Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

These have become a holiday staple for my family. Jesse doesn't really like the hard peppermint candies on top, but everybody else does! Thanks Rachael Ray for this fabulous recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
chocolate for melting (the recipe calls for dark chocolate; I usually use semi sweet chocolate chips because it saves me a trip to the store)
2/3 c crushed peppermint candy canes

Get Cookin'

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar until creamy, then beat in egg.

In separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture.

Cut off a large piece of parchment paper; turn the dough onto the paper. Shape the dough into a 12-inch-long cylinder; wrap tightly and roll into a smooth, even log. Refrigerate for 30 minutes; reshape and refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice cookie dough log into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Place about an inch apart, bake until firm, about 18-20 minutes.

After the cookies are done cooking, melt the chocolate.

Spread melted chocolate on each cookie and sprinkle peppermints on the top.

Refrigerate until the chocolate is hard, about 2-3 hours.



Sorry for the picture being so dark. I have an excuse to make these again; I need a better picture!

Pumpkin Milkshake

I'm in love with everything pumpkin and feel like I have to eat it all before November is done because it's such a "fall food." Who eats pumpkin pie in February?! Nobody.
I made these over the weekend and loved them. We will be making these again. Thanks to Cooking Light for this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla reduced-fat ice cream (such as Healthy Choice), softened
1 cup fat-free milk
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
Whipped Cream, optional (we didn't use it)

Get Cookin'

Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Pour 3/4 cup ice cream mixture into glasses. Top each with whipped cream and sprinkle with the additional pumpkin-pie spice, if desired.

Quick Cookies: Funfetti Cookies

Sometimes I promise homemade cookies when I don't really have time to spend two hours in the kitchen. However, there is always time to make cake mix cookies. This recipe was on the side of the cake box last year. They're simple, fast and taste like they're made from scratch. Shh! It's my dirty secret.



Ingredients:
1 box Pillsbury Funtetti cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil

Get Cookin'

Mix ingredients in a bowl (you don't even need to get the mixer out for this!).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and cook for 9 minutes. Take them out before they look brown. They will stay soft this way.


Update (June 25, 2010): I tried this recipe with a strawberry cake mix last night-they turned out delicious (and pink!)

Starbucks Outrageous Oatmeal Cookies

When Starbucks changed all pastry recipes this summer they handed out recipe cards with the new recipes on it. Working at Starbucks, I collected all the recipe cards we handed out! I finally got a chance to make the Outrageous Oatmeal Cookies that are quite popular at my store. I don't think they tasted exactly like the ones we sell, but they were a great oatmeal cookie.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c dark raisins
1/4 c golden raisins
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons dark raisins (topping)
4 Tablespoons golden raisins (for topping)


Get Cookin'

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blend oats, flour, raisins, cranberries, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then add egg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat until well combined.

Gradually add oat mixture; beat until combined.

Combine raisins for topping in a separate bowl and set aside.

Drop dough onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place a teaspoon of raisin topping on top of dough.

Bake until cookies are golden brown and still soft: 12-16 minutes.

Apple Chips

I eat an apple a day--not only to keep the doctor away but simply for their convenience (I'm eating one right now!). I was snooping around the internet, putting off chemistry studying, when I stumbled upon a recipe for these apple chips. YUM! These are a new, healthy way to sneak apples into your daily diet. Enjoy!

One note--the recipe only uses two apples--next time I'm doubling, maybe tripling the recipe!

Ingredients:



2 gala or granny smith apples
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
Water

Get Cookin'

Turn the oven on its lowest setting--mine was 175 degrees. Then, fill a bowl with cold water and lemon juice.

Use a slicer to cut the apples and immediately place into cold water and lemon juice. This prevents premature browning of the apples.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the apple slices on the sheet after shaking off the excess liquid off it.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Place the oven for two hours, or until the apple slices are crisp.

Crockpot Tips

Hi all,

I've moved temporarily into another apartment because of terrible, terrible neighbors. If I'm in the other apartment for over a week, I'll bring over pots and pans, until then, I'm fine eating oatmeal, cantaloupe, and stir fry in the student union.

