Chocolatey Fudgey Goodness...Oh My

Oh my, oh my! This was delicious times ten! My kids have been bugging me since I started this slow cooker challenge to do dessert. Well, this recipe doesn't really fall in line with the whole freezer cooking concept, but it sure was a nice deviation. When I got home tonight, I decided to throw the ingredients for this delectable delight into the crock and viola...... 2 hours later dessert!

My Dad and his lovely new wife - my beautiful new step mum Tatiana, came over to do some dad stuff for us. We are so blessed to have dad around to help with the honey do list. Thanks dad for getting the garage door working. Lloyd will be forever grateful to have his baby (the Millennium Falcon - aka the truck) back in the garage safe and sound. I invited them to share dessert with us and they will contribute to todays family star rating.

This was so easy to make. Make a batter, spread it in the bottom of a greased crock, sprinkle with more sugar and cocoa add boiling hot water over top, stick the lid on over top of a dish towel (more about that in the recipe), cook for 2 hours. Done! Rich dark chocolatey goodness. Add a dollop of vanilla ice cream over this warmed treat and enjoy. Enjoy we did.

My daughter was the first one to dig in, I was surprised that she did not give it 5 stars right off the bat. She thought it was very very good. I think it was a tiny bit rich for her and not unlike me she prefers less rich desserts. She gave this 4.5 stars out of 5.

My dad was the next to dig in, I don't even think it got all the way into his mouth and he blurted out 5! Dad has a BIG sweet tooth, so this does not surprise me at all.

Tatiana was the next have a taste. She said very good, most enjoyable. She gave it a 5 star rating too! We are going to share some slow cooker recipes.

I also thought it was very good and found it hard to beleive that it came out of my crock pot. It had a nice warm creamy sauce on the bottom and a deep dark delicious fudgey cake on top. I am allergic to chocolate, so my sampling was small. I enjoyed it very much though. It was rich and delicious. 5 stars all the way.

The boys came home after scouts and had dessert. My husband was very much like my dad and barely had it reach his lips before he rated it 5 stars. I am pretty sure I could make this one every day for him. He is a chocoholic though!

Connor also had the same response as his dad and grandpa. 5 stars right away! Funny how this did not go down slowly at all. It was gobbled up faster then he could say five. Connor opted to have no ice cream with this.

Average family rating: 5 Stars out of 5 stars.
Another keeper! All around good food day!

Here is the recipe!

Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Cake - 2 Hours

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

3 Tbsp cocoa (I use Epicure cocoa-it is a bit richer)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa (Epicure cocoa)

1 3/4 cups boiling water

Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup flour, 3 Tbsp cocoa, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 salt. Stir in milk, butter, and vanilla. 

Spread over the bottom of slow cooker. Mix together 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over mixture in slow cooker.

Pour in boiling water. Do not stir. Cover with a tea towel (this keeps the moisture away from cake while it is cooking) 

Cook on HIGH 2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

I sprinkled a little dusting of powdered sugar over this. 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

Makes 8 servings.

Until Next Time!

Cheers!

Kimberley

Thou Hast Redeemed Myself - Beef Stroganoff

Well after yesterdays meal debacle, I have redeemed myself. Today's meal was Beef Stroganoff. Yummmmmmmy! Comfort food for a nice fall day. I decided to save time by cooking egg noodles for this dish. It would have been equally as good with mashed potatoes too. If I had done it with spuds, I would have also cooked a vegetable. The sauce was so tasty!

This was a huge hit with the family also. Much to Caitlin's and my chagrin, we had no leftovers - we have been enjoying taking the leftovers for lunch. Everyone had a healthy helping each and we all have full bellies.

The sauce was packed full of flavour. I think that beef might be one of those things that just cooks up nicely in a slow cooker and enhances the taste of the sauce that it is in. I used Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix instead of onion soup - I do not really like the sodium content and taste in the onion soup mix. The mushroom soup makes it plenty salty enough without adding additional salt. If you have never used Epicure products, this one is a good one to get you started. I have a great friend across the street if you need an Epicure hook up in the Calgary NW Central area.

