Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowl

For dinner I made a recipe I found on Pinterest. With all the recipes I have pinned I could could make something new every night and never run out of ideas.

Since I'm now working full-time I need all the ideas I can find so that I don't get bored and eat the same thing over and over.

My blog has suffered quite a bit in the last year or more. I've had so many changes in the last year and a half. I'm happy to report that I'm now venturing back into my craft room on a more regular basis and starting to dabble with ink, paper and stamps again so I hope to start sharing my projects once again. I also hope to start participating in some sketch challenges. Oh how I have missed them!

Tonight all I have is a recipe I found on Pinterest. It was good and I wasn't disappointed. It will make for great leftovers for lunch for a few days this coming week.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
Recipe from Pic Hut

1-1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
1 jars salsa
1 can black beans, drained
1/ lb. frozen corn - I omitted
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne powder - I omitted
1/4 tsp salt - I omitted
cracked pepper to taste
2 cups dry rice - I used brown
8 oz shredded cheddar - I will definitely not use this much cheese - I bought a Mexican blend of cheese
1/2 bunch cilantro (optional) - I love cilantro so I will use a lot of this!

Add everything except the rice, cheese and cilantro to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water. Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken in covered in the mixture.

Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions.

After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Store with a fork to shred the chicken. Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro. I also added some sour cream.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hamburger Hot Pot - Repost

I received an email from Prime Publishing LLC asking for permission to feature a casserole recipe I made on their site AllFreeCasseroleRecipes.com. I made this back in October of 2009. I changed it up a bit from the original recipe. It's pretty versatile so I know you could add or change ingredients to suit your taste. Check it out here along with tons of other recipes! If you'd like to see the original post you can see it here.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

Crock Pot Pepper Steak

 

 I came across this recipe on Pinterest. It's from the blog The Country Cook. Today was such a blustery day and a comforting crock pot meal sounded wonderful! I also like the added benefit of having leftovers for tomorrow night's meal too!

First slice up your steak.

Brown it in small batches.

I drained the meat on some paper towels.

Add the meat to the crock pot. 

Add the bouillon and cornstarch to hot water.

Pour this mixture over the meat.

Add the stewed tomatoes. I used two 14.5 oz cans. I used Del Monte's Italian Recipe.
She didn't specify what size can tomatoes to use.
I like tomatoes and since I'm the boss of my cooking I can do whatever I want!

Add the red pepper flakes. I used McCormick's Savory All-Purpose Salt Free Seasoning instead.

Add sugar.

Add either teriyaki or soy sauce. I used low-sodium soy sauce.

Mix altogether and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Slice up the peppers and onion.

Add them to the crock pot mixture.

 

Mix it all up and continue cooking for another hour.

Plate it up and enjoy! We loved it!

Crock Pot Pepper Steak

2 lbs round steak or sirloin tip steak, cut into 2-inch strips.
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large green pepper, cut into strips
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 Tbsp teriyaki or soy sauce
1 tsp white sugar

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle strips of beef with garlic powder. Brown beef strips on both sides. They should be sizzling when you put them in the pan. It should only take a minute or so per side. Don't cook through, just brown the outside.

You'll probably have to do a couple batches at a time. Don't cram them all in because they won't brown. Once browned, transfer beef to crock pot.

In a small bowl, crush and mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved. Then stir in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour over meat in crock pot.

Add stewed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, teriyaki or soy sauce and sugar. Give it all a quick stir. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add in your sliced peppers and onions. Cover and cook for an additional hour. Serve over rice.

These are some notes that she also had with the recipe:
Remember when cutting steak to always cut against the grain for the most tender cut of meat. Also, you could use London broil or flank steak. If you want the sauce to be thicker, just add more cornstarch. Mix a Tbsp of water with a Tbsp of cornstarch. Add to the crock pot, stir, then turn on high an cook until thickened.

