Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

2 lbs. chicken breasts or tenderloins, I used 10-12 tenderloins

freeze dried red onion (equivalent of 1 onion)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2, 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained

1 medium green pepper, chopped

8 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

2 t. Italian seasoning

Natures seasoning blend, to taste

cooked rice or pasta to serve over

fresh parsley, chopped, optional

fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Place liner in crockpot. Place everything except last 3 ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over cooked rice or pasta. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Serve with Caesar salad.

*Chicken may be shredded or chopped, once it is done, and returned back to crockpot to serve.

**For a richer, thicker sauce: Uncover the crockpot and set it to cook on HIGH for 1 hour to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavor to develop fully. Before serving, stir in 1 t. balsamic vinegar. Taste, and season, with additional seasonings if needed. 

Orange Juice Cake

2 1/2 c. SR flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

3.4oz box instant lemon pudding mix, dry

1/2 c. butter, room temperature

3 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3/4 c. orange juice

3/4 c. oil

Glaze:

1 1/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. orange juice

3 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a bundt or angel food cake pan. Set aside. Combine flour, sugar, dry pudding, and butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, orange juice and oil. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, batter will be thick. Pour into pan. Bake 50-55 minutes until toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Invert cake onto serving plate. Poke holes all over cake with toothpick while cake is still hot. Combine glaze ingredients. (May need to warm in microwave slightly to dissolve powdered sugar completely.) Pour glaze over cake and allow cake to rest for at least 30 minutes to absorb glaze before serving.

*This cake was very tasty. It reminded me of my grandmother's Apricot Nectar cake, but it was more dense.

Edible Playdoh

1/4 c. instant vanilla pudding*

1 c. cornstarch, divided

warm water

Combine dry pudding mix with 1/2 c. cornstarch. Add water. Stir with a fork until the right consistency for you. Keep stirring until all the water is absorbed. The dough will be very sticky. Don't try to pick it up with your fingers yet. Add in more cornstarch, a little at a time. When it gets too hard to stir with a fork, knead with your hands. Keep adding cornstarch until no longer sticky. You may not need all the cornstarch.

 *Jello can also be used to make different colors.

Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake with Sour Cream Icing

1 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 t. cinnamon

2 c. SR flour

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

1 t. instant coffee dissolved in 1 T. hot water, optional

Icing:

1 c. sour cream

1 c. powdered sugar

1 c. heavy cream*, or condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 10" springform pan, bundt pan, or 9x13 pan. Cream together the butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, continue beating until thick and light. Sift together the cocoa, cinnamon, and flour. With mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 4 portions, alternating with the buttermilk and coffee, beat until all is well blended. Pour the batter in pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Run a knife around the outside edge of the cake and let the cake cool completely in the pan. Make the icing just before you need it. Combine the sour cream and powdered sugar. Whip the heavy cream until stiff. Mix the two creams together. Release the cake onto the serving platter. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into layers if desired. Spread icing over one layer, carefully place the other layer on top and spread remaining icing on top and sides. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*To make heavy cream: melt 1/4 c. butter and slowly whisk in 3/4 c. whole milk.

*condensed milk can also be used instead of whipped heavy cream, but you will need to adjust the amount of powdered sugar used.

Baked Blueberry Donuts

1 c. SR flour

1 T. SR flour (to roll blueberries in)

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. milk, warmed

1 egg

3 T. butter, melted

2 t. vanilla or lemon extract

1 T. lemon zest

2/3 c. frozen or fresh blueberries*

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. lemon zest

Preheat oven to 425. (I used a silicone pan so I only heated to 400**.) Spray or grease baking pan generously. Set on baking sheet. Combine flour and sugar. Set aside. Combine milk, egg, melted butter, extract, and zest. Whisk to combine. Add to flour mixture. Toss blueberries in flour to coat (to prevent sinking to the bottom of pan.) Gently fold into wet batter. Mixture will be thick. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 12 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely before icing. Makes 6 donuts.

For the icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest, until smooth. Dip/ice donuts and allow to dry. 

*May substitute mini chocolate chips, m&m's, etc..if desired. For the icing, I just used powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Chocolate icing could also be used to frost the donuts.

**My silicone pan said not to heat over 400. Time may need to be adjusted.

Crockpot Cabbage and Hamburger Soup

 2-3 pounds of hamburger (can substitute ground turkey), cooked, drained, and rinsed

1 head of cabbage, chopped

2 cup celery, diced

2 cup white or yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

5-6 cups beef broth

2 - 14 oz can basil, oregano, garlic diced tomatoes

2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoon basil

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

few shakes of black pepper

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

Put all the ingredients in lined crock pot, stir it around. Cook on high between 5-6 hours or cook on low between 6-8 hours.

Fruit Topping for Ice Cream or Cake

12 oz. can frozen juice concentrate, any kind

1/4 c. cornstarch

12 oz. bag frozen blueberries or strawberries

Pour thawed juice in saucepan. Dissolve cornstarch in can of cold water. Add to juice. Thicken, stirring constantly. Add frozen fruit. Simmer 1 minute. Turn off. Will thicken as it cools.

