3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Dump Cake

I've wanted to post a "dump cake" recipe for a while --- but was a little worried about how it would look. I mean, I'm supposed to be a PROFESSIONAL and all --- and don't professionals keep under wraps that they shoo the kids out of the kitchen so they can lick pie filling off the lid of the can with no one watching?

So when I saw Kristen, from Dine and Dish write about her insecurities blogging about dump cake I felt better. Because you know what? Not everything can be perfectly made-from-scratch with nothing-at-all artificial. This is real life, not a magazine!

You'll love this customizeable recipe. If you don't care for canned cherry filling or chocolate cake, use apple pie filling or even canned peach slices in syrup with a yellow cake mix.

The Ingredients
serves 6 to 8

2 (21-ounce) cans pie filling
1 (15-ounce) box cake mix (we are gluten free, so that's what I use, but you certainly don't have to!)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted (my butter is salted; it really doesn't matter)
1 tablespoon water

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker sprayed well with cooking spray. If you have a 6-quart and that's it, reduce cooking time by about a 1/3.

Dump out the pie filling into the bottom of your prepared slow cooker. (don't forget to lick the cans! that stuff is GOOD.) In a large mixing bowl, mix together together the cake mix, melted butter, and water. You're going to have a crumbly cake mix, but what you're really trying to do is to "wet" all of the powder.
(go ahead and eat a few spoonfuls of the mix. there's no eggs, and again, that stuff is GOOD.)


Pour this evenly over the top of the canned filling. Cover, and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for about 4 to 5 hours. Uncover, and continue to cook on high for another 30 minutes or so to release condensation.  

Your cake is finished when the dough is set, and you can poke at it with your finger and not get a bunch of goop (technical term) on it. The filling will bubble up and be intertwined with the cake mix. Spoon into bowls and eat warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

The Verdict

Holy crazy mama, this is Uh.Maze.Ing.  it's SUPER DUPER hot when right out of the crock--- be careful! Thank you, Kristen, for the nudge!! :-)



-------) I'm doing some work with the Glad company, and will be tweeting from their @GetGlad handle on Monday, March 24th from 8am-10am pacific using the #gladyouasked tag. I'd love for you to play along!! 
Here's a bit more info.

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Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos

It looks like I'm on the Rachael Ray show today!

I'm sorry for the last minute notice, I only just found out about 4 seconds ago. :-)  The show was taped a few weeks ago during the Great Big Huge Snow Storm of The Year of The Century and I was only supposed to be in New York for 10 hours.

Instead I was there for 3 days.

But all is wonderful, and today is the airing. This is the recipe I used:

The Ingredients

serves 10

4 to 5 pound pork shoulder roast/butt (bone in or out, your choice)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced into rings

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges, or you can use bottled)

1 cinnamon stick

2 limes, juiced (to add at the very end)

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves (to add at the very end)

Suggested toppings:

corn tortillas for serving

4 cups finely shredded red cabbage

1 cup sour cream

2 cups grated cheese

2 avocados, diced

The Directions

Rub salt and pepper on all sides of the meat, and brown in olive oil on the stovetop in a large skillet. Using kitchen tongs, place the browned meat into your slow cooker. Using the same skillet, caramelize the onion and garlic until transparent and remove from heat. Whisk in the coriander, cumin chipotle chile powder, honey, and orange juice. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the meat. Toss in the cinnamon stick.

Cover, and cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for about 5 hours. Shred meat completely using two large forks (discard bone if you used a bone-in roast), and stir in fresh lime juice and cilantro leaves.

Serve in warmed corn tortillas with your desired toppings.

The Verdict

I had a ball and feel so very (VERY) fortunate to have had the opportunity to see Rachael again and work with her amazing staff and production team. Thank you again to Tara, Bridget, and David for keeping me safe and warm in New York!

have a wonderful week, and thank you again for your support, kindness, and for being the best people in the history of the world. xoxo steph

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Camping with Your Slow Cooker

I didn't always like camping. I much preferred hotels or motels with maid service and a restaurant and clean towels.

