CrockPot Instant Mashed Potatoes

Day 160.

Today launches Retro Week at A Year of CrockPotting. Why? I don't know. I just decided.

Instant mashed potatoes---I grew up having them and liked them, yet once I started cooking for my own family I forgot all about them. There is nothing wrong with instant potatoes---food snobs will tell you that they aren't "real" food, but the back of the box says dehydrated potato flakes, some salt and an anti-caking preservative. Huh. Maybe it's the anti-caking preservative that weirds people out?

Anyway, they are creamy, delicious, and easy. My kids prefer them to "real" mashed potatoes and will eat a ton in a sitting. And the cooking is ridiculously fast---it takes maybe 10 whole minutes to prepare a bunch.

Unless you use your crockpot.

Then it will take two hours.

The Ingredients.

--box of instant potatoes

--the stuff on the back of the box that they tell you to use.

I used soy milk, water, and butter in our potatoes.

The Directions.

Follow the directions on the back of the box. I used my 1.5 qt mini crockpot and used the 1/3 of a cup proportions---which is supposed to be enough to feed 3-4 people as a side dish. They must be smufs, though. My kids ate it all for lunch and wanted more.

Cook on low for 1-2 hours---you will know the potatoes are done when you stir them and they look done.

so very scientific...



The Verdict.

This worked. The stove is MUCH quicker, and the results are exactly the same. The only advantage of using the crock in this instance is that you can put all the ingredients in the crock together and leave it alone. Just like making them on the stove, they will thicken once you remove the cooked product from the heat.

CrockPot Edamame Dip Recipe

Day 180.

I've gotten a few requests for more Little Dipper recipes. Boy, that little guy is adorable. Or is it a girl? I go back and forth. Maybe it's unisex.

Anyhow, most of the dip recipes can be easily adapted to the Little Dipper. I'd recommend the garlic dip, the sundried tomato, and the hot and spicy artichoke. Or, test out this edamame dip---it's reminiscent of hummus. Sort of. But not really.

well, kind of.


The Ingredients.

--1 cup shelled edamame, slightly thawed
--2 chopped garlic cloves
--1 T mayonnaise
--1/2 t cumin
--the juice from 2 limes

The Directions.

If your edamame is frost-bitten like mine was, thaw for about 45 seconds in the microwave. Chop or food process the edamame and garlic into tiny chunks. I used my pampered chef chopper-thingy.

Add to the Little Dipper. Add the mayo, cumin, and lime juice. Stir well.

Cover and cook (there isn't a temerature setting on the Little Dipper) for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve with pita chips, pita bread, tortilla chips, or corn tortilla triangles.


The Verdict.

This was a very nice snack, it would have been even better if the chips weren't stale. The girls and I gobbled it up, although it was a bit spicy for them. My garlic cloves were enormous.

I have FOUR bags of frozen edamame, and am glad to have a way to use them in a way we all enjoy. Four bags. How did that happen?

CrockPot White Bean and Pesto Spread

Day 190.

Yay! Another Little Dipper recipe!

This is such a yummy spread, and it is so easy it practically makes itself. It must eat itself, too, because I have no idea where it went. I made a batch, took a picture, and then it disappeared.

Keep the ingredients on hand for last-minute company. They will keep in your pantry forever, and you will thank me when your guests eyeballs roll back in glee.

The Ingredients.

- 1 cup of drained and rinsed white beans (cannelloni, white kidney)
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto

The Directions.

After draining and rinsing the beans, scoop out one cup. Smash them. I used my Pampered Chef chopper thingy, but you could squeeze them in a zipper bag or use a tiny food processor, too.

Mix the smashed beans with a 1/4 cup of pesto. Add mixture to the Little Dipper, close it up, and plug it in.

There isn't a heat setting on a Little Dipper, you just plug it in. I cooked our dip for about 45 minutes, and it was warm and gooey.

Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or crustini.

