A dessert to remember.

Some friends of ours (Hi Tim and Samantha!) invited us over to their house for a Memorial Day feast. When asked what I could bring, a dessert was requested. So...I did what any normal crocker would do. I Googled "Memorial Day Crock Pot Dessert Recipes" and found this little gem. We even somehow had all of the ingredients in the house already. Bonus!

"Mixed Berry Pudding Cake" (6 quart pot) The original recipe is HERE.

~1 1/2 c fresh blueberries

~1 1/2 c fresh red raspberries

~1/2 c fresh cranberries

~1 c flour

~2/3 c sugar

~1 1/2 t baking powder

~1/2 t cinnamon

~1/4 t salt

~2 T butter, melted

~1 t vanilla extract

~3/4 c boiling water

~1/3 c sugar

~cool whip or vanilla ice cream

Spray crock pot with PAM.

Combine all berries in crock pot and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, 2/3 c sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir in milk, butter, and vanilla until just combined. (I sorta kinda almost forgot to do this step. I had to improvise...slightly.)

Spoon and carefully spread mixture over berries.

In a small bowl, combine boiling water and 1/3 c sugar; stir to dissolve sugar.

Pour mixture evenly over mixture in the crock pot.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

Turn off crock pot and let cool for an hour. (I forgot to uncover it like the original recipe said.)

Serve with cool whip or vanilla ice cream.

8 servings.

Oh. My. Goodness. Amazing. (Even with my mini hiccups/adjustments.) It's awesome that the kiddos were too scared to try this because it meant that all 4 of the adults could have a second serving. Oh, and I *might've* licked the crock pot clean. Maybe. 

T'is the season!

Our awesome neighbors planned to a potluck grilling get together today. I crocked something. A dessert. Because...why not? I Googled strawberry crock pot dessert (because it's strawberry season) and voila!, I found a winner.

"Strawberry Cobbler" (6 quart pot) Original recipe is found HERE.

~3 lbs fresh strawberries, sliced
~1/2 c sugar
~2 T cornstarch
~2 T water
~3/4 c brown sugar
~3/4 c quick oats
~1/2 c flour
~1/2 c butter

In a saucepan, combine strawberries and sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes. (Sample a strawberry.*)
After 30 minutes, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. (Sample a strawberry.*)
In a bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Stir into berry mixture. Bring mixture to boil.
Boil for 1 minute or until mixture is thickened. (Carefully sample a strawberry.*)
Spoon mixture into crock pot.
In a bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, and flour.
Cut in butter to form crumbly mixture.
Spread evenly over strawberry mixture.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
Serve warm with cool whip. (or ice cream if you prefer.)

(* optional)

8 servings.

Go make this. Now. Everyone told me that it was delicious and by the amount that we came home with (see above), I'd say they weren't just saying it to be nice. You're welcome.

A beautiful day for a neighbor.

We hosted a small neighborhood potluck 4th of July BBQ/playgroup yesterday (Hi Annie, Valerie, Paul, Angela, and Josh!) I volunteered my other half to man the grill while I volunteered to crock a dessert. A friend sent me this dessert recipe a while ago and I knew that it was going to be awesome. I also knew that I could probably eat the whole thing in one sitting, so I was happy to have neighbors coming over to help a sista' out.

"Turtle Monkey Bread" (6 quart pot) The original recipe is HERE.

~2/3 c packed brown sugar
~1/2 c butter
~1/4 c granulated sugar
~1 (16.3 oz) can Pillsbury Grands Homestyle buttermilk biscuits
~3/4 c pecan halves
~2 T whipping cream
~1/3 c milk chocolate chips

In a microwavable bowl, mix brown sugar and butter.
Microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is boiling and smooth.
Grease crock pot.
Place granulated sugar in a resealable plastic bag.
Separate dough in to 8 biscuits and cut each one into fourths.
Add the biscuit pieces to the bag and shake to coat.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the pecans in the crock pot.
Top with half of the biscuit mixture. Pour 1/3 of the butter mixture over biscuits.
Repeat with 1/4 c pecans and remaining biscuit mixture.
Pour remaining butter mixture over biscuits.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c pecans.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or until knife comes out cleanly and biscuits are no l onger doughy.
Turn off crock pot.
Let stand for 10 minutes.
Run knife around the endges and turn bread upside down onto a serving plate.
In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium heat until just boiling.
Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.
Stir until melted and smooth.
Drizzle over monkey bread.

