’m Hungarian, my grandmother would love that I put kolbasz in it.
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 cups …
Crockpot Barbecued Chicken Dinner – Excellent Rating From My Son
January 15, 2010 - Written by DianaYep, that’s it, I cooked a dinner that my son gave me a huge thumbs up on. I used the Crockpot to thoroughly cook the chicken in a sauce, then pulled out the bones, gristle and other desirable parts, shredded the chicken left and let it simmer for a little bit. This would make a great Superbowl or family gathering crockpot dish. I peeled all the skin off the chicken and cut off any fat I found. It’s not a heavy barbecue sauce. I used a rub on the chicken (Denny Mike’s Pixie Dust) and then made my own sauce. My assistant peeled potatoes, sprinkled on some olive oil and herbs and baked it in the oven. I also diced up some peeled hubbard squash threw on a pat of butter and sprinkled on dried sage and microwaved it.
When you prepare the chicken in advance (like the night before?), the rest of the meal will come together in a half hour or so without too much work. The squash can also be prepped in advance. I peel and cut apart my squash, then dice it up and put it into vacuum seal bags (vacuum sealed of course) so that I …