Now for the reviews:

My darling son actually really liked this. The only thing he did not like was the mushrooms (go figure it's a veggie). I never know what he really likes or doesn't like as he eats everything painfully slow; however he assures me that his rating is honest and true. Connor gave this a 4 out of 5 stars. Not bad for the picky one!

My sweet little girl first gave this a big thumbs up and then showed me five fingers and a big grin. This was a big hit for her. She DOES like mushrooms and would gladly eat her brothers and daddy's if needed. She cannot pinpoint what she liked the best about it, she thought it was "just WOW mommy." It may also have to do with dumping this all over egg noodle pasta. I think she would probably give almost anything with a pasta base a big old gold star! She is looking forward to dessert now........ that later. Caitlin gave this a 5 out of 5 stars.

Hubby mmmm, mmmmed this. He thought it was delicious and had seconds. (Picked out the mushrooms) Usually a fan of chicken, I think he may have the same thoughts as me and just thinks that beef in a slow cooker is YUM! This is the ultimate in comfort food too. Usually a hit with the men in our lives. This one can definitely stay on the weekly meal rotation.

I also loved this. It was the right balance of flavours. Nothing overpowering, or underwhelming spice wise. I added a bit of pepper to my meal as I like pepper on most main dishes. I wouldn't change a thing in this recipe, except to double the recipe next time. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

Next Up: Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Cake With Ice Cream. (Not part of the freezer challenge, but a good one to try)

Average family rating: 4.75 Stars out of 5 stars. A keeper in the old recipe box. 


Here is the recipe:

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff-Serves 4-6 people

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat

2 Tbsp onion soup mix (I used 2 Tbsp Epicure 3 Onion Dip)   1 cup fresh button mushrooms

1 (10 ¾ ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 Tbsp liquid gravy browning

½ cup sour cream

4 oz cream cheese

Brown seasoned and floured beef until medium (slightly pink)

Combine all ingredients together (except beef and sour cream) and mix into a sauce.

Pour over beef pieces in the 4L zip loc bag

Cook on low for 8-10 hours

Add sour cream ½ hour before serving.

Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Until Next Time - which will be really soon!
Cheers!
Kimberley

Well You Can't Win Them all...... It Was Bound to Happen.

Well, as the title says it was bound to happen. I wasn't really fond of this combination at all. We had mixed reviews in the family on this one. Today we had the the Spicy Thai Chicken Curry. I am usually a HUGE fan of curries and Thai food in general, but for me this was just mediocre.

I was disappointed to say the least. I can't put my finger on what was wrong. I think maybe the peanut butter, or that it needed to have that spicy/savory/sweet combination that makes Thai food so yummy. I thought the coconut milk would sweeten things up, but you really couldn't even taste the coconut milk at all.

The potatoes just made the texture mushy, so I had to add a bit more water to the sauce. The lime should give it a bit of a tang, but again, I could not even taste it. I didn't feel the combination of ingredients complimented one another at .

Perhaps this would turn out better on the stove. I think for these flavours to meld together for a whole day does something weird to them.

My son was also not a fan either. He wasn't nuts about the spice flavour or the potatoes. It took him a long time to eat it (which is not unusual by the way-unless he LOVES something dinner is a slooooow meal for him.) Connor gave this a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars.

My daughter loved it! Go figure. She did not like the potatoes either and thought it was a tiny bit spicy. Overall she enjoyed the chicken and the sauce. She actually had another piece of chicken. Caitlin rated this 4 out of 5 stars.

Lloyd like it too. He really liked the sauce over the rice. Potatoes were weird for him too. The chicken was a bit over-cooked, but still tasted good. He would rather I make my honey mustard curry chicken next time. Me too! He rated it 3.5 stars out of 5

And my rating, not so good at 3.5 out of 5.



Average family rating: 3.4 Stars out of 5-Ouch!


Here is the recipe if you are interested.

Thai Chicken Curry-Serves 6 people

3 Tbsp Thai curry paste (I Used Red)

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 ½  lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes

2 Tbsp brown sugar

3 Tbsp fish sauce

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup peanut butter

3 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk

1 fresh lime, juiced

2 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

Garnish with peanuts and cilantro, if desired

Season and brown your chicken.

Place cubed potatoes in the bottom of 4L zip loc bag

Combine curry paste, ginger, brown sugar, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice and tapioca and pour over the potaoes.