I made crustini out of leftover bread that I had made for the french dip sandwiches. It was easy--I dipped the pieces in a bit of olive oil, then sprinkled with salt and pepper. I baked them in the oven at 400 degrees until the bottoms were toasty, then broiled until the tops were toasty, too.

The Verdict.

These were great. I liked how the beans soaked up the oil from the pesto, and the flavor was pronounced, but mild at the same time. All four of us enjoyed this snack.

CrockPot Peach Compote Recipe

Day 199.

Good morning! Today is my nine year anniversary of the second time that I married Adam. The first time was in Mr. Phillips' Economics class.

I remember being pulled to the front of the class to go over our budget and Mr. Phillips said, "$20? Your dining out budget is $20? Surely, Adam, you can do better than McDonalds when you treat your bride."

It still makes me smile when we grab anything at McDonalds.

Since we're such partiers, we're celebrating our anniversary by having Laura, from No Appropriate Behavior as a house guest. She and I are going to the BlogHer Newbie Party, and are leaving Adam and the girls home with a bowl of microwave popcorn and a well-worn copy of High School Musical.

But! when we return there will be fresh peach compote. Fresh peach compote with brandy. yum.

The Ingredients.

--3 to 4 fresh peaches (I used 3 large ones)

--1/3 cup brown sugar

--1/4 cup brandy (gluten free)

--2 T butter

--1/2 t ground cinnamon
--1 t vanilla

The Directions.

I used my 1.5 qt mini crockpot for this. I heard back from Crock-Pot that they are no longer producing an adjustable-temperature 1.5 quart---the new ones just plug in and turn on like the Little Dipper. If you are looking for an adjustable little guy, there is a 2 qt size available.

Wash and slice your peaches. Put them into your crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, brandy, the 2T of butter, and the cinnamon and vanilla. There is no need to melt the butter beforehand.

Cover and cook for about 90 minutes, to 2 hours. If your crockpot has the temperature knob, go for high. So then you can eat it faster.

Serve over vanilla ice-cream.

The Verdict.

Beyond delicious. I wonder if I can get away with only eating peaches this way from now on?

this is very, very good.

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The Crock-Pot giveaway is still open! PLEASE leave a comment on the original giveaway post. Your comment is going to get lost if you leave it anywhere else, and want to be in the line-up for the random number picker thingy-mabob. The contest will close at 5pm, on Friday.

CrockPot Crab with Sundried Tomatoes and Horseradish Spread

Day 201.

I was playing in the kitchen yesterday and came up with this crab spread. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not---even after I ate two rice cakes smeared with the stuff. Adam thought it was too fussy.

But! I got to use my Little Dipper. And I think that thing is just so darn adorable, that everything that comes out of it tastes like princess food. And that can't be a bad thing.

Ever.

The Ingredients.

--1 4.25 oz can of crab meat, drained

--2 T prepared horseradish cream

--5 reconstituted sun dried tomato halves

--1/4 cup parmesan/romano cheese

--3 fresh basil leaves

The Directions.

Soak the dried sun dried tomatoes in some hot water until they are soft and pliable. Chop. You could use the sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, but be sure to wring out the oil, or your pate will be awfully oily.

Drain the can of crab and add it to the little crockpot. Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes, the horseradish, chopped fresh basil leaves, and the cheese.

Mix with a fork.

Cover and cook (there isn't a temperature adjustment knob on the Little Dipper) for about an hour.

Serve with pita chips, corn chips, or on rice cakes.

The Verdict.

This was good, but maybe a bit too flavorful. I like horseradish, but maybe mixed with both the crab and the sun dried tomatoes was too much. It didn't stop me from eating a bunch, but it might have been better with fewer full-of-flavor ingredients.

The kids had no interest, whatsoever, in giving this dip/spread a try.

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Mini Slow Cooker Recipe

Day 224.

I used my Little Dipper Slow Cooker yesterday to make a Tex-Mex inspired black bean dip, and I loved it. It was kind of spicy, but the goat cheese complimented the spice nicely with it's creamy mellow flavor.

