Start Your Crock Pots!

Mark your calendars!
It's a magical moment at the Coxes.
I'm cooking!
And it's not even Sunday!


I am a good cook.
But every since Trammell left, followed by Garrett,
there is no one to cook for.
No one is EVER home.


It seems like all the days I feel motivated and chop and slice and dice
and sweat over a hot stove, no one shows up!
There's work and lacrosse practice and church and late meetings.


But I'm optimistic.
I'm busting out the crock pot for some Barbeque Pork Sandwiches!
Here's all the ingredients you will need.

Oops - not all, I forgot to "display" the garlic powder. Don't leave that out!


Do you think this 4 lb Pork Butt will feed 3?
Oh and you can borrow my vinegar if you need to.
I have a little bit extra.
And I'm bummed about those WHOLE WHEAT rolls.
That's what I get for shopping at the "healthy" grocery store.
I asked if they had anything with bleached flour and refined sugar.
They didn't.

Here's today's recipe, provided by my good friend Cathy.


Tangy Barbeque Pork Sandwiches


1 C Ketchup
1 C BBQ Sauce - any brand, any flavor
1 C Onion - just chop a whole medium onion, you don't need to measure
3 C Celery - chopped
1 C Water
2 T Brown Sugar
2 T Worchestershire Sauce
2 T Vinegar
1 t Chili Powder
1 t Salt
1/2 t Garlic Powder
1/2 t Pepper
3-4 lb Pork Roast (trim off excess fat)
Buns or Rolls

Mix all the ingredients (except the roast) in the crock pot.
Place the roast in and cover with sauce.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4
Take the meat out and shred it. Put the sauce in a sauce pan and thicken it with 2 T cornstarch and 1/2 C cold water. Return meat and sauce back to crock pot and serve.


Yummy!

52 Weeks of Crazy Crock Potting

First - Special thanks to Margaret over at Facts From a Fact Woman for making me this cute little picture.  I came home from church last week and it was just sitting there waiting for me in my mailbox!  Is that a good friend or what?


For much of the country, March came in like Lion.  Here in Denver we are having the loveliest of weeks. It does that here.  The week before the lacrosse season starts is usually beautiful.  It's been 65 degrees and sunny all week.  Then, just in time for the very first game, the wind blows, the temps drop to the 40's and the snow and sleet start up.  So although it's been beautiful, I guarantee that next week will bring freezation!


March, is actually one of Denver's wettest months with 12 inches of snow/rain expected.


So here is a warm and cozy recipe to come home to after a long day.


Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients -
1 ½ lb Stew Meat
1/4 C Flour
Salt & Pepper
2 T Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes, dissolved 2 in 1 C Hot Water
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
6 oz Mushrooms, sliced (I prefer fresh)
2 T Ketchup
1 t Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Pepper
8 oz Sour Cream


Directions -
Mix Flour and Salt & Pepper together in a lunch bag.  You can use a plastic bag as well.
I like to add a couple shakes of Montreal Steak Seasoning to the mixture.
Working in batches, throw some meat in and shake it up to coat.
Heat the Olive Oil up in a skillet over medium heat.
Brown the meat on all sides.
Pour the meat into the crock pot.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the sour cream.
Just throw them in and give it a couple of stirs...don't worry about getting everything all mixed in.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. sour cream.
Just before serving, stir in sour cream
Serve over rice or noodles.


Our family prefers rice.  I don't think I've ever served it over noodles.

52 Weeks of Crazy Crock Potting

When you have teenagers, soup IS NOT a meal.
This one is hearty enough to fill everyone up.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP
Ingredients
1 lb Mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
6 Cups Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 14 1/2 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Cup Carrots, thinly sliced
1 C Celery, sliced
1/2 Tablespoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 8 ounce Can Tomatoo Sauce
1 1/2 Cups Zucchini, sliced
1 1/2 Cups Yellow Squash, sliced
8 ounces Cheese Tortellini
1 Tablespoon Parsely, Chopped
1 Cup Fresh Spinach
grated Parmesan cheese for topping


Directions


1.Cook the sausage in a frying pan over medium high heat for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Remove the sausage and put in the crock pot.  Drain the fat except for about 1 tablespoon.

2. Add the onions and garlic to the fat and saute for 5 about minutes.

3. Transfer the onions and garlic to the crock pot.
4. Add the beef stock, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, celery, basil, oregano, tomato sauce zucchini, and yellow squash. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
5. Cook the tortellini according to directions on the package and set aside.

6. When ready to serve, increase heat to High setting, add the cooked tortellini, parsley, an spinach to the soup and cook for 10 minutes until heated through.

7. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with the cheese.

Serve with a nice salad and some warm, crusty French Bread.
Great for a cold winter day!

52 Weeks of Crazy Crockpotting

It's supposed to be 40 degrees and a little rainy tomorrow.
With that in mind, we're having
CAROLINA BARBECUED PORK Sandwiches

I'l tell you right up front that this is a "dry" recipe.  No!  Not dry as in tough, hard to chew meat.  But dry, as in it's not dripping with barbecue sauce.  If you want your meat with barbecue sauce, you can use this recipe and then add your favorite sauce the last half hour or hour of cooking.

CAROLINA BARBECUED PORK
2 Onions, quartered
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Paprika
2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 (4-6 lb) boneless Pork Butt or Should Roast
3/4 C Cider Vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Hamburger Buns

Place onions in the crock pot.  Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper and rub over roast.  Pat it on.  Place the roast on top of the onions.

