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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 ...

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...

On Thanksgiving Day, some people watch the parade. Some watch football. Some play football. Some hunt. A common denominator is food, and serving something that stands for the bounty with which we are blessed. Either we raised it or we earned the money to purchase it. When we're serving the food, we want to please our loved ones -- we serve family recipes or, at least, family favorites. We're nourishing them and we're nurturing them. When my hunter went to the woods this morning, he had a belly full of hot oatmeal that tasted like apple pie -- his favorite dessert. He also carried pepperoni rolls , trail mix and apples. I've been working on this hot apple pie oatmeal recipe since September. I have it almost right. I'm using bits and pieces of other recipes I've found all over the web, trying one, keeping what I like, discarding what doesn't work. One thing that didn't work for me was using a full-size Crock-Pot. The oatmeal spreads out and cooks too...

This recipe is the newest I have added to my Christmas candy repertoire. My friend Melanie, with whom I attend Taste of Home Cooking School shows, shared this recipe, which is her Aunt Jean’s. She said her aunt does it differently than she submitted it to me and I made it still differently than that. What I have written below is what I did and it was yummy. The combinations of the two chocolates and the almond bark coating makes the candy’s taste is more complex than just “chocolate-covered peanuts”. I’ve gotten swoons from the people I’ve shared it with so far. It is so easy to make because a Crock-Pot melts the chocolate. All you have to do is stir and drop the clusters onto waxed paper. PEANUT CLUSTERS 1 16-ounce jar salted dry roasted peanuts 1 16-ounce jar unsalted dry roasted peanuts 1 pound 8 ounces white almond bark, broken into chunks 4 ounces Baker’s white chocolate 12 ounces Baker’s German chocolate 12 ounces Toll House semisweet chocolate chips ( you could use milk chocola...