Recipes: 3 down, 37 to go!

I have decided to post my collection of newly attempted recipes periodically. This week, we tried a bunch. First, I watched Dr. Oz and was excited about a healthy noodle pudding recipe. While in nursing school, I was a home health aide and one fantastic couple I worked with was Pearl and Sam. As I assisted them, they taught many lessons, cultivated fruits of the spirit, and imparted a love of brie and noodle pudding. The sheer mention of noodle pudding brought me back to fond memories of my time with them. I could taste that noodle pudding. Dr. Oz never knew Pearl, because that recipe sure didn’t come from her! It was ok, but I’ll be searching for a recipe more like Pearl’s to try in the future. Here’s a link to that recipe, Dr. Oz's Noodle Pudding , hopefully I’ll post a more Pearl-like noodle pudding soon. 

I love to throw a few things in the crock pot in the morning and have dinner ready when I get home. A dear friend gave me a book, 1001 Slow Cooker Recipes, for Christmas and I’m sure you’ll see more from that here. Here’s my first try, the family loved this one. It was made with cheap chicken thighs, something I never buy… but will again.  

Surprise Chicken Thighs:

Serves 4-6 

2 pounds chicken thighs

¾ cup chili sauce

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 (1 ounce) packet dry onion soup mix

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Rice, cooked 

Arrange chicken pieces in a sprayed slow cooker. Combine chili sauce, brown suger, dry soup mix, cayenne pepper and ¼ c. water in bowl and spoon over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Serve over rice.

This one was off the back of the generic frozen meatballs, so easy and YUM! A hit at a potluck party!

Barbecued Glazed Meatballs:

Serves 6-8 

1 jar (12 oz) currant or grape jelly

1 cup barbecue sauce

32 original frozen meatballs  

Combine jelly and barbecue sauce in a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until jelly melts. Add meatballs. Heat over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until meatballs are hot and glazed, stirring occasionally. Serve in slow cooker set on low, if desired.