Mexican Crockpot

from: anythingbutmeatloaf.blogspot.com

"Throw chicken breasts, a can of black beans, can of corn, 1 c. salsa and 1 package taco seasoning in the crock pot for 4-5 hours until the chicken is cooked through. Then, remove the chicken, shred it with a fork and place back with bean/corn mixture. Serve over chips with cheese and sour cream. You could also put it over lettuce to make a chicken taco salad. "

I did two chicken breasts, don't drain the corn (if you're like me and did it by instinct, just add water or broth), and cook half the time on low, half on high.

Dressed-Up Rice Krispies

These recipes are from Cooks Country. We made the chocolate cherry ones the other day and they were really, really good!

Crispy Chocolate Cherry Treats

3 TBS unsalted butter
1 (10 oz) bag mallows
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (Hershey's Special Dark are wonderful)
(melt chips in the microwave in a small bowl heating first for 30 seconds and then for 15-20seconds, stirring in between and after)

1. Prepare 8X8 pan: Line with foil, allowing excess to hang over the edges. Grease the foil. Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows, white chocolate, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth; about 8 minutes. Stir in vanilla; remove pot from heat.

2. Stir in Rice Krispies and cherries until incorporated. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press into bottom and corners with greased spatula (or hands). Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. Drizzle melted semi-sweet chocolate chips over cooled treats. Allow chocolate to cool, at least 15 minutes. Using foil overhand, lift treats from pan. Cut into squares. Serve


Alternatives

Double chocolate Caramel Turtle Treats

Prepare Crispy Chocolate Cherry Treats, substituting 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chops in step 1. Omit the cherries and stir in 15 soft caramel candies, quartered, and 1 cup chopped toasted pecans with Rice Kristpies.


Fluffer-Nutter Treats

Prepare Crispy Chocolate Cherry Treats, substituting 1/2 cup peanut butter chips for white chips, 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts for cherries, and 1/2 cup peanut butter chips for semisweet chocolate chips (melted).

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I also have to mention another jazzed up recipe from www.ourbestbites.com.  I love to make these for parties during the holidays!

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1 10.5 ounce bag peppermint mini marshmallows*
4 tablespoons real butter, plus extra to butter pan
5-6 cups rice krispie style cereal (I like mine a little more marshmallowy)
3 tablespoons semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
a few drops (about 1/8 teaspoon) peppermint extract
2-3 medium sized candycanes, crushed
*In place of the peppermint marshmallows, use regular marshmallows and add about 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to melted marshmallow mixture. Or more to taste, I’m guessing on the amount.  (I do this as I couldn't find the peppermint mallows)

Instructions:
Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly butter bottom and about 1 inch up sides.
Melt butter in a very large bowl in the microwave. Add marshmallows and stir to coat. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. (You can do that whole process on the stovetop as well.) Add rice krispie cereal and stir to evenly combine. With buttered hands, press mixture into prepared pan.
Place white chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon oil in a small bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Repeat same process with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and add a few drops of peppermint extract. Drizzle both chocolates on top of rice krispie treats and sprinkle candy canes on top. Let sit until chocolate is set, place pan in fridge to speed process along. Cut into squares and eat up.

Drink your greens Kale Smoothies

A friend of mine sent me some recipes for some "green" smoothies. The idea is that you can tastefully drink your healthy (but sometimes not so tasty) greens in a fruit smoothie. These are not my recipes, but I wanted to share them for anyone who is interested in making them. I tried the Orange Cream and loved it! It was SOO much better than the ones I had come up with on my own. Disclaimer: It isn't going to taste like a normal smoothie so don't expect it to. BUT it is very healthy and I personally feel, tasty. I used regular vanilla soy, but the Very Vanilla from Silk might be mighty fine.... You could probably use regular milk or vanilla almond milk.

Combine ingredients into a bender. Blend until smooth (really smooth - you don't want to see green flecks floating around in it. A quality blender is helpful. Mine is a Kitchen Aid 5 speed and it does a great job)

Orange Cream Kale

2 cups vanilla soy milk
3 whole kale leaves
1 ½ cups frozen tropical fruit
Fruit of 1 fresh orange or one 7-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
¼ cup dry milk
6 oz (½ of can) frozen orange juice concentrate
6 oz vanilla yogurt

Blueberry Lime Kale

2 cups soy milk
3 whole kale leaves
1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
½ cup pineapple chunks
6 oz blueberry yogurt
4 Tbsp lime juice (lemon is nasty with kale)

Berries & Kale

2 cups soy milk
3 whole kale leaves
1 ½ cups frozen mixed berries
½ cup frozen tropical fruits
2-3 Tbsp dry milk
6 oz (1/2 of can) frozen juice concentrate of apples or any berries
6 oz mixed berries yogurt

Strawberries & Cream Kale

2 cups vanilla soy milk
3 whole kale leaves
1 ½ cups frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen tropical fruits
¼ cup dry milk
two 6 oz cups strawberry yogurt

Tropical Kale

2 cups soy milk
3 whole kale leaves
2 cups frozen tropical fruits
6 oz pineapple yogurt
4 Tbsp lime juice (not lemon!)

