Slow Cooking Thursday!!!

Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange. It's such a great way to share your avorite dishes or to learn some new ones to make for your family.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

CHINESE SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN WITH SESAME SEEDS
Credit: Not your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

On 3- to 4- pound broiler/fryer
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry sherry or apple juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 green onions, trimmed and halved
1 clover garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skilled over medium heat until fragrant.

Wash and dry chicken thoroughly. Cut off any lumps of fat. Put the chicken in the crockpot, breast side up. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, sherry, ketchup, red pepper flakes, green onions and garlic in a small bowl; pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 180ºF.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Remove and discard the green onions. Combine the cornstarch with the water and stir the slurry into the sauce. Cook on HIGH, stirring constantly, until thickened. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with steamed long-grain white rice.

Serves 4 to 6

I think I'm beginning to get acclimated..........

It certainly hasn't been easy, it's not like it's gotten any cooler around here. This morning I actually had a good laugh because my computer said "106 º HOT".........Ya think????? LOL

Yesterday afternoon we took a drive to downtown Historic Glendale, walked around a little and I literally mean A LITTLE, it was so hot that we ran into a Subway to pick up drinks.
It's a pity that most of the stores were closed but we plan on going back within the next few days, there are tons of Antique stores and I felt like a kid in a candy store.

With stores like Granny G's, Mad Hatter and Strunk's Hollow, I can see myself spending a lot of time in this area.

Hubby just laughs at me, I think he's feeling his wallet disappearing!!!!
In my defense though, I've never been a big shopper so he knows I don't go out of my way to spend money.

Just one thing about this place, the drivers are crazy.....I don't think I'll be leaving the base alone, I get too nervous with all the irresponsible driving going on around here, not to mention it seems that there's a lot of "lead feet" too.

Anyway, my house is almost done, the only rooms that still need to get finished are the kids rooms and that is because they have SO many toys that we have no storage for. We're going to buy some more storage bins or shelves or something this week so that we can finish the bedrooms.

Right now Jasmine has a bunkbed and Nicholas has a Car bed, but they've both been asking for a bed with drawers underneath, so I'm looking at getting these for them:

They're pretty inexpensive and I could always use the extra storage under the bed. I'm also looking into getting these for all their toys.




Whatever doesn't fit into those two storage items we'll be getting rid of of, I don't understand why the kids need so many toys, half of which they never play with and don't even realize they have unless you mentioning throwing them out, then all of a sudden "it's my favorite".

You know I've actually taken the day off from unpacking, I'm at the point where the minute I see a box I break out in hives. I needed to recharge and do nothing, actually, we went and ran some errands this morning, got the medical records dropped off and also got Jasmine registered for school. I'm super thrilled because she can walk right into the school doors, it's only about 4 or 5 houses from ours. Here's a picture for you to see:

On the left side of the road you can see the housing area that has been closed off and is being torn down to rebuild new ones. Up ahead you can see the school gates, I've always wanted to live in a place where she could just walk out the house and be pretty much right there in school, and now I can say that she does. Makes me happy!!!
School starts August 13th here and they do wear uniforms which Jasmine is not very thrilled about but coming from South Africa where we wore uniforms to all the schools we attended, I can honestly tell you that it's such a relief to not have to worry about what to wear in the morning.

It's always seemed to me as well that it gave kids a reason to pick on each other, if one had the latest fashionable shoes or jeans and one or two had clothes from a thrift store, they seemed to get singled out.....I can't tell you how much I dislike that, I believe children and anyone for that matter, should be able to wear what they want without being discriminated about.

So as you can see, I'm a happy momma right now, she's nearby and she's wearing uniforms LOL

Let's see, what else is going on here..........Oh if you're looking for my Menus for the upcoming week, you can find them at my food blog "Full Bellies, Happy Kids", I tried so hard to go through all the participants on the list but I have to admit that I gave up after #131, I just couldn't do it anymore, I will get to the rest of the list tomorrow morning.

I really do need to get some laundry done, so I'm going to say goodbye for now. Oh and I'm sure you've noticed I messed with my template again, I was bored of the same ones and since I had some time today I figured I would play around. I'm pretty happy with the result so let's see how long it will last LOL



For dinner I'm fixing one of my favorite meals, Stuffed Green Peppers. The kids love it too and it's the only way to make them eat Green Peppers without turning their noses at it.
For dessert I have a Dutch Apple Pie fresh out of the oven, it smells incredible right now.

