Hot Fudge Cake

1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. flour
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ c. milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter
½ tsp. vanilla
¾ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¾ c. boiling water
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1) Mix together 1 c. brown sugar, flour, 3 tbsp cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Spread over the bottom of slow cooker.
2) Mix together ¾ c. brown sugar and ¼ c. cocoa powder. Sprinkle over mixture in slow cooker. Pour in boiling water. Do not stir.
3) Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.

Nina Leake

Chocolate Pudding Cake

1 package (18-1/4 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
2 C (16 oz) sour cream
4 eggs
1 C water
¾ c vegetable oil
1 C (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

In a mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Set in chocolate chips. Pour into a 5-qt. slow cooker that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Yield: 10-12 servings

California Tamale Pie

1 lb. lean ground beef
¾ cup yellow corn meal
1 ½ cups milk
1 egg beaten
1 pkg. chili seasoning mix
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 (1lb) can tomatoes, cut up
1 (1lb) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (2 ¼ oz.) sliced ripe olives
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

In skillet or slow-cooking pot with browning unit, cook meat until crumbly; drain. In large bowl, mix corn meal, milk, and egg. Add drained meat, dry chili seasoning mix, seasoned salt, tomatoes, corn and olives. Pour into slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cook another 5 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Desiree Harris

Hamburger Lentil Stew

1 lb ground meat (turkey or beef)
1/2 C chopped onions
3 stalks celery chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
2 14 oz cans of stewed tomatoes
1 T salt
1/2 t dried basil
2 C dry lentils or 1 C dry kidney or black beans (add more water if you do this)
4 C water
3/4 t brown sugar
Dash of pepper

After you brown and drain the meat, put everything together in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. This turns out really thick so you may need to add water at the end to get it the consistency that you like. Yummy with cheese on top.

Heather Crawford

Minestrone Soup

4 c. leeks, chopped
¼ c. olive oil
1 1/3 c. carrot, sliced
1 1/3 c. celery, sliced
1 ½ c. cooked kidney beans
1 ½ c. potato, diced
1 qt. tomatoes, or 16 oz can
½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
4 sprigs thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp. pepper
2 c. button mushrooms, sliced
2 c. spicy tomato juice (V8)
6 c. vegetable or chicken broth
2/3 c. small shell pasta
½ lb. fresh spinach cleaned and torn
Grated parmesan cheese

In a large soup pot, sauté the leeks in the olive oil until they soften. Add the carrots, celery, kidney beans, potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, mushrooms, tomato juice and broth. Simmer for 1 hour.

Add the pasta and spinach and cook 30 minutes to 1 hour more, or until the soup is very thick. Remove the thyme sprigs. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve hot. Serves: 6.

In working with leeks, be sure to cut in half lengthwise and wash out all the sand between the layers at the top before chopping.

Sandra Talbot

Southwest Chicken

2 cans (15-1/4 oz. each) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa divided
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 C (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the corn, black beans and ½ cup of the salsa in a slow cooker. Top with chicken; pour the remaining salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours or until meat juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese; cover until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.


Julie Nebeker

French Dip Sandwiches

4-5 lbs. boneless rump roast
1 pkg. Shilling Au Jus Mix
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
3 beef bouillon cubes (low sodium, if preferred)
4 cups water

Trim fat from roast. Put roast in crockpot with other ingredients. Fill with water approximately one inch from top of crock pot. Cook on low heat 9-11 hours. Remove meat, slice, put on Frentch rolls and dip in juice (any fat may be skimmed off the top).


Christine Williamson

Pork Chop Goodness

4 to 6 Pork chops, any cut and any size
1 can of chicken and rice soup.

1) Flour the pork chops and brown them in a frying pan.
2) Place all the pork chops in the crock pot and pour the soup undiluted over the chops.
3) Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

**For this recepie, when I am in a hurry or just not in the mood to fry the chops, I have taken them out of the freezer, placed them in the crockpot and poured the soup over top and cooked them on low. They turn out just as great. It is hard to convince the little ones that they are not eating chicken.

Nancy O’Dell

Stroganoff Round Steak Strips

1 1/2 pounds of boneless beef round steak
(trimmed of fat, cut into bite-size strips or just pieces)
2 tablespoons onion soup mix (from a 1oz. envelope)
1 jar (4.5oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice
3 cups of water
1/2 cup sour cream

1) In a 2 to 3 quart slow cooker, mix beef and soup mix until evenly coated. Top with mushrooms and soup.
2) Cover, cook on Low setting 7 to 8 hours.
3) About 30 minutes before serving, cook rice in water as directed on package.
4) Just before serving, stir sour cream into beef mixture.
5) Serve over rice (or noodles).
Making a double batch is great because this freezes well for a future meal. One batch serves 6, 1 3/4 cups each.


Nancy O’Dell

Crock Pot Chicken

5-6 frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 package Good Seasonings salad dressing
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

1) Cook 4 hours on low
2) Add 1 package cream cheese
3) 1 can cream of chicken soup
4) Cook 1 hour on high
Serve over rice.


Anne Milani

Chocolate Cherry Cream-Filled Log

4 eggs, separated
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
Confectioners' sugar
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling, divided
1-1/2 cups whipped topping


CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 tablespoons water
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Place egg whites in small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar. Beat in vanilla. Sift the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together twice; gradually add to yolk mixture alternately with 1/3 cup water, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into batter. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For filling, in a small bowl, combine 1 cup pie filling and whipped topping.
Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving platter.
For glaze, melt butter; whisk in cocoa and water until smooth. Cook until slightly thickened (do not boil). Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Gradually whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Pour over cake; chill. Just before serving, spoon 1/2 cup pie filling over cake. Serve with remaining pie filling. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Yummy fruit dip

8oz cream cheese -----or in summer time you can use strawberry cream cheese
7oz large jar of marshmellow cream

mix together with mixer untill blended well
serve cold as dip
if desired you can put cinnamon and/or nutmeg on top before serving

good with strawberries, apples or other fruit

julie nebeker

mint-chocolate tuffle cookies

1/4 cup butter cubed
1 cup (6oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar packed

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp peperment extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 pkg (4.6 oz) mint andes chopped
2 tsp shortening
1/2 cup white chips

toppings
chopped nuts
sprinkles
crushed candy canes

• melt butter and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on low heat remove from heat stir ubtill smooth and cool slighty
• stir in eggs, sugars, and extracts
• in a seperate bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder then stir into chocolate mix
• fold in 3/4 cup andies candies
• roll about a tablespoon of dough and place 2 inches apart on ungreased sheet pan bake at 350 for 8-10 min or untill tops appear dry
• on stove melt remaining chocolate chips and 1 tsp shortening
• on stove melt vanilla chips and remaing shortening
• dip cookies in chocolate mixtures however you want
• immediately put on toppings
• yeild 2-1/2 dozen

missy