12 servings.

Oh. My. Goodness. Everyone agreed that it was delicious (AND they helped make it completely disappear.) Yum!

Come together.

We had a small housewarming/impromptu birthday party yesterday, so I decided it was worthy of a double crock.

In one pot, I crocked my infamous "Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese". The only difference was that I used regular buffalo sauce instead of Xtra hot.

It was demolished. I guess people liked it. Imagine that.

The guests didn't know it, but I had a dessert in the other pot. Playing hostess, chasing around a toddler, and trying to get in the pool on a sunny 90° day is HARD work!

"Strawberry Raspberry Cobbler (6 quart pot)

The original recipe is HERE. Someone sent me the link awhile ago.

~1 1/4 c flour, divided
~2 T plus 1 c sugar, divided
~1 t baking powder
~1/4 t cinnamon
~1 egg, lightly beaten
~1/4 c milk (I used whole because we keep it in the house for the kiddo.)
~2 T coconut oil (Because we have a ton of it and it says it's good for baking...)
~1/8 t salt
~2 c fresf raspberries
~2 c fresh strawberries (I used strawberries because t'is the season!)
~vanilla ice cream (I bought to go with my other half's birthday cake...and then forgot to serve. Gah!)

In a large bowl, combine 1 c flour, 2 T sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. 
Combine the egg, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thick). 
Spread batter evenly into greased crock pot. 
In a large bowl, combine the salt and remaining flour and sugar; add berries and toss to coat. 
Spread over batter.
Cover and cook on high 2 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into cobbler comes out clean. 
Serve with frozen yogurt/ice cream if desired.

8 servings.

I'm so mad at myself for forgetting to serve this. You have no idea. So...by the time we were hungry enough for a sample, it wasn't warm anymore. It was still AMAZING. 

Clearly, we need to have more get togethers so I can get some practice remembering how to play hostess. (It's been awhile.) 

Crocked Dessert for Crockers Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too.

Remember when you all helped be choose dinner by picking recipe card numbers for me?  I was cleaning the pantry this afternoon when I found the LAST dessert card shoved into a cookbook. Since we had all of the ingredients AND I wasn't sure my other half would be eating dinner, I decided it was time to use the card. (And who doesn't like a chocolately crocked dessert?)

"Hot Fudge Cake" (6 quart pot)

~1 3/4 c packed light brown sugar, divided* (I accidentally used white sugar.)
~2 c flour
~1/4 c plus 3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
~2 t baking powder
~1 t salt
~1 c milk
~1/4 c butter*, melted (I accidentally used an entire stick.)
~1 t vanilla
~3 1/2 c boiling water

Coat crock pot with pam.
Mix 1 c sugar, flour, 3 T cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
Stir in milk, butter, and vanilla.
Mix until well blended.
Pour mixture into crock pot.
Blend remaining 3/4 c sugar and 1/4 c cocoa powder in small bowl.
Sprinkle evenly over mixture in crock pot.
Pour in boiling water. DO NOT STIR.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean*. (This never happened. I turned it off so I didn't burn the house down.)
Allow cake to rest for 10 minutes.
Invert onto serving platter or scoop into serving dishes*. (I missed the scoop option which is not a good thing to do when your cake is mostly liquid. There was chocolate sauce EVERYWHERE!)
Serve warm.

6 servings.

Wow. It's really amazing how much I screwed this up. Maybe I was trying to make up for not screwing up all that much recently?

It was still edible! I might have to try this one again. But, you know, following the directions and such. I need a do-over. A delicious chocolately do-over.

Peachy keen.

I wasn't going to crock yesterday, but we had some Aussie friends (Hi Brett, Dan, Kate, and baby Liam!) join us for dinner, so I whipped together a dessert.

"Country Peaches" (6 quart pot)

~1 (29oz) can sliced peaches, drained with juice reserved
~2/3 c old-fashioned oatmeal
~1 c Bisquick
~1/2 t cinnamon
~1/2 c light brown sugar, firmly packed
~vanilla ice cream

Pour peaches into greased crock pot.
Mix oatmeal, Bisquick, and peach juice in a large bowl.
Spoon mixture over peaches.
Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on top.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

6 servings.

If you like peaches, you should try this. My other half isn't a fan of "normal" room temperature peaches, but even he demolished it.

