Slow Cooker Pumpkin Granola

I'm pushing it. It's still summer, I know. I can't help it --- we picked out all the school supplies and then the pumpkin candle aisle got me. 

And all of a sudden I NEEDED a bit of fall right this very second. The kids start school again on the 27th, and even though the weather is still hot out (this is actually the SF Bay Area's best weather of the year; if you ever come for a visit, pick somewhere between the end of August through the first week of October if you can swing it) (and by hot, I mean 75 which I know for a lot of you isn't hot but we're big babies here, so feel free to completely ignore me), and I'm still doing laundry from last week's beach trip I wanted something fall-ish.

so I made granola. 

My friend Jennifer (not this one or this one or this one or this one) made a batch of granola to take on our beach trip and we ate it every day over greek yogurt in the room so we didn't pay the *exorbitant* hotel breakfast prices.

this isn't her recipe; she says she doesn't really have one. I've made granola in the slow cooker before, and like that I can wander away from it and not have it burn. I wanted to use leftover canned pumpkin, so it did need to cook longer than I thought it should so it wasn't a soggy mess. And, you should put dried fruit in near the end so they don't shrivel up on you.

enjoy!

The Ingredients.

serves 12 (lasts 5-7 days in our house over yogurt for breakfast for 5 people)

(freezes well, the raisins will get hard, but then soften again)

5 cups of rolled oats (we use certified gluten free)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 to 3/4 cup honey (start with the smaller amount)

1 cup whole almonds (or use toasted pumpkin seeds)

1 cup dried cranberries/raisins or mixture (add last hour)

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use a large slow cooker -- I used a 6.5-quart. It's not a typo that I didn't add any butter or oil; I wanted to see if it would work without any, and it did! The pumpkin helped to coat the oats and provided enough moisture to keep it from burning and the honey did a good job of providing sweetness and a bit of a binder.

Stir everything but the dried fruit in. The honey will be gloppy--- just stir the best you can. Cover, and cook in a vented slow cooker (prop lid open with chopstick or wooden spoon) on high for 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Add dried fruit the last 30-minutes to an hour. There really isn't an exact science here--- when you're happy with the texture and the consistency, it's done!

Let cool completely-- the oats will get a bit harder and crispier after cooling (you can spread it all out on layers of foil or paper towels or parchment paper on the counter to speed up the cooling process).

Store in an airtight container in either the fridge or the freezer.

Hey Steph, how come you don't just bake it in the oven? Honestly, it's easier for me to set a timer for 30 minutes and come back and stir the pot throughout the day then it is for me to camp out in the kitchen for 30-45 minutes straight and stir every 5-10 minutes to keep the granola from burning. I just don't have that type of time unless the kids are asleep, and this way they can help stir.

It's a lifestyle choice--- someday they won't be attached to my leg and I can open the oven door safely, but for now, it's just not an option! :-)

Happy (almost) fall, and Happy (almost) school season!

Stay Tuned this fall, because I'm going to be hosting daily giveaways again!!

Also, it's time to reorder a new copy of Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life --- I'm so happy and proud of the way this journal turned out and has been received; thank you!

bonus fun photo of a Pismo Beach Crab!

Read More

I Had A Cranberry Party

plateful of cranberry goodness

A few weeks ago I had a cranberry party. And I only had to make one thing with cranberry juice, but I'm a total over-achiever and made FIVE things. BOO-YAH!
(recipes below!)

The Back Story:

The Simply Cranberry Cocktail people (through BlogHer) contacted me and asked if I'd like to throw a dinner party and use their new Simply Cranberry Cocktail as a springboard for the menu-planning.

I was already familiar with the Simply Orange Juice Company--we like their orange and apple juice an awful lot, and I'm a complete and total sucker for a challenge.

Before I responded, I texted Adam:

"Hey, we need to have a cranberry juice party, sort of an Iron Chef thing. You cool with that?"

He wrote back: "a la cuisine!"

I love that man.

I was given coupons for Simply Cranberry Cocktail by the Simply Orange Juice Company, and BlogHer paid me for my time and to purchase supplies for our cranberry party.


I then set to work planning the menu: baked brie with cranberries, cranberry martinis, cranberry chicken, triple-threat cranberry brisket, and cranberry fluff for dessert (scroll down for all the recipes).