Since I used my Little Dipper, I cut the recipe down quite a bit to fit inside. Feel free to double, triple, or exponentially increase---it's very good, and I wouldn't mind making a whole meal out of chips and dip one day.

very soon.

The Ingredients.

--1/2 can of refried black beans
--2 cloves garlic, chopped
--1/2 of a lime, juiced
--1 t cayenne pepper
--1 t cumin
--2 T chopped cilantro leaves
--3-5 slices of goat cheese

The Directions.

Open the can of refried black beans, and scoop out about half of the contents into the Little Dipper. Squeeze in the lime juice. Add chopped garlic, the spices, and the cilantro leaves. Stir. Top with the sliced goat cheese.

Cover and plug in. The Little Dipper doesn't have a temperature gauge. Cook for 1-2 hours, or until the goat cheese has melted and the beans are warm and gooey.

Serve with corn tortilla chips.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. I was quite pleased with the kick the dip had, and loved how the goat cheese was creamy and mellow. The cilantro gave a "freshness" that I really appreciated---it didn't just taste like a canned bean dip. The kids mostly scooped the goat cheese off the top, but did try the black bean dip enough to know that it was spicy.

I have the other half of the can in the fridge, and plan on making this for myself for lunch while I watch taped Olympics.

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P.S. I'm having Feed Burner issues. I don't use a reader myself, so I don't really understand them. If anyone knows what I should do to fix whatever error is happening that makes it look like I haven't updated since February, I'd love to hear from you! crockpotlady AT gmail DOT com.
xoxo steph

CrockPot Banana Pudding

Day 227.

This pudding is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

sorry. I totally couldn't help myself.

We needed a quick dessert for some company and I needed to use the crockpot. And that's pretty much how this dessert was invented.

I opened the cabinet, saw some sweetened condensed milk, and we all know HOW GOOD THAT IS when cooked in the crockpot (except for you shouldn't do it for safety and legal reasons or something like that) and we had a bunch of bananas.

So I mixed the two.
The end.


The Ingredients.

--2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
--4 bananas

The Directions.

I used a 1.5 quart mini crockpot for this dessert.

Put the peeled bananas into a zippered freezer bag and let your kids squish the bananas until they get bored or the bag springs a hole and banana goobers fall to the floor. The freshly-mopped-and-ready-for-company floor.

The bananas will still have some chunk in them. If this isn't okay with you, you'll need to use a food processor.

Open the cans of sweetened condensed milk. Dump them into the crock. Mix in the bananas.

Take your time walking to the backyard recycling bin so you can lick the cans.

gosh that stuff is good.

Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, or on high for 1-2 hours.

Give it a quick stir. Pour into serving dishes and let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

The Verdict.

This is sweet. So sweet, one of my kids declared it too sweet. I happily ate her portion.

Little Dipper Southwestern Salsa Dip

Day 261.

yay, a Little Dipper recipe! I love this Little Dipper because it's so gosh darn cute, but I'm having a hard time coming up with mini-sized dips or sauces to cook in it.

I made up this dip. I kind of wish I had something else to post in it's place, but I don't. There is nothing wrong with it---it just tastes a bit different. I can't decide if the different is good or bad. Just different. The kids ate a few chips dipped in it, then asked for a slice of cheddar cheese. Adam came home, I threw a chip in his mouth covered in dip, and he said "huh. that's different."

I love that man.

So. If you have a favorite warm dip and think I can make it in a Little Dipper, please let me know.

'cuz I obviously could use some help.

The Ingredients.

--2 cups of prepared salsa
--1 package of dried Ranch salad dressing/dip mix
--1/2 cup shredded white cheese (I had Monterey Jack in the house)

The Directions.

The Little Dipper says that it only holds 1 cup. I started with 2/3 of a cup of salsa, and stirred in the Ranch dressing packet. It was so tangy and weird, I added another 2/3 of a cup. That gave me 1 1/3 cups inside. And it still tasted weird. So I added another 2/3 of salsa. And I'm pretty sure that gives me 2 whole cups.

