Harry Potter and Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites' Flavorful White Chili

Last week was eventful to say the least.  First, I did go back to Body Pump class!!  I was proud of myself even though I am still not "squatting" properly.  I am a work in progress. 


Second, Husband Fred who I now think I am going to call "The Loudest Cougher in the Whole Wide World" came down with some type of what the RN in me calls "The Crud".  I knew it was pretty bad when he went to bed at 6:00 pm on Friday without eating.  I checked on him periodically, and at one point, he looks at me with these glazed vacant eyes, and says "You know what.  I am going to tell you something, and you are going to think I am weird.  My body is a computer, and it is downloading all these bacteria into me!!"  My RN side said "Yes, you are weird, and I better check your temperature!"  It was 102.4  Uh Oh!!  I "downloaded him" with some Tylenol!!  He went to the doctor and is now on an antibiotic and that hallucinogenic cough medicine that makes you dream in technicolor.  But at least, the loudest coughing in the Whole Wide World has ceased. 


Third, in the midst of all the excitement generated by the Crud and Body Pump, the final movie of the Harry Potter series premiered last Thursday.  Food Police had the GRAND idea to go to the midnight showing.  I thought better of this idea because Husband Fred has to get up at 5:00 to do his radio show on WTKI-AM 1450 AM/92.9 FM.  I like to plug him when I can!!  It was no big deal for me since I am not back at school yet.  But oh no, he wanted to go.  Famous. last. words!!!  We started watching all the movies again to catch us up and decided we would watch the last movie here before heading to the theatre.  I decided I would make a Harry Potter menu.  I did some research and found that Harry ate Shepherd's Pie in the Chamber of Secrets movie while serving detention for that blond teacher whose name I cannot remember right now.  I knew that real Shepherd's Pie has peas and carrots in it, and Son-In-Law would not touch it if I made it that way.  So I made Christy Jordan's Tater Tot Casserole - http://www.southernplate.com/.  It is very similar to Shepherd's Pie but has no green or orange in it!!  Then I found the best recipe for Butterbeer Cupcakes.  You can find the recipe at http://confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/.  Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice are the beverages of choice for Harry and his friends.  I found a recipe for Butterbeer but I thought Food Police would have had a fit if I made it because it did have a lot of calories.  We substituted Diet Creme Soda instead.  The cupcakes were a hit and tasted really butterscotchy!!!   I have pictures I will show you in a minute.  WELL, after we watch the movie and eat our yummy dinner, Food Police gets hysterical that we will not find a seat.  She had bought tickets at least a month ago.  So at 8:45 pm, we head to the theatre and are in our seats at 9:00pm.  Now remember, the movie doesn't start until 12:01 am.  There was a lot going on to entertain us though.  We walked around the decorated theatre and checked out all the people in costumes.  People really went all out for this.  It was exciting!! Finally, the movie starts, and it was the best ever!!  You must go see it!!  We got in bed that night at 3:00 am.  I think that is when Husband Fred hit the proverbial wall and really succumbed to the "Crud".  It was downhill from there.  We have all recovered though, and I have a wonderful Eeny recipe for you.  Let me show you the Harry Pics first though...

Here is my table with the Gryffindor scarf as my runner.  The trophies are to represent one of the Horcruxes or the Triwizard Tournament Trophy.  You can see the Butterbeer cupcakes and the awesome last book.

Another view!!

Again my food photography is poor.  BUT the little things on top of the cupcakes are little Harry brooms.  You take a Pretzel stick and put a Laffy Taffy on the end and then cut it to make it look like the broom straws.  I also drizzled butterscotch syrup on the top.  They were good and really looked much better than the picture.

Yes I am a nerd.  I have a Harry Robe!!!  Oh my!!  It will look good with the scarf!!  Halloween here I come!

Here is Food Police and Son-in-Law.  It is about 10:00 pm at this point!!

Here is Son-In Law.  It is now about 10:45 pm.  He is with his favorite character Severus Snape.  He is having a hot flash and had to stand under the AC. 

