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If you haven't been introduced to The Legacy of Home you are in for a treat. I adore her writing style and her choice of subjects. She is inspiring and I hope she will bless you as much as she does me!

Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes

Barbecue Meatloaf


INGREDIENTS:
2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground chuck 1 can tomato soup, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce, divided 2 tablespoons dried minced onions
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Combine ground chuck with half of the tomato soup, egg, crackers, honey, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, onions, salt, and pepper. Mix well and form into a ball. Place a crinkled length of aluminum foil in the slow cooker/Crock Pot so the ends extend an inch or so out of the pot.
Place the meatloaf in the pot (the foil will make it easier ro lift the meatloaf out and keep it out of the drippings).
Combine remaining soup, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, the water, mustard, and brown sugar. Whisk together and pour over the meat loaf. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Serves 4 to 6
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CROCKPOT CARNITAS
1 1/2-2 lbs. pork tenderloin or pork butt, cut into 2" cubes
1 med. onion
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
4 lg. strips of peel from 1/2 an orange
1 (12-oz.) can Dr. Pepper or Coke (don't use diet)
Cook in a slow cooker for 8 hours on low. Uncover. Shred with 2 forks. Serve with tortillas, Pico de Gallo, and other condiments. Serves 8.
Cheesey Creamed Corn

Ingredients.
serves 8

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen corn (no need to thaw)
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 slices American cheese, crumbled

Directions.

Use a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Empty the corn packages into your slow cooker. Unwrap the cream cheese and put the blocks on top. Add sugar and water, and fold the American cheese slices a few times, then crumble it in on top.
Cover and cook on low until everything is all melty---about six hours on low in my 4-quart. If you're using a big cooker, it'll cook a bit faster---check after 4 hours on low.
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Cheesy Potato Casserole

2 lb. pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes(partially thawed)
2 cans (10 oz.) cheddar cheese soup
1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk
1 can French fried onion rings
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine above recipe ingredients and pour into greased slowcooker. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 4 hours. Sprinkle other 1/2 onion rings of top before serving. Makes a perfect side dish with meatloaf, or a barbecue chicken breast.
Stir well before serving.


BBQ Ribs


Ingredients:
4 pounds pork baby back ribs
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups ketchup
1 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Season ribs with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan. Brown in oven 15 minutes. Turn over, and brown another 15 minutes; drain fat.
In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.
Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.
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Breakfast Casserole


INGREDIENTS
6 beaten eggs

10 slices of bread
Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 C. milk
2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 lb sausage
salt and pepper
yellow mustard (optional)

Brown and crumble the sausage. Drain remaining fat.

DIRECTIONS
Spread mustard on one side of the bread and cut bread in quarters. Beat eggs and milk together with salt and pepper to taste.
Spray inside of crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Layer bread, cheese and sausage in crockpot. Pour milk and egg mixture over everything. Cook on low 8 - 12 hours.
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Best Crockpot Chicken

INGREDIENTS
6-8 lb roaster
8 red potatoes
4 celery sticks
1 Vidalia Onion
2 heads garlic(yes heads)
1 stick softened butter
4-8 pcs. frozen corn

DIRECTIONS
Cut potatoes and onion into medium chunks.
Cut celery in 1/4's
Place all in bottom of crockpot.
Peel 1 head of garlic. Put 3 or 4 cloves to the side. Break
the rest and put in the bottom of the crockpot.
Press saved cloves into the butter and mix together. Put butter mixture under skin and on top of legs and wings. Take the other head and put in cavity. Put chicken on top of vegetables.
Turn crockpot on high and cook for about 5 hrs.
Very carefully take chicken out, it is falling apart, bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 15-20 min to brown the skin. At the same time you take the chicken out put the defrosted corn in with the vegetables. Make gravy out of the drippings, It is wonderful. Don't forget about the head of garlic in the cavity. Mix them with a little softened butter for garlic bread. If you don't like garlic you can cut the qty down.
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Slow Cooking During Summer

One thing I have discovered is that cooking in the house during the summer does not help with the power bill because it causes the a/c to run more. My way around that issue is to use more than one slow cooker and to plug them in out in the utility room closed off from the main house.

Over the years I have collected many slow cooker cook books and recipes so that I have an abundance of choices. Not just main dishes but sides and desserts as well.

I have always had good results with slow cookers from Hamilton Beach. My most recent acquisition being the 3 in 1 cooker. Now I can choose the proper size crock for what I am making since it is best to cook with the crock more than half full.

I love being able to put together the meal in the morning when it is coolest and then forgetting about it until just before it is time to eat. I am also having fun experimenting with new recipes and rewriting some favorites to work in the slow cooker.

Here is a family favorite:

Baked Beans

1# dry beans
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6 pieces of bacon
1 large onion, chopped
2 T. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. dark molasses
2 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 c. water


In a large bowl, cover beans with water. let soak 12 or more hours. (I put them to soak before I go to bed.)

Drain beans. Combine beans and chopped onion in crock pot. Stack bacon and roll up. Bury bacon in the center of the beans. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the top of the beans. Cover and cook on high for 5 1/2 to 6 hours adding water if needed.


You can double this for your family and it will be fine. (I double it when I take it to potlucks.) Just be sure to watch and see if you need to add water. Some slow cookers cook a bit higher than others.

A Kitchen Prayer

Klara Munkres

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Lord of all pots and pans and things
Since I’ve not time to be
A saint by doing lovely things or
Watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in the dawn light or
Storming Heaven’s gates
Make me a saint by getting meals and
Washing up the plates.

Although I must have Martha’s hands,
I have a Mary mind
And when I black the boots and shoes,
Thy sandals Lord I find.
I think of how they trod the earth,
What time I scrub the floor
Accept this meditation Lord,
I haven’t time for more.

Warm all the kitchen with Thy love,
And light it with Thy peace
Forgive me all my worrying and make
My grumbling cease.
Thou who didst love to give men food,
In room or by the sea
Accept this service that I do,
I do it unto Thee.