A Year of Slow Cooking

What I've Been Slow Cooking

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:19:00 +0000

I have been slow cooking.

Daily.

Baby #3 is due to arrive this upcoming January, and we all couldn't be more thrilled.

Now that the all-day-every-single-day-why-won't-it-let-up-seriously-why-won't-it sickness has practically subsided life can get back to normal around here.

I should have put the word normal in quotes.

Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:50:00 +0000

I finished it.

and it's oh so very pretty.

Thank you so much to each and every single one of you for all of your help, encouragement, and hand-holding.

I'm going to take a nap now.

coming to bookstores in October, but now available for pre-order on Amazon. I wish Amazon would capitalize the "D" in my name however...

updated: LOL, they fixed the "D," but put up an old image. I love how the internet works. :-)

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:09:00 +0000

During my call for recipes, I got emails from Jennifer, Jenny, Jenny Y., Julie, and Charlotte asking if I had made a baked potato soup in the slow cooker. I had not. I did make a potato-leek soup last year, but that's not really the same thing. It's definitely healthier, though!

Panera bakery evidently has a very good baked potato soup, but I've never stepped foot into a Panera, so I hadn't had their soup as a reference. So I googled it, and found a copycat recipe on RecipeZaar and adapted it to fit our family.

We all really liked this soup---the kids ate a ton, and we have a bunch leftover. I made a big batch so we'd have leftovers in the freezer. I'd guess this serves 10.

The Ingredients.

--5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
--1 teeny onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--1 teaspoon seasoned salt
--1/2 teaspoon black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon red pepper
--2 quarts chicken broth
--2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
--crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and I'd assume cheddar cheese would be just delightful.

The Verdict.

When I first started hanging out on the internet, I was surprised at how much bacon talk there was. Everywhere I turned (clicked), it seemed there was somebody else going on and on and on some more about their love for bacon. Since I don't eat pork, I really didn't get it, and just figured it was a weird internet thing.

But yesterday I figured out the secret to really good turkey bacon. Fry it in a ton of butter. Now I think I might sort of get it. Although I'm not terribly pleased with how messy it is....

anyhow, this is a fantastic soup, and the bacon on top really seals the deal. My kids both ate a bowl when it was first finished around 4pm, and another later in the evening.

We're going to have BLT's with the leftover bacon for lunch. or maybe breakfast. I'm excited.

other great soups:

Jamaican Pumpkin
Thai Coconut
Corn Chowder
Harvest Stew
French Onion

Slow Cooker Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Sharon emailed me last week and said that she had a hanker'n for some Turkey Tetrazzini a la Slow Cooker. I didn't know that I had a hanker'n until I read her email and the recipes she linked for me to look at.
But I did. I seemed to have had a hanker'n. She sent links to Epicurious, AllRecipes, and Food Network.

After reading through the recipes, I wrote one of my own to work with the slow cooker. It worked, eventually. I at first didn't include enough pasta, so my tetrazzini was more like wallpaper paste than a creamy pasta dish. This was easily fixed, however, and the end result was a nice comforting meal we enjoyed on an unseasonably chilly night.

Thank you, Sharon!

The Ingredients.

1 (16-ounce package) dry spaghetti noodles (maybe divided. Please read the entire recipe and decide for yourself how you'd like to proceed!) I used brown rice noodles from TJ's.
1-2 pounds turkey breast tenders, cut in small chunks
5 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1 (14.5-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, chunked
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups chicken broth (check for gluten!)
salt to taste at the table

The Directions.

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker, and spray the inside well with cooking spray.

What I did: I initially used a half-package of spaghetti noodles, and broke them in half, and laid them on the bottom of the stoneware. I then layered the other ingredients on top, in the order I typed up above. But! after cooking on low for 3 hours, I noticed that the noodles pretty much disappeared, so I cooked the remainder of the package on the stovetop in heavily salted water (super-heavily salted, the top of the container fell off!) until barely al dente, then stirred the drained pasta into the slow cooker.

I then cooked on low for only one more hour, then clicked it to warm for another 3. The turkey was fully cooked, the noodles were perfect, but the onion that I didn't cut fine enough had still a bit of a crunch.

The Verdict.

So. My dilemma is in deciding if it would have been better to put the entire package of pasta into the machine and then layer the ingredients in and cook on low for 3-5 hours (not high!) or if it is better to leave all the pasta out, and just cook it on the stove, then mix it in.
Or, do what I did.
I just don't know.

I do know that this worked, but it certainly wasn't a very hands-off meal. And we ate it, even the leftovers for lunch the next day (the onion was soft by then!)

other pasta dishes that work well:

traditional lasagna
buffalo chicken lasagna
macaroni and cheese
ziti

Sweet Potato Chili (vegan!) Slow Cooker Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:08:00 +0000

I made a *darn* good chili last week, if I do say so myself (and I do. So does the rest of the family, including my parents). I had a few sweet potatoes left in the house and I desperately wanted to make up for the absolute fiasco that took place when I threw together that icky chicken and sweet potato I-don't-know-what-I-was-thinking dish.

This was much better. So much better, I demonstrated it on BlogHer's new webShow, The Juice. You can see the video by clicking here.

This is a cheap, vegan meal that doesn't leave you hungry 15 minutes later. I promise.

The Ingredients.

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and in 2-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2/3 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and boiled briskly for 10 minutes because of the freaky red bean toxin thing)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes (whatever's on sale, mine had oregano and roasted garlic)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice (not pictured. If you don't have any in the house, use water)

The Directions.

