Hot Cocoa Mix

Hot Cocoa Mix

Makes about 15 cups mix.

Ingredients:1 8-quart package (10 cup) nonfat dry milk powder
1 16-ounce package (about 4 ¾ cups) shifted powdered sugar
1 16-ounce can (2 cups) presweetened cocoa powder
1 6-ounce jar (1 ¾ cups) powdered non-dairy creamer
Marshmallows or whipped cream (optional)

1. To make the hot cocoa mix, in a large mixing bowl combine the nonfat dry milk powder, sifted powdered sugar, presweetened cocoa powder, and non-dairy creamer. Stir till thoroughly combined. Store the hot cocoa mix in airtight containers. Makes about 15 cups mix.

2. To serve, place 1/3 cup hot cocoa mix in a mug; add ¾ cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve cocoa mix. Top with a few marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Makes 1 (8-ounce) serving.

Fudge

Put 3 cups chocolate chips in a glass bowl with a can of Eagle sweetened condensed milk, and melt in the microwave - takes about a minute

Add 2 t vanilla and mix until the chips are all smooth. Spread it out in an 8 x 8 pan, cool in the fridge for 4 hours, then cut.

Add 1/2 cup nuts if desired. You can also add dried cherries or marshmallows.

I like to make it half with milk chocolate and half with semi sweet chocolate chips. Just do it one at a time. I line the pan with foil, with enough left on the sides to pick up the cooled fudge and lift it out of the pan. Then it's easy to cut the fudge on a cutting board with a large knife.

You can go the Eagle Milk website and get a ton of variations on this fudge. I like it because it takes 5 minutes tops and it's soft, even when it's cold.

Decadent Chocolate Truffles

Prep time: 10 minutes plus shaping and decorating
Chilling Time: 2 to 3 hours

Makes about 6 dozen

3 cups (18 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Coatings: Finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted powdered sugar or color sugars, optional

1. In large saucepan, melt chips with sweetened condensed milk. Removed from heat; stir in vanilla.

2. Pour into medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm. Shape into 1-inch bowls; roll in desired coating and/or decorate with frosting and candies. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. To use as gift, carefully pack in decorative box, tin or other container

Banana Nut Muffins

1 Cup Flour

½ Cup Sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

¾ cup oats (quick or regular)

1 egg beaten

½ cup milk

3 tbs oil

½ cup mashed banana

1/3 cup chopped nuts opt.

Prepare dry and wet ingredients. Combine and mix together until moistened. Stir in nuts. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full (I probably do more). Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (too long in my oven especially would be if you made them smaller).

Slow Cooker Berry Cobbler

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup fat-free milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups unsweetened raspberries

2 cups unsweetened blueberries

2 cups reduced-fat frozen vanilla yogurt, optional

In a bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thick). Spread batter evenly onto the bottom of a 5-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine salt and remaining flour and sugar; add berries and toss to coat. Spread over batter. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into cobbler comes out without crumbs. Top each serving with 1/4 cup frozen yogurt if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Fudgy Peanut Butter Cake

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 cup boiling water

Vanilla ice cream

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, flour and baking powder. In another bowl, combine the milk, peanut butter, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Spread evenly into a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the cocoa and remaining sugar; stir in boiling water. Pour into slow cooker (do not stir). Cover and cook on high for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream. Yield: 4 servings.

Stuffed Shells

Frozen stuffed shells (Costco sells these) – about 3 per person

½ onion, chopped

½ c. frozen diced green peppers

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Mozzarella Cheese (optional)

Put ½ jar sauce in crockpot. Put everything else in and top with the rest of the sauce. Can be topped with mozzarella cheese. Cook on low for 4+ hours

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound cubed beef stew meat

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup water

8 oz sliced mushrooms

4 ounces cream cheese

In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving. Serve over egg noodles or rice. (You can make these in advance).

I will also make this with nothing but vegetables – mushrooms, squash, zucchini, green beans, just about anything works.

Potato and Green Bean Casserole

2 (14 ounce) cans green beans, drained, or 1 lb frozen green beans

4-5 large potatoes diced (I leave peels on)

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can water

½ onion, chopped

1 cup shredded Colby cheese

Dump everything into a crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. You can add a meat if you want, but it's good without meat, too. Serve over rice (I use a rice cooker and start it before I leave home. Even if the rice is cold when I'm ready to eat, the hot casserole heats it back up.)

FLAKY FREEZER BISCUITS

These wonderful biscuits can be baked immediately or frozen and baked as needed.

1 T. Yeast (1 pkg.)………….15 mL

2 T. Sugar ………………….30mL

¼ C. Warm Water…………..60mL

Mix above ingredients (yeast, sugar, warm water) in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.