Let your colors burst.

We made some last minute plans to join a 4th of July cookout at our friends/neighbors' house (Hi Sandra & Brad), so I decided to crock a dessert that was red, white (ish), blue, AND had summer in the title.

"Summer Berry Slump" (6 quart pot)

~4 c fresh berries (I used 2 c sliced strawberries, 1 c blackberries, and 1 c blueberries.)
~1 1/2 T sugar
~1 t minced ginger
~1 c flour
~1/2 t ground ginger
~1 egg
~1/4 c evaporated milk
~1 1/2 T vegetable oil

Mix berries, sugar and minced ginger in a small bowl and set aside.
Whisk flour and ground ginger together in a small bowl.
Beat egg, milk and oil into flour mixture until a thick dough forms.
Shape dough into 2" dumplings.
Pour berry mixture into greased crock pot.
Place dumplings on top of berries.
Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.

Can crocked fresh fruit on the 4th BE bad? Nope! This was super tasty. My other half says that this wasn't as sweet as it looked like it was going to be. You almost don't feel guilty for going back for seconds!

Happy Independence Day!

Crock of Rhubarbie.

Rhubarb. I have had rhubarb once or twice, I think. In pies. Is there another way to use rhubarb?

YES! AND I have it for you!

This recipe has been staring at me since pretty much forever. Yesterday's Father's Day dinner came from our grill. Dessert, however, came from the crock.

"Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp" (6 quart pot)

Fruit part:

~4 c sliced strawberries
~5 stalks rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice
~1 1/2 c sugar
~2 T lemon juice

Topping:

~1 c flour
~1 c old-fashioned oats
~1/2 c sugar
~1/2 c brown sugar, packed
~1/2 t ground ginger
~1/2 t ground nutmeg
~1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
~1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted

Grease crock pot.
Put strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice in crock pot.
Mix well.
Cover and cook ib high for 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375. (Yeah, the oven.)
Combine flour, oats, sugars, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
Cut in butter and mix well.
Stir in almonds.
Remove lid from crock pot.
Sprinkle topping mixture on fruit.
Transfer stoneware to oven.
Say, "Am I really putting my crock pot stoneware INTO the oven?"
Bake 15 minutes or until topping begins to brown.
(I served it with a scoop of white chocolate ice cream from our favorite local ice cream shop. Hence the white puddle of deliciousness in the bowl.)

8 servings.

Happy Father's Day, indeed. Mmm... Quick! Make this before strawberry season 2012 is officially over!

You're welcome.

Friends came over last night and grilled AMAZING burgers (Hi Brad and Sandra!). I volunteered to crock dessert. Remember that silly game we played several months ago where you'd pick a number and I'd pick a recipe card to crock? I still have 6 dessert cards left. I asked my other half to pick a number. He picked 20, so I shuffled through the 6 cards until I got to number 20. This was what I crocked:

"Sweet Bread and Amber Rum Custard" (6 quart pot)

~2 T unsalted butter
~3 1/2 c heavy cream
~4 large eggs
~1/2 c dark brown sugar
~1/3 c rum (I used Port Royal.)
~2 t vanilla
~1 loaf Hawaiian Sweet Bread, torn into pieces (the original recipe called for brioche. I couldn't find it ANYWHERE, so I substituted.)
~1/2 c chopped pecans
~butterscotch topping

Generously coat crock pot with butter.
Combine cream, eggs, brown sugar, rum, and vanilla in large bowl.
Stir mixture to combine.
Add 1/4 of bread to crock pot.
Add 1/4 of cream mixture over bread.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the pecans over everything.
Repeat layers with remaining bread, cream mixture, and nuts.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until custard is set and a toothpick comes out cleanly.
Serve warm.
Drizzle with butterscotch.

6 servings.

This. Is. Amazing. I'm not a rum fan (unless it's in desserts, I guess) and I loved it. Brad said it was one of his favorite desserts ever. You should all go make this and wow the socks off of your friends. You're welcome.

I'll dessert you.

I wasn't planning on crocking yesterday, but I like I'm addicted to crocking for people, so it happened. Friends brought over GINORMOUS steaks to grill (Hi Brad and Sandra!), so I nuked some potatoes and crocked dessert. A gluten-free dessert. Specifically, I crocked gluten-free peanut butter brownies.

"Peanut Butter Brownies" (6 quart pot)

The original recipe is HERE.