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. This is enough food to feed a family of 4 regular-sized, or 6 smallish people. Peel and chunk the sweet potato and add to the pot. Add diced onion. Follow with the red bell pepper, can of tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings. Pour in OJ and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the sweet potato is fork-tender (if you want the sweet potato to get really squishy and disappear when stirred, cook longer).

The Verdict.

Super tasty. I loved the sweet smoky flavor this had, and was thrilled at the depth of flavor that came from this spice combination. The sweet potato and beans were plenty filling, and Adam didn't once mumble that he'd really like a steak. My kids ate it, but un-veganized it by adding shredded cheese and sour cream.
I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much to BlogHer and to Tropicana for the fun day of filming for The Juice production. I had an absolute ball, and am touched to have been included. Thank you.

other great chili dishes:

traditional chili
poor man's chili
clean-out-the-pantry chili
white chili
presidential (Barack Obama's) chili

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Thank you so much for responding to my Call for Recipes with so many wonderful choices! I've spent the last week reading them all and finding ways to incorporate many into our upcoming meal plans. This meal comes from Christin who got it from Cooking Light's 2007 list of annual recipes. It originally was made with pork, and called for sesame oil, minced garlic, and minced ginger. I thought we had sesame oil in the house, but I must have tossed it during the last refrigerator-clean-out and didn't feel like spending the time mincing garlic or ginger, and opted to use powdered garlic and upped the Chinese 5 spice powder to make up for the ginger. I also added a bit more honey (because we like it!)

I also used a 4 pound roast, and Cooking Light used a 2-3 pound roast. We really liked the results. Thank you, Christin!

The Ingredients.

4 pounds boneless beef or pork roast
1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/2 cup gluten free hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder (or 6 cloves, minced)

The Directions.

Use a 5 quart slow cooker. Trim any visible fat from the meat, and plop it into your stoneware. My meat was fresh, but it's okay if your meat is still frozen. Sprinkle the dried spices directly onto the meat, and top with the ketchup and honey. Pour in the soy and hoisin sauces. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. You may need to take the meat out and cut in chunks after 8 hours, then turn to high for an hour or so to get it to shred nicely (I did this).

Serve over white or brown basmati rice, or over shredded cabbage. I used the cabbage, and we all liked it. The cabbage provided a bit of a crunch at first, but then got warm and soggy with the sauce. I liked it better when it was soggy---if I was making this just for myself, I'd pour the bag of cabbage into the pot to get it wilty, but the rest of the family prefers the crunch.

The Verdict.

We all really liked this meal. The kids ate a ton of the beef, and continued to eat cold pieces later in the night after dinner. This makes a lot of food--we've got about half leftover that I'm looking forward to eating for lunch during the holiday weekend. The meat reminded me A LOT of mu-shu beef---I'd imagine it would be delicious wrapped in the little pancakes with some plum sauce (although Adam quickly pointed out that I haven't had Mu-Shu anything for about 6 years, so I could be way off base. I still think it'd be good wrapped in those pancakes...).

The original name that Cooking Light gave the meat was Char Siu, which means barbecued meat (usually pork). The meat didn't taste like it had a barbecued flavor to me, but instead was slightly sweet and tangy. I'd love to throw in some hot peppers next time to give a bit of heat.

Thank you again, Christin, and to all who submitted recipes. I'm excited!

other great Asian-inspired meat dishes:

Korean Ribs
Mongolian Beef
Thai Curry
Lamb Vindaloo
Broccoli Beef
Peking Duck

Call for Recipes!

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Okay, I need help. Or inspiration. Or something.

I'm cooking, but I haven't been posting because I haven't really made anything new in a while. In the past week we've had:

Indian Curry (yum!)
McCain's Ribs (which we've started calling Lemon Pepper Ribs)
Lemon and Dill Salmon
lots of leftover chicken noodle soup
and brown sugar chicken. AGAIN.

I am seriously in a slump. I can't come up with anything new! and exciting! to make, post, and share.

any ideas?
can you make mozzarella cheese in the crockpot?
what about some kind of slime?

meanwhile, I did post today on the other blog about our gluten free journey, and a few thoughts on the the new Elisabeth Hasselbeck book, The G-Free Diet. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:01:00 +0000

I sat down at the computer and tried to write this post about 47 times in the last few days. Sorry to leave the icky chicken and sweet potato fiasco up for so long!

I made some yummy soup the other night that the kids adored and they each had THIRDS.

DID YOU HEAR ME?!

THIRDS!

I think my head may have exploded.

The Ingredients.

1 store-bought rotisserie chicken carcass, or 1 1/2 cups already cooked chicken meat
6 cups water
1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (check for gluten, this was clearly labeled gluten free)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
kosher salt to taste (probably a good 1 teaspoon, since the base is water)
50-cent piece size, or so, handful of raw spaghetti noodles to add at the end (I used Trader Joe's brown rice)
1 large handful raw spinach leaves to add at the end
Parmesan and Asiago cheese, optional garnish

The Directions.

If you're going to use a chicken carcass, cook it on low overnight in the water. In the morning, unplug the crock and let it cool before digging in with CLEAN hands to pick out the bones. Strain through a colander (retaining liquid!) if desired.
Or, start with a slow cooker with 6 cups of water, and add chicken. Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves. Stir in the bouillon and vinegar. Salt to taste. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent.

15 minutes before serving, put in raw spaghetti noodles and a large handful of spinach. Cover and flip to high.

Garnish with parmesan and asiago cheeses, if desired.

The Verdict.

