Crockpot Apple Cider

Crockpot Apple Cider

INGREDIENTS:
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
2 quarts apple cider
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 orange, sliced

HOW TO PREPARE:
Place cinnamon, cloves and allspice in a double thickness of
cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with a string to form
a bag.

Place cider and brown sugar in a 3-qt. slow cooker; stir until sugar
dissolves. Add spice bag. Place orange slices on top. Cover and cook
on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Discard spice bag.
Yield: 2 quarts.

Slushy Punch

Slushy Punch

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 ripe medium banana, cut up
½ cup sugar
½ of a 6oz can (1/3 cup) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1-liter bottle carbonated water or three 12-z cans lemon-lime soda, chilled
Finely shredded orange peel, optional

HOW TO PREPARE:
1. In a blender container combine pineapple juice, banana, sugar, orange juice concentrate, & lemon juice. Cover and blend until smooth. Stir in 1 1/3 cups water. Transfer to a 1 ½ or 2 quart glass baking dish. Cover and freeze overnight.

2. To serve, let mixture stand at room temperature about 20 minutes. To form slush, scrape a large spoon across frozen mixture; spoon the slush into a punch bowl. Slowly pour soda down side of bowl; stir gently to mix. If desired, garnish with orange peel. Makes about fourteen 4oz servings. Can double for a shower or party.

Hot Chocolate Mix

Hot Chocolate Mix

INGREDIENTS:
16 oz non dairy creamer (creamora)
1 ½-2 cups powdered sugar
16 cups or 4 quarts dry milk
1 can or 2lbs nestle quik

HOW TO PREPARE:
Mix together well. About ¼ cup per mug of hot water.

Orange Julius

Orange Julius

INGREDIENTS:
Orange juice or can (1 cup water)
Milk-1 cup
Vanilla-1 tsp
Sugar-1/2 cup
Ice cubes
HOW TO PREPARE:
Blend in blender

Or

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
1 cup milk
6oz frozen OJ
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Ice cubes
HOW TO PREPARE:
Blend in blender

Orange Punch

Orange Punch

INGREDIENTS:
1 gallon orange sherbet, softened
1 quarts pineapple juice, chilled
1 liter lemon-lime soda, chilled
Gummy worms (optional)

HOW TO PREPARE:
Combine sherbet and pineapple juice in a punch bowl; stir well. Add soda; stir until sherbet is almost dissolved. Decorate bowl with gummy worms. Serve immediately. Yield: 20 (1 cup) servings.

Baked French Fries

 

Baked French Fries

INGREDIENTS:
Cooking spray
12 yukon gold potatoes, cut into thick fries
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp black pepper


HOW TO PREPARE:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
Place sliced potatoes in a colander; sprinkle sugar over potatoes. Set aside until liquid is released from potatoes, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain liquid and dry potatoes well.
Mix potato slices, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a resealable bag until evenly coated. Spread coated potato slices in a single layer, leaving space around each potato, on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes; flip fries and continue baking until crisp and browned, about 20 more minutes.

Pumpkin Pancakes

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 Tbs canola oil
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 cup flour
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Crockpot Pork and Pinto Beans

Crockpot Pork and Pinto Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 boneless Pork Loin roast (3 to 4 pounds), halved
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
5 medium carrots, chopped (optional)
4 celery ribs, chopped (optional)
1-1/2 cups water
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash pepper
2 packages (10-1/2 ounces each) corn tortilla chips or 30 corn tortillas (10 inches)
Chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and/or shredded lettuce

HOW TO PREPARE:
Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven;
add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until
beans are softened.
Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Place roast in a 5-qt. slow
cooker. In a bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, carrots, celery,
water, chilies, chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano and pepper.
Pour over roast. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Reduce heat to
low; cook 5 hours longer or until beans are tender.
Remove meat, shred with two forks and return to slow cooker. With a
slotted spoon, serve meat mixture over corn chips or in tortillas;
serve with toppings of your choice. Yield: 10 servings.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

INGREDIENTS;
2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 beaten egg
4 to six tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 cup chicken Broth
7 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon soy sauce
7 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt & pepper. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1st Version: Dip chicken in beaten egg, then in cornstarch or flour. (cornstarch makes chicken crispier). Brown in hot oil. Place in baking dish. Cover with the following sauce: Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken stock, ketchup, and soy sauce in medium bowl.

Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Turn chicken once or twice.

Faster, easier version – When time is limited

Same recipe as above, only eliminate frying your chicken, and add 3 large tablespoons cornstarch to the above sauce recipe.

Layer raw chicken breasts in glass dish (9×13). Mix all sauce ingredients in bowl, (plus 3 TBSP corn starch) with wire whisk. Pour directly over chicken breasts.

Bake uncovered at 325 for about 1 1/2 hours, or until sauce is thick and dark in color.

So Easy, and so good! This dish is great for company. Leftovers are wonderful.
The chicken needs to be (fall apart) tender! Serve this over rice.

Ranchero Supper

Ranchero Supper

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 can (28oz) baked beans
1 can (11oz) whole kernel corn, drained
¼ cup barbecue sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp prepared mustard
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sliced green onions & sour cream, optional
Tortilla chips

HOW TO PREPARE:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the baked beans, corn, barbecue sauce, ketchup & mustard; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese; cook until melted. Top with onions and sour cream if desired. Serve with tortilla cheese. Yield: 7 servings.

Pork Carnitas

 

Pork Carnitas

INGREDIENTS:

4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 onion, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tb fresh lime juice
2 C water
1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

HOW TO PREPARE:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, including the spent orange halves and juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered. Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours.
2. Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan. Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid. Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished.
3. While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces. Once the liquid has become a syrup, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot. Try not to break up the pork any further. Taste and add additional salt and pepper.
4. Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat. Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

 

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Lime juice
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
10-12 small corn tortillas, heated up*
1 - 2 10-oz cans of red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

HOW TO PREPARE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add ground beef, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Cook until onions are translucent and meat is fully cooked through.

Stir in the sour cream, lime juice, Monterrey Jack cheese, cilantro, and tomato sauce.

Place 1/4 cup filling on each tortilla, roll up, and place seam-side down in a 9x13 baking dish. Continue until all mixture is used.

Top enchiladas with enchilada sauce, then cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.


*If you don't heat up the tortillas then they break when you roll them up. I use a tortilla warmer in the microwave for one minute.

Slow Cooker Taco Meat

Slow Cooker Taco Meat

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs ground meat of choice
2 pkg taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water

HOW TO PREPARE:
Around lunchtime, add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high for several hours, give the meat a stir and break it up occasionally. Turn to low after the meat looks like it is mostly cooked. That's it!

Coconut Fish Sticks

Coconut Fish Sticks

INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup shredded coconut
½ cup flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter, melted
1 lb cod or haddock fillets, cut into ½” x 3” sticks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set a baking rack inside a baking sheet and coat with olive oil or coconut oil.

In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the coconut, flour, and salt. Place the melted butter in a shallow bowl. Dip the fish sticks in the melted butter, shaking off the excess. Dredge in the coconut mixture, turning to coat. Place on the baking rack. Coat lightly with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the coating is golden and the fish flakes easily.

Baked pot roast with potatoes and carrots

 

Baked pot roast with potatoes and carrots

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 pounds)
1 ½ cups water
1 envelope brown gravy mix
¼ cup dried minced onion
2 tbsp beef bouillon granules
1 ¼ tsp onion powder
1 ¼ tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp celery seed
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp dried minced garlic
¾ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground basil
½ tsp salt 3 pounds potatoes (about 9 medium), peeled and quartered
1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

HOW TO PREPARE:
Preheat oven to 325°. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Brown roast on all sides. In a small bowl, whisk water, gravy mix, and all seasonings until blended; add to pan. Bring to a boil. Bake, covered, 1-1/2 hours.

Add vegetables; cook 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Yield: 8 servings.

Chicken Burritos

Chicken Burritos

INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 can green chilies, undrained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 can (15 ounces) chili with beans
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
8 cups cubed cooked chicken
24 tortillas
6 cups (24 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

HOW TO PREPARE:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in seasonings. Cook 5 minutes. Add chili and cream cheese; stir until cream cheese is melted. Stir in chicken.