Here's a link to some helpful crockpot cooking tips I found today: Crockpot Tips

Happy cooking,
Amy

Beef Stew

This is the first beef I've cooked all school year! Before you ask if I'm going vegetarian--heck no, I'm not. It's just that when I visit my family and Jesse's family every weekend I typically eat beef at least once, maybe even twice. As a result, I haven't felt inclined to make any of my own beef for just 'lil old me. Tuesday I decided it was time for some beef, in the crockpot. I've never made beef stew before, but with the help of Coyote Country Seasoning Co. it turned out delicious!





1 pack of Coyote Country Seasoning Company's "beefy stew soup"
1 can of mushrooms, drained
handful of baby carrots
1 onion, chopped
1 can baby potatoes, drained
1 pound of steak, cut into cubes
4 c water

Get Cookin'

Place everything in crockpot and cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 4-5. The seasoning package called for 6 cups of water, but I thought it was too much, just so you know. Remember, stews and soups taste better the longer they cook, so try to opt for cooking it on the low setting.

Caramel Pumpkin Cupcakes

I had a can of pumpkin I used for about two days to make pumpkin oatmeal. I lost interest because I didn't like washing a pot every morning at 7am. I've gone back to microwavable oatmeal. But, I still had a lot of pumpkin to use. My roommates and I found this recipe in the Hungry Girl cookbook. It's better than pumpkin pie. Seriously. The pumpkin makes them so moist, and the caramel topping is amazing.

The original recipe only made 12 cupcakes and used only 1/2 a box of cake mix. Who wants to save 1/2 a box of yellow cake mix? Not me. So, I doubled the recipe, as seen below.

For Cupcakes:
1 box yellow cake mix (most-style)
2 c canned pure pumpkin
2/3 c liquid egg substitue
2/3 c water
4 T maple syrup
4 t cinnamon
4 t granulated sugar
1/4 t salt

For Topping:
6 cubes chewy caramels
4 t vanilla soymilk

Get Cookin'

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all cupcake ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix until well blended (about 2 minutes). Spray muffin tins and evenly spoon the batter into the pans. Cook for about 12 minutes.

Immediately after the cupcakes are finished cooking, place caramels and soymilk in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave at medium power for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir vigorously until completely blended. Microwave again for 30 seconds. Drizzle caramel sauce over cupcakes.

Each cupcake only has 108 calories and 2 grams of fat. :)

Mediterranean Stew

This is a dish that is perfect for the beginning of fall. Now that we've made this, I can consider it fall. It's pretty versatile, throw in whatever veggies you have on hand--except potatoes. I tried that once last year, and they soak up all the extra virgin olive oil. :(

I didn't get to take a picture of the finished stew because Jesse and I were famished when we got home from class today. We had to dig in. Sorry.

3 T EVOO
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
4 c. chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5oz.)
1 can tomato sauce (I used low sodium)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut up into cubes
handful of baby carrots
2 celery stocks, chopped
1 T Italian seasoning
3/4 c. frozen mixed veggies

Get Cookin'

Throw in all ingredients except frozen veggies into crockpot. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 4-6. Add the frozen veggies about an hour (or half hour) before eating.

HINT: Soups and stews taste best the longer they cook, so try to opt for cooking the stew on the low setting.

Sweet Potato Chili **vegan**

My best friend from elementary school is a vegan. I think that's why this recipe caught my eye. (Hi, Stephanie!) I also was trying to use up all the kidney beans I have (thanks to a sale at Fry's).

This was delicious, and different from your typical bowl of chili. I dare you--try it!
Thanks to my favorite crockpot lady for this recipe base. I changed the spices, but the rest is the same. Next time I'd cut the sweet potatoes into smaller chunks-they looked like carrots.


2 sweet potatoes, peeled and in 2-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes--I used a can with chilis in it as well
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice

Get Cookin'

Place all ingredients in 4 quart crockpot. Cook on low for at least 5 hours (I had classes all day and a lecture at night, I think mine cooked for about 9 hours)!

Santa Fe Foldover

The night I made this Jesse told me I really like to make Mexican food because I make it a lot. So, here's the most recent Mexican recipe that goes out to you, babe! I think I know the reason I make a lot of Mexican food: beans! They're inexpensive, healthy and are packed with protein.