~5 T butter
~1/2 c sugar
~2 eggs
~1 t vanilla extract
~1/2 c Pamela's Baking and Pancake mix
~1 c peanut butter (I used Jif natural)
~1/2 c milk chocolate chips
~1/2 c white chocolate chips

Grease crock pot.
Mix all ingredients.
Add mixture to crock pot and spread evenly.
Prop open the crock pot lid, so the steam can escape. (I used a chopstick, too.)
Cover and cook on low for 2 hours or until the edges of the brownies have browned.*
Remove stoneware from crock pot. (For the love of everything holy, I hope I don't have to tell you that the stoneware will be hot. Use a potholder or gloves or something. K? K.)
Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

(8 servings)

*The original crocker's review says that she cooked it too long (2 3/4 hours), so I followed her advice and shortened it slightly.

Considering there was one itty bitty brownie left by the end of the evening, I'd say these were a success. Like the Blondies, these tasted like a cross between brownies and those big soft cookie "cakes". They were a bit underdone in the middle, so 2 1/2 hours might be the magic number. Of course, every crock pot is different, so use your best judgment. I, for one, LOVE undercooked baked goods/batter. (Don't judge! You know you do, too! Salmonella isn't REAL, is it?)

Showdown: Second place.

This recipe and my recipe were neck and neck for the LONGEST time. Ok, so it was really a week, but it felt like FOREVER in my world.

"Salted Cashew and Caramel Blondies" (6 quart pot)

The original recipe is HERE.

~1/2 c unsalted butter
~12 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
~1/2 t vanilla extract
~1 c firmly packed light brown sugar
~1 egg
~1 c flour
~1 t baking powder
~1/4 t salt
~3/4 c white chocolate chips
~1/3 c salted cashews, chopped

In a medium sized saucepan place the stick of butter and caramels over low heat and let melt.
Meanwhile, in medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir dry ingredients with fork.
Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit crock pot and place it in the pot.
Spray paper with PAM.
Cover and turn crock pot to warm.
When butter and caramels are completely melted, turn the heat off and remove the pan from heat.
Add brown sugar and stir well.
Add egg and vanilla extract and stir well.
Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix well.
Add second half of dry mixture and mix well.
Stir in the cashews and white chocolate chips.
Pour mixture into crock pot and spread evenly.
Place a few folded paper towels between the lid and the pot to absorb the condensation.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
Turn off crock pot and remove stoneware.
Allow to sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
Remove the liner and blondie from the crock pot.
Allow the blondie to cool for 30 more minutes before cutting.

8 servings.

I'd never had a blondie before. Apparently, blondies are the love children of dense brownies (the only way brownies SHOULD ever be made) and cookies. You don't taste the salt, so don't let that scare you away. They're pretty awesome. Not as awesome as my Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, OBVIOUSLY!!!, but still pretty awesome. Although, honestly, I feel like you could make this recipe in about 20 minutes if you made it in the oven. (But ovens are LAME!)

That's the end of "Showdown Week". We're going out of town for a few days, so my shiny new pot is going to have to see what if feels like to sit in the kitchen going unused. Maybe he and my other two pots will go all Toy Story on us while we're not here.

Orange-cha glad I crock?

Last month, I stumbled upon a crocking contest on Dinnertool that was looking for original recipes. On a complete whim, I submitted the "Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese" I whipped together during "Total Request Crock Week II". I barely paid attention to what the prizes were. I did, however, see that you were allowed to enter 5 recipes per day per person during the 16 day submission period. I submitted ONE recipe. ONCE. There was "no way" I'd win anything.

Boy was I wrong! I am one of the 4 finalists! And guess what?! The final 4 all get $150 AND a shiny new KitchenAid slow cooker. How awesome is that? I've been giddy about it all afternoon.

1st place wins $1000. Public voting for that starts tomorrow. I'll share the link and more information on that tomorrow. You're going to vote for me, right? Right. RIGHT?

Oh, and I crocked today. Double crocked even.

"Mandarin Orange Steaks" (6 quart pot)

~2 lbs boneless beef steaks
~1 1/2 c oj
~1/2 c fresh lemon juice
~1 t hot sauce (I used McCutcheon's Garlic & Herb.)
~1 (11 oz can) mandarin oranges
~rice, cooked

Place steaks in crock pot.
Combine oj, lemon, and hot sauce.
Pour mixture over steaks.
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
Serve over rice.
Top with chilled mandarin oranges.