2. Spoon about 1/2 cup filling across center of each tortilla; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Colby-Monterey Jack cheese. Fold bottom and sides over filling and roll up. Place in two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes.

3. Bake, covered, 35-40 minutes or until heated through. If desired, serve with salsa. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Beef Parmigiana

 

Beef Parmigiana

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ lb stew beef
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup corn oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
½ tsp each granulated sugar & ground marjoram
3 cups hot water
8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced
Cooked penne pasta

HOW TO PREPARE:
Cut beef in bite-size pieces. Combine parmesan & bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and mix well. Dip beef in egg. Coat with parmesan mixture. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat corn oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in hot oil until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer beef to a 13x9 baking dish. Sauté onion and garlic in skillet until tender, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, salt, sugar, marjoram and black pepper to onion mixture and mix well. Stir in hot water gradually. Bring to a boil. Boil, stirring to deglaze skillet, for 5 minutes. Pour ¾ of sauce over beef. Top with mozzarella and the remaining sauce. Bake for 1 hour. Serve with penne pasta, if desired.

Chicken Briyani

Chicken Briyani

INGREDIENTS:
Serves 8
1 cup plain yogurt (I used greek plain yogurt)
1 cup mint leaves, stems removed
1 cup cilantro leaves, stems removed
2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in small pieces
4 tablespoon garlic paste
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tablespoons garam masala powder
------------------------------------
4 cups basmati white rice
2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)*
1 large onion, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoon ground coriander seed
2 tablespoon garam masala
1 cup coconut milk
6 cups chicken broth
-------------------------------------
Equipment
Electric skillet with lid
Food processor


HOW TO PREPARE:
1. In a food processor, put in yogurt, mint leaves, and cilantro. Process until mixed well.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together chicken with yogurt mixture. Stir in garlic paste, ground ginger, and 2 tbsp garam masala. Cover with a lid or saran wrap. Let it rest in the refrigerator for for 4-6 hours or overnight.
3. In a medium bowl, pour in basmati rice and cover with water. Cover bowl with lid or saran wrap. Soak the basmati rice for 2-4 hours. Once done, drain and set aside.
4. Heat ghee / butter in a large electric skillet and cook minced onion until they are brown in color, about 10-12 minutes.
5. Sprinkle turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander seed and 2 tbsp garam masala and saute for 3-5 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
6. Add the chicken/yogurt mixture and let it cook for 15 minutes with the lid on, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cook on medium temperature.
7. Once the chicken is almost done cooking, add coconut milk and chicken broth and bring it to a boil.
8. Once you see the sauce bubbling, reduce the flame to low. Add the drained rice and cook covered for 15 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it rest for another 15 minutes - I followed these directions, but my rice still wasn't cooked through, so I added more water and raised the temperature and repeated this step and it worked beautifully.
9. Using a fork, gently fluff out the rice and transfer to a fresh bowl. Gently mix to combine the rice and chicken.
*I couldn't find ghee, so I used salted butter and it worked nicely.

German Spaghetti

German Spaghetti
INGREDIENTS:

16oz spaghetti
Bacon (use as much or as little as you like)
Eggs (I use 6-8)
1-2 cups shredded cheese
Parmesan cheese
Soy sauce

HOW TO PREPARE:
Boil the spaghetti, while it’s boiling, fry the bacon. Drain most of the grease. Leave bacon in the pan. Whisk eggs in a bowl and stir in cheese. Add egg/cheese mixture to bacon. Cook until eggs are almost cooked. Drain the spaghetti. Add noodles to the pan with eggs. Fry all together until the eggs are fully cooked. Add some parmesan cheese and soy sauce to taste.

Ham Loaf

Ham Loaf

INGREDIENTS:
1lb ground ham
½ lb ground stew beef
½ lb pork sausage
2 eggs
½ cup tomato juice
½ cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and place in large greased loaf pan.

Sauce:
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
½ cup tomato juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
In a saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Pour half of sauce over loaf. Bake for 2 hours (Yes TWO hours). After 1 hour, I take it out and pour the juice off the loaf and then pour the rest of the sauce over the loaf and bake it another hour.