Christmas Ham in the Slow Cooker (Honey Citrus)

photo by Tara Donne

We've got 10 days until Christmas! It's time to start panicking!

I must be in complete denial because so far I've got this weird peaceful vibe going on. I sort of feel like things will just get done when they get done. Or they won't. But I'm oddly calm about the whole thing.

of course it might also be a side effect from all the spiked eggnog..........

Anyhow, if you are in charge of Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner and you're in the mood for ham, you should make this one. It's tasty and it involves citrus pulp, honey, cloves, and ginger ale. 

The Ingredients
serves 8

1 (6-to-7-pound bone-in spiral cut smoked ham
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 orange, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1 cup ginger ale

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham, and discard the flavor packet. Place the ham into your insert (flat side down).
In a small mixing bowl, combine the honey, mustard, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Smear this paste evenly all over the ham. You can even do this the day before, if you'd like, to let the flavors meld, although it isn't necessary.
Pour the juice and add the last little bit with the pulp into the sauce bowl and swirl it around to get all of the "good stuff" out of the bowl. Pour ginger ale evenly over the top. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3 hours.

Your ham can sit in the slow cooker for quite a while on the warm setting before carving, or you can take it out, carve it into pieces, then return it to the pot to stay warm in the yummy sauce until you and your guests are ready to eat.

Ham pairs well with Brussels Sprouts!
The Verdict

I made this ham for Thanksgiving, and Adam's grandpa said it was the best ham he ever ate (he put cranberry sauce on it, too), and when I recipe-tested this for the new book, I served it to seven children, and they all ate it!


Have a wonderful and joyful Holiday season. If you're not in the mood for ham, here are all of the Holiday-approved slow cooker recipes you might enjoy.

2014 is just around the corner. Let's make it a good one!!

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Cyber Monday Book Give Away

Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving weekend. I wanted to share that we are giving away a copy of each of my four books this week.

The giveaway is hosted on my Review/GiveAway page, which is HERE.

I have written three slow cooker books and a household organizer --- all of the books have different recipes, and I've described the differences between the books, HERE.

If you are thinking about getting a slow cooker as a gift this Holiday season, I have reviewed all of the ones that I like and personally use, HERE.


If you'd prefer to give a handmade gift this year to the special people in your life, I'd highly recommend the peanut clusters (they make a ton!) but you can also make soap, or candles, or even playdough in the slow cooker.


Have a great day, and don't forget to enter to win!

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"Grown Up" Green Bean Casserole and Savory Sweet Potato Bake slow cooker recipes

I went to New York for 22 hours this week, and got to cook with Rachael Ray! We talked Thanksgiving in the slow cooker, and how slow cooking is the best thing ever when in comes to Thanksgiving (or any Holiday, really) because the cookers do all the work while you get to enjoy your guests.

I'm so happy I got to go --- it was a great experience, and Rachael couldn't have been any nicer. And! I didn't cry!

It'll air on Monday, November 18th, right in time for you to plan your Thanksgiving dinner. Oh! and Whoopie Goldberg was in the dressing room next to mine and I saw her in the hall but I didn't want to be the freak who hunts down celebrities so I just did a little nod like a cool, calm, collected person would.

I want to share the recipes with you that I made on the show. I came up with them last Saturday after talking with their culinary crew --- they wanted something a bit different. I think you're going to love these, but I must admit that I never took any pictures at all when I recipe-tested. I was too pumped up on adrenaline and our house is in absolute chaos right now because we are moving.

Tomorrow.

(more on that later, but it's a house that is 5 houses away and it doesn't have a kitchen except for one from 1947 and that doesn't count because there is no dishwasher or even a garbage disposal. BUT! It's bigger than this one and I get to have an office for the first time ever and now I have a picture of me and Rachael to hang in it!)