And then I had kids. Don't get me wrong, I still love maid service and clean towels, but I hate spending lots of money and I hate having to get kids to sit still and have "restaurant behavior" when we are on a long trip. A few days here and there is absolutely fine, but sometimes you really just want a grilled cheese sandwich or a bowl of naked pasta and don't want to wait around in a booth at Applebees.

And I want my kids to be unplugged as much as possible, and I have got to admit the first thing I do when checking into a hotel or motel is to flip around and see "what kind of cable channels does this place have?"

I also want my kids to not be fearful of the outdoors and I like watching them dig with sticks and climb trees and just BE TOGETHER -- it forces all of us to work together to set up and break down camp and that kind of stuff warms my suburban soccer mom heart.

So I've embraced the dirt (thank you baby wipes!) and the sand (thank you dust buster!) and the laundry (dear help me, the laundry is just insane when we get home) and the chaos camping brings and now I can honestly say that I really really like being outdoors and pretty much all that camping has to offer.

And I bring along a slow cooker (or two).

Since we car camp and usually stick to a pretty family-friendly campground (mostly KOAs), we have electricity when we camp. Although we did recently decide to get a tiny pop-up tent trailer, I did use the slow cooker when we tent camped.

Just like at home, the kids are hungry and tired after a long day, and knowing that dinner is hot and ready after spending the day outside playing in the water or after a day touring around is just wonderful.

If you are tent-camping, I'd recommend having a long extension cord with you, and using one of the lockable-lid slow cookers. Obviously this isn't a way to cook if you are in bear country ---- I'm not going to even pretend to know how to bear proof a crockpot -- so don't do that!

If you've got a travel trailer or motorhome, you are already used to cooking in it, and I know a slow cooker is a mainstay in many RV kitchens already. Just like at home, I'd highly recommend a programmable slow cooker that will turn off when the cooking time has elapsed, so your food stays hot and safe to eat until you return back "home" for the day.

These are the cookers I happen to use and recommend, and you can usually find them at Bed Bath and Beyond or Kohls at a deep discount right now since the holidays are over.
I know that I'm terribly biased, but I do like the Ninja a lot for camping because having the stovetop and oven setting is pretty darn cool when away from home.

This is what I do to make camping and food-prep easier with the slow cooker:

1) do as much prep at home as possible. I like to chop all my veggies at home and separate our meals into Ziplock baggies and write on the outside of the bag what it all is (everything looks the same when it's frozen solid!) and then I freeze the bags at home to stack into the cooler.

2) if you are planning a chili or taco soup, brown the ground beef/turkey at home, and I'd suggest opening all the cans at home and then freezing in a zippered bag.

3) plan on lazy cooking --- which for us is usually a hunk of meat (or boneless chicken thighs) and a bottle of your favorite something sauce (bbq, simmer sauce, pasta sauce, etc.) Instead of bringing the jar or bottle, put the meat in a freezer bag and then put the sauce on it at home and freeze at home, so in the morning all you have to do is dump the contents into the cooker.

4) we usually do a sausage and vegetable medley -- which is super easy and all I do is make sure to have a 5-lb bag of potatoes with us and I do wash and cut those on the campground, then put in the bottom of a slow cooker with sliced chicken and apple sausage, and a bit of chicken broth (or white wine). If I've got a bag of baby carrots (which I usually do) I throw those in and any other random veggies I've got (bell peppers, brocolli).

5) save the leftovers from your sausage and veggie medley to do breakfast-for-dinner the next night (and any leftover hotdogs you might have). Scramble up 6-10 eggs or so with some milk then pour over the leftover potatoes and sausage and cook the next day.

6) baked potatoes or corn on the cob work great in the slow cooker, or you can do a layered dinner with meat and your potatoes and corn. My kids are super happy with a loaded baked potato for dinner, and since we usually have bacon for breakfast, I keep some for dinner time toppings. We always have a variety of cheeses with us, too.

