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A to Z Recipes Newsletter
April 17, 2005
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Publisher's Desk
Ramblings
Did You Know?
Monthly Theme
Reader Support
NEW Birthday Babies
Discussion Forum
Crazy Corner
Jean's Crockpot Favorites
Heart Healthy
Publisher's Choice
Good Sunday morning to everyone. I really dislike working on Sundays. Being a Catholic, it means missing Mass. Of course, as my mother is wont to say: "go to Mass
on Saturday night!" Well, by the time I get off from work (I work 12-hour shifts on weekends), that Mass is over! Oh, well. You know WHO knows my heart is
in church, even if my body isn't, lol. We have a great issue today. I hope you will find something to save from what is here. Besides the great recipes (thanks to
Jean!) we have lots more. Please read the note which follows the next paragraph. Have a wonderful day, however you spend it.
Do you own a crockpot? Many folks do. I had a crockpot but lost it when I brought food in it to work. I have to believe someone else really needed it and couldn't
afford one of their own, lol. But, I finally got one as a "Secret Pal" gift. It is a Rival 6qt
Crockpot. I love it! It is fancier and larger than my old one. So, I've decided to do an issue on crockpot recipes. All of the crockpot recipes in our "Favorites"
are from Jean in Syracuse, NY. My thanks to Jean! Most of these recipes can be adjusted for stove-top cooking so don't turn your nose up if you do not own
a crockpot. There are some convenient timetables for cooking method conversions in the Did You Know? section. We have plenty of goodies for everyone and I
hope you enjoy the issue!
Note from Publisher:
Some information posted in Friday's issue ("Where to Buy Your Gas...") has a well-presented rebuttal in "Urban Legends". Based upon the numbers of emails I have
received, it may seem that it was not a good idea for me to have posted the item. However, I posted the piece (in spite of the "snopes" rebuttal, which I had already
read) because it brings up some very valid points, one of which is to "buy local". Most of our readers are from the United States and I encourage folks to support
companies which will help their own country's economy. I also believe in "buyer beware" and feel we become complacent when making "routine" purchases. Every
purchase has an effect on someone. I would prefer mine to have a positive affect on people who are honest, decent, hardworking, and God-fearing folks. I do not
normally alter information sent for posting so it was pretty much left 'as received'. And I am patriotic to a fault. There is "my" rebuttal. It may have been important
that I post the "snopes" rebuttal, and for that, I apologize. I shied away from it as much of the statistical information is several years old. It also contains what I
feel are jaded opinions with which I disagree. You can see it here. Oh, one more thing:
publishers have the right to post materials as they see fit. Thanks.
Cookbooks, Recipes, Gourmet Cooking from Amazon
THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE
Shared by Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada
Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip
around the sun every year.
How long a minute is
depends on what side of the
bathroom door you're on.
Birthdays are good for you;
the more you have,
the longer you live.
Happiness comes through doors you
didn't even know you left open.
Ever notice that the people who are late
are often much jollier
than the people who have to wait for them?
Most of us go to our grave
with our music still inside of us.
If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day,
how come nothing is free yet?
You may be only one person in the world,
but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun
to only make once.
Don't cry because it's over;
smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp, some are pretty,
some are dull, some have weird names,
and all are different colors....but
they all exist very nicely in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who
can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day, and
know that someone
who thinks you're great
has thought about you today!..
"And that person was me."
Working for God on earth does not pay much,
but His Retirement plan is out of this world.
Crockpot Deals
Crockpot Tips
Many of your favorite recipes can be successfully adapted to the Crockpot if you follow a few simple rules. Here you'll find a basic time and temperature guide for
converting recipes, some do's and don'ts for specific ingredients, and a few tips for making your crock pot dishes more flavorful.
FYI: Crock-Pot?® is the registered trademark of the Rival Company. You'll also find it called crockpot, crockery cooker, crock pot, or slow cooker in many recipes.
Some "slow cookers" heat from the bottom and have a wider range of temperature settings. They can be used for most recipes, but best results are obtained with a
crockery type cooker.
Time Guide
Conventional Recipe / Low (200?°) / High (300?°)
15 - 30 min / 4 - 6 hrs / 1 1/2 - 2 hrs
35 - 45 min / 6 - 10 hrs / 3 - 4 hrs
50 min - 3 hrs / 8 - 12 hrs / 4 - 6 hrs
Vegetables
Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables should be cut no larger than 1 inch thick, and placed in the bottom of the pot, since they take
longer to cook.
Liquids
Usually liquids may be decreased in slow cooking - about half the recommended amount. Unless the dish contains rice or pasta, one cup of liquid is usually
enough.
