Crockpot of Brats

Cooking brats in the slow cooker makes for a hearty fall meal. Add some bread and a salad and you have a full dinner. Not everyone in our family likes sauerkraut, so I do not add it to the slow cooker, but heat some up before the brats are done to add to individual plates.

Crockpot of Brats
6 servings

Ingredients:
5 brats
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained
1/3 cup diced onion
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown bratwurst on all sides and slice into 1-inch pieces.
2. In a 5-quart crockpot, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in the brats.
3. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on HIGH or until the potatoes are tender.

Sausage Bites

With the holidays fast approaching, it is always helpful to have a few quick and easy appetizer recipes to pull out for get togethers and parties. Sausage Bites can be put together easily; however make sure to cook or microwave the sausage ahead of rolling them up. I forgot this important part the first time I made them and could not figure out why the sausage was still pink inside. DUH!!

Sausage Bites
Approximately 40 appetizers

Ingredients:
1 tube (7 1/2 ozs.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3-4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pkg. (8 ozs.) brown and serve sausage links

Directions:
1. Roll out each biscuit into a small circle and brush with butter.
2. Combine the Parmesan cheese and oregano and sprinkle over butter.
3. Cook the sausage links according to the package directions.
4. Place a sausage link in the center of each and roll up.
5. Cut each width-wise into four pieces.
6. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza

I love this pizza, the flavors are great together and it is a unique take on the normal pizza recipe. It may seem a little weird to add pine nuts, but they really do add to the overall flavor. I have been making it for years and have tweaked the original recipe a few times.

Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza
6-8 servings
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared garlic
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
16 oz. Italian pizza shell
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Directions:
1. Brown chicken and cut into small pieces.
2. Combine the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar with olive oil and red and black pepper.
3. Add chicken to the mixture and marinade for 30 minutes at room temperature.
4. Drain and reserve marinade.
5. Heat the marinade and add cornstarch, heating until the mixture is thick and bubbly.
6. Spread the marinade and chicken over the pizza shell.
7. Add the pine nuts and cheeses.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

Blueberry Jello Salad

Blueberry Jello Salad is a very easy fruit salad that works well with any meal and is a nice addition to take to holiday gatherings.

6-8 servings
Ingredients:
2 packages (3 ounces each) black cherry or black raspberry jello
3 cups boiling water
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice
1 can (15 ounces) blueberries, drained

Directions:
1. Dissolve jello in boiling water.
2. Drain pineapple, set aside and stir in reserved pineapple juice to the jello mixture.
3. Chill until slightly set (about the consistency of an unbeaten egg white).
4. Stir in pineapple and blueberries
5. Continue chilling until set.

Simple Bread Pudding

If you like bread pudding and want a simple recipe that will only take minutes to prepare, then this is the recipe for you. I am not a fan of raisins in my bread pudding, but they could easily be added. Caramel topping or vanilla flavored whipped topping goes very well with this bread pudding.

6-8 servings
Ingredients:
6 slices day-old bread ( I like to use a brown sugar cinnamon bread)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Break bread into small pieces  and place in a lightly greased 8-inch baking pan.
2. Drizzle melted butter over the bread.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, beat until well mixed.
4. Pour over bread and lightly push down  with a fork until the bread is covered.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes  or until the top lightly springs back with tapped.

Where Has The Family Dinner Gone?

Why have families gotten away from eating dinner together these days? The reasons are plentiful: lots of after school activities, both parents working longer hours and having longer commutes, kids would rather eat in front of the computer/game console/TV, no one having the time to actually prepare the meal and the list could go on and on.
When I was a kid, we ate together at least 5 or 6 nights a week and those dinners normally took place at home. Most families I knew did the same thing. If we went out to eat, we would still go out together. Many times these days, I will see families eating at a restaurant and each member of the family is on a different "device" whether it be a handheld gaming system or cell phone, checking the internet or texting. It seems sad that as a culture we have gotten away from the family meal and just the face to face time that it brings.

A lot of research has been done on this very topic and the results are fairly unanimous: eating together as a family, particularly in the home environment on a regular basis, brings many benefits- in the realm of healthier eating choices, better parent/child relationships, and emotional well-being.
Here are a few articles that examine this topic:

http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/24/why-families-who-eat-together-are-healthier/

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=439

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/its-not-just-baby-fat/201111/the-family-eats-together-stays-healthy-together

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423184157.htm

http://dinnertrade.com/568/interesting-statistics-on-family-dinners

So, what can be done to help make family dinners happen more often? With the fast-paced lives most people maintain these days, it can be quite difficult. Prioritizing activities, limiting gaming/screen time and  planning meals ahead with easy yet nutritious recipes can go a long way to achieving this goal.

Italian Beef Hoagies

Italian Beef Hoagies are an easy crockpot recipe that are fabulous as a fall dinner idea and wonderful reheated as leftovers. Add a salad and a simple meal is complete.I highly recommend using a sirloin tip roast as some other cuts of beef may be too fatty.

14-16 servings
Ingredients:
1 boneless sirloin tip roast (about 3-4 pounds)
2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix
2 cups of water
Sub or hoagie buns

Directions:
1. Cut roast in half and place in a 5-quart crockpot.
2. Combine the salad dressing mix and water and pour over the roast.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.
4. Spoon onto buns.