Works for Me Wednesday - Crock Pot Recipes

I am participating with Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

One thing I don't think I could live without is my crockpot. I think I may dinner 4 nights a week out of it.

Of course for easy cleanup I love these:


Some of my favorite recipes are:

GROUND TURKEY POTATO DINNER
1 lb. Ground turkey
5 cups raw potatoes, sliced
1 onion sliced
½ tsp salt
dash of black pepper
can cut green beans
can mushrooms
can cream of chicken soup
Crumble uncooked ground turkey, add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, add drained green beans and drained mushrooms, pour soup over top. Cook on high 4 hours or low 6 to 8.

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
3/4 lb extra lean ground beef or gorund turkey
1 cup skim milk
½ cup uncooked long grain rice
1 med onion chopped
1 cup dry bread crumbs
½ tsp salt
dash of black pepper
10 3/4 oz can low fat low sodium cream of mushroom soup
½ cup skim milk
Combine meat, 1 cup skim milk, rice, onion, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a bowl
shape with ice cream scooper place in slow cooker
mix together soup and ½ cup milk pour over meatballs
cover cook on low 5 hours

BROCCOLI AND RICE CASSEROLE
1 small onion diced
½ cup margine melted
2 cups quick cooking rice
2 cups water
can low fat cream of mushroom soup
½ tsp salt
5 oz jar low fat sharp cheddar cheese spread
2 10 oz pkgs frozen chopped broccoli
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker stir thrououghly.
Cover cook on low 6-7 houts or on high 2-3

SWEET AND SAVORY BRISKEY
1 beef brisket cit in half
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 envelope soup mix
½ teaspoon pepper
Place half of the brisket in a slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, jelly, soup mix and pepper spread half over meat top with the remaining meat and ketchup mixture Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until meat is tender
* I also substitute the brikset for boneless beef ribs.

TACO SOUP
2 lb. ground beef add onion if desired
2 cans corn
2 cans ranch style beans
3 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can water
1 taco seasoning packet
1 Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
Brown meat and onion (I do mine in microwave). Drain grease and pour in crockpot. Add corn, beans and tomatoes, water, seasoning packet and dip mix. Stir and heat 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Serve with tortilla chips.

HAM AND SCALLOPED POTATOES
6 to 8 slices of ham
8 to 10 med. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 c. grated Cheddar or American cheese
1 can cream of celery or mushroom soup
Put half of ham, potatoes and onions in crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grated cheese. Repeat with remaining half. Spoon undiluted soup over top. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours in crock pot or high 4 hours. Variations: sausage instead of ham and omit the cheese.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in small chunks
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 cups water
2 10 oz packages refrigerated biscuits
1 chicken bouillon cube
Combine all ingredients, except biscuits, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, tear biscuit dough into 1-inch pieces. Add to your slow cooker; stirring gently. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes or until biscuits are fluffed up and cooked through.

BEEF AND BROCCOLI
3/4 pound thin beef strips
2 cups fresh broccoli flowerets
1 package McCormick Brown Gravy Mix
1 cup water
Place beef and broccoli in the bottom of your slow cooker. Mix together gravy mix and water. Pour over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

CROCKPOT AUTUMN CHICKEN RECIPE
4 chicken breasts
2 carrots
1 acorn squash
1 14.5 oz. can of chicken broth
1 TBSP garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
nutmeg
honey
Peel and chop carrots and place them in the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle with garlic. Place chicken on top. Pour in broth. Cut squash into chunks and slice off the skin. Place on top of chicken. Sprinkle desired amounts of salt, pepper and nutmeg on top of squash and drizzle enough honey on top to lightly cover the squash. Cook on low 8-10 hours.

LOWFAT CROCKPOT SPAHETTI
1 1/2 lbs. extra lean ground chuck
1 onion , diced
1 bell pepper chopped
Large can tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 pkg. Spaghetti seasoning mix
1 can mushrooms or cup of fresh
12 oz. pkg. spaghetti, cooked
Parmesan cheese, if desired
Heat crockpot. Brown beef, bell pepper & onion in non-stick skillet. Drain and place in crockpot. Add mushrooms, tomato sauce, spaghetti seasoning, & oregano. Cook 8 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 8 hours on high. Cook spaghetti according to package direction. Serve sauce over cooked spaghetti. Top with Parmesan cheese as desired.

VEGETARIAN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
3-1/3 cups canned crushed tomatoes, in tomato purée
1-2/3 cups chunky style prepared salsa
6 ounces tomato paste
2 lbs. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb. corn kernels, thawed if frozen
1/4 lb. canned diced mild green chilies, drained
1-1/2 Tbs. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
5 corn tortillas
2 ounces olive slices, drained
Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour about 1 cup of mixture into the bottom of an electric slow cooker on low heat. Spread evenly and top with 1-1/2 tortillas, cutting to fit pot. Spread 1/3 of remaining tomato mixture over top. Repeat layering process, ending with tomato mixture. Spread top evenly. Sprinkle with olives. Cover and cook about 5 hours. Serve hot.