So the Little Dipper can hold 2 cups. I did stir in the cheese, but it mostly melted away (except that I used Kraft because it was on sale and it's coated with some weird anti-stick coating so it doesn't melt as nicely as other shredded cheese or cheese that you shred yourself. I should know this. But I still get sucked in to the buy-one-get-one deals at Safeway.)

Cover and cook for about 2 hours (there is no heat setting on a Little Dipper). Since the Dipper is so full, it will take longer than normal.

The Verdict.

It's not offensive, but it's not very good. Ranch may taste good with teriyaki sauce, but it doesn't go well with salsa.

The Little Dipper for Canned Soup

Day 264.

An entire 18.5-ounce can of Progresso Clam Chowder can fit in at Little Dipper!

This is so exciting that when JeniJen calls you don't even say hello (you can see it's her through the Caller ID) and yell into the phone, "an entire 18.5-ounce can of soup can fit in a Little Dipper!" And because she is so wonderful and because she too understands how absolutely marvelous this discovery is, she will say, "that's great, honey."

I took the ingredients picture on the stove top because the counter was full of paper piles from school. You get too much paper from school. It bothers me.

The Ingredients.

Little Dipper
can of soup

The Directions.

Progresso is so nice that they now have pull-tops on their cans. I LOVE pull-tops.
Pour contents of can in Little Dipper.
Plug in.
Hide pretty much all of the work papers that have come home from school in the bottom of the recycling bin.
Go get kids from school.

The Verdict.

My kids really like clam chowder. I sort of re-created it earlier in the year with my fish chowder. If I'm remembering correctly, Mir's Monkey really likes my fish chowder, too. But you can't make fish chowder every day. That would just be crazy.

updated 9.23.08:

I received the following email today from a General Mills (they make Progresso soup) representative:

Dear Mrs. CrockPot,

Thank you for contacting Progresso regarding gluten in Progresso New England clam chowder soup.

It is our goal to help our consumers determine whether or not they can include our products in their diet. To accurately accomplish this, we believe it is best to refer to the specific ingredients listed on each product package.

However, we do understand that ingredients can be confusing, so we want to assure you if the ingredient label does not list wheat, barley, rye, oats or gluten containing ingredients sourced from these grains, then the product would be gluten-free. Sources of gluten are listed on the label even if the source of gluten is part of another ingredient (such as flavoring or spice). Because ingredients may vary from one package to another due to product reformulation, you should use the product's ingredient label to provide you with current and accurate information.

Additional information regarding gluten may be obtained by contacting your health care professional or:

Celiac Sprue Association/United States of America, Inc.

PO Box 31700

Omaha, NE 68131-0700

402-558-0600

Or toll free: 877-CSA-4-CSA (877-272-4272)

www.csaceliacs.org

We hope this information is helpful.
Sincerely yours,
[person from General Mills]

Fancy Cheese Fondue Little Dipper Recipe

Day 270.

It's Friday Fondue Day! I've had quite a few fondue recipes bookmarked on the computer and torn out of magazines, but I haven't made any yet. I don't really know why, and since I have less than 100! days to go, I figured I better get cracking.

So, for the next few Fridays, I'm going to post a fondue recipe until I run out. That means that my Friday Fondue Day will really be on Thursday.

I made this in a Little Dipper, but you can use any small crockpot, or insert an oven-safe dish into your big one. Or you can quadruple everything and have a big vat of cheesiness.

The Ingredients.

--1/4 cup each of 3 "fancy" cheeses. I used goat, gruyere, and swiss
--1/4 cup white wine
--1/2 tsp nutmeg

The Directions.

Shred the hard cheese and put them in the Little Dipper. Add the goat cheese. Pour in the white wine and sprinkle the nutmeg on top. No need to stir---it will melt together.

