Crocking Fun Friday-It came in!

Yes, my new Crock Pot arrived!  With a little bonus crock called the Little Dipper!  And programmable to boot!  (Can you tell I am a little excited?)

So because of my excitement you get two recipes, one for each!

The first is simple and comes from The Crockin Girls' Slow Cookin Companion cookbook.

Idaho Dip
1 pkg. sausage
2 pkgs. cream cheese
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

Cook sausage and drain.  Place in cooker with cream cheese and tomatoes.  Cook on low for 2 hours or until heated through. 
Serve with chips or crackers.


The second, not so hard either, and one I do on a regular basis.



The name-
 Whole Fryer Chicken (aren't I original?)

I add one fryer chicken to the slow cooker.  Usually it is frozen solid!  Yes, I know there is "extra stuff" in the cavity.  It gets cooked as well and discarded later, but since it is a good source of nutrients, it stays in for now.

Sprinkle over the top-
sage,
garlic powder,
salt
and pepper.
Or anything else you feel like throwing in.
Add 2-3 cups of water.

I turn my Crock Pot on right before we go to bed and set it on low for 10 hours.  By the time we wake up, the cooker has switched to warm and the house smells good!

 

Sorry, this is a HORRIBLE picture, but funny story!  We were half way through eating dinner, and yelled stop!  (scared everyone to death!)  I realized I had not gotten a pretty, before picture, so you get the half eaten one!

 

Anyway, once the chicken is done cooking here's the plan-

We either:

1- eat chicken that night for dinner and freeze the leftovers for later use in a casserole or similar meal

or

2- I debone the whole chicken, freeze 2 cups portions and save some for homemade soup for our lunch.

Regardless, we always get several meals out of that chicken which saves money, we have cooked chicken ready to pull out of the freezer for easier and quicker meal prep, and I always have plenty of homemade chicken broth to freeze.  Haven't bought a can of chicken broth in a LONG time!

Happy Cooking!

Crocking Fun Friday and a blessing!

OK, here's a quick recipe for the slow cooker for you, we make this often!  It's makes a lot, so it is also good for when company is coming over.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1 (3 1/2-4 lb.) pork shoulder roast
1 can condensed French Onion Soup
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. cider vinegar
3 tbsp. brown sugar

Put roast in slow cooker.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over roast.  Cover and cook 4-5 hours on high, 6-8 on low.  Shred pork and cook an additional 10-20 minutes. 
Serve on buns.

Notice no picture?

Bad news- remember that  my crock pot died last week?  Yep, really could not get it to work.

The good news- My husband AND the Crock Pot people are amazing!

 I was going to just throw that sucker away and get a new one.  My amazing husband had a different idea and called Crock Pot's handy dandy phone number to see if they could help him fix it.  Stick with me, the story gets good.

He and the customer support gal played around for a while, turning the cooker on its' side, pressing buttons, etc with no luck.  Then, are you ready...

she said we will send you a new one!  Oh, and your model is not made anymore so we will have to send you a NEWER one.  Once the box gets there, please return the old one in the box so we can see what was wrong.

WOW!  Now how's that for customer support?  YEA CROCK POT!

Not to mention an AWESOME hubby who saved us money and was the hero of the day.  Well, he's always the hero, but he did get bonus points!  ;)

Slow Cooker Recipes! Week 2

Have you heard of Erin at 5 Dollar Dinners?  I have mentioned her before.  Not because I get anything from it, mind you, but just because I LOVE her site.  She is a wealth of information on saving money and recipes, and now has three cookbooks.  I have the first two and love them!  (Won both of them!)  She is the mom of several young boys and one on the way, so the recipes are always family friendly.

Anyway, often she posts slow cooker recipes as well, so today's is from her website.  Be sure to hop over and check it out! 

Alea’s Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Yield – 8 servings
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 6 hours

Ingredients

• ~1/2 pound hamburger, browned
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper diced
• 1 3/4 cups cooked or 15.5 oz. can black beans
• 1 3/4 cups cooked or 15.5 oz. can white beans
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 3/4 cups or 15.5 oz. can frozen corn
• 3 1/2 cups or 2 15.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup crushed chips
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

 

Directions

• If necessary, brown hamburger.
• Add hamburger, onion, bell pepper, beans, corn, rice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and taco seasoning to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with crushed chips and cheese.

Just for the record, it is thick, but we liked it that way.  Well, those of us that like beans.  A few had to just get over themselves.  I am like that sometimes!  ;)
Hope this week finds you with cooler temperatures, a slow cooker going and a smile on your face.

 

As for me...have I mentioned that my slow cooker died on me?  Seriously, WILL. NOT. WORK!
Which WILL. NOT. DO!  So I am off to buy another one.  Or two!

Crocking Fun Fridays

Happy Fun Friday!  Starting today and going through the month of September I am going to try something new!

Welcome to Crocking Fun Friday!
 

 

I love using a slow cooker, especially in the fall and winter, when the yummy smells just fill the air and speak comfort to me.  Now that we have returned to the south for a season, I have also realized it is a great way to cook and avoid heating up your house any more than it already is in the summer as well!  For some, it is just a fun way to cook, for others with a busy schedule it is a life saver.

This week's recipe comes from a newer site that I love  http://crockingirls.com/.  If you have not checked out this website, I encourage you to do so.  It is a wealth of information, and those two Texas girls will just make you smile!  Here is the link to their new cookbook which you can order for $32.95.   My sweet family blessed me with their new cookbook for Mother's Day and I have loved every recipe we have tried.  Here's one of our favorites!

Zesty Shredded Chicken Barbecue

6 boneless, chicken breasts, frozen
1 12 ounce bottle of barbecue sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 onions, sliced
rolls

Place chicken in slow cooker.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over top.  Slice onion and lay on top.  Cover and cook on low for approximately 4 hours.  Remove chicken and shred, returning to cooker for 1-2 more hours.  Serve on toasted rolls, or as a great topping to baked potatoes!

Enjoy!

Next week, I am going to try to figure out Linky so you can link up and add your favorite slow cooker recipe so start thinking!  Sharing is always almost as fun as eating!

Have a blessed weekend!