BBQ Pork/Beef

This is one of my favorite recipes. Makes excellent sandwiches, served cold or hot. One of my favorites to bring to the field served on a bun with coleslaw on the side.

BBQ Pork/Beef

2 1/2 lb pork or beef roast (cooked til tender in slow cooker)

Bring to boil on stove:

1/2 cup water
2 tsp chicken oxo
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup ketchup
2 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Shred roast with a fork (just pull apart into small strips). Put back in slow cooker with sauce. Heat through.

I often do a double recipe of sauce - I like it saucy!

I like to cook the roast in the slow cooker overnight, which allows for time for it to cool a bit so it's easier to handle when you're shredding it. That way you can make sure it's cooked well enough to easily shred and you'll have it done in plenty of time for supper.

Apple Dip

It's hard to know what to call this dip. An appetizer? A dessert? It's on the sweet side - and so tasty.

Apple Dip

1 block cream cheese (250g)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together. Put in fridge for an hour. Serve with apples.
(Granny Smith seem to be the best with this!)

And yes, the apples cancel out the cream cheese. ;)

Lentil Sloppy Joes

This is a very tasty, super easy, and extremely healthy twist on the original ground beef version of sloppy joes. Lentils supplement g.b. is a wonderful way; the texture is strikingly similar, but without all that saturated fat and nasty cholesterol. I don't have a picture (yet), but I encourage you to give 'em a try, I'm sure the kids will take to them too.

Time to break out the 'ol slow cooker!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt (I usually omit this)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup ketchup (I use the light kind)
¼ water
1 tbsp balsamic vinager
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups cooked brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed (see Tip below)

Hot pepper sauce (optional)
Shredded Cheese (optional)
Toasted whole-wheat buns


Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in ketchup, water, balsamic vintage, brown sugar, and mustard. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add lentils and stir well.

2. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until hot and bubbling. Add hot pepper sauce to taste, if using. Ladle over hot toasted buns, sprinkle with cheese (if you choose) and serve!

Tip:
Use 1 can (14-16Oz) green or brown lentils instead of cooking up some of your own; be sure to drain and rinse them very well (throw them in a colander and give 'em a good rinse under the tap to get rid of that extra salt).

Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

• 1 cup cheesewhiz
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 cup rice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tin mushroom soup

Saute celery and onions in butter. Season with pepper. Cook rice until done. Cook broccoli until tender crisp. Mix celery and onions with rice. Put in bottom of casserole. Lay broccoli on rice and top with soup and cheesewhiz. Cook at 375 until bubbly.

Might be a good way to sneak some veggies onto your little ones plates. Dillon prefers to just eat the broccoli - go figure.

Skor Toffee Chocolate Bars (Slice)

This has to be my absolute favorite Christmas treat. It is stick in your teeth goodness! I made these for the first time last Christmas - unfortunately they didn't last long. So I purposely held off on making them this year, until today.

Skor Toffee Chocolate Bars (Slice)

• 3/4 cup margarine
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp margarine
• 300g milk chocolate chips (I use one bag - 270g)
• 225 g chipits skor toffee bits (again I just use one bag)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together 3/4 cup margarine, brown sugar and flour until well blended and mixture comes together. Press evenly into 9 x 13 greased cake pan. Bake at 350 for 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool. Heat condensed milk and 2 tbsp margarine in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Spread over base and return to oven to bake 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle milk chocolate chips and skor toffee bits evenly over top and press down lightly, bake for 2 minutes. Cool completely. If necessary, chill to set chocolate before cutting. Store at room temperature.

Turkey Noodle Casserole

This is a great recipe to use when you have lots of leftover turkey (or chicken). So after you're done eating all those Christmas dinners, give this recipe a whirl!
Creamed Turkey Noodle

• 6 oz broad noodles (I used spiral noodles this time around)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• 4 cups cooked turkey or chicken (chopped)
• 10 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 10 oz condensed cream of chicken soup
• 10 oz canned mushrooms (drained)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. Put onion, celery and butter in frying pan. Saute until limp. Add to noodles. Add turkey, mushroom and chicken soup, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir. Pour into large casserole. Bake, uncovered, in 350 oven for 35 minutes until bubbly hot. Serves 6 to 8.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1 pkg chocolate chips

Cream butter, add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix. Add all dry ingredients;flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well and then add bananas and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

*You can try and hide these in the freezer, but they're even better frozen. :)