Taco Filling – An Easy Crock Pot Recipe

April 29, 2013

                                                         Taco Filling

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 2 – 15 oz. cans chili beans, undrained
  • 15 oz can Mexican corn, undrained
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

  1. brown ground beef and onions
  2. drain and add to crock pot
  3. add the other ingredients and stir well
  4. cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours

You can serve these with tortillas, hard taco shells or make a taco salad.  Garnish with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa.  Have a fiesta!

 

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Dessert for Breakfast – Why Not?

March 13, 2013

How many times have your kids asked for ice cream or cake or some other sweet for breakfast?  Your answer is no because it isn’t nutritious.  Well, here is a recipe for a Sweet Baked Oatmeal that is warm, healthy and such a treat that your kids will think it is really a dessert.

Sweet Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups dry quick cooking oatmeal
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg

Directions:

  1. grease the inside of the crock pot with oil
  2. add sugar, oatmeal, baking powder, salt and milk – mix well
  3. beat the egg and add to mixture – mix well
  4. cover crock pot and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours

Top with milk when you serve it and you can also add your favorite toppings such as dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar, chocolate chips, etc.

Oatmeal Bear

Oatmeal Bear

A classic baby keepsake in thick and hearty plush from North American Bear Company.  Comes in 2 sizes – 9″ with a surprise squeaker feature and 20″.
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Pasta and Pizza – an Irresistible Combination

March 4, 2013

My kids love Italian food and of course they could eat pizza almost every night.  Anything with pasta and red sauce disappears quickly from their plates also.  So, if you could combine the two, wouldn’t it be irresistible?  Surprise your family with this delicious crock pot recipe that will fill your house with mouth-watering aromas.  Lots of vegetables hidden in it also – Moms will be pleased that their kids are getting their daily servings of vegetables and not even knowing it.

Pizza Pasta Bowl Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 26 oz jar marinara sauce
  • 4 ox sliced pepperoni
  • 1 cup chopped bell peppers
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni or penne
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Pour tomatoes, marinara sauce, pepperoni, peppers, onions, water, seasonging, mushroom and uncooked pasta into crock pot
  2. Mix together
  3. cover crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours
  4. when serving, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese

It can’t get much better than this – a hot meal that kids will gobble up that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.  It leaves you more time to spend with your kids doing something fun.

Pizza Parlor by Green Toys

Pizza Parlor by Green Toys

Kitchen play with eco-friendly toys made in the USA by Green Toys.  Their play food is dishwasher safe, food safe and stackable. 
 
Pretend and play pizza parlor with stackable pizza toppings to create the unltimate pizza pie.  http://www.cowandlizard.com/product/pizza-parlor
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Sloppy Joe Recipe – the Best Beef Barbecue Sandwich

February 24, 2013

I think kids love Sloppy Joes so much just because of the name.  No worried about spilling- it is just par for the course when eating these hearty sandwiches.  It doesn’t need to come from a can when you can make your own very easily in your crock pot.  These meaty sandwiches are as much fun to eat inside as a warm meal on a cold or rainy day as it is to eat during an outdoor picnic in the summer time.

Beef Barbecue Sloppy Joe

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 cup chopped onions
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 cup water

Directions:

  1. heat olive oil in frying pan
  2.  brown onions and ground beef until beef is no longer pink
  3. drain excess fat
  4. place beef and onions in crock pot
  5. add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and water to crock pot
  6. mix well
  7. cover crock pot
  8. cook on low for 2 1/2 hours
  9. serve on sandwich rolls or buns

A terrific meal that is nuitritious, delicious, easy to make and fun to eat.  It makes great leftovers too!  Serve with french fries, potato salad, cole slaw or potato chips and a pickle.

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Pizza Dip Fondue – A Fun and Tasty Snack for Kids

February 23, 2013

I remember as a kid those special dinners that my mom would make that required something different.  It always made dinner exciting and my brothers and I looked forward to these special times.  One such meal was when we had fondue.  We would have one pot of the melted cheese in a special holder with a lit flame underneath to keep it warm.  There would be toasted chunks of bread in another bowl which we would stab with our skewers and dip in the cheese sauce.  The second pot had hot oil that we would have skewers of meat on it that we would fry in the hot oil.  Everything was always so good and dinner was so much fun.

Here is a yummy snack for all those pizza loving kids – both young and old – out there.  It will soon become a favorite to serve both your family and friends.

