Crockpot Corn Chowder

This was one of the first recipes I put into my cookbook (a 3 ring binder of tried and trues) when I was a young bride. It's changed a little over the years to this current form and it is a huge family favorite.

I love crockpot meals because I can put them in, turn them on, and then spend the day down in the shop without worrying what I'm making for dinner after I close. Just a quick stir every now and again is all it needs during the day.

For the ham in this soup, we normally use leftovers from a baked ham, but any ham will do.

Crockpot Corn Chowder

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (14 3/4 oz.) cream style corn
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Gently mix all ingredients in a 4-5 qt crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.


For more great recipes visit Create Link Inspire, Totally Tasty Tuesday, and Hearth and soul.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

Did you eat sloppy joes as a kid? I did....a lot.

Maybe it's because they are so child friendly, economical and unbelievably easy to make. Or maybe it's just because they are fun. Whatever the reason sloppy joes are always a crowd pleaser and moms seem to love to make them.

My mom always made our sloppy joes from scratch. The smell of them was intoxicating and because they needed to simmer on the stove for awhile, I learned how to sneak a bite right out of the pot when no one was looking.

It wasn't until I was a teenager that I learned of the sloppy joe sauce in a can. You know the one I'm talking about. The whole concept seemed weird and alien to me especially with how easy the homemade version was.

Now I make these every couple of weeks for my own kids. They love them and can never get enough. In fact it won't be long before I have to start doubling the recipe to feed growing teenagers!

Mom's Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbls. yellow mustard
1 Tbls. brown sugar
1 cup ketchup

In a med. saucepot (the one I use is around 3 qt.), brown the ground beef and onion. Be sure to break up the ground beef into small pieces while cooking. Carefully drain off any liquid when done.

Add remaining ingredients to ground beef mixture in saucepot. Stir well to combine.

Cover and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve on your favorite hamburger bun.


For more great recipes visit Full Plate Thursday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Hearth and Soul, Totally Tasty Tuesday and Create Link Inspire.

Teriyaki Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Yum! That's really the best way I can think of to describe this. You can't go wrong with a pork tenderloin and I think brown sugar makes everything awesome.

Teriyaki Marinated Pork Tenderloin

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbls. brown sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbls. Olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 pork tenderloin approx. 1 lb.

Mix all ingredients except pork in a large resealable bag. Shake well. Add pork. Place bag in fridge and let marinate for at least 3 hours.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray.

Remove pork from marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for basting. Place pork on foil lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400* for 45-50 minutes or until center reaches 160*. Baste with reserved marinade during last 15 minutes of cook time.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing. This will help it retain it's juiciness.

For more great recipes visit Weekend Potluck, Hearth and Soul and Full Plate Thursday

Cheesy Crescent Dogs

These are one of those things I don't make very often but when I do they are gone quick. I'm not sure my kids even let them cool down before they were gobbled up for lunch.

I normally serve them with a salad, carrot sticks and/or fruit to round out the meal.

Cheesy Crescent Dogs

8 hot dogs
4 slices american cheese, cut into 6 strips each
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375*.

Cut hot dogs (not all the way through) to within a 1/2 inch of the ends. You are making a "pocket". Insert 3 cheese strips into each hot dog "pocket".

Separate dough into 8 triangles. Wrap each triangle around a hot dog. Place on an ungreased baking sheet cheese side up.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden.


*You can use whatever brand of hot dog is your favorite


For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul and Full Plate Thursday.

Taco Pasta Salad

I've had summer on my mind lately and with all the snow we've been getting, who could blame me.

Thinking of summer got me thinking about summer-y foods and pasta salad is right up there at the top of the list. The only thing better may be anything off the grill.

Of course I love tacos too and while I was enjoying them last night I was reminded of a pasta recipe I hadn't made in a few years. I wondered if I could find it.

Amazingly I did find it and it was just as yummy as I remembered. And the reminder that summer would be here eventually didn't hurt either.

Taco Pasta Salad

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
3 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup Catalina salad dressing
Tortilla chips

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.
In a large bowl, stir together pasta and ground beef. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, olives and dressing; toss to coat. Serve with tortilla chips.


I've also substituted kidney beans for the ground beef for a fun salad.

Oatmeal Bacon Scones

Lately my family has been on a scone kick. That's not a bad thing though because these are so easy and delicious. They also freeze really well so I can double the batch and make extra.

I love that these aren't overly sweet, but instead are a nice savory scone. Our favorite way to eat them is alongside soup or chili for dinner, but they work equally well for breakfast.

Oatmeal Bacon Scones

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup butter, softened and cut into slices
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 Tbls baking powder
2 Tbls sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon

In a large bowl, add flour and butter. Cut in butter until pea sized. If you do not have a pastry blender you can use a food processor for this step but be very careful not to cut the butter too tiny. This is what is going to help them be fluffy.

Next stir in the remaining dry ingredients except bacon.
Add the buttermilk and egg. Stir until blended. The dough should be a little bit sticky. If it seems too dry you can add a little more buttermilk. No more than a tablespoon at a time.

Stir in the bacon gently.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. Knead dough 10-12 times. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with a little more flour and work in gently while kneading.

Divide the dough into 2 even portions. Flatten each portion into a 8 inch round circle.
If you would like to freeze your scones stop now. Place the dough circles on a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen you can place the dough into a ziplock freezer bag, label, and save to use later.

To bake scones:
Thaw dough completely first if frozen.
Divide dough circle into 8 "pie slices".

Place scones on a baking sheet leaving some space between each one. Sprinkle each scone with a little sugar if desired.
Bake in a 400* preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until a light golden brown on top.
Let cool slightly before serving.

Easy Teriyaki Salmon

Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat fish that doesn't resemble a stick? Do you hear them chanting salmon is yucky?

That's my kiddos in a nutshell. If it wasn't labeled fish "stick" it didn't enter their mouth. Even putting it on their plate started a riot.

Fast forward a bit to the moment where an experiment yielded the easiest, yummiest salmon recipe ever. Somehow (and I'm still not really sure how it happened) I got them to try a teeny bite and lo and behold they were hooked! Salmon was now a must eat!! Go healthy fish!

Easy Teriyaki Salmon

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbls. vegetable oil
2 tbls. brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. salmon fillet cut into four pieces (individually frozen salmon pieces/filets are great for this!)

In a small baking dish, combine the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar and garlic; mix well. Place salmon in the baking dish, coating with sauce mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or broiler (both work equally well). Grill (or broil) over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Spraying your grill or broiler pan with a light coating of oil (Pam, etc.) to prevent sticking is recommended.