{recetas} Crock Pot Hot Cocoa

I've had a couple cans of sweetened condensed milk hanging out in the pantry for quite some time. I never really knew what to do with them, until I realized nobody was bringing dessert for the pot-luck Christmas party I hosted earlier this week.

I've totally gorged on Christmas cookies and treats, and didn't want to make another pie, cake, or cookies. Plus, I don't really know what to use sweetened condensed milk for. So I asked my mom.

Moms really are the best, aren't they? I swear, mine knows everything. And if she doesn't, she makes something up for me and it sure as hell sounds like she knows what she's talking about.

This crock pot recipe is super easy. Like, pour a few things, stir a few times, enjoy. Yep. That easy.

What you need:

• 12 cups of milk (I used skim)
• 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1 bag of mint chocolate chips
• Reddi-whip (or the store brand, doesn't matter)

I did not say that this was a healthy cocoa recipe. It's not even a little bit healthy. Skim milk is low-fat, though. So maybe that kind of cancels out the sweetened condensed milk and the heavy whipping cream?

What you do:

• Pour everything into the crock pot, except the reddi-whip.
• Stir it up, turn it on high for an hour, or low for 2 hours.
• Be sure to stir every so often, so the chocolate chips melt and don't burn to the bottom of the crock pot.
• Ladle it into mugs when it's hot (or just warm, you decide) and top it with the reddi-whip.
• Yum, yum, yum. Throw in a candy cane if you want to get fancy, but it is super minty already.

{recetas} Veggie & Beef Stew

Two recipes in one week!? What!? I'm on a roll!

I finally made the beef stew that has been on my menu for the last couple of weeks. I looked for a couple of different recipes, and finally settled on combining a couple. I'm just a little bit picky about things. My husband, on the other hand, is not. He will eat whatever I put in front of him.

Of course, that doesn't mean he likes it! But this stew-this stew!-he devoured! It was so delicious the hubs asked for it to be put on next week's menu. That, my friends, is a success!

What you need:

• 1.5 or 2 pounds of stew meat (go with 2 pounds-nice and meaty!)
• half of 1 rutabaga
• 3 carrots
• 1 package (8 oz) baby bella mushrooms (or white button if you prefer)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• salt
• pepper
• 16 oz. beef broth
• 1 tbsp. arrowroot starch (or cornstarch, if you're not concerned with paleo)

What you do:

• Cut the stew meat into smaller pieces if necessary. The kind I always buy is in such huge chunks.
• Mix together the tomato paste, minced garlic, dried thyme, and tamari. I did this in a separate bowl and simply mixed with a spoon. Easy.
• Chop all of your vegetables. I only chopped the mushrooms in half, since the cooking time is so long. That way they won't taste gross in the stew. As mentioned above, use your choice of mushrooms. I prefer the baby bellas...they're just so delicious! Be sure to peel and chop the carrots and the rutabaga (did you know rutabaga comes with a waxy layer on it to keep in moisture? I didn't...). Anyway. Chop all of your vegetables.
• Place the stew meat in the bottom of the crock pot, then add the tomato/tamari paste/sauce on top of that. Add your vegetables, pour in the beef broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I suggest using the salt and pepper from a grinder. It's delicious, and it's fun to add to the pot.
• Cover the crock pot, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Keep in mind that all crock pots cook differently. Serve your stew when the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked through. When it's done and ready to serve, scoop out a bit of the beef broth and whisk it together with your starch (arrowroot or cornstarch). When this mixture is lump free, stir it back into the crock pot until well blended. This will thicken the broth and give you the "stew" texture.
• Eat it up and enjoy!

I Love to Cook

An old high school acquaintance of mine has a blog that she uses to keep her extended family up-to-date on the life of her beautiful family. One thing she includes on her blog from time to time is a meal plan for the week. I've decided to do the same for a couple of reasons.

My Amazing Reasons:

1. Organization. Having a plan keeps me organized. It also keeps the fridge organized and the food from going bad.
2. The Big Ol' B Word: Budget. Planning out meals (and shopping lists) has really helped me to stay on budget, which is a really good thing. Especially since we've got baby #1 on his way!
3. Cheap Produce - Delivered. My mom is an amazing woman. And she picks up my produce for me on Thursdays. I drop my list and cash off with her on Wednesdays, then pick up fresh fruits and veggies on Thursdays. And the real kicker? I spend WAY less money this way. It's a life saver (and a budget saver!).

