Kale Sausage Bean soup

This is an amazing soup:
In a crock pot chop up turkey sausage (I use Jenni-o hot)
Put in the bottom of the crock pot
Add 1 chopped medium onion
2-3 chopped carrots
8 cups water
2 tbsp. chicken bouillon
1 drained can of navy beans
4-6 cups chopped kale
salt and pepper

Let cook on low for about 4 hours and stir. Then cook on low for a few more hours. so good, so good for you!

Cucumber Salad

So refreshing - especially with fresh garden cucumbers and tomatoes!

2-3 chopped cucumbers
2 chopped tomatoes
1/4 fine diced red onion
1-2 oz feta
Feta Dill Lighthouse dressing (you can usually find it under the OPA yogurt dressing)

Cowboy Caviar

This is one of the MOST requested things I bring to a BBQ....

Cowboy Caviar
1 can great northern beans - drained
1 can garbonzo beans - drained
1 can corn - drained
4-5 chopped tomatoes
1/2 Walla walla sweet onion
1-2 jalepeno - chopped
juice of one lime
salt
2-3 chopped avocado
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped

Mix in a large bowl and chill for a few hours before serving.

Stew!

Matt and I have had many conversations about stew. We discuss if it needs more liquid, less potato, baby carrots vs regular potato, etc. These are the things that consume our table.

I think we are there... this is a mix of randomness and taste:
2 lbs. Stew meat
2 cups water
Worcestershire
Clove Garlic
Bay Leaf
1 Onion
Salt
1 Tsp Sugar
Pepper
Carrots (the big ones)
Potato
1 can diced Tomato
1 Beef Bouillon Cube
Basil
Italian Seasoning

Brown meat and onion. Add Water, worcestershire, Garlic, Bay Leaf, Salt, Sugar, Pepper, Bouillon, Italian seasoning. Simmer for 2 hours. Add can of tomato, Potato, Carrot, Basil. Cook on medium heat  for 1 hour.

Taa Daa!

Easy Cheesy!

When you have friends with kiddos coming over for dinner and you want to wow them with "Mac and Cheese for the kids" - toss this together.  It is FABULOUS - and easy:

In a casserole dish mix:
2 cups uncooked noodles
2 cups chopped cheese of your choice
2 cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tbs onion soup mix/any spice mix you like

Cook for 1 hour at 350 - stir at 30 minutes.

DONE!

Crockpots and time

At least once a week I get asked what I make in the crockpot. Well that is easy - easy stuff!  When you have to have dinner on the table by 5:30 and you get off at 5:00 - you live for the crockpot.

The Crockpot ham that is world famous (in my world)
Bone in Butt Ham (important - spiral cut is too dry and shank is too greasy)
1 Bottle of Apple Cider (apple juice works)
Whole cloves

Put the ham in the crockpot bone down
fill the crock pot with apple cider
toss in a handful of cloves

Cook on low all day
It is AMAZING!

Other EASY simple ideas:

Meatball Sandwiches
Frozen bag of meatballs
1 can of spaghetti sauce

Cook on low all day - we like to start it on "keep warm" and up it to high a few hours before.  This may not work for you at work all day.  Low all day works too.
Put the meatballs on rolls with provolone
YUM.
The kids and hubby love it.

BBQ Chicken
Frozen chicken breasts
1 can of pop (any kind works I think.  Coke, Sprite. I use any one hand.)
Cook on low all day
Shred when you get home and mix in BBQ sauce
Put on rolls
enjoy!

Pot Roast and leftovers

As I stood in the kitchen with a pot roast in hand I was trying to devise a new recipe that would bring flavor, less salt than the "three pack" recipe and not use a can of cream of mushroom soup.  I came up with the following:
Pack of AuJus
Milk (about 1/2 cup)
Butter
Water (about 1/2 cup)

Cover the bottom of the crockpot with potatoes and carrots.  Place the roast on top.  Cover with the mixture.  Cook on low all day. Fantastic!

Now I have leftovers....  What to do!  I am going to try for the following - I will let you know how it works out.
Cut up leftover beef
Mix with leftover carrots
Add peas from freezer
Mix with leftover gravy
Cover with a Pillsbury Dough sheet
Bake at 350 for a bit.

Cross your fingers!