6 servings.

Friends came over for dinner (Hi Brad and Sandra!) and we all enjoyed this. The orangey goodness was just beginning...

Tonight's dessert was the inspiration for this week's theme. It was in the stack of dessert cards AND I'd never had/made a soufflé. Color me intrigued. Ha ha ha.

"Orange Soufflé" (6 quart pot)

~6 T butter
~1 1/4 c sugar
~orange peel
~6 T flour
~1/2 c milk
~9 egg yolks
~6 T orange flavored liquor (I used Grand Gala.)
~1 t vanilla extract
~10 egg whites

Evenly coat crock with 2 T softened butter.
Pour 1/3 c sugar; turn to evenly coat bottom and sides with sugar.
Process 2/3 c sugar with orange peel until peel is finely ground and well combined.
whisk orange sugar, flour and milk together in medium saucepan.
Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
Boil 30 seconds more, then remove from heat.
Cool slightly, then beat in egg yolks one at a time.
Add remaining butter, Grand Gala, and vanilla extract and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to cool.
Beat egg whites in clean dry bowl until foamy.
Add salt and beat to soft peaks.
Sprinkle in remaining 1/3 c sugar and beat to stiff peaks. (A fun way to break in my new KitchenAid stand mixer Santa brought me!)
Fold 1/4 of egg whites into cooled batter.
Fold in remaining egg whites, then gently transfer to prepared crock pot.
Cover and cook on high for 1 hour or until souffle is fully set. (Mine took 1 hour 15 minutes.)
Serve immediately.

Oh, man. I think I like soufflé. I think we all like soufflé.

Our "We don't do Valentine's Day Valentine's Day dinner". Redux.

It's our second annual crocked "We don't do Valentine's Day Valentine's Day Dinner"!

I listed the potential meals for tonight and my other half picked "whatever is the healthiest since you're making dessert". So...

"Black Bean-Stuffed Peppers" (6 quart pot)

~1 onion, chopped
~1/4 t cayenne pepper
~1/4 t dried oregano
~1/4 t ground cumin
~1/4 t chili powder
~15 oz black beans
~4 green peppers (If they're steroidal like the ones I bought. 6 if they're not.)
~1 c shredded cheddar
~salsa (I used Mrs. Renfro's Chipotle Raspberry.)
~sour cream
~green onions

Cook onion over medium high heat until lightly browned.
Add spices.
Dump 1/2 of the beans into a small bowl and mash the heck out of them.
Add second half of beans and onion mixture to bowl.
Add peppers to crock pot.
Spoon bean mixture into peppers.
Sprinkle cheese on top of peppers.
Spoon salsa into peppers.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Carefully remove peppers.
Top with sour cream and green onions.

4-6 servings.

The have been our favorite version of stuffed peppers so far. Yum.

I used Valentine's Day as an excuse to make something chocolatey. This recipe was in the stack of dessert cards. I decided I had to make it today because it has Mexican AND chocolate in the name.

"Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding" (6 quart pot)

~half pint light cream
~4 oz unsweetened chocolate
~2 eggs
~1/2 c sugar
~3/4 t cinnamon
~1/2 t allspice
~1 t vanilla
~1/8 t salt
~1/2 c currants
~3 c Hawaiian sweet bread
~whipped cream
~macadamia nuts

Heat cream in saucepan.
Add chocolate and stir until melted.
Combine eggs, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl.
Stir in currants.
Add chocolate mixture and stir well.
Pour into crock pot.
Fold in bread cubes using spatula.
Cover and cook on high 3 hours or until a knife comes out cleanly.
Serve warm or chilled.
Top with whipped cream and nuts.

6 servings.

This was awesome. My other half said it wasn't as sweet as he thought it was going to be. I say it was Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding and chocolate on Valentine's Day makes me happy. Then again, chocolate any day makes me happy.

Happy fourteenth of February!

Mexi-can.

Remember THIS? And how I was saving the leftovers for when we had vanilla ice cream in the house? Well...last night was our lucky day! It is AMAZING over ice cream. Nomnomnom.

Ok. Moving on.

It's "Mexican Week". A week of crocking one of my favorite cuisines! Since I recently found out that I actually DO like mole and it's been almost a month since I've made a chili, I decided to start off the week with...