Plug in the Little Dipper. Cook for 45 minutes, then stir. Cover again and heat until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with bread, croutons, crackers, or your favorite dipping vegetables.

I made large croutons out of a loaf of Trader Joe's Brown Rice bread. All I did was brush olive oil on both sides, and sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. Then bake at 400 until golden, flipping once.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. The kids really liked this more than I wanted them to. I kind of thought this was going to be a grown-up snack, but they ate a LOT. I'm envisioning a fondue party in our future.

CrockPot Cream Cheese, Sausage, and Rotel Dip

Day 277.

Happy Friday Fondue Day! Except this is more of a dip, than an actual fondue. I've never been very good at rules.

This dip is famous. This is The Internet's Dip. When I posted that I needed more recipes for the Little Dipper, I got no less than FORTY emails telling me about this dip. Pretty much everybody acknowledged that the ingredients were weird and shouldn't taste good together, but they just do.

Last night I had the extreme honor of going to a local book signing for Sleep Is For the Weak (which you should totally buy for everybody you know for a holiday gift) and then the fabulous Mizz Jenny spent the night.

Because I love her, and I know how much she loves The Internet, I made her this dip. I also gave her pink champagne. Because nothing says high-class like rotel and sausage dip with pink champagne.

The Ingredients.

--8 oz block of cream cheese
--1 can tomatoes and green chiles (aka Rotel), drained
--1 lb breakfast sausage, browned and drained

The Directions.

I didn't use the Little Dipper (I said I wasn't good at rules!), I used my 1.5 quart crockpot, and it was the right size. You'll need to cut the recipe in half to fit the Little Dipper.

Brown the sausage on the stove, and drain on paper towels.

Unwrap the cream cheese, and put it into your crockpot. Chop up the sausage and add on top. Drain the Rotel, and add it.

Cover and cook on low for about 90 minutes, or on high for 45. Stir well and eat with tortilla chips.

The Verdict.

Dude. This is good. I can not believe how good it is.

The ingredients are still weird. I totally agree.

Little Dipper Pumpkin Pie Dip Recipe

Day 284.

Happy Friday Fondue Day! This is neat dip to have as an after-school snack, or for dessert in the Fall. The kids ate way too much of it.
The flavors remind me of pumpkin pie cheesecake.

That's a very good thing.

The Ingredients.

--1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix
--4 oz cream cheese
--1/4 cup sour cream
--chopped walnuts, optional

The Directions.

I use my Little Dipper---these measurements are perfect for a little dipper. If you don't have one, you can put an oven-safe dish inside of your large crockpot.

Add the cream cheese to the Little Dipper. Top with sour cream, then pour in the pumpkin pie filling.

Cover and cook for about an hour, then stir well. If the cream cheese isn't fully melted, cook a bit longer. The Little Dipper doesn't have temperature settings, you just plug it in. If you are going to use a big crockpot with an oven-safe dish inside, cook on high for about an hour, or 2 on low.

Garnish with chopped walnuts, if desired.

The Verdict.

I served this with gluten free gingersnaps, pretzels, and apple slices. This was a big hit, and I'm going to make it again today for a playdate.

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The eLume give-away is still going strong. Please leave just one comment with your email address before Sunday, 5pm pacific. I'll post the winners Monday morning.

Brie with Apricot Topping CrockPot Recipe

This recipe is part of Oprah.com's Holiday Food Blogger Roundup. Welcome Oprah.com readers! Thank you for stopping by. xoxo steph

Day 286.

I didn't even try to light this properly and attempt a nice picture. Instead, I removed the stoneware from the base, wrapped it up in a beach towel, grabbed a sleeve of crackers and plopped on the couch in front of the TV. When Adam or the kids got near, I snarled and batted them away with my arm.

This couldn't possibly taste any better.

The Ingredients.
adapted from the Halloween issue of Taste of Home

--1 large round or wedge of brie (the round I used was 13.2 oz)
--1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
--2 T brown sugar
--2 T water
--1 tsp balsamic vinegar
--1/4 tsp dried rosemary
--1/2 cup chopped walnuts

The Directions.

