Brown-Sugared Baby Carrots

•1 bag (32 oz) ready-to-eat baby carrots
•1/2 tsp. salt
•1/2 cup packed brown sugar
•2 Tbsp. butter, chopped into small pieces
•1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

1.Spray a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Put carrot in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, brown sugar, and butter.

2.Cover and cook on high (stirring every hour) for 3-4 hours until tender.

3.Spoon into serving bowl and spoon any sauce remaining over the carrots. Season with addition butter, salt, or pepper if desired. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

Carmel Apple Crisp

5 cups apples, (after peeling) I like a mixture of sweet and tart

1/2-3/4 cup caramel topping

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup oats

6 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sugar for topping after baking

Peel, core and slice apples into thin slices. Place apple slices into a 9-10 inch pie plate or a 9x9 greased pan.

Drizzle caramel topping over apples.

Mix flour, sugars, salt, vanilla, pecans and oats in a large bowl. Cut in butter until blended well. Or use a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour crumb mixture over apples and caramel.

Place dish on top of cookie sheet to prevent any syrup from bubbling over in oven.

Bake at 400 on middle rack for about 30-40 minutes, or until apples are tender.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional 2 tablespoons sugar. Serve warm. Great topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips:

-It may seem like 5 cups of apples are too many for a 9 inch dish, but the apples will shrink while baking.

Oreo Tuffle Balls

1 (1 pound, 2 ounce) package Oreo cookies
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
2 (8 ounces) packages semi-sweet chocolate chips**

Optional Toppings (additional chopped Oreo cookies, chopped nuts, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, Heath Bar Crunch bits, colored sugar or sprinkles, etc.)

** Use a good-quality chocolate chips. The taste and quality of these truffles are dependent on the quality of chocolate you start with.

Line two large baking or cookie sheets with either wax paper, parchment paper set aside.



In a food processor or blender, process and crush all of the Oreo cookies into crumbs. NOTE: Do not over crush! You want a crumb, not a powder. If you do not have a food processor or blender, cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a Rolling Pin.

Add cream cheese and process until thoroughly mixed and you have a creamy dough (there should be no white traces of cream cheese).

Using your hands, roll into walnut-size balls, approximately 3/4-inch diameter. If the mixture becomes too soft to work, place the remaining mixture back into the refrigerator to slightly harden. Place Oreo Balls on the lined baking sheet and refrigerate or at least 45 to 60 minutes.



The Oreo Balls may be stored in the freezer for up to 1 week before dipping in chocolate.



If you put the Oreo balls in the freezer for a short time before dipping in chocolate, this helps keep the balls cold longer. I also put the cookie sheets in the freezer first so they are really cold when I place the chocolate-covered Truffle Balls onto the cookie sheet.


How To Melt Chocolate - Using one of the below methods to melt the chocolate chips:

Double Boiler: In the top of a double boiler over hot water, not boiling water (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water, melt chocolate; stirring until smooth. Be careful boiling water may cause steam droplets to get into chocolate which can result in "seizing," when the chocolate becomes stiff and grainy. If you don't have a double boiler you can improvise one by placing a glass or stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat. Let the chocolate cool slightly, but it should not set.

Microwave Melting Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips using either the defrost setting or 10-percent power in the microwave. Microwave for 1 minute, then check and stir. If you need more time, do it in 10 to 20 seconds intervals and check and stir after each addition of microwave time. Remove the container from the microwave and stir the chocolate until completely melted. Baking chips and baking chocolate may appear formed and un-melted after heating but will become fluid after stirring.

When ready to coat the truffle balls with the melted chocolate, remove the chilled Oreo Balls from the refrigerator. Replace parchment paper on baking sheets if they are not clean. A small fork, toothpicks, wooden skewer, or chopsticks are great to use as dipping tool. Dip each Oreo Ball into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the pot. Place the Oreo Truffle Balls onto the wax paper. If the chocolate gets too hard to dip well, reheat it over the double boiler or in the microwave.

French Dip Sandwhiches

Sliced roast beef (we used already cooked roast beef fresh from the deli)
Sandwich rolls
Sauted Onions (you could also add mushrooms or peppers)
Au Ju sauce (1 packet/per pound of roast beef)
Provolone Cheese

Mix Au Ju packet with water (amount given on packet) directly in crockpot. Add roast beef, onions etc.. to Au Ju sauce. Turn crockpot on low for 3-5 hours (no cooking needed if you bought it cooked--low for 8 hours for uncooked beef).

Slice bread and place cheese on rolls. Place in oven under the boiler until cheese is melted

Pull meat out with tongs and layer on a toasted sandwich roll. Use Au Ju sauce to dip roast beef sandwich in.

Cheesy Rice and Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*
1 8oz box yellow rice (Zatarains & Mahatma are both good)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
1 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup
1 15oz can corn, drained
1 1/2 cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded

PREPARATION:
1. Cook rice according to package directions, except leave out the butter.
2. Combine rice & remaining in ingredients (minus 1/2 cup cheese) in large bowl.
3. Place in 9x13 dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese
4. Bake at 350 x30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Hamburger Soup

This is a soup that my mother in law always makes and everyone loves it. It is also one of those recipes that you just add a little of this and a little of that, so this recipe is approx. of what I use to replicate it.

Brown  1 lbs of Hamburger

In crock pot add:
      1 Cup of sliced Carrots
      1 Cup of cubed Potatoes
      1/2 frozen Corn
      2 Pack of Lipton's Beef Onion Soup
      4-6 Cups of Water depending on consistency you want
      Season to Taste with: Salt, Pepper, and minced garlic
      (Optional Celery)

Add Meat after you have browned them.

Simmer until potatoes are done.
30 minutes before serving add green beans.

Easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Place 2 chicken breasts in your crockpot
Cover with one can Cream of Chicken soup

Let cook 2-4 hours, then shred chicken

Bring to boil 32oz chicken stock {1 box}
Add 2 more cups of water
Add diced onion, chopped celery and frozen chopped carrots
1 clove chopped garlic {or used pre minced}
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add shredded chicken including the soup it cooked in
Simmered veggies until cooked.
Add Grandma's Noodles oragano (1/2t) Basil (1/2t) and serve when noodles are soft.