BAKED POTATOES
6 medium sized baking potatoes
butter or margarine as preferred
1/2 cup water in bottom of crock pot
Wash potatoes well then prick with a fork. Rub each with butter or margarine, then place in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours or on low for 6-10 hours. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Cut open and serve!

Works for Me Wednesday: Practicing Spelling Words

Participating with Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer

I have posted some of these ideas before but I have added more too.

My kids love to practic their spelling words! Love it! We try to make fun and have a list of activities and things that we change around each week to practice that weeks words:

* Write them, but not just on paper we use Brittney's doodle bear and Braden has a doodle monster that are often covered in new words (just throw them in the washer for the next weeks words).
* Write them using window markers by crayola and they can write on the glass door front or back (it just takes a windex wipe to clean it off quickly). They can write them on their bedroom windows.
* Write the words with a marker on 3 x 5 cards then cut them apart, let the kids put them back together.
* Pour salt on a cookie sheet and spell out the words in the salt.
* Use magnets to spell words on the washer, refrigerator, etc.
* Make a cheer spelling out your words
* Make a word find puzzle
* Print each spelling word then draw around each word. Study the shape of each word.
* Type the words on the computer and print them out.
* Use shaving cream on a cookie sheet to write words in.
* Shuffle word cards. Write each word on a 3 x 5 cut each card in half or into syllables. Shuffle the pieces then match each half.
* Write words on the sidewalk with chalk.
* Write silly sentences using spelling words.
* Play super kid. Use 3 x 5 cards with the letters for Super Kid have child take a turn spelling word if gets it right gets a letter to spell out Super Kid
* Make a graffiti poster using lots of colors markers, construction paper spelling out the words
* Tape yourself saying your words and spelling them. Then play the tape back.
* Use paint to paint words, or dot paint.
* Use letter beads to string letters on a string to spell each word.
* Finger paint words.
* Make the words out of playdough.
* Glitter words - write each of your study words with a glue stick or glue pen then sprinkle glitter on the glue.
* Mark the vowels in the words. Mark short vowels and long vowels and cross out any silent letters.
* Write a story using your words.
* Play hangman on a big white board.
* Play Mother May I spelling. I stand at one end of the hall they start at the other. They only get to take a step forward if they spell the word I give them correctly.
* Spelling baseball, set up bases in the living room and to get to each base they have to spell their word correctly.

We do write them on paper but I always try to put a fun activitiy with it. They may write their words 4 times and then we play baseball. Sometimes they will write their words on the front door or doodle bear then sit and do a word search.

Repetitiveness helps them learn but adding in the fun helps them enjoy the learning.

Works for Me Wednesday - Summer Bag

Participating in Works for Me Wednesday's at Shannons

Summer is busier than ever it also seems to be that time that I am out somewhere and need something. Even if I packed a bag the night before I still inevitably forget something.

So the solution...the Summer Bag.

A plain zippered bag that stays in the car all the time. It's contents are sunscreen, bug spray, sun screen reliever, face sunscreen, children's tylenol, small bottle of wound wash, bandaids, both kids a swimsuit, towels, change of clothes, some non parishable snacks like crackers or fruit snacks. If I use the bag when we are out and about and unexpectidly get invited to swim or something then the bag goes in the house on the middle of the kitchen table and does not get moved till things have been replaced then right back in the back of the car. It works for me!

Works for Me Wednesday - Kids Extra Money

My kids love saving their money...they love getting money.

Awhile back someone told me about Kidzeyes.

It is a fun survey program for kids. You get points for each survey, you get coupons sent to you for free stuff to try and then surveys sent on those products. One time the kids got to watch the pilot for the Disney show Corey in the House months before it was even advertised. They don't have a referral program so you don't get points for referrals but I want to refer people anyway because my kids love it. You can check their accounts and when they get over $10.00 you can request a check. I forgot Brae's for awhile and it reached $40.00 and so he was really happy for that check. Britt's total to date to make is $109.00 and she has been doing it since last April. Not bad for a 9 year old. The age limit is 6-12.

CHECK OUT KIDZEYES FOR YOUR KIDS

Works for Me Wednesday - Beating kids boredom

We have a box of 3 x 5 cards. Probably 50 cards in the box. This is the "I'm bored" box or the "I'm done with my school and my sibling isn't" box.
Each card has something writing on it. Examples: Play board game, play Lego's, make a matchbox city, do a craft with pipe cleaners and Popsicle sticks, read a book, make up a silly code and write a message, put together a puzzle....ideas are endless.
It makes it easier to have them written down. I give them out different ways, sometimes pick 6 and put them face down on the table for them to choose one (this way I know what activities I want to take place as some are messy, some are not, etc.) Sometimes I just say grab the first one, other times they look through and pick out of all of them. I am constantly adding ideas to the box, and little things add up to big fun on the cards as well.
Somehow having it come from the cards, and not just me saying go do this or that makes all the difference!

