***** Rotisserie Style Chicken in the Slow Cooker *****

Rotisserie style chicken in the slow cooker is a 5 star meal here. Various herbs & spices rubbed all over the whole chicken and then set on a bed of aluminum foil and cooked on High for 5-6 hours. The meat literally falls off the bones and tastes SO good. Who needs to spend $8-10 on a store bought rotisserie chicken when you can make your own at home?

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Style Chicken

1 whole chicken (4-7lbs)
3 Tbsp. oil
Herbs/spices (dried) of your choice
2-3 pieces of aluminum foil, balled up

Rub chicken with oil. Rub chicken with herbs/spices, inside & out. Place on bed of aluminum foil balls and cook on high for 5-6 hours.


Cook's Notes:

I generally use canola oil, but olive oil would be awesome too. I also lift the skin on the breast side and rub oil & herbs underneath for even better flavor.

I use a mixture of the following herbs/spices - about 2-3 Tbsp total when all mixed together:
salt & pepper
oregano
granulated garlic
onion powder
rosemary
basil
thyme
sage
crushed red pepper flakes


The best part of this dish for me is that it is relatively easy and I end up getting two meals out of it because I cook two chickens at a time (2 slow cookers). I generally use the left over chicken to make a lovely chicken salad for the next night.

Jack Daniels meets Porky the Ham

So we have a ham. I'm not a big ham lover. I am making ham because frankly I need to get to the store and stock up on the stuff I like (primarily poultry...it's my favorite) and well, when you slaughter a pig, you have a lot of meat stored in your freezer that you eventually have to eat even if it isn't your favorite.

I have a small bottle of Jack Daniels in my spice cabinet for the times I make Filet Mignon with a whiskey peppercorn sauce. I like Jack because he is sweet and goes so well with different meats. Tonight I decided that he was going to meet Porky the Ham. I mixed him up with some brown sugar, some pineapple juice, cayenne pepper, just a little bit of honey and some freshly ground black pepper. I baked the ham slowly, glazing every hour or so.

I served the Jack'ed up Ham with some red smashed garlic potatoes, smashed cauliflower and broccoli. I also served the pineapple tidbits from the can that I opened to get the juice from. All in all, a decent meal. I still don't like ham, but the glaze was really good as were the potatoes and veggies.

Jack'ed up Glaze

1/4 c. Jack Daniels
1/4 c. pineapple juice
2/3 c. tightly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey
Few shakes of the cayenne pepper (probably 1/8 tsp.)
3-4 grinds of the pepper mill

Mix together and baste meat while baking. If grilling meat, I would likely wait until the last few minutes of cooking time so that you don't have charred outsides.


Smashed Garlic Red Potatoes

10 small/med. red potatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/4 c. diced yellow onion
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 c. plain yogurt
3 oz. grated cheese (your choice)
salt & pepper

Wash potatoes well, cut in half and place in large pot. Cover with water and add garlic, onion & a good pinch of salt. Boil until fork tender. Drain water. Add in butter, yogurt, grated cheese and pepper. Smash with a potato masher. Add salt and/or pepper according to taste.

Cook's Notes:

I primarily use dried minced garlic for this recipe because I always have it on hand. This last time I used Dubliner imported cheese (a very tangy cheddar type from Ireland). It really works very well because it is strong and you don't have to use so much. Parmesan, Romano or Feta work well too.


I pretty much cooked the cauliflower the same way as the potatoes, less the garlic and yogurt & with a bit less water, and added in a couple grates of the Dubliner cheese while mashing. The kids all tried one small spoonful and LOVED it. I will be adding fresh cauliflower to our shopping list each week. Perhaps I might even serving the cauliflower instead of potatoes.

Dessert was dubbed "Baby Ruth Bars". I found the recipe at AllRecipes.com. I followed it loosely. This is my way of making these bars. Feel free to look up the "right" way.

No Bake Chocolate PB Bars

1 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter
1 c. corn syrup
6 c. corn flakes
1 c. choc. chips (6 oz.)

Melt the peanut butter & corn syrup in a large pan. Remove from heat. Quickly add in the cornflakes & chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Allow to cool to room temp and then cut into bars.

