Crockpot Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (with fresh tomatoes)

10-12+ fresh tomatoes, any kind, peeling & seeds removed*, roughly chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1-2 T. Italian seasoning

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-1 c. chopped onion, I used frozen

8 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained, optional

24-30 frozen meatballs, optional

1 T. sugar or brown sugar, cuts down acidity

2 bay leaves, remove before serving

angel hair spaghetti, cooked and drained

6 oz. can tomato paste, optional

Parmesan cheese, optional

*Cored tomatoes can be placed in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute and immediately placed in a bowl of ice water. This will cause the skins to slip off easily. The tomatoes I had were pretty ripe so I just cored & peeled them, then squeezed them with my hand over a bowl. The seeds and juice all went in the bowl. I then roughly chopped the tomatoes and placed them in the bottom of a lined crockpot. Add Italian seasoning, garlic, peppers, onion, bay leaves & sugar. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. The sauce will reduce by half. If you want a less chunky sauce, use a blender or potato masher. Add tomato paste for a thicker sauce. (I didn't have any to add, but the consistency was good.) Add frozen meatballs and mushrooms. Cook an additional 30-40 minutes until they are done. Remove bay leaves. Serve over angel hair spaghetti, or whatever pasta you desire. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. I also served this with a Caesar salad. Yummy!

Recipe may be doubled.

1st pic: bowl of tomato juice and seeds; 2nd pic: all indredients in crockpot, ready to cook; 3rd pic: meatballs and mushrooms added; 4th pic: ready to eat!

Crockpot Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins (2-2 1/2 lbs total)

1 T. oil

1/2 t. salt

2/3 c. honey

1/4 c. chicken broth or water

2 T. soy sauce, or teriyaki glaze is good too!

2 T. minced garlic

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 T. cornstarch

1/8-1/4 t. red pepper flakes, optional, but highly recommended

Combine all ingredients. Place liner in crockpot. Place 1/2 of sauce in bottom. Add pork tenderloins. Cover with remaining sauce. Cook on low for 3 hours until done. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing. I served with baked macaroni and cheese, Caesar salad, homegrown sliced tomatoes, and fresh crockpot apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream & caramel sauce for dessert. Yummy!

The pork tenderloin was so tender and delicious!

*recipe for sauce may be doubled for larger tenderloins.

1st picture: after resting, sliced, ready to serve. 2nd picture: ready to eat! So tender and delicious!

Chocolate Covered Caramels

1 can Eaglebrand milk, unopened

chocolate/butterscotch candy melts, your choice

candy molds

Place milk in pan of water. Be sure can is covered. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for at least 3 hours. (I have seen some people do this in a crockpot on low for 8 hours, might be more economical) Be sure to keep can covered. Remove from heat, being careful not to burn yourself. Cool on rack. Open can to reveal caramel. It will be thick. Melt (chocolate) candy melts in microwave as directed, be careful not to scortch. Coat the inside of the mold with melted chocolate. The easiest way to make a thin layer is to use a small new paintbrush. Allow candy melt time to set up, placing in refrigerator will speed this up, but not necessary, it won't take long. Add caramel until almost level then add more candy melt to seal the edges. Chill until it is solid. Pop out of mold.

*My husband and dad both love caramels! My dad doesn't like chocolate much so I may try to make this without the chocolate and see how it turns out. Update: In talking to a friend today, she suggested using a different flavor candy melt like butterscotch or vanilla. She felt like the candy melt was needed to hold the caramel together. She's probably right!

Hocus Pocus Buns (aka Resurrection Rolls*)

crescent rolls

marshmallows

melted butter

cinnamon sugar mixture

Dip marshmallows in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar. Place one in each crescent roll. Bake as directed on can. The marshmallows will disappear!

*Resurrection Rolls signify the empty tomb

Increasing Store Bought Icing in Size

1 container of premade cake frosting, any type

Place frosting in a bowl and whip for several minutes with a mixer. This will add air to the frosting, doubling it in size. You will be able to frost more cupcakes, cake layers, etc...for the same amount of frosting. This will also cut down the amount of calories/sugar per serving. 

Fruit Fly Trap

1 T. liquid dish detergent

1 jarful of apple cider vinegar

Place plastic wrap over opening of jar and secure with rubber band. Poke tiny holes in plastic wrap. Place jar in area where fruit flies have been seen. They will enter the jar through the holes, but they won't be able to get out. Works great!

Kathy's Fancy Pumpkin/Flower Cupcakes

pumpkin cupcake recipe, your choice, (other flavors are ok too)

butterscotch or pumpkin chips, optional*

cream cheese icing, store bought or homemade, your choice

pastel color miniature marshmallows, sliced in half diagonally

colored sugar

candy corn pumpkins, optional (any kind of candy can be used for the center of the flower)

Prepare cupcake as recipe directs. Depending on the sweetness of the recipe, you may not need to add the flavored chips to the batter. Pour in paper lined muffin tins. Bake as directed. Cool. Frost with cream cheese icing. Place colored sugar in a sandwich size ziploc bag. Add sliced marshmallows. Shake until all petals are covered with sugar. Place the petals on the icing (see picture below). Add another row of different color petals. Place pumpkin candy in center. These are so cute for a party or celebration, and a lot easier to make than most people think.