Works For Me Wednesday - Keeping the car clean

Works for Me Wednesday at Shannons

We are on the go so much it doesnt take long to have the cars looking pretty rough.

Quick things for when I am waiting in line for food, or at the bank:
I keep several plastic grocery sacks in the car I can easily grab one out and gather all the trash while I am waiting then simply tie the bag and first trash can I pass I throw it in.
I keep a package of windex wipes under the seat, I can wipe off finger prints and then wipe down the dash, etc as well. If I don't have windex or if by some miracle there are no fingerprints on the window I just grab out a pack of baby wipes to wipe of the dash and cup holders, etc. Another alternative is to keep a swifter in your car and run it over the dash, but most of the time I also have sticky stuff to wipe off too so the swifter doesn't work as well for me.
A small lint brush kept in the car helps for getting things off the seats, carpet, etc.
If I do the above why I am in the car waiting anyway it saves time later.

Works for Me Wednesday - Removable Bumper Stickers

Works for Me Wednesday at Shannons

I like to support school sports teams, politics, and even like great sayings on my vehicle. What I don't like is bumper stickers that are impossible to remove or leave residue on the vehicle.

Solution.

By a package of magnetic paper for computers in the office supply section. A package of 5 sheets is about $7.00. This will last for a long time. You just place the bumper sticker that you want directly onto the magnet paper and cut the magnet the right size.

The magnet then sticks to your car. When the elections over, or you just want to change the magnet comes right off, no fight no residue.

Works for me Wednesday - kids responsibility

Works for Me Wednesday at Shannons

Teaching kids responsibility is an ongoing process. Something that we had a problem with is our kids have gameboys, they have small little games....I was finding these games everywhere.

New rule...

I find a game (also can use this for other items)....then it becomes my game.....if they want it back they have to work for it...I will put a different amount depending on the lack of responsibility. Britt may have to put away all the laundry that day to earn her game back, or she may have to dust my baseboards, etc. I try to make it something that they don't want to do, or I may just make them pay me a $1.00 (or more) which they really don't like.

Bottom line before throwing that game aside or that item aside next time, they think to put it in the right place to save themselves from having to buy their item back.

Works For Me Wednesday (Using White Boards)

I am a chart junkie...I love them, chore charts, reading charts, calendars. The preprinted white boards are more expensive and are rarily exactly how I want them to be.

So what I do is a purchase the white boards whatever size I want and then I use permenant sharpie markers to make my lines, or in the case below my picture. Then it is on the board permenantely. I do this to give myself enough room on calendars, etc. Just do the lines, and then you can fill in the information with wipe off markers.

These are the kids reading charts. The entire picture is done on a white board with permenant markers. They then color in the completed amount with a wipe off marker. THen when they have completed the whole chart I clean off the washable markers and the permenant picture is still on there to do the chart again.





Works for me, lots more ideas at
Shannons

Works For Me Wednesday - Coffee Filters

Coffee Filters can be bought pretty cheap and can be used for a lot of different things....I am sure they are more but here are some that work for me!

Serving snacks (popcorn, chips, etc) the filters are disposable and less expensive than paper bowls or plates.

Prevent soil from draining out of flowerpots. When repotting, place a filter at the bottom, over the drainage hole, then add the soil.

(one of my favs) Protect hands from Popsicle drippage. Slide the wooden stick of an ice pop through a coffee filter so your hands stay mess-free.

Clean windows and glass. Coffee filters leave no lint or other residue.

Works for Me Wednesday (Homeade Magic Erasers)

A friend of mine posted to a group this recipe. I tried it and it worked really well.

I love the Magic Erasers for cleaning.

Try this homemade version...

Take a bowl and pour in some arm and hammer baking soda then pour a little white vinegar over it -- it will foam up and just make a paste with it = use it on the spots just like magic eraser using a wash cloth. As your paste gets too dry - add a bit more vinegar. WORKS as well as the Magic Erasers that you buy!

I haven't tried this one yet but my friend says it works GREAT....Grease spills in the garage -- sprinkle with lots of baking soda then pour on some vinegar and watch it bubble around then use a brush to lightly scrub it right off!!

Works for Me!

Works for me Wedensday

I am pretty one tracked on my taste in music. However I want to introduce my kids to all kinds including classical music. Trouble was I couldn't see myself listening to classical music much less the kids. A fellow mom told me about some great cd's.
They are called Classical Kids. There are many different ones. We have listened to two so far. You can find them on homeschooling sites such as sonlight, ebay, or amazon. They are more than music they are a story to listen too and just happen to have classical music in them along with a story about the composer. The stories are interesting and my kids didn't want me to stop the car until they found out what would happen, and they were introduced to classical music. Works for me!