Cooks Notes:

We all LOVED these. Seriously. The pan is more than 1/2 gone already. Even Thomas, who can be very picky about textures & tastes, thought these were the bomb. The cornflakes stay relatively crispy while the pb & chocolate mixture is smooth.

Sloppy Joes on potato rolls & Ranger cookies

The Sloppy Joe recipe is originally from Cooking Light and oddly enough, I haven't changed really anything in it except that I don't use ground beef. If you are a sloppy joes fan, I will guarantee you this will be the only recipe you'll ever want to use again. This is definitely a family favorite especially when served on fresh potato rolls.

Most of the time I make it on the stove top, but I've also done it in the slow cooker and that is how it's being made this time. Substitutions for the slow cooker are noted in the Cook's Notes area.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground turkey
3/4 minced fresh onion
1/2 c. diced green bell pepper
1/4 c. diced celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 package of hamburger buns (or 6-8 homemade)

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until turkey is cooked through, stirring to crumble. Drain well.

Combine turkey mixture, water and next 7 ingredients in skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer mixture 15 mins., stirring occasionally.

Serve on buns.

Cook's Notes:
Since I am not using beef and just lean ground turkey, I rarely drain the meat mixture and instead cut down the water I add to 1/4 c. or so and because I always double to feed the whole clan, I use a whole 6oz. can of tomato paste. I don't bother measuring out 4 Tbsp.

When making this recipe in the slow cooker, I generally used dehydrated minced onions (about 2 Tbsp.) and dehydrated minced garlic (about 1 tsp.) I also add in all the water the recipe calls for. Cook on low for approx. 6-8 hours. The texture does change a bit cooking it in the slow cooker, but the taste is basically the same.


Ah lovely dessert! Haven't made cookies in a long while so I tried these today. YUM!

Ranger Cookies

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 c. Rice Krispies type cereal
1 c. quick oats
1 c. coconut
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter & sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
In small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt.
Add dry mixture into butter mixture a bit at a time.
Stir in rice krispies, oats, coconut & chocolate chips.
Bake for about 10 mins. or until lightly brown

Cook's Notes:
These have a really nice texture. I think next time I may toast the coconut first along with some pecans or slivered almonds. I think these are WAY better than regular chocolate chip cookies.

Slow Cooker Pork Spareribs & Potato salad

This dinner has the house smelling perfectly delicious! An hour into cooking, I was ready to open up the crock and eat the ribs! I think the sweetness from the maple syrup & molasses along with the tangy-ness of the cider vinegar wafting through the house is just to die for. Using the slow cooker does take some preparation, but it is usually well worth any little bit of effort you have to put into the meal.

Slow Cooker Pork Spareribs

3-4 pounds pork ribs
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. molasses
3 Tbsp. maple syrup (B grade)
2 Tbsp. brown mustard
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
couple shakes of the Worcestershire sauce bottle
About 2 c. sliced onion

Place pork ribs into slow cooker. Mix sauce ingredients pouring over ribs and coating all well. Toss in onions. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours.

Cook's Notes:
I will be making these again exactly the same, but I may try with beef ribs. Unfortunately our pig was a bit on the fatty side this year so it was some work to find the meat in/around the fat. Very nice taste!


This is a stand by favorite. Have I mentioned how happy we are that the little one can eat well cooked eggs?!


Cold Potato Salad w/Egg

5-6 Medium sized potatoes, cooked whole until fork tender
4 eggs, hard boiled & chopped
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1-2 tsp. dried dill
2 stalks celery, de-veined & finely diced
1/2 c. Miracle Whip
1/2 c. (or more) of low fat/nonfat plain yogurt
salt & pepper to taste

Peel and chop potatoes while warm. Add in eggs, celery, onions, dressings & seasonings. Mix well and refrigerate until cold.

Cook's Notes:
It is best to mix this salad while warm & serve it cold. It gives the flavors time to meld together. Sometimes I add diced cucumbers to this recipe with yummy results.
Also a good tip to remember is that a dish that will be chilled should be over seasoned just a tad because as it chills, the seasoning will lessen. (Learned this from an old neighbor who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in NYC and was a seasoned chef/caterer).