"Grown Up" Green Bean Casserole
serves 8-10

3 tablespoons salted butter
1 1/2 pounds sliced white button mushrooms
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces 
1 cup French’s onion topping, optional (to add before serving, optional, NOT gluten free)
[just learned on Facebook that a good GF alternative are FunYuns! :-) ]

Heat butter in a large skillet until it has just begun to brown. Add mushrooms and stir. Cover, and cook on medium heat for a good ten minutes, stirring every so often, until mushrooms have shrunk in size and have wilted. Add 2 turns of the pepper grinder to the pan. This will take longer than you think it should – but don’t rush the mushrooms!
Add the onion to the mushrooms, along with a few more turns of the pepper grinder and a light sprinkling of kosher salt. Stir. Cook on med-high heat until the onions are translucent. Drop in the cream cheese and chicken broth. Cover the skillet again, and cook on medium heat until the cheese has melted fully. Turn off the stove.
Put the trimmed and rinsed green beans into an empty 6-quart slow cooker insert, and pour the mushroom mixture evenly over the top. Stir to disperse ingredients. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for about 2 hours. Stir again, and serve as-is, or top with a cup of French Fried onions or the smashed FunYuns.

Savory Sweet Potato Bake
serves 8 to 10

1 tablespoon salted butter
5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, and sliced in 2-inch rounds that are about 1/4-inch thick.
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
14 to 16 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
2 cups heavy cream

Smear the  butter all over the 6-quart insert of your slow cooker. Put 1/3 of the sweet potato rounds into your slow cooker, and sprinkle on 1/3 teaspoon of chipotle chile powder and a 1/3 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers until you have run out of ingredients. Pour heavy cream evenly over the top.
Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for about 2 hours.

 The Verdict.

They are both so tasty!! I know there's some work to do with the green beans in that you've got to brown the mushrooms and then the onion, but the end effect is amazing. Don't put the onions into the pan until the mushrooms are brown, though, because evidently the mushrooms won't brown because of some reason I can't remember. And I'm kind of jet-lagged and may have had an $8 bottle of Sutter Home wine on the plane.

Anyway. VERY GOOD. The sweet potatoes have a mellow heat that sneaks up the back of your tongue and the salty flavor of the gruyere is to die for. But, Adam didn't really like them. He sort of wants his sweet potatoes to remain sweet. But that's okay because I can make them that way, too!

Have a wonderful day!

Here are some more Thanksgiving Recipes if you need them!:
Round up 1 
Round up 2
Holiday Food

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Maple Barbecue Beef Slow Cooker Recipe

The dirty little secret about cookbook writers is that when they (okay, me) are on a deadline to finish writing a project they (me again!) don't actually cook.

Oh sure, they eat really really really well during recipe-testing, but when they are in the midst of edits and the kitchen table has papers stacked where dinner dishes should be, they sometimes forget all about dinner.

In this case, it's a good thing, because I made up a pretty phenomenal beef dinner using only the odds and ends of stuff I had in the house because I may have (accidentally) forgotten to go grocery shopping.

The Ingredients
serves 4 

2 pounds frozen solid and maybe even frostbitten stew meat
1/3 cup soy sauce (LaChoy is gluten free)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes (or 1 large onion, peeled and diced. We didn't have any.... gah.)
2/3 cup beef broth

The Directions

Use a 4 or 6-quart slow cooker. Your food will cook a bit faster in a 6-quart because it's not as filled -- that's okay, just check it after 7 hours.

Dump everything into the pot. Because my meat was frozen, I didn't have the opportunity to stir it. No worries.
Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for about 5 or 6 hours. If you are home during the day and can stir it once to disperse the ingredients, go ahead and do so after a few hours. If you are not home, don't worry about it. Just stir well before serving.

Your meat is finished when it can break apart with a spoon. Serve with mashed potatoes and/or roasted vegetables (pictured is roasted carrots from my mom's garden and sweet potatoes tossed with olive oil and sage).

The Verdict

Major winner. I was actually sweating bullets the day I put this into the pot because I couldn't take the time to leave to go get dinner-type-food and I had thrown away all the chicken in the house because of the recall. I needed to use the stew meat up, and I wanted to finish up the broth before it went bad. 

