Making the Most of Citrus Peels

Master enjoys oranges and lots of 'em when they're in season.  Several years ago, I started looking for ways to use those peels and get the biggest bang for His buck.  That citrus peel really is some versatile stuff.  Being as citrus season is in full swing, I thought I'd share some of my favorite ways to put all that zest to use:

• Candied Citrus Peel - I've used every type of citrus for this and they've all been wonderful - lemons, oranges, and clementines are favorites around here.
• Cut the pith from the zest, so you just have the colored part not the white part and cover with vodka.  Allow the zest to infuse with the vodka for two weeks to a month, strain and add a sugar syrup to taste to the strained liquid.  The resulting citrus liqueur is yummy in hot drinks and cold alike.
• Dry the zest and make a scouring powder.  Again, any old citrus peel would work, here.
• Put the peels in a jar and cover with vinegar.  Allow the zest to infuse in the vinegar for 2 weeks and strain.  Use the vinegar to clean as you would normally but it'll have a more pleasant citrus scent instead of regular vinegar.
• Combine the zest with sugar or salt to make a body scrub.
• Mix the zest with some sugar and let it sit for about a month.  The sugar will take on the flavor of the zest and is perfect for dusting cookies, adding to tea, etc.

Do tell us, please, what are your favorite ways to use up those citrus peels? 

Gearing Up for Holiday Baking

Right before I start my holiday baking, I pull all the recipes together. If they are in a cookbook, I scan the page in and print it off so that I can clip them all together and get through each recipe without having to search for them. I keep them from year to year so that I am not reprinting anything but new recipes I am trying that year.

After pulling all the recipes together, I go through and write down the ingredients. Making note of how many sticks of butter, how much milk/cream or how many eggs so I can keep a general count of it when making my shopping list.  

Here is a general list of baking supplies (ingredients and gear) that I keep handy around the holidays. There are of course some other things that I end up needing for a few recipes such as: wheat flour, peppermint extract, cream cheese and so on.  This is just a list of the basic list of ingredients and gear to help you get started in gathering your supplies.

INGREDIENTS

* all purpose flour

* baking  powder

* baking soda

* butter

* brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar, and granulated sugar.

* pure vanilla extract

* eggs

* milk or half-n-half

* sweetened condensed milk

* chocolate – bittersweet as well as semi sweet and milk chips, baking squares, cocoa powder

* nuts – pecans and walnuts

* spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger

BAKING GEAR

* mixer – hand or stand mixer

* mixing bowls

* measuring cups and spoons – more than one set during the holidays is always nice when baking

* rubber spatulas  - to scrap bowls

*plastic or metal turners – to lift cookies off baking sheets and on to cooling racks

* pastry bush

* rolling pin

* cutting board – to roll out cookies

* cookie cutters

* pans – muffin pans for cupcakes, baking sheets – both rimmed and rimless sheets, cake and loaf pans – regular size and mini

* cooling racks

* parchment and wax paper

* cupcake liners and candy wrappers

* tins and containers to store baked goods

Printable PDF of Baking Supply List

Remember during the holiday some gift-recipients or guests might have food allergies or are just trying not indulge in all the sweet treats being offered.  Substituting healthier ingredients and trying to do some recipes that fit a special diet are always a nice idea. When I am sending a goodie tray to someone for the holidays, I like to list each sweet treat and their ingredients so that people know exactly what they are eating.   

Surviving the holidays on a diet

I'm getting married in a few months, and won't be able to wait until after the holidays to kickstart my diet if I want to look at svelte as possible in my corset-style dress.