I love him because he will always agree with me when I say "I am hot".  He says "I am hot too!"  Then we proceed to turn the AC down much to the chagrin of the cold-natured Food Police. 

Look at Food Police.  She really is a Dementor.  It is about 11:15 pm at this point!

Look at the One who Coughs Louder than Anyone in the Universe.  It is about 11:45 pm at this point!! 

I love my family.....Now on to the recipe....This is the last recipe from the Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites.  I am glad I have rediscovered this cookbook.  All the food has been wonderful.  I also learned from the cookbook that to speed up cooking time on most slow cooker recipes, the general rule is that 1 hour on high equals 2 hours on low.  For this go round, The Game chose "Flavorful White Chili".  I will be brutally honest.  I wanted to cheat on The Game again.  I thought "No way Game.  I have already made 2 chicken recipes plus I don't want chili while we are under a Heat Advisory.  I want this in November watching some Alabama Crimson Tide Football - Roll Tide - or some Tennessee Titans Football if they settle the stupid strike".  Whoops!  I got off track!!  It was soooooooo good, and it comforted Husband Fred while he was fighting the Crud!!  I will make this one again and again!!

You will need chicken breasts, chicken broth, dried Northern beans, garlic, onion, a can of chopped green chillies, and assorted spices.

This is by far my WORST picture ever.  You have to place your beans in a Dutch oven and add water.  You bring them to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, and let them stand for 1 hour.  I was trying to show you how much the beans will "grow". 

Add the beans to your slow cooker.  Look there is that liner again!!  Go get you some of these right now!!

Chop 2 cups of onions and mince 3 fresh garlic.  I love the smell of garlic on my hands after mincing.  Not really...One time at school, I was taking a student's temperature, and she asked me why my hands smelled funny.  Oh dear - my face turned red!!  I now wipe my hands on stainless steel after mincing, and it gets the odor off.

Then you add your chicken broth, onion, garlic, and seasonings and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

While the chili was cooking, I roasted 3 chicken breasts at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.  Make sure you salt and pepper them really well.  This is the way the Barefoot Contessa told me to do it.  It is yummy.  More on her later!

After the chili has cooked for about 7 hours on Low, you add the roasted chicken, chiles, and salt.  Cook for one more hour.  I ended up having to add some more chicken broth at this stage.

Here is the finished product.  I added some Fat Free Sour Cream, lowfat Cheddar cheese, and a cute little Jalapeno and the best cornbread EVER.  It is not part of the game but I will give you the recipe.  We also had a salad to go with the soup and bread.  YUMMO!

Here is Possum the Rescue Cat after eating a bowl of chili and cornbread.  Just kidding!!  I just had to put this picture in!! HAHA!!

OK....Enough fun....Here is your recipe...

Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites
Flavorful White Chili

1 pound of dried great northern beans

4 cups chicken broth

2  cups chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp ground cloves - I LEFT THIS OUT ON PURPOSE!!

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 4-oz can chopped green chilies

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked

1 tsp salt

Place beans in a Dutch oven;  add water to cover by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.  Drain, rinse, and discard liquid.  Place beans in slow cooker.  Add the broth, onions, garlic and seasonings.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Add the chilies, chicken and salt.  Cover and cook for one more hour.

Here is the recipe for the Cheese and Onion Cornbread.  I ordered ANOTHER cookbook from Southern Living, and I got a free gift of a pan divided into 4 mini loaves.  They are 4 1/2 in x 2 1/2 in.  They are so cute.  This recipe comes from Southern Living's Little Book of Breads and Cakes that came with my free loafpan.  I love gifts!!

1 (8 1/2 oz) package corn muffin mix - I used Jiffy.

1/3 c finely chopped onion

1/2 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 c butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten.

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl until just combined.  Spoon batter into the 4 lightly greased loafpan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove loaves from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Now go have a great day!!



