Believe in the Magic Traci Diary

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  • Balsamic Roast – (Day 16)

    I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge.  Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

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    Have you ever had a day where you wished you could go back to bed?  Thursday was one of those days.  So it was nice to come home to some comfort food.

    We love pot roast at our house.  I’ve made the same recipe for pot roast for over a decade.  That is, until I found this recipe back in May.  We have had it 3 times since, and we’ve enjoyed the meat each time.

    The meat becomes super tender when cooked in vinegar.  Yum!  Plus, the flavor is out-of-the-world delicious.  This pot roast is going into rotation at our house.

    This is also a super easy recipe.  You need only a few ingredients to make this dinner.

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    Balsamic Beef Roast

    adapted from $5 Dinners 

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 1/2 to 2 lb. beef chuck roast
    • 1 tsp. garlic powder
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1/2 c. beef or chicken broth or water
    • 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

    Steps:

    1. Place pot roast into the crock pot.
    2. Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and pepper over the pot roast.
    3. Pour the water, beef, or chicken broth around the pot roast.
    4. Pour the vinegar over the pot roast.
    5. Cook on low for 8 hours.
    6. Serve with your favorite side dish.
    7. Enjoy!
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    If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

    To check out the rest of the recipes I’ve shared during this challenge, click on this link.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches plus a trick

    I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge.  Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

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    This pulled pork is super easy and only requires three ingredients.

    I went on a field trip to the Freedom Center in Cincinnati yesterday.  When I got home, I was exhausted, so having the pork in the slow cooker made having dinner easier.  I shredded the pork and made some root beer barbecue sauce for the sandwiches.  Imaginative One made some French fries to go with the sandwiches.  The pulled pork sandwiches were such an easy dinner.

    I ended up freezing the remaining pulled pork for future meals.

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    Easy Pulled Pork

    adapted from Recipes that Crock

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 2 – 3 lb. pork tenderloin or shoulder butt pork roast
    • 1/2 c. chicken broth
    • seasoning salt or favorite barbecue seasoning blend

    Steps:

    1. Place pork in the slow cooker.
    2. Sprinkle seasoning salt or barbecue seasoning blend over the pork.
    3. Pour the chicken broth over the pork.
    4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
    5. Shred.
    6. Enjoy buns with your favorite barbecue sauce.  (I used my recipe for root beer barbecue sauce.)

    A trick to shred up cooked-up pork quickly and efficiently

    1.  Pull the cooked pork out of the slow cooker.
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    2.  Place pork in a stand mixing bowl.  Use the paddle to shred up the meat.

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    3.  Put the shredded meat back in the slow cooker until you are ready to serve dinner.

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    If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Slow Cooker Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

    I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge. Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

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    My family loves simple meals like sandwiches. These sloppy Joes are an easy meal to put together, especially if you bulk-cook the hamburger and use frozen peppers and onions.

    Hubby enjoyed his sandwich. The boys balked at it because of the onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Wee One refused to try it, while the Imaginative One took out the onions, peppers, and onions. I loved it, but then again, I love cheese steaks!

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    So who and where did the cheese steak begin? I looked on the Internet and found the history of the first cheese steak, even though there was no cheese on the first sandwich.

    1930s – During the 1930s in the Italian immigrant section of South Philadelphia, brothers Harry Olivieri (1916-2006) and Pat Olivieri sold hot dogs and sandwiches. Tired of hot dogs, Pat suggested that Harry go to a store and buy some beef. Harry brought it back, sliced it up and grilled the beef with some onions. The brothers piled the meat on rolls and were about to dig in when a cab driver arrived for lunch, smelled the meat and onions and demanded one of the sandwiches. Pat never got a bite because a cab driver drove by, smelled the sandwich, and asked how much? He didn’t know what to charge, so he charged a nickel. The cab driver supposedly said,  “Hey . . . forget about those hot dogs, you should sell these.” It was not until 20 years later that cheese was added to the sandwich by a longtime employee, Joe Lorenzo, who was tired of the usual sandwich and added some cheese.

    From What’s Cooking America  (Click on link for more information about the cheese steak.)

    Slow Cooker Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

    adapted from Spend with Pennies

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 lb. of ground beef
    • 1 clove of garlic, minced
    • black pepper, to taste
    • 1 large onion, sliced
    • 1 green pepper, sliced, or 2 c. frozen pepper and onion mix
    • 1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms or a small can of mushrooms, drained (optional)
    • 2 Tbsp. flour
    • 1 can of beef broth
    • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
    • Provolone cheese or American cheese, slices

    Steps:

    1. In a skillet, brown the ground beef or bulk cook the hamburger in the slow cooker. Drain the fat off.
    2. Place the ground beef, garlic, black pepper, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms in the slow cooker.
    3. Sprinkle flour over the ground beef and veggies. Toss to coat the meat and veggies.
    4. Pour the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce over the meat and veggies.
    5. Cook for 5 hours on low.
    6. Enjoy on a bun with your favorite cheese.
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    If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest. Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Slow Cooker Ravioli

    I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge.  Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

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    Our family loves ravioli.  It’s such an easy meal to put together.  This recipe makes its own sauce, so it’s a one-pot meal.  Add a salad and garlic bread to the meal to make a complete meal.