This post is linked to these parties: Tasty Tuesdays, Take-A-Look Tuesday, Tasteful Tuesday Party

Easy Slow-Cooker A.1 Swiss Steak

I found this recipe in an email I received from Kraft Foods, so we tried it for dinner last night. It's as easy to prepare as the title says! The bonus is that you can toss it all in the crockpot and forget about it. That's my kind of recipe!

We liked it, so I'll be adding it to my rotation of dinner recipes. I replaced the Original Steak Sauce with the Thick & Hearty. The steak sauce really compliments the flavor in this recipe.

Easy Slow-Cooker A.1. Swiss Steak
(Adapted from Kraft Foods)
2 lbs. boneless beef chuck eye roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup A.1. Original Steak Sauce (I used a 10 oz. bottle of Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce)
1 onion, sliced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used Del Monte Basil, Garlic & Oregano No Salt Added)
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water

Toss meat with steak sauce: place in slow cooker. Top with onions and tomatoes; cover with lid.

Cook on LOW 9 to 10 hours (or HIGH 4 to 5 hours).

Mix flour and water. Stir into meat mixture; cook, covered 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

This post is linked to these parties: Friday Potluck, Food on Fridays, ffa Friday!,  Strut Your Stuff Saturday

Have a great weekend!

Beer and Beef Crockpot

I am so far behind in my blogging! I've been working on creating Christmas cards and not working on my blog. Every year I get them in the mail so late. This year I told myself they're going out much earlier. The last few years I've blogged about each card as I made it. This year I'm getting them finished, in the mail and then I'm going to blog them. Less stress for me that way!

I found this recipe that I made last week on the blog Dee Dee's Delights. I've never cooked anything with beer, but I've always heard it makes everything taste fantastic! As a matter of fact, I can't stand beer. I despise the smell of it. I've also never had good experiences when I've had a beer as it always makes me sick. I couldn't even tell you when I last even had a sip of beer. All that aside, I was bound and determined to try this recipe.

I know so little about buying beer, I didn't even know if  you could buy one can. I found that I could, so I picked up a big honking 24 ounce can. I have to admit I felt a little odd going through the check out with my one can of beer. I actually felt like I needed to justify why I was buying it. I didn't want the check out person to think I was going to bust it open and chug it all the way home. So, I told her it was for a recipe I was trying. I also wasn't sure if I should use light or regular, so I went for the regular full-fat version.

We LOVED this recipe! We're definitely having it again.

Here are the steps:

Add your beer to the crockpot and then start preparing the beef.

Cube the beef.

Coat in flour.

Brown in half the butter.

Transfer beef to crockpot.

Melt the rest of the butter.

Saute the onions, garlic and tomato paste.

Add this onion mixture to crockpot.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Enjoy!

Beer and Beef Crockpot

2 cups beer
3 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
1/2 cup plain flour
2 -3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
cayenne (optional) or crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Add the beer to the crock pot, turn the control to high. Cut the beef into cubes, coat with the flour and brown in half of the butter, you might have to do this in batches. Transfer the browned beef to the crock pot.

Using the rest of the butter brown the onions, add garlic, tomato puree and cayenne if using. Add to the crock pot together with the bay leaves and salt and pepper. Now turn the crock pot to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours, until the beef is tender.

If you want to thicken the sauce add about 2 tablespoons of flour made into a paste, about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir that in, you will have to turn the crock pot on high for this.

You can also find Dee Dee's Delights on Facebook.

On another note, I was lucky enough to attend one of the Taste of Home Cooking Schools last Monday! Yes, a week ago! I told you I'm behind in blogging! I've wanted to go to one of these since they started doing them. For one reason or another it just never worked out. Guy Klinzing was the Culinary Specialist and he's quite the entertainer. I went with four friends and we had fantastic seats! We sprang for VIP tickets and sat in the front row. They had so many giveaways and they plated all the food and gave it away. Unfortunately none of us won anything. Included in our VIP ticket however, was a cookbook. We felt so "special" because we were able to do a meet and greet with Guy and have our cookbooks signed! I'd definitely go to one of these events again, but if I never get the chance at least I can say I went to one.

