Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Here in Georgia, we've had a major cold snap this week. We had an ice storm (snowstorm for much of northern Georgia) that cancelled school for two days and threatened to take out the electricity (it did manage to take out the cable and Internet).

Weather like that calls for belly-warming food. Belly-warming food on a diet can be tricky.

Enter turkey chili. Warm, filling, hearty, nutritious, low in fat, it's the perfect Crock Pot meal for winter days.

If you think turkey tastes bad (I used to, until I started using only turkey breast), substitute lean beef or ground chicken. Either way, it's delicious.

And cheap.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
makes a lot. ;) (enough to feed three adults and two children twice, plus leftovers)

What You Need:

• 1 lb small red beans (or pinto, or kidney, or whatever you feel like using), dried, sorted through and rinsed (or four cans of beans, rinsed and drained)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 2 large bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 2 cans of chili-ready diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1 can of tomato sauce (4 oz)
• 8 oz water
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• cayenne pepper to taste (up to a teaspoon for hot chili)
• 2 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee (optional, but adds another dimension)
• 1/3 cup masa mixed with 1/2 cup cool water

How it's Done:

1. If you're using dried beans, cook them. If you're using canned beans, rinse and drain them. I use cooked beans almost always. They're a fraction of the cost of canned, and I've got some financial goals to accomplish this year, so it's dried beans for this household. I digress....
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the turkey with the onion and peppers.
3. In the crock of your slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients except for the masa mixed with cool water. That comes later.
4. Cover and cook on low for ten hours. Then, give it a stir, and decide if you want to thicken it up a bit. If so, stir in the masa flour combined with cool water. Cook and stir for a few minutes in the crock.
5. Serve with sour cream and/or cheese, over spaghetti, or with crackers, or however you like your chili. Freeze the leftovers. :)

Porkchops & Applesauce

I got a new Crock Pot for Christmas! Here I am in all my dorky glory:

Want to read more about my family's Christmas? Go here. :)



Remember The Brady Bunch? It was one of my favorite shows growing up. Tonight for dinner, we're having Pork Chopsh...and Appleshaush.


This meal goes together quickly and cooks in the crock pot. That's perfect for nights like tonight at my house. Our new German Shepherd Sacha is starting her training classes at Petsmart, so we're going to be in a rush. It'll be nice not to have to fiddle around with making dinner and cleaning up. Everything will be done. Just one pot to wash and some plates to stick in the dishwasher.

Also, this is very healthy, with no added sugar or fat. And that's good for my weight loss. I'm following Weight Watchers Points Plus program and have lost over 25 pounds since September 19th. :)

Your house will smell delicious when you cook this. Plus, you get to talk like Humphrey Bogart and act like Peter Brady. What could be more fun?

The chops are completely covered with applesauce prior to cooking. I don't measure the amount, but it's roughly two cups of sauce.

Pork Chops & Applesauce
Serves 6

What You Need:

• 6 boneless pork chops
• 1 large, tart apple (cored and sliced)
• about 2 cups unsweetened applesauce

How it's Done:

1. Layer chops and apple slices in slow cooker.
2. Cover completely with applesauce.
3. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Wallet Padding: Split Peas

Did you hear? We're moving to Germany! It looks like September will be our reporting month. So, I want to save up around $3,000 between now and August 1st, so that we can have a little padding in the wallet when we arrive. We'll want to take some vacation time and tour a bit of Europe, plus we need to set money aside for out-of-pocket expenses as they arise.

One of the easiest ways to cut household costs and save money is in the grocery store. Going vegetarian is almost always a surefire way to slash the cost of a meal. Take today's soup, for example: It's split pea. By leaving out the traditional ham, I'm saving at least $3.00. That's $3.00 toward my trip to Italy/France/Spain/Portugal/wherever my heart desires. ;)

I mean, really. Which would you rather have: ham in your soup, or a pair of Italian shoes...bought in Italy?

