The Year of New Recipes challenge- new recipe.

This original challenge was brought to you by :Reannon @ http://shewhorambles.com/category/a-year-of-new-recipes/

I must confess I’ve not been very good at keeping up with this one for a few reasons

A- My children are fussy little brats who resist change.. (Ohh to be footloose and fancy free I’ll eat whatever I WANT then!)

B- There’s been so much else going on, cooking has been the last thing to worry about.

So anyways, when I DO make a new thing I’ll share it with you. Recently Football Season 2015 started and that means football training 5.30-6.30 on Tuesday and Thursday which means I’d be home later than 6.45 pm, until the Bloke decided to go to work earlier and finish earlier on these days to save me the dramas with Babies of going to Football training, he’s a great bloke like that! (I guess it’s cheaper than buying a second car too!) Anyways by the time that idea came to fruition I had told the children (star Son and Amber and Sweetpea!) that I would be starting to use the slow cooker on those nights as it’s almost set and forget cooking. The first night I cooked a family favourite because “Star Son” is the most temperamental about food. He’s been known to walk in, see the slow cooker on the bench and declare right away “I’m not eating it” never mind what “it” was! So the first night I cooked Silverside (AKA- corned beef or corned brisket) This is a long time family favorite but I cooked it in the dreaded “Slow cooker” or SC, I have had this slow cooker sitting here for about 2 years and used it maybe a handful of times, because the children hated the “Stews” or as they called them “Spews”, so I am so glad I found this new recipe site, they cook everything and anything in their slow cookers!

You can read about the Silverside here: https://kimlhine.wordpress.com/2015/04/23/t-is-for/ It turned out beautifully and I was off to an Art class anyways so I didn’t care too much if he didn’t eat it. Then I get a Facebook notification that Amber had posted a video clip and tagged me, it was “Star Son” eating his dinner telling me how yummy it was…reluctantly he admitted it was “yum” and we could have that again. I wasn’t sure when the recipe called for a bottle of dry ginger ale.. but yum! So I mentally ticked that one-off and then asked him “What else would YOU like me to attempt to cook in the slow cooker? he suggested meatloaf… Another family favorite so I found the “SC” version which was basically the same as my version anyways. That too was a huge hit, and so I thought while I am on a roll I’ll ask him :what else?” and he suggested some “desserts” ha ha! So I said “well ok, I’ll make the desserts but you must have main courses too” So Amber joined the facebook group for “SC” and started finding recipes that would be classed as “kid friendly” and my friends I think I am a genius! Maybe I am speaking too soon, but… last night was the third and technically fourth or fifth (if you count the cakes) success I’ve had! So I am feeling pretty proud of myself..

Last night we had chicken enchiladas

recipe from here: http://www.slowcookercentral.com/recipe/shredded-chicken-enchiladas/ yummy!

Serves: 3-4 depending on how much you eat. mine made 12
Preparation Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 4-6 hours on high

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INGREDIENTS

• 6 chicken thighs
  1pkt taco seasoning
  2 cans diced tomatoes
  1 tblsp tomato paste
  2 cloves garlic
  Some oregano
  Mixed herbs
  Pack of tortilla wraps (mine made 12)
  Cheese
  Lettuce & sourcream for serving.
  You can add more spices for your tasting, this one isnt very spicey.

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INSTRUCTIONS

Place chicken in the slowcooker, sprinkle taco seasoning all over the chicken.
Pour 1 can diced tomatoes on top of the chicken.
Add in the tomato paste, garlic & oregano on top & leave for 2 hours on high.
Mix everything around and leave for another 2 hours on high.
After that mine was a bit runny so i put a tea towel under the lid for about an hour and it was done.
Put the chicken in the tortilla wraps and roll up putting them in a baking tray. Mix together the other can of diced tomatoes and the mixed herbs, pour over the top of the wraps. Grate cheese and put it on top then in the oven on 180 degrees for about half an hour.
Serve on a bed of lettuce & sourcream on top!
Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchiladas on a bed of salad!

Then while I was pushing my luck.. I also added a cake to the slow cooker.. once the meat for the Chicken enchiladas was cooked and I’d cleaned up I made the cake..

So the secret to the cake is it’s so easy!

You use two at least ingredients you can add more.. A packet cake mix and 250 mils of fizzy drink.. that’s it!! too easy!!

The first one I made was “Jaffa Cake” so chocolate cake mix with orange fizzy drink..I even made the icing with orange fizzy drink… yummy!! Hmm apparently I forgot to post that cake!

Last week in the A-Z challenge I was following (and still am) a blog called “SnapShotincursive” and she had this post:

http://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/05/03/eating-my-way-through-the-alphabet-letter-u/ She had cooked an “Upside down Pineapple cake” and immediately I wondered.. Can I cook that in the slow cooker? So yesterday I gave it a go! I used vanilla Cake mix, 250 mils of Apple Cider and I layered the bottom of the tin with canned pineapple. If you attempt this you need to add about a cup of water to the bottom of the SC  and add a teatowel under the lid to stop the condensation, Cook for 1.5 hours on high.. yummy!!  Now cooking in the slow cooker doesn’t give you a nicely browned cake but gee it’s moist!!

I forgot to sprinkle the pan with sugar and cinnamon before I cooked it so I did that when I took it out of the pan!

This one got a little bit of colour as well

I didn’t dare put the cherries in it that would just be pushing the friendship boundaries too far!

The final result was YUMMMM! and “can I have more?”

So thank you Gail at :http://snapshotsincursive.com/about/ for the inspiration.

I also made us a huge pot of the mother’s vegetable soup..in this cold weather when I am trying to be healthy I love this soup… the CHILDREN HATE IT!! of course they do! So I always know I’ll have plenty, I just freeze it for lunches on cold days. And quick and easy dinners when the Children are not home or are having something else.

The star of this soup is the huge ham hock, and as you simmer it the meat just falls away from the bone and it’s just so good and filling and warm!! In the Photo of the “Pre cooked” soup my Star son thinks I am cooking with bird seed! but it’s just the dry soup mix!