Happy Thanksgiving! Holiday Shopping Tips

Give thanks for each new morning with its light

For rest & shelter of the night

For health & food

For love & friends

For everything

Thy goodness sends.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

     Here is to another Thanksgiving where we can feel gratitude & count our blessings! If you are saving your shopping for the weekend, here are a few quick tips:

Check out the websites http://www.bradsdeals.com/ and http://www.retailmenot.com/ for the coupons (for stores) & coupon codes (for online shopping). Between the two sites you should be covered. Brads Deals offers great sales on items, with new deals every day. Also remember Saturday is Shop Small Saturday where your local one-of-a-kind stores will offer all types of sales & discounts. Support your local small retailers! https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/Shop-Small/

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Easy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

     When I think of crockpot meals, this is always at the top of my list. It is soooo easy & so good that no one will touch a can of soup again. With the teenage tester in college, I have started to freeze the soup for the first time so she has ‘home-cooked’ meals. So here is the repost:

    The days are getting colder, unfortunately, but none the less we will prevail! The recipe that follows I guarantee to be THE BEST, THE EASIEST, THE MOST DELICIOUS Chicken Noodle Soup you have ever made or tried. I know some may never have made soup before thinking it too complicated. This slow cooker recipe will change your mind. The beauty of this is (esp.) on a working day to just to load it up & forget until dinner.

The recipe is as follows:

6-8 cups of water (depending on size of your slow cooker)

4 medium carrots cut into ¼ inch slices

3 medium stalks of celery cut into ¼ inch slices

1 small onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 whole chicken rinsed (3-5 lbs.)

½ t. dried thyme

¼ t. ground (I like white) pepper

1-4 t. salt (I use sea salt & about 1-2 teaspoons. You can always add individually to taste later)

I usually chop the ingredients the night before so they are ready to go. Combine veggies, water & seasonings. Place chicken on top. Cover & go!

Cook 4-5 hours on high, 7-8 on low.  I take out the chicken & cut the white meat into smaller pieces & return to the pot. I take out some of the celery & onions. These veggies absorb the fat & you don’t need them all anyway. Which reminds me, leave the skin on your chicken! This is where you are getting the flavor & the meal is HEALTHY really! Serve with your cooked noodle of choice. Undercook the noodles slightly if you are planning to freeze some. Enjoy!!!

Easy Slow-Cooker (Crock-pot) Chili Recipe

  My first easy slow-cooker recipe for you is chili. This recipe is so wonderful because you can control the amount of ingredients (ie. making it vegetarian) & you can control the amount of heat from your seasonings. It is also very economical. This recipe is for a 6-8 quart size slow-cooker. Any size smaller you can easily halve the recipe. Enjoy!

2 lbs. ground meat or turkey (optional for a vegetarian meal)

1 lb. bag carrots sliced ¼” or less

2 medium sweet onions sliced & halved

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 packets chili seasoning mix (You can control heat levels here; they sell mild, regular & hot)

2-28-oz. cans tomato sauce

1-28-oz. can diced tomatoes (you can choose a can with chilis for heat or two smaller cans & mix one of each)

1 large can of light skinned kidney beans (2 cans if you are going vegetarian with this)

1 can of beer added the last hour of cooking (optional) (It’s good for you!)

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese for serving.

Sautee ground meat on stove top & drain. Place all ingredients in slow-cooker on high for 4-5 hours or slow for 8 hours. This is one recipe where the veggies do not get mushy when added at the beginning. Tip: If you are pressed for time, boil sliced carrots for a few minutes on your stovetop. You can reduce cooking times to 3-4 hours high, 6 hours low. They take the longest to cook. Add the beer the last hour of cooking. Remember to only stir once when cooking. With every lid opening you lose 20 minutes of cooking time. The leftovers freeze beautifully for later meals. I usually serve with corn bread or muffins & top with shredded sharp cheese. Have hot sauce ready for those who want to crank up the heat! Delish!

6 Slow-Cooker Mistakes You're Making

   We’re entering the slow-cooker season & here are few things to avoid when preparing your recipes from Bon Appetit magazine.

1)   Use the leanest meat – In fact fattier meats will stay moister & will become tender with the slow cooking process.

2)  Throw your meat into the pot raw – Brown your meat on the stove first to add a delicious layer of caramelized flavor.

3)  Don’t add anything with low notes or sweetness – These low notes combine to make a great sauce base. Consider bacon, browned onions, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar & tomato paste.

4)   Add bright notes, crunchy veggies & dairy at the beginning – Fresh flavors like citrus, herbs, vinegar should be added at the end so they don’t get lost. Veggies midway so they don’t get mushy & dairy at the very end so it does not curdle.

5)  Leave the skin on chicken – The skin will never cook up crispy the way you would want, so pull it off. Chicken does not need browning before going in. Also, chicken with the bones will cook up more tender.

6)  Cook something that needs to hold its structure – There are recipes for lasagnas, etc. but it will end up being a mushy mess. Make something like chili or soups for easy slow-cooker recipes.

Check out my next blogs for slow-cooker recipes starting with chili!

GNO Swap

    Usually an excuse is not needed for a Girls Night Out (or In as the case may be) but trying a new idea is always fun! I recently had a few friends over for a GNO Swap. I asked everyone to bring books/mags, jewelry, purses, scarves, clothes, shoes, candles, decorative items, etc. that they would like to part with. Everyone was up for the task (yes, it took some time to collect a few things) & it was a huge success! Not only did we have great food, drink & laughs, but everyone got to leave with a boatload of stuff for themselves & the other women in their lives. And imagine, we didn’t spend a cent! This is definitely worth exploring with your groups of friends. Some it may not work with & with others it seems like the perfect night out.

     I nicely displayed items on tables & draped over chairs. I had tote bags for them to take & pack up their items. This was so much better than my coveted garage sales that I swear by; controlled environment & it was free! Everyone agreed at the end of the evening that we will do this again! Now we know to put items aside for this swap. We even had some special items for each other. “I know _____ will love this! I received a beautiful set of glasses with songbirds on them; they are perfect for me. I had a couple very nice sweaters (alas, hot flashes have affected my wardrobe too) for my (also size small) friend who I knew still wears sweaters. It all worked out so well. Enjoy!

     So gather a group together for an exciting GNO Swap soon!