5 C. Flour …………………..125mL

3 T. Sugar……………………45mL

1 T. Baking Powder…………15mL

1 t. Baking Soda……………..5mL

1 T. Salt……………………..5mL

1 C. Butter or Margarine…….250mL

2 C. Buttermilk………………500mL (substitute with 2 cups of milk and 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter to form a crumbly mixture. Stir in yeast mixture and buttermilk. Mix just enough to hold dough together. Roll dough ¾" (2 cm) thick on floured surface. Cut out biscuits with the top of a glass or a cutter. Prick tops with fork. Freeze separately on cookie sheet.

After biscuits are frozen, stack and wrap well. Before baking thaw and let rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes). Bake at 425 degrees F. (220C) for 15 minutes on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Makes 3-4 dozen.

ALTERNATIVE: Grated cheddar cheese may be added to soft dough for flakey cheese biscuits.

Chinese Pepper Steak

1-1.5 lb London Broil or round steak

2 T oil

1 clove garlic

½ tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

½ C soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

¼ C water

1 C fresh or canned tomatoes, cut-up

2 green peppers seeded and cut into strips

1 ½ C bean sprouts

Directions:

Slice steak into narrow strips (it is easier to slice meat when it is partially frozen, icy). In a skillet, brown steak in oil. Combine with garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sugar in slow cooking pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Turn control to high. Add water, bean sprouts, tomatoes, and green peppers. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes. Pour off juices into a small sauce pan and thicken with cornstarch to the consistency of gravy. Pour back onto pepper steak and serve over rice.

Italian Crock-Pot Chicken

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8-oz package cream cheese

1 package of Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix

Combine soup, cream cheese, dressing mix. Pour over chicken in crock pot. Cook all day over low heat. Serve over rice or noodles.

Variation by Christine B.:

Combine 2 packets Good Seasons dressing mix and 2 cans chicken broth in crockpot. Add chicken (thawed) and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, take chicken out and shred with a fork. Add 2 cans cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and shredded chicken to the crockpot mixture and cook on low for 1 more hour.

Crock Pot Chili

(undrained 15 oz cans)

2 cans pinto beans

2 cans any kind of white bean

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 pd. browned ground hamburger

with 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder,

1 tablespoon onion powder,

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes mix into meat.

Throw ingredients into crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. You can also add diced onion and diced green peppers (optional).

Crock Beef and Vegetable Soup

Day 6 - Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 of a medium green bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 medium carrots, sliced

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 (14.5-oz.) cans low sodium beef broth

2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained

1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; brown beef; salt and pepper to taste and place in a slow cooker. Add the water to the skillet; bring to a boil and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; pour over the beef. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high setting for 4 to 5 hours, or until veggies are tender.

Crockpot Mexican Supper

1 lb ground beef or turkey

Chili powder to taste

Garlic powder to taste

6 x corn or flour tortillas in pieces

1 can ranch-style beans

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can Rotel tomatoes with juice

8 oz Velveeta cubed

Method:

In a skillet , brown the beef or turkey with chili and garlic powders to taste; drain.

Place the browned meat and the remaining ingredients, in the order given, into your crock pot. Cook 3 to 4 hours on LOW. Serve with salad.

Easy Pulled Pork Barbeque

3-4 lbs country-style pork ribs – clean and dry then place in crock pot

Mix together and pour over ribs:

1 6oz can tomato paste

½ c catsup

¼ c molasses

1 Tbs mustard

1 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp instant minced onion

1 tsp Season All

¼ tsp Barbeque spice

¼ tsp garlic salt

1 Tbl vinegar

¼ tsp pepper

Cook 3 hours on high or 8 hours on low. When finished, removed bones and shred pork with forks.

Pine Valley Roast

1 large chuck roast, choice cut (do not use lower quality)

Place in heavy baking pan

salt and pepper to taste

1 TB Montreal seasoning -- sprinkle evenly over meat

1/2 pkg Lipton Onion Soup mix -- sprinkle evenly over meat

2 TB water -- sprinkle over meat

Wrap the entire set of ingredients, pan and all, very securely in heavy duty foil with no vents. Bake at 300 for one hour, after first hour, adjust oven to 275 and continue baking for about 7 hours, until done. Alternatively, instead of putting the meat in a pan in the oven, you can cook it in a crock pot on low for approximately 8 hours. However, the meat cooked in a crock pot will be less brown (more gray in color) and less moist.

Leftovers can be used to make a beef stew, sandwiches, etc.

Pumpkin Cake

1 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
5 T butter or margarine
1/2 cup pecans,walnuts or almonds, finely chopped

Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter to make a crumb mixture. Add nuts, reserve 3/4 cup mix for topping. Press remainder into 8x8 pan, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool slightly.

Combine:
8 oz cream cheese
3/4 sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend until smooth, pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining topping.
Bake 30-35 minutes, cool before eating.
Double recipe for 9x13 pan- bake 35 minutes

Submitted by Diane B.