Did You Know . . .

American kids today can identify 1,000 corporate logos but less than 10 plants and animals that live around their homes.

Yikes!  But, as a parent, I believe it.  So, if that's not an argument for trading in a trip to McDonald's  for a picnic lunch and nature walk, I don't know what is!   Or perhaps, as I plan to do Saturday, take the kids with you to the garden center to select some great options for filling those garden pots. 

Statistic courtesy of William Powers' 12x12:  A One Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream

French Onion Soup for the CrockPot

Yes, the CrockPot love continues!  This recipe is an old favorite at our house that I've just recently started making in the CrockPot.  I've made it so many times that I don't even have to reference the cookbook anymore to make it.  I love it when I get to that point with a recipe.  (Although, maybe that's an indicator that I'm stuck in a recipe rut.  Hmmm.  Anyway, I digress.)

Be sure you've gathered up all the following ingredients:

1/4 c. butter

3 onions (yellow or red)

2 Tbs. sugar

1/2 c. red wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

carton of beef broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

6 slices of toasted French bread or other crusty bread

6 slices of Swiss cheese (or you could use 6 oz. shredded Gruyere, if you want to be fancy:)



Thinly slice your onions.  I try to spend as little time chopping raw onions as possible, so I just pop mine in my food processor.

Now, I suspect that you could just throw everything in the CrockPot, set it on low and have a yummy dinner ready by 5:30, but I can't say that I've actually tried that.  I melt my butter in a large saucepan on the stovetop and add the onions, sugar, wine, and garlic.  I cook these until the onions are softened, 10 minutes or so.  Then, I transfer it to the CrockPot.  Add broth, salt, and pepper.  Cook on low until dinner time.

 When you're ready to serve, ladle your soup into 6 oven-proof bowls and top with toasted bread and cheese slices.  Place all bowls on a rimmed baking sheet for easier handling.  Broil on low for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.

Mmmmmmmmmm.

I do not like any crunch to my onion soup, so I love cooking it in the Crock Pot because the onions are nice and soft.   You could pair this with a fancy Panini or something, but it's a pretty hearty soup, so we usually just have a big salad on the side.  I love that it's a no-frill recipe with ingredients that I usually have on hand and yet is so good!  If anyone decides to try this recipe using the just-dump-it-all-in-the-CrockPot method, please report back and let me know how it went!

Crock Pot Chicken

Here's a recipe that was sent to me by my good friend Ericka.  She claimed that even her pickiest eater loved it, so I had to give it a try.  I'm pleased to say, it went over just as well at our house. 

Begin with a clean whole chicken. 

In a small bowl, combine the following spices:
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. white pepper (I didn't have this, so I just left it out)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Rub seasoning all over chicken.  I let it sit overnight with the rub on it, but Ericka didn't and still said it was great.  Put 1 c. chopped onion in the bottom of your Crock Pot and add the chicken.  The chicken will produce its own juices, so you need not add any liquid.  Cook on low for 4-8 hours or until meat reaches 180 degrees.  (If you have to be gone all day and can't really monitor your temperature, don't worry about it. It won't get dry in the slow cooker.)

I paid $4.00 for my chicken and next-to-nothing for the rest, so the recipe came out to less than $1 per person. I paired it with a veggie and salad for dinner.

We ate our fill then picked the chicken clean for leftovers. I added some barbecue sauce to the shredded chicken and had another meal later in the week.  To go with the barbecue sandwiches, I tried this new coleslaw recipe, too.

Texas Coleslaw

16 oz. bag coleslaw mix
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cans (11 oz. each) Mexicorn (corn with red and green peppers, drained)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. lime juice
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt

Toss coleslaw mix, cilantro, and corn in very large bowl.  Whisk together the oil, lime juice, cumin, and salt in a small bowl and pour over coleslaw mixture; toss.  Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

This made WAY too much coleslaw for my family, so I took the rest to our weekly playgroup lunch.  :)

Granny's Biscuits for Now and Later

Who doesn't love biscuits?  My late mother-in-law made the best biscuits.  And, though, she passed away when our oldest child was only 1-year-old, we are able to use her recipe to pass on the goodness of Granny's biscuits to her grandkids. 