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
in the slow cooker

What You Need:

• 1 lb dried split peas, sorted through to remove debris
• 4 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick coins
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp minced basil
• optional: 1/2 tsp curry powder
• salt & pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Add everything but salt and pepper to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, then reduce heat to low and continue cooking until ready to serve.
2. Consider taking your potato masher and mashing up the veggies a little bit at the end of the cooking time. I like for my split pea soup to have an even texture. Doing this gives me the mouth-feel I like from split pea soup.
3. Before serving, taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
4. I like to serve this soup topped with garlic-cheese croutons and a dollop of sour cream.

Not Enough Hours in the Day!

All summer, you gazed wishfully upon your untidy abode, reminding yourself that soon, school will start, and you'll have more time to get things done. For now, you told yourself, I'll just enjoy my children and ignore what can be ignored.

Then, school started, and you found yourself wondering where all of that free time you were promised had gone. PTO meetings, soccer practice, driving kids to cross country meets, attending parent-teacher conferences, baking cupcakes to share with the class for your child's birthday, meeting new parents, shopping, driving.... Oh! So that's where the time went!

What? Is it only me? I swear that I should have more free time in my days! I envisioned myself completing a present I'm working on for a friend who's expecting (and I'm running out of time!), finishing my braided rug, going to the gym... There's simply no time!

So, I look to my kitchen to provide shortcuts where I can. One reliable way to cut time in the kitchen is by using my slow cookers. Here's what's for dinner at my house tonight. I'll upload the final product later (after school, play date, homework, cross country practice, study time, laundry, and cleaning).

Slow Cooker Lasagna
makes a 5 quart crock full

What You Need:

• 1 box uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 2 cups water
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• salt & pepper to taste

How it's Done:

• Grease the inside of your slow cooker's crock.
• Combine cooked beef and pasta sauce. Separately, combine ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella, and the Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper this mixture to taste.
• Layer in the crock in this order:

First, lay down a small amount of meat & sauce.

Break two noodles in half and press them into the meat sauce.

Dot with some cheese mixture.

Repeat until you run out of noodles.

Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.

Pour two cups of water over the top.

• 
  
  Cover and cook on HIGH one hour, then LOW six hours or until dinner, whichever is later.
  

Silly Warning Labels

Day 137.

Have you ever paid attention to some of the warning labels on merchandise? Here's a few I can remember:

• On a fishing lure: Caution! Harmful if swallowed.
• On a stroller: Remove child before folding.
• On a hair dryer: Do not use while bathing.
• An iron: never iron clothing while it is being worn.
• On a wheelbarrow: Not intended for highway use.
• On a Dremmel tool: Not for use as a dental drill.
• Christmas Lights: WARNING! For indoor or outdoor use ONLY!
• Car window sunscreen: Do not operate car with screen in place.

Pretty funny, right? But you know that there's always a reason for those weird labels. Someone had to be dumb enough to do that stuff and sue the company over it before the company had to put those warnings in place.

Here's another warning:

This warning it on the back of my can of sweetened condensed milk.

Call me a rule breaker, or a label maker. I heated it in the can and it was wonderful. Note: I do not advise you to heat your sweetened condensed milk in its can. No, I would never advise you to use your slow cooker and a can of sweetened condensed milk to make luscious dulce de leche that's so tasty you can scarcely let it cool enough so as not to burn your tongue before diving into it.

Because the can says you should never do that.

Ever.

...But if you were interested, for purely scientific reasons, about how mine turned out, it would only be fair for me to show you, right?

So first, you'll want to peel off the label. That way, the pesky warning isn't staring your defiance in the face the whole time. Set it on an old rag in your slow cooker. If you don't, you'll end up with a weird ring where the metal of the can meets the crock. Fill the crock with water. Cover it and heat it on low for 8 to 10 hours or so.

Take it out with tongs. It's hot. Open it up. Mine squirted hot caramel at me when I punctured the can, so be careful.

