Thoughts and ideas on celebrating life with children, by Momscape founder Susie Cortright.
Easy Crock Pot Roast
Ingredients:
3 to 4 pound beef pot roast
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 cup beef broth
Directions:
Place pot roast in crock pot and top with mushrooms. In a small bowl, mix soup mix and beef broth, then pour into crockpot. Cover and cook 10-12 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.
Crock Pot Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs or crushed crackers
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion (diced)
1/4 cup water
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into a meatloaf shape that will fit into your crock pot. Cut a strip of foil and place under the meatloaf in crock pot. Cut it long enough to cover the bottom and sides of meatloaf. Place meat loaf in crock pot and top with an additional 2 tablespoons ketchup. Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.
Creamy Crock Pot Roast
Ingredients:
2 pound beef roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 onion (diced)
6 carrots (sliced)
6 potatoes (cubed into small pieces)
Water
Directions:
Place onion, carrots and potatoes at bottom of crock pot. Dredge roast in flour and placed in lightly greased pan. Brown on both sides in hot oil over high heat. Place roast in crock pot over vegetables. Pour soup and 1/2 can water over roast. Cover and cook on low for approximately 10 hours, or 5 to 6 hours on high.
Crock Pot Rice & Chops
Ingredients:
4 - 6 lean pork chops
1 cup rice (uncooked)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 small onion (diced)
1 clove fresh garlic (minced)
Directions:
Rinse and drain rice. In a large bowl combine rice, soups, mushrooms, onion and garlic. Mix well. Place rice mixture at bottom of crock pot. Lay pork chops over rice mixture. Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.
Valentine Party Punch
Note: You can buy heart ice cube trays in several cookware stores or online. Use these trays to make heart-shaped ice cubes and add cubes to punch.
3 (3oz) packages of strawberry flavor gelatin
9 cups water
2 (26oz) cans pineapple juice
4 (2 liter) bottles ginger ale
In a large bowl mix together the gelatine and the water. Stir in the juice and mix well. Pour mixture into three 1-gallon size freezer bags. When you’re ready to make the punch, remove a portion of frozen punch from freezer bag and place in punch bowl. Pour over one bottle of ginger ale and mix until slushy.
Valentine Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powder sugar for dusting
3 inch metal heart shaped cookie cutters
Instructions:
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. In a separate bowl combine the milk, eggs, oil and brown sugar and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (do not over mix)
Heat the griddle or skillet over low to medium heat. Brush the heart-shaped cookie cutters with a little oil and place in griddle. Pour ¼ cup batter into cookie cutters and cook until pancake starts to bubble. Remove the cookie cutters then turn and cook for another minute on the other side or until slightly golden
Sprinkle with dusting sugar and serve.
Valentine’s Day Cake
Ingredients:
1 package white cake mix
1 package strawberry gelatine
4 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1 cup fresh sliced strawberries
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch square baking pans. Combine cake mix and gelatin in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil, water and half of the strawberries. Beat on for a few minutes until well blended.
Divide batter evenly and pour batter into baking pans. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until golden and baked through. Cool for 5 minutes in pans before turning over to wire racks to cool completely.
Top with remaining sliced strawberries and dust with powdered sugar.
Sweetheart Cake
Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
1 large bar baking chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly great a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. In a large bowl beat butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Gradually stir in the milk, mixing well after each addition. Fold in coarsely chopped chocolate.
Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and baked through. Decorate the cake with kiss-shaped chocolate pieces.
Quick Chocolate Cherry Pie
Ingredients:
1 graham cracker pie crust
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14oz) can condensed milk
½ teaspoon salt
1 (21oz) can cherry pie filling
8 maraschino cherries, stemmed
Instructions:
Place the chocolate chips, condensed milk and salt in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir continuously until blended through. Mix in the cherry pie filling and mix well. Let cool slightly and then pour intro prepared pie crust. Chill for approximately 3 to 4 hours and garnish with the maraschino cherries.
Poached pears in red wine
Ingredients:
6 Pears, peeled
½ cup white granulated sugar
2 cups red wine
1 cinnamon stick (or a sprinkle of cinnamon)
The peel of one lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions:
Place the pears (peeled) in a medium saucepan and sprinkle the sugar over the pears. Pour the red win over to cover the pears. Add the cut fresh lemon peel and cinnamon stick and mix. Simmer on low heat until tender, approximately 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Serve warm.