From My Kitchen

SWEET N SOUR HAWAIIAN MEATBALLS:

A great crockpot recipe to carry to a party or barbeque.

1 package of frozen, pre-cooked Italian meatballs—approx. 76 per bag. Thaw for an hour while you cut up veggies and then empty bag into crockpot.

ADD 2 small bottles (8-10 oz.) of Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 green, red and yellow pepper, cut into chunks. Wash outsides well before chopping. 

One red onion cut into chunks

1 bag of baby carrots

1 large can of pineapple chunks, including juice.

3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 bag of baby carrots

1 can of sliced chestnuts -- drained

1 each-- washed Orange, Lemon and Lime, cut in half and sliced.

Add seasonings: garlic powder, Worchestershire sauce, Mrs. Dash. Stir mixture gently. Cook on High for 3 hours and then reduce to Low for a few more hours until you're ready to eat or leave for a barbeque. Quite yummy. Tastes great alone or served over rice.

CHICKEN BREAST PASTA BAKE

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put water in pan to cook pasta according to directions...Use whatever pasta you have on hand.

Take a pack of Chicken Tenders--spread on paper towel to drain.

1 tsp of mayonnaise--I use a brush to dip into the spoon of mayo to spread lightly over one side of tenders. Note: you can skip this step, if you like.

1 Cup of Bread Crumbs--Italian flavored, poured into a zip lock baggie. Add one or two tenders at a time, shake until covered with crumbs and place in bottom of baking dish sprayed with PAM. Place in oven to bake for 15 minutes.

MEANWHILE...in a large frying pan, add a quarter size of olive oil or whatever cooking oil you use. Add half of a chopped onion, 1/4 chopped green pepper (red, too, if you have it on hand), chopped garlic, green zucchini--sliced in half lengthwise and sliced double the thickness of a quarter. Add one large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce. I buy whatever's on sale that week.

When your pasta is cooked, drain and rinse. Add to pasta sauce mixture. Remove baking dish from oven and pour pasta and sauce mixture over the baked chicken, which by now is kinda crispy on the outside. Cover the top with grated mozzarella cheese. Or parmasean...or even cheddar, if that's what you've got in your frig. I've even mixed it a time or two if I don't have enough of one kind.

Bake for 15 minutes or so until cheese is bubbly and the color you like. Enjoy!

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I love my crockpot. I like being able to fill it with ingredients before I start writing for the day so later, when I'm deep into a tense scene, I don't need to stop to fix dinner. It's just Calvin and me, so I often fill the slow cooker to the brim with chili, stew or homemade soups. We're able to get two suppers from these crockpot meals, plus freeze two containers for future busy days or times when migraines have me by the throat. We get 4 to 5 meals from a full pot of soup or stew.

Both of us are diabetics, so I try to cook as healthy as I can. I've been able to get Calvin from taking 28 units of insulin daily to 6 by counting carbs and incorporating more beans into our diets. Beans are a diabetic's friend because of their fiber.

~ CALICO CHILI ~

In a large frying pan, brown 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck, ground turkey or chicken. I usually spray the pan with PAM first.

Add 1/2 finely chopped onion

1/4 finely chopped green pepper. If I have them on hand, I also add chopped red and yellow pepper.

Thinly slice a stalk of celery

If your tummy handles it, add 1 tsp chopped garlic.

Brown and keep stirring until meat is cooked.

** Drain off any excess liquid/grease and place meat and veggie mixture into crock pot. 

Add 2 regular-sized cans each of dark red kidney beans, light red kidney beans and white canelli or navy beans, for a total of 6 cans. Do not drain.

Add 1 or 2 cans of mushroom pieces--drained.

Add 1 large can of petite cut tomatoes in tomato juice

Add 1 regular can of stewed tomatoes

Add 1 or 2 TBSP of brown sugar, which will cut some of the acidy of tomatoes

Add 1/2 cup of uncooked pasta--macaroni or stars (our favorite)

Add 1/2 cup of water or V-8 juice, if you have it on hand
Wash, slice in half length-wise and slice one GREEN ZUCCHINI and add

Sprinkle to your taste...salt, pepper, chili pepper, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, basil and 8-10 drops of Hot Sauce. (Everyone's digestive system is different. Some like a more mild chili like we do. Some prefer a chili so hot, it opens their sinuses. So add your spices accordingly. Both Cal and I have acid reflux, so I've learned how much onion, peppers, garlic and spices we can and can't handle.)

*** Cook on HIGH for three hours, then lower to LOW for remainder of cooking time.