Body Pump and Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites' Creamy Italian Chicken

Well....Food Police is on a roll.  She is threatening diabetes if I don't get back on the exercise regimen.  I HATE TO EXERCISE!!  I LIKE TO EAT!!  I see other people just grinning and seeming to love every minute of working out.  I just don't get why they are smiling. 

I have two wonderful teacher friends - K. and L.-who exalt the wonders of exercise.  Now I must be honest - they both look great so something is working.  K. swears by Zumba.  She demonstrates the moves at school (how I wish the Principal would walk in when she is doing this - HAHA), and I think I could never do that in public!!!   L. loves yoga and the Elliptical trainer plus she is doing a Couch to 5K program.  Plus, Friend-in-Law gets up every morning at dawn and walks 3 plus miles with her sister.  And of course, Food Police practices what she preaches.  Who are these people?

Last week Food Police so graciously invited me to a class called Body Pump at the Wellness Center where she works.  Just the name brought thoughts of horror to mind.  She explained that it is a class where you use a bar and weights and do routines to hip hop type music.  I got a mental picture of me doing this and got tickled.  She chastised me, and said that there were people in there way older than me who were doing it.  I thought "Game on Sister".  So I went last week, and I was greeted at the door by several of the smiling (why do these people smile?) participants.  Every doggone one of them said "Oh you are going to be sore tomorrow.  You might want to take some Advil when you get home.  Drink plenty of water."  I about bolted right then and there. In comes the instructor and, of course, she is rippling with toned muscles and wearing a cute little workout ensemble.  And guess what, she is smiling!!  I looked down at my faded yoga pants and too big Code Blue Tennessee Titans T-shirt and sighed.  I was not smiling.  She cranks up the music, I look at the clock thinking there is no way I will get through the hour, and we are off.  We worked our biceps, triceps, quads, abs, and muscles I had not used in years.  I was hanging in there with the big dogs though.  Of course, Food Police had to correct my form.  I was not squatting properly she says.  I said that it was not lady-like to squat like that in public.  But because I was not squatting correctly, my knees were hurting.  AGH!!  So I had to squat like a hussy, and I must admit my knees did quit hurting.  Then we did the old Yoga Plank where you hold your overweight body up on your toes and elbows.  Of course, one of the class members had to show out and put a weight on his back while performing the Plank.  Good grief.  I did not clap for him like the others in the class so graciously did.  Of course, the whole HOUR we are doing all of this, everyone is smiling.  Are these people from another planet? 

After the class, I could barely walk to the car.  I didn't know if I had the strength to push down on the gas pedal but I did, drove home, and promptly took some Advil.  I was feeling good and somewhat proud of myself.  But when I woke up the next morning, I felt like I had been on one of those torture-chamber things where they tie you down and then proceed to stretch you out until you die.  It was horrible.  I made a funny noise trying to get out of the bed, and Husband Fred yelled from the kitchen "What was that noise?  Is one of the cats sick?"  No, it is just my Post-Body Pump Call of the Wild.  I am NOT smiling.  But guess what?  I am going back next week!!!

Now let's talk about something that does make me smile.....FOOD.  I am still cooking out of the Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites.  The Game chose another Chicken recipe.  I wanted some real meat but oh well, I promised I would not cheat.  The recipe is Creamy Italian Chicken.  So let's get started......

You will need boneless skinless chicken breasts, Zesty Italian Dry Salad Dressing Mix, a can of Cream of Chicken Soup, a can of mushroom pieces and a big block of Cream Cheese.  I used the fat-free Cream Cheese for the Food Police, and it tasted fine!!!  Plus, I am thinking after Body Pump, I don't want to jack up my calories.  It is too much pain and suffering to work them off.

 

I must be honest.  I used the same picture from the other crock-pot recipe post.  There are only so many ways you can take a picture of four chicken breasts in a crockpot.  Notice the liner though.  Don't forget to put that on your grocery list.

HaHa!! Isn't that the most riveting picture of the dry Italian dressing mix combined with a 1/4 cup water?  I should win some sort of a Photography Award.  

Another great picture...Pour that mixture over your chicken, set your crock-pot on low, and you are good to go for 3 hours.

