Slow Cooker Meatball Soup

I didn't add any extra seasonings to this soup and it had amazing flavor. The tomatoes with the basil, garlic and oregano plus my homemade meatballs have Italian seasonings - those were giving it all the seasoning it needed. This was easy and quick to put together and tasted really good.

1 bag (16 oz) frozen cooked Italian meatballs, thawed or cooked homemade meatballs
2 cups beef broth
1 3/4 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (19 oz) cannellini beans or great northern, drained
1 cup frozen carrots
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup cooked pasta - made just before serving
Shredded Parmesan cheese - garnish

In 4 quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except pasta and cheese. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 7 hours. The carrots and green beans can become mushy in a slow cooker so add after 4 hours or 4 1/2 hours instead. Add pasta just before serving.

Garnish individual servings with Parmesan cheese.

Cream of Potato Soup

6 large potatoes - chopped or sliced
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 - 32 ounce carton of stock or 4 cups homemade stock
8 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup cornstarch or flour
2 cups half and half or milk
optional: 1 cup cheese - your choice -  I have used cheddar, colbyjack, gouda
salt and pepper to taste

optional toppings: paprika, green onions, chives, sour cream, cheese, potato chips, crumbled bacon


Place potatoes, carrots, onion and bacon in the crock-pot and pour the stock over it.

Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.  Or high for 2 to 3.

Scoop out  1/2 cup to 1 cup of your potatoes (if you get bacon or carrots in there, don't worry about it - it is okay) and mash slightly. Pour the mashed potatoes back into crock-pot.

Mix cornstarch and 1/4 of cup of water or some of the half and half in a small bowl. Stir that into your potato soup.  Add the rest of the half and half and cheese and stir.

Do a taste test and add salt if needed or pepper.  Cook for another 30 to 40 mins on low and then serve in bowls with toppings if wanted.


NOTES:
* I like how the veggies cook when completely covered with stock/liquid. So if when I add the stock it isn't completely covered with the stock, I will add some water or more stock to it cover
* Sometimes I skip the cheese and it slightly alters the taste, but still creamy and good.
* I  never have added salt because often stock has salt (even the low sodium ones still have salt) and the bacon adds salt to it too. But I do add pepper probably about 1 to 2 teaspoons.
* As I said in the directions above - do not worry if when mashing the potatoes there is carrots or bacon in there. It is okay. You are just slightly mashing them and mixing them back on so everything ends back up in the pot so it fine.
* If it is too thick and creamy, add more liquid - water or stock.

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili

1 - 32 ounce carton chicken stock or 4 cups homemade stocks
3 - 15 ounce cans of white beans
1 lb boneless chicken breast - chopped (no need to cook ahead of time)
1 - 7 ounce can of green chili
3 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
topping:  shredded cheese, tortilla chips or strips, sour cream, sliced jalapeno, green onion, chopped tomatoes

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock-pot and then add other ingredients on top.  Cook on high for 1 hour, then stir and turn down to low. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.  Serve with your favorite toppings.


NOTES:
Really only one note...I put the chicken in the bottom and place everything on top without stirring it for that hour on high so that the crock starts heating that chicken right away. It is just a little food safety tip with slow cookers.  Anytime putting raw meat in the crock - try to always put it towards the bottom 1/2 of the crock and then heat on high so that it brings it to a hot temperature instead of letting it get to room temp before the crock is fully hot.  If your meat is already browned or cooked, then heating putting on the bottom isn't always necessary.

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

I know Jen just posted a soup recipe with ham but this one was too good, and too easy, not to post as well.

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

A meaty ham bone or ham hock or about 2 cups diced ham (the ham bone really adds flavor though!)
16oz northern beans
½ large onion diced
2 to 3 stalks celery, sliced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Bay leaves
½ tsp thyme

Soak the beans overnight in cold water. In the morning, rinse and place in the bottom of a crock pot. Place the ham bone on top of beans. Dump in the rest of ingredients and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (depending on your cooker's cooking time. It could take up to 8 to 10, but mine was done in 6) until the beans are tender. Can be thickened with a little cornstarch and water, if you like a more stew-like consistency.