So... I decided to start watching my weight the week of Thanksgiving and while I will be cooking cakes/cookies/treats for visitors and attending parties, here are some helpful hints I have found to help fight off temptation. (And for those hostessing parties, this may be helpful in knowing which options to offer for those dedicated souls who are trying to watch their waistline)

• Work out now. Don't wait for the hordes of people to hit the gym on January 1st. Get a head start. 
• If you splurge with food, commit to work off that amount of calories. It may surprise you how long you'll have to work out in order to work off something, which may make you reconsider. (Some splurges, however, are absolutely worth sweating off).
• Track your food. (CalorieKing.com, myfitnesspal.com, etc). It's inconvenient and can be downright depressing... but it makes a huge difference. This may be eyeopening, especially if you eat out often. I found that some of the things I thought were healthy were absolutely not.
• Use an app if you're into using your phone for that sort of thing. I find it makes it more fun if I use gadgets. RunKeeper.com is great for tracking walks/runs, etc.
• Know how to substitute. I use applesauce in baking instead of fats. I replace sugar at times and no one ever asks.
• Freeze extra cookie dough and only bake up what you need at a time. Side benefit: you have extra fresh baked cookies on hand that you can whip out in 15 minutes.
• Not everyone can eat sugary gifts. If I know someone can't, I do homemade bath bombs or salts as an alternative to cookies, homemade truffles or marshmallows. I'm also the one bringing veggies/fruit/pickle-olive plates to holiday work parties.... and it always disappears quickly amidst the cookies and sweets.

Before you go out:

• Fill up first on a protein shake or a healthy mini-meal before you leave home, so you're not starving when faced with an array of cookies or cheese dips
• Drink a full glass of water before hitting the snack buffet
• Know what a real portion size looks like, and then stick to it
• If it's a potluck, or you know the hostess well... ask to bring a healthy alternative you know you can eat even if all of the other options are not viable
• Have a protein bar tucked into your purse in case you run low on energy while shopping or out with friends.
• Know where the hidden calories are: cranberry relish is my absolutely favorite holiday dish but I have to be careful, because there is a lot of sugars not-so-hidden in there. Apple cider has more sugar than you might expect, too. 
• Know what alcoholic drinks can be made low calorie for when you go out. 
• If you plan on splurging.... splurging on one item is easier to recover from indulging yourself the entire evening. 
• Working out in advance of the event helps alleviate any guilt from the occasional indulgence. 

Probably the least *fun* article you'll read this month, but in my case, a much needed one :)

Tips on a Stress Free Holiday Season

For many of us the holiday season is truly a wonderful time of year, but it is also a stressful time of year.  I know that often times when the stress gets to me that I no longer enjoy the spirit of the season and get bogged down in getting things done 'perfect'.  I get lost in the details instead of simply enjoying it all.  So each year I strive to "de-stress" my holiday season.  Each year it gets a bit less stressful and a bit more enjoyable.

Here are some tips for keeping your season a bit less stressful.

Be Realistic:
Families change and grow, adjust your expectations with those changes.
Set realistic goals for family traditions.  Sure it's nice to be able to include all 100 various family traditions handed down from generation to generation.   If those traditions are going to add stress instead of enjoyment, however, it no longer is fun.  So be practical and realistic.  Pick a handful of traditions you would like to share and enjoy with your loved ones and get rid of the rest.
Don't try and do it all.  Whatever that "all" might be for you.  Accept that there are only 24 hours in the day and no one can possibly do it all.

Pace your Work Load:
There are 24 days leading up to Christmas, so pace your work load.  Make a list of all the things you need/want/desire to accomplish and spread out the work load over the 24 days leading up to the big day.  When broken down into smaller more manageable pieces its easy to accomplish many things and enjoyable at the same time.

Share the Work Load:
Figure out which items you must do yourself, which items you can hire out for, and which ones you can share with a loved one.  And then delegate.

If you are like me delegating is probably one of the hardest things to do.  I have a definite problem in letting go of control with regard to all things holiday and family related.  Yet I know that in order to focus on the big picture and remain sane throughout the holidays, some amount of delegation is necessary.

Throw Away The White Gloves:
No one is going to care if your home passes the white glove test, but everyone will care about having a great time and enjoying that time with you.  If you are too busy making sure everything is perfect and can pass the white glove test you will likely miss out on some of the best moments of the holiday season.

Schedule any heavy cleaning to be done at least 5 days prior to the holiday.  Then 2 days before the holiday go back over the carpets, floors, and bathrooms.  The day of your holiday hostings, dust lightly, straighten up the bathroom and kitchen areas again, and do a once over on the floors.  All else will fall into place.