I modified a recipe from eatbetteramerica.com. The original said it could feed 3 people. I don't think so. Jesse and I ate the whole thing and were not stuffed. I'd double the recipe next time.

1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart mix
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 cup very hot water
1 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed
1/3 cup salsa
Handful of shredded cheese
Handful of shredded lettuce
Handful of chopped tomato
A spoonful fat-free sour cream

Get Cookin'

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Stir Bisquick, cornmeal and hot water until soft dough forms. Knead until mixed. Roll dough onto cookie sheet, forming a circle like a pizza crust.

In another bowl mix beans and salsa and spread over the dough within an inch of the edge, again, like putting sauce on a pizza--leave a crust.

Fold edges over. Sprinkle cheese over beans.

Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with remaining ingredients.

Teddy Bear Cake

There's a hilarious old lady who lives across the street from Jesse's house. We love her.
Her birthday is tomorrow and Jesse's mom asked me to make a cake for her with two specific directions: make it low sugar (she's diabetic) and have some sort of teddy bear theme.

Piece of cake, right?!

I thought so! Here's my low sugar, diabetic friendly, teddy bear cake.

Pasta Sauce from scratch

I haven't gotten to cook very much lately becasue school is taking over! I've been living off canned beans and sandwiches. Blah!

I was planning on making this last week, but I slept in the day I was going to, and that's kind of how the whole week turned out. Good news: I got to make this yesterday! Yay!And, I loved knowing exactly what was in my pasta sauce.

I got the idea from my favorite blog, thanks!



Ingredients:

--handful of sundried tomatos, chopped
--1/2 onion, chopped
--2T garlic
--2T capers, drained
--1T basil (or Italian seasoning)
--1/2 cup frozen peas

Start Cookin':

Put everything except peas in the crockpot and cook on low for about 4 or 5 hours. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, add the peas and cook the pasta.

Serve over pasta.
I used the leftovers on top of a veggie burger for my lunch the next day. It was great on that as well.

Tortilla Pizza

My boyfriend's family 'invented' these. I love them, along with everybody else that tries them. After they're done cooking, you can't even recognize the crust as a tortilla. It turns into a great Chicago style thin-crust pizza.


Ingredients:

Large flour tortillas (one per pizza)
1 jar pizza sauce
2 c. shredded cheese
butter (completely melted)
Italian seasoning

Garlic seasoning (we have Garlic Gharni, we bought it at an art fair, it's amazing) Buy it here: Garlic Festival
Pizza toppings (peperoni, olives, ham and pineapple...)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread some melted butter on the outside of the tortilla, about an inch wide.
Spread sauce, cheese and toppings on pizzas.

Sprinkle Italian and garlic seasonings on top.

Place straight in oven until the cheese bubbles and the tortilla has morphed into Chicago-style, thin-crust pizza.

Bon Bons

My mum always used to joke about watching soap operas and eating bon bons while I was at school. I never knew what a bon bon was--until now. Now I know why this used to be her fantasy. Yum.


1 1/2 c. rice krispies
1 1/4 c. peanut butter (smooth)
1 c. graham cracker crumbs (process them in a blender/ food processor or buy the pre-smashed kind; they need to be very fine)
1/2 c. powdered sugar
dark chocolate to melt and dip bon bons in

Get Cookin'

Mix cereal, peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar together. Refrigerate as long as possible (min. one hour).

Shape mixture into small, round balls. I used a round tablespoon to do this. Tip: spray with cooking oil before so they don't stick.


Melt the chocolate in a double broiler and dip each ball. Place on wax and refrigerate for another hour.

Bruschetta Grilled Cheese

It's pretty basic today. But, you can't beat it.

2 slices of bread
Cheddar cheese slices
tomato slices
sliced, fresh basil
balsamic vinaigrette

Make sandwich then grill on George Forman.

Chicken Salad Panini

I love chicken salad. I love panini sandwiches. This is the best of both worlds.

2 1/2 c chopped, cooked chicken breasts
1/4 c light mayo
2 T bacon bits
1 green onion
1 T ranch dressing
8 slices of bread
1 tomato, sliced
4 cheddar cheese slices

Mix first 5 ingredients and spread onto 4 bread slices. Top with tomatoes, cheese and other bread slices.

Use good old George Forman to grill the sandwich until golden.

