Pineapple Pulled Pork

I have come to the conclusion that if I am to continue to post recipes and thoughts about cooking, I am going to have to do it while the thoughts are fresh in my head -- like immediately after dinner. Sad as it is, I can't keep a thought in my head these days for very long, especially a subtle change I may have made in a recipe, or even where I found it in the first place! I am sad to admit I might be getting senior brain! Ahhh!

Anyway...enough about my forgetful brain...this is a recipe you won't forgot, not only because it's so easy to make, but because it's so tasty. I just cleaned up the dishes and here I am with all my fresh thoughts.

The easy to tasty ratio of this recipe is perfect. I put the pork shoulder in the slow cooker this morning before we left for Mass and after spending some time this afternoon traveling to help Doug's mom with some household stuff, we returned home to some yummy smelling pork.

The taste is similar to a barbecued pork, but the pineapple flavor is definitely there and the flavors are a little more mellow. The texture was very tender -- but was not falling off the bone, so it wasn't mushy at all.

We love our pulled pork with cole slaw, so each sandwich was served with a toasted Hawaiian slider bun and a dab of cole slaw.

The recipe idea originated here at The Beeroness, but I made quite a few changes. We had many types of beer in the fridge downstairs, but none were IPA and not knowing a stout from a lager (I rarely drink beer), I chose to add about 4 oz of good white wine instead. If you'd rather not add alcohol, I think a 1/2 cup of pineapple juice would be wonderful, too.

Pineapple Pulled Pork

makes 24 sliders

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Heinz chili sauce

2 t. sriracha

2 T. brown sugar

2 cup chopped pineapple (I used frozen nuggets, slightly thawed)

3.5 lb pork shoulder

salt and pepper

12 ounces IPA (or 1/2 cup good white wine or pineapple juice)

24 Hawaiian rolls, split

In a food processor or blender add the garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, sriracha, brown sugar and pineapple. Process until well combined.

Place the pork shoulder inside a slow cooker, salt and pepper all sides liberally.

Pour the pineapple mixture and the IPA beer over the pork.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker and cool a little before shredding. Strain juices. After shredding pork, pour some of the juice over and let sit. Use a straining spoon for serving.

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Serve with cole slaw, fresh fruit salad, a pasta salad, or serve over steamed white rice instead of buns with some steamed green beans.

Kalua Pork and Cabbage

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Last week we celebrated the feast of St. Damien of Molokai with a Ohioan/Hawaiian luau (Ohio because that's where we are!). We have learned about St. Damien at home and my children find his life to be fascinating (who wouldn't?). We've never enjoyed Hawaiian food, however, and so I wasn't sure what to expect. I asked Esther for a recommendation on typically Hawaiian food and she told me that Kalua Pork and Cabbage is one to try. She gave me a link for a crock-pot method, which is the one I made. But now that I know what I'm looking for in terms of taste, I think I'll try the other method she gave me, which is a little more jazzed up. I must say, however, that almost every recipe I found for Kalua Pork is exactly three ingredients: pork, salt, and liquid smoke. Pretty simple stuff.

I admit I was hesitant about the liquid smoke in this recipe. I don't like a smoky flavored BBQ sauce and I was afraid the smoke flavor would be overwhelming, but because the list of ingredients is so basic, there didn't seem to be any way around it. I used a Mesquite flavored liquid smoke (which is apparently a mild flavor) and it was very natural tasting -- it tasted as though it had been smoked outdoors. My family loved the flavor and the texture of this tasty pork and I think we will enjoy it again -- it's just too bad St. Damien's day only comes once a year.

Kalua Pork

serves 6

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about 3 lbs. Pork butt or shoulder
3 T. concentrated liquid smoke (I used the mildest Mesqite flavor)

3 T. Kosher, rock, or Hawaiian salt (I used Kosher, but if you can find Hawaiian that might be a real treat)
Small head of cabbage
Water

Place pork roast in the crockpot. Pour liquid smoke over it and sprinkle with salt. Fill crockpot with water to cover.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Roast should pretty well fall apart when stuck with a fork. Remove pork from crockpot and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Cut cabbage into large chunks and place in the broth of the crockpot and let cook on high until cabbage is tender. When pork is cool enough to handle, shred and add back to the crockpot until serving time.