Stick to a budget:
If you haven't already set your budget for the holiday season, don't delay.  One of the biggest stressors for people is money and debt.  No one wants to be paying into the new year for the holiday that they enjoyed today.  So set a budget, make it realistic, and stick to the budget.

Stay Healthy:
It's a difficult time of year for germs, and if you get sick then you won't be able to enjoy even one moment of the holiday.  So take your vitamins, eat well, get enough sleep, drink plenty of fluids, and stay healthy.

Have Fun:
Last but definitely not least is have fun.  If you aren't enjoying yourself chances are you shouldn't be hosting that holiday in the first place.  Holidays are meant to be enjoyed, so relax, sit back, and enjoy.  Everything else can wait five minutes.

Spirit of the Season

It seems these days I am running into a lot of people who feel that the winter holidays have become far too commercial and that people have forgotten what the true meaning of the holidays are about.

As I was contemplating this idea, I see where one of my Facebook friends has liked a page that says something about sending subscribers ideas for 25 days to instill the idea that the greatest blessing is giving rather than receiving.  Yes!  Sounds like an avenue to explore. I zing over to the page and while the page has a very Christian slant to it, it isn't something a creative witching can't work her way around.  I follow the link back to the website and .... *boom* can't access the website without giving them your email.  

Disappointment.  And then I see under the banner that I have to defeat .. "Order < insert name of product here > for your family today for $29.95!

Oh.... here I thought this was an idea to help combat the commercialization of the season... This website, which is about helping to restore family tradition and discovering the true meaning of the season and they want $29.95 for it.

So, instead I offer you my humble ideas for things to do with you family, to take the focus off of "what am I getting" and bring it back to "what can I give?"

1.  Visit a nursing home.  Check with your local nursing home and see what the restrictions are first, but bringing cookies (if allowed) and signing carols is a nice way to bring some holiday cheer to people who sometimes don't have a lot to be cheerful about this time of year.  

2.  Adopt a family.  Local churches or other charities are overrun this time of year with requests for assistance.  Get your children involved by picking children that are similar in age and interests to them. 

3.  Holiday baking for those people that serve you every day.  I had so much fun as a child delivering plates of goodies to my neighbors for my older sister.  Even the ones I didn't know.   Why not leave a little package of goodies for those people who do what are often thankless jobs?  You mailman, you local fire station, police department, just for a few ideas.  

4.  Toy drives.  I'm talking about more than just buying a few toys and putting them in the local collection box.  Get involved!  This year, I've been helping to work on our communities toy shop.  The amount of man power needed to get a project like this off the ground is astounding. Interviewing families, decorating the warehouse, collecting toys, and that is all prior to the day we open!  For the times we are open we need gift wrappers, people to work the children's craft area, assist the adult shoppers, handle parking and security, registration... it takes the whole community to help!

5.  Be a secret Santa.  Is there someone that you know that you think needs a little holiday cheer?  Leave a gift for them, anonymously.  It doesn't have to be anything big, it could be something as small as shoveling their walk for them.

6.  Recycle Holiday Cards.  St. Jude's Ranch for Children accepts recycled cards of all types.  Here are the requirements from their website (http://www.stjudesranch.org/shop/recycled-card-program):

• All types of greeting cards, including Christmas are accepted.
• Only the card front can be used (please check to be sure the backside of the front of the card is clear of any writing, etc.)
• We can not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards
• 5″ x 7″ size or smaller is preferred
• To mail large quantities in the least expensive way, use the United States Post Office in a Flat Rate Box (available at the Post Office), which holds up to 70 pounds
• Mail donations to :
  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
  Recycled Card Program
  100 St. Jude’s Street
  Boulder City, NV 89005

These are just my ideas, please add your own in comments! I'm curious to see what other people do.  

31 Days

Last December here at Domestic Servitude we did 31 days of blogging during December. I asked the amazing inspiring women who co-blog with me here to join in and many of them are going to be posting weekly as a thank you to our wonderful readers!  Thank you for reading, commenting, and sending emails.  We appreciate your support!  

Happy Holidays!