This is such a wonderful, comforting soup. The balsamic vinegar does two things: 1, it really darkens the broth which provides a nice color, and 2, it brings the chicken flavor out so nicely while providing a touch of a tang. The tang is nice, because it fools your tongue into thinking it's tasting salt----which is mostly what you taste in canned chicken noodle soups.

Absolutely delicious. This fed our family of four for dinner, with just a bit leftover (and the kids were able to have 3rds!)

other yummy soups:

chicken and rice
Albondigas soup
black eyed pea soup
borscht
butternut squash

Slow Cooker Chicken and Sweet Potato Southwestern Stew

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:56:00 +0000

I was playing in the garden yesterday and realized a bit before 2pm that I had forgotten about dinner, and scrambled to throw something in the slow cooker. This is a completely made-up clean-out-the-pantry meal. Wednesday is usually our leftover night, but I kind of ate all the leftovers in the house for lunch. oops.

The Ingredients.

4 frozen chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 2 inch chunks
1 (15-ounce) can baked beans
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (4-ounce) can fire roasted diced chile (a last minute brainstorm!)
1/2 cup pineapple juice (leftover from the Easter Ham)

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into your stoneware, and drop the sweet potato chunks on top. Add all the contents of the baked beans, tomato paste, and diced chile. Pour on the pineapple juice. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8. Your stew is done when the chicken is cooked through and the the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

The Vedict.

This is gross. Really gross. I think it's the tomato paste. I took a few bites to be a good sport, but could tell about 2 hours into it that this wasn't going to be a very good dinner. I thought maybe with some shredded cheese it could be palatable, but it just wasn't. The house smelled like burnt tomato stew, even though the tomato paste mixed with the pineapple juice and bean and chile liquid and there was plenty of moisture. It was just not good.

really bad.
really really really bad.

We ended up having McDonalds. I drove through in my slippers.

other memorable flops:

coconut chicken curry
fruit leather
bacon wrapped scallops
hard boiled eggs
roasted pumpkin seeds

Slow Cooker Baked Bean Soup Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Oh I loved this soup. It tastes just like you'd imagine a can of blended pork and beans to taste, except better.
The soup was a bit spicy for the kids, although they did eat it. Read "the verdict" below to see how I would adjust for next time.

The Ingredients.
serves 6
1 (15-ounce) can white kidney beans, or pinto beans (if you are going to use dry, pre-soak 2/3 cup overnight, and then cook until beans are soft)--no need to drain canned beans
1 cup finely diced onion (I used 2 minis)
1 cup diced carrot
3 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (and juice!)
2 cups water
salt to taste before serving

The Directions.

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Put beans into pot, and top with onion and carrot. Add all seasonings and spices. Pour in the entire can of tomatoes, and add water. Stir.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your beans were dry, you might need to go as long as 10 hours, depending on altitude and humidity.
Before serving, pulse a bit with a hand-held stick blender to blend some of the beans. This will thicken your broth and provide a richer flavor. If you don't have a stick blender, scoop out about 1 cup of liquid and pulse CAREFULLY! in a traditional blender, and stir back into the crock.

The Verdict.
I really, really liked this soup. Adam thought it could use some bacon.
There's a slight kick from the chili powder, but it's not overpowering. If I was making it again for my kids, I'd cut back on the onion and the chili powder. My kids ate it, but they would have eaten more if it was a bit milder. I served it with Pamela's drop biscuits. The leftovers freeze well, but you will probably need to add a bit of broth or water to thin it out again.

more bean soup:

16-bean soup
refried bean soup
white chili
black bean soup
morrocan lentil
split pea soup

Erin Chase, from $5 on Rachael Ray tomorrow, April 21

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:24:00 +0000

Good Morning!!

I just wanted to give you a heads up that Erin, from $5 Dinners will be on the Rachael Ray show tomorrow, April 21. I haven't met Erin face-to-face, but she and I have chatted on the phone a few times and through email and instant message.

You can read about her experience with the taping, here.

What I LOVE about reading her RR story, is it started the same way mine did. She emailed the show. I can't even count the number of times I've written in to talk shows-----I do it all the time, and I did it monthly while I was trying to get Totally Together published. It's just something I do. I feel it's better to do something proactive (not the face scrub. although I have tried it----it sort of worked, but then gave me a rash) then wait for stuff to fall in my lap.

But the Rachael Ray show is the only one, ever, who has ever responded.

So! set your dvrs and support Erin. And then go do something that will push you towards whatever goal you're currently working on. (towards whatever goal of which you're currently working?) boy, that sounds pretentious.

In other news,
I completed all my copyedit edits. The book just got FedExed off (which, OH MY is expensive. $68? really? I couldn't believe it.)

and Tiffany, from Eat at Home, interviewed me along with 4 other busy food bloggers about thier go-to family meals.

Have a super wonderful day! I'm spending it doing nothing. :-0

What I've Been Up To

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:02:00 +0000

I'm here! I'm alive!

I've gotten a few emails asking if I'm okay.
I am, and the idea that there are REAL people out there who worry and care about me is totally freaky and extraordinarily neat (yes, neat. I thought for a full 4 seconds on what adjective to use here, and I chose neat. all on my own. I need to stop watching Silver Spoons reruns on Nick at Night).

I'm working on the slow cooker manuscript---I've got the copy edits back and I'm working my way through them----it's due back in a few days, so I'm feeling kind of scatter-brained. It's a little disheartening to get a pile of papers back with red writing scrawled everywhere, but I've been told that it's all good, and most of the red stuff is not for me, but for the graphics people.