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    Slow Cooker Ravioli

    adapted from The Country Cook

    Crockpot ravioli

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 package of frozen ravioli
    • 1 – 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes or 2 – 15 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
    • 1 – 6 oz. can of tomato paste
    • 1 to 1 1/2 c. of water
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
    • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • 1 c. shredded Italian cheese

    Steps:

    1. Spray your crock with cooking spray.
    2. Place the ravioli and onion in the crockpot.
    3. Mix the crushed tomatoes, water, garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
    4. Pour over the onion and ravioli.
    5. Cover and cook for 5 hours on low.
    6. 10 minutes before serving, cover with cheese and allow to melt.
    7. Enjoy!
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    If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Menu Plan Monday – October 12, 2015

    Welcome to day #12 of my 31 days of Slow Cooking.  Since it’s Monday, I will share my menu for the week.  Once again, I’m going to use the crock pot for cooking my meals for the week.

    Menu Plan Monday
    Menu Plan Monday

    Monday – Slow Cooker Ravioli, green beans, ciabatta bread

    Tuesday – Slow Cooker Cheese Steak, Sloppy Joes, chips, raw veggies

    Wednesday – Pulled Pork with Root beer BBQ Sauce, chips, and raw veggies

    Thursday – Pot Roast, Roasted Potatoes, mixed veggies

    Friday – Taco bar

    As I have stated before, I don’t list meals for Saturdays and Sundays because the weekends are up in the air on what we eat.

    Menu for the Week of October 12, 2015 (Click for a printable version of the menu minus the links to the recipes.)

    I'm Hungry

    Recipe from My Blog

    Since it’s Monday, I’m going to share one of my recipes from my blog.  Today’s recipe has been a favorite for many years.  It’s such a simple recipe to put together.  Buy the pot roast when it’s on sale.  Around my area, $5.99 is the typical amount for a pot roast.  So when I saw it on sale for $3.49 a pound this weekend, I bought two roasts.  One for this week and one for another time.

    This week I’m going to cook up a roast using a different recipe I’ve tried two other times.  After I cook the pot roast using a different recipe, I will post that recipe on my slow-cooking blog.

    Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
    Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Click on the picture to go to the recipe)

    Blog Spotlight

    Here is another blog that I found while perusing the Internet.  The Funny is Family blog does a series called Crockpot Thursdays.  Amy, the blog’s author, and other family members decide on a recipe for the crockpot they want to make on Thursdays to have family togetherness even miles apart.  Each family member gives their opinions about the meal and maybe how they have adapted the recipes for their family needs and likes.

    I’m highlighting two recipes from her blog that I would like to try in the future.

    1. Lasagna Soup – This recipe sounds absolutely delicious!  Hubby and I love lasagna so this would be a way to get the taste of lasagna without the hard work of putting a lasagna together.
    2. Orange Chicken – Hubby and I love Chinese food.  This would allow us to have Chinese without having to order in.  Hubby would love the rice I would serve alongside the orange chicken.  Yum!
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    This post was linked to the Menu Plan Monday’s post at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Easy Potato Soup

    I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge.  Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

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    When I planned my meals last Saturday, it was rainy and COLD, with temperatures in the 40’s.  When we had the soup on Sunday, temperatures were in the 70’s.  Even with the temperatures in the 70s, I still went forth with my plan of soup.

    Soup in a slow cooker makes sense.  It can cook all day, so the flavors really blend together.

    On the cold rainy Saturday, the boys and I ran errands.  Since the boys were extra good, I took them to Barnes and Noble.  As they looked at books, I looked at the cookbooks for slow cookers.  I was looking for inspiration for the 31-day challenge.  I ended up finding a Southern Living Cookbook in the clearance section.

    After I looked through the book, I decided to purchase it.  There was a recipe for potato soup that was super easy.  When I made the soup, I made some adaptations.  Instead of peeling the potatoes, I left the peels on the potatoes.

    Everyone loved the soup.  Hubby, my mother-in-law, and I each took an extra helping of the soup.

    We ate my buttermilk biscuits alongside the soup.  We topped the biscuits with the remaining apple butter from the  Apple Fest.

