Crockpot Minestrone

1lb ground turkey, cooked (or sausage)

1 cup carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5oz oz) diced tomatoes with the juice
4 cups of chicken broth
1 jar (16.5oz) pasta sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 T Tabasco sauce

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time


Brown the meat on the stove top and drain well. Chop up the carrots and celery and place in crock pot. Add the rinsed beans, both cans of tomatoes, pasta sauce, and broth to crock pot. Add salt, pepper, oregano, and Tabasco sauce. Stir in your meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta. Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Tips-
Freeze extra as this makes a lot of minestrone.
Make the pasta separately to avoid mushy pasta

Recipe is from my friend, Maleah.

Simple Salisbury Steak

1 pound ground beef
2 TBSP water
1/3 C. dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped (approx. 1/4 cup)--I leave the onions out
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 can (10 3/4 oz. Campbell's beef gravy
Additional spices, to taste (I add garlic and herb, salt and pepper)


Thoroughly mix beef, bread crumbs, water, egg, and onion in a medium bowl.  Shape mixture into 1/2-inch thick patties (approx. 4).  Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet on high heat.  Add patties until well browned on each side.  Pour off any fat.  Add the gravy to the skillet and continue to cook patties until well done and no longer pink in the center, approximately 10 minutes more.

Recipe is from my friend, Andrea.

Notes: This is fast, easy meal for days you don't feel like cooking.

Meal-on-the-Run Pork Loin

1 3.5lb pork loin
5 oz soy sauce
1/4c light brown sugar
1/2c red cooking wine (its ok if you don't add)
1T lemon juice
1t Worcestershire sauce
1.5c water

To freeze:
Trim fat off pork loin. Place all ingredients in a bag and seal well. Freeze.

To serve:
Thaw and place in slow cooker. Cover an set on low for 6-8 hours. If possible turn several times to coat meat with sauce. When done, shred meat and return to sauce.

Good on hamburger buns.

Recipe is from Once-A-Month Cooking cookbook.

Notes: Leftovers are good in Mexican dishes such as the Leftover  Quesadilla or omelets.

Peppermint Bark

• Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup
• 2 pounds white chocolate
• Peppermint flavorings, optional

Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)

Recipe is from Paula Dean.

Notes: I made this with my almost 3 y/o and we put the candy canes in ziplocs so he could pound them with his play hammer. He had so much fun!

Shoyu Chicken

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon ground paprika (optional)

5 pounds skinless chicken thighs

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, onion, ginger, black pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and paprika in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add the chicken thighs, and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken thighs on the preheated grill until cooked through, about 15 minutes per side.

Recipe is from Allrecipes.