Everything about this worked -- the maple played nicely with the salty soy sauce to create a beautiful barbecue-teriyaki sauce. Now that I know this works so well, I'm going to be using it more often instead of leaning towards honey or brown sugar. What a nice surprise!!


~~~
I have good news! Ninja has extended my package offer for readers of the site for another Holiday Shopping Season. I heard word that they aren't going to run the infomercial this Fall/Winter, so this is the only place to get a complete package.

ALSO: The GiveAway Page is STOCKED with *FREE* giveaways for this Holiday shopping season. You can subscribe via email (click here for subscription options) to be alerted to each new giveaway. 

Happy Slow Cooking!!

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Monday thru Friday Slow Cooker Meal Plan for the Fall

HAPPY CROCKTOBER!!

In honor of the first Friday in Crocktober, I have put together another meal plan for you. I love the fall, and I of course LOVE Crocktober, but I am beyond relieved that this week is over.

It was a doozy.

next week will be better, though, because I'm going to stick to a game meal plan!

(meatless) Monday: End of Summer Harvest Soup
Tuesday: 20-40 Cove Garlic Chicken
Wednesday: Autumn Sausage Casserole
Thursday: Orange-Apricot Pork Chops
Friday: Chicken Enchilada Chili

Shopping List:
(to print out just the list, use the PRINT button at the bottom of the post and delete any photos and extraneous text)

PRODUCE:

Apples (2 green or yellow)
Carrots (1/2 cup chopped)
Celery (2 stalks)
Garlic (2-4 heads, up to 40 cloves)
Onions (4 yellow)
Tomatoes, baby (2 cups)
Zuchinni (4 med)
Yellow Crooked Neck Summer Squash (2 med)

DAIRY:

Parmesan Cheese (not a lot, for garnishing)
Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese (shredded, to add to Harvest Soup and Enchilada Chili)
Sour Cream (1/2 cup or so for Chili)

MEAT:

4 pounds chicken parts, or 1 roaster chicken
1 1/2 pounds additional chicken for Chili
6 pork chops
1 pound smoked chicken sausage (artichoke garlic or similar, I like Aidells brand)

DRY GOODS:

Pasta (1/2 cup, we use gluten free)
Rice (3 cups already-cooked white or brown rice)
Beans (dry white, 1/3 cup)

CANNED:

2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges
Pasta sauce (1 jar; will need 1 cup)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (for soup and for autumn casserole)
1 can enchilada sauce (will need 1 cup; read labels carefully for gluten)

BAKING NEEDS:

Brown Sugar (1/4 cup)
Raisins (1/2 cup)
1 cup Apricot Jam

SPICES:

Paprika (2 tsp)
Italian Seasoning (1 tablespoon)
Chili Powder (2 tsp)
Cumin (1 tsp)
Parsley flakes (1 tablespoon)
All Spice (1/2 tsp)
Cinnamon (1 tsp)
Ginger (1/4 tsp)
Cloves (1/4 tsp)

Pantry Staples:

Olive Oil (1 tablespoon)
Kosher Salt (2 tsp)
Black Pepper (2 tsp)


The Verdict:

I know that this grocery list is a bit longer than the previous meal plan's -- but everything should be very easy to find in your regular grocery store and hopefully you already own a bunch of the spices!

My eldest daughter turned 12 today. Which really can't be correct, because I am nowhere near old enough to have a 12-year-old. Five years ago I surprised her on her birthday with caramel apples. This year she has braces and can't have them, and has requested sushi for dinner. I'm pretty sure I can't find a way to make sushi in the crockpot...

have a wonderful weekend! Happy Slow Cooking this Crocktober!

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365 Slow Cooker Suppers (the book!) Is Now Available!

Hello!!

This is just a quick note to alert you that my newest cookbook: 365 Slow Cooker Suppers is NOW AVAILABLE at your friendly neighborhood bookstore!!

Thank you for your support and absolute awesomeness these past few years --- you are all wonderful.

We're giving away 5 signed copies of the book today! Good luck to all, and thank you again!

HAPPY SLOW COOKING! steph


{to enter giveaway, please CLICK over to the review site!}

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Monday thru Friday Slow Cooker Meal Plan

Happy Friday!

I've got something  a bit different for you today. I've been trying to figure out how to best share how I meal plan with the slow cooker, and figured it'd be the easiest to just share my grocery list with you! I am a ZipList participant, so if this particular meal plan isn't your favorite, you can easily make your own by clicking on the "save recipe" button under each selection and ZipList will automatically make a customized grocery list for you.

I also have a printable grocery list template on my downloads page that might be useful.

In the mean time, this is what we're having next week in our house. I hope it's helpful!

(meatless) Monday: Pesto Lasagna
Tuesday: Super Simple Cranberry Roast
Wednesday: Traditional Minestrone Soup
Thursday: General Tso's Chicken
Friday: Puffy Pizza Casserole


