Slow Cooker Nights

Pumpkin Spice Latte

2012-01-23T15:13:00.002+01:00

2 cups milk (I used 1.5%)
2 Tbsp canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla (not a typo - it asks for tablespoons)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice**
1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee

** If you don't have pp spice, use: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and a tiny pinch of ground ginger.

Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours if everything is cold. Whisk again. Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream, cinnamon and a cinnamon stick.

I tripled the recipe and it was enough for all three of us to have a second cup. Really good, but I will be careful next time not to get the bottom-of-the-pot spices in my cup. Not tasty.

Again, I got this recipe from Stephanie O'Dea.

Honey Garlic Chicken

2012-01-22T16:36:00.000+01:00

4 chicken thighs (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can order this done for you at the butcher)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low). Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4.

I cooked it on this on high and it was done shortly under 3 hours. I didn't use boneless thighs and my kids were grossed out by the bones/skin, but we adults absolutely LOVED this. Great taste, the sauce rocks. Next time I'll get the butcher to remove everything first. I served it with mashed potatoes.

I got this from Stephanie O'Dea's website.

Slow Cooker Meatloaf

2012-01-12T16:41:00.003+01:00

Tried this one today: must say, it was super easy and really yummy. The only thing I didn't like was the fat and slime that had to be scraped off of it. Maybe if I put it in a dish in the slow cooker, the juices would just run over the sides? I'll have to try that one . . .

The recipe:

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped green onion
1/2 cup cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced yellow bell pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic
1-2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 -1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup milk*
900 grams ground beef
350 grams ground pork
3/4 cups bread crumbs (*soak a day old brötchen in the milk to replace bread crumbs)

1.) Saute veggies until moisture is out, about 10 minutes. Cool in fridge, at least one hour. (I usually do this the night before and mix everything together in the morning.)
2.) In a mixing bowl, mix together spices and eggs - beat well. Add ketchup and milk - beat well.
3.) Add meat, breadcrumbs and cooled veggie mixture. Knead for at least 5 minutes.
4.) Form into slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.