Come with me to a Pastelaria (pastry shop)??????

I woke up this morning with this intense craving for some portuguese pastries, but not just homemade ones.......the ones that you smell as you walk into one of Portugal's little Pastelarias (pastry shops) that are spread out all over Lisbon.


Will you allow me to show you the ones I remember going to while living in Portugal? It might give you some ideas on where to go if you're planning a trip to Lisbon.


one of my favorite things to do was sit in one of the Pastelarias and enjoy a nice cold coke and one of the many fresh pastries available.

By far my favorites were the Bolas de Berlim (portuguese cream filled donuts), piramides de chocolate (chocolate pyramids) , guardanapos (little cakes folded like napkins), Bolo de Arroz (Rice Cake) and Pasteis de Nata (Cream cakes).
I literally drool at the thought of one of these little pastries in my mouth, they are to die for.

Portugal is full of these pastry shops, some spilling over onto the sidewalks and others hiding in beautiful old buildings. If you've been to Portugal you know all about the gorgeous architectural buildings that fill the magical city of Lisbon.

I truly miss not having these available to me, so I'm thinking I may need to get the recipes for my favorites and start making them. It's something I want my husband and children to experience too, now if I could just make bread like this one too, I would be one very happy camper.


It's really hard to resist when you walk into a Pastry Shop and are faced with this sight.

One of the things I most enjoyed about the Pastry Shops is that they have this really old feel to them and it's great to sit back and enjoy a wonderful treat while watching the crowd that comes in and out. You have grandmothers, families, school kids, businessmen and tourists all walking in and out as they go about their day. The weekends has a different feeling to it, I remember many an afternoons, we would meet up with family from all over the country and get together at one of these little shops for an afternoon cup of coffee and cake.

Image credit: Delicious Days

This is one of the pastelarias that I remember visiting, it's called Pastelaria Versailles and it's in Avenida da Republica in Lisbon. Could you not imagine sitting there a whole afternoon just enjoying a steaming cup of coffee???

Other ones in the beautiful city of Lisbon that I visited were:

Cafe Nicola, R. 1º de Dezembro, Lisbon

It was here that the first Portuguese woman dared to break the male stranglehold on

café-going. Linked to many other historic events, this place is an essential part of
Lisbon.

Pastelaria Suica, Pç. D. Pedro IV, Lisbon

One of the best known tea-time venues.
Excellent pastry and one of the most popular terraces in Lisbon. During World War II this was the meeting place where those in exile negotiated their tickets to freedom.

Now I have to go make myself some Pasteis de Nata, I'm seriously craving them. I guess I'll take my coffee and my cake outside and imagine I'm sitting at one of the sidewalk tables, surrounded by other cafe goers enjoying their Bicas (espresso cafe) and their pastries.

Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about these wonderful little pastry shops and next time you visit Lisbon be sure to stop in and grab yourself a tasty treat, I can guarantee that you will NEVER look at pastries the same way again.

As the smell of coffee permeates the air

I sit and wonder if I'll ever get used to this infernal heat. Does it really have to be this hot here or anywhere for that matter???

Anyway, good morning everyone, it's 7:30 am and already 90 degrees, I've started thinking that maybe I should turn into a night owl. I could sleep during the day when it's really hot and then wake up at night and go do everything I need to, I'm sure I could get it all done before 5:00 am when it starts getting warmer right???

I'm starting this morning by sharing a picture I took in our front yard, see that huge palm tree??? Yes it's in my yard and my mind wavers between being in awe of such a beautiful thing to hoping to God that it never falls down or if it does that it goes the other way. LOL

Yesterday we took a little drive around the area and I was not thrilled, I think I need to find downtown Glendale first, especially the Historic part because what I've seen of the immediate surrounding area of the base is NOT pretty.



After our little drive we headed to the base BX, ok let me just say that I could live in that place and be happy. It was the second building in this base that made me delirious giddy (the other is the huge commissary). This BX has a 3 level parking garage, we'll talk about that another time because I'm claustrophobic and for some reason parking garages freak me out, I am driving and feel like the roof is right above my head (which really it IS).