Grocery List:
(to print just this list, use the PRINT button below, and select just the list to print!)

PRODUCE
carrots (1 cup chopped)
celery (1 cup sliced)
garlic (5 cloves)
onions (2 yellow)
spinach (12-ounces baby leaves)
potatoes (optional; to go with Tuesday's cranberry roast)

DAIRY
eggs (2)
milk (1 cup; any variety)
mozzarella cheese (24 ounces needed for week)
parmesan cheese (1 1/2 cups)
pesto (11 ounces)
ricotta cheese (15-ounces)

MEAT
chicken (boneless, skinless, 1 to 2 pounds)
lean ground beef or turkey (1 pound)
beef or pork roast (3 pounds)
sliced pepperoni (20 pieces)

DRY GOODS
1.5-ounce envelope of Spaghetti Sauce mix (McCormick is GF)
fusilli pasta
lasagna noodles
dried beans (1 cup, black beans or pinto)
flour or gluten free baking mix (1 cup)
rice (optional, to serve with General Tso's Chicken)
soy sauce (1/4 cup, we use gluten free)

CANNED
cranberry sauce (16-ounce, whole berry)
olives, sliced (4 ounces)
pasta sauce (26 ounces)
tomato, diced (14.5-ounces)
tomato sauce (15-ounces)

FROZEN
spinach, chopped (10-ounces)
stir fried veggies (16-ounces, Asian blend)

PANTRY STAPLES
beef bouillon or broth (8 cups)
brown sugar (3 tablespoons)
dried ginger (1 teaspoon)
dried onion flakes (1-2 tablespoons)
Italian Seasoning (1 tablespoon)
red pepper flakes (1 teaspoon)


The Verdict:

Our week runs SO MUCH MORE SMOOTHLY when I take the time to write out a menu and grocery shop for all of the food either on the weekend or the week before. It does take a bit of planning, I know, but I do think you'll find that the hectic meal-making hours will be easier if the groceries are already in the house. 

The slow cooker already forces you to meal plan, so just by using it (somewhat) regularly you're already way ahead!!

have a great week!

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Basic Overnight Oatmeal Slow Cooker Recipe

We've hit September, which means school is back in session and it's early mornings and kids who need to be fed something (hopefully) substantial before leaving the house.

I've gotten a few emails about overnight oatmeal, and I've been experimenting. Because of the way the Internet is, I've figured out a VERY BASIC overnight oatmeal --- the oats are regular rolled and not "fancy" steel cut, and the oats are cooked in water, not milk.

If you want to change-up the water for cow's milk, or almond milk, or hemp, soy, coconut, lactaid, fairy, or unicorn milk: go for it! 

but water works, too!

The Ingredients:
serves 4-6

2 cups rolled old-fashioned oats (NOT quick cook) (I use certified gluten free oats)
4 1/2 cups water (or liquid equivalent)

The Directions.

Use a prepared (that's coated in cooking spray or butter) 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a 6-quart, increase the quantities by 50%. You can freeze the leftovers in little sandwich bags, if you'd like.

Put the oats into your slow cooker and stir in the water. Cover, and cook on low for 7 hours.

Stir in the morning.

The result is creamy, bland, tasteless oatmeal. You can add stuff at the table: honey, sliced fruit, brown sugar, etc.

WHAT MY KIDS LIKE:

2 cups rolled oats
4 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix (1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 nutmeg, 1/8 cloves)
2 small granny smith apples, diced (I leave on the skin because I'm terribly lazy)

In the morning they sprinkle on a bit more cinnamon and they like sliced bananas, too. What they'd REALLY like is for me to let them add brown sugar, but I don't.

because I'm terribly mean, too.

The Verdict.

The rolled oats disappear and become porridge-like. There is no longer a chew to the oats --- my kids like this a lot because it's the most similar to the little packets of sugar-laden oatmeal.
This is a very easy way to get a hot breakfast on a busy morning. 

I played around with the timing for those who don't have a programmable slow cooker, and if you do low for 7 hours you will be just fine. If you sleep longer (I'm jealous), it'll just get a bit dried out on the edges, but you can easily fix that by stirring in some milk.

Enjoy!!

New on Totally Together: The Art of Saying NO

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Introducing: 365 Slow Cooker Suppers Cookbook

I've been working on a new cookbook, and I'm happy to announce that it will be available in bookstores everywhere this September 24.

This was a tough book to write --- it has been a 3 year process to recipe develop and test 365 brand new dinner recipes. A few that appear in the book have been showcased on the site, but my contract stipulates that only 10% of the book content can go online.

And there are PICTURES!!

don't worry. I didn't take them.

Tara Donne, a fabulous food photographer, was in charge, and I just couldn't be any more pleased. The food looks FANTASTIC, but it was all made in a slow cooker (no funny food prep, my directions were followed) and to boot, all the food was photographed using gluten free ingredients, since Tara (and my editor) both just-so-happen to be gluten free.

