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Slow Cooker Sunday Blog Hop~white chicken chili, cake recipe

September 29, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Yes, I’m joining in on all the Slow Cooker frenzy going on online. Welcome to the “Slow Cooker Sunday” blog hop. Bloggers and food enthusiasts everywhere are encouraged to join this Blog Hop to find and use new recipes for your Slow Cooker.

I am excited about this week’s meal, because for us it’s supposed to only be in the 50s on Sunday. Crisp autumn weather and a hearty meal in your slow cooker–what could be better?

Here’s how it will work–every Thursday or Friday, I’ll make a post and publish it. For those two days, I’ll just promote it amongst bloggers, although anyone will be able to view it. Saturday and Sunday I’ll promote it publicly so that all of our readers can see the recipes. Your recipe does not have to be new or original, it can be an older post. There are just a few rules. One, please make sure that any content you include is family and workplace friendly. Second, what makes a blog hop successful is traffic–so link up, but make sure you check out the other links. Lastly, please as a courtesy, use one of my methods-Facebook, Twitter, Google Friend Connect or Blog Frog as a way to follow me as your hostess.  Thanks for looking and please join us! Please note, if you’ve never commented on my blog before, it has to be approved. It’s just a one-time thing, but it will appear shortly. If you miss the deadline for joining us this week, join us next week.

My recipe for the week is black bean chicken chili. This is a recipe that I actually got out of one of those slow cooker recipe booklets that you buy near the registers at the grocery store. I’ve just modified it a bit as I’ve been using it for years. It’s very good, reheats and keeps well and is low fat, high fiber & protein.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with Black Beans

1 1/2-2 lbs of diced chicken

1 can of hominy, drained

1 big can of black beans, drained

1 small can of Cream of Chicken soup

1 packet of low-sodium taco seasoning

Mix all together in your slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours. NOTE: When you first mix it together, it’s going to appear very dry and you’re going to think you don’t possibly have enough liquid in there to make a chili. You do, this changes as it cooks. I’ve made the mistake of adding some broth and then it’s too thin when it’s done–I prefer a thicker chili. If you really feel the need to add some broth or water, make sure it’s no more than 1/4 or 1/2 cup, or it will be too thin when it’s done.

I top with either diced jalapenos, salsa, sour cream or cheddar. Sometimes I serve with tortilla chips.



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Pork & black bean soup~Slow cooker Sunday Blog Hop

September 23, 2011 by · 3 Comments

Yes, I’m joining in on all the Slow Cooker frenzy going on online. Welcome to the “Slow Cooker Sunday” blog hop. Bloggers and food enthusiasts everywhere are encouraged to join this Blog Hop to find and use new recipes for your Slow Cooker.

Here’s how it will work–every Thursday or Friday, I’ll make a post and publish it. For those two days, I’ll just promote it amongst bloggers, although anyone will be able to view it. Saturday and Sunday I’ll promote it publicly so that all of our readers can see the recipes. Your recipe does not have to be new or original, it can be an older post. There are just a few rules. One, please make sure that any content you include is family and workplace friendly. Second, what makes a blog hop successful is traffic–so link up, but make sure you check out the other links. Lastly, please as a courtesy, use one of my methods-Facebook, Twitter, Google Friend Connect or Blog Frog as a way to follow me as your hostess.

I love using my slow cooker, particularly on Sundays. I get it all ready in the morning, then I have the rest of the day to do what I want and not worry about what’s for dinner. On Sundays during football season and during the winter, I love the warmth and the smells…….yummy! It makes our house feel more like a home on those days.

Slow cooker pork & black bean soup

For this week, I’ve chosen a recipe I’ve never tried before. It’s in my latest Woman’s Day. So I can’t tell you how it is yet. It certainly looks good!

Recipe Ingredients

  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 2 Tbsp adobo sauce (I hope you can find this, I had to go to a Mexican market)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 lb dried black beans, rinsed
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
  • Kosher salt
  • Sour cream, fresh salsa and cilantro, for serving

Recipe Preparation

  1. In a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker, whisk together the chicken broth, chipotles and adobo sauce, and cumin; stir in the beans, onion and garlic.
  2. Add the pork and cook, covered, until beans are tender and pork easily pulls apart, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
  3. Transfer pork to a bowl and, using a fork, break it into large pieces. Using a handheld immersion blender (or a standard blender), purée half the soup.
  4. Stir the pork back into the soup and season with 1 tsp salt. Serve with the sour cream, salsa and cilantro, if desired.