Place cubed chicken in bag.

Add frozen contents to slow cooker.

Cook on low for 8 Hours.

Until Next Time!
Cheers
Kimberley 

Soups On.....

Yum, who doesn't like soup? I love soup, I could probably do this challenge with soup recipes alone, but alas, my family voted on this and decided soup 2 - 3 times a week would not be fun!

So, Monday night we came home to the wonderful smell of homemade Tomato Basil soup. Did I mention I love soup? Wow, this smelled so delicious and looked equally wonderful. I couldn't wait to dig in! The smell of the spices actually came through. Sometimes I have noticed in slow cooked meals the smell and taste of the spices are diminished somewhat, but not the case with this.

I toasted up some garlic cheese buns to compliment the soup which made my son very happy. He was definitely not thrilled at the prospect of trying this soup. It has lots of veggies in it and is primarily tomato. More on his review in a minute.

This recipe had a little additional work to do when I got home, but it only took about 10 minutes and well worth it. The only thing that I did different was blend the soup right in the crock pot to puree the texture of the soup a little bit more.

For the reviews:
My son...., well as I said this was a tough one for him. He did like the taste of the soup and enjoyed dipping his bread into it. He was a trooper! I must admit, I did strain the soup more for him because a lot of his 'not liking' veggies is a texture issue. Overall, he rated this a 4.0 (3.5 for the soup and 4.5 for the garlic bread) I wouldn't normally take the garlic bread into consideration.... but considering the critic I chose to.

My daughter is much like me and also really likes soups. She thought it tasted "yummy" and liked the little bits of tomato chunks in it. She thought it was so good she asked for it to be packed in her lunch the next day. That's a great compliment! Her overall rating was 4.5 of 5 stars.

My husband also really liked this recipe. Now remember he is more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, this did not have a meat or a potato in sight! For him to give this high marks was good too. His overall rating was also 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Now for me! I loved this soup. As I said I did not really change much in this recipe other than blend it more. It was delicious. Loved the tomato basil taste and the hint of other veggies really added to the overall flavour. So if you are a big soup fan like me, this one is a hit. I gave this 5 stars! I also took leftovers for lunch.

There was lots of leftovers to freeze for another day. Maybe Sunday lunch? Mmmm.

Average family rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Here is the recipe.

Tomato Basil Crock-Pot Soup-Serves 8-10 people

2 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 tsp dried oregano

2 T dried basil

4 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

½ cup flour

½ cup butter

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups half and half, warmed (or 1% milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large container-Freeze (one that will easily dump a frozen chunk size into your crock)

Loosen contents from container into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a large pot and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. 

Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. 

Blend further with a hand blender (Braun) if you like a bit smoother constancy.

Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. 

Add additional basil and oregano to taste if needed. 

Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Serve with toasted garlic bread or crusty rolls. 

ENJOY!

Until next time, 

Cheers!

Kimberley

On a Beef Roll......BBQ Beef on a Bun

Well it would seem we are beef eaters in our house as this is what we wanted to try next. In all honesty, we did try a chicken fajita dinner (I didn't), but no pictures were taken and my family did not save any for me to try. Oh, well, guess I will just have to make that one again. I heard it was good. :)

On to the beef! Last night I grabbed the bag labeled Pulled BBQ Beef out of the freezer to thaw for the morning. Popped the contents in the slow cooker in the morning and let it cook the day away while I busied myself of other things. 

The beef was very tender when done and easy to shred. The aroma was delicious! I believe that this might be one of my favourite parts of slow cooking is the aroma you get to come home too. 

I must say this recipe was a hit with the family. I think if you serve meat of any sort on a crusty bun you are going to get automatic points with the kids and hubby. My tastes are a bit more refined, but I did like this. Now I forgot to toast the buns, but it was still good. I would have liked it more on a toasted bun as I am not a big bread eater. 

So.... the family ratings! Dear son, gave it five stars. What can I say, I knew it would be a hit with him as there was nary a vegetable in sight! A big win for the dear boy!

My beautiful daughter also gave it 5 wonderful stars. She found it filling and delicious. I must say I was a little surprised, as she is the veggie lover, however it was a tasty quick meal.

