Meal 3 - Slow Cooker Cooking

Meal 3 was a hit. This recipe came from http://www.cooks.com

It wasn't actually a slow cooker meal so I changed it up a bit. This is how I did it:

Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef 

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg taco seasonings

1 pkg dry Ranch seasonings

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can rotel tomatoes, undrained

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can whole kernal corn

I added 2 1/2 cup water

Brown meat and onion with 1 1/2 cup water on stove.

I use the leanest meat I can get then I always brown my ground beef with water for soups and chili's because it gives it the consistency I like.

When browned, dump into slow cooker.

Add seasonings envelopes.

Drain beans and corn and add to meat along with both cans of tomatoes and rotel tomatoes.

Cook in slow cooker on low for 4 - 6 hours.

Serve with sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips.

 Everyone really liked it. Michael (Andru's friend) joined us for dinner and Andru informed him that we "have to" rate our meals!!

You know I use the 1 to 5 rating with 5 being the best.

Randy gave it 5 stars.

I gave it 5 stars.

Andru gave it 3 - 4 stars.

Michael gave it 6 stars!!! (he REALLY liked it!)

As you can tell from the recipe - it made  a very large pot. So I'm going to freeze some for later. - that's the plan anyway! Randy says he wants the rest tomorrow so it may not make it to the freezer!

 

Meal 2 - Slow Cooker Cooking

This is my friend, Hennypen. She lives on top of the corner cabinet in my kitchen. And, yes, she is guarding the grapes. I know most of you think hens guard their eggs, and some do, but in my kitchen, she guards the grapes.

I have absolutely NO reason to introduce you to Hennypen at this time other than my 2nd Crock Pot Meal included c-h-i-c-k-e-n. Shhh. I would rather she didn't know.

Brown Sugar Chicken

2 lbs Boneless Chicken (I used breast meat)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Lemon Lime Soda
2-3 TBSP Minced Garlic
2 TBSP soy sauce (I always use Kikkoman) 
1 TSP black pepper

Place chicken in crock pot

combine remaining ingredients and pour over the top of chicken

cover and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours

Serve with Rice

I cut the recipe in half for the three of us. If/when I ever fix this again, I will add some thickening to the sauce before I serve it.

I thought this turned out GREAT.

I gladly give it 5 stars.

However, Randy wasn't a fan and only gave it 2 to 3 stars 

but Andru gave it 4. 

Say Good Night, Hennypen.

Slow Cooking

"Pots such as this were designed to be hung directly over an open fire. This was for a time when all the cooking and heating of a house was done over the same fire. Food cooked in this way, like cooking over a camp fire, could take up the smell from the smoke and give it a very particular taste. Cooking pots and kettles made of cast iron came from factories where iron was poured into moulds the shape of the cooking utensil needed."

Slow cooking has been around for a very long time but in the 70's the "crock pot" made it's appearance. It actually started out as a "beanery" created by the Naxon Utilities Corp. Rival purchased Naxon and had their on staff cooks see what they could do with a "beanery." They soon discovered this "beanery" was good for much more than beans.

I love using a crock pot. It's easy, and now that you can purchase them with removable stoneware lining, clean up is a breeze.

When I became single again a few years ago, I found a small crock pot to use for 1 or 2 people! LOVED IT! It holds 6 cups of water. ( I just measured because I couldn't find a size on it!) 

This is my small crock pot purchased for $14.?? at W**m*rt.

 Now with 3 of us, I'm using this one, which is much larger:

 

I'm not advertising any particular brand. The first one, I bought because it was cheap and where else is there to shop in Enid? This one, I inherited when I moved here!!  I really like both of them.

Crock pot cooking is GREAT in the summer because you don't have to heat up your house for a good meal.

Crock pot cooking is GREAT in the winter because it just lends itself to delicious stews and soups to warm you up.

It's a year round kitchen appliance! 

Since I have committed to doing 31 meals of Crock Pot cooking, 

tell me if you like slow cooking.

What's your favorite Crock Pot meal? 

(I beg of you, please, share your recipes! I need more ideas!!)

:)

 

 

31 Days of Slow Cooker Cooking

I have heard the challenge (or at least read about it)  :)

and I have accepted!!!!

Stephanie O'Dea does a blog: You can read it here!

In 2008 she made a new year's resolution to use her crockpot every day for a year!!! 

Randy LOVES crock pot food!! So I decided to have a month of crock pot cooking. A year is too long for me. And realistically a month is too much too. There are only 3 of us most of the time and we would NEVER eat that much food. 

Soooo, I am going to make 31 crock pot meals in the next 2 months. As I try recipes, I'll share them here on my blog.

Do any of you want to share this challenge with me???