CROCK POT NO PEEK STEW

New Crock-Pot recipe. It was easy, and it was ready when we got home. Both girls liked it, so I would say it is a keeper!

1 lb. chuck or stew meat, cubed
2 c. potatoes, cut up
2 c. carrots, cut up
2 c. celery, cut up
1 lg. onion
1 c. each frozen green beans, peas, corn or whatever vegetables you wish
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
1 can water
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt and salt substitute
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt

Mix all ingredients together in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. Don't peek!

Veggie and Barley Soup

This was a great crockpot meal from this week. It is a hearty vegetarian soup. If you want a sweeter soup, try sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. It makes a big pot of soup, but makes great leftovers!

Ingredients:
• 1 cup medium pearl barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 9-oz. pkg. baby carrots
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 (14 oz). cans vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• 14-oz. can diced tomatoes with herbs, undrained

Preparation:
Place all ingredients except tomatoes in a 5-6 quart crockpot in the order given. Do not stir. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir soup and add tomatoes. Cover crockpot and cook for 10-15 minutes longer until soup is hot. Remove bay leaf before serving. 10 servings

Black-Eyed Pea Soup- New Year's Tradition

I am not a superstious person. However, I don't see anything wrong with starting the new year off right. So, on New Year's day, we have a pot of black-eyed peas going. THis is an EASY recipe that is hard to mess up, but has a great deal of taste. It would be a great recipe on any cold winter day.

1 lb of Black-eyed Peas
2 cups of diced ham
1 medium onions, chopped
1 Can of diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Soak peas overnight.

Place peas in crockpot, and cover peas with water. Add ham, chopped onions, and can of diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper halfway through cooking. Place crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. If needed, add more water, salt, or black pepper to taste.

Serve with cornbread muffins.

Chicken Noodle and Lentil Soup Mix-Gift Idea

This was gift that we received for Christmas from Clay's cousin this year. The jar of soup mix was perfect this week as we returned home and had energy to cook. The girls and I really enjoyed the soup, but Clay LOVED it. I will be making this again for sure.


¼ cup of red lentils
2 tbsp. dried onion flakes
1 ½ tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
½ tsp. dried dill weed or dill seed
1/8 tsp each celery seed and garlic powder
approximately 1 cup medium egg noodles
1 bay leaf.

Directions:In a two-cup jar, layer from bottom in the order listed above, then seal the jar.

Write these instructions on your gift tag:Bring 8 cups of water to boil in large saucepan. Stir in jar of soup mix. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Discard bay leaf and stir in 1½ cups of frozen corn or mixed vegetables and 2 cups of cooked, diced chicken or turkey. Simmer for five minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is heated through.

Gift Ideas

This year I am working in more of my gifts reflecting us and our values. One way I have found to do that is by making homemade foods/ mixes for friends and family. I work hard to make sure we eat most of our meals around the table together. I try to use whole ingredients, etc. Here are some recipes that I have tried and will be giving. One way you can prepare them is in a quart mason jar, but they way I have decided to prepare them is in a quart Ziploc bag. Then, I am putting each bag in a Christmas lunch sack with the recipe inside. Tie it off with a tag and you have a cute presentation. I will post a picture later.

Alphabet Country Soup Mix in a Jar
(one bag of beans will make 4 batches)

1/2 cup split green peas
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup raw rice
2 tbsp. parsley
2 tbsp. onion flakes
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
2 tbsp. beef bouillon
1/4 cup alphabet noodles
Twist macaroni noodles

Layer peas, barley, lentils, and rice in 1 quart jar, pressing down after each layer. Then layer parsley, onion flakes, salt, lemon pepper and beef bouillon just around the edges, then also putting the alphabet noodles just around the edges of the jar (so the alphabet noodles can be seen by the gift receiver. Then fill the rest of the jar with macaroni, being sure to press down as much as possible.


Instructions for tag:
Empty contents of jar into a large pot, then add:
3 quarts water
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 cups of tomatoes
Simmer until vegetables are tender.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Potato Soup Mix in a Jar

Ingredients for Jar:
1 3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups dry milk
2 tbsp instant chicken boullion
2 tsp dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp tumeric

Combine in bowl and add to quart jar, sealing tightly.

Instructions:
For Potato Soup place 1/2 cup of Potato soup mix in bowl, then add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir or whisk until smooth. Serve immediately.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hearty Bean Soup Mix in a Jar
(each batch makes 8 bags of soup mix)
1 pound dried navy beans
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
1 pound split peas
1 pound yellow split peas
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 pound lentils
1 pound pearl barley
1 pound dried red beans

In a very large container, combine navy beans, pinto beans, great Northern beans, split peas, yellow split peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, barley and red beans; mix well.