Thanks for looking and please join us! Please note, if you’ve never commented on my blog before, it has to be approved. It’s just a one-time thing, but it will appear shortly. If you miss the deadline for joining us this week, join us next week.



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{Recipe} Healthy, easy, frugal~pasta and bean soup

September 19, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I’m trying to get myself out of this same old, same old rut that I’m in, as far as what meals I prepare for dinner. And you know how I said I’m a magazine junkie–well now, I’m actually clipping interesting recipes that I find in magazines, and trying them. Instead of just, you know, flipping past it and saying “That looks good, I should try it.” Plus, if I’m using the recipes over and over, I’ll feel less bad about the environmental impact of buying all those magazines. I’m going to post them for you in case you want to try them. Right now my goal is to try one new recipe each week and it has to meet the following criteria–relatively easy to prepare, budget friendly and healthy. By healthy, I’m specifically trying to increase the amount of protein and fiber my family takes in, I don’t think we get enough.

Today’s recipe is from Woman’s Day, one of the many magazines I get.

I love making soups & stews on cooler days.

 

Italian Pasta & Bean Soup

Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1⁄2 cups farfallini (small bowtie pasta), tubettini or other small pasta
  • 2 cans (about 15 oz each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1⁄2 cup chopped parsley
  • 1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan

Recipe Preparation

  1. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a 3-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes or until light golden. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
  2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in beans and tomatoes; cook 4 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove from heat.

I think that all of the ingredients for this will cost me about $7-$8. It’s low fat and the beans give it fiber and protein. The house smells good, hopefully this will taste good.

If you have a recipe you’d like to contribute as a guest post, contact me.

To order Woman’s Day for yourself, click below.

MAGAZINES.com

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How to choose and cook a pumpkin + recipe for pumpkin pizza

September 7, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Years ago, one of my dogs had a, ahem, digestive issue. So at the vet’s recommendation, I gave her cooked pumpkin quite often. It really helped her and apparently is very high in fiber. I would of course try to find sales and coupons, as she was a large dog and we went through quite a bit. Then, I learned how to cook my own. That saved me money and also makes your house smell wonderful.

Cooking vs. Carving Pumpkins

Really, any pumpkin can be scooped out and cooked. However, the general rule of thumb is that the smaller it is, the sweeter it will be. And, most farmers realize that families usually buy a pumpkin with carving in mind, not cooking. So they may tend to pay attention to growing large pumpkins and their shape, rather than focusing on flavor or texture. So wherever you choose to buy yours, ask them. Many grocery stores will have them marked as cooking vs. carving.

The general rule of thumb is that 1lb of fresh pumpkin will yield just under 1 cup of pureed pumpkin when you’re done. So if you purchase a 5lb pumpkin, you should get 5 cups of puree, and so on.

How to cook a pumpkin

Cooking a pumpkin is very easy. First, clean the outside and dry. Next, slice it in half, much like you would a canteloupe. Then, scoop out the seeds. I save the seeds and bake them too.

I prefer steaming or in the crockpot. But all you have to do is cut it up into big pieces so that it fits into whatever you’re cooking it in. So I would use a big stock pot with my steamer basket on the bottom. Add about 1 cup of water, but check to make sure it doesn’t run dry. Cover and steam for 30-50 minutes, depending on how much pumpkin you put in. It will let you know it’s done much like you do with boiling potatoes, a fork will go in easily and the skin will now come off easily (again, similar to a potato). It can also be done in the oven or microwave.

Once it’s done, just puree it like you would anything else. I use a hand mixer.

And now you have fresh pumpkin puree for pies or whatever else you’re making.

Suggested recipe

I found this recipe for Pumpkin Pizza, online last year. We did actually make it with a few modifications and it wasn’t bad. My kids wouldn’t eat, but that’s another story!

For your pet

I’m not a veterinarian, nor do I play one on the internet. However, this did help our dog with her issues. Ask your vet for specifics, or if they would recommend.

 Pumpkins 2

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