Pasta and Rice
If a recipe calls for cooked pasta to be added, cook it until just slightly tender before adding to the pot. Add 1/4 extra liquid per 1/4 cup uncooked rice, and use
long grain converted rice for the best results. For long cooking recipes, add cooked rice shortly before serving.
Beans
I find it best to soak beans overnight before cooking them in the crock pot. The Rival brochure recommends presoaking then boiling for at least 10 minutes in
unsalted water, draining, then add to the recipe. Before adding sugar or acidic ingredients, the beans should be softened first, either in the slow cooker or on the
stove top. If your recipe includes tomatoes, salt, or other acidic ingredients, the beans should be tender before beginning. Someone wrote recently that instead of
presoaking, she cooks her beans in the crockpot on low for about 8 hours through the night in water with a little baking soda. In the morning, she drains the beans,
adds the ingredients with fresh liquid, then cooks per recipe directions. Cooking times might be shorter using this method.
Herbs and Spices
Ground herbs and spices tend to dissipate over long cooking times, so it's best to add them near the end of cooking. Whole herbs release flavors over time, so are a
good choice for crockpot cooking. You should taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving.
Milk/Cheese
Milk, sour cream, and cream break down over long periods of cooking, and should be added during the last hour. Condensed cream soups are good substitutions for
milk and can be cooked for extended times. "Healthy," or reduced fat cream soups can be used in any recipe as a substitute. Cheeses don't generally hold up over
extended periods of cooking, so should be added near the end of cooking, or use processed cheeses and spreads.
Soups
Add water only to cover ingredients in soup, and add more after cooking if necessary for a thinner soup. For milk based soups, add 1 or 2 cups of water and during
the last hour, stir in milk, evaporated milk, or cream as called for.
Over long cooking, some dishes may lack flavor, but some extra preparation steps can be worthwhile. Though it isn't necessary to brown most meats first, flavor is
often enhanced by browning, and fat is decreased. Dredging meat or chicken in flour, browning, then deglazing the pan with wine, a little vinegar, or broth and
adding that to the pot can make quite a big difference in flavor. For the best color and texture, ground beef is best browned before using, except in meatloaf or
other similar dishes. To simplify preparation, brown ground beef, drain, and freeze in batches for your crockpot meals. To make a flavorful sauce or gravy from
your cooking liquid, first make a roux of flour and water (roughly 1 tablespoon of each for each cup of liquid) in a medium saucepan. Skim the fat from the cooking
liquid in the slow cooker then add the liquid to the roux. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and reduced. Serve with or over meat and/or vegetables. You
can also add cornstarch dissolved in water (1 or 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 2 or 3 tablespoons cold water, depending on how much liquid you have) directly to the
slow cooker near the end of cooking to thicken the liquids.
Source: Various
Busy Mom Recipes
Here's the scoop on the current theme:
Like many of our readers, I am a busy Mom. I love to cook (and my kids love to eat!). However, finding recipes that are busy-Mom-friendly can be difficult. Who has
the time? Most of us are pretty good cooks. But some of the best recipes take a lot of time and a lot of ingredients. What we are looking for in this coming theme
issue are recipes easy to fix, require no fancy-schmancy ingredients, and will help us prepare great food in our busy lives. The issue will be posted in plenty of time
for Mother's Day. What a wonderful gift to all the Mothers in our group.
Here's a sampler for you:
KONA CHICKEN
Note from Publisher: I found this recipe somewhere about the time I was really missing my old crockpot.
This recipe is made with a bit of honey, wine and soy sauce. It's extraordinarily delicious.
3 lbs chicken, cut up
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
Place chicken in your slow cooker. Mix together onions, soy sauce, wine and water. Pour over top of chicken. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender (3 to 5
hours). Remove chicken from slow cooker. Brush with honey and place in broiler. Broil until golden brown, brushing with honey several times. Serve with sauce from
slow cooker.
Please use this link: Busy Mom Recipes
A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later
than the last Friday of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in your favorite theme recipes in ONE email. If the
number of recipes exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the
following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.
The rules are as follows:
As a service to your fellow readers, please send only recipes that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Recipes that would require
a lot of editing or cleaning up or use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Recipes without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted
or posted without any credit given. There will be NO recipes posted that are from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does
NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.
See the A to Z Recipes Theme Issues collection here:
A to Z Recipes Theme Issues
The theme issue for Busy Mom Recipes has a deadline of April 29, 2005, and will be posted on May 1, 2005.