Serve cabbage and pork over hot white rice.

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Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

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Last week I made the best crock pot chicken I have ever made. I often don't like crock pot chicken because it has a tendency to get so mushy that it's almost dry. The juices just cook right out of the meat and into the sauce and you end up with loads of sauce and dry meat. Know what I mean?

This chicken was not like that at all. Possibly it was the shorter cooking time on high, instead of a longer cooking time on low. Whatever it was I wouldn't change a thing. The recipe came from Cooking Light and I followed it pretty much to the T. There were five of us for dinner (four adults) and there were a few thighs leftover, so if you have a smaller crowd, definitely cut back on the meat quantity. I think you could leave everything else the same.

If you are tempted to leave out the olives, I would advise that you make it one time with. They add amazing flavor.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

serves 6

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12  chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), skinned

1 t.  kosher salt, divided

1/4  t.  freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 T. minced garlic

1/4  cup  dry white wine

3 T.  tomato paste

2  t. crushed red pepper

1  (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4  cup  sliced pitted kalamata olives (I just smashed and roughly chopped them)

2 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. 

Place chicken in an electric slow cooker. Add garlic to pan, and sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 30 seconds. Place wine mixture in cooker. Add tomato paste, crushed red pepper, and tomatoes to cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, olives, and parsley.

Suggested sides: mashed potatoes and sauteed sugar snap peas

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Cuban Pork in the Crock Pot

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I have mentioned before that I have a fondness for Cuban food. I spent seven formative years in Tampa, Florida, where the culture is heavily influenced by nearby Ybor City and the many Cubans who live throughout the state. So, when I see Cuban recipes like this one, I am attracted like ants to sugar. I am rarely disappointed in Cuban food. It has many flavors of Spanish food, but with an influence from the Caribbean -- fruit juices and some different spices.

As much as we really enjoyed this dish, I will admit that this pork is not very pretty. In fact, when we began eating my husband declared that he didn't think it looked very good (how dare he?) -- but, he ate three helpings! The appearance is likely from the use of the crock pot -- cooking slowly in the juices will leave meat looking a tad gray . If that's a problem for you, braise it first (see my note below recipe added after subsequent cookings). But the taste more than offsets the appearance, and with some white rice, and Cuban black beans, and a green salad, it was perfectly yummy, in my opinion.

I threw this dish in the crockpot as I was on my way out the door to move my college boy into his apartment. I did not take care to read the recipe before hand and just tossed everything into the crockpot. I truly don't think it lost anything in my carelessness. One ingredient confused me -- the recipe called for 2 t. ground chile pepper. Since it did not call for chili powder (which is more than just ground chile pepper) I subbed 1/2 t. cayenne pepper. I would make it the same way next time.

Cuban Pork Shoulder
serves 8-10

9 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. salt
4 t. dried oregano
1 T. ground cumin
2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 dried bay leaves, finely crumbled
1 T. grated orange zest
2 T. vinegar
2 T. fresh orange juice
2 T. lime juice
5 pounds pork shoulder, bone and skin removed and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 onions
1/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth (I used vegetable)

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, black pepper, chili pepper, crumbled bay leaves and orange zest. Stir in the vinegar, orange and lime juices to make a coarse paste. (see note below) Add the pork pieces and toss until the pieces are evenly coated with the spice paste. Set aside to marinate while you finish the other preparations.

Trim and cut the onions lengthwise into 1/4 -inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the broth over the onions. Arrange the pork in an even layer over the onions, pouring over any reserved marinade.

Cover and set the cooker to high heat and cook 4 to 4 1/2 hours until the pork is fork-tender. Remove from heat and crack the lid to allow the mixture to cool slightly. Gently stir the pork with the onions and serve.