Try not to eat the whole thing at once, and maybe you can use it to make these delicious brownies:

Dulce de Leche Brownies

What You Need:

• 1/2 cup dulce de leche
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• dash of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

How it's Done:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a square 8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Beat butter, eggs, and sugar together. Add vanilla.
3. Stir in cocoa powder, sea salt, and flour.
4. Spread batter in prepared pan. Dot with dulce de leche. Use a knife to create some swirls with it, but leave some of it in clumps, too.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Allow the brownies to cool before cutting. If you can.

Something Out of Nothing

Day 118.

Today's the last day of my grocery cycle. It's the bare bones day. It's the day when we're often eating weird food combinations that would normally go untouched. It's the wipe-out-the-fridge day. It's the "Mom, there's nothing to eat," day.

Except it's not.

I came up with an amazing meal that I wouldn't have ever considered. It's has its quirks, because we've run out of many ingredients. You can avoid my quirks and still make this dish wonderfully, but I'm writing these recipes exactly as I created them.

Tomorrow, Picky Eater gets two crowns and Bayberry gets braces. Prayers, good thoughts, and input are all very much welcome.

Oh, and what do you think of my photographs? Major improvement since I began this blog, no? I've started playing with Picnik. I love it!

Slow Cooker Pork Ribs in Red Wine-Garlic-Tomato Sauce

What You Need:

• a rack of ribs
• mayonnaise
• sea salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 15 oz can Rotel tomatoes and green chilis
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• cooked pasta
• fresh parsley, chopped

How it's Done:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Spread ribs with mayonnaise. Sear in a hot pan on both sides. Move to slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Deglaze skillet with1/2 cup red wine. Add onions and garlic and cook and stir 2 minutes. Add remaining wine and all tomatoes. Pour this sauce over the ribs.
4. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.
5. Remove ribs from slow cooker and remove meat from bones. Return meat to the slow cooker and let it sit in the sauce until your pasta is cooked and ready to serve.
6. Plate meat sauce over pasta and top with chopped parsley.

On the side, I served this lovely fruit crisp, because I had ONE apple and ONE cup of frozen raspberries.

Individual FAT-FREE Apple-Raspberry Crisps
makes 2 servings

What You Need:

• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 cup frozen (or fresh) raspberries
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

How it's Done:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two small baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Divide apple and raspberries between dishes. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
3. Combine cinnamon, oats, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Divide over the top of the two dishes.
4. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve hot.

For more slow cooker meal ideas, visist Dining with Debbie.

The Key is Experimentation!

Day 79.

Do you know how to come up with something fabulous in the kitchen? Don't be afraid to play with your recipes! I took a standard potato roll recipe and turned it into fabulous sandwich buns. I'm glad I was careful to remember what I put in them, because this recipe was a winner. I wanted a soft, flavorful roll to hold my BBQ Pulled Pork (recipe follows), and I wanted it to be different than your standard sandwich bun. I had some sweet potatoes that needed to be cooked. So I made sweet potato rolls. I wish I could hand you one right now to try. They're soft, and yeasty, and sweet, and salty, and buttery, and perfect.

You must make these. Right away.

Go. Make rolls!

Sweet Potato Sandwich Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of warm milk (I microwaved it for 1 minute, stirred, then microwaved it another minute and it was perfect. You want it warm to the touch, but not hot)
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk (use the white for something else)
• 3 Tbsp softened butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato (about 2 sweet potatoes)
• 3 2/3 cups bread flour
• 2 Tbsp melted butter for finishing (use salted. It leaves wonderful grains of salt on the bread when it "dries".  Don't skip this step.)

How it's Done:

1. Proof your yeast: In your mixing bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Stir it up and then let it sit undisturbed for ten to twelve minutes. It should get bubbly and double in volume. (If it doesn't, don't proceed, because it means your yeast is dead. Go out and buy new, fresh yeast. Yeast should be used by the expiration date. If you buy it in a jar, use it within 6 months of opening.)
2. Stir in egg yolk, butter, and salt. Add mashed sweet potato and stir to combine.
3. Half a cup at a time, stir in your flour. If you're not using a stand mixer, a wooden spoon is the best tool for this job. Your dough will be slightly sticky when all the flour is stirred in.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. You could also use your stand mixer for this job. By hand, it will take about 8 minutes.
5. Form the dough into a ball. Coat lightly with oil and place in a large mixing bowl. Cover gently and let rise until doubled in size. This will take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes.
6. Punch down your dough. Divide it into 10 equal parts. Roll each piece into a rope. Roll cinnamon-roll style, pinching the end seam to seal. Place each on a cookie sheet that's been oiled and dusted with cornmeal. Cover loosely. Let rise again, until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
8. Immediately upon removal from oven, brush rolls with melted butter.
9. Slice horizontally to serve.