Plugging this into Calorie Counter's recipe analysis, and roughly calculating that my slow cooker made about 12 cups and a serving size was about 2 cups of soup (as the main course of a meal, 2 cups sounded about right?), it gave me these nutrition facts:


Calories: 130
Total Fat: 3.7g
Saturated Fat: 1.1g
Trans Fat: 0.0g
Cholesterol:20mg
Sodium: 621mg
Total Carbohydrates: 15.4g
Dietary Fiber: 2.9g
Protein: 9.4g

Baked Potato Soup

1 lb. bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken stock
3 tbs. butter
3 tbs. flour
2 cups milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Sour cream for garnish, optional

1. In a large stock pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain and set aside. Drain all but 2 tbs. of bacon grease from the pot. Cook the onions and carrots in the remaining bacon grease for about 5 minutes, until tender.

2. Add potatoes and chicken stock to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. With a slotted spoon, remove a few scoops of potatoes. Mash potatoes with a fork and set aside.

3. In a small sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Slowly stir in to stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer and then stir mashed potatoes back into pot.

4. Add 1/2 c. shredded cheese, three-fourths of the bacon and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook an additional 5 minutes.

5. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and top with some shredded cheese, bacon and optional sour cream.

click on title of post and then hit print button

Meatball Soup

"Beautiful soup, so rich and green.

Waiting in a hot tureen!

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!"

~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

We had this soup a couple weeks ago. And from the first bite Master was raving how good it tasted. And I didn't add any extra seasonings. The tomatoes with the basil, garlic and oregano plus my homemade meatballs have Italian seasonings in it were the only seasoning for the soup. And they both created the most flavorful soup.


1 bag (16 oz) frozen cooked Italian meatballs, thawed or homemade meatballs
2 cups beef broth
1 3/4 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (19 oz) cannellini beans, drained
1 cup frozen carrots
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup cooked pasta - before serving
Shredded Parmesan cheese - garnish

In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except pasta and cheese. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 7 hours. The carrots and green beans can become mushy in a slow cooker so add after 4 hours or 4 1/2 hours instead. Add pasta just before serving.

Garnish individual servings with Parmesan cheese.

Holiday Traditions: New Year’s Superstitions

Most of us are familiar with the idea that eating Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day is supposed to be lucky.

How about some other New Year’s Traditions and Superstitions?

• First Footer – If the first person to cross your threshold is a dark-haired man, it is supposed to be good luck. It is BAD luck if the first footer is a woman. Also it is considered lucky if visitors on New Year’s Day come bearing gifts, bringing prosperity to the household they are visiting. Conversely, nothing should be taken from the home on New Year’s Day (which makes me wonder where you are supposed to store the items you are taking to friends??)
• Along these same lines, your pantry should be stocked, your wallet have money and you should wear new clothes on New Year’s Day. A full pantry and wallet ensure you will want for nothing in the coming year, the new clothes, especially red, ensure good fortune.
• A favorite tradition of mine is that a few minutes before midnight, I open up all the windows in the house, to let the bad luck from the previous year flow out and good luck for the new year flow in.
• Do some work, but not dishes or laundry. Doing work shows that you are willing to work during the new year, but washing dishes or laundry is said to foreshadow a death in the family. However, do not start a big project on New Year’s Day.
• Baba Jaga (or Yaga) – Now I haven’t been able to find anything on this particular tradition, but I remember it from my childhood. My Polish step-grandmother used to say that on New Year’s it was good luck to make a Baba Yaga figure and put it on the front door. Baba Yaga is a witch in Slavic/Russian tradition. She is sometimes seen as an old hag who steals children, but is often portrayed as someone who you seek out for wisdom and guidance. My own Baba Yaga is a Styrofoam ball covered in strips of cloth, with a handkerchief tied around her head and buttons for eyes.
• My favorite New Year’s tradition is one that is said to bring luck and wealth. You burn a bayberry scented candle and while lighting it say the following charm.

A bayberry candle when burned to the socket,
Brings luck to the home and money to the pocket!

