Flower Pot Banana Bread

now... i've begun trying to make this three times, in three crock pots... the pot i bought is too big.
Tonite is the nite! I'm getting a smaller flower pot.

You can make banana bread IN a flower pot IN your crock pot!

here is the link:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotdessertrecipes/r/bl45c4.htm

i'm fascinated by this... but below i've copied the recipe, and i'll let you know how it turns out!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup ripe bananas; mashed, 2 to 3 medium bananas
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 flower pot, terra cotta, about 6 1/2 inch size, to fit in crockpot

Preparation:

Wash a new flower pot well; grease then line with waxed paper, cutting to fit. Note: Make sure the flower pot fits in your crockpot, or use a 2-pound coffee can. Grease the waxed paper. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter, then add sugar, eggs and bananas, blending thoroughly. Combine milk and lemon juice to banana mixture, alternately add flour and milk mixture, then stir in nuts. Pour mixture into prepared flower pot and place in crockpot. Place liner in base. Cover with 2 to 3 paper towels. Cover crockpot and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Do not lift lid to check on it until last hour.

*for gluten free use a good blended gluten free baking flour mix

The Lady's Creamy Mac and Cheese - in a crock pot!

Last night I made:
Paual Deen's Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, courtesy of this Food Network site:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/creamy-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

it was pretty good, it is in no way gluten free.
Comments included, but were not limited to: "Did you get this mac & cheese from Boston Market? because its amazing, maybe better than Boston Market." and "This is the bomb-diggety."

I had read on a few other sites where it had been posted that people tried the recipe without eggs.  I ended up deciding to use 2 eggs instead of the 3... but i think had I added the third it would have been just as good or better.
NOTE:
This is NOT a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese tasting mac... its a little more sophisticated.

Ingredients:
2 Cups uncooked elbow macaroni (I actually used rotini)
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces (1/2 a stick)
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed Cheddar Cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 Cup of whole milk
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions:
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

* note: I didnt have 3 hours - so I put the CP on high for 1 1/2... it either worked swimmingly, or I contracted Salmonela - so I'll keep you posted.

You may be thinking to yourself: "That does sound delicious, but Paula Deen's recipes are rich in flavor and in calories" - that is why I made: "Oven-Baked Super Crispy Fried Chicken" to offset the Mac.
Only 290 calories a serving.

Recipe can be found here:
http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/super-crunchy-fried-chicken-315

it was really tasty - the only thing is - I had to double the buttermilk concotion because my bowl was more deep than shallow I guess... I used more hot pepper sauce than it called for, and along with being generous with the other spices added to the "breading" I also added Tony Chachere's for extra flavor.
Note: This recipe says it only takes 16-18 minutes to cook, but it took me more like 30 minutes - at 18 minutes the middle of the breast was still very raw.

and to my two followers: Have a great week!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!

Tomorrow is St. Patricks day -

so here is a Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe i got from: "Fix-It and Forget-It"

i'll let you know tomorrow how it went!

Not a Crock Cornbread Salad

Made this for my office Thanksgiving party last year (courtesy of a recipe exchange w HRM), then for the UF v. FSU then like 3 other times. its not in a crock pot but its super easy and awesome.  I will definitely make it for Tailgates in the Fall.

Cornbread Salad

2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix

4 tomatoes

1 green pepper

1 onion

1 lb bacon

1 packet hidden valley ranch mix

Cook corn muffin mix with directions, then once cool, crumble it.

Dice the tomatoes, green pepper, and onion.

Cook and crumble bacon.

Prepare the ranch dressing according to the directions on the packet.

(if in a hurry you could use the bottled ranch)

Layer the ingredients in a large bowl starting with the corn muffin crumbles, tomatoes, green pepper, onion, and bacon. Drizzle ranch dressing on top. Continue layering until you are out of ingredients.

shout out

Shout out to my first "follower" NIC. Thanks :) I'm going to try to make something tonite - if its good it will be up here tomorrow!

Thanksgiving Lima Beans

For Thanksgiving - I made Lima Beans (actually - i made three different vegetables in my very cool three-pot-crockpot courtesy of AES)

(Lima Beans are the one on the right)

Basically - I put in a can or two of drained canned lima beans, added "ham hock" - as you can see kind of a lot of it - and then poured chicken stock liquid until the beans were covered.
thats it - just cooked on high while the other thanksgiving things were being prepared bc the lima beans were already cooked (maybe about an hour on high, then low til we served... another 30 minutes or so?).

canned Lima Beans (drained)
Ham Hock (to taste)
Chicken Stock/Broth (to cover beans)
Salt/Pepper to taste.

Awesome Easy BBQ Pulled Chicken

Last summer I discovered this recipe on McCormick's website:

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Slow-Cooker/Slow-Cookers-BBQ-Pulled-Chicken.aspx

it's delicious for bbq pulled chicken - I made it 3 times the first week!

I can never find the packets of "McCormicks Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning" - so instead i use a BBQ Pork Rub (a lot of it) and then also add additional sprinkles of just regular "BBQ Spice" like Grill Mates.

NOTE: you can also skip the whole "bbq sauce" making part and just pour one full bottle of your fav bbq sauce overtop of the chicken. that works too - but this sauce is pretty tasty so try it once! 

Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Chicken:

Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours on LOW or 2 1/2 hours on HIGH

2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package McCormick® Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.

2. Mix Seasoning, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and water until blended. Pour over chicken. Cover.

3. Cook 5 hours on LOW or 2 1/2 hours on HIGH. Remove chicken from slow cooker.

4. Shred chicken using 2 forks. Return chicken to slow cooker; mix and heat with sauce before serving. Serve on sandwich rolls, if desired.

Test Kitchen Tip: Substitute 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs for chicken breasts. Cook 4 hours on HIGH.

Slow Cooker Tip: For best results, do not remove cover during cooking.

per serving

Calories: 236
Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Cholesterol: 78 mg
Sodium: 780 mg
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 29 g