Crock Pot Recipe Day 11

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

From Fix It & Forget It Big Cookbook

Page 344

Makes 8 servings

Prep time 10 minutes

Cooking time 3-7 hours

Ideal slow cooker size 6 qt

1 c. long grain rice, uncooked All I had was minute rice or Rice a Roni.  So, I found a long grain & wild rice rice a roni & used that.  It wasn't quite a full cup, so I pulled Spanish Rice Rice A Roni to fill the remainder of the cup.  I think it would have turned out better had I used either all long grain & wild rice Rice a Roni or regular long grain rice.

3 cups water I feel like this was a smidge too much.  I'd go 2 3/4 next time

2 tsp low sodium chicken boullion granules

10 3/4 oz can fat free, low sodium cream of chicken soup Pretty sure you could substitute cream of mushroom if you wanted too

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was approximately 2 medium and 1 small piece of chicken.  I cooked them and then cut them into about 1 inch pieces and threw them back in the pan until I could no longer see any pink.

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion salt I didn't have onion salt so I just threw in some dried onion flakes

1 c. shredded, fat free cheddar cheese I was worried about putting this in at the beginning like it says to.  It turned out fine.  However, if you want to know the cheese is in there and have it be cheesy, don't put it in until about the same time as the broccoli.

16 oz bag frozen broccoli, thawed I used a 12 oz bag and I threw it in frozen.  I'm pretty sure that it would be fine to substitute another vegetable if you don't like broccoli.

1. Combine all ingredients except broccoli in slow cooker.

2. One hour before end of cooking time, stir in broccoli.

3. Cook on high for a total of 3-4 hours or on low for a total of 6-7 hours.  I did low for about 3-4 hours.

The only thing I wasn't happy about is how the rice turned out.  It was cooked, it just seemed a little mushy almost.  Not sure if it's because it was too much water or from the vermacilli in the Rice a Roni.  It was edible and tasted fine, but I'd do something different with the rice next time.  This time I just used what I had on hand though.  My husband makes a dish very similar to this in the dutch oven.  What he does different however is that there is no cheese and he leaves the chicken in whole pieces (the entire breast).  He also uses cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken.  Pretty good though and the kids DID eat it.

Crock Pot Recipe Day 10

Ham In Foil
From Fix It & Forget It Big Cookbook
P. 446

Makes 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 7 hrs
Ideal slow cooker size: 5 qt

1/2 c. water
3-4 lb precooked ham I could only find either a 2.5 lb or a 5 lb so I went with 2.5
liquid smoke

1. Pour water into slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle ham with liquid smoke.  Wrap in foil.  Place in slow cooker.  I sat my ham on the foil and folded the sides up.  Then I sprinkled with liquid smoke.  This way I didn't get the liquid smoke all over or lose any by moving the ham after I sprinkled it with the liquid smoke.
3. Cover.  Cook on high 1 hour, then on low 6 hours.  I cooked mine on low for about 3 hours.
4. Cut into thick chunks or 1/2 inch slices and serve.

A snow fort

 Last week we managed to get five inches of snow (surprisingly, it's still here too).  When Travis went out to shovel the driveway I conned the kids into going outside to play in it.  Their dad can usually get them to build a snowman (mom's kinda lame and won't go out because she doesn't have boots or warm enough clothes).  He got them started on a snowman.  They rolled balls all over the front yard, through the driveway....

and even into the backyard.  Eventually they abandoned the idea of a snowman.  They had started to pile up their giant snowballs, but for some reason or another Sam turned them into her throne.

Next thing I know, I look out back and I see Travis shoveling the grass.  I'm thinking "What the heck?"  I figured he was building them a sledding hill.  Nope.  He showed them how to carve it out into the shape of a fort.  Before long Sam came in asking for bread pans.  Dad was showing them how to make bricks for the fort.

Even Caleb got into packing the bread pans (I mean brick pans).

I had Sam stand up inside the fort so I could see how tall it was getting.  They did a few rows of bricks around the top and then gave up (Dad had come inside).  So, every time I look out back I can see a half finished fort.  Now they need to half finish another one across the yard so they can have a snowball war!

This little girl sure loves her big brother Nash.  In fact, I'm quite certain she ADORES him.  She lights up whenever he walks into the room.  She gets the biggest grin and just loves to sit by him and hang out.  I think they are going to be the best of buddies.