Then you combine the cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, and cream cheese and slather that over the chicken.  Cook on Low for another hour.  It smelled so good!!

This is a recommmendation from Food Police.  Instead of rice, I served the chicken over the Egg White Pasta.  It honestly is really really good.  I still just ate my 1 serving which is 1/2 cup of pasta Food Police.

I served the Chicken over the Egg Noodles and the purple stuff is Sauteed Cabbage from the CSA garden.  I had never had it before but it was delicious.  I also added some green beans from the old CAN.  Not too shabby.  The chicken is one of the best things I have eaten in awhile.  It had a lot of flavor from the Italian dressing and the Cream Cheese.  This is a definite keeper.  Again, if it were not for the game, I would have probably never prepared this dish.  Way to go Game!!

Here is the recipe.....

Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1/4 c water

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 can (4 oz.) mushroom stems and pieces, drained

Place the chicken in a slow cooker.  Combine salad dressing mix and water;  pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.  In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until blended.  Stir in mushrooms.  Pour over chicken.  Cook 1 hour longer or until chicken juices run clear.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Yield:  4 servings

Now go have a great day.....

The Beach and Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites Cookbook

I just got back from a week at the beach and honestly, I missed working on my blog and cooking.  Before I get to the cooking, I have to tell you about the beach experience.  Here's a little back story.  Food Police married Kyle who will now go by the name of Son-in-Law.  Before he was Son-in-Law, he told us about St. George Island, FL.  Now I have always been a Destin Girl, so I was definitely a little resistant to trying a new place.  About 4 or 5 years ago, we decide to give SGI a try.  It is a little barrier island about 8 miles long right below Apalachicola, FL.  We absolutely fell in love with the place.  It is quiet, no high rises, and it makes me think of what Old Florida must have been like before Disney, waterparks, and condominiums.  This year, Husband Fred, Food Police, Son-in-Law, and I rented a house right on the beach.  It was paradise UNTIL 2 waterspouts took out the main line of electricity to the island.  OH YES!!!  We had no power for 48 hours.  I thought to myself  "Didn't we just go through this Survivor experience in April with the tornadoes?"  Well, we jumped into action.  Food Police and Son-in-Law got us ice, batteries, flashlights and candles for the Survivor experience.  We were fine the first night without air conditioning.  Son-in-Law is a master griller, and he made some awesome food on the grill from hamburgers to pork chops to mahi mahi sandwiches.  We ate well!!  We spent the day on the beach so all was well until the 2nd night.  By now, the house is a little warm -- no -- how about stifling..how about I am going to have a heat stroke..how about we need to get a hotel room hot!!!  The power company was telling us the power would be on by midnight.  I thought to myself  "I can tough this out.  I am not a wimp".  I am a wimp though when it comes to sleeping in the heat.  There were no screens on the doors and windows of the house so we could not open up the house for ventilation.  Son-in-Law and I decide we are going to try to sleep on the picnic table benches on the deck.  Somewhere in that experience, I became delirious and thought there was a ghost in the upstairs room of the house next door.  I could see a chair illuminated in the room, and I swear it was rocking back and forth.  Then I heard some of the palms rustling and thought it was a "LIGER".  I had read a story about a tiger and a lion that mated and made a LIGER.  I was losing it.  I asked Son-in-Law about the ghost and the LIGER, and he promptly got up and went into the medically unsafe Hyperthermia House.  I guess I was getting on his nerves.  You think???  I did not sleep the whole night and neither did anyone else because they said I was talking the whole night.  REALLY???  There were ghosts and ligers to discuss oh my!!  Finally, the power came back on, and the thermostat registered 88 degrees.  AGH!!  We finished up our vacation on a high note and cannot wait to go back next year. 

Now on to the new cookbook.  I chose my Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites.  I love Taste of Home and their magazine.  They also have an awesome website where you can get great recipes as well.  I love my Crock Pot too.  It is so nice to come home to a cooked meal after a LONG day in the classroom.  The Game chose Sweet and Tangy Chicken.  So let's get started....