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of this evening's meal. It was gone before I could snap a picture. I guess I was really hungry. /blush/

Three Bean Chicken Chili & Cornbread

So dinner yet again was a spur of the moment type thing. I remembered I had 6 chicken thighs frozen and I'm usually well stocked with dried beans so I decided to whip up a chili. It was pretty decent and while it had a little bit of heat, I toned it down for the kids.

As far as the cornbread, I am always in search of "the recipe" that has the flavor I'm looking for. The cornbread I love the very most is made at a local supermarket's bakery and has an astronomical price per small tray. I suppose I could ask if they had a recipe, but I'm terribly afraid it is from a box mix. So even though this recipe was not the one it was very moist and I will likely play around with it some more to see if I can get it right. I should mention that the "general" recipe came from the back of the cornmeal container. The additions and changes I made will be in the Cook's notes.


Three Bean Chicken Chili

6 frozen bone in chicken thighs
1/2 bag of black beans, dried
1/2 bag of red kidney beans, dried
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can small tomato paste
1 can cannellini beans
1 c. frozen peas
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. honey
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Salt & black pepper

Soak beans either using overnight method or quick method. Boil chicken thighs in large stock pot until cooked through. Drain, saving cooking liquid. Remove meat from thigh bones and set aside. In same large stock pot, heat oil and add onion cooking for a few minutes until onion is translucent. Add in garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, peppers & salt. Add in chicken liquid to bring liquid level up to about half (doing this through a sieve will keep out any chicken scum). Add in thigh meat, beans, peas, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and honey. Simmer for about 2 hours or until beans are tender. Serve with Mexican blend grated cheese.

Cook's notes: So I pretty much whipped this up off the top of my head as I went along. I liked it although truth be told I'd prefer it spicier and thicker. The kids did really well with it although the littlest one hates anything that resembles a soup or stew.

Cornbread

1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. yellow corn meal
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. skim milk
1/4 c. oil
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400. Grease 8 or 9" baking pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients until just moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown & toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm. 9 servings.


Cook's Notes: I doubled this recipe and made the following changes: I added one can of creamed style corn and 1 c. of low fat plain yogurt as a substitute for one cup of the skim milk. I also melted 4 Tbsp. of butter and poured it on top of the batter once it was in the greased 9x13 pan. I did not serve the cornbread with butter/margarine and it didn't need it. Both my hubby and the kids loved the cornbread so I guess this will be the go to recipe - I will play around with the flour to cornmeal ratio as well as the sweetness. If I get it right, I'll re-post my recipe.

Baked Crunchy Spiced Chicken & Spicy Spinach Madeleine

Last evenings meal was a pretty good one considering I didn't have a plan until around 4pm. The kids enjoyed it even with the spiciness of it which I was very happy with. Even the spinach didn't get too many "boos" although they only had to have one small spoonful.

Our meal consisted of boneless chicken breasts, coated with a spice & herb rub, dipped in low fat milk and then breaded in crushed corn flakes, spicy Spinach Madeleine, peas & mini penne mixed with some Tastefully Simple Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto mix along with a can of diced tomatoes.

For those who have never tried the Tastefully Simple Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto mix, it is simple and really rather good. The ingredient list is short and there are no chemicals. Very nice thing to have on hand for those nights you aren't quite sure about a side or main dish. You add in water & oil, microwave & let sit. Then you can add in Parmesan cheese and toss it with pasta. Very simple & yummy.

Baked Crunchy Spiced Chicken

3 large chicken breasts, butterflied or filleted
1 c. low fat milk
3 c. crushed corn flakes
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together herbs & spices. Rub over chicken coating both sides well. Dip chicken into milk and then directly into cornflakes, covering well. Place coated chicken into a well oiled baking dish. Pour remaining milk over chicken and bake in oven uncovered until chicken is done (juices run clear) (about 30-40 mins.)

Cook's Notes:
I used partially frozen chicken breasts. I find them easier to butterfly/fillet that way, but it did add about 20 extra minutes to my cooking time and doing so may have made the top crunchier than it would have been if I had used totally thawed chicken. I also had placed about 3/4 c. tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and while it was OK taste-wise, the bottom of the chicken got mushy while the top stayed nice & crunchy. I think if I were to use totally thawed chicken, I would up the temp of the oven to about 400. Next time I probably will use perhaps 3-4 Tbsp. of sauce or water instead of the 3/4 c. Overall a nicely flavored chicken dish.


