Crock Pot Chicken

August 2009: Slow Cooker

2-4 Chicken Breasts
1 package Hidden Valley dressing (Ranch or Caesar)
1/3 cup butter
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 8 ounce package cream cheese softened

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Sprinkle with seasoning packet. Place 1/3 cup butter on top. Cook in crockpot on low for 4-5 hours. Mix soup and softened cream cheese. Pour our chicken and cook for 30 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Submitted by Christy Pethel

Tater Tot Casserole

August 2009: Slow Cooker

32 oz Bag Frozen Tater Tots
1 pound ground beef or turkey, browned
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
(2) 14 oz cans grean beans, drained
10 3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp dried onions
1/4 cup milk

Line slow cooker with frozen tater tots. Combine remaining ingredients, pour over potatoes. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.

Note: sprinkle individual servings with your choice of grated cheese or serve with ketchup.

Submitted by Shauna Cooke

Crock Pot Triple Chocolate Mess

August 2009: Slow Cooker

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 pint sour cream
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1 small bag chocolate chips
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup water

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients. Pour into crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve in a bowl with ice cream.

Submitted by Melanie Rottweiler

Slower Cooker Lasagna

August 2009: Slower Cooker

1 pound uncooked lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
15 oz canned tomato sauce
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
6 sheets of uncooked lasagna noodles
1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with hald of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finishe with remaining 1/3 beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover, turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving.

Submitted by Kelli Callahan

Book Group's Historical Reading List

2009

September - Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor
August - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
July - The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
June - Ride the Laughing Wind by Blaine and Brenton Yorgason
May - Cape Refuge by Terri Blackstock
April - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
March - Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
February - Emma by Jane Austen
January - The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Eleanor Roosevelt

2008

November - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
October - ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
September - Story Poetry - your choice (i.e. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)
August - Teaching with Love and Logic or Parenting with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and David Funk
July - A Room of My Own by Anne Tatlock
June - Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery
May - Prince Caspian (from the Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis
April - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
March - LDS fiction - your choice
February - Persuasion by Jane Austen

Pulled Pork

June 2009: Picnic Foods

1 Pork Roast (3-4 lbs)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
4 cups water
Cajun Seasoning
BBQ sauce

Cut pork roast into big chunks. Liberally season with cajun seasoning. Brown all sides of the meat. Add to slow cooker. Roughly chop the onion and garlic. Add to slow cooker. Add water and liquid smoke over the pork. Cook on low for 10 hours. When it is finished, pull it apart and add your favorite BBQ sauce.

Submitted by Randi DeRoest

June 2009 Food Tasting and Recipe Exchange Group Pictures

Thank you to the talented Christy Pethel for these really fun pictures from the June 2009 Food Tasting and Recipe Exchange Group!

Sunset Salad Dressing

June 2009: Picnic Foods

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoon dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Salad

Spinach

Sugared pecans

Bleu cheesePears

Add all dressing ingredients into a jar, bowl, cruet, etc. There are no specific measurements for the salad ingredients. You kind of just put in how much you would think would be a great salad.

Submitted by Christy Pethel

O’Tai

June 2009

(3/4 gallon milk, maybe) Milk
(1/4 gallon water, maybe) Water
2 cups sugar
1 can crushed pineapple
1 seedless watermelon, grated (yes, like on a cheese grater)
½ bag shredded coconut
Club Soda or 7-Up

Take a big pot ( or bowl/pitcher as big as a pot). Fill the pot with 2 parts milk and 1 part water. Add watermelon, crushed pineapple, sugar ( you don’t have to add all of it. Add to taste), coconut, and club soda. (again, add this to taste).

Submitted by Christy Pethel

Basil Tortellini Salad

June 2009: Picnic Foods

1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 cup broccoli florets
¾ cup thinly sliced carrot ( 1 large)
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
½ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons pine nuts or chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain again. In a large bowl combine pasta, red sweet pepper strips, broccoli florets, and sliced carrots. For dressing, in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, basil, black pepper and garlic. Pour dressing over pasta mixture. Toss lightly to coat. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Before serving, stir in nuts, if desired. If necessary, add milk to moisten.

Submitted by Kelli Callahan

Cheese Ball

June 2009: Picnic Foods

2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 heaping teaspoon onion
1 heaping teaspoon green pepper
1 teaspoon diced pimentos
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash of salt
2 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ cup finely chopped pecans

Mix cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients into the cheese mixture and stir. Shape into a ball. Roll in chopped pecans on a piece of waxed paper. Chill for several hours. Serve with crackers.

Sweet Veggie Dip

June 2009: Picnic Foods

1 can black eyed peas
1 cup super sweet white corn
1 large green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jar diced pimentos

Marinade:
¾ cup sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 T. Teriyaki Sauce

Drain Peas. Combine peas, corn, green pepper, onion and pimentos in a bowl. Mix the marinade and pour it over the vegetables. Put in the fridge for at least one hour. Drain and serve with Tostitos Scoops chips.

Submitted by Stephanie Bailey

Quick and Easy Layered Dessert from Jello

June 2009: Picnic Foods

2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (4 serving size) Chocolate Jello (the original stuff)
1 (10.5 oz.) package pound cake, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup chocolate syrup (lite syrup is just as tasty and less calories)
1 (8 oz.) tub of Cool Whip (can use lite), thawed and divided in half.

Pour Milk into bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with a wire whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended. Arrange half of the cake cubes in a 3 quart serving bowl. Drizzle with ¼ of the chocolate syrup. Layer with 1 cup of pudding and 1 ½ cups of whipped topping. Repeat layers ending with whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

A variety of things like fresh fruit can be added to this recipe.

Tex-Mex Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Salad

June 2009: Picnic Foods

½ pound cooked chicken breast, cut in thin strips
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz) box frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tomato, coarsely chopped1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 (11 ounce) jar salsa
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 large lettuce leaves
12 tortilla chips, crumbled

Combine the chicken, beans, corn tomato, onion, salsa, vinegar, and cilantro. Let stand at least 15 minutes. Put 2 lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates. Top with the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with the tortilla chips.

Submitted by Deena Callahan

Macaroni Salad

June 2009: Picnic Foods

1 bag of salad macaroni noodles boiled and rinsed in cool water. Cool completely
1 block of cheese, cut into chunks
1 lb of bacon crumbled (for fast and easy recipe - use 1-2 bags of premade crumbled bacon)
6 eggs boiled and chopped
1 head of green onions. Chop finely up to green.
1 small can of olived, drained.

Mix together, coat with mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste.

Submitted by Erin Callahan
Recipe by Tami Hughes