To round out the meal I also roasted asparagus and made mashed potatoes (out of a box! Capital K classy, I tell you...).

Just so you know: Simply Cranberry Cocktail can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store; it is kept chilled from the time it is blended with not-from-concentrate cranberry juice and gently pasteurized with no added preservatives. It's sweet and tart and unlike other cranberry juice cocktails in that you don't shudder after drinking it.

I decided this was a really good excuse to buy cranberry red tablecloths and retire the ecru tablecloths I usually dig out of the china cabinet. (I'm pretty sure stained and bleached and then stained and bleached tablecloths are ecru. Right?)

Since we were having our party on April Fool's Day, I also bought silly straws and nose glasses for everyone out of the dollar bins at Target.

I invited my two best friends (guess what their names are? did you guess? wait for it... wait for it...

JENNIFER and JENNIFER) and their families. This meant we had 6 adults and 9 children for our dinner party. I set up two tables, with the idea that the kids would be at one and the grownups could sit at the other, and we'd all sit down and have sparkling dinner conversation and lovely table manners.

Bree Van de Kamp Hodge would be so proud.
(of course she's on trial for murder right now, but I think Gaby is about to confess.)

It was wonderful.


I need to have dinner parties more often. I think sometimes in the name of saving money I forget it's the little things in life that matter--good friends, good food, and good fun.

Someone else picking up the bill is awfully nice, too.

Thank you Simply Cranberry Cocktail !!

Recipes:

I don't have any photos of the brie because I may have already had a cranberry martini (or 2? not sure) before I thought to take pictures, and by then we pretty much killed the whole thing.

I used the candied pecan and cranberry brie recipe I made back in 2008 but didn't use the pecans because one of our little friends has a nut allergy. I did, though, add a drop of balsamic vinegar to the brown sugar and a bit of rosemary they way I did with the balsamic apricot brie.

8 ounce-brie round

1 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary

Stir topping together and place on top of the brie. Place the brie into an oven-safe bowl or dish and plop it into a slow cooker for about 2 hours, or until melty and gooey and delicious. Serve with apple slices and your favorite crackers. I'm not supposed to name brand names in this post, but we used the popular round gluten free crackers that come in the white box. Email me if you don't know what I'm talking about!

Cranberry Martinis

Since The Cocktail Lady was at our house I figured I'd use her expertise, and we came up with the most awesomest cranberry martini recipe ever. She also lent me her drink shaker because I accidentally gave away the one we got as a wedding present in one of our many moves.

Thanks, Jen! xoxo

Fill the drink shaker half-full or so with ice.

For each drink, add:

1 shot Simply Cranberry Cocktail

1 shot citrus flavored vodka

1/2 shot Triple Sec

1/2 shot Sweet and Sour Mix

Shake well and serve in chilled martini glasses with sugared rims. (Adam did the glasses by rubbing a cut lime on the edge then dipping the glasses in Baker's Sugar. He froze them for 2 hours or so before the party).

We were able to double this recipe and get two drinks in each shaker.

And they rocked.

Srsly.

Cranberry Glazed Chicken:

4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large onion, peeled and diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup Simply Cranberry Cocktail

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken into the bottom of your cooker (frozen is fine). Add diced onion and garlic. In a mixing bowl whisk together the soy sauce, cranberry sauce, and juices. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of your chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked (if you cook it longer, it’ll shred—it’s up to you!)

With tongs, carefully remove the chicken and place on a serving platter. Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to create a slurry. Stir this into your slow cooker to thicken, then serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Triple Threat Cranberry Brisket:

5 pound beef brisket

1 onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce

1/2 cup Simply Cranberry Cocktail

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the meat into the bottom of your slow cooker insert. Add onion and garlic. In a mixing bowl, mix together the can of cranberry sauce, soy sauce, juice, and dried cranberries. Pour this combination evenly over the top of the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for about 6 hours. Your meat is finished when it has begun to lose it’s shape and can pull apart easily with a fork. Serve over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of sauce.