The following is taken from http://www.everynutrient.com/healthbenefitsofkale.html

"Kale provides an excellent source of vitamins B6 and C, carotenes, and manganese. It is also a very good source of vitamins B1, B2, and E, fiber, iron, copper, and calcium. Kale has almost three times as much calcium as phosphorus. This is a beneficial ratio because high phosphorus consumption has been linked to osteoporosis since it reduces the utilization and promotes the excretion of calcium. Kale and collard greens exhibit the same anticancer properties as other members of the cabbage family. "

Greenbrier Chicken Salad

This is my FAVORITE chicken salad ever! I can't believe I finally have the recipe! The Greenbrier posted it on facebook so I would assume it is authentic.  I can't believe how simple it is. I usually put yummy things like grapes and almonds into my chicken salad but really this on some sour dough with lettuce and tomato.... I am drooling thinking about it.  **Update: when I made this it didn't hit me like when I've had it at the Greenbrier.  I don't know if that is because I wasn't sitting on a a patio overlooking the golf course with the summer breeze blowing on my face or if I didn't use enough salt...  Not sure.  Anyone have any tweaks??

Dorothy's Chicken Salad (The Greenbrier's chicken salad)

2 lbs cooked chicken (white meat)
l cup sour cream
l/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup finely diced celery
Salt & white pepper to taste
Cider vinegar (½ tsp or to taste)

Mix all ingredients together. Place in refrigerator to chill.

Scalloped Poatoes with Ham

I got the original recipe for this meal from foodnetwork. However, reading it over was all it took to realized someone published it in a hurry. The amount of ingrediants seemed off, there was no indication of how much it made or even what size casserole dish to bake it in, and the seasonings were... lacking. Eric and I tinkered with it and I think we've got a creamy, delicious way to use up extra potatoes or ham.


Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
serves 8-10

Onions:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced (I thought this was perfect, Eric thought it was a little too much)
2-3 TBS butter

Sauce:

4 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)

Remaining ingredients:

6-8 small russet poatoes peeled and thinly scliced (circles)
1 LBS ham, diced (pre-cooked either from left overs or pre-packaged. I love having some pre-slicedham in the freezer)
8oz block cheddar, grated (half white and half orange is nice- Cabbot Seriously Sharp is YUM)

1. Grease 9X13 with butter. Preheat oven to 375

2. Melt butter for onions in a large pot over medium heat. Add sliced onions. Stir occasionally, adding a few sprinkes of salt. These will take a while to cook. You want them to carmalize - which means turn light brown. They will cook down (reduce) significantly. When they are done, remove from heat.

3. While the onions are cooking, make your sauce. Heat the butter in a large sauce pan on medium heat until just melted. Add flour, stiring constantly for 1 minute. You might need to turn the heat down a little bit - if it turns light brown that is OK, but by reducing the heat will help. Remove sauce pan from heat and whisk in milk. Return pan to heat (medium) and whisk until it starts to thicken, remove from heat. Add salt and pepper. You'll want to do this right before you assemble because the sauce will thicken and be hard to spread as it cools.

4. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in a 9X13 pan. Top with half the potatoes, half the onions, half the ham, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat ending with cheese. This will be your layering:
sauce, potato, onion, ham, cheese, sauce, potato, onion, ham, cheese, sauce, cheese.

5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about an hour. I covered mine with foil for the first 1/2 hour as it was really stacked high and I wanted to help the potatoes cook and didn't want the cheese to burn.

Spinach Patties

I got this recipe from one of my good friends. Although I liked it, I thought it could use a little something extra. These are easy to make and mostly healthy and pretty cheap. Not to mention, you probably have what you need to make them already, and who doesn't love that?

Spinach Patties

1 box frozen spinach
1 1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/3 cup diced onion (more or less depending on your taste - it will be raw so keep that in mind)
1-2 TBS cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Put spinach in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 3 minutes. Stir with a fork. Microwave for an additional 1-2 minutes. Then using clean hands, squeeze out the liquid from the spinach into the sink and transfer dry spinach to another bowl (one handful at a time).

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Heat on the stove top about 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a 10inch skillet to med-high to high heat (you know how well your stove works).

Form the mixture into small patties, about 1/4 cup, using clean hands. Drop CAREFULLY into the hot oil.

Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side - until light golden brown and crisp. Place cooked patties on a plate lined with paper towel.

Serve with white sauce, recipe follows...


WHITE SAUCE

There are many ways you can make a white sauce. You can make a plain roue:

1 cup milk
1 TBS butter
1 TBS flour

Heat on stove top over medium/medium-low heat until thickened. (bland in my opinion)

You can make it a cheese sauce by adding your favorite shredded cheese to the above mixture and stirring until melted. You would do this as a start to a home made mac and cheese, BTW.

OR --- you can make an Alfredo sauce...

Basic Alfredo

1/2 cup milk (cream works best if you have some, don't use anything less than 2%)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed with a garlic press

Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. You can add milk and parm to reach the taste and consistency you desire.

Sweet Sausage Rolls

A friend of mine made these at an engagement party for her sister and they were so scrumptious! I, shamefully, couldn't get enough! They would be great for any party - baby shower, bridal shower, brunch, birthday, New Years, Christmas/Holiday - where finger or toothpick foods are desired.

Sweet Sausage Rolls

1- 8oz tube cresent rolls
24 mini smoked sausage links (lil smokies)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans)
3 TBSP honey
3 TBSP brown sugar

Unroll dough. Cut into 3 or 4 pieces. Roll up sausages in dough. Combineother ingredients in a 11x7x2 baking dish. Place sausage rolls, seam sidedown, in butter mixture. Bake uncovered 400 for 15-20 min.

Serve with little toothpicks.