I used a 1.5 mini round crockpot. If you are going to use a big one, put the brie in an oven-safe dish. As long as the dish and the crockpot heat together, you're all good.

If your brie has a really hard rind, cut the top part off. This was the first time I had used this brand of brie---I've always reached for the stuff from Trader Joe's---and I was alarmed at how thick the rind was.

Put the brie into the crockpot.

In a bowl, mix the chopped apricots, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, water and rosemary together. Spoon on top of the brie.
Sprinkle on the chopped walnuts.

Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or on low for about 3. Check after an hour in both cases just in case.

Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices.

The Verdict.

I eventually shared with Adam. We had it as dinner.

The flavor is so amazing, and the brie got so gooey and amazing. I think I just drooled a bit.
mmmm.

Little Dipper CrockPot Chocolate Fondue

Day 298.

It's Friday Fondue Fun Day! You can not not have fun while dipping stuff in chocolate. If you don't have fun dipping stuff in chocolate there is something wrong with you.

Go seek help.

I'll wait.

I needed a basic chocolate fondue recipe that was tried-and-true and perfect. So I turned to the mecca: Simply Recipes. I found exactly what I was looking for. Elise rocks. Garrett from Vanilla Garlic is who actually posted this for her, but I still stand by her rockingness.

The Ingredients.

--1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, milk, or white. Your choice.)
--1/2 cup heavy cream
--1 tsp vanilla

optional
you can doctor this up with:
--1 T Grand Marnier
--1 T rum
--1 T Peppermint Schnapps
--1 T Bailey's Irish Cream
--1 tsp peppermint, orange, coconut, etc. extract
--pinch of espresso powder

The Directions.

The proportions here fit into a Little Dipper. Although the booklet that comes with the Little Dipper says that it only holds 1 cup of contents, I proved this wrong with my earth-shattering discovery that a whole can of Progresso Clam Chowder fits perfectly.

If you do not have a Little Dipper (psst. the holidays are coming...) you can put an oven-safe dish inside of a larger crockpot. Do not add water. There's no need to create a water bath for melting chocolate in the crockpot. It melts nice and slow. Or! you can quintuple the recipe and have a good ol' time.

Put chocolate chips in the crockpot. Add the heavy cream and teaspoon of vanilla. Cover. Plug in and cook on low (or the ON setting for the LD) for about an hour. Stir.

Serve with apple chunks, banana slices, cubes of pound cake, strawberries, or marshmallows. Or all of them and invite me over.

The Verdict.

Simple and easy and wonderful and amazing.

The kids liked the marshmallows the best, surprise, surprise.

Fondue Friday is becoming a favorite in our house (even though I really do it on Thursday, but whatever. The things I do for you people...) :-D

Chocolate and Marshmallow Fluff Fondue for the Little Dipper CrockPot

Day 306.

Happy November! This is for Breezy, who pointed out that I missed Fondue Friday yesterday. She's right. I did.
Breezy needs a fondue recipe for football tomorrow. So. Stop eating waxy Halloween candy and eat this. It tastes better, and since it's all stirred up and cooked the calories magically disappear.

right?

The Ingredients.


--7 oz milk chocolate
--3 oz white chocolate
--1 cup marshmallow fluff
--1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
--1 T almond extract (or you could add Amaretto)

The Directions.

The best part of this (for me) was that I sent Adam to the store to get the chocolate and he came home with the good stuff: Cadbury and Ghiradelli. I totally would have cheaped out, and he didn't.

Break up the chocolate bars into the Little Dipper. Eat a few squares to make sure it tastes okay. Add the almond extract or Amaretto and the whipping cream. Scoop out a cup of marshmallow fluff from the jar, and push it in with your fingers, so you can then lick them.

mmm.

Cover, and plug in the Dipper. Cook for about 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Lick the spoons.