~ danae

ps: Check out last year's posts from December

Friday Favorites

Slow Cooker Basics - lots of pictures of different kinds of slow cookers - from crocks to heating element to temperature settings on several models. If you haven't bought a slow cooker yet this website article is definitely worth the look before buying one. 

Slow Cooking From Scratch - this website recipes using nutritious real ingredients

How to Cook Dried Beans in a Crockpot Slow Cooker  - Cooking dried beans in the slow cooker can at times be a challenge, but not as much as cooking them on the stove top.  I really find it is the easiest way because it helps get them the right texture. 

Slow Cooking Comfort Food -  from Martha Stewart

Fix it and Forget it Slow Cooking - from the books of the same name

Honey Lemon Chicken

Honey Lemon Chicken in the Slow Cooker

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks 
1/2 cup chopping onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lemons, sliced
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
dash of pepper

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive over over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides.

Lay the browned chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the chicken with rosemary, thyme and pepper.  Add the stock or water around chicken to the crock.  Scatter onion, garlic and lemon slice on top of chicken and then drizzle with honey.

NOTES:
* Sometimes I don't brown the chicken, such as in this photo of the honey lemon chicken - I did not brown it that day.  It was browning in the crock near the edges. I will sometimes rotate as it cooks to help overall browning, but if you want it completely brown then use the skillet to brown before adding to slow cooker.

* Sometimes instead of those seasonings I will just use whatever mixed spice I have on hand something from Penzeys or even a Grillmate. 

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.

Tips for Slow Cooking

* Sautéing or just throwing it in -  If you pick up a cookbook on slow cooking, most of the time they will say “sauté the meat” before adding into the slow cooker.  That always takes more time and often the use of the slow cooker is to save time so people don't want to do that step. Honestly 98% of the time I don’t feel that sautéing the meat adds anything to the flavor or to the process. But I know that some people might disagree with that.  Really it is a preference thing – if you want to sauté the meat before adding to the slow cooker, go for it and if you don't, don't. There are things I do saute because I just like the look of it better such as whole chicken pieces - such as thighs or drumsticks with skin on them. I also always saute and brown ground meats such as ground pork, beef or turkey.

* Flavor – A complaint of the slow cooker is that all the flavors become muddled together so that it really doesn’t taste like anything or have a distinct flavor.  I do agree that this can happen with some dishes. One way is kick up the flavor is to add extra flavor in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Add some more seasonings – herbs, a squeeze of citrus fruit, a splash of  balsamic, or whatever your recipe used for seasonings.

Using whole herbs and spice - such as grating nutmeg or cinnamon, adding fresh basil leaves will give more flavor to the recipe.

Know that cayenne, chili pepper or other types of hot pepper will intensify during slow cooking and they are really the only spices that do this in slow cooking.

Substitute water in recipes for more flavorful liquids such  stock or wine and it gives an extra boost to the flavor.

* Lifting the Lid - Almost every cookbook, website or instruction manual out there will tell you to not lift the lid on slow cookers.  I understand the concept is that it loses some heat. But I am sorry there is no way I am not going to stir or baste or move things around in the pot while it cooks.  I can't imagine, not lifting the lid once or twice during cooking.  So I do lift the lid, I mean how can't I let some of the yummy aroma escape and waft through the house even stronger.  It is part of the cooking process that I enjoy - so I lift the lid. Also a tip if you have too much liquid in your slow cooker while cooking a dish - turn the lid and set it off turned so that steam - liquid can escape and evaporate.  Only do this if you have too much liquid and only do for a short time - 20 to 30 minutes.

* Safety - For safe slow cooking, make sure your low setting reaches 140 to 165 degrees fahrenheit. The low setting on most slow cookers reach about 200 degrees F and 300 degrees F for high.  Often I will put my slow cooker on high for the first hour and then turn it down so that I can get to that safe temperature as quick as possible to ensure the food is safe.

Don't overfill your slow cooker - it should be half to 2/3 full. Use the size of slow cooker recommended in each recipe - if stated.  You don't want it overflowing or under-filled as it make the food cook improperly.