Here's what I served inside mine:

...and here's how to make it:

Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 3 lb boneless pork roast
• salt and pepper
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce (I recommend my homemade recipe)
• cole slaw
• sandwich rolls

How it's Done:

1. Sprinkle pork roast with salt and pepper.
2. In a slow cooker, combine roast and 1/4 cup water.
3. Cook on HIGH one hour, then on LOW 8 more hours.
4. Remove roast to a cutting board. Empty slow cooker of all liquid.
5. Shred roast using two large forks. Return meat to slow cooker.
6. Add barbecue sauce to slow cooker. Toss meat so that the sauce is well distributed.
7. Cook on HIGH one to two hours.
8. Serve barbecue on sandwich rolls with cole slaw on top of meat. The creaminess of the slaw and the spicy tang of the sauce complement each other very nicely.

Give Your Slow Cooker a Chance to Impress You

Day 69.

Do you use a slow cooker?

Do you use a slow cooker for anything other than a hunk of meat and some hardy vegetables?

I love my two slow cookers, and long for two more. I'd like to have one large slow cooker that's company presentable. My two slow cookers are food stained and old, chipped and yellowed with age, but work perfectly. I'd also like to have one of those tiny slow cookers that are perfect for a small side dish or appetizer.

When my husband was in Egypt on his first overseas mission, I mailed him a Lil Dipper, some Velveeta, a can of Rotel, a can opener, a plastic mixing bowl, a spoon, and a brown bag of Mission tortilla chips. It was his favorite care package. See? Slow cookers can bring happiness. :o)

Your slow cooker is a wonderland of cooking capability. You can use it to make almost anything. You can make a main dish: soup, stew, pot roast, of course, pot pie, casserole, beans. You can also use it to make breakfast for you while you sleep, and dessert while you go about your day. Your slow cooker can even be used as a room freshener, to make your house smell lovely.

For now, let's tackle something many people find challenging: dried beans.

I remember when I was 20 years old, and my husband was 21, far too young to have a toddler, but we did. We qualified for WIC back then, and they would allow me to purchase certain food items: ready-to-eat cereal, milk, Juicy Juice, cheese, eggs, and dried beans. I would always give those beans away. I didn't know how to cook them and didn't care to try. Dried beans? Ick! Probably they tasted as bad as dried milk! No, thank you! I'll pass. I told you I was too young.

I don't remember when I decided to give dried beans a chance, but I'm so glad I did. I still use canned beans frequently, because they're so quick. Relatively speaking, canned beans are economical, too, at under $1 per can. However, I can generate three to four cans' worth of beans with one pound of dried beans. Dried pinto beans cost me 99 cents per pound. If I buy them in bulk in the produce department, they cost me even less.

For me, saving money is my full-time job. I can save 66% or more by purchasing dried beans. The energy used to cook them is negligible in the big picture. They're boiled for ten minutes, then slow cooked all day. Slow Cookers are very energy efficient.

If you haven't tried dried beans yet, I encourage you to do so soon. Here's the simplest recipe I know.

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• at serving time only: salt and pepper to taste, optional hot sauce, cheese, taco sauce, or sour cream

How it's Done:

1. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Pick through the beans. Sometimes the machinery used to harvest them also harvests small pebbles. Remove any funny-looking beans that are cracked, broken, shriveled up, or otherwise unappealing. Rinse the good beans in a collander.
3. Put the beans in a pot. When the kettle of water is boiling, pour it over the beans. Bring the beans to a boil on high heat. Boil at a full, rolling boil for ten minutes.
4. Pour beans and boiling water into the crock of a large slow cooker.
5. IF YOU WILL BE GONE ALL DAY, add the onion and garlic now. IF YOU WILL BE HOME, add the onion and garlic in FOUR HOURS. Cover and cook on low all day long. The beans will take from 8 to 10 hours to cook, so get them started first thing in the morning.