Cranberry Fluff Dessert

I was channeling TW from Retro-Food.com when I decided to serve this dessert. I knew I wanted something we could all eat together and didn't want a big production (think ice-cream bar) or a huge mess to deal with later (again, think ice-cream bar). But I wanted the kids to like it and the adults to at least give it a half-hearted thumbs up.

I was WAY SURPRISED. We licked the pyrex clean. All 6 adults and 9 children couldn't get enough.

2 cups boiling water

2 (4-ounce) packages cherry gelatin dessert

1 cup Simply Cranberry Cocktail

1 (8-ounce) container whipped dessert topping, room temperature, divided

1 (15-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 package shortbread cookies (or something similar. Ours were gluten free, of course!)

Whisk the dried gelatin powder with the boiling water until it's completely dissolved. Whisk in the juice, and then refrigerate the mixing bowl for 90 minutes. You want the gelatin slightly set, but not really. 

Now stir in 2 cups of the dessert topping and the entire can of cranberry sauce. Pour this mixture into a 9 x 9 glass baking pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or until completely set. Spread on the additional whipped topping and dot with shortbread cookies.

Cranberry retro yumminess. It's tart, but not too tart, and sweet, but not too sweet.

It was the perfect end to a perfect night. And you know it was good when you wake up to this in the morning:

I had so much fun and feel so lucky to have the best friends ever. Thank you to Simply Cranberry Cocktail for giving me an excuse to have a party. And for the realization that I shouldn't have to have an excuse to have friends over--I should just do it!

 I'm pretty sure we're not going to have a UTI anytime soon...

Guess what? 

Simply Cranberry Cocktail understands that sometimes it's just not possible to have a spur-of-the moment party when you're busy living your life and all "extra" (HA on the extra!) income goes towards retirement, or college, or braces, or new tires. So they are offering to help out by giving one lucky winner a $100 Visa gift card to spend however you'd like.

Maybe you'd like to have a cranberry party of your very own?

What is your favorite way to make a party or get together at your home more festive? Tell me about it in the comments for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

Rules:
P.S: I didn't make these up. 



No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:


a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.


This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.


I'll randomly select a winner from the responses (leave an email address or sign in so I can find you!) and will make sure the gift card gets sent out promptly.


The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/7/2012 - 6/1/2012

updated 6/2/12: This CONTEST IS NOW OVER. A representative from BlogHer will contact the randomly selected winner. THANK YOU to all who entered!


Be sure to visit the Promotions & Prizes page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!


"Simply Cranberry_™" is a trademark of Simply Orange Juice Company.



BOO-YAH!

Read More

Sundried Tomato and Artichoke Slow Cooker Dip

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Kraft.

This is a compensated post by BlogHer and PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and is part of the Real Women of Philadelphia project. This is the fourth out of four recipes.

Oh my. This will be made again.

I used the Savory Garlic Cooking Creme for this recipe--- and it truly couldn’t have been any easier. The Cooking Creme is perfectly seasoned; no need to add anything but the artichokes and sundried tomatoes.

The Ingredients.

serves 6 (maybe more, but I accidentally ate too much)

1 (10-ounce) container of Savory Garlic PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked, then drained and chopped

chips for dipping

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Scoop out the Cooking Creme and put it into an empty slow cooker. Lick the spoon.

Add the chopped artichokes and sundried tomatoes. Stir (but not with the spoon you licked, because that would be gross). Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until fully hot.

Serve with your favorite chips.

The Verdict.

DEEEE LISH OUS.

and super garlicy. Keep gum in your back pocket.

I ended up making this back when school was still in session (EONS AGO!) and had a house full of kids after school. I had kids ranging from 13 down to the baby (16 months at the time) for snack, and the dip was finished before the homework was complete. 

It was easy to prepare, and a great "something new" to bring along to a backyard barbecue or potluck.

Now for some fun!

There is a GREAT BIG HUGE HONKING LIVE EVENT on June 30^th that you should all know about.

For the last few months, women all over the country have been submitting videos and original PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and Cooking Creme recipes to RealWomenOfPhiladelphia.com in the hopes of competing in a live judging event hosted by none other, than Ms. Paula Deen.