If doing any prep the night before, such as cutting meat or chopping vegetables, do not store in the same container over night.  Also don't store in the crock in the refrigerator with the raw foods layered in it. The raw meat mixed together with vegetables can create food safety issues and also the cold crock put into a heating element can cause the crock to break.

* General Info -  Layer foods into slow cooker - keeping in mind that the food on the bottom will cook faster and be moister because it is simmering in the liquid.

Dairy products break down in the slow cooker.  Add any sour cream, yogurt,  milk, cream or half-n-half  in the last 15 to 30 minutes of slow cooking.  Many recipes with cream cheese don't advise this, but sometimes I do end up adding it in the last 30 minutes of cooking because it tends to break down too. Especially the lower fat cream cheese.

One hour on high is the same as two hours on low. 

I have never cooked with seafood in the slow cooker, but have read many time that they shouldn't be added until the last hour or they will become overcooked.

I hope these tips help you when using your slow cooker. As I said at the beginning of this series, I use my slow cooker about once a week - sometimes more.  I can't imagine my domestic life without. 

What to do with all those delicious turkey leftovers

In our house there is never a shortage of food for the thanksgiving table, or any holiday that we host for that matter.  Himself and I really enjoy cooking, so we are always sure to share that plentiful bounty with others.  That leaves us, however, with the question of what to do with the leftovers.  No one in our home is a big fan of just re-heating the same foods.  So I am always in search of creative recipes that can use up our left overs without making them seem like left overs at all.  This year I found the recipe below and I know it's going to be a hit with the family.

Sour Cream Turkey Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or you can use 1 tbsp already minced garlic from a jar)
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounce can), drained
• 1 cup sour cream (we prefer lowfat sour cream)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (we prefer sharp cheddar)
• 2 cups cubed or shredded cooked turkey
• 4 flour tortillas (8 inch) in size
• 1 can black olives sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x12-inch baking dish.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the garlic and onion until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes; stir in the jalapeno pepper and flour. Stir a few times to mix in the flour. Stir in the chicken stock, about 1/4 cup at a time; cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Mix in the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer.

While the sauce is simmering, combine sour cream, 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese, and turkey in a bowl. Place a tortilla down onto a work surface, and spoon 1/4 of the turkey mixture onto the tortilla in a line down the center. Roll the tortilla around the filling; place into the prepared baking dish with seam side down. Repeat with the other tortillas. Pour the tomato sauce over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle the casserole with black olives and 1 tablespoon of Cheddar cheese as garnish.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until the cheese topping is browned and the casserole is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

My Sir's Favorite BBQ Sammiches

I saw this late 70's era ad and had to smile.  A working woman's dream and all for under $15!  And while not all of us work outside the home, we still work hard around the house!  This recipe is my Sir's favorite.  I've made it with beef, pork and chicken.

I serve this on potato rolls, and I always turn the slow-cooker on low while I am mixing the ingredients.

Barbecue Sammiches

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's with Hickory and Brown Sugar)
1 cup water
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder (I use less, Sir likes sweet better than spicy)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix the above in your crock pot and let heat through to combine well.  When it is done, add 3-4 lbs sirloin roast, bottom round roast, pork shoulder roast or chicken breasts and/or thighs.  Let simmer on high for at least 7 hours.  Meat needs to be tender and cooked through, but you do not want to burn the sauce!

Using two forks, shred the meat, if your crock pot is deep enough, you can do this in the pot, but if not, you will need to remove it and put it back in.  To shred, gently pull the meat apart using the forks.  Return meat to the sauce and heat through.

I like to toast the buns first by putting them face up under the broiler for just a few seconds.  Helps keep the bread from getting overly soggy,

Friday Favorites

Cheap Crock-Pot Recipes
25 Easy and Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes
8 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals
A Year of Cooking Slowly - most of the recipes are gluten free.
Slow Cooker Recipes from Food Network 
40 Slow Cooker Dessert and Candy Recipes

Wassail

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! We are enjoying some wassail while waiting for the turkey to get done.  Wassail is such a great hot drink to serve during the holidays. And really easy to make. There are lots of variations to this recipe out there, but I like to keep it simple so here is what I do....