Baked Apple Fritters

1 1/2 c. SR flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 t. apple pie spice

1/4 t. salt

6 T. butter, cut into pieces

1/2 c. milk

1 egg

1 t. vanilla 

1 c. finely chopped apple

Glaze: 

1 c. confectioners sugar

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, apple pie spice, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla. (Higher fat milk is better for consistency, may need to adjust recipe.) Add to flour mixture. Stir until well combined. Gently stir in apple. Drop* by 1/4 c. onto baking sheet. Smaller fritters can be made using 1 T. batter. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown and center is set. (for smaller fritters, check at 8 min). Remove to a wire rack and turn oven to broil. Prepare glaze ny whisking confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Brush a thin layer on fritters. Place under broiler. Broil 2-4 minutes or until tops start to turn golden and glaze bubbles. Carefully remove baking sheet to wire rack. Brush remaining glaze over warm fritters. Allow glaze to set up before serving. Best eaten the same day.

*Batter should hold it's shape when dropped on baking sheet. If it seems too thin, add 2-4 T. flour before baking.

Crockpot Apple Cider

1 gallon apple cider

8 Chai tea bags

thin orange slices

Pour apple cider into crockpot. Add 8 chai tea bags, leaving the strings with tags hanging out. Cook on low for 3 hours, lowering temperature to keep warm for serving. Add orange slices if desired. Yummy!

*I got this recipe from a friend who used an insta-pot/ninja type pot. She did not put the lid on while it was "cooking".

Oreo Cookie Crumble Cake

1 pkg. double stuff Oreos (enough for a 9x13 dish), about 28 cookies

1 can Eaglebrand milk

8 oz. cool whip, thawed

chocolate cake mix, dry 

1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into thin squares

Place oreos in one layer in bottom of 9x13 dish that has been *generously sprayed. Cover with Eaglebrand milk. Spread cool whip evenly over milk. Add dry cake mix and spread evenly. Place pats of butter on top of cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Do NOT overbake. Cool 2 minutes, before serving warm. May serve with vanilla ice cream or more whipped topping if desired.

*If it is not sprayed well, it will be hard to clean off later without soaking.

Pictures: #1 oreos as bottom layer in well sprayed 9x13 dish; #2 Eaglebrand milk poured on top of oreos; #3 thawed cool whip spread over milk; #4 dry cake mix spread evenly over cool whip; #5 pats of butter on top of cake mix, ready to bake; #6 after baking; #7 ready to eat! I served it with vanilla ice cream.

No Bake Pina Colada Lush

2 c. graham cracker crumbs (about 14 full sheets of crackers), optional: vanilla wafers,  vanilla oreos

1/2 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 c. confectioners sugar

1 t. vanilla, rum, or coconut extract/flavoring

2 c. milk*

1 pkg (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla or coconut cream pudding mix* (may add coconut flavoring to vanilla)

8 oz. cool whip, thawed (2 c.)

1/2 c. sweetened coconut, toasting is optional

maraschino cherries, optional

chopped pecans, optional

Combine crumbs, brown sugar and butter. Press into bottom and up sides of 9x13 dish. Beat cream cheese, pineapple, and confectioners sugar. Stir in extract/flavoring. Spread on top of crust. Beat together milk and pudding mix until thickened, about 2 minutes. Fold in 1 c. cool whip. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining cool whip. Sprinkle coconut over top. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with cherries and pecans before serving, if desired.

*This was a delicious recipe, although next time I might just use 1 1/2 c. milk instead of 2 c. as it wasn't as set as I would have liked. Or maybe use two boxes of pudding mix like I do with the strawberry cheesecake lush recipe. Depends on your preferance.

1st picture: homemade crust. 2nd picture: cream cheese mixture layer. 3rd picture: cool whip layer. 4th picture: coconut added, ready to refrigerate. 5th picture: ready to eat.

Crockpot Polynesian Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, or tenderloins

1 1/2 c. Polynesian sauce (I used chic-fil-a)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped (I used a variety of peppers for color)

20 oz. canned pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained well

1 T. ginger, optional

rice, cooked, optional

sesame seeds, optional

crushed red pepper flakes, optional

green onions, chopped, optional

Place chicken in lined crockpot. place chicken in bottom. Add peppers, onions, sauce, pineapple and ginger. Stir to combine ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve over cooked rice and topped with sesame seeds, green onions, & pepper flakes, if desired. I served with a caesar salad.

1st picture is before adding sauce. 2nd picture is after sauce added, before cooking. 3rd picture is ready to eat.