The showdown will occur at the Lucas Theatre in Downtown Savannah at 7pm (eastern) on June 30^th, and will stream live on RealWomenOfPhiladelphia.com (I did not enter this contest). Winning this event is a big deal: winners receive a cash prize of $25,000, recipes featured in cookbooks, online cooking videos, and will participate in publicity appearances.

The good news for you/us is that all of the finalist recipes are available online, for free on the Real Women of Philadelphia  website. Click on over and see which one you should try with your family (slow cooker optional. :-) )

Mark the 30^th on your calendar--- it’s always fun to witness live events in action, and you can participate in the action by joining the online community at Real Women of Philadelphia.  I bet there will be a twitter party, too!

Want even more? There are more blogger reviews and recipes posted on BlogHer’s Promotions & Prizes section. Long live Cream Cheese!


other stuff:

I'm still working on the site redesign and am compiling websites/urls for the "everyone is included" blogroll. If you have a website or blog that you'd like listed (and you aren't a spam bot or anything else ridiculously offensive) send me an email at contact@stephanieodea.com with the subject line: blogroll and your site's name and URL. 
I'm hoping to get the site stuff up and running sometime after the Fourth.


Also, I've got a new interview up on the webTV section. This time it's with Amy Green, of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Amy shares how cutting sugar and gluten out of her diet is to credit for her 80 pound weight loss and for completely eradicating the migraines that had plagued her for years.
Also? She's giving away a copy of her new cookbook! click on over and watch Amy's interview and enter to win a book of your very own.


in the crock today: Asian spiced turkey breast (recipe to come--I played around with some new-to-me ingredients for this one). It's starting to smell good---
I'm excited. I've got a hunkering/hankering for a turkey sandwich. 


or three.


have a great day!

Read More

Apricot Barbecue Wings Slow Cooker Recipe

 

I know I've  written about my love for all things wings before, but I'm going to again.

sorry. you're just going to have to deal.

I don't usually get cravings for chocolate, or salt, or ice cream, or anything else many people claim to crave. I instead get an itchy feeling on my tongue and my brain just begs for buffalo wings.

I began by making a sweet wing recipe, but it was just too sweet for my liking. In the ingredients picture, the bottle of Tabasco sauce is missing. I changed my mind at the last minute and added it----the result was a sweet wing with a bit of a kick at the very end.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

 

3 pounds chicken wings (I usually leave the wing joints on because I'm terribly lazy)

1 cup prepared barbecue sauce

1 (18-ounce) jar apricot preserve

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (not pictured)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Spread the wings out on a large cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. This browns the skin and keeps it from getting terribly slimy in the crock. I do think this is an important step, even though I loathe cooking before I cook.

Put the hot wings into your cooker. In a mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, apricot preserve, dry mustard, and Tabasco sauce. 

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked throughout but still attached to the bone. 

The Verdict.

I made these wings while home alone with the baby. And I accidentally ate all except for the 3 I saved for the rest of the family to try.

I didn't set out to eat them all, it just sort of happened. It might have been because I was glued to a Keeping Up With the Kardashians marathon...

more wingy goodness:

buffalo wing soup

buffalo wing lasagna

buffalo chicken dip (LOVE this!)

teriyaki wings

sweet and spicy wings

Read More

Slow Cooker Little Smokies Appetizer Recipe(s)

It's a 2 for 1 day! I made two different types of Little Smokies a little bit ago to see which ones the kids liked better. I made one batch the super easy way that our family has made for parties numerous times, and I made a slightly-more-difficult (and sophisticated? can Little Smokies ever be considered sophisticated?) version to do a blind taste test.

The results? It was a tie. It was me and Adam and the two girls and it was a complete split down the middle. One kid and one adult on each side.

Oh! and since I made them both a few weeks ago and am evidently getting really really old, I have no idea which finish picture goes with which stack of ingredients. 

grr.

So! I think we should let the internet decide...

1) which photo do you think goes with which smokies? and 2) if you do make these, which do you and your family prefer?

:-)

Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce Little Smokies

The Ingredients

serves 8

 

1 pound Little Smokies sausage

1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce (housed by the ketchup)

1 (18-ounce) jar grape jelly

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the smokies into the slow cooker, and pour in the sauces. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 or until the smokies are heated through. Serve out of the crock with toothpicks.