Serve with cubes of pound cake, graham crackers, cut up fruit, and some almonds. I used those Mi-Del Arrowroot cracker cookies.

The Verdict.

very tasty.

I need to brush my teeth.

Little Dipper CrockPot Peanut Butter Fondue

Day 312.


Good morning! Thank you so much for all of the nice notes about my back. I'm definitely feeling better this morning. I did end up going to the doctor, which was a good idea. I guess my file still said I taught preschool, so the doctor was a bit concerned about bending and lifting. When I told him that I now write from home, he said, "you'll be able to be pretty creative while taking this stuff!" and wrote me a prescription for muscle relaxers.
All they do is make me fall asleep, so I don't think you're in for any amazing creativity.

But this is good fondue! Happy Fondue Friday, everyone.

The Ingredients.

--3/4 cup peanut butter
--1/4 cup brown sugar
--1/4 cup cream or half and half
--1 tsp vanilla
--4 large marshmallows

The Directions.

Scoop your peanut butter into the Little Dipper. If you don't have a Little Dipper, you can put an oven-safe dish inside your crockpot to create a smaller cooking vessel.

Add the peanut butter, brown sugar, and cream. Push 4 large marshmallows into the mixture. Don't bother to stir now; the peanut butter will just stick to the spoon.

Cover and cook for about an hour. Stir well. Heat some more if it isn't all melty.

Serve with apple slices and celery sticks.

The Verdict.

I ate this in bed yesterday with a heating pad while watching Oprah. It was delightful.

CrockPot Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Day 319.

It's Friday. Instead of fondue, you're getting cranberry sauce. It's a fair trade.

This worked! I've made cranberry sauce exactly once before---in a kindergarten class. We followed the directions on the bag, and it came out quite bitter. No one except this one little boy who enjoyed shocking his classmates with odd behavior would eat it. I could tell it was bitter just by the smell.

I did not have high hopes for cranberry sauce in the crockpot, but was pleasantly surprised. This not only worked, the kids each had some with leftover turkey and I've had it now a few times on top of spinach salad.

I think the secret is the enormous amount of sugar I added...

The Ingredients.

12 ozunces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

The Directions.

Use a 2- quart crockpot. If you only have a huge crockpot, you can put an oven-safe dish into it to create a smaller cooking vessel --- like a pyrex or Corningware. This is what I use in the crock (scroll down to see them).

Rinse off the cranberries and put them into your crockpot. Add the orange juice and water. I had the kids squeeze fresh juice, but you can use store-bought if that's what you have on hand.

Add the sugar and the cinnamon. Stir. There will be an awful lot of liquid, and the cranberries will float and you'll wonder how on earth it could possibly turn into cranberry sauce.

Cover and cook on high. It will take about 3 hours.

Stir every hour or so. When the skin from the cranberries has softened, the cranberries will "pop" when pushed with a spoon up against the side of the crock. It wasn't until about 2 hours in that my cranberries were soft enough to do this.

Smoosh all of the cranberries. Stir well.

Heat enough for it to be warm throughout. Take the lid off and heat on high for another 30 to 45 minutes. Your house will smell wonderful!

Serve. This easily can be made a few days before your holiday dinner.

The Verdict.

This is pretty much the best cranberry sauce in the history of the world. I like it so much I'll eat it right off the spoon. My mom makes batches and batches of it and gives it to her friends for gifts (seriously!) and freezes little Tupperwares of it so she can have it all year round.

if you like cranberry stuff, check out these dishes:

super easy cranberry pork or beef roast
potroast with cranberry and red wine glaze
turkey meatballs with cranberry barbecue sauce
cranberry party recipes: martini, chicken, cranberry surprise dessert!

The CrockPot as an Air Freshener/ Odor Neutralizer

Day 333.

Happy Black Friday! I hope each of you had as wonderful of a Thanksgiving as I did. It was also terribly easy---we had 6 crockpot dishes and a turkey-in-the-oven. Lots of food, and a super-easy clean-up.