• All Holiday decorations should be taken down by January 5th, which is the 12th Night or 12th Day of Christmas (remember the song?)
• I mentioned black-eyed peas, but how about some other New Year’s Foods? The following foods consumed on New Year’s Day are all said to bring luck:

• Grapes – in Spain it is lucky to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each month of the year. If the grape is sweet or bitter, it represents how well that month will go for the person eating it.
• Greens – Collards, Kale, Mustard, the green represents money, which we all want more of right?
• Beans – Not just black eyed peas, but peas and lentils as well because they resemble coins.
• Pork – different countries all over the world will eat different parts of the pig for New Year’s. In Sweden, it’s pig’s feet, in Germany, sausage, in a lot of different countries including Spain, Portugal and Austria, roast suckling pig is served. Pigs mean prosperity (again with the money theme!)
• Cakes/Baked Goods - Sometimes with a hidden surprise (like King’s Cake in New Orleans that is served at Mardi Gras). In Italy they make fried dough called chiacchiere drenched in honey. I have a dim memory of my grandmother making these as a small child. Honey for a “sweet” New Year.

How about a few recipes?

Hoppin ‘ John

Traditionally served with ham hocks, I found a recipe that was slightly quicker and easier!

1 lb of bulk sausage, crumbled
½ small onion chopped
3 cans of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
3 cups of chicken broth
½ cup – 1 cup water
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Dash of cumin
Salt and Pepper
Cooked rice

Place the sausage and onion into a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir until the sausage begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, water, and spices, and bring to a boil, simmer till reduced Serve over Rice.


I had a hard time finding a chiacchiere that matched what I remember my grandmother making. Everything I found dusted them with powdered sugar or chocolate chips. Also, she never called them chiacchiere, but crostoli. I found out doing my research that different areas of Italy refer to the pastries by different names. The EASIEST way to celebrate would be to buy some Stella D’oro Palmiere cookies. These are the closest to what I remember Grandma’s tasting like (and my aunties used to buy them as treats for us when I was younger!)

However, if you really want to make your own…

4 cups flour
4 eggs
1 1/3 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
Dash of salt
Dash of dry white wine or grappa (optional)

Oil for frying
Honey
Sanding Sugar

Combine flour, salt and melted butter in large bowl. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add wine or grappa if desired. Let dough stand for about 1 hour, covered.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls, then roll out into a circle or rectangle

Heat oil, fry each piece of dough, turning twice until golden. Remove to paper towel to drain of excess oil, drizzle honey while hot, sprinkle with sanding sugar.


My name is Rheya. If you would have asked me 20 years ago if I saw myself cooking, cleaning, sewing and serving the needs of another over my own, I would have told you to get your crystal ball checked. I was not a girl whose idea of bliss was being domestically oriented. I shunned Home Ec! A lot can change can’t it? I’ve found my happiness though in just that, domestic service. I currently live in an area south of Atlanta. I work outside the home, so balancing the two is always a challenge. But I try to manage it all with a smile on my face and remember that everything I do is for His honor.

NOTE from Danae: I am very excited to announce that this will Rheya's last "Guest post" as she will be an official Domestic Servitude blogger.

Ham and Bean Soup

We have ham at Christmas time and then I freeze the ham bone to make Ham and Bean Soup. Mine turns out really thick though more stew consistency than soup. I am not sure I have ever had ham and bean soup that was really soupy so not sure if I am doing it right or not but it tastes good.

Since we weren't here on Christmas though we had ham later so that I could still make Ham and Bean soup. And although we have had some spring-like weather - I know it will be cold again before spring actually gets here. So that cold weather will call for warm comfort food such as Ham and Bean Soup.

I use the following brand of beans and they used to have 15 bean mix with the ham flavoring packet it in it. But they have a Cajun packet in it now.* So I switched to the Great Northern Beans. And have done it with the great northern before I just prefer the 15 bean mix. I get this brand of beans at Wal-Mart but have seen them at other grocery stores too.

*Editing at 11:13 - I was just at the store and they have the 15 bean mix back! Of course after I already had the great norther but as I said they taste good too.




1 lb bag of dried white beans (great northern)
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes with liquid (small or large can)
4 carrots - peeled and chopped (optional)
2 celery stalks - chopped (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 cups chopped ham or a 1 lb ham hock with ham
pepper to taste
5 cups chicken stock or water

Soak beans over night in water. Rinse and remove debris before using. Add all ingredients to slow cooker. And cook for 6 to 8 hours until beans have reached the desired tenderness. Take out bone and if any meat still attached shred into pot. Remove bay leaf. Serve.



NOTES:
* If you use HamBeen's, you can add the packet with the rest of the ingredients. I would then use water instead of chicken stock as the packet with the stock adds a lot of salt. And the stock is used for flavor but the packet adds your flavor for you.

* Carrots and celery are optional ingredients because often I just use what I have on hand. And sometimes I don't have them and the ham and bean soup taste just as good.