Wassail
1 gallon apple cider
2 cups orange juice
1 or 2 oranges - sliced
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Add ingredients to a 7 or 8 quart slow cooker.  Simmer for 2 to 4 hours. Turn to warm and serve in mugs.

NOTES:
* the orange I used today was fairly large so only used one
* if you don't have allspice use mixture of ginger and cloves they always taste good too

Book Reviews: Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes

I picked up Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes 2  at the library and I am glad I did that instead of buying them. I am okay with Sandra Lee's show on Food Network. I think lots of people make things complicated when they don't have a lot of time and she offers some short cuts that I think are worth the saved time.

What I didn't like about these books:
* many ingredients I can't find in the grocery store. Such as she will say to buy a certain brand of seasoning or bottle of salad dressing and our stores don't carry that.
* As I mentioned above she uses name brand items. I wish she would have just said use fajita seasonings or whatever kind of seasoning instead a certain brand.
* trying to substitute some of the ingredients for whole ingredients instead of frozen onions I used a fresh onion.  But often those kind of substitutions seems to ruin the recipe - how I am not sure that is possible, I would think it would taste similar but often the recipe just didn't turn out.
* many recipes don't turn out even if following the ingredient list exactly


What I do like about these books:
* Tips she offers for slow cooking
* Ideas...I have used recipes in these books to create new recipes that work for me.  Such as the Turkey Cutlets with Green Chili Scalloped Potatoes. Many of the ingredients on her recipe for that recipe,  I couldn't find and I wanted to not do turkey cutlets but just shredded turkey so I made a new recipe from the idea of that recipe.
* Some of her short-cuts using bottled or canned things I do like when I am needing to save time.

If you like Sandra Lee's show, you might like these cookbooks. If you don't like her show and are more about using whole ingredients, then I would probably skip these cookbooks unless you want to get ideas and substitute whole ingredients to make your own recipe. Over all I am glad I picked them up and took a look at them as they did give me some ideas for the slow cooker even if they weren't the exact recipes in the cookbooks.

Great Goulash with Potato Dumplings

This recipe is from the book I reviewed yesterday - The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes. I adapted it slightly, but don't think the outcome would be much different if doing the original   The potato dumplings are a really delicious choice for this goulash, but if you are pressed for time, serve goulash on top of wide noodles or mashed potatoes.

Great Goulash with Potato Dumplings
adapted from the recipe in The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes.  
serves 6

For the goulash:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut in large chunks
2 cups onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon  dried marjoram
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 small can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup sour cream

For the potato dumplings:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubes
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

In a large saute pan over medium high heat add the olive oil and brown the stew meat in batches. Transfer to slow cooker.

In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add onions and garlic and saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Add paprika, marjoram  pepper, and flour and cook for an additional minute. Add tomato paste and stir well. The mixture will be thick. Add beef broth and cook, stirring, for a minute or two.

Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 - 5 hours. The beef will be very tender and shred easily.

About an hour before dinner time, make the potato dumplings. Cook potato chunks in a large pot of water until tender. Drain and mash until smooth. Add bread crumbs, egg, and salt and mix well. Form into 2 inch balls. Set aside.

Stir sour cream into goulash. Top with potato dumplings, spooning some of the sauce over them. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve. 

Book Review: The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes

The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

I really enjoyed this cookbook for the variety of recipes that aren't the typical stew or chili type recipe.

This book is divided into 10 sections:
1) an introduction that gives you tips for using a slow cooker and pantry ingredients to use with a slow cooker.
2) Appetizers and fondue
3)  Soups
4) Beans, Lentils and Chilies
5) Beef and Veal
6) Pork and Lamb
7) Poultry
8) Fish, Seafood and Vegetarian Favorites
9) Vegetables
10) Desserts

There are so many good recipes in this book. Some do involve prep such as browning meats. And there are a few recipes that have a can of  soup or convenience item. But that is very rare in this book.

