Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow cooker white chicken chili

January 22, 2017 by Tanya 2 Comments

We use our slow cooker year round, in the summer a big pot of pork carnitas or baked beans keep the kitchen cool by avoiding turning the oven on.

And in the fall and winter…well…it’s a slow-cooker-palooza every week and I find myself using ours at least three times a week if not more.

I love to make big batches of beef chili, spaghetti sauce to freeze and homemade refried beans in my slow cooker. Beans seem to work their way into many dishes as they are a great source of protein, easy on the budget and really good for you.

I decided to do a little use-what-you-have cooking before we went on our monster Costco and Winco shopping trip recently. I like to do a quick re-organize of my pantry shelves and deep freezer so things don’t get “lost” in the back and never used, and so I stock up but avoid over-buying. Which is very easy to do at Costco.

I saw that I had some frozen chicken breasts, and canned white beans, along with a can of green chilies in hand I knew I had the makings for a belly warming pot of good for you white chicken chili. [Read more…]

Slow Cooker Bacon Wrapped Chicken (easy & low carb!)

September 30, 2014 by Tanya 11 Comments

Chicken is probably my main go to food when it comes to meal planning.

That is when I plan.

But my slow cooker recipes save the day every time. And this is hands down one of my favorites.
Once the cooler temperatures of September and October arrive, my slow cooker is working overtime,
simmering and cooking dinner while I scurry around tending to everything else.

Chicken breast can also tend to be a bit dry if it doesn’t have enough time to cook slowly & retain
as much moisture as possible.

I could ramble on about my favorite slow cooker recipes, but for today, let’s throw dinner in and let
it cook on low all day.

Your house will smell amazing, and people will think you worked very hard on this simple dish.
No need to tell them our secret, unless of course they are also in the slow cooker club, then it’s ok. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fall, Gluten Free Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes

Low carb slow cooker pizza

September 9, 2014 by Tanya 6 Comments

So I was a bit curious if this could be done.

Achieve the taste and texture of a big slice of pizza, with all my fave toppings, and no crust.

Oh, and in my slow cooker too because by the time late afternoon rolls around I am racing to
pick the boys up from school, do homework, throw the 19th load of laundry in the dryer…
you know what I am talking about right?

Behold the glory of easy slow cooker recipes, aren’t they wonderful?

Well, if you love the taste of pizza but are watching your carb intake, maintaining a weight loss,
or following a low carb diet, this recipe is for you! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Low Carb Recipes, Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes Tagged With: slow cooker pizza

Inspiration Monday Party | Soup’s On + a Giveaway!!

February 23, 2014 by Tanya 13 Comments

Woohoo! It’s an end of the month #InspirationMonday party…you know what that means!

We have a guest hostess AND a giveaway!We’re so happy you are joining us today.

This week, your links are seen simultaneously on all SIX blogs at the same time,

all you need to do is link up to ONE of our sites.

And if you’re linking up via our guest hostess, Meaningful Mama, WELCOME!

And of course a big HELLO to all of our regular party friends, too! You know we love ya!

We feature lots of your projects during the duration of the party via social media. Feel free to follow along via our blogs below:I Should Be Mopping the Floor | Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Redhead Can Decorate| twelveOeight | Your Homebased Momand special guest hostess Meaningful MamaLet’s get started with our giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This week’s features were selected by our guest hostess, Jodi, from Meaningful Mama. They’re sure to warm you up during {hopefully} the last weeks of winter. Are you following our Inspiration Monday Pinterest board? (If you are, you probably got a sneak peek at our favorites for the week.) Feel free to grab a button in the sidebar if you were featured below.

Soup's On: Eight yummy soups & stews to warm you up!

1. Southwest Beef, Bean & Barley Soup from Love Bakes Good Cakes
2. Slow Cooker Winter Squash Beef Stew from Will Cook for Smiles
3. Quinoa Kale Bean Soup from The Scent of Oranges
4. Creamy Tomato Basil Soup from Joyful Healthy Eats
5. Tuscan Ravioli Soup from Kleinworth & Co.
6. Tuscan Bean Soup (gluten & dairy free} from Gluten Free Yummy!
7. Black Bean Soup from My Turn for Us
8. Chicken & Barley Soup from Sweet Caroline’s Corner

Please keep in mind:

– Be sure to mingle with other party guests (It’s always fun to click on a few other links to see what fellow bloggers are up to.) – Link up all of your creative fun, including recipes, crafts, printables, DIY projects and other fabulous things you’ve been up to on YOUR blog. – Please do not link Etsy stores, giveaways, or other link parties – By linking up to Inspiration Monday you are giving the five blogs,listed above, permission to feature your project and/or photos on our social media outlets and blogs. -If you wish to be featured, please include the “Inspiration Monday Party” button or link on your link party list (find the button on the side bar.)

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

January 27, 2014 by Tanya 7 Comments

Howdy friends!

I know many of us are fa-reez-ing right now and I thought I would share my version of this popular slow cooker soup recipe, and maybe make the cold a little easier. I am still doing lots of little tweaks (oh the plug-ins, I am officially hooked!) to our new WordPress platform, but I am loving it!! So I spent most of the weekend behind my computer and reading.

Do you use a slow cooker during the Winter or all year long? I have found that I love to use it just as much during the warm months so the oven and stove are on as little as possible. But hearty soups and stews are hard to beat this time of year.

Plus, I just really like the idea of having dinner figured out and cooking by lunchtime. To save a little more time I like to keep a few pounds of cooked, frozen ground beef in the freezer. So when I throw this all in to cook, I don’t even have to pull out a frying pan. I use quart size freezer bags to freeze cooked ground beef by the pound so this comes together really fast.