"Chili Mole" (6 quart pot)

~1 lb lean ground beef
~1 onion, chopped
~1 pkg chili seasoning
~1 (28 oz can) diced tomatoes
~1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes
~1 (15 oz can) spicy chili beans
~1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
~shredded cheddar
~sour cream

Brown beef and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain.
Spray crock pot with Pam.
Add all ingredients to crock pot and mix.
Cover and cook on low 4 hours.
Mix and serve.
Garnish with cheese and sour cream.

6 servings.

This is a tasty chili. It's super flavorful, but not particularly spicy. If that sounds like your kind of chili, you should make this. It's easy and yummy. Win, win!

Addicting like Pinterest.

I added yesterday's menu at the last minute. Possibly because I am addicted to my crock pot and didn't want it to go unused for three. whole. days. (The horror!) This was a popular pin whatever random day of this week I'd searched Pinterest.

"Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Orzo" (6 quart pot) The original is HERE.

~2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
~4 tablespoons olive oil
~6 tablespoons dry white wine (I used Pomelo's Sauvignon Blanc.)
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1/2 teaspoon pepper
~4 garlic cloves, minced
~1 teaspoon dried basil
~1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
~1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + 2 tablespoons
~1 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo
~3/4 cup broccoli, steamed

The night before, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, cheese, basil, parsley, garlic and 3 tablespoons of wine in a bowl.
Place chicken in a resealable Tupperware container.
Pour marinade over top and coat chicken.
Shake the heck out of the container for funzies.
Place the container in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, place chicken in your crockpot with 3 tablespoons of wine.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Prepare orzo according to directions.
Once cooked, combine with remaining olive oil and parmesan.
Cut chicken into pieces/chunks, and toss together with orzo.
Add broccoli and mix.
Top with additional parmesan.

6 servings.

The original crocker liked this and she doesn't even like broccoli. Imagine how good it is if you actually like the little green trees! It's yummy. My other half says I need to make this more often. Because I tend to recrock things all of the time, right?

Right.

This was the first crock pot recipe I'd seen pinned that I'd actually seen before. It's from a blog I've mentioned here a few times. (The "crazy" gluten-free chick who crocked for an entire year.) I remember wanting to make this "someday" because I had it on a cruise and it was AWESOME. So...when I decided I was making dessert for friends who joined us for movie night last night, I had to make this. It was the law. Or something. Some of the reviews said that this tasted super alcoholic. I figured that was right up all of our alleys (Hi Brad & Sandra!) and didn't feel the need to cook it off beforehand as suggested.

"Bananas Foster" (6 quart pot) (The original is HERE.

~3 overly ripened bananas or 3 nearly ripened bananas (More on that, later.)
~1/4 c butter
~1 t vanilla extract
~1/3 cup brown sugar
~1/4 cup brandy (I used E&J)

Smush bananas like you would if you were making banana bread. (I use my hands because I like getting messy. Cooking is supposed to be FUN, right?)
Shove bananas into crock pot.
Add butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and brandy.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours OR on high for 1 hour.
Serve over vanilla ice cream.

6 servings.

I had to make this twice. And NOT because it was so crazy good we wanted seconds. The first time, I used the 3 ripened bananas that were on the counter begging me to make this. After about 2.5 hours on low, I peeked through the lid and noticed that they were looking done. More done than they should've been. Black. In fact, my (back up) crock pot will now have to take the next 3 days off because it's soaking in an attempt to get the charcoal off of it. It was probably sue to the size of my pot. (Having not a lot of stuff to crock in a 6 qt pot makes it crock faster.)

The second time I crocked this, I tried crocking it for 1 hour on high. It. Was. Fantastic. If the bananas had been ripened like the ones I used the first time, I'd have to see if the English language has a word meaning "more than fantastic". Fantastic-er?

Since our fridge is filled with leftovers from this week, I won't be crocking again until Monday. Don't be too sad, though! Next week is "Mexican Week" and it's going to be fantastic-er!

Brewmistress.

I know I've mentioned this before, but my other half (and a bunch of our friends) are home brewers. Today, two of them (Hi Brad and Zach!) and their girlfriends (Hi Sandra and Katelyn!) spent the afternoon/evening here brewing an BOATLOAD of beer. Before they commandeered my kitchen, I was able to put together a roast (Thanks, Sandra!) AND THEN, I reclaimed a corner of the kitchen and crocked a dessert.