Italino Spread

I love elegant appetizers. This is a bonus--it's really easy, too! You can do this on the grill or in the oven. I made mine on the grill. Thanks, Kraft Foods for the recipe!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 c pesto
1 plum tomato, chopped
1/4 c shreadded italian five cheese blend
Crackers to spread cheese on (I used Triscuits)
Heat grill (or oven).

Place unwrapped cream cheese on a square of foil; top with pesto, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Place foil on grill (or oven to 375) for about 8 minutes (oven about 12 minutes). The shredded cheese should be melted, but the cream cheese shouldn't loose it's shape.

Berry Good Salad

I eat salad for lunch everyday. Each week I try to find new ways to make my salads more interesting. Here's last week's salad.

Manderin oranges
Fresh raspverries
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Sliced almonds

Put over salad greens and drizzle over vinaigrette dressing.

Creamy Potato Salad

I love potato salad, but hate the extra calories most of them have. Here's a healthier version, thanks to Kraft foods.

1 lb. red potatoes (about 4), cut into chunks
1/4 c Zesty Italian Dressing
1/3 c light mayo
1 1/2 t dijon mustard
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
4 green onions, sliced

Cook potatoes in saucepan of boiling water for about 15 minutes or just until tender; drain. Rinse with cold water and allow them to cool.

Mix the dressings and mustard in large bowl. Add potatoes, eggs and onions, mix lightly.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Berries with Maple Cream

I made this for a Mother's Day brunch I made last year. Everybody loved it. Next time, I would double the recipe because everybody wanted seconds. This is an elegant, easy side dish for a nice breakfast or brunch. Thanks, Rachael Ray!

1 c heavy cream
2 T pure maple syrup
3 c assorted berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries)
grated peel of 1 lemon

In large bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add maple syrup and beat until the cream hold still peaks. Set aside.

In another bowl, toss the berries with the peel. Divide among bowls and top with the maple cream.

Blueberry Bars

I love organic blueberry oat bars from Starbucks. This is the closest recipe I've found. It was gone in two days.

crust:
1 c flour
1/2 c old-fashioned oats
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into cubes

filling:
1 1/2 c fresh blueberries (or 6 oz. unthawed frozen berries)
1/2 c blackberry preserves
1/2 T flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8 inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. I just sprayed the pan the first time I made these, and it was messy. Use the foil.

Pulse the flour, oats, sugar, salt and cinnamon together in food processor bowl. Add butter and pulse until you get a coarse meal. Transfer 1 cup to a medium bowl. This will be the topping.

Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of the pan. Bake until golden until it is just firm to the touch. It should take about 12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Mix filling ingredients in medium bowl. Spread evenly over crust in pan, then sprinkle saved topping over.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling bubbles and the top is golden.

Banana Breakfast Bars

I can make this for breakfast and it lasts for the whole week. I like this because it doesn't have butter, like most recipes do. It also doesn't have any added sugar, which is another plus. This does make a lot--maybe even cut the recipe in half. But, it freezes well.

1/2 c applesauce
3/4 c honey
1 egg
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
2 mashed bananas
4c Quaker oats
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c almonds
1/2 c sunflower seeds

Mix applesauce and honey; add everything else. Spray the pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Caprese Salad

Another salad idea. I love caprese, so why not turn it into an entire lunch? Think about all the nutrients here--anti-oxidants and calcium.

Put mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano over mixed greens. Drizzle balsamic and EVOO on top.

Plantation Chicken Salad

There was a great coffee shop by my summer internship that I loved to go to on my lunch break. I ate this salad all summer and I've tried to recreate it. No measurements here, just a good mixture of foods for a salad.

Fire roasted chicken
Mandarin oranged
Candied pecans
Ground black pepper

Put ingredients on a bed of baby spinich and mix.

Hummus

I love hummus. It's great to dip fresh veggies in, especially celery. I usually buy the ready made hummus, but found this recipe in the Arizona Republic.

15 oz. can cannelloni beans, drain&rinsed
1 1/2 T lemon uice
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 large garlic clove
3/4 t cumin
1/4 plain yogurt

Put everything in the food processor and puree. Eat. Yum.