NOTE: The second time I made this dish, I braised the meat first and I think I liked it better than way. Instead of marinating the pork in the spice mixture, I braised it in hot oil (half at a time), just until it had some color on it. Then I placed it in the crock pot on top of the onions and stirred in the spice mixture.

Source: LA Times

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Recipe Reviews

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Last week I tried several new recipes, all of which, I am happy to report, were easy and delicious. They were all six-thumbs-up recipes according to the troops. Sadly, I have no pictures. You'll just have to follow the links to see the real deal. I made modifications to all of the recipes. My notes are below:


French Toast Cups: These little French Toast Cups were a huge hit. The bad news is, I can't really say I used the recipe. The good news is, you don't need a recipe. I knew my kids would not eat them with apple chunks in them (picky, picky!), so I ditched the recipe. Winging it, I just cracked a few eggs in a bowl, added some milk, a little sugar (maple syrup would be good, too), and some vanilla (cinnamon if you like that). I threw in some bread cubes until the mixture was moistened, but not soggy. I sprayed the muffin tins and then scooped the bread cubes with an ice cream scoop and plopped them in the tins. I baked them (I think at 350) until they were golden brown, and then drizzled them with a little powdered sugar glaze after plating them. Actually very easy -- and very yummy. Sort of a mini bread pudding, but not as moist or as sweet.


Paula's Hash Brown Quiche: Really yummy, this one. The kids are not usually big quiche fans, so I made only one and then they all said, "that's all there is?" Next time I'll make two. The crust was good -- definitely potato-y, but since it gets crisp, it's almost like potato chips, or fries. The filling was creamy and tasty. I left out the green onions because I just didn't want to hear complaints. I had intentions of chopping some green onions and sprinkling them on top of mine and Doug's, but ended up forgetting. They weren't missed. This would also be a great brunch dish (although it takes an hour to bake), or a special occasion breakfast.


Slow Cooker BBQ Beef: I actually never tasted this dish. I went out out to dinner with a friend (high end Chinese -- at least the company was good) and Doug served. They all raved about it. In fact, I had to beat a few of them off with a wooden spoon as I was shredding the meat. They all said it was a definite repeat meal and since the Eye of Round roast was on sale, it was not too expensive. One change I made was to halve the lemon juice. We like our barbecue on the sweet side, and I knew a half cup was too much, so I put in just a quarter cup.

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Freezer Meal Festival

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Freezer Meals have caught quite a bit of attention in the past few years, especially among the busy moms who do once-a-month cooking. Admittedly I've never done more than double a recipe and freezing the second half for later. And while that is often very convenient (there's really nothing like pulling your own homemade food from the freezer in the morning and knowing you your dinner is done), sometimes it's just absolutely necessary. As I mentioned last week, I have a major surgery scheduled this summer, and there is just no way to get through the weeks following without a stockpile of meals. If it were just two or even three of us, we could get by on store-bought frozen meals and carry out. But with six people in a family, four of whom are, for all practical purposes, adults, I need to prepare my own meals.

After crying out for help (which isn't easy for us moms, is it?), a few of my favorite online friends answered the call. While I really rather have them pay me a visit with a hot casserole, their tips and recipes are most appreciated.

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Deborah, at the new Tastie, sent me some links to the recipes she recommends for freezing. Deborah says that their freezers in Ireland aren't really large enough for freezer meals, but she assures me that these are good, freezable meals (I can't imagine not having my extra freezer, much less not having one big enough for an extra meal -- so sorry for you Deb).