Here is the lovely picture of the new cookbook we will be using.  I think I may be getting a little better on the food photography???

 These are the items you will need - obviously a crock pot but I wanted you to see the newest and greatest invention since electricity - the Slow Cooker Liner made by Reynolds.  It really is the best thing EVER.  You don't have to scrub the old crock pot anymore.  You will also need chicken breasts, BBQ sauce, pineapple tidbits, a green pepper and onion, and 2 cloves of fresh garlic.

Place the chicken breasts in the LINED crock pot.  So far so good...The recipe calls for 8 chicken breasts, but since I am an Empty-Nester ( I am waiting on the grand-children..Hint Hint...), I just did the 4.

In a bowl, combine the bottle of BBQ sauce and the undrained can of pineapple.  Chop up the green pepper, onion, and garlic.  I chopped it up into bigger pieces so it would not vanish in the crock pot.  Notice the knife skills.  HAHA!  I finally sharpened my knives (Thank you Kim Goins!!!!)

Mix it all together and pour that glorious mixture over the chicken breasts.  Then cook it on low for about 6 hours.

Here is the finished product.  I served the chicken with rice and poured the yummy sauce over the rice.  I made a side salad and we were good to go.  The picture of the chicken does not look so eye-appealing but believe me, it tasted better than it looks.  Husband Fred had a fit over the pineapple in it.  It is definitely a recipe that I will do again. 

Here is the recipe.....

Taste of Home's Slow Cooker Favorites

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts ( I used 4)

2 bottles (18 ounces) BBQ sauce ( I used 1)

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, undrained

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Place 4 chicken breasts in a slow cooker.  Combine BBQ sauce, pineapple, green pepper, onion and garlic.  Pour half over chicken.  Top with remaining chicken and sauce.

Cook on low for 8-9 hours.  (I cooked mine for 6 hours).  Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. 

Go have a great day.

What a Morning and Southern Plate's Steak and Milk Gravy

What a morning!!  I had to get up early and take Holland the Wonder Dog to the vet today for his annual check-up.  Holland is an outside dog which is where the trouble begins.  It had rained cats and dogs yesterday, and he was covered in mud.  I got a towel and tried to wipe him down.  In the midst of wiping him down, he started eating the cat food.  I guess I was holding his collar too tight, and he threw up the cat food all over his leash.  I started to gag and almost added my breakfast to the mess.  I kept going though, got his paws wiped off, cleaned up the throw-up and got him in the car.  As I am backing out of the driveway, I hear a commotion on the roof of the car.  I see Mickey the Tuxedo cat shimmying down the hood of the car running for his life.  I have literally driven off with Mickey on the top of the car.  I thought to myself "Maybe I better go back in and just get on the floor in the fetal position and suck my thumb for awhile!!"  I persevered though, and we made it to the vet.  So now I am home thank goodness and will share the latest recipe with you.  Hopefully, that will be less eventful!!  WHEW!!

This is the last recipe I am preparing from Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook.  I honestly wish I could just cook everything from this cookbook.  If you don't have it, dash out now and buy it.  You will not be disappointed.  OK...Here we go....The Game chose Steak and Milk Gravy on page 108.  I was excited about this because I had been craving mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh green beans.  Yummo!  Let's get started.....


Here are your ingredients - All-purpose flour, cube steaks, salt and pepper, and I used canola oil and fat-free milk for Food Police.



I used a 9-inch pie plate and added 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper and mixed well.



This is where I MUST work on my photography skills.  What you are looking at is a cubed steak that I have coated with the flour mixture!!  I promise it is there!! 




Heat canola oil in your pan.  In the meantime,  I coated the other 3 steaks, and cooked them on both sides on medium heat until they were that pretty brown color.




I took the beautiful brown steaks out of the pan and added 1/4 cup of flour to the yummy drippings and brown bits.  I also added a little more salt and pepper and started whisking until the flour turned a light brown.