We have a finalized name, now, too! Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: The Big Book of Everday Slow Cooking. I like the name a lot. This is my living room. And since I like keeping it real and all, there's the laundry that I should have put away, but instead I'm hoping magical elves will come do it for me. I'm not following my own list of chores.

~sigh~

The slow cookers are nestled under the kitchen countertop, and they are currently empty. I have not planned anything for dinner. which means I've again not followed my own advice.

~~double sigh~~

We're probably going to have leftover baked bean soup that I made the other day but haven't gotten around to posting.

~~~triple sigh~~~

it tasted pretty good, though. I made it vegetarian. It could have used some bacon, probably.

or maybe Adam will pick up Taco Bell. Adam?

I'm still weighing heavily on this sadness.

and that's about it.

Thank you so much YET AGAIN for all of your complete and utter awesomeness.

and patience.

Slow Cooker 20 to 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:13:00 +0000

This is a reader recipe sent in by Veronica.

Thank you so much, Veronica-----this is a fantastic recipe. She usually uses about 20 cloves of garlic, and I tried to go up to 40 cloves, but ended up only having 33 in the house to use. I used two packages of drumsticks for the chicken, but you could easily throw a whole bird in or use 3-4 pounds of your favorite chicken parts.

The Ingredients.
serves 6

3-4 pounds chicken
1 large onion (or 2 bitties, like I used), sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
20-40 garlic cloves, peeled, but intact

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart oval slow cooker. Place onion slices on the bottom of the stoneware insert. In a large mixing bowl, toss chicken parts with olive oil, salt, paprika, pepper, and all of the garlic cloves. Pour into slow cooker, on top of the onion.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The longer you cook chicken-on-the-bone, the more tender it will be. If you use drumsticks, the ones on the side will brown and may stick to the sides of the crock, burning a bit. If this bothers you, you can rearrange them with tongs an hour before serving.
I cooked our chicken on low for 7 hours, then kept it on warm for another 2.

Veronica serves her chicken with a salad, mashed potatoes, corn, and green beans. I served it with quinoa and asparagus.

The Verdict.

This is wonderful! The onion and garlic had a mild, nutty garlic flavor that was a bit sweet. Some of the larger cloves of garlic that were still intact were kind of strong---they itched my nose. The kids ate the chicken (no onions or garlic for them) dipped in bbq sauce. Adam and I each ate 3 drumsticks that night, and I used the leftovers to make some amazing fried rice last night.

Thank you so much, Veronica!

more chicken, bawk-bawk-bawk:

Vietnamese Roasted Chicken
Adobo Chicken
Whole Roasted
Rotisserie Roasted
Lemon and Herb Roasted

Poor Man's Chili Slow Cooker Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Happy Friday!

I made the very best "free" dinner the other night. I planned on going out to get some fresh chicken for the crock, but my little one climbed into her bed at 9:45 am and fell asleep. Until 12:30. No fever or anything, I guess she was just tired.
So I had to use what I had on hand to make dinner----the afternoon was packed full of activities, including a dance class that ends at 5:30pm. I had to get the slow cooker plugged in or we were going to end up eating lovely bowls of Rice Chex for dinner.

not that there's anything wrong with that.

This chili is similar to the Clean Out the Pantry Chili I made last July, because I just started opening cans and tossing stuff in.
But this is different.
The biggest difference is the spices I used and that my kids ate it this time. I also tried using jarred pasta sauce for the base, since I didn't have any canned tomatoes in the house. It worked!

The Ingredients.
serves 6.

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
1 (24-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
1 cup baby tomatoes (optional, they pop after slow cooking!)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon corriander
1 teaspoon tumeric (not really a "poor" spice, it's a substitute for saffron, but I had it in the cupboard. If you don't have any, you can try a mixture of curry and cardamom, or just omit it all together)
1 cinnamon stick

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart slow cooker. Drain the beans and corn, and put the can contents into your crock. Top with tomatoes, if using, and the pasta sauce. Stir in spices, and add cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for about 4. If the tomatoes haven't popped on their own, gently poke them with a wooden spoon to pop before serving.

The Verdict.

This was a very filling, and lovely chili without a hint of spice----just a great medley of flavor. The cinnamon provided enough of a "sweet" component to convince the kids that I had put brown sugar in their servings. I didn't correct them.
I enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day over a baked potato.

more chili!:

Presidential Chili
traditional chili
white chili
clean out the pantry chili
chili and cheese afternoon snack

Slow Cooker Rice Pudding Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:57:00 +0000

The last time I attempted a rice pudding it didn't go over very well. I tried too hard to "fancy it up"----this is a basic recipe, that is darn near perfect.

and it makes a LOT.

The Ingredients.

8 cups milk (I used half soy milk, and half fat free cow's)
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cup sugar

then:
1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart slow cooker. Spray the stoneware insert with cooking spray, then combine the milk, rice, and sugar. Stir well and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for about 4. It took longer than I expected for my rice to become bite-tender---I did low for 3 hours, then high for another 2.

When the rice is tender, mix in a large mixing bowl, the eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Scoop a 1/2 cup of the hot rice mixture into the mixing bowl and whisk. Keep adding 1/2 cup at a time of the rice and milk mixture into the egg bowl until about half of the milk and rice mixture is gone from the slow cooker. Then pour everything back into the pot. Stir well. This is called "tempering your eggs"---you have to do this step, or your eggs will scramble on you when you add them to the crock.

Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Stir well, then take the lid off of the cooker and unplug it. When the rice pudding is room temperature, you can refrigerate it. Some people like their pudding hot or warm, and some prefer it chilled----it's completely up to you.

The Verdict.

Delicious! So way better than the last time...
I'd guess that this would serve 14 people as a dessert. We had it for dessert and for an afternoon snack for a bit under a week. Super good.
Trust me.

more slow cooked desserts:

cheesecake
chocolate mousse
blueberry buckle
peach pie
creme brulee
pound cake

Slow Cooker Mexican Breakfast Casserole

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:38:00 +0000

We went to a museum opening last weekend, and my brother's mother-in-law, Shari (hi Shari!) told me that she had a breakfast casserole with green chiles that I should really make. She said she'd email me the recipe.
This isn't her recipe. She hasn't had the opportunity to email hers, and I didn't have the patience to wait, or the perseverance to bug her.
so I made this up.

I think she'd like it.

The Ingredients.
serves 8, easily.

corn tortillas (I didn't count them. Maybe I used 8? 7?)
8 eggs
2 cups fat free milk
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (7-ounce) can green chiles, drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tiny onion, diced
1 cup corn (I had leftover fresh corn from the weekend, but frozen would totally work)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart round slow cooker. Butter or Pam the inside of your stoneware. Put a layer of corn tortillas on the bottom---you may have to tear some to make them fit nicely.
In a very large mixing bowl, combine all of the other ingredients, and whisk together. Pour about 1/2 of the mixture into the slow cooker, on top of the tortillas. Put in another layer of tortillas, and top with the remaining egg/milk/cheese/other stuff mixture. Top with another layer of corn tortillas.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your cooker seals well (my 4-quart has a plastic lid, and a lot of condensation builds up), uncover 15-20 minutes before serving and cook on high to release condensation and to firm up the top a bit. You know your breakfast is done when the eggs are fully cooked and the edges have begun to brown and the cheese gets a bit crispy on the sides.
Adam really likes crispy cheese---the kids do not.

The Verdict.

I loved this. LOVED it. The chiles were not spicy in the slightest, and Adam added salsa to his bowl. The kids picked out the "green stuff" but ate the rest just fine. I served this for dinner a few days ago, and have been eating leftovers for breakfast and lunch the past 2 days.

If you don't have corn tortillas in the house, or would prefer to go another way, you can pour the egg mixture on top of a bag of frozen hashbrowns, just like I did in this recipe.

If you have sausage or other meat you'd like to add, go for it, but take out the salt, and season to taste at the table.

other great slow cooked breakfasts:

hashbrown casserole
overnight breakfast casserole
overnight breakfast sausage and potatoes
egg, feta, and mushroom casserole
overnight grits
pancakes
granola

Slow Cooker Tandoori Chicken Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:47:00 +0000

This just isn't going to be a good picture----it doesn't matter how much cilantro I throw on it. But I promise it tastes good.

I did some research on tandoori chicken last week and learned that a lot of times, the way the red coloring is achieved in restaurants is through food coloring.
The more food coloring you add, the more red your chicken will be. I find this highly amusing, yet no one else in my family finds it as funny as I do. But imagine. The chicken could be *blue*! or *chartreuse*! and still taste the same!

anyway. If you don't want to use food coloring, don't. But you won't get red chicken.

The Ingredients.
3-4 pounds chicken---pieces or whole, your choice. I had a whole one I bought on sale a while ago, and skinned it before I put it in the crock. I have abnormal issues with chicken skin.
1 cup plain yogurt, divided (you could use sour cream, instead)
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (the picture shows whole. I grabbed the wrong bottle.)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cardamom pods, or 1/4 teaspoon ground
1 tablespoon cumin
6 cloves garlic (I tossed them in whole)
5-6 drops red food coloring (optional)
1 lemon, juiced

The Directions.

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Skin the bird and toss out the neck and the stuff from inside. Shudder a few times.
In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup yogurt with all dry spices, and the red food coloring. Smear all over the bird, inside and out. Put the cardamom pods inside the bird, and lower it into the crockpot. Toss whole garlic cloves on top, and squeeze on the lemon juice.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4. You can check doneness with a meat thermometer, too. Serve with basmati rice.
After removing meat from the pot, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of yogurt to make a yummy sauce to pour over the meat and rice.

The Verdict.

I really liked this a lot. The meat was spicy where it was coated in the blend, but otherwise just slightly infused with the smoky flavor. I was able to peel some non-spicy meat off the bones for the kids (which they dipped in bbq sauce), and Adam and I piled our plates high with the meat on top of rice with lots of the tandoori sauce. If I was going to make this for company, I'd use boneless, skinless thighs. The bones got in my way.
I've saved the carcass to make some broth.

more fun chicken!

Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)
applesauce chicken
bacon and cheese chicken
chicken nuggets
chicken pot pie
chicken noodle soup

CrockPot Chile Verde Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:27:00 +0000

Good morning! I swear I haven't fallen from the face of the planet. I'm here. I took a week off from all things crockpot.
But now I'm back!

and better than ever!

or just back.

I had a really neat conversation last week with a mom at the softball field, and she was telling me about her husband's hunting trips and how he likes to make chile verde with wild boar. It sounded wonderful. Except for the wild boar part. She mentioned that he once put in some homemade sausage that had a lot of sage in it, and it really made the dish "pop"---so now they always toss in a lot of sage. After some googling, I learned that a lot of verde recipes use sage.