    You can top your soup with bacon, shredded cheese, and chopped green onion.  We used the bacon and cheese curds from our local dairy.  :)

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    Easy Potato Soup

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    Stars of the recipe:

    • 3 lbs of red potatoes or russet potatoes, diced into 1 to 2-inch cubes (Peeled or not peeled – It’s your choice.)
    • 1 sm. onion, diced
    • 4 c. chicken stock
    • 2 c. half and half
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • Toppings:  shredded cheese, cooked bacon, chopped green onions

    Steps:

    1. Place the potatoes and onion in the slow cooker.
    2. Cover with the chicken stock.  
    3. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.  (Until the potatoes are soft.)
    4. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
    5. Add the half and half.  
    6. Cook on low for another half and a half.
    7. Enjoy your favorite toppings!

    For a printable version of the recipe, click here.

    If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

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    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Weekly Ramblings – October 10 and 31 Days of Slow Cooking (Day 10)

    Welcome to day 10 of the 31-day Writing Challenge, which means we are halfway through the challenge.  This week I’ve shared a LOT of recipes.

    Here are the recipes I’ve shared this week.  Click on the picture to go to the post with the recipe.

    Sunday

    Queso Dip
    Queso Dip

    Monday

    Pinto Beans and Ham
    Pinto Beans and Ham

    Tuesday

    Baked Potatoes
    Baked Potatoes

    Wednesday

    Pumpkin spice latte
    Pumpkin spice latte

    Thursday

    Pumpkin Chili
    Pumpkin Chili

    Friday

    “Oniony” Pork Chops

    I also shared my menu plan for this week.  Click on the graphic to see our menu for the past week.

    Menu Plan Monday
    Menu Plan Monday

    The highlight of this week is the homemade brownies I baked on Sunday for dessert.  Imaginative One was craving brownies, so he was happy when we had those for dessert.

    This is how much was left on Monday.  The boys were fighting over who got the pieces stuck to the bottom of the dish.  (Click on the picture to go to the recipe.)

    Homemade Brownies
    Homemade Brownies

    We followed the menu plan for this week except for the side dishes on Monday and Tuesday.  On Monday, we had pasta roni instead of rice a Roni; on Tuesday, we had regular cornbread instead of pumpkin cornbread.  It was nice following the menu.  It made getting dinner on the table easier.

    Every year a local land trust plants sunflowers.  People flock to the sunflowers for pictures.  This year they bloomed later.  We had a rainy June, so they were planted later in the season.  We ate dinner on Wednesday evening and went out to see the sunflowers.  Afterward, we went to our local dairy for ice cream.

    me and the boys
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    cherry sorbetto
    cherry sorbetto
    pumpkin ice cream
    pumpkin ice cream
    Peanut butter cup - Yum in a bowl.
    Peanut butter cup – Yum in a bowl.
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    Onto the slow cooker recipe for the day:

    I'm Hungry
    Click on it to go to the landing page for the series.

    An hour south of us in Cincinnati.  Cincinnati is known for the Bengals and Reds.  Most of all, Cincinnati is known for its chili.  It’s a sweet chili instead of a spicy chili.  So if you are looking for a different chili, try the Skyline chili.

    Skyline Chili
    Skyline Chili

    If you enjoyed my post, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Please visit my Facebook page or my Pinterest page.

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    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • “Oniony” Pork Chops – 31 Days of Slow Cooking (Day 9)

    I’ve signed up for a 31-day writing challenge.  Every day in October, I post a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previously posted slow cooker recipe, or a recipe from another blog.

    On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I drop Imaginative One off at Kung Fu and just sit and wait for him.  I wrote rough drafts of future posts yesterday while I waited for him.  One of the rough drafts was for “oniony” pork chops – today’s post.

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    Okay, I know oniony is not a word, but it’s the only adjective I could think of to describe these pork chops.

    My family loves pork roast and pork chops.  I can always rely on my boys being happy with my dinner plan if pork chops are involved.

    These pork chops are no exception.  The score for the loving family dinner.  :)  This recipe is also super easy.  Score again!  :)

    Hint:  Make sure you defrost the meat the night before.  I put the pork chops in the freezer in the crock pot without defrosting them.  Since I hadn’t defrosted them, they stuck together.

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    “Oniony” Pork Chops

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    Stars of the recipe:

    • 2 lbs. bone-in pork chops (Bone in pork chops handle being cooked longer.)
    • 1 package of onion soup mix or homemade onion soup mix
    • 2 c. chicken broth

    Steps:

    1. Place pork chops in a 4 or 5-quart slow cooker.
    2. Sprinkle onion soup mix over chops.
    3. Cover with chicken broth.
    4. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.  (Pork chops should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.)

    You could serve this with baked potatoes cooked in the same crock pot as the pork chops or makeover mac and cheese on the side.  I served mine with pasta Roni and green beans.

    If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

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    Happy eating,
    Traci

  • Chili Seasoning and Pumpkin Chili – 31 Days of Slow Cooking (Day 8)

    Please view my welcome post introducing you to my newest blog dedicated to slow cooking.  This is a continuation of my I’m Hungry blog.