7) planning ahead this way actually works in flexibility! I am not a slow cooker purist by any stretch of the imagination --- I also bring the pancake griddle which works great for quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches (and pancakes ;-) .). The kids still like to cook hotdogs on sticks, and we have a dutch oven that Adam uses over coals. If for some reason we have no power or are in a position where we don't feel safe leaving a crockpot plugged in, any of the prepared plastic bags can be dumped into a dutch oven or large pot to be cooked with propane, over coals, etc.

8) If you are on a roadtrip, see if your van or truck has an outlet in it. This way you can actually cook while you are driving. Lots of mini vans have outlets in the back and this works great to cook a large roast for pulled sandwiches or something not-too-soupy for eating on the road. If you've got an RV, you already know way more about this sort of thing than I do!

UPDATED: [please see the comment selection below for further information on cooking-while-you-drive. You most likely need an adapter to make this option work for you.]

I'm sure you already know this, but it bears repeating that this will drain your car battery if you are not actively driving. I wouldn't leave it plugged in your car if you plan on touring a museum for a long period of time, etc.

9) UPDATED: I've gotten a few emails about thermo slow cooking. I haven't personally tried this out yet, abut plan on it this summer. There are two well-reviewed companies that make these, and I think they'd be absolutely fantastic for camping.
Wonderbag and  Thermal Cook both ship world wide, and both companies have reached out and are run by wonderful people. When I have the opportunity to recipe test using these products, I will certainly write a thorough review. If you have had experience cooking in a thermal device, please share your feedback! 


I hope this helps a bit! Happy Camping!!

If you've got other suggestions or menu ideas, please let me know, I know I've got an awful lot to learn. Especially since one of my dreams is to travel cross-country and see EVERYTHING! :-)

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Cold Weather Meal Plan for the Slow Cooker

I feel like a fraud pointing out that it's been cold lately because I am right outside of San Francisco and our cold is NOTHING compared to real cold.

I know. I stink. But I do have CNN and twitter so I am very very aware at how REALLY cold it can be. And I hate it if you are cold and I wish I could make global warming happen even quicker so you are no longer cold (KIDDING. that is a joke  .....  save your (frozen) tomatoes!!)

If I could send everybody heating blankets and fluffy slippers, I would. Most definitely.

Instead, I've got a cold-weather meal plan for you that is easy on the wallet (I'm in denial over my credit card bill from Christmas) and is filling without being heavy and bogged down with cheese and grease in case you (like me) are trying to figure out why the super cute corduroy pants that fit in October no longer fit.

ahem.

Monday: Sausage and Vegetable Medley
Tuesday: Clean out the Pantry Chili
Wednesday: Honey Garlic Chicken
Thursday: Parmesan Tilapia
Friday: Carnitas

Grocery List:
[to print out just the list, use the PRINT button below and make sure to delete all extraneous text and photos before clicking print.]

PRODUCE
- 1 package of fresh stir-fry vegetables -- you need 4 cups of fresh vegetables --(broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, etc.)
- potatoes (red or brown, will need 2 cups worth, cubed -- about 2 Russet or 5 baby red)
- 2 lemons
- 1 orange
- 1 lime
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 onion
- baby spinach (will need about 2 cups -- 1 large handful)
- avocado (sliced for carnitas)

DAIRY
- Parmesan cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
- shredded cheese for carnitas
- sour cream for carnitas

MEAT
- 2-3 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- 4 fillets of tilapia (or 1 per family member)
- 2 to 3 pounds pork shoulder roast
- smoked chicken sausage (Aidell's brand or similar)

CANNED GOODS
- 3 cans of your favorite beans
- 2 cans tomato paste (6-ounce cans)
- chicken broth (4 cups)
- beef broth (2 cups)