You then add the milk slow and whisk it constantly.  Turn down the heat to low and stir until your lumps are gone and the gravy is thickened.  Let me say...it is hard to take an action shot.  I think I did pretty well though.  But in my hurry scurry, I forgot to take the picture of the steak added back into the gravy.  But once you get the gravy where you want it, add the steak back in and slather (new culinary term)  it with that beautiful gravy.



Here is how I served it...My mouth is watering just looking at it.  The gravy is delicious over mashed taters and the steak is yummy.  But let me tell you about my green beans.  Those are fresh not canned.  My sweet mother taught me how to cook green beans without annihilating them.   She would put a little olive oil in her pot and saute the green beans until they turned a bright green.  She then added a cup of water and simmered them on low for about 35-45 minutes.  They are delicious.  Of course, she would add bacon to flavor, but Food Police would stroke so I added onion and plenty of salt and pepper to taste.  They are wonderful. 


 
I have to tell you where I got my beautiful green beans.  It starts with this box of yumminess.  Food Police told us about a wonderful CSA or Community Supported Agriculture opportunity about 2 years ago.  You join the CSA and for 18 GLORIOUS weeks, you get to go pick up a box this size ( you can get a larger share) once a week at a pick-up point convenient to your home.  It is like Christmas every Thursday evening.  I cannot wait to see what is in my box.  In this box you can see there is yellow and zucchini squash, carrots, bell peppers, blueberries, green beans, chard, etc..  Go check out this CSA's website - www.doerunfarm.com.  They are even taking mid-season memberships as we speak.  They also provide winter shares and what a wonderful thing.  I get swiss chard, kale, butternut squash, and all kinds of other cool weather veggies.  It really has allowed me to eat healthier.  This makes Food Police happy!!

Here is your recipe......

Steak and Milk Gravy

Christy Jordan

Southern Plate Cookbook

Vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt, plus some for the gravy

1/4 tsp pepper, plus some for the gravy

4 pieces cubed steak

1 1/2 cups milk

Place enough oil in the pan to coat the bottom, and turn the eye onto medium heat.  In a shallow bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour and the salt and pepper.  Coat each piece of steak with the mixture, and add to your pan.  Brown the steak on both sides, and remove to a plate while you make the gravy.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup of flour to your pan with the meat drippings.  Add a little more salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the flour has turned a light brown color.  This will take a few minutes.  Then slowly pour in the milk and stir constantly.  Reduce the heat to low and continue whisking until the gravy thickens up.  Add the steak back to the pan and coat them with the gravy.  You are ready to serve.

Go have a great day!!

I Almost Cheated...Southern Plate's Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Okay...I must confess.  When I performed "The Game" (this is how I will refer to Eeny Meeny Miny Mo from now on) on Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook again, "The Game" selected her Slow Cooker Apple Butter.  I about laid down in the floor and quit.  The devil side in me thought "Oh no...there is no way you can do this.  You have never made a jam or a jelly much less apple butter in your life.  You could just go to Cracker Barrel and buy some of theirs.  You are going to have to cheat.  Just pick another recipe...no one will be the wiser."  But then my angelic side said "You idiot!!  You promised that you would not cheat on the game.  Reread your first post.  This is why you are doing this whole food blog thing.  You wanted to try new things that normally you would not have considered cooking!  Good grief!!  Quit whining and get on with it"  So obviously, I listened to my angelic side and forged ahead.

As I read through the recipe, it said that you could either can the apple butter or just put it in the refrigerator.  When I saw the word "can", I about laid on the floor again.  WHAT??!!  But then that brought back wonderful memories of standing in the kitchen with my Bigmama helping her make muscadine jelly and peach preserves. Those are some of my favorite memories of her.  After we finished, she would bake homemade Bigmama biscuits, and we would sit down, slather the biscuit with butter ( Oh yes Food Police.. you would have loved it) and those homemade peach preserves, and all was right with the world.   I remember, though, that she had a pressure cooker doing all this, and it would whistle and steam, and I thought "Oh my gosh!!  That is going to make me hot!  I cannot do this!"  I also remembered a lecture from Nursing School 30 years ago about botulism and home canned foods.  I didn't want to give botulism to my family and friends.   AGH!!