Lasagna is not only a traditional comfort food (and thus a good recovery food), it is also a traditional freezer food (after all, where do you think Stouffer's made those millions?). Deborah recommends trying her bechamel version, which I fully intend to do. Deborah recommended preparing it up to the last layer of mozzarella, freezing it, and baking it straight from the freezer. To take a page from the once-a-month cooks, I'll put the last layer of mozzarella cheese in a freezer bag and tape it to the frozen lasagna with directions for adding it in the last part of the baking time.

picture from Tastie

Another recipe from Deborah's files is Shepherd Pie. I can't imagine a better person to give me a Shepherd Pie recipe, than someone who is Irish by birth. Again Deborah says prepare it up to the baking step, freeze it, and bake it straight from the freezer.

Thank you Deborah, I'll say a little prayer for you when we these dishes come to the table.

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Herbs pictured by recipes4us.co.uk

My dear friend from Texas, the Waltzing Matilda, dedicated a post yesterday to freezer meals. She offers many great suggestions, but I particularly love the idea of of pre-assembling crock pot meals. I think even my husband can manage a crock pot meal if it's already assembled for him. I also like the sounds of the Teriyaki Tenderloin recipe she links to. I'll definitely get a few of those in the freezer with a few boxes of my favorite Birds Eye packaged vegetables.

Thank you Matilda, for taking pity on me! I will remember you during my recovery and offer up a few prayers.

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Kristine from The Cookin' Sisters & Friends sent me a soup recipe that sounds really good and comforting. The recipe came from www.smittenkitchen.com and Kristine says when you freeze it, the soup gets thicker and heartier when you thaw and reheat it. It's one of her favorite soups and she says it's "so easy you might cry."

Here is the recipe with a few of Kristine's tips:

*Last time instead of using ham, I threw in some leftover bratwurst, which I prefer. Or you could skip the meat all together.

* the notes are Deb's of SmittenKitchen, but I also used the spinach instead of arugula. Believe me you can pack this baby with a LOT of spinach.

picture from the Well-Seasoned Cook

Fast White Bean Stew
Adapted from Gourmet, January 2007

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. plus 1/2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 (14- to 15-oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 3/4 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (19-oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
1 (1/2-lb) piece baked ham (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (5-oz) bag baby romaine (er, what? I used spinach)
or baby arugula (10 cups loosely packed)
8 (3/4-inch-thick) slices baguette

Cook garlic in 1/4 cup oil in a 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Coarsely cut up tomatoes in can with kitchen shears,
then add (with juice) to garlic in oil.
Stir in broth, beans, ham, and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
Stir in greens and cook until wilted, 3 minutes for romaine or 1 minute for arugula.

While stew is simmering, preheat broiler.
Put bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil.
Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Serve stew with toasts.

Thanks, Kristine. I'll offer one up for you.

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Lana at Knit and Pray sent me a few recipes she thought my gang could handle. With our recent cooking lessons, she may be right.

photo from whatscookingamerica.net

Crockpot Pasta

8 oz.small shell pasta
1 can mushrooms
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1 pint sour cream
8 oz. provolone cheese
1 qt. spaghetti sauce
1 lb. hamburger, cooked

Mix sauce, hamburger, shells and mushrooms together.
Put half in crock pot, sour cream over this and sliced provolone,
now rest of sauce mixture with sliced mozzarella on top.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours.


Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 2/3 c. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 c. biscuit mix
1/2 c. milk
1 egg

Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in ungreased 9" pie plate.
Stir remaining ingredients with a fork until blended.
Pour into pie plate. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
(Chicken could be cooked, chopped and frozen ahead of time
and thawed with the vegetables.)


Kentucky Fried Chicken

3 c. flour
1 T. paprika
2 env. Lipton Cup-a-soup (tomato)
2 packages Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1 t. seasoned salt
chicken pieces

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine in a plastic bag.
Coat chicken pieces.
Place on well greased cookie sheet.
Coat with melted butter.
Let bake for 1 hour.
For crisper chicken, baste every 15 minutes with 1 t. oil and 1 t. water per piece.

And a few of Lana's tips:

*Pancakes freeze well as do homemade biscuit and sausage sandwiches.

*Cookies and cookie dough and banana muffins for treats are good to freeze as well.

*Meatballs freeze well and can be used to make sandwiches or with the traditional spaghetti and meatballs.