* If it is too watery for you, take out 1/4 of a cup to 1/2 cup of beans and smash them. Add a little flour to the beans and then mix in some water or milk before adding back into the crockpot. It usually takes 15 to 30 mins for it to thicken up some.

* If it is too thick, add more water.

* Leftovers freeze well

Homemade Soup Stock

Both Master and I enjoy soup, especially in the winter months. Generally, I make a big pot and we eat on it for two or three nights with some homemade bread. As much as we like soup, we obviously go through a lot of stock / broth. I searched everywhere for something we liked. Neither one of us found a bouillon all that good, just salty. Chicken and Beef base was ok but it was hard in our small town to find one that wasn't full of MSG. Good organic broth seemed to be the best but also incredibly expensive in the quantity that we go through.

Finally, I started making my own. It isn't all that difficult, its super frugal, and just plain yummy. I start by saving bones from various meals in freezer bags and freezing until I get enough bones to fill an entire stock pot. Save those whole chicken carcasses, whether from a home-roasted or store bought rotisserie chicken. Beef bones from roasts, steaks, the new year prime rib, etc. All that even ones that we might have gnawed on, get frozen (you're going to boil it later anyway).

When I have enough bones to fill a pot, I do so. In the pot also goes a head of garlic, with the top cut off so the cloves show a bit, an onion that has been peeled and quartered, a handful of celery, another handful of carrots, 3 bay leaves and some whole black peppercorns. I let that all simmer away on the stove for about 8 hours - a gentle simmer not a rolling boil. At the end of that 8 hours, strain out all the bones and veggies. Put the strained broth into the fridge and let it sit overnight. In the morning, all of the fat will have congealed on the surface of the broth. I skim that off, and toss it. You could leave the fat if you wanted too or save it for some other purpose (frying, etc.).

At this point your broth is ready to use or store. It stores well in the freezer or if you're not afraid of a pressure-canner, it can be canned for long-term pantry storage. Freeze the broth in quantities you're likely to use it in, 2 or 4 cups for instance. This way you can just dump the frozen broth into a pot and cook when you're ready to make soup.

Fruits and Vegetables

With produce being out of season and prices skyrocketing, it's important that I buy it right the first time- and store it properly.

I still consider myself a kitchen "n00b", and it's not unusual to find myself standing in the midst of the produce section at the grocery store, utterly confused by the bins and bins of similiar items.

There's nothing worse than having spent hours preparing a meal only to find that that particular type of potato was too mealy for that casserole. Or that apple was too tart for applesauce, and you've had to add more sugar than apples.

The Cook's Thesaurus is my savior. Especially the sections on apples and potatoes.

This website is packed with a variety of produce information.

This site gives terrific hints on how to tell if produce is fresh. Here's another with fresh produce buying and storing tips.

This site has a table, about mid-page, on what not to store together, and what will spoil the fastest.

20 frugal tips for buying produce.

Now that we have all those fruits and vegetables, what do we do with them?

This recipe has become a family favorite. I double it to fill my 6 quart slow cooker and I rarely have leftovers. Plus, it's so good on a chilly winter evening. It definitely fits the bill for "comfort food".

I got this one from Mandy, a contributer here. :)

Hamburger Heaven

16-oz. Ground beef.
2 cups diced raw potatoes
1 ½ cups sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 10-oz can tomato soup
½ cup water
1 tsp parsley

Brown meat and onions. In a slow cooker sprayed with Pam, combine meat mixture, potatoes, carrots, celery, peas and corn. Stir in tomato soup and water and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. I add in a generous sprinkle of garlic powder, and serve it with cheddar-garlic biscuits.

(If you use lean meat and Healthy Request tomato soup, this recipe is 1 point per serving for Weight Watchers.)

Finish with a fruit salad like this one for dessert, and we've had a healthy meal and used up lots of produce.

Over the Rainbow Fresh Fruit Salad

3 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
2 cups seedless grapes (red or green)
2 crisp sweet apples
3 peaches, nectarines or 6 apricots
2 bananas, sliced thin
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3 Valencia oranges)
Nutmeg (optional)


Chop fruit and mix gently in large bowl. Pour fresh orange juice over fruit, stir and refrigerate. Serve with dash of nutmeg.

Friday Favorites

These are a few of my favorite things...