    Last Saturday, I planned my dinners for the week.  It was cold and rainy.  The temperatures had dipped into the ’40s, so chili really sounded good.  However, Ohio’s weather can change by the minute, so by the time we had this dinner, it was in the 70s.  Not really chili weather.  Even so, this dinner was delicious!

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    Hubby swears that once October hit, there was a real push for pumpkin everything.  Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin Oreos, etc. . . .

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    My chili features pumpkin.  The pumpkin makes the chili thick.  

    The family loved this chili.  Wee One, my youngest, placed the corn muffin we served with the chili on a plate.  Then he poured the chili over the corn muffin.  He then ate it that way.

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    Before we get to the pumpkin chili, I will share a chili seasoning blend that we really enjoy in our chili.   I love to do-it-yourself spice blends because you control the ingredients.  We don’t like cumin, so I put less in my spice blends.

    Chili Seasoning Blend

    adapted from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1/2 c. dried parsley flakes
    • 1/2 c. chili powder
    • 1/4 c. minced onions
    • 2 Tbsp. salt
    • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
    • 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
    • 2 Tbsp. ground cumin (I use 1/2 Tbsp. to 1 Tbsp.)
    • 1 Tbsp. dried basil
    • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
    • 2 tsp. paprika

    Steps:

    1. Combine the ingredients in an airtight container.
    2. Use 3 Tbsp. of seasoning mix when you make chili.

    Pumpkin Chili

    Adapted from All Four Burners

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 lb. of ground sausage (I used mild.)
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 sm. onion, diced
    • 2 – 14.5 oz. Can diced tomatoes or 1 big can (around 28 oz.) of diced tomatoes  – do not drain it
    • 1 – 28.5 oz. can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie ready)
    • 1 – 15 oz. can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed off
    • 1 – 4 oz. can of mild diced green chilies
    • 1 c. frozen whole-kernel corn
    • 3 Tbsp. chili seasoning

    Steps:

    1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
    2. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
    3. Add sausage and cook until browned.  (I cooked my sausage in my small slow cooker overnight, so I skipped steps 1 -3.)
    4. Drain the fat.
    5. Place the sausage mixture in a 5 to 6-quart crock pot.  (Since I had cooked my sausage overnight, I added the garlic and onion.)  Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot.
    6. Cook for 7 hours on low.
    7. Enjoy with cornbread!

    If you like this post, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  This is the link to my Facebook page and Pinterest page.

    Please visit my post about the 31 days of slow cooking on my I’m Hungry blog.

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    Happy Eating,

    Traci

  • Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup and Latte and 31 Days of Slow Cooking Recipes

    I'm Hungry

    Today I’m going to link up with one of the recipes from my blog.  Did you know you can prepare oatmeal in the slow cooker?  A hot and delicious breakfast will be ready for you in the morning.

    It’s pumpkin season.  Once fall hits, it seems as though there is pumpkin spiced everything.  So today’s slow-cooking recipe is a pumpkin pie oatmeal cooked in the slow cooker.  Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal sounds delicious!

    While eating the oatmeal, I can use the remaining pumpkin puree to make a pumpkin spiced latte.

    I love drinking Pumpkin Spiced Lattes from Starbucks, but at over $4 for a cup, it’s more economical to make your own.

    This is an easy recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.

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    Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 c. water
    • 3/4 c. brown sugar
    • 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
    • 2 Tbsp. puPumpkinpice blend (homemade or store-bought)

    Steps:

    1. In a microwaveable bowl, combine the water and brown sugar.
    2. Microwave the water and sugar in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes until boiling.
    3. Carefully remove it from the microwave.
    4. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice blend.
    5. Blend until the pumpkin and spices are dissolved.
    6. Enjoy in a coffee, hot black tea, or in a latte.
    Adding the pumpkin spice blend
    Adding the pumpkin spice blend
    Adding the pumpkin spice blend
    Adding the pumpkin spice blend

    During the summer, I discovered a way to “froth” my milk without special equipment.  It takes a few minutes to “froth” the milk to have a delicious treat.

    Pumpkin spice latte
    Pumpkin spice latte

    Pumpkin Spice Latte

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 to 2 Tbsp. pumpkin spice syrup
    • 3/4 to 1 c. brewed strong coffee
    • 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. milk
    • whipped cream
    • pumpkin spice blend

    Steps:

    1. Brew the coffee.
    2. While the coffee is brewing, pour milk into a jar.  Place a lid on the jar.
    3. Shake the jar for 1 to 2 minutes,
    4. Take the lid off the jar.
    5. Place the jar in the microwave.  Microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
    6. To make the latte, pour the pumpkin spice latte syrup into a mug.  Then the coffee.  Finally, the “frothed” milk.
    7. Enjoy!
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    Happy Eating,
    Traci