THREE Slow Cooker Recipes

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from yesterday's 4th of July festivities at Faulkner Farms (circa 1842). We didn't have fireworks, but because of several thunderstorms throughout the day, we did not feel like we were missing out on anything!

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - Today is the LAST DAY to enter the Butt Naked Candle Contest. Leave your name in the Comment Section of the blog, on my Facebook page OR e-mail me at mfaulkner1306@charter.net. You have until midnight tonight, Tuesday, JULY 5!

The winner will be announced tomorrow morning, JULY 6. Don't forget! You know you want a Butt Naked Candle!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Our 4th was wet, but still very celebratory. Mikie was able to cook out before the first thunderstorm came through, so we feasted on hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage in our very cool dining room! (I mean "cool" in the literal sense. I really turned the air down!)

After a rip-roarin' game of Bunco with my sister's family, Grandmother and MamMa, we were ready for homemade ice cream. And for some unknown reason, 95 minutes later, it was ready! I am glad to report it was worth the wait.

We didn't have any pool time this year, which was a little disappointing to three out of the six cousins, but we still had a very good time.

I'm thinking we need to shake things up a little next year, so I'll be looking for a few new activities/games/etc. to try our next 4th of July holiday. (Tommy and Mikie are shaking in their flip flops as they read this!)

Tommy and Mikie (and Austin) put in their suggestion for a "Male Nap Time," but I quickly nixed that idea. When I think of the word "celebrate," the word "nap" doesn't normally pop up in the itinerary for the day. Now the day after... that's a good nap day!

RANDOMNESS #2 - For the first time ever in the history of 4th of July Celebrations, one of the cousins wasn't in attendance. Josh signed up for a week-long music camp (guitar) sponsored by the Methodist Church. When I first looked at the information, I noticed the camp started on the 4th, but I talked to someone who mentioned sign-in was in the afternoon. That was fine. No problem.

But as time drew nigh for this camp, I received e-mails that indicated sign-in was at 9:00 a.m. on the morning of the 4th. WHAT?

So Josh was excused from attending the holiday with much sadness, gnashing of teeth and moaning from the Mother Unit. But I wanted him to have a wonderful week at the camp, too, so there was minimal sadness, gnashing of teeth and moaning in front of him. (Most of it took place after he pulled out of the driveway!)

However, I do hope he's making many new friends and enjoying his time doing something he loves to do. (That's what a good Mother Unit would say, isn't it?)

THREE Slow Cooker Recipes

Today seems like a slow cooker kind of day, doesn't it? Well, as a little gift, I'm sharing THREE recipes for you to use this very day. Two are tried and true, and one is new to me, too.

Slow Cooker Lasagna (NEW TO ME, TOO!)

You will need the following:

12 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1 pound ground beef (browned and drained)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1 carton (16 ounces) cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese (grated)

1. Break noodles in half. Place half of the noodles in the bottom of a greased slow cooker.

2. Stir Italian seasoning into the meat, and spread half over the noodles already in slow cooker.

3. Then layer half of the sauce and water, half of cottage cheese and half of mozzarella cheese over beef.

4. Repeat layers.

5. Cover and cook on low heat 4 to 5 hours. DO NOT cook more than 5 hours.

Mama's Italian Chicken

You will need the following:

4 frozen chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth

1. Place chicken in greased slow cooker.

2. Sprinkle with salad dressing mix.

3. Pour chicken broth over the top.

4. Cover and cook on high 4 to 5 hours OR on low 8 to 10 hours.

Favorite Barbecue Chicken

You will need the following:

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle (16 ounces) barbecue sauce

1. Place chicken in greased slow cooker.

2. Pour favorite barbecue sauce over the top.

3. Cook on high 4 to 6 hours OR on low 8 to 10 hours.

All three of these recipes came from my 101 Things To Do With a Slow Cooker cookbook... and as I mentioned the last two have been served at Faulkner Farms several times to rave reviews!

Enjoy!

Have a relaxing Tuesday. As I might have mentioned above, I have found the "day after a holiday" is usually a good nap day. (But I have yet to find a day that was NOT a good nap day!) Unfortunately, there is not a nap in my foreseeable future today. Heavy sigh! I'll have Wednesday Wisdom and a Seasonal Tradition first thing in the morning. Oh! And I'll be announcing the winner of the Butt Naked Candle Contest. Tomorrow will be a good day... for at least one person!

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER! - I still haven't moved all of my old posts to this new address. If you need to look up something from the original A Simple Life, go to www.belindafaulkner.blogspot.com. I keep hoping something miraculous will happen and I'll be able to post using my old address... but it doesn't look like that is a realistic "hope." I'm going to work on moving everything this week.

Wish me luck!