Some recipes that I have tired and really enjoyed:
Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Crab Spread, Southwestern Corn and Roasted Red Pepper soup, Moors and Christians, Beef Noodle Casserole with Cheddar Cheese topping, Great Goulash with potato dumplings, Classic Boeuf Bourguignon,  Shepherd's Pie with Creamy corn filling, Easy Chicken Paprikash, Spicy Chinese Chicken and several more. Each section there are so many recipes I want to try. But I tend to get hooked on several and just keep doing those over and over again.

I really enjoy that this cookbook has comfort food type recipes as well as interesting ethnic type dishes and also so many of the recipes I would be happy to serve to guests.   It is a slow cooker cookbook that I turn to so many times that the cover is almost falling off and pages show definite wear and tear.

Tomorrow I will share a recipe from this cookbook that I made recently for the first time.

Rheya's Slow Cooker Post

Hi y'all.  I apologize for not posting recently, life has a way of... getting busy!  Which is why when I was asked to contribute to the Slow Cooker month posts I said "YES!!!"  I love my slow cooker, I could not LIVE without it.  I use it at least once a week and I have posted some of my favorite recipes here already, which is to your advantage but my disadvantage because I had to come up with some others for this posts.  

But first, a book review.

Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites by Phyllis Pellman Good

I really hate to say it, but this book is not worth it.  Yes, it is JAM PACKED with recipes.  But there are several on the same page that are the same recipe with just an added ingredient.   Couldn't they have made ONE recipe and said "try these variations?"  This disappointed me so much because I have come to realize , that there really isn't that much NEW material out there.

Recipes and ideas

When I worked at the 911 Center, we frequently did things like "Nacho Wednesday" and other potluck types of things where we all brought in food to share.  I  generally brought the ground meat for the nachos and having the crock pot to warm it up and serve it in was very handy.  

Pizza Dip:

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, cubed

1 14 oz. can of Pizza Sauce (I prefer plain, but feel free to experiment, in a pinch, tomato sauce will do)

1 8 oz package of sliced pepperoni

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

optional:

1 3.8 oz can of chopped olives

8 oz of bulk sausage, browned

1 cup finely chopped green pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion

Place cream cheese in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Mix together pizza sauce and other toppings.  Pour over cream cheese  Top with mozzarella.  Cook on low 1 1/2-2 hours.  Serve on pita chips or bagel chips, or something else crispy and reminiscent of toast (garlic and sea salt are my favorite flavors to use!)

Another work favorite was cobbler.  You can make it with your favorite fruit pie filling.  

Cherry Cobbler

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 box yellow cake mix

1 21 oz can of pie filling ( I generally use 2 instead of 1)

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts (or pecans!)

In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix and butter until crumbley and set aside.

Put pie filling in the bottom of crock pot, top with filling and nuts.  Cook on high 2 hours and low 1 hour.  Can easily be doubled, tripled.... 

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

I will have another post, Sir has suggested I post his favorite BBQ Sammich recipe.

Baked Beans

Baked Beans
2 cups of dried great northern or navy beans or a combination of them
2 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
1/2  yellow onion - finely chopped
6 strips of thick hickory-smoked bacon - chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup favorite bbq sauce
1/4 cup dark molasses, also known as robust (not blackstrap)
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the beans in a large bowl and pick through them, discarding any broken beans or stones. Cover the beans with at least 3 inches of cold water. Allow to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander.

Place the beans, stock, bacon, and onion in a slow cooker.

Whisk the remaining measured ingredients. Pour into the slow cooker and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and cook on either high or low heat until the beans are tender and the liquid thickens slightly (it will thicken more as it cools), about 6 to 8 hours on low. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Friday Favorites

I love using my slow cooker around the holidays as they save oven space for things I really need/want in the oven.

Here are some links for recipes to use with your slow cooker at Thanksgiving....

Make-Ahead or Crockpot Recipes Can Help with Timing for Thanksgiving Dinner - a great list of recipes 

7 Thanksgiving Recipes You can Make in Your Crock Pot 

4 Slow-Cooker Side Dishes for an Incredibly Easy Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Slow Cooker Recipes from About.com

BHG Thanksgiving Slow Cooker Recipes

Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipes for the Slow Cooker