Big Barbecue Little Smokies

The Ingredients

serves 8

1 pound Little Smokies sausage

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup barbecue sauce (check for gluten!)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Dump it all in! Stir well and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for about 2. Make sure the smokies are hot throughout and serve out of the crock with toothpicks.

alrighty then! My verdict is mixed, so let me know yours when you have the opportunity.

Also, thank you so very much for taking the time the other day to pop over to the Smithfield.com site and leave such sweet comments. You are all WONDERFUL! Thank you!

Happy Crocktober 15th!

xoox

Read More

Slow Cooker Roasted Wasabi Almonds Recipe

 

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

sometimes you don't want an ordinary one...

Hmm. It doesn't really have the same ring now, does it?

oh well. I was at a farmer's market over the summer and got handed a cellophane bag full of roasted almonds sprinkled with wasabi powder.

It I was a normal person, I would have eaten the nuts, enjoyed them, and moved on. Instead, I immediately thought:  oooh. I need to make these in the crockpot.

so I did!

The Ingredients.

serves 10

  

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are gluten free)

1 pound raw almonds

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons wasabi powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker (you can use a big one, but stay close by and stir often to ward off possible burning). In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, water, and soy sauce until it's foamy. Toss the almonds in this mixture until they are wet. Set aside.

In a zippered plastic bag, combine the wasabi powder, kosher salt, and cornstarch. Drain any additional liquid from the almonds, and then dump the wet almonds into your zippered bag. Close well and shake until the almonds are nicely coated.

Pour these coated almonds into your slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 2 to 4 hours, or until toasty (the almonds will brown a  bit and you'll definitely smell them. They will NOT be crunchy, but don't worry, they will be later!)

Spread out a layer of foil or parchment paper onto the countertop and dump out the nuts. Let the almonds dry completely before munching. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

The Verdict.

I love how nuts roast so beautifully in the cooker---don't worry if some are more brown than others---that's what makes them homemade! The flavor of the wasabi is subtle, and not spicy at all. The kids gobbled up their portions and I needed to take them away before they ate the ones I wanted to give away. If you'd prefer a stronger (spicier) flavor, you can sprinkle additional wasabi on top of your roasted nuts.

I was certain wasabi powder was going to cost a million dollars (or something close to it) but I was happily surprised to find it for $3.99 in the Asian cooking aisle of our normal grocery store. If you have trouble finding it, try a specialty market or order it off the internet (I love shopping in my jammies!).

Read More

Fruit and Horseradish Cream Cheese Appetizer Spread Slow Cooker Recipe

I'm not a foodie. I am perfectly happy with a can of EZ Cheese and a bag of Tostitos Scoops pretty much always. 

But.

Some of my friends are slightly more sophisticated than this and would prefer to steer clear from cheese in a can (I know, I know, they're missing out...)

so.

Save the canned cheese for another occasion and instead wow your friends with a terribly easy yet pretty-darn-impressive spread that you made all by yourself in your very own slow cooker.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

 

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 tablespoon jarred horseradish

1/3 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup dried cranberries (the mini boxes are perfect!)

crackers or salted corn chips for serving

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Unwrap the cream cheese and put it into your cooker. Top with the horseradish and preserves. Pour in the dried cranberries. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, or on high for 1-2. Serve with your favorite crackers (I used plain rice crackers, if you're gluten free, the Nut Thins by Blue Diamond are great, too) or corn chips. Pita chips (obviously not GF) would be good, too!

If you do not have a 2-quart slow cooker, that's okay! Put an oven safe dish directly into the stoneware insert--something like this or this or this. Then load your dip ingredients into it. Use oven mitts when removing the dish!

The Verdict.

These ingredients sound *so* wonky, but I promise they melt together into a really savory dip with a sweet kick from the cranberries and apricot jam. My kids ate kind of a lot more than I expected them to, and Adam and my grandma really enjoyed it.