I saw this one night not long after Christmas.  My mom had given Sam and my niece matching nightgowns and these fleece hats.  I told her the hats were not intended as a night cap, but rather for outside.  Apparently, she doesn't care.  She has slept with it on almost every night since she got it on Christmas Eve!

I believe I failed to mention that Nash lost a tooth on Christmas Eve.  I felt bad after I pulled it because there was actually more root to it than I had anticipated.  I felt really bad because I had to yank pretty dang hard to get it out.  He was a trooper though.  He let me yank it and didn't yell or scream nearly as much as his big sister did!  Since he was so tough he got a whole $1 from grandma.  Then, the Tooth Fairy left him another $2!  Santa AND the Tooth Fairy in the same night - what a lucky kiddo!

Welcome to Social Spark

So a few months ago, my sister told me she had signed up for this thing called Social Spark.  I decided I'd give it a try.  It's basically a way for bloggers to try and make a little money.  I figured "What the heck?"  So, I'm giving it a try.  I thought this looked like fun.  I wish they would have sent it to me a little closer to Christmas, but I think it might be a fun thing to get and mail to the house as a "Holy Cow!  Guess what Santa sent us!"







Here's another one I thought some of you might be interested in.  Those that know my family, know that my mom has unofficially published 4 family cookbooks (2 versions of 1, 1 version of another and a partial version of the 1st one as a completely different 3rd book - clear as mud, right?).  Anyway, I thought some of you might be interested in this one because if you're like us, you have lots of family recipes that you'd love to have all in one spot.  I've been trying to put one together for the Bown family, but I'm the biggest contributor of recipes and I think that just makes me look like a nerd so I haven't published it yet!  We got a recipe book that was put together with copies of hand written recipes that were Trav's great grandma's that I've been meaning to type up into another book so that it was a bit more organized (and I won't be devastated when Travis dumps a pot of coffee all over it like he did on one of my other cook books) BUT, I digress!  


  



Anyway.  I hope no one is annoyed by my periodic posting of some deals that are sent my way.  I'm posting them of FB too if you're interested.  I have pictures on my camera that I need to upload, but my computer seems to get slower and slower every day so I've been putting it off.  If I can survive until the weekend, I might just attempt it!


Happy Tuesday!

Crock Pot Recipe Day 9

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles
From Fix It and Forget It Big Cookbook
Page 340

Makes 6 servings
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 4-5 hours
Ideal slow cooker size 4 qt

3 whole chicken breasts, split and deboned I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 pieces thinly sliced ham  I used deli sliced ham and it was so thin it was kinda hard to tell it was there.  I'd suggest using a slice thickness that isn't paper thin.
6 slices Swiss cheese  All my cheese oozed out so I'd suggest putting 2 slices per piece of chicken instead of one.
 salt to taste
pepper to taste
6 slices of bacon
1/4 cup water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup white cooking wine I substituted 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

1. Flatten chicken to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness.  Place a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on top of each flattened breast.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I'd suggest you salt and pepper the chicken and then place the ham and then the cheese.  Roll up and wrap with a strip of bacon.  Secure with toothpick.  Place in slow cooker.  If you don't have a meat tenderizer you can use a rolling pin.  However, it doesn't get your chicken as thin as a meat tenderizer would.  It can sort of mutilate your chicken too.  I would also suggest using a bacon that has some fat to it, but not a lot.

2. Combine 1/4 cup water, granules, and wine (or 1/2 cup chicken broth).  Pour into slow cooker.  You could probably use the chicken bouillon that comes in the cubes.  However, you would need to dissolve it in the water first.

3. Cover.  Cook on High 4 hours.  Ok, so I put mine in on low for 6 1/2 hours.  I figured it would be fine since my chicken wasn't completely thawed (yeah, try smashing that).  Much of my cheese oozed out of the center.  I actually think I'd recommend putting 2 slices of cheese inside instead of one. 

4. Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water.  Add to slow cooker.  Cook until sauce thickens.  Because I had my chicken in the crock pot for so long (ended up having a detour tonight before I got home), the kids were starving so I skipped this step.  Even though there was still liquid in the bottom of the crock pot (part bacon drippings, part juice I put in there) the chicken was a smidge dry and I think it probably did need this sauce.  I wouldn't recommend skipping this step.