Please use this link: Busy Mom Recipes
As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox.
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Would you like to celebrate your birthday with us here at A to Z Recipes? We would love to help you strike up the band and light the candles on that
cake.
Please send your request using this link. Tell us some basic
information:
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You may include anything else you would like to share such as:
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Something about your job and family
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This information will help us get to know you as well as help celebrate your special day. Knowing our a2z family, I am sure it will help others find shared interests
and make new friendships. Because of time constraints, only birthdays shared using the appropriate link and basic information will be considered.
Our discussion forum at QuickTopic is where a2z??™ers go to meet others, swap recipes and give feedback about what is going on in A to Z Recipes. It is
expected that opinions, suggestions, etc. posted there be done with kindness and respect for all involved*. To join in at QT (or just to read) use your web browser
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You don't have to register or sign in, and you can choose to receive email for newly posted messages -- just select the button when you get there.
NOTE:
Maybe once you get to the site, you could add it to favorites. Links that are easy to find are more likely to be used again.
*Offensive postings will be deleted by the publisher.
Family Photos!
You may view the
June 2004 A to Z Family Reunion. Check out Leslie and Rusty's pics from the
December 2004 A to Z Family Reunion.
Slow Cooker
Mania
THIS IS FOR MEN TIRED OF RECEIVING MALE BASHING JOKES
Shared by Don G., GA
*How many men does it take to open a beer? None. It should be opened by the time she brings it.
* Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman? Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably never be able to support
you.
*Why do women have smaller feet than men? It's one of those "evolutionary things" that allows them to stand closer to the kitchen sink.
* How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart? When she starts her sentence with "A man once told me."
* How do you fix a woman's watch? You don't. There is a clock on the oven.
* If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, whom do you let in first? The dog of course. He'll shut up once you let him
in.
* What's worse than a Male Chauvinist Pig? A woman that won't do what she's told.
* I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.
* I haven't spoken to my wife for 18 months: I don't like to interrupt her.
* What do you call a woman who has lost 95% of her intelligence? A. Divorced.
* Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's s-e-x drive by 90%. It is called Wedding Cake.
* Marriage is a 3-ring circus: Engagement Ring, Wedding Ring, Suffering.
* Our last fight was my fault. My wife asked me "What's on the TV?" I said, "Dust!"
* In the beginning, God created the earth and rested. Then God created Man and rested. Then God created Woman. Since then, neither God nor Man has rested.
* Why do men die before their wives? They want to.
* Young Son: "Is it true, Dad, I heard that in some parts of Africa a man doesn't know his wife until he marries her?" Dad: "That happens in every country, son."
* A man inserted an advertisement in the classifieds: "Wife Wanted.." The next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have
mine."
* The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday? Forget it once.
* Women will never be equal to men until: They can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are beautiful.
* Why do married men gain weight while bachelors don't? Bachelors go to the refrigerator, see nothing they want, then go to bed. Married guys go to bed, see
nothing they want, then go to the refrigerator.
*If not fried rattlesnake or boiled bear then what is the most dangerous food a man can eat? Wedding cake.
This is funny!
Shared by Bette, Pittsburg, CA
There was a man who had worked all of his life, had saved all of his
money, and was a real miser when it came to his money. Just before he
died, he said to his wife, "When I die, I want you to take all my money
and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the after
life with me." And so he got his wife to promise him with all of her heart that when
he died, she would put all of the money in the casket with him.
Well, he died. He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting
there in black, and her fiend was sitting next to her.
When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready
to close the casket, the wife said, "Wait just a minute!" She had a box
with her, she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the
undertakers locked the casket down, and they rolled it away. So her
friend said, "Girl, I know you weren't fool enough to put all that money
in there with your husband."
The loyal wife replied," Listen, I'm a Christian, I can't go back on my
word. I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket
with him."
You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with
him!! !!!?"
"I sure did," said the wife. "I got it all together, put it into my
account and wrote him a check. If he can cash it, he can spend it."
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Jean's Crockpot Favorites
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Looking for a particular recipe, ingredient or submitter?
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Slow Cooker
Recipes
CROCKPOT SHRIMP CREOLE
1 1/2 cup. diced celery
1 1/4 cup. chopped onion
3/4 cup. chopped bell pepper
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 drops Tabasco
1 lb. shrimp, deveined & shelled
Combine all ingredients except shrimp. Cook 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Add shrimp last hour of cooking. Serve over hot rice.
CROCKPOT LASAGNA
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (12 ounce) package lasagna noodles
12 ounces cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
In a large skillet over medium heat cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic until brown. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and oregano and stir unti well
incorported.Cook until heated through.