Thanksgiving chat with Alton Brown: Admittedly, everyone I know that's brined a turkey has done so after watching Alton Brown do it on Good Eats. The chat's from 2001, but Alton Brown weighs in on everything from side dishes to desserts to turkey and ham, including recipe ideas and alternatives for traditional dishes.

Chipotle Bacon Jam Recipe: Because bacon makes everything better. Well, nearly everything... and what it won't fix, I bet new shoes will!

Seriously... how yummy does a simmered concoction of bacon, garlic, chipotle, Mexican hot chocolate and coffee sound? This is definitely on my must-make list. If you aren't a chipotle lover, try this version.

Crafty Love: Perfect for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, and dyers... Ravelry is my addiction. And I'm not alone... over half a million have joined this site. It's one of the best laid out social communities I've seen, that helps me keep track of my yarn, tools, and patterns, and look to others for ideas and inspiration. My favorite part? The ability to see what other people have done with the same yarn that I have no idea what to do with.

Tyler Florence's French Onion Soup One of my favorite comfort foods is French Onion Soup. Not the ones that taste just like broth from a can with cheese on top... I want the complex richness of wine and seasonings, perfectly paired with the right amount of cheese. Especially during the holidays... this is one of those dishes to savor and unwind over.

5 Homemade Bath Salts & Soaks I'm a big believer in devoting some time to relaxing and unwinding-- especially during the holidays. Here's some recipes for homemade bath salts and soaks, as well as recipes for homemade foot soaks. (Great for gifts, too!)

Fast, cheap and easy.

No, not me!

Well. Okay. I AM all of those things but for the purposes of THIS post-- not me.

I'm talking about food. I'm talking about hot, filling comfort food. I'm talking about reaching a man through his belly.

And, I'm talking about a lazy slave who found a delicious shortcut and I aim to pass it on to you. :)

Maybe, on a cold and blustery Monday morning you look outside and see something like this:




Maybe you just want to sit on the couch, yank the pillow over your head and pretend you live in Hawaii.

Maybe you don't WANT to have to go butcher the cow, shell the beans, knead the dough, churn the butter and puree the tomatoes.

Maybe you're thinking PB&J for dinner sounds wonderful and then your Man calls and he's working outside and he's tired and cold and hungry and he says "What hot meal are you making for me tonight, slave?" and you have this rush of guilt and figure perhaps it's time to take the pillow off your head.

But you're no more motivated to butcher cows and shell beans.

So what do you do??

You cheat, that's what. You cheat and you enjoy the fuck out of it because, as the title said, it's fast, it's cheap and *bonus!*, it's easy.

It's magic.

Chili magic, that is.



First, slave over that can opener opening all of them cans. It's turrible hard work I tell you.

Dump the can contents into a pan. Preferably you'd empty them into your slow cooker so it has several hours to blend the flavors together, unless you're like me and really took the whole couch/pillow/Hawaii fantasy to late afternoon. Oops.



So, dump the magic and the 'maters together so they've got some time to blend and cook together. In the meantime, dice up your onion if you like them and toss that in with your ground beef.



If you like that raw onion taste, you could dump the onions in with your canned stuff, but I loathe raw onions so I cook them down.

Then drain it and dump that into your canned mess of magical goodness.



Stir it in and let it simmer for a bit. You really need to let the burger chunks soak up some chili-tomatoey sauce, let the tomato chunks soften, let the onions blend in- just let it simmer.

Add spices if you want. Master and I aren't spicey kind of folks (except in the bedroom! Ha!) so I don't add much more than salt and pepper, maybe a dash of chili powder.



If it were already in your slow cooker and you hadn't spent the day having sex on the beach with Anakoni and his well-placed lei... *ahem*

Nevermind.

Next, (after you've washed your hands because Anakoni made you do filthy, filthy things to yourself), gather up some toppings. Sour cream, shredded cheese, Fritos(!), oyster crackers- whatever floats your little chili boat- and ladle it all up.

Then, slice up that $0.99 loaf of french bread that you got on the bakery clearance rack and slather it with butter.

Serve that hard-working man.



Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT call him Anakoni. Impressed as he may be with your chili magic, he won't like it. Trust me.

All in all, for a couch potato, blustery fall day- fast, cheap and easy works out well. And, nobody has to know! Toss out those magic cans and everyone thinks you're a chili goddess! I have no freakin' clue how to make chili from scratch but Master takes this to work and, by God, they worship my mad kitchen skillz.