Thank you so very much, Lana. I'll remember you with a couple decades.

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Barb at SFO Mom and Mom's Fridge did me the huge favor of going through her archives for some great freezer meals. I read Barb's menus every week and I know she serves up a great dinner every night, so I really appreciate the offering.

The first one, Barbecued Chicken, is a marinade that Barb freezes the chicken in. I have done that before, and the meat marinades as it thaws -- it's a foolproof technique. I think this marinade is calling for some chicken legs!

Another chicken recipe link she sends is for Paula's Sesame Chicken Strips. I've not tried this one, but I will, along with this Hawaiian Chicken recipe. Yum!

Barb also sends a recipe for Chicken Divan which I haven't had in a few years. She says if I don't want to put the casserole together, I could freeze the parts. I might just put them in individual bags with directions for the boys to put it together (although if I leave it to the boys they might "lose" the broccoli).

This recipe for Bourbon Chicken Bites is tried and true in my house. It's one of the boys' favorites and it really couldn't be easier (although I suppose just pulling it out of the freezer and popping it in the oven officially makes it easier).

This recipe for Goulash is just dying to be pre-assembled for the Crock Pot. I think after my recovery my guys will be expert crock pot cooks. This Chicken Chili and this Stew look like good candidates, too.

And finally, Barb's Five Cheese Lasagna looks very yummy. Who ever had too much lasagna?

Thanks, Barb, you really came through for me. I owe you one, or two, or three (Hail Marys).


Many thanks to the wonderful ladies who lended me their favorite freezer recipes. I know that they will become regulars in my house, frozen or not.

From my own experience with freezer meals, I would like to add that when you have the need for many frozen meals, like I will, you don't want to tie up all your baking pans, and you don't want to invest bucks in foil pans (I am not a fan of aluminum anyway). One technique I learned from Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer is when you are making and freezing a dish, first, line your pan with long pieces of aluminum foil. Then layer the foil with plastic wrap (so the foil is not touching your food the plastic is). Place your food in the dish and fold over the long ends of plastic wrap and then the foil. Freeze until solid. I then wrap it in another layer of foil, or place it in a large freezer bag. Be sure to label it. When you are ready to thaw and bake (or even bake frozen), remove the outer foil layer, then the plastic wrap (rinse briefly with warm water to release if necessary). Place food in the original dish you froze it in and either thaw completely and bake, or bake in its frozen state. By using this method, you save room in the freezer (stacking just the food takes up less room then stacking pans), and you free up your dishes for other freezer meals and baking.

Another tip is to freeze liquids and foods like marinating chicken on a flat pan or in a dish. Then, when frozen, stack them (don't forget to label). They will be easier to stack and access if they are flat (like the picture at Matilda's).

Green Beans, Potatoes, and Sausage

For dinner last night, I made a crock pot version of an old comfort food my mom used to make. Actually she used to use what we called a cottage ham. I have no idea what cut of meat that is -- it was a soft, stringy, ham-like meat. I haven't seen one in probably 20 years. But, I like my version better anyway.

We were in need of a comfort meal. It was cold and wet outside and we were feeling a little down in the dumps inside. This meal was needed! By 3 p.m. I was smelling this meal and the smell alone lifted me up. I had a package of knockwurst left from the big German party, a couple pounds of greens beans and potatoes. I loosely used a recipes from allrecipes.com, but changed a few things. I post my own recipe below.

Pictured before cooking (and sans potatoes).
Sorry no pics after -- we were too busy eating!

Green Beans, Potatoes, and Sausage

2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1 -2 lbs. smoked sausage -- any variety (I used knockwurst)
1 small onion, sliced (I slice mine vertically for this dish -- like an apple)
4 large russets or 5 medium red potatoes, diced in 1-inch pieces**
garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Halve beans if they are large.
Place in a slow cooker bowl.
Sprinkle liberally with onion powder, garlic powder,
seasoning salt, and pepper to taste.*
Lay sausages on top and sprinkle with onions.
Pour water over until beans are just covered.
Push sausages down into beans a little.
Cover, and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.
Add potatoes to the bowl, stirring gently.
Cook for 4 to 5 hours longer, until vegetables are tender.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
To serve, use a slotted spoon.

