I haven’t played along with sct in forever! I’ve been reading Sandra’s posts about going home to visit South Africa… Great pictures too! Visit Sandra to join in or to see more sc recipes.

• 2 cups cooked diced chicken
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (7 oz.) can Herdez Salsa Verde
• 16 corn tortillas, each cut into 4 wedges
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend

Preparation:

Combine chicken, soups, sour cream, and Salsa Verde. Alternate first mixture with layers of tortilla pieces and cheese. Sprinkle top with chili powder or paprika. Cook in Crock Pot on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. Serve chicken casserole with garnish of guacamole or sour cream and chopped tomatoes and green onions, along with a tossed salad.

Remember when I told you I won a new cookbook from Sandra (who is the host of sct btw!)… Well, I’ve been checking it out and haven’t actually tried a recipe yet. This recipe got my attention and is on my to try list. I posted a new slow cooker recipe on my menu this week. The chicken stuffed with feta and bacon. It was delicious!

Here is the recipe for Tamale Pie!

filling:

1 T cumin
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 onion (finely chopped)
1/2 green pepper (finely chopped)
2 T chili powder
2 T cornmeal
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. chili sauce
1 c. corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 c. black olives (halved)
1 c. shredded cheddar
salt

crust:
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
1/4. c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
2 T veg oil
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk

Cook meat and onions on stove, adding remaining ingredients. Place in slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Mix crust ingredients and spread on top of filling in slow cooker (leave lid slightly ajar). Cook on high for one hour or until toothpick inserted into crust comes out dry.

I usually like the slow cooker recipes that are just dump it in and go, but this looks worth the effort. I’ll let you know how it is when I make it… if you make it please let me know how it turned out.

I wanted to make sure to post a slow cooker recipe today.  I haven’t done slow cooking Thursday for a couple of weeks, and I just love this meme that Sandra has been doing as long as I can remember.  I love seeing new ideas for slowcooking, mainly because it is to me the easiest way to cook when you are living a busy life… more on the busy part after the recipe!

I made this last night, and it was DEElicious!!!

The ingredients…

6-8 boneless (butterfly) pork chops

1 onion

6 potatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

butter (optional)

I start by quartering the potatoes and placing them in the bottom of the crock pot, I salt and pepper them… lay the pork chops over them and then slice the onion and place it on top of the pork chops, salt & pepper again… spoon the soup over the top and I put a dab of real butter for flavor.  (Not much you guys, it’s no big deal!)

I cooked it from 11:30 a.m. until about 5 p.m. on high.  It was really really good.  I served it with broccoli, ww rolls and salad.

I’ve noticed a lot of buzz on the blogs about how busy we all are.  Mine included.  Last night at church we were talking about the way the devil gets in our lives to keep us from what’s really important.  It was like a lightbulb for me, and you know how you get these really profound ideas that slip your mind as quickly as they enter?  It was kinda like that for me.  I guess I have tried to figure out why life is getting busier and busier, we have a lot of conveniences that just were not there years ago… we should have more free time, right?   I guess I just could see so clearly how the enemy deceives us to believe that we are too busy for God.  I’m not, and refuse to ever be too busy for God.  (take that you devil!)

Easter is early this year.  That’s why I skipped putting out the GREEN and went straight into Easter decor…  I haven’t begun to find outfits for all the kids yet.  I saw this at Children’s place for Izzy, but the big sister dress is too small for Emelia! So sad she is getting so big, she’ll be 10 in March!!!  I am thinking of doing the black and white thing anyway… we’ll see.  When Easter is so early that it is still cold outside I always buy matching sweaters for the girls.

Tonight is the winterjam concert.  I’m hoping to get to go.  It starts early and ends late, so I’m not sure I can manage it yet… but I’m going to try!

Hope you have a great Thursday, and for more slow cooked meal ideas visit Sandra.

Someone mentioned cola chicken the other day when I posted my menu and had put sloppy joes for one evening.  I went looking for what “cola chicken” was… and voila! Found it! on a weight watchers slow cooker website.  Now, I haven’t tried this yet… but I love coke and chicken so I can’t see how it would be BAD?

Cola-chicken (6 PTS)

1 cup Cola — regular

1 cup Catsup

1 whole Onion — sliced

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

Wash and pat dry chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Put chicken in crockpot and onions on top. Add cola and catsup and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.  ****Sounds horrible — but trust me on this —- the taste is WONDERFUL!!!!