I don't really have a way to end this thought.

You can do what I did, and make the Chile Verde by scratch, or you can totally go the lazy way, and get a bottle of salsa verde from the store and pour it on top of a hunk of meat. That is perfectly okay.

The Ingredients.

4 pound chuck roast, or pork shoulder/butt (I used a chuck roast)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small onion, diced
1 (4 ounce) can diced chile (mine were mild, your choice)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
10 tomatillos, diced (peel off the outer wrapper, if they have one)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sage
1 Tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart. Trim any visible fat from the meat, and plop into your slow cooker stoneware. Add diced bell pepper and onion. If your tomatillos have the leafy-outer skin left on them, take the skin and stem off, and dice finely (I used the pampered chef chopper thingy. You can pulse in a food processor, instead, if you'd like). Pour in the contents of the diced chile can and the tomato can. Add spices. Stir a bit to get the spices down the sides of the meat. Add chopped cilantro to the top.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, high for 6, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. After 7 hours on low, my meat was still pretty tough, so I chopped it into large chunks, and put it back in the pot for another 2 hours. By then, it had shredded nicely for me.

Serve with rice, corn tortillas, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. oh! and refried beans.

The Verdict.

Delicious. 3 out of the 4 of us ate this happily, and the other had a quesadilla. The meat was super tender, and had a good flavor. Ours was not spicy *at all.* If you'd like more heat, you can add more red pepper or top with some jalapeno slices at the table. Adam and I had the meat the next day for lunch, and it had even more flavor.
If I was going to make this for company, I'd maybe cook it over night, shred the meat, then keep it on low during the day to soak up the sauce flavor throughout the day.
If your slow cooker releases a lot of steam through a vent hole, put a layer of foil over the stoneware, then put the lid on. You want a lot of moisture to tenderize the meat. Be super careful when removing the foil----the steam will be quite hot.

CrockPot Albondigas (Meatball) Soup Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:55:00 +0000

Good morning! I made a wonderful meatball soup a few nights ago. I was inspired by Elise Bauer's Albondigas Soup recipe posted on Simply Recipes. I bookmarked this soup about a year ago, but hadn't gotten around to trying it. When I found that Costco started carrying some gluten-free meatballs I knew I was ready to test it out. Elise makes her own, which you can too, but you'll need to fully cook them before throwing into the crock. They will disintegrate otherwise.

I really liked this soup, and what I liked EVEN more about it was that I made do with pantry and freezer stuff instead of going to the store, which makes it "free"! I'm speaking with Elise in July at BlogHer on the FoodBlogging During a Recession Panel. The Crock-Pot is such a useful tool when creating low cost meals for you and your family.

The Ingredients.

4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup baby tomatoes, quartered
1 cup baby carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup prepared pasta sauce (I used pizza sauce; it worked!)
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
15-18 frozen meatballs, Italian or similar flavored (The Coleman Natural say gluten free right on the label)
1 cup frozen peas (if you stir them in 20 min before serving, they will retain their color. I did not do that, and my peas looked canned. I wish I had waited and stirred them in at the end.)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. Put the broth, vegetables, pizza sauce, and mint into your slow cooker. Stir in frozen meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. The seasoning from the meatballs is what is going to flavor your soup. The longer and slower you cook the soup, the more flavor the broth will have. Stir in frozen peas 20 minutes or so before serving.
Garnish with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese.

The Verdict.

Adam and I really liked this soup. I was intrigued by the mint, which is what caused me to bookmark this soup to try so long ago. Elise said that the mint is what really differentiates Albondigas (means "meatballs") Soup from other soups and provides a unique flavor. I was happily surprised by the subtle mint flavor, and how it provided a cooling sensation on my tongue. I wanted a bit of heat, and added some Tabasco to my bowl. Adam ate it as-is, and the kids drank the broth and ate the veggies---no meatballs for them (yet they eat them plain with ketchup all the time...?).

Very cool. Thank you, Elise! I look forward to seeing you again in July.

BlogHer '09">

For those who aren't familiar with BlogHer, it is (primarily) a women's networking community and conference for bloggers, although many attend who do not yet blog, they are just interested in learning more about it. The three women founders wanted to create a conference specifically for women bloggers---this is now their 5th year. I went last year, and really enjoyed myself. It's a lot of fun to put faces with screen names, and meet new writers.
I do a bit of work during the week for BlogHerads, which is the ad network BlogHer started to help compensate women for their online writing work.
Adam and I are celebrating our 10-year anniversary this July, and will attend the conference together. Sort of. I think he's mostly looking forward to sleeping in and ordering room service.

related: Save Money by Using Your Crock-Pot Slow Cooker
A Year Ago Today: Ginger Teriyaki Tofu
A Year Ago Yesterday: Dulce de Leche
Totally Together: Managing Children's Art

The Power of Social Media

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:40:00 +0000

I have been asked through BlogHer to help showcase the far-reaching power of social media to help people in need.
Procter & Gamble, the makers of TIDE laundry detergent are selling "vintage" T-Shirts to help families devastated by disaster.

This is what P&G says on their Loads of Hope website:

Tide Loads of Hope helps in the aftermath of a natural disaster by providing clean clothes and a sense of comfort to families in need. Partnering with Feeding America, we travel to disaster affected neighborhoods with the Tide Loads of Hope truck or vans, our free mobile laundry service.

Tide Loads of Hope truck:

32 high-effiency washers and dryers stationed on the truck
Can do 300 wash and dry cycles a day -equal to one year's worth of laundry for a single family
Will wash about 9,000 loads of laundry over a four-week period
Leveraged during massive disasters where electricity is unavailable in the region
Tide Loads of Hope vans:

In partnership with a local laundromat, the Tide Loads of Hope vans provide free laundry service at the same load rate as the trucks
Leveraged during disasters where neighboring communities still have a source of electricity

To date, Tide Loads of Hope has washed more than 35,000 loads of laundry for over 20,000 families. Most importantly, the Tide Loads of Hope program means we're equipped to take action whenever and wherever there is a need in our country.

Tide Loads of Hope Vintage Tees:

Tide Loads of Hope can also be supported through the purchase of a Tide Vintage Tee. All profits go to support families affected by disaster.

Where it all started:

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the need for clean clothing became critical, and Tide found a way to help. So in November 2005, the Tide Loads of Hope truck headed to Camp Hope in the Metairie, LA area and cleaned over 10,000 loads of laundry. The spirit of this first venture informs and inspires everything Tide Loads of Hope program does.

How can you help?

P&G has asked us to help get the word out about their efforts to raise money via T-Shirt sales to support families that are affected by disaster in this one-of-a-kind program. The shirts are vintage-looking and support a great cause.

Shirts can be purchased through this link:
http://tidetshirts.pgvillage.com/c-9-show-all.aspx?_vsc=tide4

Please use this link (this helps distinguish the source, as we are having a good-natured contest between several social media companies - but of course, the goal is to get the word out about this great charity!)

So, here's what I'm asking: If you are so inclined, please post a short blurb on your blog (regular blog is fine!) and/or tweet about the program, and share the T-shirt link with your readers. If you DO post about it, or tweet about it, will you drop by this form and leave me the links? (You can also share on Facebook or wherever floats your boat, too. BlogTalkRadio hosts? Podcasters?) We want to show P&G the power of social media!

thank you for your time, effort, and help.
xoxo steph

And!
A meatball soup is on the way. AND! you can totally use Coke instead of soda in brown sugar chicken. But.
it perhaps maybe will keep your kids up at night?
hmmph.

CrockPot Hirino Psito, Slow-Roasted Pork

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:14:00 +0000

My friend, Georgia, printed this recipe off of ABC's website. It is a take on Cat Cora's family recipe, and is modified for the crockpot, and for me.

Because I couldn't understand how it was really supposed to be prepared.

This was the "winning" pork recipe, according to Adam. I cooked it overnight, and woke up to the best smelling kitchen--ever--even though I did slightly overcook the meat.

The Ingredients.

3-4 pound boneless pork butt or shoulder
10 whole garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup beer (Redbridge is gluten free)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your crockpot, and pour on dry spices, and brown sugar. Flip the meat over a few times in the stoneware so the spices are kind of stuck to all sides. Peel garlic cloves and add whole. Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, honey, and cranberries. Top with bay leaves. Pour in the beer.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. I cooked on low for 12 hours, and while the meat was tender and flavorful, it did burn a bit on the top and sides. Serve over rice or pasta, or on your favorite sandwich rolls.

The Verdict.

Adam LOVED this. I loved the smell. I want to try this sauce/ingredient combination with a turkey breast or hunk of beef.

I am done with pork. WOHOOOOOO! I turned in the first draft of the book, and already have the edits back.
which means I really should be working...

A Year Ago Today: CrockPot Creamed Spinach (better than it sounds!)
Totally Together: Managing Children's Art

Announcing: Totally Together, the blog

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Finally. It's here. Thank you so very much to Jennette Fulda. My goal is to update here and there a few times a week.

I may need some hand-holding.

Thank you for all of your love and support; it means so very much.

xoxo
steph

Today (3/9): Homemade Gluten Free "Thin Mint" Girl Scout Cookies

Meal Planning with the CrockPot

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:55:00 +0000

I've been thinking a lot about meal planning lately. Last year took on a life of it's own with the brand-new-recipe-every-single-day-because-I-am-absolutely-bonkers challenge.

But it's 2009. And 2009 seems to be the year that we (global along with personal 'we' here) go back to basics. Basics are good.

I fell in love with the crockpot because of how I could stretch meals, and make-do with pantry staples. I've crockpotted and re-purposed with the crockpot this past week or so, and would like to share.

Last Saturday, my mom hosted a breakfast to celebrate a visit from our Scottish relatives (not these ones; different ones, yet still related!) I made the Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, but mixed it up a bit. Mom didn't want meat. So I cut the meat, added mushrooms and another bell pepper, and upped the seasoning to make up for flavor since there wasn't any sausage. It turned out great.

On Sunday, I made Tilapia in Foil Packets, served with quinoa and broccoli. Instead of using cheddar cheese, I used shredded Parmesan--it was fantastic, and the kids each ate two servings.

Yesterday (Monday), I made Taco Soup. Taco soup is still the hands-down go-to meal when I want to ensure the kids eat a hearty meal. Adam took leftovers for lunch today, and we still have 1 quart left for a planned leftover night.

Today I've got lasag na bubbling away in the crockpot. It's raining BUCKETS, and I have no interest in going to the store, so I made due with stuff we had in the cabinets and freezer.