Baked Snowball Granola Apples

I made these with my dad when my mum was on vacation. We loved them, and enjoyed them almost every night while mum was gone. She missed out.

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, if anyone knows, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

4 large Macintosh apples
1 cup granola
1/2 cup maple syrup
Flavored or plain yogurt for topping

Core each apple and fill with granola then drizzle maple syrup on top. Place in slow cooker and add one inch of water to the bottom of the pan.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours. After removing, top apples with yogurt so the apple resembles a snowball.

Hot and Sour Soup

Another winning recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking. This really wasn't filling enough for a meal, but maybe adding some fried rice on the side or some other delicious Asian dish. The original recipe used water and chicken broth, but I think it needed a bit more flavor.

1 cup cubed firm tofu
4 cups chicken broth
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 can bamboo shoots
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2T soy sauce
1t sesame oil
2T rice wine vinegar
1/2t red pepper flakes
green onion for garnish

Add everything except the green onion. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high 4-5 hours.
When finished, add green onion on top.

Honey Lentils

Another recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking! I love lentils. They're filling, good for you, and cheap! They also are very delicious in the crockpot. yummm. I didn't use the garbanzo beans or the ginger because I didn't have any, and I figured the lentils had enough protein for me.

1 1/2 cup lentils
3 cup water
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 T soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 dried bay leaf

Rinse of the lentils and put them in the crockpot with water, onion, carrots and the garbanzo beans. Add everything else too.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-5. I always like cooking things on low, if I have the option because it allows the flavors to amalgamate better.

Serve honey lentils by themselves, or over rice.

Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken

This was my first crock pot meal, thanks to A Year of Slow Cooking!I love Stephanie's recipes! Anyway--here it is:

Ingredients:

Enough chicken for 4 (it can still be frozen)
20 oz. can of pineapple chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Plop the chicken into the crockpot. Drain pineapple, add the chunks, soy sauce and red pepper flakes.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or fresh spinach.

Chick Pea and tomato Curry

This is a great meatless curry that doesn't require a lot of funky ingredients. Most Indian food recipes require so many ingredients and spices, I skip them. I don't have room in my tiny apartment for a ton of spices! The Betty Crocker website has a variety of recipes, including dinner recipes--that's where I found this one! Who knew Betty Crocker could make Indian food!?

Warning: this took longer than expected. But, I think it could easily be converted to cook in the crockpot. YAY!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped gingerroot
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 cans (15 oz. each) chick peas
2 cans (15 oz. each) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 chop finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Hot cooked rice, (to put the curry on top of)
Plain yogert, (just a dollop for each serving on top of the curry)

1. In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, gingerroot and curry powder in oil for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in chick peas and tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and salt.

3. Serve over rice; top each serving with yogert.

Chicken Chickpea Curry Bowls

I love everything Rachael Ray and I love Indian food. What a great combination! I used brown rice instead of white and omitted the ground chicken she suggested. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Enjoy!


Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoons EVOO
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup plain yogurt
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 14.5-ounce can chick peas
A handful cilantro, chopped

Get Cookin'

Cook the rice according to package directions.
Once the rice has started to cook (mine takes about 45 minutes), start cooking the onion in a skillet with some EVOO.
Sprinkle with the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and simmer gently for 3 minutes, adding a splash of water if it needs to loosen up a little. Stir in some salt, pepper, the tomatoes and chickpeas then remove from heat.
Divide the rice and chicken mixture among individual bowls and garnish with the cilantro.

Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

Crockpot Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

This was delicious! I actually modified it to cook in the crock pot all day from a Rachael Ray recipe that used the stove top. I also changed the spices to give it a real kick. Plus, the carrot gives us a little vegetable. At least it's something! Jesse and I loved this!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper (this gives is a MAJOR kick, just use 2 Tbsp of chili powder if you don't like spicy foods) :)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 cups beef stock (it will cook down in the crock all day)
• Half a box of elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar (the sharper the better!)
• 1 shredded carrot

Yields: 4 servings

Add spices, ketchup, mustard, beef stock, carrot and beef in crockpot. You can put raw meat in the crockpot; it is safe! This saves a lot of time, too.

About 20 minutes before you'd like to eat, boil water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente and then toss in crockpot to mix with everything else for a little bit. Mix the cheese in too.