Directions
Divide evenly into 8 jars, pressing down on mix and secure lid.

Attach recipe to jars for gift giving.

Hearty Bean Soup Mix:
2 quarts water
1 ham hock
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Soak 2 cups Hearty Bean Soup Mix in enough water to cover, for 8 hours or overnight.
In a large soup or stock pot, bring 2 quarts water and ham hock to a boil. Reduce heat then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove ham hock. Add soaked beans, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes and green chiles, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil again, skimming foam off the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer hearty bean soup for about 1 hour, until beans are tender.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Beans and Rice Mix

Seasoning
1 T. dried bell pepper flakes
1 T. dried minced onion
1/2 t. dried minced garlic
2 t. seasoned salt
1 bay leaf
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. celery seed
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. crushed red pepper

Red Beans and Rice Mix
2 C. dried red beans
1 C. uncooked long grain white rice

In a small bowl, combine seasoning ingredients. Place in a small, sealable plastic bag or container. Fill a pint canning jar with red beans. Fill a sealable plastic bag with rice.

Recipe to attach:
Red Beans and Rice Mix
2 C. red beans (included)
1 ham bone
Seasoning mixture (included)
1 C. uncooked rice (included)
2 C. water
1 t. salt
1 pound spicy smoked sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash beans. Place in a Dutch oven; cover with water and soak overnight. The following day, add ham bone and seasoning mixture. If necessary, add additional water to cover the beans. Cook, partially covered, over medium-low heat 3 to 4 hours.

All Day Vegetable Soup

I got a call at work this morning that Hannah was running fever. So after hastily making sub plans, I picked her up at school. I found I had the whole day at home. I decided to make my mom's all day vegetable soup. This is one of the recipes that reminds me of childhood. It is total comfort food. This is the first time I have attempted the soup, because it is one I have been too scared to try myself. I still don't know if it will taste the same, but I am glad to report it is looking the same. When mom gave the me recipe, I learned that she got it from her mom, who learned it from her mom. So it is a four generation soup, from as much as I can gather. This is a soup that you start in the morning and let cook all day. I will tell you- it is worth it!

Ingredients
1 big stew pot
2 lbs of stew meat
1 onion
2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes
5 small cans of tomato sauce
4-5 potatoes, bite-size
1 bag of frozen vegetables
1 cup of uncooked noodles

Directions

1. Fill a stew pot about 3/4 full of water. Put in onion, meat, and lightly salt. Cook uncovered on medium to low 1/2 a day, or until the pot has only 1/3 of the water left.

2. Once meat, onion and water are cooked down, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, potatoes, and frozen vegetables. Cover and simmer 2-3 hours.

3. One hour before serving add 1 to 2 cups of macaroni. Soup will thicken as it simmers.

Serve with warm bread.

Season of Soups

Fall is here! I am trilled that we are coming on a cold season. It is the season of soups. To jump start the season, here are some our favorites to try this year.

Potato Leek Soup
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2008/12/potato-leek-soup.html

Taco Soup
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2009/04/taco-soup.html

Cream of Tomato Soup
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2009/12/cream-of-tomato-soup.html

Meatball Dump Soup
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2009/07/meatball-dump-soup.html

Short Rib Stew
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/02/short-rib-stew.html

Home Made Soup Mix

I love soups in the winter time. I find comfort and ease in cooking and eating them. This recipe I found this summer. I really like it. I really like the idea of the homemade soup mixes because I know what is going in to the mix. If you look at store bought soup mixes, they are filled with sodium and preservatives. This- you mix, you store, you serve. The other reason I like it is because it is ready to go at a moment's notice.

For this recipe you can purchase 1 bag of split peas, 1 bag of barley, 1 bag of lentils, and 1 bag of rice. One bag of ech can be purchased for less than $1.50 each. One bag can make four mixes. You make the mix listed below, and then you have four to pull out as needed.


1/2 cup split green peas
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup raw rice
2 tbsp. parsley
2 tbsp. onion flakes
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
2 tbsp. beef bouillon
1/4 cup noodles

Mix all of the ingredients into a quart size bag. Keep dry until ready to use.

Day of cooking:

Empty contents of bag into a large pot, then add:
3 quarts water
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 cups of tomatoes

Simmer until vegetables are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup- Meatless Monday

From: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/soupsstewsandchili/r/lentilsoup.htm

Lentil soup is one of those recipes that should be in every cook's repertoire. Lentils are available in most grocery stores and are high in protein, healthy and very cheap. This vegetarian lentil soup recipe uses plenty of spices to perk up the soup. Enjoy this traditional and warming dish! You may also want to try this crockpot lentil soup recipe.