I think you're really going to like this one. Some of the recipes from the book that you'll recognize are:
Not Your Mother's Meatballs
Matzo Ball Soup
Korean Soft Tacos


But there are tons of others that I'm sure will be a new regular in your meal plan rotation, such as:
Honey-Lime Chicken Soft Tacos
Barbacoa Beef
Snowy Brisket with Baked Sweet Potatoes
Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin with Mustard
Roasted Grape and Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Bake

I stuck to all main dishes for this book because while it's certainly a ton of fun to make cheesecake and greek yogurt, most people still really need good, solid, tried-and-true dinner recipes.

I've broken the recipes into chapters: Soups & Stews, Beans, Poultry, Beef & Lamb, Pork, Sandwiches, Meatless, and Fish & Seafood. There is also a full index.

Thank you for your support, and for your kindness these past five years. I never, ever, could have imagined that I'd be able to play with my crockpot everyday and consider it work.

Thank you.

I am working with the publicity team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help "get the word out" about this new book. I'm happy to learn that Sam's club and Costco will be stocking copies, but I'm not sure which regions.

If you'd like to help with publicity, I'd love to hear from you --- I am certainly open to any and all ideas! I wish I had the foresight to take a marketing class instead of so much English Lit in school!!

If you are out and about in a place that sells books, it would very much be helpful if you could mention my name and the book title to a manager.

And of course, this book will make an excellent gift to anyone on your Holiday list! If you'd like a signed bookplate, I will send one your way! Just email me.

Thank you again, and happy slow cooking!!

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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

I've got two out of three kids with new orthodontic work --- my eldest got braces a week ago, and her younger sister had a palate expander inserted yesterday (that expander thing kind of creeps me out).

This means we are eating an awful lot of soft food.

Garlic mashed potatoes were requested, and I was on a mission to see if I could make the whole dish directly in the slow cooker, without having to boil water or pull out a colander.

It worked! You're going to love these potatoes ---- the garlic roasts along with the potatoes in the cooker in a bit of chicken broth, then gets mashed right on in with both cream and Parmesan cheeses.

The Ingredients.
serves 8-10
 
5 pounds red potatoes, mostly skinned and quartered
20 cloves of garlic, peeled (about 2 heads)
1 cup chicken broth (you can use vegetable)
1/2 block (4 ounces) of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
(salt to taste if needed at the table)

 The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the peeled and quartered potatoes into an empty slow cooker. I left the skin on a few of the potatoes for added color and texture; it's completely up to you. Toss in the garlic cloves. Pour in chicken or vegetable broth. Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Check the potato doneness with a fork. The potato piece should slide right off, and the garlic should be a golden brown and pretty shiny. If you have a LOT of liquid in the bottom of the crock, you  might want to drain a bit of it out. I only ended up with what looked like a 1/4 cup or so accumulated (I used the Ninja Cooking System).

Add the cream cheese to the pot, and use an immersible hand blender to mash the potatoes, or you can use a whisk or potato masher if you'd like a chunkier finished product. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Salt to taste, if necessary, at the table.


The Verdict.

Delicious, creamy, and garlicky. The garlic is roasted, so the flavor is mellow and slightly nutty. There isn't any heat or bite from the garlic whatsoever, it's incredibly smooth. We brought this to a friend's house for dinner and it paired beautifully with oven roasted tri-tip and asparagus.

enjoy!

other garlicky goodness:
20-40 clove garlic chicken
roasted garlic
super duper garlic dip
roasted garlic spoonbread
honey garlic chicken
garlic baked potatoes
broccoli with roasted garlic and hazelnuts


we've got a giveaway for a new back-to-school backpack on Totally Together Journal, and LOTS of great prizes on the giveaway page!!

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Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glazed Corned Beef

Yesterday was Adam's birthday, and he requested corned beef. I've only cooked corned beef in the slow cooker since we've been married, but each time it's slightly different. Last night's dinner was better than perfect. 