But.

At about 10pm last night, the house was cleared, and I noticed a funk. It wasn't bad, but it was a slightly sour smell of old mulled wine, and dirty dishes. Instead of actually cleaning the dishes and emptying the wine crockpot, I eliminated the odor.

With the Little Dipper!

The Ingredients.

--water
--baking soda (for the little dipper, I used 3 T)
--crockpot

The Directions.

Pour water into the crockpot you are going to use. Add baking soda. Mix. Plug it in and turn to low (the Little Dipper and some of the small ones don't have settings, they just plug in). Keep the lid off.

Let the baking soda do the job of soaking up unpleasant odors.

If you would prefer to use the crockpot as an air freshener, fill with water, and add:

--drops of essential oil
--potpourri scent
--2 teaspoons of vanilla or other desired extract
--ground cinnamon, and cloves
--a cinnamon stick
--slices of lemon

The Verdict.

I was quite pleased with how the baking soda really did absorb the kitchen odors. I took the mini crock into another room later and smelled the water----it smelled strongly of mulled wine.
woah.

CrockPot Cherries Jubilee

Day 349.

I am still having photo uploading issues. I'm working on it, and fingers are crossed that in a few hours everything will be good to go.

I wasn't planning on making Cherries Jubilee yesterday, but the kids and I were watching a Paula Deen episode and she made some. Adam was already at the grocery store (buying duck! ack!) so we called him and had him bring home some canned cherries. It's a good thing, too, because the ducks were so frozen they bounced on the kitchen counter.

The Ingredients.

2 T butter, melted
1 T cornstarch
2 (15-ounce) cans pitted black cherries in heavy syrup, but NOT pie filling
2 T white sugar
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup brandy (optional)
vanilla ice cream

The Directions.

I used a 1 quart crockpot. Melt butter in the microwave, and whisk in cornstarch until it's completely dissolved. Drain cans of cherries, and add to crockpot. Pour in cornstarch mixture. Add sugar and lemon zest. No need to stir. If you're going to add the brandy, do so now.

Cook on high for 2 hours, and serve hot over vanilla ice cream. Paula lit her cherries jubilee on fire to burn off the alcohol. I tried to do that, but it didn't work, and I ended up getting cherry juice all over my long wand-lighter thingy and now it doesn't ignite. I wouldn't put the brandy in if you are going to serve to small children.

The Verdict.

This was a fun dessert. I made two batches, one with and one without the brandy. The brandy one tastes like it has brandy in it, and I liked the plain one better. I wish the fire part would have worked, that would have been cool.

I'm off to skin a duck.

Little Dipper Cranberry Orange Dip

Day 362.

Raise your hand if you got a Little Dipper for the Holidays.

The Little Dipper is so much fun----here are all of the dips and things I've made this year: Little Dipper recipes. Except the chicken and brown rice casserole. I have no idea how that showed up in there. Weird.

Jen T. sent me this recipe, and the kids and I had it for lunch the other day. When it's cooked, it looks like a big pile of fluffy snow.

The Ingredients.

--8 oz cream cheese
--2/3 cup shredded swiss cheese
--2 T apple juice
--1/2 tsp orange zest
--1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

The Directions.

Plug in your Little Dipper to get it started warming up. Shove the block of cream cheese down into it. You may need to squish it in with a spoon. I promise it will fit. Shred the swiss, and add it. Grate the orange and add the zest. Add the apple juice. Cover and let it cook for 45 minutes to an hour. When the cream and swiss cheese have fully melted, stir in the dried cranberries.

Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices. We're really liking the new nut and rice crackers Blue Diamond puts out.

The Verdict.

Delicious. The original recipe called for 1 tsp of orange zest, but we're not big fans of orange zest, so I only added 1/2 tsp. It was still plenty zesty for us, and I probably could have omitted it all together for us. But then I would have needed to change the name.

The swiss and cream cheese melted together beautifully and were a delicious combination.

Thank you, Jen!