So I called my Friend-In-Law - Patricia.  A little back story...Food Police is married to her son Kyle ( I need a nickname for him) so that makes her a Friend -in-Law - Right??   I am so blessed to have she and her husband - Rayford -  as Friends-in Law.  I could not have picked better Friends- in-Law.  Patricia and Rayford have a beautiful vegetable garden, and they can all their garden goodness.  She promised that she would help me with the canning process, and we would not have to use a pressure cooker and get hot or get botulism.  Also, on a side note, I did find that Christy Jordan has a wonderful tutorial showing how to can on her website at http://www.southernplate.com/.  But I had more fun canning with Friend-in-Law!!

So let's get started!

You need applesauce, Granny Smith apples, sugar, apple juice, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground allspice.  I thought where is the butter?  Remember I have never made this before!!!

You add all the ingredients into the crockpot and then peel your apples.  It was very therapeutic peeling all those apples. 

I chopped those apples into little pieces.  It was very therapeutic chopping all those apples.

You put all those apple pieces into the crock pot with the other ingredients, mix well, and cook on low for 8-10 hours. I almost thought I was not going to have enough room in my crockpot, but it worked.   I did this at 10:00 pm at night so that when I woke up the next morning. I would smell the deliciousness.  It smelled like Christmas morning!!

Oops.  I forgot I took a picture of it all mixed up.  Here you go.  You can see how full the crockpot is!! 

Once you let it cook 10 hours on low, you take the top off and let it continue cooking to get some of the liquid out.  I had already started putting some in cans when I took this picture, but you can see that it cooked down about an inch from where we started.  The color is glorious, and the smell is beyond belief, and the taste is ..... I can't think of an adjective that would do it justice plus I can't figure out how to work the thesaurus on this blog.  YUM!!!

Look at it in those little pint-sized Mason Jars.  Friend-in-Law did all of this for me.  I would have messed up if Friend-in-Law was not here.  She said because the apple butter was so hot, if we had put it in the cold jars, they would have cracked.  So we added some water to the jars, heated it up in the microwave, poured it out, and added the apple butter to the jar.  I just watched and took pictures. 

Once you get them all filled, you put on the little seals and rings, and place them in the almost boiling water bath.  I can't remember why it was almost boiling but not boiling.  I will have to ask.  You bring it to a boil and let it go for 10 minutes.

All done...  Aren't they beautiful? What is so much fun is that you get to hear the little thunk when the can seals.  That means we won't get botulism.   I didn't have to lay down on the floor at anytime during this process.  It really was pretty easy.  I even think I might could do it by myself.  These would be awesome to give as Christmas gifts.   

Before I give you the recipe, I have to tell you a quick story about Husband Fred and the Apple Butter.  He gets up at 5:00 in the morning to go to work.  I told him he could get some of the Apple Butter and try it out on some toast.  I told him it would be a little runny, but it would be ok.  He came home for lunch that day, and I asked him how he had liked it.  And he says.....Well, you forgot to get bread when you went to the Grocery store so I.....ARE YOU READY?... put it over cereal."  WHAT???  Food Police and I both asked him if the cereal had milk in it.  He looked at us like we were growing horns out of our head.  I looked at him like he was growing horns out of his head.  He said "Of course not!"  He said it was delicious over his Special K Almond Crunch cereal.  So you know if it tastes good on cereal, it is good.

Here is the recipe....

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Christy Jordan

Southern Plate Cookbook

Two 3-pound (50 ounce) jars unsweetend applesauce

3 pounds Granny Smith apples

4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups apple juice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Peel and cut the apples into thin slices.  Place all the ingredients n a slow cooker and stir.  Cover and cook on low overnight for 8 - 10 hours.  Remove the cover and keep cooking until some of the liquid has gone.  ( I did mine on High after removing the cover, and let it go another hour or so).  Pour into jars and either can or refrigerate.