This roast recipe came from one of the two cookbooks Santa dropped off. I picked it because it involved brewing something and I was intrigued by the coffee-ness.

"Coffee Beef Roast" (6 quart pot)

~1 roast (I used a 2.14 lb eye round cut.)
~2 teaspoons oil
~1 8 oz package fresh mushrooms, sliced
~1/2 cup sliced green onions
~2 garlic cloves, minced
~1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
~1 teaspoon liquid smoke (The recipe said it was optional which means, of course, that I HAD to buy it. Especially because I'd never heard of it before. Rules are rules, right?)
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1/2 teaspoon chili powder
~1/4 teaspoon pepper
~6 large red potatoes, quartered (Potatoes weren't in the original recipe. I added them because I was worried that there wasn't enough food for 6 people.
~1/4 cup cornstarch
~1/3 cup cold water

In a large skillet, brown roast on all sides in oil over medium-high heat.
Place roast in crock pot.
in a 5-qt. slow cooker.
In the same skillet, saute mushrooms, onions and garlic until tender.
Stir in the coffee, liquid smoke, salt, chili powder and pepper.
Pour mixture over roast.
Add potatoes to crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove roast and keep warm.
Pour cooking juices into a small bowl and skim fat.
In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth.
Gradually stir in 2 cups cooking juices.
Bring to a boil.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Serve with sliced beef.

12 servings.

Oh, pot roast. How I'm missed you so, so very much. We demolished it. I'll count that as a win.

Dessert came from the stack of recipe cards. I picked this one because we had all of the ingredients already in the house.

"Peanut Fudge Pudding Cake" (6 quart pot)

~1 c flour
~c sugar, divided
~1 1/2 t baking powder
~2/3 c milk
~2 T vegetable oil
~1 t vanilla extract
~1/2 c peanut butter
~1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
~1 c boiling water
~cool whip (or vanilla ice cream if prefer and, you know, plan ahead. We didn't because I didn't.)

Coat crock pot with Pam.
Combine flour, 1/2 c sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
Add milk, oil, vanilla, and peanut butter.
Mix until well blended.
Pour batter into crock pot.
Combine remaining 1/2 c sugar and cocoa in a small bowl.
Stir in water.
Pour into crock pot.
DO NOT STIR.
Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Allow cake to rest for 10 minutes.
Invert cake onto serving platter.
Serve warm with cool whip.

4 servings. (I stretched ours to 6.)

We demolished this, too. It wasn't as peanut buttery as I thought it was going to be, but as a HUGE fan of anything that is the chocolate peanut butter combo, this definitely hit the spot.

The star of fruit.

I was supposed to make this way back on December 12th, but I couldn't find the fruit anywhere. Remember? Well, I found the fruit at Safeway the other day and decided to try something different. Instead of putting this recipe over pound cake or ice cream like the card suggests, I crocked it last so we could put it over waffles for our breakfast Christmas morning.

"Spicy Fruit Dessert" (6 quart pot)

~1/4 c orange marmalade
~1/4 t pumpkin pie spice (I made my own. It was 1/8 t cinnamom. 2 pinches ginger. 1 pinch nutmeg. 1 pinch cloves.)
~1 (6 oz) can frozen orange juice concentrate
~1 (15 oz) can pears, drained and diced
~1 carambola, sliced and seeded

Combine all ingredients in crock pot.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Serve warm.

4 servings.

Look! It's Christmasy! Carambola slices look like stars! (They're also called starfruit. Imagine that.)

This was really good. Having never had a carambola before, I didn't really know what to expect. (Or how to cut and seed it. Thanks, Google!) We've decided that putting this over waffles worked alright, but we could totally see why they suggest serving it over ice cream. It kinda needs something sweeter than say, oh, I dunno, waffles to balance out the spiciness. So, you'll never guess what I did. I stuck what little leftovers we have in the freezer so we can warm it up and serve it over ice cream someday. I'll try to remember to let you all know when that happens!

Another delivery!

Karina picked number 7. (Thanks, Karina!) The seventh card in the dessert pile was...

"Brownie Bottoms" (6 quart pot)

~1 c brown sugar
~1 1/2 c water
~2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
~1 box packaged brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker fudge)
~1 instant chocolate pudding mix
~1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
~4 eggs, beaten
~6 T butter, melted
~cool whip

Lightly grease crock pot.
In small saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, and cocoa powder.
Bring to boil.
Combine brownie mix, pudding mix, chocolate chips, eggs, and butter in medium bowl.
Stir until well blended.
Spread matter into crock pot.
Pour boiling sugar mixture over batter.
Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Turn off heat and let stand for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.
Top with cool whip.

