Honey Drumsticks

My daughter loves dark meat. My husband and I don't. Here's our frozen drumstick in the crockpot concoction of the day:

- six frozen drumsticks 

- warm water (about 1/4 cup) mixed with about 1-2 tablespoons honey

- about 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

Then coat the top of the chicken with

- about 2 teaspoons paprika 

- about 2 teaspoons parsley

- about 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout

- about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

- about 1-2 tablespoons honey

As it appeared done, we turned the heat down and added frozen kale, butternut squash and carrots while rice cooked in the steamer. 

40 minutes later:

Very nice.

Pineapple Crock Pot Chicken

** This is an experiment based on recommendations from my almost ten-year-old **

In the crockpot on high about 6 hours:

- frozen chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)

- 16 ounces sweet and sour sauce

- 20 ounces crushed pineapple

- about 1/2 cup strong homemade chicken stock

- 1/2 cup water

- about 2-3 tablespoons ras el hanout

(I don't like this sweet and sour sauce. The ras el hanout is an attempt to make the flavor less sweet.)

- 2-3 tablespoons garlic pepper

When I got home from work, I added about 2 cups water and another 1/2 cup chicken stock. 

It was good. Definitely sweet, but not syrupy. Different.

Sweet potato chicken

The recent snow and ice storms have meant lots of hours for me in my retail life and paid snow days for my husband.

I am not a big eater but my husband and daughter are ravenous carnivores. So i made these chicken thighs in the crockpot based on this:

http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenthighrecipes/r/peachcpchix.htm

I threw about 1/2 to 3/4 cup homemade chicken stock (a frozen disk) in the bottom of my crockpot adding garlic powder and parsley (about 2 tablespoons each). Crockpot to high.

I put two frozen chicken thighs (with bones and skin) on a plate and sprinkled with:

- about one teaspoon paprika

- about one teaspoon curry

- about 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

I then poured a big old can of Taylor yams in the crockpot, heavy syrup and all. 

Then I placed the chicken on top, seasoning side up. Final additions:

- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

- a few splashes low sodium soy sauce

Cook about six hours. I'm off to work 5 hours in-- house smells delicious.

Will report later.

The family said this was a keeper and my plate had just enough flavor to prevent boredom but not so much it covered up the natural tastes. Good stuff.

Sausage chili

I got the last few coconut flour cornbread muffins out of the freezer and wondered what I could make to go with them. I had ground Italian sausage in the fridge, so I thought a chili with sausage might work.

I lightly browned the sausage in my big ol' Le Creuset skillet, with a little bit of coconut oil. I added a can of petite diced tomatoes (and yes I've read how now canned tomatoes are on the no-no list for many wholesome eaters, not only are they probably GMO but the cans are treated with... What is it? BHA? If I grow enough to can my own, I won't have to worry about it...)

Anyway, the tomatoes and meat are simmering away... I start tossing spices in, totally willy nilly as I've often seen Rachael Ray do. A lot of chili powder, some garlic, a few shakes of cumin, a few shakes of oregano, a little four color peppercorn, a pinch of paprika, and a good dump of cocoa. This is an operation done by smell. You want it very aromatic, because the beans will dilute it.

I added some water so it wouldn't stick and believe or not I piled about two cups frozen baby carrots on top. Stirred all that in. Then after 45 minutes or so of simmering on medium-low, I transferred it to the crock pot on high. I added one more cup water, 2 cans dark red kidney beans (reduced sodium, rinsed and drains), and the leftover black beans AND the leftover corn from the fridge.

I put it on high for an hour and then reduced the heat to warm for the rest of the afternoon.

Crock pot pork chops

It is never a good idea to put a good cut of meat in the crockpot. But I worked until 5:15, child had to be dance at 6, and husband had to play chauffeur to all of us.

So I browned some boneless pork chops and threw them in the crock pot with the following sauce:

- black currant juice
- mixed berry juice
- golden brown mustard
- brown sugar
- water
- fresh pears, chopped
- dried cranberries

The meat was very tasty, but dry.

Ginger candy chicken and swimming cookies

After working on my economics homework for an hour and a half, I took a break to prepare dinner.

Once again I veered from the candy chicken recipe, but let's hope it works.

In the crockpot:
- 3 chicken breasts
- about 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- about 1/2 cup apple raspberry juice
- about 4 tablespoons spicy teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon lime soda syrup
- about 1 cup seltzer
- about 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon diced crystallized ginger
- about 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 small apples, cored and quartered

For the swimming cookies dessert:
In a glass casserole dish
Layer eight lemonade girl scout cookies
Prepare one package instant vanilla pudding with 1-and-a-half cups whole milk and pour over cookies. Chill.