Hubby also gave it 5 stars. Why not? It's beef and its a bun. Two favourite things. It's the kind of food that can be eaten lounged on the couch watching your favourite sporting event on the TV with a beer. I love my hubby!

Me, well I thought it was yummy, but 5 star worthy, probably not. I would give it 4 stars for sure. It was seasoned nicely, very tender and was a nice simple dinner. Next time I would make a salad with it, or add some tomato slices to the bunwich. 

I am glad it was such a big hit with the family though. We have a few more similar recipe types to try. I am looking forward to trying the others to compare. 

Average family rating: 4.75 Stars out of 5

Here is the recipe.

Pulled BBQ Beef-Serves 6-8 people

2 ½  lbs beef chuck roast (or you can use cross rib roast), trimmed of excess fat

black pepper

kosher salt

onion powder

garlic powder

paprika

1 cup BBQ sauce

1.  Lay out a long piece of foil and place roast in the middle.  Season on all sides with the pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika.  Rub the seasonings in.  Wrap the roast up tightly in the foil.  Use another large piece of foil to wrap around the roast securely. Put in Freezer Bag- Freeze - Thaw completely before putting into crock pot.

2.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours

3.  Carefully remove the foil and place meat on a cutting board.  Shred into small pieces.  Place meat back in the slow cooker.

4.  Add in desired amount of BBQ sauce and stir -Add in additional seasonings, if needed.

5.  Cover and cook on high for another 15-30 minutes and then serve.  

Serve meat on toasted buns! Yum!

Well it's friday night and I am going to relax the rest of the evening with a good Red Wine. 

Until Next Time!
Cheers!
Kimberley

First Meal of the Challenge - The Votes Are In

What a glorious smell!!!

So nice to come home Sunday night to the smell of a cooked meal. We have tried the Pot Roast slow cooker meal. Once I got home I peeled up some spuds, boiled them up, mashed, and had them with our yummy pot roast. Is there anything better then smashed potatoes? Once I removed the roast and carrots and onions from the slow cooker there was lots of great drippings to make gravy for the mashed spuds.

After we finished eating, we all made our comments and rated the meal.

My son, the picky one, commented that he liked the roast beef and thought the carrots were okay for carrots. His overall rating was 3.5 stars out of 5. He prefers just plain boiled carrots.

My daughter thought the roast beef was very good and that the carrots were good too, although, she also prefers plain boiled carrots. Her rating was 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

My husband is not a huge fan of roast beef (more of a steak or good burger kind of guy) but thought the roast beef was good. He felt the taste was a bit different as a result of cooking the carrots with the roast. He was not a huge fan of the carrots, as he likes them crisper. His overall rating was 3.5 out of 5 stars. He enjoyed the roast beef sandwiches the next day better. :)

I thought the beef had wonderful flavour. Coming from English roots, my mum and grandmother made pot roast dinner often. Having the veggies and the meat all in one pot melding the aromas and flavours all together. I actually like when the flavours meld together like that. I thought it could have had a little more seasoning. If I were to make it again I would perhaps add a bit more Worcestershire sauce and some thyme. I wouldn’t waste my time with the cornstarch and water as it made no difference to the juices. I still needed to drain the juices and make gravy separately. This recipe makes 6 generous servings. We have enough leftover to heat up for lunch tomorrow-or make roast beef sandwiches. Yay! I also do not need to make myself a lunch! Gotta love that! My overall rating for this would be 3.75 stars out of 5.

Average family rating: 3.75 Stars out of 5

Here is the recipe.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast-Serve 6-8 People

1 tablespoon cornstarch

8 medium carrots, cut into coins

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped.

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 beef chuck roast (3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth put into 4L zip lock bag.

Add carrots and onions; season with salt and pepper, and toss.

Sprinkle roast with 1-teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; place on top of vegetables, and drizzle with Worcestershire. Add to bag.

Add THAWED contents to slow cooker

Cook on low 8 -10 hours

Transfer roast to a cutting board; thinly slice against the grain. Place vegetables in a serving dish; pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Serve roast with vegetables and pan juices, or make a gravy from the pan juices.

Until next time!

Cheers, 

Kimberley