January is Slow Cooker Month!

JANUARY IS FOR CELEBRATING CROCK-POT COOKING!

I love the idea of celebrating slow cooker's (I still call them crock-pot's, I'm from THAT generation) all month long.

So far I've used my crock-pot 3 times this month, and today is January 6th...
I've been wondering for quite a while what the correct spelling for the term crockpot, and it turns out I've been mis-spelling it forever according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the correct spelling is Crock-pot (with the hyphen).  Sheeesh.  Another new thing to remember... 

With all of that rambling being said, I wanted to create a post linking back to  some of my personal favorite crock-pot recipes, as well as other popular recipes found via my Crock-pot Crazy Pinterest Board.
You will definitely want to create a link to this post, you'll want to come back often!

Crock-pot Beef Stroganoff

(This is our family favorite!)

Crock-pot Refried Beans

(from our blog)

Amber's Chili

(from our blog)

Six Sisters' Stuff~ Crock-pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken


Paula Deen's~ Crock-pot Macaroni and Cheese


Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen's~ Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Better Home's and Garden's~ Creamy Tortellini Soup

The Little Kitchen's~ French Onion Pot Roast

Bubble Crumb's~ Rootbeer Pulled Pork

Creating Through Life's~ Crock-pot Lasagna

Family Fresh Meals'~ Slow cooker Scalloped Potatoes

Plain Chicken's~ Slow cooker Ham and White Beans

Six Sister's Stuff~ Parmesan Honey Pork Roast



Inspired Housewife's~ Gluten Free Bread in the Crock-pot

Crockpot Ladies'~ Carrot Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Six Sister's Stuff~ Crock-pot Apple Cobbler

Life As A Lofthouse's~ Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake

Plain Chicken's~ Crock-pot Creme Brulee French Toast

The Gingerbread Blog's~ Sugared Pecans

Berry Zucchini Jam

Before my Mom passed away back in July, she and I spent some time going through her recipe box, so that she could share with me some of her favorite recipes.  Mom had lost most of her ability to speak, but she could always get her point across to me, and with all the 20 questions I asked her and much laughter, we were able to figure out what she wanted to express about each of the recipes. We had a lot of fun, and I will treasure this memory.
She said this particular recipe was a favorite when we were young kids, it was fast and inexpensive, the perfect combination for a mom with a young (and naughty) family. 
After she died, I spent even more time going through her recipes, marking the ones I remember, and setting aside many that I want to try in the coming months.

This is the first of those recipes. I made this while the zucchini were in abundance and I could beg some from my girlfriend Kylee (I don't garden either). My family were crazy for this stuff, so I count this a successful result.

BERRY ZUCCHINI JAM

4 c. zucchini, peeled and grated

1/2 c. lemon juice 

(mom always used reconstituted juice)

1 pkg. Pectin

2 pkg. unsweetened punch mix 

strawberry or Raspberry 

(such as Kool-aid) 

8 c. sugar

In a large stockpot add the peeled and grated zucchini, lemon juice, pectin, and punch mix.  Bring to a full boil (at first it seems like there is not enough liquid to boil, but as the zucchini heats, it breaks down, adding a lot of water).
Add the sugar, return to boiling, and continue boiling for 5 minutes.
Immediately pour into clean pint jars, and seal according to your canning methods.

This is the original recipe, in my mom's handwriting.

I am not a person who does any canning, so this was actually challenging for me, so here are a couple of small things I discovered.
If you choose Mixed Berry flavored punch powder, you will have blue jam.

 I added red food coloring to get to a deep purple color, which was definitely more appetizing than the lovely blue I started with.
As the jam boils, it develops a yucky foamy stuff on top.  I had to skim this off with a large spoon. 

I used 1/2 pint jars instead of the 1 pints that my mom always used (because that is the size I had on hand). Worked great. And the best thing?  Every one of my jars sealed! I was very proud of myself.  A real Suzy Homemaker here!

7-UP Biscuits

 Awwww, Pinterest, how I love thee.
This is another recipe I found on Pinterest, and I just had to give it a try.
I need to start a whole new series of recipe posts just for all the great stuff I find on Pinterest, every single day!

7-UP BISCUITS 

2 c. Bisquick

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. 7-Up

1/4 c. melted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, until crumbly pieces about pea size are created. Stir in the 7-Up. Mix until you have a very soft dough. Then, sprinkle some additional biscuit mix onto a board or your counter top and pat dough out, into a roughly shaped square.
Cut into 9 equal squares (I used my pizza cutter, and just eyeballed the sizes).
Pour the melted butter into a 9 inch square dish. Place cut biscuits in pan. You might have to squish them in a bit, but don't worry, they still come out perfectly.

Bake for 12-15 min. or until golden brown. I brushed the tops of my biscuits with additional melted butter (because they look prettier, taste better, and I'm a Paula Deen wanna-be).

{I made 2 batches of these biscuits, but I made them separately because I wasn't sure how they would turn out.  I can tell you that doubling the ingredients will not be a problem in the future.}

We liked these biscuits. They are sooo simple, quick, and good, that I will make them again. They are a heavier, denser, biscuit than I expected, and I think that's part of the reason I was so happy with them (that and the fact there are only 4 ingredients). My kids said they couldn't really tell a difference from other biscuits I've made, but then, who listens to them? LOL

Recipe Source: Plainchicken.com

Cheesy Spinach Scramble

It seems like recently I haven't had time to do much grocery shopping (not to mention that its a task I despise), so we've been having a lot of "pantry" meals.  I've actually come to really love these!  Its challenging for me to come up with something edible from the measly food stuffs in my kitchen.
Here is one I created that my family adored and I've actually made a couple times since.

(Sorry about the poor photo quality, they looked good on the camera, but the reality kinda blows)

Cheesy Spinach Scramble

2 medium size potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut into chunks

(left over baked potatoes or canned potatoes work wonderfully)

5 eggs, well beaten

1/2 c. milk

1 c. cottage cheese

2-3 Tbsp. butter

1/2 of a 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 c. cooked, diced ham (optional)

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat.  Add cut potatoes to the pan, stirring the potatoes to coat them with the melted butter.  Cook until the potatoes are hot.  Add in the spinach and ham, stirring to break up and distribute through the potatoes.

In a separate bowl combine the beaten eggs, milk, cottage cheese and salt & pepper. 

Pour the egg mix over the potatoes and stir until eggs are cooked (like scrambled eggs). 

 Remove from heat, sprinkle the scrambled mix with the mozzarella cheese, then cover and let stand 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

 That's all it took!  This was a really good dish that would be wonderful for breakfast or lunch as well.  Adding some fresh fruit as a side dish would make this a complete meal.
Another great idea is serving with salsa or hot sauce.
Oh, and sorry about the very poor quality photos.  I don't have any idea why they were so blurry, they didn't look like that on the camera, I swear!

Cheesy Potato & Egg Skillet

This is a great dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner! As Mikey used to say "Try it, you'll like it!"

CHEESY POTATO & EGG SKILLET

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 lb. baking potatoes, halved, & thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

8 eggs, beaten well

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves, slightly crushed between your fingers

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and onions: cover and cook for 16-18 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Stir this occasionally as it cooks.  Add the canned tomatoes.

Pour the beaten eggs over the vegetable mix but do not stir.

Cover: cook an additional 12-14 min or until the eggs are set.  Top with the crated cheese and crushed basil, replace the cover for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

I love this dish with salsa served on the side.

We're linking up with:

Because we love Paisley Passions!