Update and a new recipe I tried

We've had a lot going on the last month. My Mom had a stroke last month--in fact I just looked and it was the day I last posted. She was in the hospital for almost a week then got to go home. She was very lucky that it was a small stroke. She has some speech loss but is working very hard in speech therapy to regain it. We also found out her diabetes was way out of control. This was a huge wake up call for all of us. I think it has inspired my sister and I to look at our lives and see what we can do now to prevent ourselves from getting to this point. We are both overweight and do not eat as healthy as we should. My brother is a fire fighter and in excellent shape. Hopefully he will continue with that trend. Anyways, my Mom is doing much better. She has started walking daily and changing her diet. Things are looking up!

We've all been spending time at my parents helping to get things set up and going in the right direction. Last week while I was there, I bought a Family Circle magazine and found some great healthy slow cooker recipes in it. I pulled out the page and decided to try a few of the recipes. This week I tried Italian Pork Roast. It was delicious! I served it with corn on the cob and rolls. I could see it served with rice or egg noodles too. Here is the recipe from Family Circle Magazine:

Italian Pork Roast (slow cooker)

Makes: 8 servings Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 minute
Slow Cook: 3 hours on HIGH or 5-1/2 hours on LOW

Ingredients

1 boneless pork loin roast (about 3 pounds), trimmed and tied
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, drained
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions
1. Rub pork with 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning and place in slow cooker bowl.

2. Scatter tomatoes around pork. Pour 1/3 cup of the broth in bowl; top with 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook 3 hours on HIGH or 5-1/2 hours on LOW.

3. Add green pepper to slow cooker for last 45 minutes of cook time.

4. Blend remaining 2 tablespoons broth, the cornstarch and balsamic vinegar. Set aside. Remove pork to a serving platter; keep warm. Strain liquid from slow cooker into a small saucepan and place vegetables around pork on serving platter.

5. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in cornstarch mixture, remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper; cook 1 minute. Spoon sauce over pork.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 242
Total Fat (g) 7
Saturated Fat (g) 3
Cholesterol (mg) 107
Sodium (mg) 460
Carbohydrate (g) 5
Fiber (g) 1
Protein (g) 37

Next week I'm going to try Asian ribs in the slow cooker. Neal and Kinsey both love ribs and Asian food so it should be a good combo.

Yummy Crockpot dinner

We are having Chicken Cacciatore tonight. I found the recipe in a new cookbook my sister gave me for my birthday. It's called Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. There are a lot of good recipes in here from breakfast to dessert. There are a lot of helpful hints and ideas. Check it out if you have a chance.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

one 16 ounce jar Italian marinara sauce, such as tomato basil
1 medium size yellow onion, cut in and half and sliced in half moons
1 to 3 cloves garlic, to your taste, minced
1 medium size green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 4 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons all purpose flour (optional)
2 tablespoons water (optional)
2 tablespoons dry white wine (optional)

1. Layer half of the tomato sauce and all of the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the mushrooms on top and cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 2 1/2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 6 to 7 hours on LOW. The chicken will add some of it's own juices to the dish.
2. (Optional) Transfer the chicken to a warm platter. If you wish a thicker sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, water, and wine until smooth. Stir into the sauce in the cooker, turn to HIGH, cover, and cook until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the sauce and vegetables over the chicken and serve.

Serve over white rice or noodles. Serves 4.

***The changes I made--I just used spaghetti sauce with mushrooms that I had in the cabinet, my minced garlic in a jar smelled funky so I threw it out and sprinkled some garlic powder over the chicken, and I used sliced mushrooms since that's what I had on hand. I'm sure it will be just as good as the original recipe.

Crockpot cooking all week

I'm trying to use my crockpot as much as possible lately because I don't get home until 6 most nights. I hate to try to start dinner then so it's nice to walk in and dinner is made. I went to the grocery store earlier with an idea of what I wanted to make this week (should have made a menu first) while keeping in mind what I had at home. My plans so far include

MONDAY pulled pork sandwiches, guacamole with chips, and a veggie to be named. Pork sirloin roasts were on sale so I bought a family pack with 3 in it. I put the 2 smaller ones in the crockpot with a sliced onion for tonight. When I get home I have to shred the meat and add BBQ sauce. YUMMM! This will be for dinner and a few lunches.
TUESDAY pinto beans and cornbread
WEDNESDAY unstuffed bell peppers and a veggie to be named. This is a recipe I discovered a few years ago. It's so easy and very good
THURSDAY Easy baked potato soup with cheese and bacon. I learned to make this recipe a few yeas ago at a Taste of Home Cooking School. Very filling and easy. I will "bake" my potatoes in the crockpot while I'm at work then assemble the soup when I get home.
FRIDAY pork roast with onion, potato, and carrots. I will make drop Bisquick biscuits to go with it. This is the 3rd roast from the family pack.

I received a new crockpot cookbook for my birthday recently and have been looking at new recipes. I'm hoping to try a few next week. I also found a recipe for crockpot pasole on the internet that I want to give a try. Lastly, I have a blog that I have been finding all kinds of great recipes at. It's where I found out you can "bake" potatoes in the crockpot. Go check it out at A Year of Crockpotting.

Slow cooker breakfast casserole

This is another recipe from my March Mommy board. I'm not sure who posted it first since there are a few of the same recipe floating around. I made it a few weeks ago when my Mom was here and we loved it. I'm making it tonight so we can eat it in the morning and will have leftovers for Sunday morning. It's great for a crowd and would be really good for Christmas morning or someday when you wouldn't have a lot of time to cook before hand. When my Mom was here I served it with a side of assorted fruit.

SLOW COOKER BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 bag (32 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes
1 lb. of bacon diced, cooked and drained or 1 lb. cooked ham, cubed **
1 medium diced onion
1 green bell pepper diced
1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 C. milk
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper (more or less to taste)

Spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick spray. Place a layer of frozen potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by a layer of bacon then onions, green pepper and cheese. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese.Beat the eggs, milk and salt and pepper together. Pour over the slow cooker mixture, cover and turn on low. Cook for 10-12 hours.

**I'm making it with ground sausage instead of bacon.

Easy pulled pork sandwiches

Who knew pulled pork could be so easy. I was given this recipe on the Mommy board I belong to. This is a wonderful group of ladies I met when I was pregnant with Kinsey. Most of us have been together since we were pregnant. We share our ups and downs, our families, our recipes, and our lives. I don't know what I would do without them!! (((HUGS))) to my March Mommies!

EASY PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

1 pork shoulder or pork roast
1 onion
salt and pepper

1 bottle of favorite BBQ sauce
buns

Spray the inside of your crock with non-stick spray. Put the pork in your CrockPot, slice onion and put in, season with salt and pepper. I always add about 1/2 cup of water. Cook on low for 8-12 or on high for 4-6 hours. It's always best on low but if you are in a hurry it does work on high. When the meat is done, drain any juice (take out bone if there is one) then shred meat with 2 forks. Pour some BBQ sauce over it and mix. Keep adding sauce until it's the consistency you want. I always leave it in my CrockPot so it will stay warm.
Serve on hamburger buns and leave BBQ sauce out for anyone who wants more.