In a large bowl mix together the cottage cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Spoon a layer of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a double layer of the uncooked lasagna noodles. Break to fit noodles into slow cooker.
Top noodles with a portion of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, and cheese until all the ingredients are used.
Cover and cook on low heat in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours.
Makes 10 servings
CHEESY CROCKPOT CHICKEN
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Place chicken breasts in the crockpot. Mix the undiluted soups together with the garlic powder and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours,
until chicken is tender.
Serve with the delicious sauce over rice or noodles.
Yield: 8 servings.
CROCKPOT CARAMEL PIE
2 Cans 14 oz Sweetened condensed milk
1 graham cracker or baked pie crust
Whipped Cream (or Cool Whip)
Heath Toffee Bars, chocolate curls
Pour milk into crock pot and cook on low 6 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so until milk is the color of caramel. Pour into pie crust and chill in refrigerator for
1-2 hours. When COMPLETELY cool and ready to serve, top each slice w/ whipped cream (or Cool Whip). Garnish w/ chopped Heath Toffee Bars or chocolate curls.
SNAPPER VERA CRUZ
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced peeled tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup fish stock OR clam juice
1 pound snapper fillets, cut in half lengthwise and sliced as thinly as
possible horizontally
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs drained capers
10 pitted olives, thinly sliced
Hot tortillas (optional)
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon, cloves and jalapeno peppers and cook, stirring, 1
minute. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil.
Transfer mixture to your crockpot. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or on high setting 3 to 4 hours, until hot and bubbling. Stir in fish and lemon
juice. Cover and cook on high heat setting 20 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Stir in capers and pour mixture onto a deep platter. Garnish with olives and
serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
SQUASH AND CHOPS
6 thick pork chops
2 medium acorn squash
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs margarine, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp Kitchen Bouquet or browning sauce
1 Tbs orange juice
1/2 tsp orange peel, grated
Trim excess fat from pork chops. Cut each squash into 4 or 5 crossways slices; remove seeds. Arrange 3 chops on bottom of crockpot. Place all squash slices on top;
then another layer of three remaining chops. Combine salt, butter, sugar, bouquet sauce, orange juice and orange peel. Spoon over chops. Cover and cook on low 6-8
hours or until done. Serve one or two slices of squash with each pork chop.
CANTONESE DINNER
1 1/2 pounds pork Boston blade steak, cut into strips
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 small green pepper, cut into strips
4 ounces mushrooms, drained
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces tomato sauce
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbs vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
Rice cooked
Brown pork strips in oil in skillet to remove excess fat. Drain on double paper towel. Place pork strips and all remaining ingredients into crockpot.
Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. (High 3 hours). Serve over hot fluffy rice.
BLACK AND BLUE COBBLER
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar -- divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
whipped cream or ice cream optional
In a bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar. baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Combine eggs, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Spread batter evenly on the bottom of a well greased 5-quart slow cooker.
In a saucepan, combine berries, water, orange peel and remaining sugar; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; immediately pour over batter. Cover and cook on
high for 2 to 2-1/ hours or until a toothpick inserted into batter comes out clean. Turn cooker off uncover and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
VEGETARIAN SPAGHETTI
1 pkg. spaghetti sauce mix
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
4 zucchini
1 small eggplant
1 small green pepper, cut into 1" cubes
3 med. tomatoes, cut into small wedges
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb uncooked spaghetti
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
In slow-cooking pot, mix dry spaghetti sauce mix with tomato sauce and water. Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch crosswise slices. Peel eggplant; slice thinly, then cut each
slice into quarters. Add zucchini, eggplant, green pepper, tomatoes and salt to spaghetti sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hs. or until vegetables are
tender.
In meantime, cook spaghetti according to pkg. directions; drain well. When ready to serve, top each serving of spaghetti with vegetable sauce mixture. Sprinkle with
cheese.
Makes 6 servings.
CROCKPOT ENCHILADA STEW
I have not tried this great recipe I found but I'm sure going to!! ~Maggie~
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients
1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
4 1/2 oz can chopped chilies
1 cn mild enchilada sauce
10 1/2 oz golden mushroom soup
10 1/2 oz cheddar cheese soup
10 1/2 oz cream of mushroom soup
10 1/2 oz cream of celery soup
1 pk Dorito chips
Instructions
Brown hamburger and chopped onion, pour off grease. Put all ingredients in crock pot except Doritos chips. Mix and cook low 4 to 6 hours. Last 15 minutes before
you are ready to eat, add Dorito chips and stir.
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