Saint Patty Corned Beef

For a great traditional St. Patty's meal, try brining your own beef brisket. You need at least three to five days beforehand.

* A 5-pound beef brisket

* For the brine:

* 2 quarts of water

* 1 cup of sea salt

* ½ cup raw cane sugar (sucanat)

* 1 stick of cinnamon or about ¼ tsp cinnamon powder

* 1 T mustard seeds

* 1-2 T peppercorns

* ½ tsp whole cloves (8-10 individual cloves)

* 1 tsp allspice berries (optional)

* 1 T coriander seeds (optional)

* 1 tsp juniper berries (optional)

* ½ tsp dried ginger powder or about 1 tsp fresh minced ginger

* ½ tsp dried thyme leaf

* 5 garlic cloves, crushed or ½ tsp garlic powder

* 2-3 bay leaves, crushed

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1. Place all ingredients in a pot (except the brisket) and warm up until salt and sugar are dissolved. (About five minutes)

2. Pour ingredients into glass dish with brisket in it. Then cover and place in fridge for 3-5 days.

3. Pull brisket out and rinse it off. Cook in slow cooker covered with water on low for 8 hours. (Can add potatoes, though they may get salty). If adding cabbage, do so the last hour.

* original recipe from wellnessmama

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal/Hot Cereal

IF you want oatmeal, without having to worry in the morning, why not try overnight steelcut oats. It is the whole oat groat cut into smaller pieces (like cracked wheat). The nutrition is mostly the same as rolled oats, but it takes longer to cook. 

• 1 cup steel cut oats (or other whole grains...a blend of them is great. You can even throw in a few lentils.)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or dates
• 1/2 cup dried apples
• 4-5 cups water
• Milk (or rice milk...both are optional)
• small pinch of salt
• milk (opt.)
• cinnamon (opt.)
• sweetener (opt., as desired)

Heavily grease a slow cooker and then place all ingredients in it and set to low heat. 

Cover and let cook about 8 hours (make sure there is plenty of water and check at 8 hours, because this could be done at 6 hours and get burnt and crusty if you're not careful and don't add plenty of water).

Add milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup or sweetener as desired once done. Otherwise it will be too bland. I prefer mine more runny and milky, and not thick mush.

You can also put the spices in during the night (even when i used a whole cinnamon stick)--though mine still seem lacking in flavor this way sometimes. so dont forget the salt and extra fixings. And the best option would be to soak the oats for about 12 hrs (with a spoonful of kefir, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or buttermilk), and then cook it slow. This helps to break down the phytic acid in the whole grains and makes it fluffier and easier for you body to digest.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

This recipe is from the 365 days of slowcooking blog. Cheryl thinks it's great, so I'm posting it. :)

Crock Pot version
Makes about 2 quarts (about 8 servings)
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 c finely diced celery
1 c finely diced carrots
1 c finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 c chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ c flour
1 c Parmesan cheese
½ c butter
2 c milk, warmed
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Stove-Top Version
If you want to make this recipe on the stove-top you can! Here is the adjusted recipe:

3 c diced tomatoes with juice (you can use canned)

1 c finely diced celery

1 c finely diced carrots

1 T fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried

4 cchicken broth

1/2 c flour

1 c parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 c vegetable oil

1 c finely diced onions

4 T fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dried

1/2 bay leaf

1/2 c butter

2 c milk

1 tsp salt

1. Heat oil in 4 quart soup pot. Add celery, onions and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender (15 minutes).

2. While soup simmers, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add back into soup pot.

3. Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend. Stir warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Simple Wassail

4 c water (or to taste)
2 sticks cinnamon
2-4 cloves
1 orange, sliced
46 oz. apple juice
optional: splash of cranberry juice (or handful of cranberries)

Throw everything in the crockpot and simmer for a few hours.