Merry's Cake Mix Pound Cake

1 box cake mix with pudding*, any flavor

4 eggs

1/3 c. oil

1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding

1 c. water

powdered sugar

milk

flavoring (orange, lemon, or pineapple juice)

Combine first 6 ingredients. Beat 2 minutes. Pour in sprayed bundt pan. Cook 1 hour at 350. Cool. Invert. Combine powdered sugar, milk, and flavoring (depending on what flavor cake mix). Spread on cooled cake.

*cake mixes used to be 18 oz. but now they are 15 oz. An additional 2/3 c. yellow or white cake mix will need to added to the batter to make cake come out right.

Sweet Potato Balls

3 c. mashed sweet potatoes

1 c. pecans, chopped

1 egg

margarine or butter

1 t. salt

8 marshmallows

1 T. cold water

coconut

Season potatoes with salt*. Add margarine and pecans. Mold into balls around marshmallows. Beat egg. Add water. Dip each ball on egg and roll in coconut. Place on sprayed baking pan and bake 25 minutes at 375 until slightly browned.

*1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1/2 c. sugar/brown sugar could also be added if desired

Apple Cranberry Cookie Cobbler

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

3 T. flour

20 oz. pkg. refrigerated sugar cookie dough, cut in half

16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce*

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400. Cut apple slices in half. Place in sprayed 4 qt dish. Combine cranberry sauce, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix well. Pour over apples. Mix well. Reserve 1/2 of cookie dough for another use. Slice cookie dough into 1/4" thick slices. Arrange evenly over apple mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes pr until apples are tender and top is golden brown. Makes 10 servings. 

*May substitute cherry pie filling if desired

Grammie's Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. peanut butter

1 egg

1 c. sugar

Combine all ingredients. Roll in balls or drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 c. SR flour

3 t. pumpkin pie spice

4 eggs

2 c. canned pumpkin, not filling

1 c. chopped pecans, optional

3 c. sugar

1 c. oil

2/3 c. water

1 c. raisins, optional

Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake for 1 hour at 350, or pour in muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

*May add cinnamon chips, butterscotch chips, or pumpkin chips to batter if desired. Decorate with candy corn if desired.

Heavenly Hash

12 oz. chocolate chips

2 c. pecans

1 small pkg. miniature marshmallows

1 can condensed milk

Melt chips. Add milk, pecans, and marshmallows. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. When firm, store in airtight container.

Crockpot Ravioli and Meatballs

1 bag frozen ravioli

1 bag frozen meatballs

2 jars spaghetti sauce

Parmesan cheese

24 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread 1 jar saice in bottom of lined crockpot. Top with ravioli, meatballs, and 1/2 of cheese. Top with 2nd jar of sauce and rest of mozarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with Caesar salad and Italian cheese bread.

Pina Colada

 4 oz. coco lopez cream of coconut

4 oz. pineapple juice

3 oz. rum*

2 c. ice

Mix well in blender. Garnish with a pineapple slice and cherry.

*rum can be left out for a family friendly drink

Quick and Easy Key Lime Pie

1 graham cracker or pecan crust

1 can condensed milk

1/3 c. sour cream

2/3 c. lime juice

lime slices, lime zest, whipped cream, for garnish

Combine milk, sour cream, and lime juice. Beat on medium high speed until thick and smooth. Pour in crust. Top with zest, if desired. Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours or until completely set. Top with whipped cream and thin lime slices, to serve. Enjoy!

Cake Mix Fruit Cocktail Cake

 1 yellow cake mix*

16 oz. fruit cocktail, undrained

1 1/2 c. coconut, divided

2 eggs

1/2 c. brown sugar

whipped topping, optional

Preheat oven to 325. Combine cake mix*, fruit cocktail with juice, 1 c. coconut, and eggs. Blend and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour batter in sprayed 9x13 pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining coconut and brown sugar. Bake 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped topping if desired.

*cake mixes used to be 18 oz., but nowadays they are only 15 oz. You will need to add another 2/3 c. yellow or white cake mix to insure the recipe comes out right.

Old Fashioned Fruit Cocktail Cake

2 c. SR flour

15 oz. fruit cocktail, undrained

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. sugar

Sauce: 

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. coconut

1 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 c. evaporated milk

1 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 dish. Combine first 5 ingredients on low until blended. Scrape down sides and beat again on low for 1 minute more. Pour in dish. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. While cake is baking, combine all sauce ingredients in saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once mixture is boiling, continue stirring and boil for 1-2 minutes. Pour over hot cake and quickly spread with spatula for even coverage.

Faye's Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

1 can fruit cocktail, drained, reserve juice

1 stick butter

1 c. evaporated milk

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

2 eggs

2 c. SR flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 c. coconut

1 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients except fruit and juice. Add enough water to juice to make 1 c. Add to mixture. Add fruit. Pour in sprayed 9x13 pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and 1/2 c. coconut on top. Bake at 350 for 445 minutes. Combine other ingredients. Pour over cake. 