*If you don't like using powdered seasoning,
throw in a couple peeled garlic cloves, and season with salt and pepper.

** The russets will yield a softer cooked potato, which we like.
Use reds if you like a firmer cooked potato.

NOTE: Freeze leftover broth to use in a pot of soup -- yum!
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Pulled Pork Sandwiches

photo from Food Network

Well, two of you girls asked for my Pulled Pork Recipe. And while it's not my recipe, it's Tyler Florence's, I'm most happy to share. This recipe is, I believe, a deep south style pulled pork (as in Alabama-ish). You can use a variety of cuts of meat -- I usually use a bone-in shoulder, but any cut that results in stringy meat works. I would not recommend using a tenderloin -- just buy what's on sale.

This sauce recipe is my version of Tyler's. His was very vinegary -- too much for my taste. So maybe this recipe is no longer deep south, but somewhere in between Alabama and Ohio.

Pulled Pork Barbeque

3 T. paprika
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. dry mustard
3 T. sea salt
5 - 7 lb. pork roast - shoulder or Boston Butt
¼ to ½ cup vinegar (to taste)
¼ cup yellow mustard
¾ cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
½ t. black pepper
pan drippings

Mix spices and rub over roast.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for one hour or overnight.
Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
Put roast in roasting pan and cover tightly with foil.
Roast in oven for 6 hours, or until pork is falling apart.
While pork is roasting, mix remaining ingredients in a saucepan (except pan drippings). Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
When pork is finished cooking, de-glaze pan with 3/4 cup water add drippings to sauce.
Cook for 5 more minutes. Adjust ingredients to taste.
"Pull" pork with two forks and place in a bowl with about half the sauce.
Place on toasted buns and serve with cole slaw.

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Crock Pot Festival

The first ever food festival at Bless Us O Lord commences.

Though I've chosen the hottest week of the year in most of the country to schedule this Slow Cookin' Food Festival, I guarantee that pretty soon the winds will take a turn and we'll be feeling fresh, cool breezes instead of hot, muggy blasts. And when those cool winds blow, I know that I'll be grabbing my cookbooks to find those warm, homey recipes that make my family feel so good.

If you been by here before, you may know that I just recently discovered the joy of slow cooking. I've been married for almost 22 years and apparently I never got a Crock Pot as a wedding gift. And though it took 22 years (and a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law) to get with the program, it was worth the wait. Slow cookers (Crock Pot is really the Rival brand name) allow you to get a meal together early in the day and provide hands-off cooking all day (not to mention the smells!). And one of the greatest advantages, in my opinion, is the energy savings. This past Sunday, I prepared a pork shoulder roast for BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches. Normally this cut of meat would need to roast in a 300 degree oven for four hours. That's a lot of heat, and a lot of natural gas for my gas oven. But after seven hours in the slow cooker I had the identical roast and a cool kitchen.

There are a few things you should know about a slow cooker, though, especially if you're a newbie. Apparently slow cookers today cook hotter then their mothers. That means adjusting many recipes for less cooking time. If you overcook a piece of meat in a slow cooker (or anywhere for that matter), you'll be left with something less than satisfactory. And the hotter temperatures of today's Crock Pots can definitely overcook a piece of meat. You can play with your recipes, but I have found that six hours is plenty long for almost every recipe, as compared to the eight hours that most recipes call for (that's if you have a new-ish slow cooker).

There are also a few food safety precautions. You should never put frozen meat in a Crock Pot. Most likely some of you already have (I have once as well), but I recently read that you could be playing with fire. Bacteria may multiply while the food is heating but has not yet attained a safe temperature to inhibit growth. Some bacteria produce toxins that remain in the food after the bacteria themselves are killed.