PIZZA DIP

Ingredients:

  • 19 oz can of Italian Stule stewed tomatoes with juice
  • 4 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • loaf of Italian Bread, sliced

Directions:

  1. lightly spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray
  2. pour entire can of stewed tomatoes into pot
  3. stir the cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese into the tomatoes in the pot
  4. cover the crock pot
  5. cook on high for 45-60 minutes or until the cheese has melted
  6. you may need to stir it every once in awhile to scrape down the sides so that it doesn’t burn
  7. toast the bread slices
  8. after they have cooled, tear them into bite-sized pieces
  9. turn the pot to low after it is done cooking
  10. serve the Pizza Dip with the toasted bread bites – you can use skewers or toothpicks to make it more fun

Enjoy this recipe – it is easy to make – fun to eat and yummy!

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Ooey Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cake – An Easy Crock Pot Recipe

February 17, 2013

This is a sweet chocolate dessert that is sure to be a favorite of kids young and old!  A birthday dessert, an anytime treat or just for the fun of it – it will be gobbled up in now time at all!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry all purpose baking mix
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 2/3 cup hot water

Directions:

  1. spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray
  2. in a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder, milk and vanilla
  3. spoon batter into crock pot and spread evenly
  4. in another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder and hot water
  5. carefully pour this over the batter and do not stir
  6. cover crock pot
  7. cook on high for 2-3 hours
  8. after 2 hours, stick a toothpick into the center – if it comes out wet, it needs to cook more – if it comes out with some dry crumbs on it, then it is done
  9. if it needs to cook more, continue to test with toothpick every 15 minutes
  10. NOTE:  the batter will rise to the top and turn into cake, underneath will be a rich chocolate pudding
  11. when serving, scoop all the way down to get both cake and pudding
  12. serve with ice cream or whipped cream

This will be a dessert that everyone will have a hard time waiting for – but it will be worth the wait.  Warm chocolate and cold vanilla ice cream is the best comfort food around!

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Italian Meatloaf Recipe – It’s Yummy!

February 16, 2013

Meatloaf has always had a reputation as being an average and bland meal – not one that excites anyone at all.  But not true – try this Italian Meatloaf recipe and it will win you over.  You can impress your family and friends with this dinner.  The leftovers are great too – heat them up or make a meatloaf sandwich for lunch the next day.  The possibilities are endless.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 2/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal
  • 1 envelop of dry onion soup mix
  • 1/2 cup pasta sauce
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

  1. crack the 2 eggs into a mixing bowl and beat well
  2. add the ground beef, oatmeal, soup mix, pasta sauce and garlic powder
  3. using your hands, mix the ingredients together well
  4. form into a big loaf
  5. place the loaf in the crock pot
  6. cover the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours

Easy peasy!  You can top the meatloaf with some more pasta sauce when you serve it if you like.

Happy Eating!

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Tuna Noodle Casserole – A Comforting Favorite!

February 9, 2013

A perennial favorite dish – comforting to the soul.  It is easy, delicious, and nutritious.  Your kids won’t even know that they are eating fish.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cup uncooked noodles
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese – Swiss or Cheddar
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds – optional
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms – optional
  • 6 to 12 oz. tuna
  • can of cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

  1. mix the noodles, salt, onions, cheese, almonds and mushrooms in a crock pot
  2. add tuna and soup – stir together gently
  3. fill the soup can half full of water and add to mixture
  4. stir and cover
  5. cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours
  6. stir every hour
  7. 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add peas and continue to cook on low for the last 20 minutes

Serve with a loaf of bread or rolls and you have a warm, hearty meal that everyone will enjoy!

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Blueberry Surprise – A Crock Pot Recipe

February 4, 2013

A wonderfully delicious recipe to satisfy any sweet tooth.  It can be served for breakfast, brunch or as a dessert.

BLUEBERRY SURPISE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 loaf of Italian Bread
  • 1 pint of blueberries
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

  1. tear the loaf of Italian Bread into bite sized pieces
  2. place half of the pieces in the crock pot
  3. wash the blueberries and layer half of them on top of the bread
  4. cut the cream cheese in to 1/2″ cubes
  5. layer half of the cream cheese cubes on top of the blueberries
  6. layer with the other half of bread pieces
  7. layer with the rest of the blueberries
  8. layer with the rest of the cream cheese cubes
  9. beat the eggs in a bowl
  10. add the milk and vanilla and whisk them together well
  11. pour the egg mixture over the other ingredients in the crock pot
  12. cover the crock pot
  13. cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the mixture is set

You can serve with maple or blueberry syrup for breakfast or brunch.  As a dessert, top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  A warm treat for anytime of the day.

Enjoy!

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