Combine the vinegar, worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt and cayenne in a jar.  Drizzle about 1/3 - 1/2 of he sauce over the roast.  Store the remaining sauce in the refrigerator.

Cover the crock pot and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.  Drizzle 1/3 of the reserved sauce on the roast during the last 1/2 hour of cooking.

Remove meat and onions and drain.  Shred the meat and chop the onions.  If desired, buter buns and toast or grill.  Serve the meat and onions on buns.  Pass the remaining vinegar mixture to drizzle over sandwiches.

Serve with coleslaw!!!
YUM!!!!
Have a great weekend!

GINA

52 Weeks of Crazy Crock Potting

If you came here looking for a delicious dinner, you will be sorely disappointed.
But if you came here looking for a lucious chocolately dessert, you will be in heaven!
And who said you can't have dessert for dinner?
I eat cupcakes and pie and cookies for breakfast, so I will NEVER be the one to tell you "no."

This week's crock pot recipe comes from my friend Kim.
She says it is "orgasmic."
You decide.

Triple Chocolate Mess



Ingredients –
1 package chocolate cake mix
1 (4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
3/4 cup oil
1 cup water
4 eggs
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 pint sour cream


Directions –
Spray crock pot with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, mix cake mix and dry pudding mix together. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the water to the eggs and mix. Add the sour cream and oil and stir until smooth. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spray the inside of the crockpot with non-stick spray. Pour batter into crockpot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve dessert warm in a bowl with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream……..or both!

Enjoy!

52 Weeks of Crazy Crock Potting!

Get out your crock pot!
I have another delicious dish for you.


First let me explain.
Yes, some crockpot recipes just ask you to dump raw food into a pot, let it cook and voila! you have a meal.
But most of the GOOD recipes demand a little bit more work.
But it's soooo worth it.
Really!  Trust me!


In my personal cookbook,
I have an old recipe card for Chicken Cacciatore that my grandfather typed up on a TYPEWRITER sometime back in the old days (like the 60's or earlier).
It's so sweet.  He even has handwritten notes and changes scratched on the card.


He was a first generation immigrant from Italy.
So I think he knows how to make Chicken Cacciatore!


I've adapted it for the Crock Pot!
Enjoy!


CHICKEN CACCIATORE


8 Chicken Thighs
Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Flour
1/4 C Olive Oil
1 Green Bell Pepper, quartered and sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, quartered and sliced
1 Onion, halved and sliced
8 oz Mushrooms, quartered
1 can Black Olives, drained
5 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 C White Wine (yeah, I use cooking wine and I don't measure.  I just pour some in)
2 - 14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes with the juice
1 C Chicken broth
3 Tablespoons Capers, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1/4 C Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 C Fresh Parlsey, chopped


Do NOT remove the skin from the chicken! Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper - be generous.  Dredge them in flour to coat lightly.  Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat and brown the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side.  They should be nicely browned.  Set the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.  Do not drain the oil out of the pan.  Add the peppers, onion and garlic to the pan and saute until the onion is tender - about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and olives and saute another 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half - about 3-4 minutes.  Resist the temptation to just sit down at the counter with the entire pan and eat it!  Dump the whole pan over the chicken in the crock pot.  Pour in the tomatoes and the broth.  Add the capers and the herbs.  Cook for about 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 on low.  Serve over fettucine with a big salad and warm bread.
Mmmm.......mmmmm!


Here's the before pic-

Oh MY!  It's Beautiful!

And here's the after......oh shoot!

We didn't take a picture!
Why are we always too hungry to stop and take pictures?
My family would KILL me if I delayed dinner another second!
Sorry!

Gina

52 Weeks of Crock-Potting Craziness

I LOVE my crockpot.  I love it so much, I've worn several out.


The best thing about using the crockpot is that you do all the work in the morning, when you are awake and feel like working.
An then at the end of the day, when you are tired and worn out, you are rewarded with a delicious meal!


This year, we have church from 1 to 4 pm.
Everyone (okay, the three of us) come stumbling in the door at 4:30ish completely famished.
We want food NOW.......not an hour from now.
And we certainly don't want to have to work for it!


So every Sunday, I fire up the crock pot for some hearty goodness!
Just the smell, when we come in, is enough to satisfy us until we can get the salad, rice or whatever the side dishes are, made.


Last Sunday,
we had Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches!  Mmm.......mmmmm!

CROCKPOT ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES
3-4 lb Beef Chuck Roast
8 oz of Roasted Red Pepper with juice
8 oz of Sliced Pepperoncini Peppers with juice
1 Onion - thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasonings
2 Cans Beef Broth
Salt  & Pepper
Olive Oil


1 Baguette or other Crusty Bread
Sliced Provolone Cheese


Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on the beef.  Heat up a skillet over medium heat.  Add a couple tablespoons of oil.  Brown the beef in the pan on both sides.  Set beef in crockpot,  Add the sliced onions to the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes until golden and softened.  While they are cooking, layer the red peppers and pepperoncini on the beef.  Add the onions.  Sprinkle the Italian seasonings on top.  Pour the beef broth over everything.


Cook on warm for 8 hours.

Sorry!  We were too hungry to take the "after" picture of the meat - as in AFTER it was cooked but BEFORE we ate it.
Too delicious!