I love to serve it with cornbread or warm corn tortillas. Sour cream, shredded cheese & cilantro all make an great garnish too. Here is how I make it:

Winter Dining Room Decor | with Amy from The Blissful Bee

January 15, 2014 by Tanya 5 Comments

Hello twelveOeight readers! It’s Amy here from The Blissful Bee and I’m so happy to be back again with some fun eye candy for you all today. With Christmas being over, we all tend to pack up our Christmas decorations and just go back to our “default” decor. This year I have tried to keep that Winter feeling going by decorating with some heavy textures, darker colors and (of course) deer
antlers!

Over the past year or so I’ve somehow accumulated multiple sets of antlers. There are too many to just use around the house at random, so I’ve decided to clump them together in a fun little centerpiece for our dining table. I first placed the antlers in my bowl and then began placing my decorative balls.

Easy Cheddar Broccoli Soup | Sharing the blog love too

January 10, 2014 by Tanya 5 Comments

I cannot think of a time of year that we enjoy soup more than the cold days of Winter.
Now that the tree is down and my days have become a bit more organized,
I am trying really hard to stay on track with laundry and meal planning.
Am I the only one that just cannot seem to keep up on these unless a plan is
made?

I am going to share a few of my meal planning ideas in the weeks to come, but I
will share my biggest time saver that never fails. I have to begin thinking about
and working on dinner by about 10am (I know it sounds really early but the day
g oes by quickly and we end up eating cereal if I don’t!) in order to have dinner
ready by a reasonable time that evening.

Soup is my secret weapon.

Favorite Recipes 2013

December 31, 2013 by Tanya 9 Comments

Wishing you a wonderful, blessed & abundant year in 2014 friends!
I had so much fun putting together the Best DIY roundup for 2013 and
seeing how far we have come around our house.
And I couldn’t forget about what we whipped up in the kitchen so here
is a group of my favorite things that we made in the kitchen this year.
(every recipe has a gluten free option as well too)

Crock Pot Banana Bread Oatmeal

May 24, 2013 by Tanya 6 Comments

The flavor of warm, sweet banana bread combined with

healthy steel cut oats make this crock pot breakfast recipe
one of my all time favorites!

There is something so wonderful about entering the kitchen
to pour my first cup of coffee in the morning,
and breakfast is already ready.

Warm, sweet banana bread flavor, combined with hearty
steel cut oats, slow cooked to perfection.

I’m getting hungry so let’s hurry up and get cooking!

Crock Pot Banana Bread Oatmeal
makes 6 servings

Combine the following and cook on low for 5-7 hours depending on
your crock pot. Grease the inside of the cooker first or spray with
cooking spray to prevent sticking.

2 cups steel cut oats
1 cup of water
5 ripe bananas cut in slices
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 T. butter cut in cubes
2 13.5 ounce cans of coconut milk (light or regular)
2 t. coconut extract
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. salt
(you can also add chopped walnuts, pecans, raisins etc… if desired)
this recipe has been adapted from this source.

I like to top this yummy breakfast with some fresh sliced bananas
and a little milk. We just made this yesterday, but the lids loved
it so much it looks like it’s on the menu again for the weekend!

Have a wonderful, blessed weekend!

Filed Under: Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes, Thrifty Living

How To Make Laundry Detergent

January 14, 2013 by Tanya 8 Comments

Are you spending your spare time organizing, cleaning and dreaming of Spring? I have devoted a chunk of time each day to evaluating my home management systems, expenses, and areas that could use improvement.

One of them is how much I spend on cleaning supplies and laundry detergents. While cleaning and organizing my laundry room I stopped and counted how many big plastic jugs of laundry soap were sitting on the shelf. Too many. Not to mention how many have gone into my recycling bin since I made my last batch of homemade laundry detergent.

I have made both powder and liquid detergent before, and from a standpoint of time and storage space, I prefer the powder form. The liquid was good too, but I was able to make this in about 10 minutes with supplies I already had on hand. Less time than it would take me to run to the store for laundry soap right?

Here is what I used:

(This recipe makes about 1 1/2 quarts

of dry powder laundry detergent)

Lavender Laundry Detergent

*use 2 T. to a large load*

1 1/2 cups of Borax

2 cups of Washing Soda (not baking soda)

2 bars of finely grated Yardley’s English Lavender soap

(Ivory and other mild soaps also work well)

I mixed my Borax and Washing Soda well in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Using a sturdy cheese grater, on the finer of the two shreds (I am one of the last people without a food processor, I just would not use it enough to justify buying one. But if I was to receive one as a gift I would be totally ok with that hee hee) I grated both bars and added them to the Borax and Washing Soda.

I blended them together and put them in a cute glass jar I found at Wal Mart for about $5. I keep a pretty vintage tablespoon handy and every time I do a large load of laundry I add 2 T. to the water while it is filling up. Our clothes smell amazing and this batch will probably outlast a couple of those huge jugs of laundry detergent. Plus they are usually about $18 a piece, yikes! I have a top loading machine, however I understand that this works well in front loading machines as well. But please check with the manufacturer if you are concerned. I have heard no negative feedback from friends who have made this so far.

Also, don’t be worried if you do not see a lot of suds, those are added to make us feel like we are really getting our clothes clean by the manufacturer. They do not assist in removing dirt, stains or help our clothes get clean. They are more of a laundry placebo.

And that’s it, my kitchen smells sooo good as I made a batch of this today. And the laundry room? Well it smells like I would think my great grandmother’s laundry probably smelled after she pulled it off the clothes line, ironed and folded a few sprigs of dried lavender between the linens for good measure. I feel connected with the women who came before me when I am able to make things myself, and manage my home with the technology I love, and a dose of resourceful living.