The salty brine from the corned beef married beautifully with the glaze I made out of brown sugar, dijon mustard, molasses, and bourbon.

Super way yum.

The Ingredients.
serves 6 to 8

3 to 4 pounds corned beef (rinsed very very well)
and the enclosed seasoning packet
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons dijon mustard (prepared; not powdered)
1/4 cup bourbon (if you'd prefer, you can use apple juice)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I used my Ninja. Rinse your meat under running cold water to wash away as much of the salty brine as you can -- don't worry, the salt is infused in the meat and it will still taste salty to your tongue.

Place the roast into an empty slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, and pour the glaze over the top of your meat. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, flipping the meat over after about 5 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes and a nice green salad. 

The Verdict.

I can't wait for tonight's leftovers. You're really going to like this corned beef -- even my kid who isn't "really a fan" ate two helpings. If you've got a frozen package left over from the spring, thaw it out at least half-way before slow-cooking. The meat fibers are pretty tough, and it'll take 14 to 15 hours to cook on low if your meat is frozen.

It was a great birthday dinner, and I made a pretty-awesome-if-I-do-say-so-myself-and-I-do gluten free lemon cake for dessert. I'll write up the recipe; I promise. 

In the mean time:
here we are 20 years ago, on Adam's 17th birthday. This is the very first photo taken of us as a couple, and I love it to bits. We haven't aged much, right?! ;-)

 

I hope you're enjoying your summer!! Don't forget to check out the giveaway page for this week's great offers, and to order a new Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life planner. It begins again in September.

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Slow Cooker Baked Bean Round-Up

I blinked, and now it's July. It's full-on summer mode in our house, which means that any sort of schedule or sense of parental control has gone completely out the window. I was good for about a week --- I kept the TV off between 10 and 4 and we were outside more than in, and the kids were cooperating with me and each other.

it was blissful.

and then it ended.

I now have a sore throat from all the yelling...

We're trying to camp as many weekends as we can this summer. We're  not doing anything spectacular -- just staying close to home and testing out different campgrounds within an hour or two from the house. We are the proud new owners of a tiny pop-up tent trailer, and we love it. I must admit that I'm not the best camper in the world, but I'm really trying to get better. I love the idea of unplugging for a bit here and there, and I think it's important for the kids to get dirty and not freak out when they come across bugs. I'm acutely aware that I'm raising three girls, and am trying my hardest to expose them to as much as I can and foster self-sufficiency.

the best part of the pop-up? It has outlets. For the crockpot(s). A bit of comfort from home is not a bad thing, right?

Top 10 Baked Bean Recipes:

1. Bourbon Baked Beans

2. Potluck Beans

3. Boston Baked Beans

4. Lima Bean Casserole Cassoulet

5. Mexican Black Beans

6. Honey Lentils

7. Cowboy Beans

8. Barbecue Beans and Weenies

9. Baked Beans with Jalapeño and Apple

10. Baked Bean Soup

Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July. Enjoy your family!!

other stuff:
 * lots of giveaways are happening on the Giveaway page!
* I wrote a freelance article on Potty Training for the What to Expect website
* there's nothing here. I just felt like I needed three asterisks. 



 

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"Eyes Closed" Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe

We are enjoying the second week of summer vacation in our house. I love having the kids home with me. I sometimes feel like I "lose" them during the school year --- their teachers' somehow seem more "in charge" than I do, and while I'm head-over-heels in love with our school district, I just really like having my kids home with me.

I'm on a Little House on the Prairie kick again. I've written about my Little House love here and here and here -- there's just something about summer that makes me itchy to re-read the series (not a fan of the tv show so much) and spend more time outside instead of in. Melissa, a friend on twitter, also shares my love for all things Little House and at her suggestion I have been enjoying Into The West on dvd, Beyond the Prairie, and The Wilder Life.

All my reading has meant that I've decided (yet again) that my kids really need to step it up and help more around the house. So they made dinner.