 ** words in blue are from the unknown author of this recipe, not me… (fyi)

 For more slow cooker recipes, see Sandra’s cute blog!

Today my goal is to get the den furniture rearranged to accomodate this treadmill that is sticking out like a sore thumb!  Funny, it’s snowing and I can’t seem to put the laptop down (and my blankie) and get busy!  I still need to get on the treadmill and bath izzy for school (and feed, dress…. her).  I’m hoping to run to the store while she is in school.  Oh I tried the jeans on and this pair did fit, but I’m not sure if I like how they look on me so I may just take them back for good!  and one more thing!!! A NOTE TO ALL MY VERY CREATIVE BLOGGIE BUDDIES… Do you have any ideas for a theme basket for Izzy’s school’s carnival.  Her teacher asked my opinion and I can’t think of anything other than sport (OU) theme, spa theme, baby shower theme, outdoor theme, movie theme, or books/reading theme.  I think th0se (and more) have all been done … so if you can think of something really original?

With my new ww committment, I am looking for recipes that I can actually eat!!! I love finding recipes that are good and not 30 points per serving. For those of you who have the good fortune of never needing to count points, you get an average of 18-30 points per day depending on how much you weigh at the time. Just this morning Amanda wanted to run out for McD’s breakfast. I had to check the points and ended up getting an egg mcmuffin without the yolk for 5 points and had my tea I mentioned with it. It was good and I still felt like I had fast food (which I honestly don’t really like). I have been making a scrambled egg every morning for 2.5 points that is really good! along with a slice of whole grain toast. Yum. Click on the banner to see more slow cooker recipes over at my friend Sandra’s blog!

Creamy Red Potatoes (5 Points)

2 Pounds Red Potatoes – quartered

8 Ounces Neufchatel Cheese

10 3/4 Ounces Cream of Potato Soup

1 Envelope Ranch-style Dressing Mix

Place potatoes in slow cooker. Beat together the cream cheese, soup and salad dressing mix. Stir into potatoes. Cover and cook on Low 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 234 Calories; 9g Fat (35.9% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 30mg Cholesterol; 390mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat.

2 medium onions, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 pounds pork loin roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 (12-ounce) can peppery soda (recommended: Dr Pepper)
1 1/2 cups dried apricot halves
1 1/2 cups pitted prunes

Slice onions and place in slow cooker.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season pork roast with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides. Place browned roast in slow cooker on top of sliced onions. Add cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf to cooker. Pour can of cola over roast and top with dried fruit. Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on High setting or 8 to 9 hours on Low, or until thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove roast from slow cooker and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, using a slotted spoon, remove onion, fruit and spices. Discard whole spices. Skim grease from sauce. Slice roast and serve topped with onions and fruit and a little sauce.

Serving Ideas: Delicious over garlic mashed potatoes.

I may omit the fruit, since I HATE really don’t like fruit!

Thanks Sandra for hosting sct!

I’m pulling out some of my oldie but goodie crock pot recipes (since it is a new year… and a new diet). This recipe is always good, always easy, and best of all … not full of fat!

Visit Sandra for more slow cooker recipes (every Thursday!)

1 store-bought roasted chicken
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
4 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
2 teaspoon fines herbs*
Salt and pepper
2 cups egg noodles, cookedRemove the skin from the chicken and shred the meat from the bone. Put the chicken into a slow cooker along with the onions, celery, and carrots. Stir in broth, mushroom soup, and fines herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high setting for 3 to 4 hours or low for 8 to 9 hours.

When soup is finished, stir in egg noodles. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Visit Sandra to see more slow cooker recipes!

2.5 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
1 can rotel
3 T tomato paste
1 T honey
3 cloves pressed garlic
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 t. salt
12 flour tortillas
toppings… cheddar, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, olives.

1. put pork in crock pot
2. mix all other ingredients (down to tortillas) and pour over roast.
3. cook on low 8-10 hours.
4. shred with two forks
5. serve with tortillas and toppings.

Visit Sandra for more slow cooked meal ideas.

Chicken Chili…

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans great Northern beans
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 roasted chicken, bones and skin removed, meat torn into bite-size pieces (I use frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts)
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Put everything in crockpot except sour cream and cook on low all day … add sour cream and stir a few minutes before serving… and top with cheese.

visit Sandra to see more slow cooker recipes!