December - BBQ Pulled Pork

3 lb pork roast (I used boneless sirloin for this one)

Sauce:
McCormick Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar  


COOK 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. (I prefer 8 hrs on Low)  Remove pork from slow cooker.

SHRED pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker; mix and heat with sauce before serving (about 20-30 minutes). Serve on hoagie rolls.

Thanksgiving Delight?

How about this idea for for the turkey?  I am amazed!

NOVEMBER-TACO SOUP

1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can pinto beans(undrained)
1 can kidney beans(undrained)
1 can black beans(undrained)
1 can corn(undrained)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 lb hamburger(browned and drained)


Place all the ingredients in a crock pot stir well
(some times i add a little water depending on how thick you like it)
COOK ON LOW 4-5 HRS
    Top with sour cream, cheese, and olives, my family also likes crushed tortilla chips on it.








NOVEMBER-COOKIES, PUMPKIN SNICKER DODDLE

3 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4tsp ground cloves(i did a little less)
1 cup(2 sticks) butter @ room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla

Combine butter,sugars,beat for 2-3min(or Intel fluffy),stir in pumpkin puree, beat egg and vanilla set aside. In a other mixing bowl mix all dry ingredients stir well, combine all ingredients together mix well.Refrigerate dough for 1hr.
Preheat oven to 350
Roll each cookie in cinnamon and sugar, place on parchment paper on cookie sheet flatten slightly cook for 10-12 min

November - Chicken and Biscuits

We also call this Chicken Pot Pie Inside Out.  I make up the filling that would go into a chicken pot pie, but pour it over baking powder biscuits instead.  The sauce recipe is for 16 servings.

Sauce:

3/4 cup margarine
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cans corn
2 cans green beans
3 cans chicken (12.5 oz size)

Melt butter in large pot, add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk together.   Add broth and milk, whisking constantly.  Let heat on medium until bubbly.  Add corn, beans, and chicken, cook until broth has turned bubbly again (maybe about 10 minutes). 


From Frozen:
Thaw in fridge overnight, then reheat on stove for about 15-20 minutes until bubbly.

Biscuits:

These are Kentucky biscuits from the KFC website-I did change it below to use less milk, don't know if it's altitude or my brand of flour that makes it so sticky with the recipe amount.  Makes 8 large biscuits

3 cups flour
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Mix first 4 dry ingredients, cut in shortening, then add milk.  Should be a soft, smooth dough, if not add more flour so it's not too sticky.  Roll out and cut into circles.  Preheat oven to 425, cook for 11-13 minutes.

From Frozen:
Thaw in fridge overnight, about an hour before cooking place on cookie sheet on the counter to bring to room temperature.  Bake at 425 for 11-13 minutes.

Serving

When sauce and biscuits are done, cut biscuits in half onto plate, pour sauce over each half. 

November - Beef Dip Sandwiches

Okay Ladies -
This month is CRAZY for me with the play - and that we are meeting the day of our Opening night. ;)  So I will be making Beef Dip Sandwiches.  Also, I hope to have my cookies done by then also - but I may have to delivery those to each of you later in the month.

Best Ever Beef Dip Sandwiches
recipe from AllRecipes

4 pounds beef chuck roast

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

3 bay leaves

1 cup soy sauce

6 cups water

Place roast in slow cooker. Season with garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour in soy sauce and water. Cook on low setting for 6 to 10 hours. Unlike most roasts, the longer the better. 

To serve, place in hamburger buns or split french bread and top with your preferred cheese if desired. Feel free to dip your sandwich in the au jus left in the slow cooker too!

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Place all the ingredients except the water into a gallon sized freezer storage bag; seal and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost completely. Place contents into your slow cooker and add 6 cups of water. Cook on low setting for 6 to 10 hours. Unlike most roasts, the longer the better.