And, because homemade biscuits require a bit more work than popping a can,  you can maximize your effort by freezing some for future use.

The original recipe, copied from Granny reads thus:

2 C. flour

4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cream of tartar

2 t. sugar

1/2 C. shortening

2/3 C. milk

Bake @ 450 degrees

10-12 minutes

You've got to love the simplicity of the recipe -- just throw it all together, you know, the way you make biscuits.  But, I'd never made homemade biscuits before, so I needed a little more instruction my first time. 

Measure it all out in a big mixing bowl.  Use a fork to cut in the shortening.  Then, knead by hand until all the powder is incorporated, and it holds together as a ball. 

Dust your working surface with flour and roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thick.  Using a biscuit cutter (we got ours straight from Granny's kitchen), cut out biscuits and transfer to baking sheet.  If you don't have a biscuit cutter, you could use a glass or just form them by hand.   If you plan to bake your biscuits now, just pop them into your 450 degree oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.  If you have a baking stone, use it to avoild burnt bottoms.

To prepare your biscuits for the freezer to enjoy later, put them on a baking sheet and freeze for a few hours.

Then, transfer frozen biscuits to a storage baggie.  Now, when you're ready for some homemade comfort food, you can easily pull out however many you need .

Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Make Your Own Garlic Croutons

At our house, the heels of the bread loaf are not super popular.  So, when we get to the end of a loaf, I'll add the heels and any bread that may borderline stale to the plastic gallon baggie I keep in the freezer for this purpose.  Once I've got enough heels collected (and my crouton supply needs to be replenished) I pull them out to thaw.  I preheat the oven to 350 degrees, cut the bread into cubes, and toss into a big bowl.  Melt some butter or margarine (about 1 Tbs. per cup of bread cubes) and pour it over the bread.  Stir.  The cubes should look damp but not drenched.

  Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with garlic salt.  When it comes to garlic salt, "more is more," as they say, so don't scrimp.  You could always use different seasonings, but I like garlic salt because it's super-flavorful and super-cheap.   Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring periodically.  They should all be crisp and browned slightly.

Allow to cool, then store your croutons in your repurposed jars.  We eat a lot of salad, so I've never actually had the opportunity to test this out, but I think they ought to stay good for at least 2 weeks.

Extreme Makeover: Pretzel Edition

Yep, these pretzels have gone from "No, thanks." to "Yes, please."

Here's the deal.  Some very generous people who are always spoiling us rotten (you know who you are :) recently gave us giant tubs of cheese balls, animal crackers, and pretzels.  The cheese ball tub now looks like this:

Yep, it has been emptied, cleaned out, and is now enjoying a new life as a drum.  The animal crackers are well on their way to adding further percussion to our home.  And, then there are the pretzels -- still nearly full.  Feeling sorry for the tub (who was destined to pine away in our pantry while it's friends made merry music) and not wanting to waste (waste not, want not, remember?), I decided these pretzels needed a makeover.

Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels

In microwave, melt half a bag of milk chocolate morsels and 1 Tbs. shortening in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute.  Stir until completely melted.  Pour chocolate into a tall, skinny glass.  Dip the ends of about 2 dozen pretzel sticks and lay them out on wax-paper-lined baking sheets (I actually used plastic plates). 

I read somewhere that if you lay the dipped pretzel stick on the wax paper, then pull it slightly, creating a chocolate trail, you can avoid the globby chocolate pieces that form when you lay them down.   I don't like to do this because I hate to waste chocolate and because the globby chocolate part is the best part.  :) However, I can see how they would look more professional if prepared in this way.

Add a few sprinkles just to add to their allure.  Pop them in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened.   

Voila!  A snack my kids can't resist! 

(They also make great gifts.  We made these as teacher gifts one year for Valentine's.)

Hummus and Pita Chips

Okay, I've had an infatuation with hummus since I first discovered it when we were living in New Orleans.  Though it has become a popular item, easily located in grocery stores, I still find that it generally goes untouched when I carry it with me to potlucks.  Since I can't imagine that people would actively dislike hummus, I'm assuming that the hummus suffers neglect because it's unfamiliar -- a potluck outsider, if you will.  I do think, however, that hummus deserves a place on the buffet table, right alongside the cocktail wienies and sausage balls, so please allow me to extol the virtues of hummus for a moment.