This is GREAT for the holidays and simple...makes your house smell wonderful!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (so there's not too much liquid)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T dried oregano
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 15-ounce containers fresh ricotta or cottage cheese
2 c. grated mozzarella (8 ounces)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
16 lasagna noodles (about 3/4 of a 1-pound box)
5 oz baby spinach (about 6 cups packed)

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper (12 turns on pepper mill).

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.
In the bottom of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce.
Top with 4 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary.)
Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.
Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture.
Top with the remaining 4 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.
Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are cooked (about 3 1/2 hours). (If there is too much liquid, just lift the lid off a little, so some steam/liquid can escape)

*from http://www.doitdelicious.com/

Whole Chicken- Frugal Cooking

I found this great post about how to make the most of chicken for a meal--a whole chicken. I've never bought a whole chicken before, but I was inspired by this article to try.

I'm won. I can make a lot of meals out of just one chicken by using the whole chicken and it's parts. IT's smart because I can do it by scratch if I have to, it could be frugal if I buy on sale, and it's more healthy to cook it slowly from scratch this way and to have nourishing bone broth that gets a full range of nutrients (from the bones and the giblets), including vitamin D which you can only otherwise get from the sun.

Here's my process of crockpot cooking a whole chicken, with tips and some meal ideas.

Slowcook the Whole Chicken
Place the whole chicken in the crockpot, breast side up.  Keep giblets inside cavity if desired, but make sure all packing is removed (I prefer to only use giblets if they are organic, so free from pesticides and other toxic things). Season the chicken (I sprinkle salt and parsley on top...a general flavoring so it can be used in multiple meals) and place other things in if desired (onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, etc.). Cook high for 1-2 hours, then low for 5-8. Then pick off the chicken once cooked.

MEAL 1: Chicken with potatoes and gravy and green beans

Strain the Juices -- keep Gelatin/Chicken Fat
After the chicken is cooked you can strain the juices from the bottom of the pot and pour into a dish. Place in fridge and let it set. Once set there will be two distinct layers. You can scoop off the top layer--chicken fat (which is great for sauteing)--and then use the remaining gelatin as concentrated broth. It should last a few weeks. I generally use the remaining gelatin for 1-2 soups (one half for each weekly soup). Or you can give the gelatin to your baby...it is probably the best, most nutrient-dense fat for baby!

Leftover Chicken Meat
I do a quick pulling off of remaining meat I see and put that in a container in the fridge--lasts at least a full week (or freeze for a few months). If I know I want shredded chicken for a later meal I will just shred it then. And don't stress about getting all the meat, because you have another chance to find more later after the next step, which will be the next day.

MEAL 2: Leftover Chicken Meat
One Pot Wonder (various types of spaghetti and such)
BBQ Sandwiches
Burritos
Zucchini Tostadas
Pot Pie
Caesar Wraps
Chicken Salad,

Slowcook the Bones (and giblets, optional)
Once the chicken is picked out, leave the giblets and bones in the crockpot and cover with water. Cook all day in the crockpot. (The author mentions to put a splash of vinegar in the pot so it can help withdraw more nutrients from the bones into the broth! Cool tip.) Discard bones when done and either make a soup with the broth, put in the fridge to let it get gelatinous (the post says you can use that for healthy fat baby food) to use for later, or freeze for even later.

MEAL 3: Chicken Broth Type Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup (just add onions, carrots, chicken, noodles and salt and pepper)
white chicken chili

MEAL 4: Chili
Cut up the giblets and disguise them in a hamburger type chili. Giblets are a nutritional powerhouse!

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If you don't want to do the crockpot, here is the alternative Oven Method:
Place into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees to seal in the juices, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and cook for approximately 1 1/2 more hours. You can check for doneness by pulling away the thigh, if the juices run clear the chicken is done. Some people also like to use a meat thermometer. I never do, but if so, you will want it to read 180 degrees in the thickest part of the breast or thigh. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red onion(s), chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. table salt
1/4 t. dried oregano, crushed
1/4 t. black pepper
1 lb. chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 c chicken broth
12 whole wheat tortillas
3/4 c Mexican-style cheese


Place garlic, onion, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, salt, oregano and pepper in a 3-quart slow cooker; stir well. Add chicken and broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours; drain off liquid (there should be about 6 cups of burrito mixture).