I've called this Pot Roast "Eyes Closed" because it's so simple a grownup could throw it together while still half-asleep, or a child could easily load the crockpot with minimal instruction. If you're not comfortable with sharp knifes, onion flakes could be used instead, or you could pre-slice the onion yourself.

The Ingredients.
serves 4-6

1 large onion, peeled and sliced into rings
2 to 3 pounds beef chuck or pot roast
1/4 cup prepared ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared A-1 steak sauce

The Directions.

Use a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker. Place the onion rings into the bottom of your cooker and separate the rings with your fingers. Place the meat on top of the rings. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup and A-1 sauce. Pour this mixture over the top.

If desired, you can rub this mixture into the meat with your fingers, or you can simply use kitchen tongs to flip the meat over a few times to get the meat nice and saucy (that's my choice, although my 11-year-old really enjoyed rubbing the sauce around and ended up with sauce up to her elbows....)

Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for about 6 hours. The meat should cut easily with a fork when it's time to serve. The longer you cook it, the more relaxed it will become. Serve with roasted sweet or brown potatoes and something green.

The Verdict.

I like sauces like this that are flavorful enough on their own that no extra seasoning is required. A-1 is pretty magical stuff--- it's got garlic and onion powder in it and is pretty salty -- you certainly don't need any added salt. Ketchup balances the A-1 with a sweetness that doesn't require any extra sugar. Definitely use the organic stuff if you're staying away from fructose sugars.
All 5 happily ate our dinner, and then the kids cleaned the kitchen. I'm pretty sure they grumbled much more than Laura and Mary ever would have, though...

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Citrus Glazed Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

I've labeled the above photo so you know what it is --- it's human food, I promise. I struggle with my food photography. I've taken classes, and know that I'm supposed to take the food out of the pot when it's a bit under-done or when it has just finished cooking.

I own lighting and a backdrop. I'm just now realizing that the little "wb" on my camera means white balance and what the different little symbols are supposed to do.

But I don't follow the rules I'm supposed to follow, and more often than not, I plate the food for the family before realizing that I have broken all the guidelines and I have YET AGAIN produced an ugly looking plate of food.

Yeeps. I'm sorry about that.

Instead, I can attest to the taste. This is a great citrus chicken -- the flavors are sweet but not candy-coated sweet, and the sauce isn't greasy. My three kids gobbled all of this up, and my husband took the leftovers to work for lunch the next day.

I used a 4-quart slow cooker because it was already out on the countertop. If you'd like to use a larger pot, increase the quantities by 1/3.

Enjoy!

[updated. Thank you to Barbara G. for highlighting my photo in photoshop and sending it back for me to upload!!]

Citrus Glazed Chicken.
serves 4-6
 

2 oranges, peeled and separated into segments
3 pounds chicken thighs (I use boneless/skinless, your choice)
1 onion, sliced in rings
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chili sauce (in the ketchup aisle)
1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the orange segments into the bottom of your cooker, and place the chicken directly on top, and add the onion rings. In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic, orange juice, chili sauce, soy sauce, molasses, ground mustard, ginger, and pepper. Whisk together and pour evenly on top of the chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Serve on a bed of rice with a spoonful of accumulated juices.

The Verdict.
The whole family loved this dish, and I've made it a few times TV-Dinner style to have ready to go in the freezer. The orange segments cook away and slightly disappear in the sauce, but give off great orange flavor and texture. If you'd prefer a slightly sweeter version, you can certainly use canned mandarin oranges instead of the fresh.
I have a stash of chili sauce in the house because the store was running a special, but if you're wary of high-fructose (with good reason!) or want a homemade version, here's the recipe I've used with great success:

HomeMade Chili Sauce

makes approximately 2 cups; store in airtight container in the fridge for 6 months

2 cups tomato sauce (not pasta sauce!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (just a pinch!)


Don't forget to check out all the great giveaways we've got going on! New giveaways are posted quite often, so keep checking!! :-)

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