Good Press

We're deep in winter and you're probably thinking "Man, she loves comfort food and her Crock-Pot." Yep. It's all that gets me through the week sometimes. I can't remember where I found this recipe, but I make it so much I want to preserve it on my blog so I can find it easily. I don't make the dumplings anymore because they seem to take forever to bake. Instead, I bake frozen or from-scratch biscuits and serve this stew atop them.   SLOW COOKER CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces   2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups) I get mine from Davis Bros. Farm. 2 cups whole baby carrots 2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup) 2 10 3/4 ounce can  Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)   1 cup water   1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed   1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups all-purpose baki

I love when I find a recipe that makes healthful, hearty, quick meals for a busy weeknight. Tasty Kitchen had a recipe for Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos and a user of that site posted a recipe that uses leftover chicken from the original recipe to make a Tortilla Soup! Good thing because the original recipe serves about 12 people. And if you aren't feeding a crowd, using the leftovers in a new dish later in the week is a good way to not waste food or get tired of it. CROCK-POT CHICKEN TACOS 1 envelope taco seasoning (get reduced sodium; I use a healthier mix from an Amish store or make my own) 6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 16-ounce jar salsa Dump everything into a Crock-Pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. You do not need to add any water to the taco seasoning. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork. For tacos, serve the chicken with soft

There's no school tomorrow in our district in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. If you want to treat your children to special breakfast, consider this Blueberry & Raspberry Baked Oatmeal. Back in August, for the first day of school, I made this the night before and popped it into a cold oven while she got ready. My girl, not usually a heavy breakfast eater, ate this. And the leftovers were pretty good the next day too. I think I omitted the banana because we don't care for it. This is a good and easy recipe for a school day or a day off. BLUEBERRY & RASPBERRY BAKED OATMEAL makes 6 servings 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon Pinch of salt 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used sugar free) 1 cup milk (I used skim) 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1 cup blueberries

I love my slow cooker for meal prep on busy days. I can fix it in the morning and forget it til dinner time and feel like a hero for having a hot meal waiting on my family. But sometimes I don't plan ahead or I get a late start. It's nice to know there's more than one way to fix this Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup -- it doesn't have to simmer all day. SLOW COOKER TOMATO BASIL PARMESAN SOUP 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with juice 1 cup finely diced celery 1 cup finely diced carrots 1 cup finely diced onions 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano 1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil 4 cups chicken broth ½ bay leaf ½ cup flour 1 cup Parmesan cheese ½ cup butter 2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories) 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 1.  Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. 2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blend