Super Saucy Pork Chops

I can't remember where this recipe came from originally, so if anyone recognizes let me know so I can credit the creator of this yummy dish. We haven't had it in a while, we've been out of pork chops and they haven't been on sale. Finally this week they are on sale so I'm planning to have these soon.

2 pork chops (fat trimmed and bone removed)
14 oz can of peeled, crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T vinegar
1 t garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 T molasses
1-2 cups cooked pasta (if you are going gluten-free use a gluten-free pasta here)

1. Pour tomatoes in blender and pulse to break up tomatoes. We like ours just a little chunky.

2. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, except pork chops and pasta, and stir.

3. Place pork chops on top.

4. Cook for 6-8 hours on low.

5. Serve over pasta.

This makes enough for my husband and I to eat for dinner with enough leftover for the next days lunch.

Mexican Chicken Soup

We don't do many soups in our house. Neither my husband or I especially enjoy them but we do have a couple of recipes we pull out from time to time. This is one of my favorites because it is very flexible, quick and yummy. It's also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken.

Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken (This can be cut into cubes now, or shredded with a fork after cooking.)
1 can Mexican tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth (If you are making this gluten free be sure the chicken broth is gluten free.)
1 stalk of celery cut into small pieces
1 cup of frozen or canned corn
1/2 cup frozen green beans cut to about 1" long
1 t cumin
2 t minced garlic

Puree tomatoes to break up most of the chunks. Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

I have done all sorts of combinations in this soup. When I haven't had Mexican tomatoes I've used regular tomatoes and added some salsa. Sometimes I brown the celery and garlic before adding it to the crock pot. I have used this recipe with both raw and cooked chicken and it works either way. I omit the celery when I don't have it. When I'm reheating it I will often mix in some shredded Mexican cheese. It's a pretty flexible dish with very little prep work.

Yogurt in the Crock Pot

Yogurt can be really expensive. Especially when you are looking for the kind that doesn't have a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners in it. And then if you want organic yogurt you'd better go get a home equity loan. Of course, Doodlebug loves yogurt.

I was shocked to discover that you can make your own yogurt at home. And I was even more amazed to find out that you can make it in your crock pot. Who knew?

But it must be really complicated, right? Nope! It is so, so, so easy. The hardest part for me is remembering to start it in time.

Ingredients

--8 cups (1/2 gallon) of milk
--1/2 cup of store bought* plain yogurt with live and active cultures

Directions

Put the milk in the crock pot. Turn crock pot on low and let cook for 2 1/2 hours.

After the 2 1/2 hours unplug your crock pot and let sit for 3 hours.

After sitting scoop out 2 cups of warm milk, put the lid back on the crock pot and wisk the milk together with the store bought yogurt.*

Pour the milk/yogurt mix back in the crock pot and stir to combine. Put the lid back on the crock pot.

Wrap your entire crock pot in a bath towel to insulate it and leave 8-12 hours.

Presto, you have yogurt!

Put the yogurt in the fridge and it should last 7-10 days. You can also freeze excess yogurt. I ladel it into zip top sandwhich bags and store in the freezer. Even if you freeze it you can use it to start your next batch of yogurt.

If you freeze your yogurt it will separate. You can either mix it back together or pour off some of the clearish liquid (whey) if you want thicker yogurt.

When you first make this yogurt it will be very thin. If you want thicker yogurt you can line a collander with a coffee filter and spoon the yogurt inside. Let it sit over a bowl for a few hours. It will gradually thicken up.

The yogurt will be more tart than store bought since there is no added sugar. You can add honey, fruit or whatever else strikes your fancy.

* for future yogurt making you can use 1/2 cup of your crock pot yogurt instead of store bought

And I have not tried this variation, but I plan to next time I have a little leftover milk.

Boil one cup of milk and let it cool to room tempature. Stir in 1 tablespoon of yogurt and let it sit, without moving, overnight. In the morning you will have yogurt.

Turkey Meatballs

It can be a little tricky trying to cook at the end of a long day with an infant. I decided to pull out our crock pot and start trying all the crock pot recipies I could find. This one had been saved in a file for a long, long time. It sounded good, but also a little odd. I just wasn't sure if I would like it. Well after making it I discovered that I don't like it. I love it! I was astonished that meatballs put in the crockpot raw actually browned, but they do.

This recipe tastes even better the next day and freezes really well if you happen to have any meatballs left over. Mmm...turkey meatballs.

Turkey meatballs

Ingredients

--1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
--1 egg
--1 tsp kosher salt
--1 tsp ground black pepper
--1 ½ t poultry seasoning
--1/2 onion, finely chopped
--1 cup natural applesauce or 1 peeled and finely chopped apple
--1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
--1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries (optional)

Directions.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey with the rest of the ingredients.

Make golf-ball sized meatballs, and drop them into your crockpot. It’s fine to stack them on top of each other.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 5-9---the cooking time will depend the number of meatballs and the size of your crockpot.

Mmm...Meatballs for Dinner

Ever wish you had a personal chef? Someone you could call in the morning and say, "I'm in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs tonight. Could you please have that ready at six o'clock? I may not have the personal chef, but I have the next best thing, my crock pot.

Now I know what you're thinking, "A crock pot? What is she, crazy? That's not anywhere close to having a personal chef." Ah, and that last statement is where you would be wrong. I am in serious love with my crock pot. Since my son was born I can find odd snatches of time to cook, but rarely time for a time consuming project like making meatballs, frying them and then putting them in sauce to cook for several hours. But my crock pot solves that problem for me.



When I have a few minutes early in the day I mix up the meat and other ingredients. Then I throw it in the crock pot raw and by dinner time I have spaghetti and meatballs. Mmm, it's a wonderful comfort food and so easy to make.

I make my recipe fairly small since it's just for my husband and I. This makes enough for our dinner (served over spaghetti) and a couple of lunches for me.

1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork*
1/4-1/2 t Nature's Seasoning
1/2 small onion minced**
1 egg
dash of salt
dash of pepper
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 package of spaghetti cooked***

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. When throughly mixed shape meat into balls slightly larger than a golf ball and place in the bottom of the crock pot.



Pour the spaghetti sauce over the meatballs and cook for 6-8 hour on low or 3-5 hours on high. Serve over spaghetti.***



*can substitute all beef, all ground turkey or turkey and pork together
**or can substitute 1/4-1/2 t onion powder
***as long as spaghetti is gluten free this can be a gluten free meal