Ingredients:
•1 tsp vegetable oil
•1 onion, diced
•1 carrot sliced
•4 cups vegetable broth
•1 cup dry lentils
•1/4 tsp pepper
•1/4 tsp dried thyme
•2 bay leaves
•dash salt
•1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:
In a large pot, sautee the onions and carrot in the vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes until onions turn clear.
Add the vegetable broth, lentils, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and salt.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice before serving. Makes 4 servings of lentil soup.

Garbanzo Bean and Pasta Soup- Meatless Monday

I am preparing for meatless Monday again. This week we are having a soup with garbanzo beans. The beans are something a bit different, but have a great taste and provide a lot of protien. If you go to find them in the store- they are called garbanzo beans or chickpeas. It is the same ingedient used to make hummas (one of my personal favorites). If you buy them canned you will want two cans. One thing to think about- canned beans contain much higher levels of sodium than dried beans, but when you forget to soak the beans the night before, the cans can be a lifesaver. Anyway, have a good week. ksg

INGREDIENTS
1 4 cup box of vegetable broth
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 bag of garbanzo beans (soaked overnight)
1 cup of small shell pasta
Salt and Pepper to Taste


DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients, except pasta, in the crockpot. Turn on low for 6 to 8 hours. 45 minutes prior to serving, stir in pasta. Serve with cheese on top and a side of bread.

Short Rib Stew

I caught Brian Boitano making this on the Today Show last weekend. I thought it looked good, so I tried it out on my in-laws last weekend. I think we all enjoyed it. The short ribs made the stew very flavorful. It was easy to make, and we had enough for leftovers the next night- minus the short ribs. Clay and girls enjoyed it the second night over a piece of bread.

Recipe Courtesy Brian Boitano

2 pounds bone in short ribs
1/3 cup flour
Salt and fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 red peppers, cored seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups red wine
1 can (15 ounces) chopped tomatoes
3 cup vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
5 sprig of fresh thyme
1 pound baby new potatoes, cut half
½ pound of Cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped

Season meat generously with salt and pepper and then dredge into flour. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch over medium heat. Sear meat in batches until browned on all sides. Remove to a plate. To the same Dutch oven add half of the of the carrots, onions, red pepper and all of the celery and sauté for 8 minutes until vegetables begin to brown and caramelize. Add garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the red wine. Add the tomatoes, seared meat, vegetable stock, bay leaf, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and turn heat to low and let simmer for 2 to 2½ hours. Add remaining vegetables and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes until vegetables are tender and meat is fork tender

Cajun Jambalaya

We spent the weekend down at the lake with the parents and in-laws. Friday night we walked in to a GREAT meal of jambalaya. I asked Debbie for the recipe and she pointed me in the direction of Emeril. So, here is Emeril's Jambalaya.

Ingredients
12 medium shrimp, peeled, deviened and chopped
4 ounces chicken, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Cabbage Soup

Shredded Cabbage Soup
I have soany new recipes to post! I have gotten way behind! So, here is the first of many. This is Monday's meatless selection. If you want to, you can use the No Beef flavoring.

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoon butter
2 cans (10 1/2 oz each) condensed beef broth
1 small head green cabbage, coarsely shredded
2 carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 stalk celery (including leaves), sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 tsp salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
Preparation:

Cook and stir onions in Dutch oven until tender. Add beef broth, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, celery and tomatoes. Add enough water to thoroughly cover all ingredients by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add seasonings. Simmer for 2 hours.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cheddar Potato Soup

I love recipes that require minimal steps and ingredients. This particular recipe is both. Another bonus, I usually have all of these ingredients at home. This was shared with me by my friend Amy. She raved about the soup- and I have to agree! Enjoy!


2 pounds red-skin potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I left the skins on)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Place potatoes, carrots, onion, broth, and salt in crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW 6 -7 hours or HIGH 3 - 3.5 hours or until veggies are tender.
2. Stir in half and half and pepper. cover; cook on HIGH 15 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted.

Turkey Sausage and Tortellini Soup

This recipe came from my friend Matty. With four kids, I am amazed she can find anything they all like. So, when she said her kids love this easy recipe, I knew I had to try it. The girls enjoyed the soup and I did, too. I made it without the sausage for a non-meat meal.

6 ounces smoked turkey sausage cut-up
2 cups shredded cole slaw mix
frozen Italian-style green beans (can't remember the size, but they have a small bag at Kroger and that's what I use)
2 cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 can condensed French onion soup
3 cups water
9 ounce package refrigerated tortellini
grated Parmesan cheese


Put everything except the tortellini and the cheese into a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add the tortellini and let cook for another 30 minutes. Serve with the cheese sprinkled on top. Easy, delicious and my kids love it!

Vegetable Beef Soup- $10.00 Meal

There is nothing better than a warm cup of soup on a cold winter's day. So, when looking for my next $10.00 or less meal, I wanted a soup. I thought I would share one of the best soup recipes I have. My mom shared it with me when I got my first apartment and I my first crock pot. The name of the soup has changed and so has the packaging, but every time we have it, the family loves it.

Ingredients:

1 lbs of stew meat ($3.37) (save a $ and use ground beef)

1 package of Mrs. Grass Soup Starter (Vegetable Beef Soup) ($3.69)

1 box of crackers ($1.29) (purchased for previous meal)

Brown meat of medium heat until outside of meat is brown in a skillet. This step seals in the goodness of the meat. If you are using ground beef brown completely. Drain grease off of meat.

Place meat in the crock pot, along with 8 cups of water, and whisk in soup starter. Place on low for six to eight hours in the crockpot. (Can be cooked on the stove for about 30 minutes)

Serve with crackers.

Grand Total: $8.35

Cream of Tomato Soup

On Christmas Eve the Stauffer family attends church, eats dinner, and open presents. Mom always prepares a meal that can be served shortly after church, since the young and old seem to be ready to eat. This year, as we have done before, we are having soups and sandwiches. This soup is a recipe that mom found in 2006 on http://recipes.lightandtasty.com/. I am not sure how this particular recipe would be considered light, but it is tasty. I was not able to find the recipe online now, but luckily she had printed it out. She is going to serve it with the Potato Leek Soup ( http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2008/12/potato-leek-soup.html).

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 4 ounces of cream cheese, cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 2 cans of V8 Juice
• 1 cup half and half cream
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil

In a food processor or blender, combine stewed tomatoes and cream cheese; cover and process until smooth. Set aside. In a large saucepan saute onion and garlic in butter. Whisk in tomato soup and V8 until blended. Gradually stir in cream cheese mixture, cream, and basil. Cook and stir until heated through (do not boil). Serve and enjoy!

Crockpot Cabbage Soup

Okay, school is back in session, and I am on a mission to plan meals again. I have realized I cook more during the school year- part of it necessity, part of it release. Tomorrow night we have dance class at 5, so I want something that will be ready when we get home at 6. I have all of the ingredients in the pantry/ fridge, so we are going to give it a try. I feel excited to get back into blogging again- so I will be looking for some new recipes to try. Wish us luck!

Cook Time: 9 hours


Ingredients:
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons rice
2 ribs celery, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups beef broth (can make from bouillon or base and hot water)
1 pound of ground beef
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) tomatoes, diced
coarsely ground pepper

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker/Crock Pot. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low. Taste before serving; add salt and more pepper if necessary.Serve with biscuits or crusty bread.

Beef Cabbage Soup Recipe serves 4

Meatball Dump Soup

I love dump recipes. If you don't know what that means- it means all you have to do is dump all of the ingredients together and cook them. No fuss, no muss. This is one of those recipes. You can make your own meat balls (previously posted), or you can buy them frozen. This is great crockpot recipe, too.

Ingredients:
1 pound frozen meatballs, Italian seasoned
3 cups beef broth
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
1 cup diced potato, about 1 medium potato
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 ounces (about 3 cups) frozen mixed vegetables


Preparation:

In crockpot, combine meatballs, broth, tomatoes, potato, onion, garlic powder, and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, until potatoes and onion are tender. Stir in frozen vegetables and cook on HIGH for 1 hour longer.

Serves 6.

If desired, serve with a tossed salad and pass the Parmesan cheese

Taco Soup

The first time I had this soup was right after I had Elizabeth and people from our Sunday school class were bringing us meals. We really enjoyed. I asked Catherine if she would share the recipe with me. I am looking forward to making it this weekend. I think it would also make a great freezer meal- prepare it without the water and place in freezer. Thanks to Catherine Gatlin for this one.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion (I use frozen onion)
1 package taco seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix
1 can beans (I use chili beans)
1 can corn (I use sweet white/yellow corn)
1 can green chilies
1 can Ro-tel
2 cans water
1 can sliced black olives

Brown ground beef, add onions until translucent. Add dry seasonings and stir. Add all canned products and water, bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
I usually serve with fritos and cheese.