This post is linked to these parties:  Mangia Mondays, Homemaker Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, A Marvelous Mess, Made By You Monday, Tasty Tuesdays.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

I think I've mentioned what a wonderful thing Pinterest is....like only about a million times! I keep asking myself why I have a million cookbooks when I have the Internet at my fingertips. I guess the easy answer would be that I absolutely LOVE paging through the books. I don't think I could ever get rid of them nor could I just look for recipes online.

This recipe came from Pinterest! I repinned it from Jessica Fralick who had pinned it from Chloe W. I could go on and on but originally it came from Six Sisters' Stuff. I did make something similar to this once, but I like this version better. You can check it out here.

In the recipe from Six Sister' Stuff  she used frozen chicken and a Hawaiian barbecue sauce from Target. I used fresh chicken and Hickory & Brown Sugar barbecue sauce.

That was only because I couldn't find a Hawaiian one. I was pretty happy that I reviewed my ingredients I was going to use beforehand. Turns out, I bought the wrong stuff! I bought a marinade. Time being on my side I was able to run to the store before I had to get everything in the crockpot.

This could be one of the easiest dinners I've made!

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce
20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup!

Place frozen or fresh chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce. Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top.

As you can see from the above photos, I didn't follow the rules. Story of my life! I added the pineapple first, then the barbecue sauce. I'm happy to report it turned out fine!

Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. Serve over rice.
 
You can see my Pinterest page here. I've also set up a Facebook page for my blog. You can check it out here. Follow me on both if you like!
 
This post is linked to these parties: Made by you Monday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays At The Table, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Tuesday Confessional, Tea Party Tuesday, Foodie Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, What I Whipped Up Wednesday

Crockpot Pepper Steak

I made the easiest dinner ever today! I found a recipe in an old "Prevention Guide" magazine called "Slow Cooker Recipes" from 2006. If I'm not scrapbooking, I'm reading recipes online or poring through anything cooking related. I scatter the books and magazines throughout the house. When the mess is more than I can handle I round them up, put them away, and start over again. My husband's a neat freak, so it totally drives him nuts! Not the cooking, but the mess.

This was so delicious! The only change I made was to use light soy sauce that was 50% sodium reduced. I also used canned diced tomatoes.  I served mine over Jasmine rice and I absolutely love the fragrance. If you've had Jasmine rice before, you know what I mean!

Pepper Steak
Makes 8 servings

1-1/2 - 2 lb beef round steak, trimmed of fat, cut in 3" x 1" strips
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 large green bell peppers, cut in strips
4 medium tomatoes, cut in eighths, or 1 16-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup cold water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Brown beef in oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Transfer to 4-quart or larger slow cooker.

In small bowl, combine soy sauce, onions, garlic, sugar, black pepper and ginger. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.

Add bell peppers and tomatoes (with juice). cover and cook 1 hour longer.

Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl to make paste. Stir into slow cooker. Cook on high until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Per serving: 290 calories, 28 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 740 mg sodium - made as the recipe suggests.

This post is linked to these parties: Cast Party Wednesday, Whisking Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday, Turning The Table Thursday, Chic & Crafty, Friday Potluck, Foodie Friday

Be sure to take some time to check out all the blogs listed above. I'm sure you'll find many recipes and crafts that you'll enjoy!

Three-Bean Turkey Chili

I'm trying a new chili recipe. Whenever I made chili I always used ground beef. I'd say about 14 years ago I first made it with ground turkey. I was hooked! I always use the same recipe, so I thought a change was in order.

This recipe came in an email I received from Kraft. When I saw "three-bean" I was a little leery. I don't really care for beans and never eat them unless they are in chili. The only other kind I eat are green beans. That's it. I've always been picky about food. That's probably why I have one daughter that's like that. I think she's much better now that she's older.

I only use light red kidney beans in my chili. When I make chicken chili I use the great Northern beans. I think I've had black beans before, but I'm not sure. I'm living on the edge here in Wisconsin this week.  The original recipe called for only 1/2 pound of ground turkey. I knew that wasn't going to cut it with my husband so I added a pound to the recipe. He's not the biggest fan of chili to begin with. 

We loved this chili! It has a wonderful flavor. It's also has a nice thick consistency. This just might be the way I make chili from now on. My husband even said he could eat this again! That was music to my ears because now I'll make it more often. As a matter of fact he will be having leftovers because we have plenty left for another meal.

The only changes I made were to use shredded Mozzarella in place of  Cheddar cheese. I used regular saltine crackers instead of Ritz crackers.

Three-Bean Turkey Chili
adapted from Kraft Recipes
makes 8 servings - 1-1/4 cups each serving

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar (16 oz.) Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) great Northern beans, rinsed
1 tsp.chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 pkg. (7 oz.) KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese
40 RITZ Crackers

COOK turkey in large saucepan on medium-high heat 10 min. or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
ADD to slow cooker with all remaining ingredients except cheese and crackers; stir.
COVER with lid. Cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours (or on LOW 5 to 6 hours).
SPOON into soup bowls; top with cheese. Serve with crackers.

This post is linked to these parties:
Tuesday Confessional
Menu Mondays
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
A Marvelous Mess
Made By You Monday
Tasty Tuesdays

Lemon Red Potatoes

I rarely ever make potatoes in the crockpot. That's all going to change now as these are my new favorite! For such a simple recipe, these potatoes pack alot of flavor. I did increase the amount of lemon juice than stated in the recipe. I also used bottled lemon juice rather than fresh squeezed.

If you're following Weight Watchers, this recipe would be 3 PointsPlus: 4g fat, 18g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein.

Lemon Red Potatoes
6 servings
Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-quart

1-1/2 lbs medium-sized red potatoes
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp lemon juice (I added a little more)
3 Tbsp fresh chives, snipped
chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cut a strip of peel from around the middle of each potato. Place potatoes and water in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on high 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Drain.
Combine butter, lemon juice, chives and parsley. Pour over potatoes. Toss to coat.
Season with salt and pepper.

* Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good

This recipe is liked to:
Homemaker Monday
Mouthwatering Mondays
Menu Mondays
Melt In Your Mouth Monday #22
Tasty Tuesdays
This Chick Cooks

Mandarin Orange Chicken

I made this for dinner last night. All afternoon the smell of chicken and onions wafting from the crockpot made my stomach grumble. We liked it but next time I think I would use more orange juice and less chicken juices when making the sauce. I just didn't think it had enough of an orange flavor to me. You never know how a recipe will turn out, I guess that's why it's call experimentation. I would definitely make this again.

If you are following Weight Watchers this recipe is 6 points plus per serving: 3.5g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 28g protein.

Mandarin Orange Chicken
Serves 4
3 or 4-quart slow cooker

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained, with 3 Tbsp juice reserved
2 Tbsp flour

Place chicken in slow cooker.
Combine onion, orange juice concentrate, poultry seasoning and salt. Pour over chicken.
Cover. cook on low 4-5 hours.
Remove chicken and keep warm. Reserve cooking juices.
In a saucepan, combine 3 Tbsp reserved mandarin orange juice and flour. Stir until smooth.
Stir in chicken cooking juices. Bring to a boil. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to thicken.
Stir in mandarin oranges. Pour over chicken.
Serve with rice or pasta.

* Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good

This post is linked to:
What's Cooking Thursdays
Full Plate Thursday
Turning the Table Thursday

Another Stroganoff....

I've found yet another stroganoff recipe that I just had to try. I think I'm obsessed with them because they are so easy and the fact that I like to eat things over noodles or rice.

I found this recipe in my Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook.

I like it when recipes have the nutritional value included. It easier for me to let my hubby know what the carbs are since he's diabetic. I might also add, this was delicious.

Below the recipe I've also included one for an Onion Soup Mix that's Salt-Free.