CONDIMENTS
- honey (1/3 cup)
- ketchup (1/2 cup)
- mayonnaise (1/4 cup)
- soy sauce (La Choy is gluten free) (1/2 cup)
- sliced jalapeño peppers (in jar)
- salsa (garnish for carnitas, optional)

OTHER
- corn tortillas
- aluminum foil

SPICES
- Italian seasoning ( 1 tablespoon)
- basil (1 teaspoon)
- cumin (1 tablespoon)


a few quick announcements:

*  from Totally Together Journal: How to Combine Gratitude with Goal Setting  and  30 Day Organized Life Challenge
*  I was on NPR and shared a Take Out-Fake Out KFC recipe
*  If you'd like to subscribe to the site(s) for updates via email, here are the different options.

I hope you have a wonderful week and stay warm and cozy! And wash your hands a lot; it's flu season.

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Christmas Ham in the Slow Cooker (Honey Citrus)

photo by Tara Donne

We've got 10 days until Christmas! It's time to start panicking!

I must be in complete denial because so far I've got this weird peaceful vibe going on. I sort of feel like things will just get done when they get done. Or they won't. But I'm oddly calm about the whole thing.

of course it might also be a side effect from all the spiked eggnog..........

Anyhow, if you are in charge of Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner and you're in the mood for ham, you should make this one. It's tasty and it involves citrus pulp, honey, cloves, and ginger ale. 

The Ingredients
serves 8

1 (6-to-7-pound bone-in spiral cut smoked ham
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 orange, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1 cup ginger ale

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham, and discard the flavor packet. Place the ham into your insert (flat side down).
In a small mixing bowl, combine the honey, mustard, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Smear this paste evenly all over the ham. You can even do this the day before, if you'd like, to let the flavors meld, although it isn't necessary.
Pour the juice and add the last little bit with the pulp into the sauce bowl and swirl it around to get all of the "good stuff" out of the bowl. Pour ginger ale evenly over the top. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3 hours.

Your ham can sit in the slow cooker for quite a while on the warm setting before carving, or you can take it out, carve it into pieces, then return it to the pot to stay warm in the yummy sauce until you and your guests are ready to eat.

Ham pairs well with Brussels Sprouts!
The Verdict

I made this ham for Thanksgiving, and Adam's grandpa said it was the best ham he ever ate (he put cranberry sauce on it, too), and when I recipe-tested this for the new book, I served it to seven children, and they all ate it!


Have a wonderful and joyful Holiday season. If you're not in the mood for ham, here are all of the Holiday-approved slow cooker recipes you might enjoy.

2014 is just around the corner. Let's make it a good one!!

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"Grown Up" Green Bean Casserole and Savory Sweet Potato Bake slow cooker recipes

I went to New York for 22 hours this week, and got to cook with Rachael Ray! We talked Thanksgiving in the slow cooker, and how slow cooking is the best thing ever when in comes to Thanksgiving (or any Holiday, really) because the cookers do all the work while you get to enjoy your guests.

I'm so happy I got to go --- it was a great experience, and Rachael couldn't have been any nicer. And! I didn't cry!

It'll air on Monday, November 18th, right in time for you to plan your Thanksgiving dinner. Oh! and Whoopie Goldberg was in the dressing room next to mine and I saw her in the hall but I didn't want to be the freak who hunts down celebrities so I just did a little nod like a cool, calm, collected person would.

I want to share the recipes with you that I made on the show. I came up with them last Saturday after talking with their culinary crew --- they wanted something a bit different. I think you're going to love these, but I must admit that I never took any pictures at all when I recipe-tested. I was too pumped up on adrenaline and our house is in absolute chaos right now because we are moving.

Tomorrow.

(more on that later, but it's a house that is 5 houses away and it doesn't have a kitchen except for one from 1947 and that doesn't count because there is no dishwasher or even a garbage disposal. BUT! It's bigger than this one and I get to have an office for the first time ever and now I have a picture of me and Rachael to hang in it!)

