Hot Mulled Cider

By Carol Carlson

1 gallon of apple cider.
2 - 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 - 1 teaspoon allspice
pinch of nutmeg
1 orange sliced thinly

* Please note that some people add some brown sugar or use cinnamon sticks and whole cloves but then you have to strain the cider or pick them out.
Heat on stove just to a simmer and then put in a crock pot on low. Float the orange slices on top. Simple but delicious and incredibly fragrant. Your house will smell wonderful.

Crock Pot Crazy - Lasagna

I came across the blog A Year of Crockpotting through another blog that I love, PastaQueen. I think that discovery alone may have turned me into a crockpot monster. I never knew that you could cook so many things with a crockpot! I decided to try lasagna since I enjoy eating lasagna but never feel like putting in the effort to make it. Stephanie's original recipe is here.

I used:

~1 pound extra lean turkey, cooked with poultry seasoning
~lasagna noodles
~1 can tomato garlic sauce
~ricotta cheese
~Italian cheese

Since my husband hasn't quite expanded his horizons with vegetables, I made a salad to serve with it, but didn't put any vegetables in.

I started by cooking the turkey in a skillet with poultry seasoning, then simmered it with the sauce for a few minutes. Next, I layered the turkey/sauce mixture, followed by a layer of dry noodles, then the ricotta cheese and Italian cheese, then the sauce, etc. until the crockpot was full. Then I poured water into the empty sauce can, shook it, and poured that mixture over top of the entire lasagna. I cooked it on high for 4 hours. Just before it was done, I put garlic bread in the oven and made the salad. The lasagna came out very well--it was very tender and flavorful. My husband's one comment was that it needed more sauce, so I might put in another half-can next time. I think this would taste good with vodka sauce as well.

I'm looking forward to trying more of Stephanie's recipes!

Chicken and Spinach Risotto

This recipe comes from our former colleague at TPL, Katie Salley. I am looking forward to trying it!

In a large skillet, brown 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces.
Add 1 T. Olive oil.

When this is browned, add all at one time:
1 can chicken broth
1 ½ cups Minute rice, or Minute brown rice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 cups baby spinach

Cover with a lid, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so rice doesn't stick. After the ten minutes is over, remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup
parmesan cheese. Serve.

Katie says if you don't have parmesan cheese, you can substitute mozzarella. You can also add additional vegetables. Be sure to read the back of the spinach bag--you probably will not need an entire bag, meaning you can make it again!

Caramel Apple in Peanuts and Chocolate

6 small apples - Granny Smith or Macintosh make the best
1 package caramels (14 oz.)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
6 popsicle sticks
1 cup melted chocolate


Line a small bowl with waxed paper and fill with chopped peanuts. Wash and dry the apples. Twist off the stems and push popsicle sticks half way onto the apples where the stems used to be. Melt the caramels in the microwave or a saucepan over low heat according to the package directions. Dip apples in the melted caramel to coat. It helps to use a spatula. Use a knife to help cover the whole apple. Place each apple, stick side up into the bowl and roll over bottom to cover that half. Melt chocolate in the microwave in 10 second increments, stirring between until thoroughly melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the caramel apples. Refrigerate until the caramel is firm, about 1/2 hour.

An easy way to eat the apple is by cutting in small slices. First put the apple on a plate. Take a sharp knife and cut, starting at the top, parallel to the core and slice on all four sides. Then, make another cut with the knife tip pointing in at the center or stick, cutting each side in half.

Spaghetti Pie

There are many versions of this. Some have ground beef and some use cream cheese and sour cream mixed together. I prefer ricotta or cottage cheese. Anyway, I hadn't made it in years and I threw this together without a recipe and it was delicious. You can adapt it to your own preferences easily. I made two pies - great on the reheat.

3/4 of a box of whole wheat angel hair -cooked according to directions
2 eggs, beaten
about a half cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups or so of ricotta cheese (I use part skim for both this and mozzarella)
about 1 1/2 cups of fresh spinach sauteed in a little olive oil
fresh or dried oregano
1 jar of your favorite sauce or homemade sauce
mozzarella cheese, grated - 2 to 2 1/2 cups

Preheat oven to 350. Take the cooked pasta and mix with the Parmesan and beaten eggs. Put into pie plates and form a crust like base. I use ceramic pie plates which I brush with a little olive oil. Make sure to use large pie plates. Take the sauteed spinach and mix with the ricotta. Put this mixture into the middle of the pies and spread as best you can without disturbing the crust. Spread the sauce on top and sprinkle with oregano. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Put the mozzarella on top and cook for 5 more minutes. Enjoy.

Ricotta Bruschetta

I sort of made this up to use up the last of the basil from my garden. Boy, was it good. So I'm going to make it again using store bought pesto instead of the basil leaves.

1 good loaf of crusty bread (unsliced) and then sliced lengthwise into 2 pieces (like a large sandwich)
olive oil
fresh or jarred minced garlic
ricotta cheese (part skim) - about 1 cup
basil leaves -about a cup
2 or 3 tomatoes
grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 as you put the bruschetta together. After slicing the bread lengthwise, put the pieces face up on a cookie sheet. Put some olive oil in a bowl and add the minced garlic. Brush the bread with the garlic and oil. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese. Put the basil leaves all over the bread or use pesto. Thinly slice the tomatoes and lay on top of the basil. Add the grated cheese and pop in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Add a salad and this is a whole meal.