STEEL CUT OATS, SLOW COOKER

Ingredients:

2 Cups Steel Cut Oats (make sure you don't have the quick cook steel cut oats)

7 – 8 Cups water (depending on how crunchy or creamy you like your oats)

1 pinch salt

¼ - ½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla powder

Toppings (all optional):

Milk

Heavy whipping cream

Pecans

Almonds

Walnuts

Dried fruit

Etc.

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a lined slow cooker  8 hours before serving.  Turn the slow cooker on LOW  (Go to bed) Wake up to hot creamy steel cut oats.  Serve with desired toppings and mixins.

To make steel cut oats on the range top, reduce water to 3 ½ to 4 cups.  In a heavy saucepan, bring water and salt to boil.  Add still cut oats, brown sugar and vanilla power and simmer approximately 45 minutes or until desired consistency and texture.

Ingredients

Ready to Serve

With Whipping Cream and Pecans

Ready to Eat

SLOW COOKER BAKED POTATO BAR

Ingredients:

6 Medium Baking Potatoes, washed and wrapped in aluminum foil

1 Slow Cooker

Toppings:

Salt and Pepper

Butter

Bacon,(cooked until crunchy and cut or chopped into smaller pieces)

Green onion, chopped

Sour cream

Cheese, grated (I used lowfat Colby/jack cheese)

Wild rice, optional

Chives, optional

Chili, optional

Salsa, optional

Directions:

Wash and wrap medium potatoes in aluminum foil.  Place in slow cooker for 5 hours on High or 8 – 9 hours on low.  Top with toppings and enjoy.  A dinner hit with my entire family.  To bake potatoes in the oven, wash potatoes, cut a vent in potatoes, wrap in foil and bake on 325 for approx. 2 hours.

Potatoes in Slow Cooker

Potato and Potato Bar Toppings

Potato Stuffed with Toppings

RASPBERRY PINEAPPLE JELLO SALAD (EASTER JELLO SALAD)

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Ingredients:

4 (3 oz. packages - the small box) pineapple Jello OR

2 (3 oz. packages - the small box) raspberry Jello and 2 (3 oz. packages - the small box) pineapple Jello OR

4 (3 oz. packages – the small box) raspberry Jello

1 (15 oz.)can Pineapple Tidbits / drained (keep juice)

Pineapple Juice from tidbits

1 or 2 (12 oz. packages) frozen raspberries, depending on how much fruit you want in your salad

1 (10 oz.) package mini marshmallows

1/4 cup Whipping cream, whipped

3/4 cup Sour cream

Directions:

Prepare the day before serving: To make gelatin: Pour the gelatin powder into  a very large mixing bowl.  Use the speed-set method to dissolve the gelatin.  Mix 3 cups boiling water into the gelatin.  In a separate bowl or measuring cup, Add ice to 1 cup water and 1 cup (reserved)  pineapple juice to make 2 ½  cups ( of cold liquid – total of 5 ½ cups of liquid including the boiling water).  Stir into gelatin until slightly thickened.  Remove any unmelted ice.

Add the drained pineapple and frozen raspberries.  Stir in.  Add the mini marshmallows and stir in.  The marshmallows will float to the top.  Place in the refrigerator and let set overnight.  Just before serving, remove from the refrigerator and stir.  Add the whipped whipping cream and sour cream.  Place in a serving dish and add to your festive table.

Ingredients

Pineapple Tidbits and  reserved Pineapple Juice

Adding Ice and Juice

Adding Pineapple

Adding Raspberries

Ready to Set

Stirring after Setting

Adding Whipping Cream and Sour Cream

In Serving Bowl

Ready to Eat

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT THREE LAYER ICE CREAM PIE

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:

2 (10 oz. packages) grasshopper mint cookies, crushed

½ cup butter

Filling:

1  (1.75 quart)container Mint Chip Ice Cream

1 (1.75 quart) container Chocolate Ice Cream

1 (1.75 quart) container Peppermint Ice Cream (vanilla ice cream with crushed Andes Mint and a ½ teaspoon peppermint extract)

Garnish:

Crushed Andes Mints, Fresh Mint Sprigs , whipping cream, chocolate syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Crush the grasshopper mint cookies (I used a food processor) .  Pour the Grasshopper Cookie crumbs into a 12” springform pan.  Melt butter.  Mix butter into the crumbs and press down with a fork.  Place in the freezer for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, let the Mint Chip ice cream soften.  Using a mixer, soften the mint chip ice cream so it is spreadable.  Spread  mint chip ice cream evenly  over the crust.  Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes as you let the chocolate ice cream soften.  Using a blender, soften the chocolate ice cream.  Remove the pie from the freezer  and spread the chocolate layer evenly over the mint chip layer. Return to the freezer for about 10 minutes while the peppermint ice cream softens.  Soften the peppermint ice cream by using the mixer. Remove the pie from the freezer and spread the peppermint ice cream evenly over the chocolate ice cream.  Sprinkle crushed Andes Mints over the top and gently press into the ice cream.  Let freeze overnight. 

To Garnish: 

Put a fresh mint sprig in the middle and spread chocolate syrup over each slice.  Top with whipping cream.

Ingredients

Cookie Crumbs

Making Crust

Crust

Mixing Mint Chip

Spreading Mint Chip

Mint Chip Layer

Mixing Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate Layer

Mixing Peppermint Layer

Spreading Peppermint Layer

Peppermint Layer

Andes Mints, Ready to Freeze

STRAWBERRY JELLO SALAD

Ingredients:

2 Large (6 oz.) packages strawberry Jell-o

5 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup strawberry/kiwi juice (optional – substitute water)

1 can (15.25 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained

1  (10 oz.) package mini marshmallows

¼   cup whipping cream, whipped (maybe less whipping cream…just make sure the salad does not get too runny)

¾ cup sour cream

Directions:

Prepare the day before serving: To make gelatin: Pour the strawberry gelatin powder into  a very large mixing bowl.  Use the speed-set method to dissolve the gelatin.  Mix 3 cups boiling water into the gelatin.  In a separate bowl or measuring cup, Add ice to 1 cup water and 1 cup strawberry kiwi juice to make 2 ½  cups ( of cold liquid – total of 5 ½ cups of liquid including the boiling water).  Stir into gelatin until slightly thickened.  Remove any unmelted ice.

Add the drained pineapple and sliced strawberries.  Stir in.  Add the mini marshmallows and stir in.  The marshmallows will float to the top.  Place in the refrigerator and let set overnight.  Just before serving, remove from the refrigerator and stir.  Add the whipped whipping cream and sour cream.  Place in a serving dish and add to your festive table.

Ingredients

Ice and Strawberry Juice

Making Gelatin

Adding Juice and Ice

Adding Pineapple

Adding Fruit

Adding Strawberries

Adding Marshmallows

Marshmallows Mixed in - Ready to Set

Stirring after Set

Ready to Serve

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