I recommend serving your beans with a side of rice. It's said that beans and rice together form a perfect protein. Here's a delicious side dish to go along with your beans and rice:

Slow Cooker Triple Cornbread
(yes, you can bake bread in your slow cooker)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 11 oz can of corn
• 14 3/4 oz can of creamed corn
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup finely minced onion
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp baking powder

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Grease the crock of a large slow cooker.
3. Pour batter into crock. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, then uncover, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 15 minutes before removing from the crock. You should be able to flip the crock over onto a plate and the whole loaf should slide right out without any trouble.

For more slow cooker recipes, visit Dining with Debbie each Wednesday.

Southern Cookin' Sundays #1

Day 66.

 

Today's the first of four Sundays in March that I will use to feature full, traditional Southern cuisine. This is not diet food. In fact, your arteries may narrow a little just reading this entry. But your belly will be very pleased with your culinary selections if you choose to replicate my menu. And your house will smell very nice. It'll smell so nice that you'll wish you could bottle the scent. And you'll open your windows to let in some cool air and your neighbors will smell the yummy scents and you might find yourself with some company this evening.

 

Oh, and by the way: If you make this menu for just your family, you should have leftovers to last several days. Cook once, eat lots.

 

Southern Cookin' Sunday #1

 

On today's menu:

• Barbecue Pork Ribs
• Cole Slaw
• Potato Salad
• Baked Beans
• Hushpuppies (cheated with a mix)
• Peach Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Sweet Tea

Invite a few friends to join you for supper. You'll have more than enough.

 

Step-by-Step Directions (individual recipes follow):

 

THE NIGHT BEFORE (I began preparing at 7:00 p.m. and went to bed at 10:00 p.m.):

1. In a bowl, place 4 to 5 cups of shredded cabbage, carrots, and raddicchio.
2. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp celery seed, and 2 Tbsp milk. Whisk well. Pour over cabbage.
3. Stir cabbage to coat completely. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
4. Peel and quarter 3 pounds of Yukon Gold (or other waxy type) Potatoes. Place them in a large pot and cover with cool water.
5. Bring to a boil and continue boiling about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Don't overcook them or you'll end up with grainy mush.
6. Drain potatoes and move to a large bowl. Let them cool.
7. Meanwhile, cook 1/2 lb bacon to crispy and drain on paper towels. Hard-cook three large eggs and let them cool. Peel and roughly chop the eggs. Crumble the bacon.
8. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp yellow mustard, 1 Tbsp relish, 1/2 cup finely minced white onion, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper.
9. Pour dressing over potatoes. Add eggs and potatoes. Toss gently to coat. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
10. Pick through and sort 1 lb dried pinto beans. Place in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Boil at a hard boil for ten full minutes. Transfer beans and water to a large slow cooker. Make sure the water is at least double the depth of the beans. I prefer to play it safe and triple the water. Cover and cook on low overnight (at least 8 hours, but up to 12).
11. In a saucepan, combine 2 cups whipping cream and 1 cup milk, 1 vanilla bean (scraped, seeds added to cream, add pod, too), and 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a slight simmer. Remove from heat and put in an air-tight container. Refrigerate overnight.
12. Take a bath, read a book, watch a movie, or do whatever it is you do to relax. You've worked hard! Your efforts will pay off tomorrow.