For pasta sauce, I'm using Trader Joe's Vodka sauce. For meat, I've cut up 3 frozen chicken and apple sausages (Aidells) and 5 gluten-free Italian Meatballs (Coleman Natural, purchased at Costco).

We didn't have any ricotta in the house, so I left it out, and used leftover mushrooms from the Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, some spinach, and chopped broccoli from Sunday night's Tilapia dinner.

For cheese, I used shredded Mexican blend (not Italian, oh no!) I bought on sale to go with the Taco Soup. I also used 2 string cheeses.

And for the pasta: I only had 3 Tinkyada lasagna noodles in the house, so a few of the layers are with brown rice penne from Trader Joe's. I didn't follow my own recipe AT ALL. But this will be a good dinner, I can already tell---and it was "free."
updated 3/5: we DID like this, but decided that it wasn't lasagna, just a casserole.

Wednesday is leftover night. I always throw in a leftover night (lots of times 2!)----we clean out the fridge and make-do with stuff already in the house. Sometimes I re-purpose leftovers and make fried rice. If I make anything "fried" tomorrow, it will be fried quinoa, because I still have 2 cups leftover from Sunday.

On Thursday I'm going to make Cheeseburger Soup, and try to figure out why the cheese is separating on people. It may mean I'm going to try just stirring in the cheese cubes at the end. I'll let you know.

updated 3/5: okay, I tried it with adding the Velveeta and milk at the very end, and it works just fine that way. There is plenty of moisture in the pot from the broth and browned meat to cook the potatoes. The milk and cheese melted almost instantly, and by the time the table was set, it was good to go. I tried blending a bit with a stick blender to thicken the broth. it worked.

also, I made the Not-Too-Spicy Bean Dip for an afternoon snack. I didn't have taco sauce in the house, but I did have buffalo wing sauce (I kind of always have buffalo wing sauce. it's probably not normal), so I added 2 capfulls into the bean blob. I also stirred in about 1 tablespoon of sour cream for some added moisture, and a handful of shredded cheese (still left from Taco Soup night). The kids loved it, and ate a lot. The buffalo wing sauce provided a slight tang and kick without being spicy.

Friday is the school's pasta feed (I will bring pre-cooked brown rice penne in a tupperware) that I somehow agreed to oversee. hmm.

Saturday is Brown Sugar Chicken--- always a big hit in our house (updated 3/5: it looks like we've been invited out on Sat, so this will be shoved into next week's plan.)

and on Sunday, I'm going re-make the Fish Chowder. This is my older daughter's most-requested meal, but I got a hilarious email about how it stunk up Sherri's house--I'm so sorry Sherri! So I'm going to try adding the seafood at the very end to keep sensitive noses happy. :-)

We will probably start the next week with a leftover night and will eat additional leftovers for lunch.

The crockpot is your friend, use it! Feel free to leave any and all frugal crockpotting go-to meals your family loves in the comments, I'd love to see them, and I'm sure many others would, too.

For more money-saving ideas: Save Money By Using Your Crock-Pot Slow Cooker

For more meal planning inspiration: Erin Chase, of $5 Dinners and Laura, at I'm An Organizing Junkie

For clean-out-the pantry/freezer meals, try:
Chili
Minestrone Soup
Mediterranean Chicken
Lazy Chicken
3 Packet Pot Roast
16 Bean Soup
Java Roast
Whole Chicken
Cream Cheese Chicken
Harvest Stew
Sloppy Joes
Cowboy Stew
Sausage and Vegetable Medley

One Year Ago Today: Barbecue Beans and Weenies
related: Meal Planning for Dummies. or for normal people. whatever.

CrockPot Maple Ham Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:15:00 +0000

HAM! FINALLY!

And it's so very, very easy. I was told that this was "better than normal ham" which is evidently a pretty big compliment. I did eat a few bites (and thankfully didn't get sick) because the smell while it was cooking was practically too much to bear. After I picked the kids up from school we spent the afternoon at the library just so I wouldn't have to be in the house with the amazing smells coming from the kitchen.

The Ingredients

serves 10

7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup all natural maple syrup

2 cups pineapple juice

The Directions.

Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham, and discard flavor packet. Place it into your stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If possible, baste ham with collected juice from the bottom of the crock an hour or so before serving. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 15-20 minutes before carving.

I had a hard time carving. I've never been very good with a knife.

The Verdict

I packed this ham up to give to my brother and sister-in-law, and for my dad. They were very complimentary. Adam had 3-4 sandwiches with the remaining meat.

I have 1! last pork recipe to go, and then I am OFFICIALLY DONE WITH PORK.

oink. oink.

super cute pigs from a farm visit on Valentine's Day

A year ago today: CrockPot Chicken Parmesan

CrockPot Leg of Lamb with Prunes Recipe

crockpotlady@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:37:00 +0000

I'm often asked what my favorite meal is that I've made in the crockpot. I never really know how to answer, because I sort of have forgotten along the way what I've made, and I feel weird picking just one thing out.

But. I can confidentaly answer that THIS is my favorite meal I've made so far this year in the crockpot. It's also the only one I've gotten to actually eat...

but whatever.

it's delicious.

The Ingredients.

4 pounds boneless leg of lamb
1 teaspoon each of:
rosemary
cumin
kosher salt
pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups dried plums (dude. they are PRUNES!)
1/2 cup white wine (you could use apple juice)
1 cinnamon stick

The Directions.

Use a 4-5 quart crockpot. Put meat inside, and rub it on all sides with dry spices. Add garlic and prunes. Pour in wine, and toss in a cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 4. I'd go with the longer and lower cooking time, though.

If you'd like, remove meat from stoneware, and make a gravy out of accumulated juice with some cornstarch. The prunes will be awfully squishy, and can blend right in with the juice and cornstarch. Serve with mashed potatoes or polenta with gravy drizzled over the top.

The Verdict.

YUM. I loved this, and so did Adam and the kids. We sat. At the table. Together.
I even put the laptop away. It was a great dinner.

A year ago today: Chicken and Rice Soup.