Cheating. It's what's for dinner. ;)

ps. Total cost for me (chili only, not including toppings) was well under $15.00, for enough chili to feed 5, plus Master's lunch the next day, plus enough leftovers to toss in the freezer for chili-topped baked potatoes one day next week. Also, I saved half the ground beef and onions that I'd cooked up and used that in a ground beef stew I made the next night.

pps. I understand the Chili Magic is being (has been?) discontinued. I'm still finding it on my grocery shelves, but not for long, I gather. I consider this one of life's greatest tragedies.

Butternut Squash-Apple soup

We're harvesting a lot of squash from our garden, so on the menu is Butternut Squash-Apple soup. (yes, I know it's hot outside. But it's still yummy and not too heavy)

My favorite accompaniments are crusty warm bread and a baby spinach salad with apples, craisins, blue cheese and walnuts.


Butternut Squash-Apple soup
6 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons butter
3 pounds butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed
3 cups low sodium, low fat chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
6 ounces low fat cream cheese, cubed


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking dish, place the squash cut side down. Pierce squash in several places with sharp knife. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until flesh is tender.

2. Scoop out the cooked squash when cool enough to handle. Discard peel.

3. In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add apple cubes, chicken broth, ginger, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook until apples are tender.

4. Add in squash and cream cheese cubes. Use hand held blender (or food processor) to puree the soup. Heat soup again right before serving- do not boil.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food for winter. I have found lots of recipes for chicken and dumplings that use cream of chicken soup and although I use canned creamed soups at times I have been really wanting a recipe that used cream or half-n-half. So then I found one with half and half but still didn't look like it was exactly what I was wanting so I combined a few recipes to make this one. We enjoyed it thoroughly as it warmed us while the cold wind was blowing through town.

Chicken Mixture
1 1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots
1 cup frozen green beans (optional - I had them on hand so threw them in last moment)
1/2 cup chopped onion
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. margarine or butter
2 tbsp. half & half (I use fat free half & half)
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 2" pieces

Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. margarine or butter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives (I didn't have any one hand tonight so left out - and it is optional they taste good with or without)

In crockpot add onion and butter. In medium bowl, combine chicken broth, half & half, flour and spices and blend well until smooth. Pour over onion and butter. Add chicken. After cooking for six hours add frozen carrots, peas and green beans. Cook for 1 more hour until chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center.

30 minutes before serving mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add (optional) herbs. Microwave butter and milk for 1 minte 30 seconds to 2 minutes until just warm in a large bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix with a fork or knead by hand two to three times until mixture just comes together. Take spoonfuls of dough and drop into on the surface of the chicken mixture. Cover, cook on High for 20 to 25 minutes until dumplings are cooked through. They will be fluffy and a toothpick inserted should come out clean.

Serve with fresh herbs sprinkled on top.

Slow Cooker Pork Stew

1-1/2 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
16 oz. kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch chunks
1 14-oz. can chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups water
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped tomato or halved cherry tomatoes
Crumb Topper (recipe below)

In a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker combine pork shoulder, kielbasa, onions, garlic, beans, carrots, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and pepper. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in tomatoes. Cover and cook 10 minutes more. Spoon serving into a bowl and top with crumb topping.

Crumb Topper: Crumb Topper: In a food processor or bowl combine 1-1/2 cups coarse French bread crumbs, 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix until blended. Spread the crumbs out on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and dry, 20 to 30 minutes.

Italian Stew - EASY!

It is getting cold and fall is here so soups and stews sound so warm and delicious. Sometimes I just want something easy not a lot of chopping and prep time and this recipe is just the answer. It has great flavor.

Browned and crumbled 2 Mild Italian Sausages (if you want it more meaty add more sausage but there is so many good things in this I didn't need more then 2 sausages)
1 can (14-15 oz)chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) white beans - drained and rinsed
1 can (14-15 oz)diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 package of stir fry peppers and onions
1/2 package of frozen green beans
basil to taste
1 cup cooked elbow noodles

I threw everything except the elbow noodles into the crock and cooked on low for 6 hours. The last 5 minutes I added the cooked elbow noodles and then served in bowls with some grated Parmesan cheese on top.

This could easily be done on the stovetop too but I love my crockpot.