THE MORNING OF YOUR SOUTHERN COOKIN' DAY:

 (I began at 9:00 a.m., took a break from 10 to 11:00 a.m., and worked hands-on until 2:00 p.m. Then, it was occasional stirring and flipping until another 30 minute bout of hands-on work from 5:30 till 6:00)

1. Drain your beans. Reserve 4 cups of beans for your baked beans. Bag up the rest and freeze them in 2 cup portions for later use. These can be used in any recipe calling for canned beans. 
2. Remove the vanilla bean hull from your custard. Process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Look for the custard to double in size. Move to an air-tight container and place in the freezer. 
3. Next, it's time to make some peach pie. Roll out two pie crusts. Position one in a 9" deep dish pie plate. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Brush the pie crust with a beaten egg.
4. Place 4 cups of sliced peaches (I used frozen ones) in a collander. Drizzle 1 Tbsp lime juice over the peaches. Let them sit in the collander for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Mix well. Pour peaches into mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, then stir to cover with the sugar & flour mixture.
6. Pour the peaches into the pie crust.
7. Dot with 2 Tbsp cut up butter.
8. Cover with the second pie crust. Make vents in the top.
9. Position your pie plate over a large cookie sheet in case of spilling in the oven.
10. Bake 40 to 55 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Let the pie cool a full 2 hours before cutting it. This allows the filling to set. Serve with your homemade vanilla ice cream. But first, on to the sweet tea, then the ribs and beans.
12. Make some sweet tea. It needs time to cool, so make it now. Bring a quart of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 8 tea bags. Let it stand for 10 minutes.
13. Pour 1 1/2 cups of sugar into a 2 quart pitcher.
14. Remove tea bags from water and throw the tea bags away. Pour the tea into the pitcher and stir until the sugar is all dissolved. Add enough ice to fill the pitcher, stirring to melt most of it. Set it in the fridge until dinner is ready.
15. Prepare the dry rub ingredients for your barbecue ribs. In a ziploc bag, combine 3 Tbsp paprika, 2 tsp each red, black, and white pepper, 2 tsp onion salt, and 2 tsp garlic powder.  Close bag securely and shake to mix ingredients. Rub on both sides of 2 racks of ribs and let them stand for 1/2 an hour.
16. If you want to eat at 6:00 p.m., your ribs need to go in the oven at 1:15 or so. Set the oven to 275 degrees and put your ribs in. Bake 2 hours.
17. Meanwhile, start your barbecue sauce. In a large saucepan, combine 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp chili powder, 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sea salt, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp black pepper, 4 cloves of garlic, minced, 2 cups of ketchup, 1 1/2 cups white vinegar (I've been known to use rice vinegar with fantastic results), 1/2 cup dry white wine, 2 cups of water, a large onion, diced, 1/3 cup molasses, and 1/4 cup honey. Whisk well, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
18. After the ribs have been cooking for an hour, put together your baked beans. Fry 6 slices of bacon crispy and let them drain on paper towels. When they're cool enough to handle, crumble them. In a mixing bowl, combine bacon, the beans you reserved from earlier in the day, a chopped up onion, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup honey, and 1/2 cup molasses. Put them in the oven with the ribs and let them cook for the rest of the time the ribs cook (just over 2 1/4 more hours).
19. When the ribs have cooked 2 hours, flip them over and cook another 2 hours.
20. With 15 minutes left on the ribs, prepare your hushpuppies. I cheated and used a mix that only required water. I wish I'd gone ahead and made them from scratch. Make your balls and set them aside. Preheat your oil to 375 degrees.
21. Now it's time to brush the ribs with barbecue sauce. Pull them out of the oven and coat them with sauce. Put them back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the lid from the baked beans and let them continue to cook.

22. Fry the hushpuppies. Drain on paper towels.
23. Your dinner is ready to serve. Go stuff yourself silly.

Here are the individual recipes in case you don't want to make a full, traditional Southern menu.


Oven Barbecued Pork Ribs
makes 2 racks

Ingredients:

• 2 racks (2.5 lb each) pork ribs
• dry rub (recipe follows)
• barbecue sauce (recipe follows)

How it's Done:

1. Rub both sides of the racks of ribs with the dry spice rub.
2. Let stand at room temperature for 1/2 an hour. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
3. Cook 2 hours. Flip racks over. Cook another 2 hours.
4. Brush barbecue sauce on both sides. Cook another 20 minutes.
5. Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

Dry Rub for Ribs:

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp each black, white, and red pepper
• 2 tsp onion salt (or 2 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp sea salt)
• 2 tsp garlic powder

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Close bag securely and shake to mix. HINT: Double or triple this recipe and store it in your pantry for a quick BBQ rub for any meat!
2. Rub on both sides of ribs.