Steak Stroganoff

Marie Morucci

Glen Lyon, PA

Makes 6 servings - Ideal slow cooker size: 4-quart

2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

1-3/4 lb. boneless beef round steak, trimmed of fat

10-3/4 oz. can reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup water

1 envelope sodium-free dried onion soup mix

9-0z. jar sliced mushrooms, drained

1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper and paprika in slow cooker.

Cut meat into 1-1/2 x 1/2-in strips. Place in flour mixture and toss until meat is well coated.

Add mushroom soup, water and soup mix. Stir until well blended.

Cover. Cook on High 3 to 3-1/2 hours, or Low 6 to 7 hours.

Stir in mushrooms, sour cream and parsley. Cover and cook on High 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with rice.

Exchange List Values: Carbohydrate 1.0, Meat, lean 3.0

Basic Nutritional Values: Calories 256 (Calories from Fat 66), Total Fat 7 gm (Saturated Fat 2.4 gm, Polyunsat Fat 0.5 gm, Monounsat Fat 2.8 gm, Cholesterol 77 mg), Sodium 390 mg, Total Carbohydrate 17 gm, Dietary Fiber 2 gm, Sugars 5 gm, Protein 29 gm

Onion Soup Mix, Salt-Free

Madelyn L. Wheeler

Zionsville, IN

Makes 1 serving (equivalent to 1 pkg. purchased dry onion soup mix)

2-2/3 Tbsp. dried onion, minced, flaked, or chopped

4 tsp beef instant bouillon powder, sodium-free

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. celery seed

Exchange List Values: Carbohydrate 1.5

Basic Nutritional Values: Calories 106 (Calories from Fat 2), Total Fat 0 gm (Saturated Fat 0.0 gm, Polyunsat Fat 0.1 gm, Monounsat Fat 0.1 gm, Cholesterol 0 mg), Sodium 5 mg, Total Carbohydrate 23 gm, Dietary Fiber 2 gm, Sugars 11 gm, Protein 2 gm

Spiced Mocha

I'm the kind of person that can drink coffee from the time I get up until right before I hop into bed and fall right to sleep. Instead of having just plain coffee this evening, I decided to make myself some spiced mocha instead. Actually, I made a few servings. I was going to make this in the afternoon, but decided against it since it has Kahlua in it. I don't think I need alcohol in the afternoon!

This is soooo good! I didn't really measure any of the ingredients, just kind of threw it altogether in one of my small crockpots. Here's what I did:

First I made a pot of hazelnut creme coffee. I heated about 1-1/4 cups of water in the microwave and poured about half a pot of coffee and the water into the crockpot. Then I added two packets of lower calorie hot chocolate (that is made with water instead of milk). Stir until chocolate is mixed. I then added some hazelnut Kahula (didn't measure, just what looked like a good amount) and chili powder. I wanted it to have some kick, so maybe 4 or 5 shakes from the chili powder container. I added chocolate whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yum!

I have this all to myself, since the hubby doesn't like anything spicy...and that is just fine with me!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

The other day when I was on the Allrecipes.com site to get the recipe for the slow cooker sweet and tangy chicken, my eye caught this recipe. It looked so good, I knew I had to try it!

It turned out fantastic! This recipe is so easy and fast. The only changes I made were to add fresh mushrooms, used a lower sodium soup and a lower fat cream cheese. It's definitely worth a try!

Slow Cooker Sweet and Tangy Chicken

I found this recipe through an email I received from All Recipes.com. Now I'm not exactly a barbeque sauce person, but I thought it sounded intriguing with the combination of peppers, onions and pineapple. Both my husband and I give this recipe a thumbs up. When I walked in the door today, the smell of the sauce cooking was delectable! We'll be eating this for a few days, and I know I will make this again.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Pineapple

I've often wondered how a crock pot recipe using shrimp would turn out. Today was the day that I decided to try it out and see. This recipe comes from the Rival Crock-Pot Simple 1-2-3 Slow Cooker Recipes Book. The verdict is in. We loved it and Steve will be having leftovers tomorrow.