We walked around the BX for a bit and got some things I needed for the house, broom, mop and bucket, new bathroom rugs etc and then of course because I'm drawn to books, I turn and Curt says to me "Sweetie, they have a huge book selection". Man why do these people tempt me???
He wasn't kidding, it was like being in a miniature Barnes and Noble, I must have had the goofiest smiles on my face. I couldn't leave without getting something from the cooking shelves so I walked away with this beauty.


Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook
(350 recipes from Beth Hensperger)

You have no idea the delicious goodness in this book, they have a whole chapter just for chili's, another just for porridge.....I only got through the first few pages but my mouth was watering. Guess what I'll be using for my Slow Cooking Thursdays? LOL
This means we know there will be at least another 350 SCT posts right??? I think the first recipe I'm trying from it is Chinese Sweet-and-Sour Chicken with Sesame Seeds. We love chinese food and this one caught my eye immediately. Don't worry I'll share the recipe with you all too!!!

Speaking of recipes I will be updating my little food blog later today, it's been forever and the poor thing is feeling neglected. You know I have learned through this move that you can make meals out of basic pantry items, you just have to love cooking and have an imagination I guess. I made some Beef with Mushroom Sauce that turned out pretty good and I also came up with a concoction using hotdogs, a can of chilli and velveeta cheese. It was REALLY good....so I'll share the recipes for all you adventurous people out there LOL

Now are you ready for some pictures??? I warn you it's not for the faint of heart or the clean freaks, not really for the organizing perfectionists either. This is just a little glimpse of what my house looks like right now.


This is part of the living room, don't you just love the level on the couch? Isn't it pretty? *snicker*


My kitchen which I promise will look much better once everything is packed away, again, see if you can spot what DOESN'T belong there. (Jasmine's white shoes against the dishwasher)





This is the only room that is pretty much done, my African Themed bathroom. The kids love it in there with all my african knick knacks. I guess when I'm homesick for South Africa I can just go sit in the bathroom LOL

And that's all I have to share with you, well here is a last one of the road we live on which is pretty much the main road. Just 5 or 6 houses down in the other direction, is the school gate which is just wonderful, I'm super thrilled that Jasmine will be so close to home :)


And with that my friends, I need to get going, I have the kids bedrooms to unpack today and I have floors that need to be swept and mopped. You know just yesterday I peeked into the closet and saw my vacuum and carpet cleaner and I had to laugh, I mean, we have zero carpets in this house, I suppose I could bring them out to clean the tiny rugs in the bathroom though? LOL

You all have a wonderful saturday and I'll see you back here tomorrow morning. Oh btw, I know a couple of you gave me some bloggy awards, but for the life of me I can't remember who or where they are, if you did award me one just leave me a comment on this post and I'll be sure to go and check them out. I think they were all done when I was in the middle of moving or on the road so I apologize for not being on top of it.

God Bless,

Slow Cooking Thursday!!!

Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange. It's such a great way to share your avorite dishes or to learn some new ones to make for your family.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

I'm back and I'm so happy to be hosting this feature again, you have no idea how much I missed it last week, so to make up for it, I'm giving you 3 recipes.

HOT CRAB DIP

Image credit: Kraft Foods

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/4 cup melted butter
* 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar Cheese
* a few dashes of Tabasco sauce
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 2 cups crabmeat

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 to 2 hours, until cheese is melted and dip is hot. Serve with crackers, bread cubes, or chips.

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CROCKPOT CHALUPAS

Image credit: Online

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 1 can green chile peppers, chopped
* 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
* 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

* Topping:
* Grated cheese
* Chopped onions
* Tomatoes
* Lettuce
* Sour cream
* Coarsely crushed tortilla chips

PREPARATION:
Place first 7 ingredients in slow cooker, along with 1/2 cup water. Cook 8 to 10 hours. Add beans 1 hour before done. Top with desired toppings and serve with warm tortillas

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Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Image credit: Handels Ice Cream

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 T. baking cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 cups hot water

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix flour, granulated sugar, 2 T cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir in milk, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add nuts. Spread batter evenly in slow cooker.

Mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa in small bowl. Stir in hot water until smooth. Pour evenly over batter in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high heat setting for 2 -2 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Turn off slow cooker and let cake stand uncovered for 30-40 minutes to cool slightly before serving. Spoon cake into dessert dishes and spoon sauce over top. Can be served with ice cream or whipped cream also.