*This is the way Faye gave the recipe to me, but I didn't realize that some of the directions are missing until after she was gone. I have another Fruit cocktail cake recipe on the blog that can be used to help figure this one out if needed.

Linda's Christmas Cheesecake

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

4 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

melted chocolate

1/2 c. butter, softened

2, 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

2 T. lemon juice

1/3-1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Combine flour, butter, and brown sugar. Pat in 9' round ungreased cake pan. Bake at 350 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Using electric mixer, combine all remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips and melted chocolate. Blend until smooth. Add chocolate chips and stir in. Spread over cooled crust. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool. Drizzle melted chocolate on top of cake. 

Colleen's Marbled Pumpkin Cake

1 c. pumpkin

1 yellow cake mix*

3/4 c. sour cream

1/2 c. oil

powdered sugar

2 t. cinnamon

4 eggs

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. water

Combine pumpkin and cinnamon in bowl. Combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, sugar, oil and water in a large bowl. Beat on low speed until moistened. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir 2 1/2 c. batter into pumpkin mixture. Alternately spoon plain and pumpkin batter into sprayed bundt or tube pan. Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center is clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Invert onto plate and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

*Cake mixes used to be 18 oz but now are 15 oz. Add 2/3 c. yellow or white cake mix to adjust for this so cake will turn out right.

**May also use chocolate cake inix instead of yellow for a marbled look.

**I've added butterscotch or pumpkin chips to this cake too.

Grandma's No Fail 7 Minute Icing

1 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cream of tartar

2 egg whites

3 T. water

1 t. vanilla

Combine all ingredients, except vanilla, in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Place over medium low heat and beat with electric mixer constantly for 5-7 minutes, until icing is fluffy amd stiff peaks form when beaters are removed. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Ice cake. *It takes 2 recipes to ice a layer cake.

Lucille's Japanese Fruit Cake with Filling and Icing

1 c. butter, softened

4 eggs

3 c. SR flour 

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. ground cloves

2 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 c. milk

1 t. allspice

1 c. raisins, optional

Filling:

2 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

grated rind of 2 lemons

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1 c. boiling water

15 1/4 oz. crushed pineapple

2 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat eggs until light. Add gradually to butter mixture. Add vanilla, and beat well. Add flour, alternating with milk, to the butter batter. Put half the batter into 2 sprayed 8" cake pans. Add spices and raisins to remaining batter. Place in 2 more sprayed 8" cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Combine all filling ingredients, except coconut and pecans. Cook for 5 minutes or until thick. Cool. Add pecans. Spread on layers of cake. Sprinkle with coconut. *May also be iced with "Grandma's no fail 7 minute frosting" instead, sprinkle with coconut.

Grandma's No Fail 7 Minute Icing:

1 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cream of tartar

2 egg whites

3 T. water

1 t. vanilla

Combine all ingredients, except vanilla, in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Place over medium low heat and beat with electric mixer constantly for 5-7 minutes, until icning is fluffy amd stiff peaks form when beaters are removed. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.Ice cake. *It takes 2 recipes to ice a layer cake.

Faye's Prune Cake

3 1/2 c. sugar, divided

2 1/2 c. SR flour

1 c. mashed cooked prunes

1 c. pecans, chopped

1 t. cinnamon

2 t. vanilla, divided

2 T. red or white syrup (Karo)

1 c. oil

2 c. buttermilk, divided

3 eggs

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. allspice

1/2 c. margarine

Mix together 1 1/2 c. sugar, flour, oil, 1 c. buttermilk, prunes, eggs, pecans, spices and 1 t. vanilla. Pour in sprayed 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done. Combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Pour over cake while both are hot.

Dr. Bird Cake

3 c. SR flour

1 t. cinnamon

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil

1 1/2 t. vanilla

3 eggs

3 bananas, diced

8 oz. crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan. Sift together dry ingredients. Add undrained pineapple, oil, vanilla, eggs, and bananas. Mix until blended. Do not beat! Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing. (or leave in pan if desired)

Christmas Meltaways

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

1/2 c. powdered/confectioners sugar

1/2 c. cornstarch

1 t. vanilla or almond extract

1 c. SR flour

Glaze:

1 1/2 c. confectioners sugar

3-4 T. milk, divided

1/4 t. almond extract

Sprinkles:

red and green sugar

nonpareils

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugar, and cornstarch. Add extract. Mix well. Add flour to the batter. Mix until dough clumps together. Scoop onto baking sheets. Flatten with bottom of cup dipped in powdered sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes until set. Do not overbake. Whisk glaze ingredients together, adding milk 1 t. at a time until desired consistency. (Keep it slightly thick.) Spoon on cooled cookies. Immediately add sprinkles/colored sugar/nonpareils, etc... on top of wet glaze. Allow glaze to harden. Store in airtight container.