"Grown Up" Green Bean Casserole
serves 8-10

3 tablespoons salted butter
1 1/2 pounds sliced white button mushrooms
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces 
1 cup French’s onion topping, optional (to add before serving, optional, NOT gluten free)
[just learned on Facebook that a good GF alternative are FunYuns! :-) ]

Heat butter in a large skillet until it has just begun to brown. Add mushrooms and stir. Cover, and cook on medium heat for a good ten minutes, stirring every so often, until mushrooms have shrunk in size and have wilted. Add 2 turns of the pepper grinder to the pan. This will take longer than you think it should – but don’t rush the mushrooms!
Add the onion to the mushrooms, along with a few more turns of the pepper grinder and a light sprinkling of kosher salt. Stir. Cook on med-high heat until the onions are translucent. Drop in the cream cheese and chicken broth. Cover the skillet again, and cook on medium heat until the cheese has melted fully. Turn off the stove.
Put the trimmed and rinsed green beans into an empty 6-quart slow cooker insert, and pour the mushroom mixture evenly over the top. Stir to disperse ingredients. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for about 2 hours. Stir again, and serve as-is, or top with a cup of French Fried onions or the smashed FunYuns.

Savory Sweet Potato Bake
serves 8 to 10

1 tablespoon salted butter
5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, and sliced in 2-inch rounds that are about 1/4-inch thick.
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
14 to 16 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
2 cups heavy cream

Smear the  butter all over the 6-quart insert of your slow cooker. Put 1/3 of the sweet potato rounds into your slow cooker, and sprinkle on 1/3 teaspoon of chipotle chile powder and a 1/3 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers until you have run out of ingredients. Pour heavy cream evenly over the top.
Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for about 2 hours.

 The Verdict.

They are both so tasty!! I know there's some work to do with the green beans in that you've got to brown the mushrooms and then the onion, but the end effect is amazing. Don't put the onions into the pan until the mushrooms are brown, though, because evidently the mushrooms won't brown because of some reason I can't remember. And I'm kind of jet-lagged and may have had an $8 bottle of Sutter Home wine on the plane.

Anyway. VERY GOOD. The sweet potatoes have a mellow heat that sneaks up the back of your tongue and the salty flavor of the gruyere is to die for. But, Adam didn't really like them. He sort of wants his sweet potatoes to remain sweet. But that's okay because I can make them that way, too!

Have a wonderful day!

Here are some more Thanksgiving Recipes if you need them!:
Round up 1 
Round up 2
Holiday Food

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Monday thru Friday Slow Cooker Meal Plan for the Fall

HAPPY CROCKTOBER!!

In honor of the first Friday in Crocktober, I have put together another meal plan for you. I love the fall, and I of course LOVE Crocktober, but I am beyond relieved that this week is over.

It was a doozy.

next week will be better, though, because I'm going to stick to a game meal plan!

(meatless) Monday: End of Summer Harvest Soup
Tuesday: 20-40 Clove Garlic Chicken
Wednesday: Autumn Sausage Casserole
Thursday: Orange-Apricot Pork Chops
Friday: Chicken Enchilada Chili

Shopping List:
(to print out just the list, use the PRINT button at the bottom of the post and delete any photos and extraneous text)

PRODUCE:

Apples (2 green or yellow)
Carrots (1/2 cup chopped)
Celery (2 stalks)
Garlic (2-4 heads, up to 40 cloves)
Onions (4 yellow)
Tomatoes, baby (2 cups)
Zuchinni (4 med)
Yellow Crooked Neck Summer Squash (2 med)

DAIRY:

Parmesan Cheese (not a lot, for garnishing)
Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese (shredded, to add to Harvest Soup and Enchilada Chili)
Sour Cream (1/2 cup or so for Chili)

MEAT:

4 pounds chicken parts, or 1 roaster chicken
1 1/2 pounds additional chicken for Chili
6 pork chops
1 pound smoked chicken sausage (artichoke garlic or similar, I like Aidells brand)

DRY GOODS:

Pasta (1/2 cup, we use gluten free)
Rice (3 cups already-cooked white or brown rice)
Beans (dry white, 1/3 cup)

CANNED:

2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges
Pasta sauce (1 jar; will need 1 cup)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (for soup and for autumn casserole)
1 can enchilada sauce (will need 1 cup; read labels carefully for gluten)

BAKING NEEDS:

Brown Sugar (1/4 cup)
Raisins (1/2 cup)
1 cup Apricot Jam

SPICES:

Paprika (2 tsp)
Italian Seasoning (1 tablespoon)
Chili Powder (2 tsp)
Cumin (1 tsp)
Parsley flakes (1 tablespoon)
All Spice (1/2 tsp)
Cinnamon (1 tsp)
Ginger (1/4 tsp)
Cloves (1/4 tsp)

Pantry Staples:

Olive Oil (1 tablespoon)
Kosher Salt (2 tsp)
Black Pepper (2 tsp)


The Verdict:

I know that this grocery list is a bit longer than the previous meal plan's -- but everything should be very easy to find in your regular grocery store and hopefully you already own a bunch of the spices!

My eldest daughter turned 12 today. Which really can't be correct, because I am nowhere near old enough to have a 12-year-old. Five years ago I surprised her on her birthday with caramel apples. This year she has braces and can't have them, and has requested sushi for dinner. I'm pretty sure I can't find a way to make sushi in the crockpot...

have a wonderful weekend! Happy Slow Cooking this Crocktober!

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365 Slow Cooker Suppers (the book!) Is Now Available!

Hello!!

This is just a quick note to alert you that my newest cookbook: 365 Slow Cooker Suppers is NOW AVAILABLE at your friendly neighborhood bookstore!!

Thank you for your support and absolute awesomeness these past few years --- you are all wonderful.

We're giving away 5 signed copies of the book today! Good luck to all, and thank you again!

HAPPY SLOW COOKING! steph


{to enter giveaway, please CLICK over to the review site!}

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Monday thru Friday Slow Cooker Meal Plan

Happy Friday!

I've got something  a bit different for you today. I've been trying to figure out how to best share how I meal plan with the slow cooker, and figured it'd be the easiest to just share my grocery list with you! I am a ZipList participant, so if this particular meal plan isn't your favorite, you can easily make your own by clicking on the "save recipe" button under each selection and ZipList will automatically make a customized grocery list for you.

I also have a printable grocery list template on my downloads page that might be useful.

In the mean time, this is what we're having next week in our house. I hope it's helpful!

(meatless) Monday: Pesto Lasagna
Tuesday: Super Simple Cranberry Roast
Wednesday: Traditional Minestrone Soup
Thursday: General Tso's Chicken
Friday: Puffy Pizza Casserole


Grocery List:
(to print just this list, use the PRINT button below, and select just the list to print!)

PRODUCE
carrots (1 cup chopped)
celery (1 cup sliced)
garlic (5 cloves)
onions (2 yellow)
spinach (12-ounces baby leaves)
potatoes (optional; to go with Tuesday's cranberry roast)

DAIRY
eggs (2)
milk (1 cup; any variety)
mozzarella cheese (24 ounces needed for week)
parmesan cheese (1 1/2 cups)
pesto (11 ounces)
ricotta cheese (15-ounces)

MEAT
chicken (boneless, skinless, 1 to 2 pounds)
lean ground beef or turkey (1 pound)
beef or pork roast (3 pounds)
sliced pepperoni (20 pieces)

DRY GOODS
1.5-ounce envelope of Spaghetti Sauce mix (McCormick is GF)
fusilli pasta
lasagna noodles
dried beans (1 cup, black beans or pinto)
flour or gluten free baking mix (1 cup)
rice (optional, to serve with General Tso's Chicken)
soy sauce (1/4 cup, we use gluten free)

CANNED
cranberry sauce (16-ounce, whole berry)
olives, sliced (4 ounces)
pasta sauce (26 ounces)
tomato, diced (14.5-ounces)
tomato sauce (15-ounces)

