Rosemary and Olive Oil Crock Pot Bread

A bunch of us hens sit around at lunch chit chatting about normal "girlie" stuff. One topic that seems to keep coming up is how some of those around me do not use their crock pot often.

As someone who uses their crock pot up to 3 times a week, you can imagine how vocal I am about the many, many uses for a crock pot.

I mentioned being able to make bread and one co-worker's eyes got huge.
Seriously huge, like a Disney character huge.
"You can make bread...in a crock pot???!!!"

Why yes, yes you can!
I wanted to surprise her the next day at work. A quick Google search came up with this recipe, and I already had everything on hand. Score!

I got this made, let it cool, cut it up and brought it into work.
An email went out to my lunch group telling them all about what goodies awaited them that morning.

Felt pretty popular as my cubicle was the most visited desk all day.
Everyone thought it was delicious and could not believe when I told them how easy it was!

Ingredients:

3 ½ Cups all purpose flour

1 Packet dry active yeast

1 ¼ Cups warm water

¼ Cup rosemary

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tsp sugar

1 Tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. In large bowl, mix together water, yeast, and sugar.

2. Let yeast mixture sit for 10 minutes (bubbly)

3. Stir in half the salt (½ Tsp), half of the rosemary, olive oil, and flour

4. Mix until fully combined

5. Lightly grease a large bowl and place dough in it

6. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave dough in a warm area.

7. Let rise for 1 hour

8. Remove dough from bowl and roll into a bowl on a lightly floured surface

9. Let sit for an additional 20 minutes

10. Set crock pot to high

11. Line crock pot with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch handle on each end

12. Place dough in crock pot and sprinkle with remaining salt and rosemary

13. Drape paper towels over the top of the crock pot and place lid (to catch the condensation)

14. Cook bread for 2 hours and remove from crock pot

15. Optional: Broil loaf for 3-5 minutes to brown crust

Print

Come party with me HERE!

Smell Good Sunday #13

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale

Featured post from last week: 

Do Si Do Cheesecake Brownies from Our Unschooling Journey

An InLinkz Link-up

One Pot Cannellini Florentine

:::sigh::: husbands!

Mine is a picky eater...when he remembers to be. 

Sounds confusing?

How about this: He likes kidney beans. Kidney beans = great protein, so I have been using them a lot lately. Including cannellini beans which are nothing more than white kidney beans.

On the back of one of the cans of cannellini beans I have used was this recipe. Sounds delish and it is everything we already know and like.

I am in the kitchen making dinner. 

Hubby comes home "OMG what is that, it smells so freaking good!"

Fast forward to actual dinner.

I get "mmm is that spinach I see, yum!"

then it hit....

He made a face like a 5 year old, used his spoon to pick up one cannellini bean...grimaced...and said "what in the heck is this?"

Seriously?

Convincing him that he has been eating them for months is like selling ice to an Eskimo. Forget it. Not going to happen. Once he gets an idea in his head, it might as well be written in concrete.

The girl and I loved it, she even went back for seconds.

He knew better than to snack later on. 

Ever feel like this?

Whatever. Picky hubby aside, you want to make this dish. The girl and I are not-so-sad to have leftovers for the week!

Ingredients:

4 Sliced bacon, chopped

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (14 oz) can chopped spinach, drained

1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 oz) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth

½ Cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips

1 Tsp dried basil

Crushed red pepper flakes

Salt

Parmesan cheese

French fried onions

Directions:

1. Cook bacon over high heat in large stockpot until cooked

2. Add garlic and onion, saute until brown

3. Mix in spinach, saute 2 minutes

4. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes

5. Season to taste

6. Top with cheese and onions

Print

Just out of the pot

With the french fried onions and Parmesan cheese

Come party with me HERE!

Smell Good Sunday #12

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale

Featured post from last week: 

Killer Kale Salad from Best of Long Island and Central Florida

An InLinkz Link-up

Red Beans and Rice Soup with Kielbasa

Sometimes I am at a loss for what to write here!
I am constantly torn between sharing all these great memories and stories that form my world, and trying to protect the privacy of my friends and family.

Blogging is fantastic, it's a platform for thoughts, hints, help, and support.
Sadly though, just like with any public anything, here are people who use this information to the detriment of others.

Starting this post, I had multiple ideas swimming in my brain...but there was no way to tell my tale without some serious identifiers.

If you blog, or use social media, do you worry about the same?

Especially for my girl child. I don't want the world to know more about her than she is willing to share.

I don't think I am being overly paranoid. Sadly.

On a happier note:
Since we are talking about the girl, she was my biggest cheerleader while making this soup.
I had seen it in an edition of Woman's Day and thought it would be a good fit for my family. We had it for dinner, and then again for lunch another day later on.
As we were washing the dishes from the second serving, she asked if I would make this again soon. Anything for my girl!

Ingredients:

½ Cup long grain white rice

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

6 oz Beef kielbasa, cut into ¼ inch pieces

1 Large onion, chopped

2 Stalks celery, chopped

1 Large green pepper, chopped

Kosher salt

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Creole seasoning

3 Cups chicken broth

1 can (15 ½ oz) Kidney beans

5 Cups kale

1 Cup water

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions

2. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat

3. Add kielbasa and cook until browned. Transfer to a bowl.

4. Add onion and cook until tender. Add celery, pepper, ½ the salt and cook 3 minutes

5. Add garlic and Creole seasoning. Cook for 1 minute.

6. Return kielbasa, add chicken broth and 1 cup water.

7. Simmer 5 minutes

8. Gently mash half the beans

9. Stir the beans and rice into the soup.

10. Add kale and simmer until tender.

Print

Smell Good Sunday #11

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale

Featured post from last week: 3 way tie!!!

Friendship Casserole from Penny Pincher Jenny

45 Refrigerated Biscuit Recipes from Just 2 Sisters

Irish Blessing Free Printable from Comfort Spring Station

An InLinkz Link-up

Korean Tacos with Asian Slaw

Oh the simplicity!

I love me some super fast weeknight dinners, and this totally fits that bill.

My magazine swapping friend handed me an issue of Woman's Day and this was inside. (it's like a gift within a gift!)

I whipped these up one night for dinner. Hubby and the girl both ate 2 each! One satisfied me...and it left enough for lunch the next day.
(Ours didn't make 8, it made 6 because I couldn't find the small tortillas that day, we used medium)

So, I bring this into work the next day and everyone in the breakroom started going nuts! "What smells so good" "what is that" "how do you make it".

I have the feeling this will be on everyone's tables soon...I know it will be on ours again really soon!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

½ Tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tsp soy sauce

1 Bag cole slaw mix

2 Tbsp light brown sugar

2 Cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp grated ginger

1 Lb ground beef

1 Tbsp canola oil

8 Small flour tortillas (warmed)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, red pepper, and 2 tsp soy sauce

2. Add cole slaw mix and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally.

3. In second bowl, combine sugar, garlic, ginger and 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Add beef mixture and combine.

4. Heat oil in large skillet.

5. Add onion and cook until tender

6. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking it up with a spoon

7. Fill tortillas with beef and top with the slaw

Print

Smell Good Sunday #10

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale

Featured post from last week:

Roasted Vegetables from Comfort Spring

An InLinkz Link-up