My Favorite Blog

My favorite blog is having a great give away! http://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/2010/07/king-arthur-flour-and-cookbook-giveaway.html

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.

Smoothies Here I Come!

I am so excited! I just got my smoothie blender today! I have been following Shoshanna Easling's videos and articles about making smoothies with beneficial herbs and finally decided that I am going to start making them. It makes sense that our bodies will process natural foods better and assimilate the vitamins better. Plus, you get all the added fiber!

I am figuring fruit into my diet in the form of smoothies. The new low carb way of thinking has put a black mark on fruit. My way of thinking is to be moderate and as nutrient rich as possible. God created so many foods and herbs that are packed full of vitamins why should I take a man made pill?

Here is where you can watch her videos! http://www.youtube.com/user/BulkHerbStore And here is where you can buy herbs! http://www.bulkherbstore.com

Nick's Graduation Picnic

Just wanted to share some photos!

Lace Curtains

A couple of days ago I put up my lace curtains and rolled out my braided rug in the living room. Such a simple thing. That evening my family gathered there and appreciated how much of a difference it made. Our house was now becoming our home.

Moving can be so stressful and tiring. I honestly wanted to just sit down with a book and put it off. In hearing the words of appreciation I am encouraged. I now want to sort through the boxes and continue. I want my family to be able to come home to their comfort and peace after their long day of working hard.

Why do we love certain houses, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in our surroundings.
~ T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.
~Robert Montgomery

We Are Moving!

I just spent most of my day purging and packing. I am determined to simplify my life. No more hanging on to things that just get thrown into storage never to be used and then moved to the next house. I thought I had done a good job when we moved from WA to AZ last July. I must have been fooling myself.

I am going through things and asking myself :What is the purpose of this? Do I absolutely love this? Does having this Help me?

It looks like the house we are selling is going through escrow pretty fast and the new owners will have possession upon closing. Meanwhile, my hubby is working hard at getting the kitchen totally finished before we move in and I have yet to do some cleaning there. I am not one who works well under pressure so I am praying I will be able to get the job done without stressing out. :)

Pantry Sweet Pantry

I can't tell you how excited I will be to fill a pantry again! When we sold our house in WA we knew we would be in "limbo" until we found a new house to buy and that our pantry items would be subject to the summer heat and would go rancid. We gave away almost all that was in our pantry and freezer to some large families we knew.

The kitchen in our Buckeye home didn't have enough storage to accommodate what I consider a proper pantry. With this new kitchen I will be in pantry heaven.

What will I put in my pantry? 3 kinds of whole wheat flour, whole rolled oats, stone ground whole grain corn and organic dried fruits are some things.

Oh the joy when once again I can just open my pantry and make something without having to go to the store first!

Life After Graduation

Usually when you hear "life after graduation" it pertains to a scholar who completed his/her course of study. Lately I have been thinking of it in terms of being a homeschool mom who's youngest is graduating.

"Now what?" often pops into my head. Yes I have the work on the house but then what? Whatever it is I choose to do I want it to be something that will glorify the Lord. A type of ministry. I just can't stand the thought of all this time on my hands. Titus 2:3-5 comes to mind. Could I possibly come up with something that will bless young mamas with my extra time? I feel as though the answer is right at the tip of my thoughts yet I can't grasp it.

I wonder how many other mamas go through this. My situation is different in that I am still young compared to other homeschooling mamas because the Lord only saw fit to bless us with 2 children and my homeschooling is done sooner because of it.

Homeschool was such a blessing that I am sad to see the end of it yet I know that the Lord has great possibilities for me if I will just open my heart and listen!