Five Bean Crockpot Dish

1 lb. ground beef
1 t. mustard (wet, not powdered)
2 t. vinegar
1/2 lb. bacon, finely diced
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 c. ketchup
15-ounce can lima beans, drained
15-ounce can butter beans, drained
16-ounce can kidney beans, drained
32-ounce can pork and beans, undrained
15-ounce can red beans, drained

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain. Stir in mustard, vinegar, and bacon.

Dump the rest (brown sugar through all beans) into crockpot. Add the stuff from the skillet. Mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours. These beans freeze well.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing mix (found in salad dressing aisle)

Combine soup, cream cheese, and powdered dressing mix until smooth.
Pour over chicken.
Cook in crock pot on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or LOW for 5-6 hours.
Serve over rice


When combining the ingredients the mixture may seem thick... Don't worry this will change as the chicken cooks down.

This is a staple in our home! It is so easy and soooooo tasty! My kids love it too. ENJOY!

Jane's Whole-Wheat Grainy Bread

I went to a cooking class a few months ago where this was made. I don't know who Jane is, but she has an awesome recipe. I was in heaven that nite eating the most delicious bread I had had in a long while. I vowed, though, that I would not make it until I got myself some dough enhancer and wheat gluten as I was sure this was one of the reasons my breads had been lacking. So finally we were in Utah and I was able to purchase these items and I made the bread at my mom's house. So good again. You can go online (I'll post a link later) and purchase the enhancer and gluten if you can't find it where you live.

I did make some changes and rather than post all the changes at the bottom, I'm just going to do it along with the recipe. Here it is:

5 c. hot tap water
2/3 c. canola oil
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. molasses
2 T. salt
3 T. SAF instant yeast (instant, NOT rapid rise)
12-14 c. freshly ground whole wheat (My mom has a grinder so I was able to do this. However I won't be doing that here most likely. Boohoo)
3 T. dough enhancer (My mom said to use 1/3 cup - about 5 T. - since her wheat is old)
3 T. wheat gluten

THESE INGREDIENTS ARE WHAT MAKES THE BREAD GREAT, BUT THEY ARE OPTIONAL:
1/2 c. cracked wheat
1/4 c. oat bran
1/4 c. wheat bran
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. ground flax (I used whole flax seeds)
1/4 c. millet
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. sunflower seeds
2 T. buttermilk powder
1/4 t. vitamin C crystals (I didn't use)
1 T. lecithin (I didn't use)

(There are about 4 cups here worth of "optional" ingredients. You can of course play around with this greatly and add some of the stuff, all of it, none of it, different grains, etc.)

Step 1: Grind 9 c. of whole wheat.

Step 2: Combine hot tap water, oil, honey, molasses, 9 or so cups flour, and dough enhancer and gluten. Mix together. Then add the yeast (the oil and salt will kill the yeast if not mixed in first). Add optional ingredients now.

Step 3: Mix on low speed and at the same time add flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl (flour amount will vary due to humidity and the protein and moisture content of the wheat). A stickier dough will make a more moist bread - so sticky is good.

Step 4: Knead for 5 min. on low speed.

Step 5: Oil hands and counter. Remove dough and mold into loaves. Recipe will make 12 mini, 5 medium, or 4 large loaves. Place in pans greased with oil (we used Pam). Cover loaves with a clean cloth and let rise for 30 minutes or until almost doubled (It took about an hour at my parents' house). Brush with egg white whisked with a fork, then sprinkle with rolled oats. If you don't do this, you can brush with melted butter.

Step 6: Bake at 350 for 30 min. Immediately remove from pans and place on rack to cool. Slice and enjoy!

The bread will last 1-2 week in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer.

There ya have it.

Honey-Glazed Salmon

Honey, hoisin sauce and citrus juices caramelize to form a sweet complement that stands up to the distinctive taste of fresh salmon.

2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 pound salmon fillet(s), with or without skin, four 6-oz pieces
1 sprays cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

1. Combine first 7 ingredients, and stir well with a whisk.
2. Place fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush with honey mixture; cook 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Note: This recipe is best with fresh citrus juices.