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of burrito mixture down center of each tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Fold bottom 1/3 of tortilla to center. Fold left side to center; fold right side to center, covering filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

*submitted by Jenny Kosin (and Caroline) from weightwatchers.com

Tender Slowcooker Pork Chops

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup flour (I use brown rice, ground)
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I use ground brown rice)
lots of salt (to taste)
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream (I use yogurt, or you can do milk)

1.Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.
2.Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Cover, and cook on Low 7 to 8 hours.
3. Take out pork chops and salt remaining sauce.
4.Optional: In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to High for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is more thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

*Serve over yummy mashed potatoes or with a bed of rice or noodles! The meat was so tender and delicious! My husband said he'd never had such great chops!

Another alternative is to just take 5 minutes and make the gravy on the stove instead of the 15-20 minutes back in the pot.

*from allrecipes.com

Cranberry Cider

3 1/2 qts water
1 (12 oz) pkg fresh cranberries
1 1/2 c. sweetener (honey is great if you have that much)
2 oranges, juiced
2 lemons, juiced
12 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks

In a large pot, combine water and cranberries. Bring to a boil (cranberries will pop, so cover the pot), reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add sweetener, orange juice, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Cover, and steep for 1 hour. Strain and remove sticks and cloves (cranberries are optional..I prefer them in).

Yummy! This is definitely a keeper for our family Christmas tradition, and it makes the house smell , delicious! Just add more sweetener if it's too strong.

*from allrecipes.com

EASY Crock Pot Yogurt

1/2 gallon milk
1/2 c. yogurt
Recipe notes: This recipe uses a 2 quart crock. In using a 4 or 4 1/2 quart crock I found the yogurt to have a bit of a "springy" texture. I was able to alleviate this by heating the milk an additional 15 minutes for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Turn your crock pot to low and pour in 1/2 gallon of milk. Heat on low for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Once 2 hours and 30 minutes have elapsed turn your crock pot off and unplug it. Let the milk cool in the crock with the lid on for 3 hours. After 3 hours remove 1-2 cups of the warmed milk and place in a bowl. To that add 1/2 cup of yogurt with live active cultures and mix very well. Pour the yogurt-milk mixture back into the milk and whisk thoroughly. Place the cover back on the crock and wrap the entire crock pot in a thick bath towel or two. Let it culture overnight, 8-12 hours. In the morning stir yogurt (if desired) and store in glass quart jars or a container of your choice. For optimum texture, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using.

I used a 64 oz empty yogurt container to put the newly made yogurt in. And it tastes good! I highly recommend not having to buy your own yogurt again if you eat yogurt regularly (which is healthy because of the active like cultures (probiotics)..which build healhty bacteria in your intestines (that counteracts the bad bacteria).
*from www.nourishingdays.com

TIP: Make yogurt Cheese by straining yogurt (cheesecloth/muslin over bowl and let whey/juice drain for 24 hours). Add salt and use as a cream cheese alternative.

Mexican Mud Soup

1 lb. chicken, cubed
1 c. dried black beans, rinsed (or 2 cans, drained)
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. mushrooms (opt.)
1 c. corn (or 1 can)
1 jar salsa
1 1/2 t. cumin powder
1/2 c. sour cream (opt. topping)
other opt. toppings: cilantro, avacado, cheese, chips, etc.

Put all in a crockpot (dried beans at the bottom so they cook a long time, but I'd boil 10 mins first to help them break down a little better) and cook for 4 hours on high (if using canned beans, reduce time to about an hour).

Submitted by Shelley Schneider