FROZEN
spinach, chopped (10-ounces)
stir fried veggies (16-ounces, Asian blend)

PANTRY STAPLES
beef bouillon or broth (8 cups)
brown sugar (3 tablespoons)
dried ginger (1 teaspoon)
dried onion flakes (1-2 tablespoons)
Italian Seasoning (1 tablespoon)
red pepper flakes (1 teaspoon)


The Verdict:

Our week runs SO MUCH MORE SMOOTHLY when I take the time to write out a menu and grocery shop for all of the food either on the weekend or the week before. It does take a bit of planning, I know, but I do think you'll find that the hectic meal-making hours will be easier if the groceries are already in the house. 

The slow cooker already forces you to meal plan, so just by using it (somewhat) regularly you're already way ahead!!

have a great week!

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Basic Overnight Oatmeal Slow Cooker Recipe

We've hit September, which means school is back in session and it's early mornings and kids who need to be fed something (hopefully) substantial before leaving the house.

I've gotten a few emails about overnight oatmeal, and I've been experimenting. Because of the way the Internet is, I've figured out a VERY BASIC overnight oatmeal --- the oats are regular rolled and not "fancy" steel cut, and the oats are cooked in water, not milk.

If you want to change-up the water for cow's milk, or almond milk, or hemp, soy, coconut, lactaid, fairy, or unicorn milk: go for it! 

but water works, too!

The Ingredients:
serves 4-6

2 cups rolled old-fashioned oats (NOT quick cook) (I use certified gluten free oats)
4 1/2 cups water (or liquid equivalent)

The Directions.

Use a prepared (that's coated in cooking spray or butter) 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a 6-quart, increase the quantities by 50%. You can freeze the leftovers in little sandwich bags, if you'd like.

Put the oats into your slow cooker and stir in the water. Cover, and cook on low for 7 hours.

Stir in the morning.

The result is creamy, bland, tasteless oatmeal. You can add stuff at the table: honey, sliced fruit, brown sugar, etc.

WHAT MY KIDS LIKE:

2 cups rolled oats
4 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix (1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 nutmeg, 1/8 cloves)
2 small granny smith apples, diced (I leave on the skin because I'm terribly lazy)

In the morning they sprinkle on a bit more cinnamon and they like sliced bananas, too. What they'd REALLY like is for me to let them add brown sugar, but I don't.

because I'm terribly mean, too.

The Verdict.

The rolled oats disappear and become porridge-like. There is no longer a chew to the oats --- my kids like this a lot because it's the most similar to the little packets of sugar-laden oatmeal.
This is a very easy way to get a hot breakfast on a busy morning. 

I played around with the timing for those who don't have a programmable slow cooker, and if you do low for 7 hours you will be just fine. If you sleep longer (I'm jealous), it'll just get a bit dried out on the edges, but you can easily fix that by stirring in some milk.

Enjoy!!

New on Totally Together: The Art of Saying NO

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Introducing: 365 Slow Cooker Suppers Cookbook

I've been working on a new cookbook, and I'm happy to announce that it will be available in bookstores everywhere this September 24.

This was a tough book to write --- it has been a 3 year process to recipe develop and test 365 brand new dinner recipes. A few that appear in the book have been showcased on the site, but my contract stipulates that only 10% of the book content can go online.

And there are PICTURES!!

don't worry. I didn't take them.

Tara Donne, a fabulous food photographer, was in charge, and I just couldn't be any more pleased. The food looks FANTASTIC, but it was all made in a slow cooker (no funny food prep, my directions were followed) and to boot, all the food was photographed using gluten free ingredients, since Tara (and my editor) both just-so-happen to be gluten free.