Barbecue Sauce that'll stop you from buying that bottled junk
Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar (though I prefer rice vinegar for flavor)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups water
• large onion (I recommend vidalia), diced
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup honey

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Use a whisk to blend them well.

2. Bring to a full, rolling boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.

Cole Slaw
Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 cups shredded cabbage (can add carrots and raddicchio for variety -- I save the raddicchio from bagged salad for this purpose)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp celery seed
• 2 Tbsp milk

How it's Done:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, and milk.
2. Toss with shredded veggies in a large bowl.
3. Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight for best results.

Southern Style Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, rinsed, and chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp relish
• 1/2 cup finely minced white onion
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

How it's Done:

1. Peel and quarter potatoes. Place in large pot and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and set them in a large mixing bowl. Allow them to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over potatoes. Toss gently to combine.
3. Cover tightly and refrigerate several hours or overnight for best taste.

Baked Beans

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked pinto beans
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup molasses

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole.
2. Cover and bake at 275 degrees for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Peach Pie

Ingredients:

• pastry for a double crust pie
• 1 beaten egg
• 4 cups of sliced peaches (I used two bags of frozen sliced peaches)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp butter

How it's Done:

1. Roll out the bottom crust and position in a 9" deep dish pie crust.
2. Brush bottom crust with a beaten egg.
3. Partially thaw peaches if frozen. Place in collander and drizzle with lime juice.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Toss with peaches.

5. Pile the peaches high in the crust, mounding in the middle.
6. Drizzle with vanilla extract and dot with butter.
7. Position top crust over filling and pinch seams closed. Vent the crust.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 55 minutes. Watch crust for burning. Cover with aluminum foil if the crust browns too quickly.

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod and all

• 1 cup sugar

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Heat to barely a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove vanilla pod.

5. Process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
6. Return to airtight container and freeze until firm, at least two hours.

*You can rinse off the vanilla pod and set it aside to dry. When it's dried and brittle, process it with sugar for a wonderful vanilla sugar.

Sweet Tea
makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 1 quart water
• 8 tea bags
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• enough ice cubs to fill the pitcher

How it's Done:

1. Bring 1 quart water to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and add 8 tea bags.
3. Let tea steep for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, pour 1 1/2 cups sugar into a pitcher.
5. Remove tea bags from water. Pour water into pitcher. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
6. Add enough ice cubes to fill the pitcher all the way.
7. Refrigerate.

An Open Letter to Helicopter Moms (and a yummy meal)

Day 55.

Dear Helicopter Mothers,



I'm writing to address a number of issues that your overflowing love for your child has presented to the rest of us average moms. For starters, would you please consider spending less time in the classroom? We know you want to be involved in your child's education. We know you want to show your support of the teachers. We know you want to spend more time with Junior. We know you want to make sure your child has the best education possible, and by making yourself a presence in the classroom, you're ensuring your little Junior will succeed. We all want the same things. But becase you're there, day after day after day, the teacher doesn't need the rest of us. We'd love to be there for our little Juniors, too, but you're hogging all the volunteer time. Please think about how the other children feel knowing that only Junior's mom comes in to read to them. We want to read to the kids, too.


There's also the issue of Girl Scouts. When little Jenny's snack time rolls around, please let her serve the cupcakes that you painstakingly decorated to match the plates and napkins you also provided. We appreciate your contribution. But wouldn't it serve Jenny better to be able to perform her duties as Snack Person instead of you performing them for her? Also, do you have to stay and watch every meeting? It's okay if Jenny has a cookie crumb on her chin. It'll probably still be there when you pick her up. You really don't need to lick the napkin and wash your seven year-old's face every few bites of snack. It's a crumb, not a disease. You'll note the other children with happy frosting mustaches aren't dropping like flies around your precious Jenny. Additionally, your constant prompts to get Jenny to answer questions and volunteer are detracting from the group's natural rhythm and flow. The rest of the girls keep looking at you. Please stop interrupting our leader. Her time is valuable with our children.