Christy said hers made 8; mine made 7 probably because Husband Fred poured out a bunch on his cereal!!

Go have a great day!!

I Am On It!! Southern Plate's Kathy's Country Casserole...

Hello All....I chose as my next cookbook - Southern Plate by Christy Jordan.  I discovered Christy in Southern Living Magazine, I guess, about a year ago.  The article mentioned her website - http://www.southernplate.com/ - and I immediately ran at breakneck speed to the computer and checked it out.  I went crazy over the site and Christy.  I ordered her cookbook which is a wonderful collection of family recipes and more.  Everything I have tried from this cookbook and her website is soooooooooo good.  I would recommend that this be your next cookbook purchase. 

She is more than just a cookbook author and website though.  She is a wonderful story-teller with roots here in Northern Alabama.  She has such a positive spin on life and is an excellent role model for showing her readers how to be grateful for all that has been provided us.  I would love to meet her. 

On to the recipe....The Eeny Meeny Miny Mo Game chose.....drumroll please.........Kathy's Country Casserole on page 202.  I don't know who Kathy is, but she did a great job on this recipe. 

Here is a picture of the cookbook.  I tried a new strategy on my photography.  Move to the counter with more light!!  Still not the best but not too bad for an amateur.



To make Food Police happy, you will notice I used 2% cheddar and fat-free milk.  It tasted great.  Speaking of Food Police, she wants me to start sending her food diaries so she can critique my eating habits!!  I love having a dietitian for a daughter!! Wink wink!!

OK...Here is another beautiful shot of 4 chicken breasts that I poached and shredded.  I know the Barefoot Contessa says she roasts her chicken for better flavor, but I didn't want to get hot with the oven on 400 degrees.

Add 2 cups of small shell pasta, cooked and drained!

Add 2 cups of mixed vegetables.  As you can see there is frost on the veggies, and as I read the recipe NOW (WHOOPS!!), I see where Christy said to cook and drain the veggies before adding.  Obviously, I did not do that which is one of my pitfalls - not reading the recipe completely but hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes - but it still tasted awesome.

Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.  I used 2%.  I cannot use fat-free cheese.  It just doesn't melt right!! I know Food Police is shaking her head right now! 

Add 1/2 cup of french-fried onions.  Now we are talking!!  I love those things!!

Add one 10.5 ounce can of cream of chicken soup, undiluted.

Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.  I took a picture of one of my favorite things.  I got this from Paula's website.  It is a little wood box that holds my salt and pepper, and I keep it right by the stove.   Love it love it love it!! 

Mix well and spoon into a 9x13 casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  The casserole dish is another of my favorite things.  You can order this line called Temp-tations from QVC.  You would not believe all the different products they offer.  It is awesome.  It also comes in all different colors to match your kitchen. 

After you bake for 25 minutes, you top with the remaining onions and cheese and bake until the cheese melts which was about 5 minutes or so!! YUMMO!!!  The kitchen is smelling awesome right about now and of course, here comes Husband Fred.

I served it with a green salad and can I say, it was some good eating!!

Here is another view.  Look Food Police - My vegetables take up 2/3 of my plate!!!  I am learning!!  They have gotten rid of the Food Pyramid and gone to the Food Plate I am told.

I loved this recipe.  I can see where you could take it to a potluck or to a new mom who has just had a baby, or just enjoy it for an easy weeknight supper.  It is DELICIOUS.   Christy also notes in her cookbook that it freezes well too.  There you go!!

I plan to do a couple of more recipes from this cookbook.  I love it, and I am loving my game.  It is making me try new things!!  Now go have a great day!!

Here is the recipe:

Kathy's Country Casserole

Christy Jordan

Southern Plate Cookbook

2 cups small shell pasta, cooked and drained

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup french-fried onions

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (you can use canned chicken)

One 10.5 ounce can of cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine everything in a large bowl, reserving half of the cheese and half of the french fried onion for topping later.

Spoon into a 9x13 casserole dish.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Top with remaining cheese and onions and bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer.