Crockpot Asian Pork with Mushrooms

Good job, Self, for planning a crockpot meal on my first day back to work. Better yet my wonderful husband did all the prep work in the morning and it was cooking away when I got home! Nothing is better than coming home and smelling dinner prepping!

 

Well, okay, it gets better when your husband remembers there is a bottle of wine in the fridge and he pours you a glass. Ahhhhhh!

 

I've made this recipe once before but I guess I did not blog it.

We used a pork tenderloin instead of a roast. No reason, it's just what I bought at Costco. I think it should not cook for the entire 8 hours then, and my husband wisely saw this and set it to warm early. He seared up the pork this morning, mixed up the spices and ingredients and let it bubble.

There's a sweet spiciness to this, with a bit of ginger. I didn't ask if he added more ginger than the recipe states (I usually do to any recipe) but I think he did.

So delicious flavors, easy to make, and even better if someone else cooks it!

P.s. The recipe states that you can prep this the night before, searing and all, and then just turn it on in the morning! See recipe directions.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms.

 

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Repeat for Lisa

 I was telling my teacher friend Lisa (Lisa T's rock!) that we were having these pulled pork sandwiches tonight for dinner.  I thought I'd make it easier for her to search for this recipe (:

Notes:  I didn't buy a full 6-8 lb roast.  I think mine was darn near 4 lbs.  I still used the full amount of spices.  Extra yumminess!  

Click here for the stolen recipe for Crockpot Pulled Pork.

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Another crockpot recipe! Jim did make this one on his own. All of it. It turned out wonderfully! The glaze was awesome- sweet, flavorful, and a little sour from the balsamic? Again, I'm trying to remember details from too long ago (11/4).

Click here for the stolen recipe for Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin.

Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken

I love these crockpot meals. I sometimes start them before I leave for work or I leave the work to my dear work-at-home husband. He does awesome work.

I think Jim did make this meal. This is way back from 11/1 so it's hard to remember. I know I did make the BBQ sauce the night before and left the recipe out for Jim.

It was good! We love these crockpot meals. I don't feel as rushed to come home and hurry a meal together for a decent time. (We like to eat at 5:30, and I get home with James at about 5:00. So RR's 30 minute meals would be handy but I don't like her style of food.)

Anyway...

Roasted brussel sprouts rounded out the meal.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken.

Click here for the BBQ sauce, from Pioneer Woman.

Crockpot French Onion Soup

I'm going backwards to October, looking through the food pictures that I never did blog about. This is an easy crockpot soup that we did enjoy. Jim loves French Onion soup and this came from one of my new favorite blogs, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Turns out I love Gruyere cheese!

I thought this soup was pretty sweet. I mean, literally. Is that normal for French Onion soup? I don't know. I dont' think I've ever really ordered it from a restaurant.

Jim did enjoy it. I don't know if we'll make it again because it would have to be a very definite craving on my part... and honestly I enjoy other soups so much more. I am glad I made it though.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Crockpot French Onion Soup.

Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Steel-cut Oatmeal

I'm not a big cooked oatmeal fan (I didn't think) but my doctor suggested adding oatmeal to my breakfast line-up because it's packed with protein and will keep me full. I've heard that steel-cut oatmeal is the healthiest but it takes a lot longer to cook. Voila. Crockpot!



I have issues with texture so when I saw this gloppy finished product I was a bit scared. I added a bit of brown sugar, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds. SO much better! It wasn't as gloppy as I thought but rather chewy and hearty.

It was very easy to throw together and I imagine that you can change up the basic recipe as you like. I think adding dried fruit would be great. If I added dried fruit I wouldn't add more liquid, because I think I like my oatmeal on the drier side. If I made it exactly like this again I would decrease the water by 1/2 cup.

I saw on other websites that people didn't like making the oatmeal directly in the crockpot because of the browned bits on the sides (they were preparing the oatmeal in a bowl within the crockpot, like a steam bath). I actually thought those bits added a lot to the flavor and texture. It firmed it up.

The verdict: Did it keep me fuller and not make me break out into the shakes by 10am? I think I need to eat it a few times more and then decide.

It makes 5 1-cup servings and the recipe says it freezes well. I did freeze a few portions but they didn't last long in the freezer. We ate them up pretty quickly! We'll definitely be making this again.

I did need to buy two ingredients that I wouldn't normally have in the house. Each bag cost around $5. The steel cut oatmeal will make 3 crockpot recipes. And then for the ground flaxseed you only need 2 Tablespoons so this bag will last a long time. I should find some other recipes for the flaxseed. I think it's one of those ingredients that I've seen around but I hadn't made the leap to buy it until now. In muffins?

Click here for the stolen recipe for Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Steel-cut Oatmeal.

Slow Cooker Beef Dip Sandwiches with caramelized onions

We usually cheat with French Dip sandwiches 'round here. I buy Angus roast beef from the deli and au jus in a jar. I saw this recipe and thought this was my chance to make it "homemade".

The beef smelled heavenly all day. It slow cooked for 8 hours in beef broth, Lipton onion mix, and an au jus packet mix. The resulting au jus was a bit much, I think next time I would do without the au jus packet. I think Lipton mix is much too processed anyway, but I have yet to find a good substitute. (Note to self: keep looking!)

The beef fell apart and made for good leftovers. I sliced the beef in pretty thick pieces and assembled the sandwiches with some caramelized onions and provolone cheese. A quick few minutes in the broiler heated it all up and toasted the bread slightly. YUM.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Dip Sandwiches. (printable recipe at this link)

Crockpot pulled pork sandwiches

Updated to include a picture! We revisit this recipe often. This time my dear, wonderful husband made this recipe and it was waiting for me when I got home from a long day at work. The smell was wonderful when I walked through that door!

Now I didn't get a picture of the finished product but I remember taking this picture in November and thinking that even the spices look pretty! And they naturally just looked like a heart so I stopped to take the picture. And then I didn't take any more pictures. Oh well. (Never fear- there are great pictures on the blog site linked below!)

We've made this pulled pork recipe a few times now and we love it. It makes TONS and it freezes well. It's very easy to make, and ahead of time! That's the best- being organized and thinking things out ahead of time. I love when I'm organized like THAT.





Click here for the stolen recipe for Crockpot Pulled Pork.

Apple Butter

My son was very excited to go apple picking and hit the pumpkin patches in the fall. I also LOVE fall. It's my favorite time of year. It's usually my favorite eating time too- pumpkins, apples, Thanksgiving, etc. We had plenty of apples because of the apple orchard visits and I had heard of making apple butter and I had dreams of making it and spreading it on toast and bagels, and maybe finding some other creative use for it.

Well, I made it. It was good. And I still have some of it in the freezer!! I need to use it up. I'm sure it's not good for much longer.


Click here for the stolen recipe for Apple Butter.