Hummus is a puree made from chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil and tahini paste. Some versions also include roasted red peppers and seasonings. The puree is high in fiber and low in fat. Hummus offers a healthy snack when eaten in moderation. 

Prepared hummus is a dip or spread eaten with vegetables or on appetizer toasts and crackers. Hummus also works well as a spread on sandwiches instead of high fat dressings.

Nutrition Information

One serving of hummus contains approximately 25 calories, with 12 calories coming from fat. Hummus nutrition data may vary depending on the amount of olive oil used in the preparation. Prepared hummus contains approximately 2 g of carbohydrates per serving, or 1% of the recommended daily amount of carbohydrates. Hummus is high in fiber, with each serving containing 1 g. There is no sugar in hummus. The Mayo Clinic reports that the high fiber found in chickpeas helps regulate blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. There is approximately 1 g of protein in each serving of hummus.

Read more about the vitamins and minerals found in hummus: http://www.livestrong.com/article/280687-nutritional-value-of-hummus/#ixzz1nzOOSSDc

So, let's make some yummy, good-for-you hummus!

You need the following:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed (the photo above shows two cans because I doubled the recipe.  Have I mentioned that I love hummus?)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 c. olive oil, plus more for serving

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (I don't know why I left this out of the photo above.  Maybe it's because I was subconscously feeling guilty about planning to use bottled lemon juice.)

2 Tbs. tahini paste (this will be the most difficult item to locate.  In my store, it's found with the jarred olives and roasted red peppers)

1 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. paprika 

In a food processor, puree all ingredients besides paprika until creamy and smooth.  Add 1 to 2 Tbs. water to achieve the desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkly with paprika before serving with veggies and pita chips.  What's that?  How do you make pita chips?  Funny you should ask. . .

Homemade Pita Chips

You will need the following:

a bag of pita pockets

olive oil

garlic salt

(I've also made this with dry italian dressing mix packets.  It looks prettier because the chips have the green flecks on them, but I really think it tastes just as good with only the garlic salt and is definitely cheaper.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Open up pockets and cut pitas into chip-sized pieces.  Spread on baking sheets with the inside or rough side up.  Brush the pita chips with olive oil and sprinkly with garlic salt.

Bake for 15 minutes or until crunchy and lightly browned.

Enjoy!

Some Random Snippets on Food

Some statistics to ponder from this month's World Ark,  Heifer International's amazing publication:

* Hunger is the world's No. 1 health risk, killing more people than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

*At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of illnesses related to being overweight and obese.

*There is enough food in the world today for everyone to have enough to eat.

Hmmmmm.



Also, this:

"The United Nations declared Oct. 31, 2011, the 'Day of 7 Billion,' a world population milestone.  Within about 35 years, more than 9 billion people will need access to adequate food.  Indeed, in May 2011 the U.N. raised its estimate of the peak populaion to 10 billion by the end of this century.  But the number of people is the smaller part of the problem.   The critical issue is what the people do:  how much do they consume, in what ways, and what environmental damage do they cause?  Without some needed adjustments, a return of the world food problem is threatening."

It seems that we here in the US want our food to be readily available, no matter how far it has to travel to get to our markets, and plentiful.  And, perhaps most harmful, we want it cheap.  The average American family spends only 7% of its income on food.  Compare that to 36% of a Guatemalan family's income and 45% in Kenya.  In fact, "a poor family in a poor country spends as much as 70% of its income on food." 

By passing on the twin gifts of livestock and education, Heifer is doing its part to bring food to the table and to lessen the financial strain felt by families all over the world.  This is why I'm so glad to be able to support Heifer International's efforts, even if it is just on a small scale. 

Now, that we have our own chickens in the backyard, our kiddos are better able to understand what a gift of chicks to a family far from here will actually provide them.  And, thanks to Heifer's new interactive kid-friendly video, kids can hear from Sarah, the talking goat, and learn in kid-friendly terms about how Heifer works to alleviate hunger and poverty. :)

More Love for Your CrockPot: Spicy Black Bean Soup

Mmmmm.  If you like beans and spicy flavorings, you're going to love this one.  My kids are not into spicy foods, so most of the time I steer clear of them in my kitchen.  However, this soup has made its way into our regular rotation despite that because it is just so dad-gum good! 

To start, you will need the following:

1 lb. dry black beans, soaked overnight

4 tsp. diced jalapeno peppers

6 c. chicken broth

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Throw it all in your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours before reducing the heat to low for the remaining 2 hours or until you're ready to eat.  If you can't pop in at lunch to reduce the heat, just put it on low from when you first get up in the morning, and you'll have soup ready when you get in from your long, harried day.  Be warned:  this soup is VERY hot!  Just check out all the seasonings.  You can, of course, reduce the heat by reducing the chili and cayenne powder and jalapenos.



John, who had to rush up to the school to volunteer in the concession stand after work, hadn't planned to eat with us, but one whiff of this in the slow cooker when he popped in to change clothes and guess what?  Yep, he was at the table with the rest of us!

Cost analysis?  I just served this up with cornbread, so this is an extremely cheap meal!  It made enough to feed us again, cutting the cost further.  My best approximation is that tonight's meal cost me $3.25 to put together, which is about $.65 a person.  Wow!  Thumbs up!  :)

Trial and Error

Meet my compost pail.  This little guy sits atop our kitchen counter, between the sink and the cutting board and holds all of our veggie scraps and other items destined for the outside compost pile.  As many of you know, we are learning this whole "homesteading" lifestyle as we go -- often from books and occasionally from conversations with others who have more experience.  However, "what type of compost pail do you recommend?" is not exactly a common soccer-field sideline topic and none of my books provided me much insight, so I'm offering you here a chance to learn from my own failure.

I bought a cannister from Wal-mart to gather our scraps.  It was cheap, holds about 3/4 gallon, and coordinates with our countertops, so I thought we were good to go.   The main problem can be seen in the top right photo (if you look very closely).  The screw in the middle of the underside of the lid is terribly rusted.  Why?  There's too much moisture in the pail.  Oh.  So, I guess it needs venitlation.  I tried leaving the lid off.  Oh.  It stinks and is a fruit fly breeding ground.

Also, how do you keep the pail from getting too nastified (is that even a real word?) in the bottom?  I tried the above method, lining the pail with a grocery store produce bag.  Suddenly, when I looked at my cute pail, carefully chosen for its coordination with my countertops, all I could see was a nasty plastic bag held in place by a rubberband.

Now, I'm doing this instead of using a bag liner, and it's working okay.  I put a handful of shredded newspaper in the bottom of the pail.  This absorbs some of the liquids and makes it easier to dump onto the pile.  I'm liking it, but there's still the rusty screw problem, so I'm still dreaming of the compost pail below.  (What?  You don't dream of compost pails?)

This little beauty (available at amazon.com -- just click on the photo to see all the product info) holds 1.5 gallons, so I wouldn't have to dump everyday.  Also, it features a charcoal filter in the lid that allows for ventilaltion but prevents odor from seeping out.  Also, it has a handle.  And handles are just, um, handy.
So, if you're considering adding a compost pail to your kitchen countertop, I hope you may be able to learn from my mistakes.  :)

Goats' Milk vs. Cows' Milk

If you've been following our blog, you know that we will soon be home to some adorable Nubian dairy goats.  In preparation, we've prepped a pen (which I finished painting just today), built a milking stand, and done lots and lots of reading.  A few months ago, I was oblivious to the health benefits of goats' milk.  We originally chose dairy goats over dairy cows for several reasons:
1.  goats are more easily managed (especially with young kids around)
2.  goats are fun and interactive (almost like dogs)
3.  cows produce much more milk than our family could possible consume
4.  goats can be milked either once or twice a day whereas cows must be milked twice daily

Notice that the amazing health benefits of goats' milk is nowhere on the list.  So, I was pleased to discover yet another reason that goats were probably a better option for us.

Goat milk is becoming a bit of a craze in the "Whole Foods" circle.  In fact, on a recent trip to the market, I priced a 1/2 gallon of goat milk at $7.69.  Yep, you read that right. . . and for a 1/2 gallon!  We opted for the 1/4 gallon ourselves, and the kids drank it all up happily.  I am a bit finicky about my milk, but I found that the goat milk had basically the same taste as cow milk.  The texture seemed a bit different to me, but that could just be that I'm accustomed to skim cows' milk.

Below are some excerpts from an article explaining some of the health benefits of goats' milk, for those of you who are not, just as I wasn't, already "in the know."


While cow’s milk remains one of America’s most common daily drinks, it is interesting to note that it may also be the reason why many Americans experience gas, bloating, mucous and other forms of indigestion.

source

Moreover, in a world where the common cow is pumped full of growth hormones, antibiotics, GMO feed, vaccinations and exposed to toxic conditions, it is no wonder that many humans experience negative effects of consuming pasteurized cow milk.
Goat’s milk is a much healthier alternative, especially if it is consumed raw and from a good organic source. The most common form of milk used on a global scale, it is estimated that around three fourths of the milk consumed worldwide comes from goats, not cows. And most of the people drinking this milk are not fat and do not have allergies or digestive complaints.

The Benefits of Goat Milk

Goat’s milk offers a wide variety of health benefits, with very few of the negative side effects of drinking regular cow milk.
1. Natural Anti-Inflammatory
Some research suggests that one of the main benefits of goat milk is that it may hold anti-inflammatory capacities. Another reason why it is easier for people with bowel inflammation to drink goat’s milk, instead of cow’s milk.
2. Environmentally Friendly
Goats require far less space and food than cows. Typically, you can comfortably raise six goats on the same acreage as two cows.
3. Metabolic agent
Studies done at the USDA and Prairie View A&M University, link goat’s milk to an increased ability to metabolize iron and copper, especially amongst individuals with digestion and absorption limitations. Besides drinking goat’s milk, you can also take a digestive enzymes supplement to help with this also.
4. Bio-availability
Another main health benefit of goat milk, is that it is closer to human mother’s milk than cow’s milk is. Because it has a chemical make up that is much closer to human milk, it is easier to digest and assimilate in the human body.

source

5. Lower in Fat
Goat’s milk is a great option for people who want to lose weight. It has less fat, but still maintains the high levels of proteins and essential amino acids found in cow’s milk.
6. High in Fatty Acids
While cow’s milk has about seventeen percent fatty acids, goat’s milk averages thirty five percent fatty acids, making it more nutritionally wholesome. In fact, up to 50% of people with lactose intolerance to cow’s milk find that they can easily digest goat’s milk, especially if it is raw.
7. Calcium-rich
Many people worry that they need to drink cow’s milk for calcium intake and the prevention of bone loss. Goat’s milk also offers high amounts of calcium.
8. Anti-Mucousal
While drinking cow’s milk is a common reason for allergies and excess mucous, goat’s milk is not. Cow’s milk is high in fat, which may increase mucous build-up. Moreover, the fat globules in goat’s milk are one ninth the size of those found in cow’s milk, another possible reason why it does not produce irritation in the gut.
9. Ultra-nourishing
In Naturopathic medicine, goat’s are referred to as bioorganic sodium animals. They are also associated with vigour, flexibility and vitality. Cows are calcium animals known for stability and heaviness. Bioorganic sodium is an important element in keeping joints mobile and limber. Goat milk has traditionally been used in medicinal cultures to nourish and regenerate an over-taxed nervous system. Goat’s milk is also extremely nutrient dense. It has almost 35% of your daily needs for calcium in one cup. Extremely high in riboflavin, just one cup of goat’s milk offers 20.0% of our daily needs. Add to that high amounts of phosphorous, Vitamin B12, protein and potassium. In fact, Ghandi himself restored his own health after extremely long periods of fasting through drinking raw goat’s milk.

10. Less toxic than Cow’s Milk
Whereas most cow’s milk is pumped full of bovine growth hormones as well as a substance known as bovine somatotropin, a hormone specific for increasing milk production in an unnatural way, goat’s are rarely treated with these substances. Because of its use on the fringes of big agriculture, goat’s milk is not only more nutritious for you, but also less toxic.
11. May Boost Immune System
Goat’s milk has the trace mineral, selenium, a key essential mineral in keeping the immune system strong and functioning correctly.

For the full article, see The Global Healing Center: Natural Health and Organic Living

Saturday: Hawaiian Chicken with Broiled Pineapple

Let me guess . . . I had you at the word pineapple.  Am I right?  As I've already stated, I love a sweetly flavored meat, and this recipe did not disappoint.  Plus, it's so easy.

Mix a bottle of Hawaiian barbecue sauce and a 15 oz. can of crushed pinapple.   Add 4-6 chicken breasts to the slow cooker and top with mixture.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Be sure internal temperature of chicken reaches at least 170. 

To make the broiled pineapple, begin with fresh sliced pineapple or use canned pineapple rings.  Mix 3 Tbs. honey, 1 Tbs. freshly-squeezed lime juice, and 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper.  Brush each slice with mixture and broil on low for 8 minutes.  Turn slices and brush other side with mixture.  Broil an additional 8 minutes or until slightly browned and fragrant. (These can also be done on a grill for about 5 minutes per side; but it is February, so we went for the broiling option.)

Cost analysis?  We served the chicken, sauce, and pineapple atop a bed of exotic mixed rice and with a dinner side salad.  Yum! This meal cost about $12.50 or $2.50 per person.  It's definitely a bit more expensive than some of the other meals this week.  But, I couldn't feed my family at any fast or slow food restaurant for less than $12.50!

How did it go over?  John, Boy, and I loved it.  Girl 1 wasn't home, so she's yet to try it.  Girl 2 was freaked out by the cooked pineapple, so her "stomach started to hurt."  It's really too bad, because I think she would've really liked it if she'd been a bit more open-minded.  Oh, well.  What is it the experts say?  Sometimes, we need to be exposed to a food up to 7 times before we will try and like it.  I do think Girl 2 will have another opportunity (or 7) to try this one because John and I were such big fans!

Well, this wraps up our series of slow cooker recipes. That does not mean, however, that the cooker is headed back into the dark recesses of the cabinet.  In fact,  it'll be put to work this upcoming week on both French Onion Soup and Spicy Black Bean Soup.  These are two of our favorites lately.  Who knows . . . maybe their recipes will find their way to the blog as well. :)

Friday: Not Your Momma's Pork Roast

This Pork Roast is just the right amount of tender and tangy!

Arrange one sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Add your Pork Roast.  Mine was 3.5 lbs.

In a bowl, mix together the following, then pour over your pork:

1.5 c. hot water
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. soy sauce
2. T. ketchup
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
couple dashes of hot pepper sauce

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or so.  Be sure that the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees. 

Move pork to a serving platter, strain the sauce into a gravy boat, and serve both atop wide egg noodles. 

Cost analysis?  The giant 3.5 lb roast will reappear later in the week as barbecue pork sandwiches, so that cuts the cost a bit.  Our meal consisted of the roast, egg noodles, green beans, and a dinner salad for a total of $10.22 or $2.04 per person.

How did it go over?  I've got four beautiful words for you:  Clean Plates All Around!
Success.

Thursday: Canned Chili

Let's make some Canned Chili!  I call the recipe "canned" for obvious reasons.  So, first, let's establish what this recipe is NOT:  this chili is not made with wholesome, fresh tomatoes from my garden or beans that I soaked and prepared myself.  But let's get past all of that for a minute and look at what this recipe IS:  easy, fast, cheap, and delicious!  So, while I wouldn't want to feed my family with mass-produced, commercially canned vegetables every day of the week, it's not going to hurt us tremendously to take this shortcut now and then.

First, brown your 2 lbs. of ground beef or so.  I used 2.25 lbs. of extra lean ground beef.

Then, to the Pot go the following:
browned beef (with fat drained off)
Williams chili seasoning packet (I actually used the packet designed for 4 lbs. of beef because we like it extra bold but not necessarily too hot.  This seems to achieve the desired result.  It's a bold flavor but not too spicy for the kids.  And, yes, it must by Williams -- none of this McCormick nonsense. :)
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
can of diced tomatoes with chopped green chilies
can of chili beans  (I actually used off-brand for all of the canned goods)

I just let it cook in the Pot all day on low, allowing the flavors meld. 

Cost analysis?  This pot made enough for me to freeze a bag for another dinner later on.  Also, Fritos were on sale this week at the grocery store, and we don't use shredded cheese, sour cream, or any other additions, so this is a super cheap meal for us.  This meal came out to $8.15 or $1.63 per person. 


How did it go over?  Um.  To say that my kids love chili is a bit of an understatement.  I served them first.  By the time, I got my bowl to the table, the kids were lining back up for more.  :)

Wednesday: Sweet Chops

I love sweetly flavored meats (that's why we'll be doing a Hawaiian Chicken in a few days), so I was intrigued by this Sweet Chops recipe as soon as I saw the brown sugar and honey in the recipe. 

Start by putting 4-6 pork chops (I used bone-in because that's what I already had, but I wouldn't think it matters.) in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Then, mix up the following and pour over the top of chops:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. ketchup
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp. ground ginger
some freshly ground pepper
pinch of salt

Cook on low for 6 hours or so.  Be sure the internal temp of your chops reaches 160 degrees.

A few minutes before serving, remove the chops and thicken the remaining sauce with 2 tsp. cornstarch.  Serve chops atop rice, smothered in sauce.  Yum!


Cost analysis?  Besides having to send the hubby to the store for a last minute jar of ground ginger (what happened to all my ginger?), we didn't have to buy any of the other ingredients for the sauce as they are staples at our house, so estimating the cost is difficult.  But including rice and a dinner salad, my best guess is that the meal cost $10.44 -- $2.09 per person.

It was absolutely yummy!  I was a big fan, as was John.  Though they weren't turning somersaults, the kids ate it okay, which is not a complete failure in my book.  :)

Tuesday: Jambalaya

I admit it.  This smelled so good cooking all day long.  Then, when I lifted the lid and took one look at this slop, I was ready to admit defeat.  I mean, it just looks like something I'd feed the hog (if we had a hog, that is).

We went ahead and ate it, and I decided that I wouldn't call it a complete flop. After all, it was quite tasty.

Add all of the following to the CrockPot:

2 c. chicken broth

1 Tbs. Creole seasoning

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 large stalks celery, diced

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 lb. kielbasa, sliced into half-moons

3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken, cut into cubes

1 c. uncooked regular long-grain white rice

Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.  Then, add 1/2 lb. fresh medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, and cook for 40 additional minutes. 

**Now, that is what the recipe said to do and that is what I did.  However, next time, I plan to add the rice at the end along with the shrimp.  It was just so overcooked, it had turned to mush at some point during the day.**

Cost analysis?  I expected this meal to be pretty expensive because of all the meat involved;  however, it made enough that we will be able to eat it again, so that cuts the cost.  It's really a one-pot meal, so all I added was a dinner salad and a few slices of rosemary bread, and we were ready to eat.  At $8.06 for the meal, we were looking at $1.61 per person for tonight. 

How did it go over?  Well, I flaked out and forgot to remove a helping for Girl 2 before I added the shrimp. So, my daughter with the serious seafood allergy got leftover macaroni and cheese and was honestly pretty pleased with Mommy's slip up.  Boy ate it up and earned himself a popsicle for dessert.  Girl 1 opted not to eat it and just to wait until breakfast for something that looked a bit more appetizing to make its way to her bowl.  But, she didn't want to be too rude about it.  "You know, Mom, your tastebuds change every 7 years, so I'd be happy to try it again when I'm 14."  John and I both ate it up.  I admit, the texture of the rice was unappetizing and made me think of something that Miss Hannigan would've served up to her little pig-droppings, but the flavoring was so good!  I'm not going to paste this one into my big scrapbook of favorite recipes just yet, but I'm also not going to send it to the trashcan until I've tried adding the rice in at the end. 

If anyone decides to give this one a try, please report back on how it turns out!

Monday: Guatemalan Juliana Soup

As I survey my kitchen counters, there area few stainless steel, sleek-looking appliances -- all very modern and attractive.  Then, there's this.