Another safety precaution: According to Whole Foods, "Red kidney beans contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin (Kidney Bean Lectin) that causes severe gastric distress, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Under-cooked beans can be more toxic than raw and it only takes 4 to 6 beans to bring on symptoms. They are perfectly safe, though, if properly prepared. First, soak red kidney beans for a minimum of 5 hours and then drain and discard the soaking water. Add fresh water or broth to a level about 2" higher than the beans, bring beans to a boil and boil briskly for at least 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until thoroughly cooked, about 2 hours." They are then safe to add to a Crock Pot recipe. You can also safely used canned kidney beans.

O.k., rules aside. Let's eat.





Matilda at Waltzing Matilda offers a super yummy looking Spicy Shredded Chicken recipe that can be used for tacos, burritos, salad, or I imagine eating just about any way -- with some Mexican rice or even a pile of garlic mashed potatoes. Thanks Matilda!



Liz presents her recipe for Crock Pot Hungarian Goulash

2 lbs. stewing beef, cut in 1" cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups fresh tomato wedges (or 15 oz. can tomatoes, including juice)
1 cup sour cream

Put beef cubes, onion and garlic in crockpot. Stir in flour and mix to coat meat. Add all remaining ingredients except the sour cream. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 10 hours (or on high for 5 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally). Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving, and stir in thoroughly. Serve over hot buttered noodles.

Yum! There's a cool fall night in my future just waiting for this recipe. Thanks Liz.

Barb at Mom's Fridge presents two recipes from her collection. First her Chicken Chili Blanco which has many flavors my family loves. This is basically a White Chili and I'm thinking it would be a great recipe for trick-or-treat night -- just perfect for dipping with Fritos! She also shares her Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs. These would be wonderful to serve over pasta or tucked inside a crusty roll for a great Meatball Sandwich. My family will be testing these on Sunday, but I know it will also be a great recipe for the fall and winter -- maybe to serve after an afternoon of apple picking. Barb says she'll be making these during cross-country season. I can imagine some hungry kids diving into them! Thank you, Barb.



Michelle at Dei Gratia, By The Grace Of God makes this suggestion: take two thawed turkey breasts, add a family-size can of cream of chicken soup and poultry seasoning to taste. Cook on low all day.When the turkey is cooked, remove. To the broth/cream of chicken soup mixture add cooked minute rice and poultry seasoning. Serve with green beans or salad. She says her kids love the rice! Now, Michelle has a large family, but I imagine you can easily size this recipe down with one turkey breast and a regular can of soup. This sounds like a great Sunday afternoon supper -- maybe in front of a football game on TV. Thanks for sharing, Michelle.




Denise at Ordinary Grace offers her recipe for Chicken and Dumplings, a Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, and Slow Cooker BBQ Beef. She says her kids eat all of these recipes, which is a big selling point at my house. We'll be trying every one of these, Denise. Thanks for sharing!



Julia at Blue Apple Farm shares her recipe for Chicken Lickin' Good Pork Chops. This recipe looks really tasty, Julia, and I need a good pork chop recipe for my slow cooker. These would be rib-stickin' with some smashed potatoes and country green beans. Julia also has some other good recipes in her "kitchen," so be sure to scroll down. Thanks.





Jane at Building the Ark shares her recipe for BBQ Beef. This recipe calls for a boneless chuck roast, a cut of pot roast which you can frequently find on sale. This is a great recipe to hang on to when you're entertaining big crowds -- maybe the weekend after Thanksgiving or for a Buckeye football game (or your favorite team's contest). Thanks, Jane!



Marye at Apron Strings and Simmering Things has a recipe for Enchiladas Verde. She recommends serving this savory casserole with fried rice, refried beans or salad and a chocolate cake. Sounds like the perfect meal following an afternoon in the pumpkin patch. Thanks so much, Mayre. Be sure to check out some of the other great recipes on her blog.