So. Here's my meal plan for the week:

Monday: Chicken Enchilada Stew (turned tacos)
Tuesday: Girls' Night @ a friend's house (leftover tacos for the hubby)
Wednesday: Salmon & Zucchini
Thursday: Homemade Mushroom & Broccoli Pizza
Friday - Saturday - Sunday: ARIZONA (so so so thankful for a family vacation!)

The enchilada stew turned tacos turned out amazingly. I stuck everything in the crockpot on Sunday night and started it up on Monday. The chicken was perfectly shred-able and delicious by 5:30. Oh, it was a beautiful dinner!

Before cooking - we were too hungry to take a picture when all was done!

{recetas} Applesauce

Oh my goodness, a post on a Monday!? That hasn't happened in the longest time! It feels so good to be back!

I most certainly love homemade applesauce over the store-bought variety. During my first year of teaching, I decided to have the class make applesauce during our unit on fall. that was the first time I had ever tasted the amazingness of homemade applesauce.

What you need:

• Apples. Lots and lots of apples (3 to 4 pounds) of different varieties
• 1 cup of water
• A few shakes of cinnamon

What you do:

• Peel, core and slice the apples. I was lucky enough to purchase the Apple Master from my local Mills' Fleet Farm. If you don't have this and plan on making lots of apple-y things, invest in one (it's only $15!). It cuts the prep time by an hour, at least.

• Place all of the apple slices in a pot (or slow cooker-SUPER easy!). Pour in the cup of water. If you use a slow cooker, set it to high. Sprinkle with as little or as much cinnamon as you'd like (or completely leave it out). Cook the apples over medium-low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes. I don't really time it, I just stir the apples occasionally. When they get nice and soft, they're done.

• Use a potato masher to mash the apples. OR (my preferred method) send the apples through a food mill or grinder. I use my handy-dandy Kitchenaid mixer and attachment. This will create a smoother applesauce, while the potato masher leaves it kind of chunky.

When all is said and done, you can enjoy some nice warm applesauce. I prefer cold applesauce, so I put as much as I can into 4 ounce or pint sized Mason jars. I would only store the applesauce in the fridge for a week. Otherwise, you can freeze the single-sized servings and place them in a lunch box. I take one out of the freezer each morning, and it is completely thawed by lunch time!

Isn't he the cutest puppy-boy you've ever seen? We're planning on bringing him on his first camping trip soon, so he is getting some practice time in with his "pack." Who knew I could love a puppy so much!?

Linked up here.

BBQ Chicken & Roasted Vegetables

I know, I know. It's not summer yet, but the zucchini and yellow squash looked SO good at the store the other day, I had to get a few of each.


I can only give you my plans right now, because I don't have my camera with me (I really need to get better about bringing it everywhere!). I will have pictures for you, though because both parts of the meal turned out fabulously!


I started the chicken early because my plan was to use the slow cooker. Oh, before I get any further. I have another novice moment. And (digital age, anyone?) Facebook helped me out. The original plan was to make pulled pork sandwiches. I headed to the market to buy a shoulder roast. Couldn't find one for the life of me. I searched high and low (well, in the pork section, anyway). I settled on chicken because it was there. Each night, I spend some time looking at my news feed on Facebook. And there, right in front of my eyes, was a picture of a butt roast. Funny! I saw those when I was shopping for the shoulder roast. So, I clicked on the picture and read the caption. It informed me that a butt roast is actually the shoulder. WHAT!? I could have gotten the pork and been fine. Ugh. Thanks, Facebook.


I put all the chicken in the slow cooker and dumped a bunch of BBQ sauce on top (21 ounces, to be precise). Cooked on high. The chicken was fabulous. And, what's better is how easy the recipe was!


The vegetables. Ah, the vegetables. I cut them all in the small chunks (zucchini and squash into half-moons, peppers into squares) and let them soak in some water for a bit. I tossed both in olive oil and sprinkled it all with garlic salt and a little pepper. Then it was to the baking sheet and on to the oven. 350 degrees for about a half hour. They were so summery and delicious--I plan on making them again (soon!).