I think you're really going to like this one. Some of the recipes from the book that you'll recognize are:
Not Your Mother's Meatballs
Matzo Ball Soup
Korean Soft Tacos


But there are tons of others that I'm sure will be a new regular in your meal plan rotation, such as:
Honey-Lime Chicken Soft Tacos
Barbacoa Beef
Snowy Brisket with Baked Sweet Potatoes
Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin with Mustard
Roasted Grape and Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Bake

I stuck to all main dishes for this book because while it's certainly a ton of fun to make cheesecake and greek yogurt, most people still really need good, solid, tried-and-true dinner recipes.

I've broken the recipes into chapters: Soups & Stews, Beans, Poultry, Beef & Lamb, Pork, Sandwiches, Meatless, and Fish & Seafood. There is also a full index.

Thank you for your support, and for your kindness these past five years. I never, ever, could have imagined that I'd be able to play with my crockpot everyday and consider it work.

Thank you.

I am working with the publicity team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help "get the word out" about this new book. I'm happy to learn that Sam's club and Costco will be stocking copies, but I'm not sure which regions.

If you'd like to help with publicity, I'd love to hear from you --- I am certainly open to any and all ideas! I wish I had the foresight to take a marketing class instead of so much English Lit in school!!

If you are out and about in a place that sells books, it would very much be helpful if you could mention my name and the book title to a manager.

And of course, this book will make an excellent gift to anyone on your Holiday list! If you'd like a signed bookplate, I will send one your way! Just email me.

Thank you again, and happy slow cooking!!

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Slow Cooking in the Summer Months

The weather has warmed, and we're spending more and more time out in the yard. 

I love it.

But I STILL use my slow cookers more often than not for our family dinners, and I urge you to, too.

Slow cookers take up very little electricity to run when compared to your stove or oven, and they do not heat your kitchen up the way those other appliances do. You're not going to notice that your AC is struggling to keep the kitchen cool, and you're not going to be standing over a hot stove, trying not to drip into your pasta sauce.

(ew. that's really gross, steph.)

I've listed my favorite ways to use the cooker below --- if you've got a family favorite, add it to the list!

FISH
Love, love, love fish packets in the slow cooker. The fish steams perfectly in a foil or parchment-paper packet and you get a beautiful, flaky finished result without stinking (or heating!) up your kitchen.

FISH

Lemon and Rosemary Chicken
We make this chicken pretty often, and I like to use the leftovers on top of salads or in chicken sandwiches. If you don't want to mess around with a whole bird, dump in a bunch of your favorite frozen boneless, skinless pieces and then add the seasonings.

lemon rosemary chicken

 
Pesto Spinach Lasagna
This lasagna rocks. It's vegetarian, so it's automatically lighter than most lasagnas, and because you've got pesto layered in it each and every bite is absolutely bursting with loads of flavor. Put your basil crop to good use this summer!

pesto spinach lasagna

Lentil and Kale Super Food
Kale is good for you. Lentils are too. And together they work to create a great casserole that will keep you swimsuit-ready the entire season. (an added bonus? this tastes good. PROMISE.)

lentil and kale super food

Hot Dogs
And let us not forget that you can fit 60 HOT DOGS INTO ONE POT!
and that there is pretty darn impressive.

cook 60 hotdogs at once!

Basil Chicken with Feta
More basil! This Mediterranean-inspired dish that will keep all the picky people in your house happy.

basil chicken with feta

Cowboy Beef and Bean Sandwiches
although cowboys might not actually eat their sandwiches on rice cakes....?

beef and bean sandwiches

 
Applesauce
And while I certainly have quite a few desserts you can make in the crock, my favorite not-too-sweet dessert in the summer is Applesauce. We eat it both hot or cold --- and the kids love to add whipped cream and ice cream to their bowls for an even more decadent treat.

applesauce

Crayons

If you're like us and your playroom or household art area has more broken than whole crayons, no worries! You can melt them down in an aluminum muffin tin to make recycled crayons!

This is a great summer time playdate or girl/boy scout activity.

crayons

Enjoy your summer time months! Keep the slow cooker out --- you'll be thankful that you did!

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have a great week!

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