Isn't she a beauty?  It occurs to me as I note its interesting ivy vining around the white base, that perhaps love truly is blind.  Or perhaps this is just a case of function trumping form. 

So, for the first slow cooker meal of the week, I'd like to introduce you to Guatemalan Juliana Soup.  It's basically a vegetable soup in chicken broth.  Don't confuse Guatemalan food with Mexican food; this is not a spicy recipe.  Guatemalan food is rarely spicy.  Besides, my kiddos are not likely to eat something too spicy. 

We actually began the night before.  I took one look at all the veggies that needed to be chopped and decided this would be a good time to provide the girls a lesson in kitchen knife safety.  So, together we chopped the following veggies into small pieces:

1 turnip
4 medium carrots
2 small zucchini
1/4 head cabbage
6 red potatoes
1 onion (I actually already had chopped onion in the freezer, so the girls were spared from their first onion chopping experience for now.)





We threw all this into a giant bowl to await the next morning (and fed all our scrap veggie cuttings to the chickens and Cocoa Puff, of course). 



In the morning, we put our veggies into the CrockPot and added the following:
1 c. frozen corn (could be canned instead)
2 T. olive oil
Some freshly ground pepper
Pinch of turmeric
2  32 oz. boxes of chicken broth
1 c. diced chicken pieces (we actually opted to keep it vegetarian; the veggies are filling enough)



We allowed this to cook on high for a couple hours, then low for the rest of the day.  About an hour before dinner, I sampled the broth and added salt to taste. 

Cost analysis?  Well, the soup cost us $9.80 to make, but it made so much that I was able to freeze enough for 2 more dinners!  I served grilled cheesy fingers (which is just grilled cheese cut into strips, which somehow makes them more appealing to my kids) and a dinner salad alongside the soup.  When I consider that I'll get to serve the soup two more times, it brought the total spent on this meal to $8.40 or $1.68 per person. 

How did we like it?  The adults and Girl 1 gobbled it up.  Boy needed some prodding but eventually drained his bowl.  Girl 2, ironically, wouldn't touch it.  She took the mandatory bite, then called it quits.

During this week devoted to the beloved CrockPot, I'd love for you to comment and share with me your favorite slow cooker recipe.  Please. 

Also, check back again tomorrow for CrockPot meal #2!

Is it True Love?

"By the time you reach a certain age, you know that you are not supposed to love things.  Oh, sure, you can admire a masterful sculpture or a gorgeous piece of jewelry or a beautifully crafted table or lamp or chair; you can admire -- uh, even rely on -- particular over-the-counter medications or types of wine.  But you don't love those things.  You love the people in your life (and, speaking from experience, certain extraordinary pets).  Reaching the stage of maturity when you know love is for people and admiration is for things is a moment of growth and wisdom.

"And yet . . . I really do love my slow cooker.  I have tried hard to convince myself that what I feel for my slow cooker is not love but reliance.  Devotion.  Deep admiration.  But I'm embarrassed to admit that I think it's truly love.  And I can't make it stop."  -- from Kristin van Ogtrop's "Editor's Note" in this month's Real Simple (an excellent magazine that you should check out if you haven't yet done so)

I have recently rediscovered my own slow cooker.  For a few years, it hibernated undisturbed in the dark recesses of my cabinet.  But, once I tried my first pot of beans in it and was able to devote the critical 4:00 hour to homework, card games, laundry, and storybook reading time, I started to wonder how many other ways I could use a Crock pot. 

A quick Google of "slow cooker recipes" clued me in to the seemingly endless supply of recipes compiled by others who may have borderline-inappropriate relationships with their own slow cookers. 

So, for this week of Valentine's and in honor of my slow cooker and the special place it has come to hold in my heart, I declare this next week Slow Cooker Week at my house, and I plan to chronicle our week here on the blog.  So, whether you too are secretly harboring feelings for your slow cooker or you can't imagine what all the fuss is about, check back in throughout the week to see what recipes we've tried, how they've gone over with my picky brood, and what things we were able to do in the hours leading up to dinner that don't involve chopping, mixing, preheating, or broiling.  :)