Thanks! Jackie

OCTOBER- Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:
Medium-large bag of carrots
Red Onion into large chunks
2 large cans pineapple (undrained)
4 Garlic cloves
8 chicken Tenders
1 cup teriyaki sauce
DIRECTIONS:
Thaw overnight
Cook in crockpot for 8 hours on low and 4 hours on high
Serve over rice

October - Asian Pork Ribs

I am doing Asian Pork Ribs.  I will post the recipe soon. ;)

October - Meatloaf

I'll be doing meatloaf for this month, here's a link to the recipe:

http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/03/grandpa-marks-meatloaf/

I modified it after our family tried it though, here's what I did:


The Loaf:
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped  (I chopped in my blender so most of it was small)
2 sleeves saltine crackers, crushed into tiny pieces
4 eggs
2 T honey mustard
1/2 C ketchup
1 t Worcestershire


The Sauce:
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C ketchup

Mix the sauce ingredients together and spread over the bottom of the pan.

Combine all the loaf ingredients in a big bowl, mix well with spoon or hands, or both!  Take half of the meat and shape into loaf, place in pan, then shape the remaining into 2nd loaf.  Should go side by side in a 13x9 pan.  Scoop some of the sauce from around the loaves and rub over the sides and top of loaf.

Cook at 375° for 45-55 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

Let rest for about 5 minutes after its done cooking before slicing.

Beef Stroganoff

Ok... I finally decided on what to make for our freezer meal exchange.  Beef Stroganoff  is what I will be making.  I need to know which of you wants/likes mushrooms.  I can leave them out if that is not something your family likes.  Let me know!  Thanks!  Tara

WELCOME

Okay ladies - here we go!  Below is listed the guidelines I emailed originally.  I will also post how to label your post in this one.  Also, how to label your meals - so everything is in the same place.

GUIDELINES:

1) All meals need to feed 8 ADULTS - not 2 adults and 6 small children.  Basically if you do a 13x9 pan it needs to be pretty full.  If you do chicken it needs to have 8 large servings. Things like that. I know this may be for some more food in a meal than your family will normally eat, but look at it as 2 meals in one for you.

2) Since we are doing 6 meals (5 to exchange and 1 to keep ourselves) our budget should be $60 - $70....just due to the cost of food rising.  Now how this works is, if you get a great deal on meat and your meal comes to say $50, then you should also provide a box of pasta, chips, anything  non-perishable that goes with your meal to get you to the budget goal. This way we are all spending the same amount. But if your bill comes to $58.50 I think we can call it good that month. ;) Or you can just buy us each a candy bar! lol!

3) You need to get your meals in the freezer at least 2 days before the exchange but 3 is better.  Please try and freezer your meal if in ziploc bags as flat as possible so it is easy for us to stack in our own freezers.

4) When using freezer bags, please use sturdy ones that are made for the freezer. When using foil pans place a piece of plastic wrap then foil on top. Then make a note that we need to remove plastic before cooking.

5) Make sure your area is clean when assembling or cooking anything for this group. (I know this is a given.)

6) MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!!  Eric Yates is ALLERGIC to NUTS!  Like go to the hospital allergic.  Do not have Peanut Butter or anything that says it may contain nuts in your dish or near the area you are assembling/cooking - not even a spoon you stir with that may have touched something with nuts or nut oil.

POST LABELS:

Please make sure you label each post with your name, the type of meal (ex. chicken, mexican, pasta), and the month it is for. In your post you should have your recipe so we can make it again for our family if it was a hit, and also instructions on how to cook it after it is frozen, in case that falls off the meal itself.

LABELING MEALS:

Put each person name on one meal.  This helps make sure everyone gets one of each of the meal when we exchange.  Use a permanent marker for this.  Then staple to bags or attach to foil on top of pans with tape - the name of your meal, and instructions on what to do with it. Example - "Pork Ribs - thaw then place in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours and serve with rice."  "Lasagna - thaw and cook at 375* for 45 minutes".