The only changes I had to make to this recipe were to use fresh snow peas instead of frozen. Frozen ones were no where to be found in the supermarkets here in Minocqua. I also added green pepper. The recipe doesn't call for it, but I need it in a sweet and sour sauce.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Pineapple

3 cans (8 ounces each) pineapple chunks, drained, 1 cup juice reserved
2 packages (6 ounces each) frozen snow peas, thawed
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar, plus 2 teaspoons
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups boiling water
4 teaspoons soy sauce (I used low sodium)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and cleaned
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Hot cooked rice

Drain pineapple chunks, reserving 1 cup juice. Place pineapple and snow peas in Crock-Pot slow cooker.

Combine cornstarch and sugar in medium saucepan. Dissolve bouillon cubes in water and add to saucepan. Mix in 1 cup reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce and ginger. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Pour into Crock-Pot slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours.

Add shrimp and vinegar. Cover; cook on LOW 30 minutes or until shrimp are done. Serve over hot rice.

Beef with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

The other day I was flipping through my 'Rival Crock-Pot Simple 1-2-3 Slow Cooker Recipes' Cookbook, looking for ideas for dinner. I came across one for beef with apples and sweet potatoes which made my husband's ears perk up. He loves sweet potatoes and I don't care for them. That may seem a little strange, because I've never even tasted one! They just don't look good to me. It's just like the pumpkin pie thing...I like pumpkin, but I've never had pie because it just doesn't look appealing. Anyway, being the nice wife (?) that I am, I made this for dinner tonight. He'll be having it for a few nights, since I'll have something else. Makes my life easier though!

Beef with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

1 boneless beef chuck shoulder roast (2 pounds)
1 can (40 ounces) sweet potatoes, drained
2 small onions, sliced
2 apples, cored and sliced
1/2 cup beef broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold water

Trim excess fat from beef and discard. Cut beef in 2-inch pieces. Place beef, sweet potatoes, onions, apples, broth, garlic, salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in slow cooker. Cover, cook on LOW 8 to 9 hours.

Transfer beef, sweet potatoes and apples to platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Let cooking liquid stand 5 minutes to allow fat to rise. Skim off fat and discard.

Stir together cornstarch, remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cinnamon and water until smooth; stir in cooking liquid. Cook 15 minutes on HIGH or until cooking liquid is thickened. Serve sauce with beef, sweet potatoes and apples.

Crockpot Chow Mein

Chow Mein was on the menu this evening. This is one of my favorites and since I've never made it before, I thought I'd give it a whirl. As a matter of fact, I came across the cookbook by accident. I've mentioned that I'm doing an organizational project, which I'm getting close to finishing, and this book was hidden in the middle of a ton of stuff. I'm always excited when I discover a cookbook that I haven't looked at in ages.

The book this recipe comes from is "Fix-It and Forget-It Slow-Cooker Magic". I did make a few adjustments, but nothing too extreme. I wanted more vegetables than just a can of bean sprouts, so instead of those, I used 28 ounces of chop seuy vegetables. I also added an 8-ounce can of water chestnuts.

This recipe says there are 8 servings, but I beg to differ. It appears to be much more and we will be eating it for several meals.

Chow Mein

Makes 8 servings
Ideal slow cooker: 3 or 4 quart

5 boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat and cubed
1 to 1-1/2 lbs. round steak, cubed
2 Tbsp. oil
6 cups water
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium to large onion, chopped
14.5-oz can bean sprouts, drained
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
1/4 cup cold water (optional)

Brown pork and steak in hot oil in nonstick skillet. Drain.

Combine all ingredients except soy sauce in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours.

Add soy sauce and thicken with 3 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, if desired.

Serve over rice or chow mein noodles.

Note: If your sodium count allows, you may want to add 1 tsp. salt when adding ingredients to slow cooker.