On the sports field, please do cheer for Johnny. But don't run to him and pick him up if he falls down. Let him learn how to stand up after he falls. And for heaven's sake, stop booing the opposing team. It's not a very nice thing to do. Don't be so concerned with grass stains. Do you really need that Tide to Go on the soccer field? Really? Do you KNOW how ridiculous you look running out to the sidelines to dab Johnny's bottom with Tide? We wear grass stains as badges of honor out there.

I do so hope you'll bring Jenny over for cookie baking with my child on Saturday. You're welcome to stay, too. But I'll probably try to usher you away from the kitchen while the girls decorate their cookies. Your daughter wants to express herself, not eat your perfect cookie. Who knows? Maybe I can teach you how to enjoy a latte in a separate room.


Sincerely,

Free Range Mom

******************************************************************************
With that said, let the feasting begin!

Slow Cooker Honey-Nut Chicken over Vanilla Rice
serves 4

Ingredients:

for Honey-Nut Chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts (I used frozen ones)
• 2 Tbsp white vingear
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

for the Vanilla Rice (adapted from Public Aprons Menu):

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp sugar

for dessert (gingerbread from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon (I had none and subbed pumpkin pie spice)
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger (I used a full tsp)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup light molasses
• 1/2 cup water

How it's Done:

1. Dump chicken, vegetable oil, vinegar, honey, cayenne pepper, and almonds into slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. After 7 hours, proceed with step 2.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" square baking dish. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the gingerbread (flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
4. Beat shortening on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and molasses.
5. Alternately, add flour mixture and water, scraping sides of bowl frequently.
6. Pour into prepared pan.
7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
8. After putting gingerbread in the oven, set a pot of 4 cups of water to boil.
9. When it's boiling, add the scraped-out insides of a vanilla bean, vanilla extract, sugar, and rice. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook on low 20 minutes. Fluff with fork.
10. Serve chicken over rice. Spoon sauce over chicken and rice. Serve gingerbread warm from the oven for dessert. I dusted mine with pink and blue sugar for fun. A lemon or orange glaze, simple vanilla glaze, or plain are all good, too.

Now go devour some more eye candy and gain a few new slow cooker recipes at Dining with Debbie!

This Recipe Will Make Your House Smell Good

Day 23.

Time to get the slow cooker out. It's a cold, dreary Georgia day. It's the perfect weather for slow cooked food.

Citrus Chicken in the Slow Cooker

serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of chicken (I used 3 individually quick frozen -IQF- chicken breasts and 3 IQF chicken thighs)



• 1 cup sherry



• 3/4 cup dried fruit (I used dried cherries)



• 1/3 cup orange marmalade



• 1/4 tsp ground cloves



• 1 vidalia onion, sliced into thin rings



• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds (remove seeds)



• 1 orange (I used honey bells, which are in season now), sliced into thin rounds



• the juice of one orange

How it's Done:

1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Top with sliced onions. Pour sherry over top of chicken and onions. Dot marmalade on top. Slice orange and lemon and arrange the rounds on the chicken and onions. Sprinkle ground cloves on top of that, then pour the orange juice over everything.



2. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.



3. Serve over brown rice.

Even More Food Merging: Snack Time Edition

One husband + One televised sporting event = Snack foods.

I don't know about you, but my husband often reaches for chips & salsa. He loves spicy foods. Chips. Spicy. Fun. Different. Crock Pot. Oh yes...

Hot & Spicy, Creamy & Tangy Buffalo Chicken Dip

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/3 cup hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing

How it's Done:

1. Simple! Spray a small slow cooker with non-stick spray. Combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 3 hours. Stir. Serve with tortilla chips and celery.