Margaret at Come for Coffee and Cake shares a recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Indonesian. With fresh gingeroot, garlic and cayenne pepper, this looks like a real belly-warming meal, but with those exotic flavors it would be nice enough to serve company. Thanks so much, Margaret. And be sure to scroll down and take note of some of her other recipes. That Southwestern Corn, Black Bean Tomato Salsa is yummy. Trust me.




Lana at Knit and Pray shares quite a few of her favorite Crock Pot recipes. She has a Hamburger Lentil Soup, which sounds yummy and healthy, a Soul Satisfying Beef Stew, which contains nutrient-packed pumpkin -- very interesting, Crock Pot Pasta, which is sort of a combination of spaghetti and stroganoff, Salmon Cheese Casserole and Tuna Noodle Casserole -- both of which would be great on a fall Friday, and Spiced Wassail, for warm holiday comfort. Thanks for sharing, Lana. You're filling in my fall weekday dinners very nicely!

And Anne at The Cookin' Sisters & Friends shares her Crock Pot Potato Soup recipe. This favorite recipe from Anne's childhood sounds like just the thing for a cool fall supper. Thanks for sharing, Anne.




Sincere thanks to the great women who shared these super recipes. I really appreciate a good friend that shares her good food.

Thanks all for visiting today. I hope this line-up helps make your fall meals considerably simpler.

Last Call

for all Crock Pot Recipes. E-mail them or leave a comment by Wednesday eve and be sure to stop back on Thursday.

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Get Ready for a Crock Pot Festival

This week we turn the page of the calendar, and next month is getting-back-to-
regular-schedule month. I often have visions of long, leisurely, summer months, reading novels on the porch, with a glass of sweet tea at my fingertips. But in reality, the unscheduled summer months usually end up being crazier than our school-year months. So, I look forward to August, to gearing up for another school year, and to autumn meals. The first cool day of September will have me hunting through my cookbooks for my favorite hearty, cool weather recipes. And since I recently discovered the wonders of the Crock Pot (again I say, how did we live this long without one?) I thought it would be fun to host a Crock Pot Festival to help fill those cool months with lots of yummy, easy meals.

Send me your favorite Crock Pot recipes -- chicken, beef, pork, beans, veggies -- if you love it, I want to try it. Post the recipe on your blog and then use the e-mail envelope below (or leave a comment) with a link to your blog. Or just e-mail me your recipe. The fun begins on August 9. Send me your recipes before then! And be sure to come back to check out everyone's favorites!

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Crock Pot Chicken Update

Well, I don't know how many times I can mess up the making of one dish, but I failed again to make the 40 Clove Garlic Vampire Chicken Recipe. I went to the store, but forgot to buy the herbs needed. I did, however, make Lots of Garlic Chicken, which is really the same recipe without the fresh herbs. We were gone for part of the day and when we came home, the smell of garlic chicken had filled the house. The kids went crazy -- "When can we eat? When can we eat?" Guys, it's only 3 o'clock! I held them off until 6. I can't believe we've made it this long without a Crock Pot. And the Crock Pot that my mother-in-law gave me is huge. It easily held one and a half chickens, with room to spare. I'll be doing lots of Crock Pot cooking from now on.

But anyway, back to the chicken review. It was good. The flavor was excellent. I think the fresh herbs in the other recipe would have been better, but except for not salting it enough, the flavor was great. The chicken, however, had a dry texture, which is really strange since it was sitting in loads of chicken broth (I did add some liquid -- but only about a half cup of water). I think the chicken actually cooked too long, and the next time I make it, I will cut the cooking time by a few hours. The Crock Pot was set on low, but the chicken bones came right out and I think what happened was that all of the juice cooked right out. I suppose you could also make some gravy with the juice.

I checked a cookbook out of the library this week (Saving Dinner) and it has quite a few Crock Pot recipes. I'll be trying them. I think I'll hold a Crock Pot Festival here. So, if you have a favorite Crock Pot recipe -- get ready.