6 servings.

I crocked this for a Christmas potluck get together at Karina's house. Think of the moistest fudge brownies you've ever had and multiply that by 100. So chocolately. So rich. So good.

One rum and coke cake, please?

Since the fruity dessert I was going to make this week couldn't happen (Stupid seasonal fruits! Grr!), I asked my other half to pick a number. He picked 6. The sixth card in the dessert pile was...

"Rum and Cherry Cola Fudge Spoon Cake" (6 quart pot)

~1/2 c cherry cola (the card called for regular cola. I used cherry because I'm oh so rebellious.)
~1/2 c dried bing cherries
~1 c chocolate milk
~1 stick unsalted butter, melted
~2 t vanilla
~1 1/2 c flour
~1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
~1/2 c sugar
~2 1/2 t baking powder
~1/2 t salt

Topping:

~1 1/4 c cola (The card said vanilla cola. Laurer's didn't have any so I used regular.)
~1/4 c dark rum
~1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
~1/2 c sugar
~1/2 c packed brown sugar

Coat crock pot with Pam.
Bring cherry cola and cherries to boil in saucepan.
Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes.
Combine chocolate milk, butter, and vanilla in small bowl.
Combine flour, chips, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
Add milk mixture and cherries and stir until smooth.
Pour into crock pot.
Bring cola and rum to a boil in sauce pan.
Remove from heat.
Add chips and sugars.
Stir until smooth.
Gently pour over batter. DO NOT STIR.
Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours until cake is puffed and top layer has set.
Turn off crock pot.
Let stand, covered, for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.

8 servings.

I don't know if it was because my gums hurt from my dentist visit yesterday or if it was me being grumpy from being stuck in traffic on the way home from it, but I REALLY needed this. I needed alcohol. I needed sugar. I needed chocolate. AND I didn't care that I was starting the crock at 7pm and that I wouldn't get to eat it until 10. I was determined to make this cake.

And I'm glad I did. It's FABULOUS. I'm not a rum girl, but this hit the spot. The bottom fudge layer is so good I just about licked the still scolding hot crock pot clean when I put away the leftovers.

Have a rice day.

Molly picked pi. (Thanks, Molly!) I rounded off and then picked the third main dish AND the third dessert.

First, we had...

"Vietnamese Chicken Pho" (6 quart pot)

~8 c chicken broth
~3 c cooked chicken, shredded (I crocked a chicken breast and thigh overnight-8 hours on low)
~8 oz bean sprouts
~6 oz rice stick noodles
~1 bunch basil, choppped (the recipe card said Thai basil. Is that the same as "regular" basil? Because I used that. So there.)

Add broth and chicken to crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
Add bean sprouts, noodles, and basil.
Heat until noodles are softened-just a few minutes.

6 servings.

If you're looking for a delicious and fancy sounding not-your-average chicken noodle soup, you should make this. It's good stuff.

AND then we had...

"Coconut Rice Pudding" (6 quart pot)

~2 c water
~1 c uncooked long-grain rice
~1 T unsalted butter
~2 1/4 c evaporated milk
~pinch salt
~1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
~1/2 c golden raisins
~3 egg yolks, beaten
~grated peel of 1 lime
~1 t vanilla
~toasted shredded coconut

Place water, rice, butter, and salt in medium saucepan.
Bring to boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low.
Cover and cook 10 minutes
Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
Coat (REALLY COAT) crock pot with PAM.
Add evaporated milk, coconut milk, raisins, egg yolks, lime peel, and vanilla.
Mix well.
Add rice and stir until blended.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Stir every 30 minutes, if possible.
Garnish with toasted shredded coconut.

6 servings.

Coating the crock pot in super important. As is the stirring every 30 minutes. *sigh* My (sick) little helper was running around the house like a maniac, so I didn't get to stir it as often as I'd liked. The result? About a serving of it burned and is now glued to the bottom of my back up pot. The picture doesn't do it justice, but the non burned parts of it were awesome. It's not as ridiculously sweet like most of the desserts I tend to make which, believe it or not, was kind of a nice change of pace.