I'm off to BlogHer Food for the weekend. I don't expect to find many cans of EZ Cheese... :-)

more fun dips:

brie with candied pecans and cranberries

artichoke dip

taco dip

sundried tomato dip

mommy crack

crab dip

super duper garlic dip

Guess what's new at BlogHer? Today, we're learning to decode your teen's texting lingo and how to dissuade bullying, gossip, and all around bad phone etiquette. There are five discussions happening and every comment left equals a $0.50 donation to DoSomething.org. What are your thoughts on teen texting/cell phone use? Share your thoughts, feelings, and opinions!
I am helping to promote this program because BlogHer is paying me GREAT GOBS OF MONEY to do so, and I  : 1) like BlogHer,  2) like money, and 3) DoSomething.org is a worthwhile organization that helps teens start or find a social cause and then go DO SOMETHING about it. win-win-win!!

Read More

Slow Cooker Meatballs in Peanut Chile Sauce Recipe

Happy Oscar Night!

I made these fantastic meatballs last night for some friends, and they were so well-received I figured I better hurry up and share them with the Internet. I cheated and used store-bought already cooked meatballs, but you certainly could make your own to use.

I'm pleased to see that our friendly neighborhood Trader Joe's is selling chicken meatballs that don't have any added bread crumbs or other gluteny filler in the deli meat section. If you don't live close to a Trader Joe's, Aidells makes a gluten free meatball (read the label carefully--the Teriyaki flavor is NOT SAFE!).

Anyhow, the 7 of us (4 adults, three kids, aged 3 to 8.5) all really liked the flavor: creamy and slightly coconuty with a bit of spice.

The Ingredients.
serves 10

40 already cooked meatballs (frozen or fresh)
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 cup canned coconunt milk (I used light, it was fine. If using regular, shake well and include the cream on top)
1 tablespoon red chile paste (jarred, in the Asian cooking aisle)
2 teaspoons fish sauce (in Asian cooking aisle, surprisingly inexpensive, although I bet you could substitute a gluten free soy sauce and not notice much of a taste difference)
1 1/2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart slow cooker. It's okay to use a 6 quart, but decrease cooking time by about an hour.

Put meatballs into slow cooker (frozen is fine). Add peanut butter and coconut milk. Drop in a gollop of red chile paste, then add fish sauce and sugar. Stir as well as you can to combine---it won't be perfect because the peanut butter will still be clumpy. No worries.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, high for 2-4, or until peanut butter mixture is fully melted and the meatballs are heated throughout.

Serve as a hot appetizer, or over long grained basmati rice as a meal.

The Verdict.

These are delicious!! I ate 3 cold for breakfast, and they still were quite tasty. The spice of the sauce is noticeable, but kind of mellows when eaten with the meatball. If your meatballs have a kick to them on their own, cut back on the chili paste. We all really liked the bit of crunch from the chunky peanut butter, but if you aren't a crunchy person, by all means use creamy.

Enjoy!

Read More

Slow Cooker Taco Dip Recipe

Are you ready for some football?

I don't know how ready I am to actually follow the game, but I am ready for some football-watching food. I LOVE Super Bowl day. It's a day to chuck any and all New Year's dieting-type ideas out the window and eat whatever you want.

it would be un-American not to.

I made this dip a few weeks ago for a party, and the adults pretty much fought the kids to get their fill---which is saying a lot, because the oldest kid was 9, and I *know* for a fact there was plenty of double-dipping going on.

There's both Velveeta and cream cheese in this dip, so if your cholesterol is offended by these ingredients, you shouldn't make it. Instead, pick something light and healthy from the archives.

The Ingredients.
serves 12

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese
1 pound velveeta
2 cups jarred salsa (I like the one with beans and corn from Safeway)
1 (1.25 oz) envelope taco seasoning mix (McCormick is gluten free)

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Dump everything in. It will not look pretty, and that's okay. Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours, or on high for 90 minutes or until the cheeses have fully melted and are heated through. Stir well and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

or celery, if you must...

The Verdict.

I saw one of our neighbors use his finger to scrape out the bowl. I didn't tell him I was watching.

Happy Super Bowl!

more fun appetizer ideas:
sweet and spicy chicken wings
bbq ribs
philly cheesesteaks
philly cheesesteak soup
cheeseburger soup
taco soup
buffalo wing soup
buffalo wing dip
spinach artichoke dip
sausage, rotel, and cream cheese dip
barbecued shrimp
barbecue pulled pork
cajun pulled pork

Read More