Spinach Madeleine

Approx. 2 lbs frozen spinach
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. vegetable liquor
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. celery salt
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
6 oz. jalapeno jack cheese
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cook spinach according to package. Drain reserving 1/2 c. of the cooking liquid (vegetable liquor). In a med. saucepan melt the butter, add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the flour & spices to form a roux. Add in the milk & vegetable liquor. Once it thickens, add in the cheese and the Worcestershire sauce. Mix the spinach into the cheese sauce mixture and bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven.

Cook's notes:
I have played around with this recipe to make it what I like so here are my changes - there are quite a few:

I don't use the chopped onion because I don't like the way it messes with the roux (the lumps). I instead add onion powder (about 2 tsp.). I never use evaporated milk/vegetable liquor and instead use a full cup of regular low fat milk. I drain the spinach of most of the cooking liquid leaving a very tiny amount (maybe a Tbsp) in the bottom of the pan. I don't use celery salt or garlic salt and instead just use granulated garlic and a good pinch of kosher salt. I do use a couple of good shakes of the Worcestershire & a good 9 oz. of grated jalapeno jack cheese. What can I say - cheese and I are best friends!

Breakfast for dinner - Pancakes

So once or twice a month I make breakfast for dinner. Generally we have two or three types of pancakes, sausage, bacon and some kind of oatmeal dish. In the summer months, there is always fresh fruit as well. On rare occasions I will whip up a blueberry or mixed berry sauce for the top of the pancakes.

My go to recipe for pancakes is found in the 1950 Edition of the Woman's Home Companion Cook Book on page 167 and is titled "Griddlecakes". This cook book has been my favorite since I was old enough to follow a recipe and my first ever home baked cookie made by my hands came from this book. It was clearly a tag sale/book sale find for someone as it is marked for 50 cents just inside the front page. The person who owned the book originally lived on Asylum Avenue in Hartford, CT. I know this because her name & address is found in script just inside the front cover. It only seemed fitting that when I should leave my father's house for the very last time that I take this cook book with me. Thankfully he didn't get too upset and I've cherished it ever since.

I could go into volumes about the simple recipes in this book and extol the virtues of cooking from scratch, but that is for a different blog. Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

Griddlecakes (pancakes)

1 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, well beaten
approx. 1 1/4 c. milk
3 Tbsp shortening, melted

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt & sugar. Combine egg, milk & fat and mix into dry mixture until moistened. Do NOT over mix! Pour mixture by 1/4 c. fulls onto preheated cast iron skillet and cook until edges are dry & top is bubbly, turn over and cook a couple of minutes more. Makes approximately 1-2 dozen pancakes.

Cook's Notes:
I usually use at least 1/2 whole wheat flour. I add fresh grated nutmeg to the dry ingredients. For the fat, I generally use a ratio of 2/3 canola oil and 1/3 melted butter. This cuts down on saturated fat, but using some butter leaves the richness in.

I've added cut up bananas, mashed bananas, chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts & pumpkin puree to this recipe with no problems. For things like cut up bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips & nuts, I add them to the top of the batter right after I spread it into the pan. For the puree or mashed fruit, I add them into the batter itself. When I add pumpkin, I add in some ginger, ground cloves and cinnamon as well as the nutmeg.

The following is another recipe that was shared with me by a friend who lives in PA. It was posted on a recipe sharing board on a baby site that I used to frequent often. The kids and I love this recipe as well.

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt
1 large egg
1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk to blend. Whisk buttermilk, yogurt & egg in medium bowl. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just blended but still lumpy. Gently mix in melted butter.

Drop batter by 1/3 c. onto preheated, greased griddle or cast iron pan. Cook until pancakes are brown on bottom and bubbles form on top. Turn and cook until bottoms are brown.

Cook's notes:
I have always used non-fat or low fat plain yogurt with fine results. I also use half whole wheat flour and the same ratio of canola oil to butter as in the above recipe.