Easy And Tasty Penne Pasta and Cannellini Bean Slow Cooker Soup Recipe

For busy moms, using a slow cooker is very convenient. Using a slow cooker, such as the West Bend Slow Cooker, saves you time for many other tasks you have to do. What is even better, you can even use your slow cooker to prepare meals or dishes when you are entertaining and once again it leaves you free for the other cooking you need to do.

To give you and idea of all the lovely dishes you can make with your slow cooker, here is a Penne Pasta and Cannellini Bean Slow Cooker Soup Recipe:

What You Need:

• 2 (19 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained
• 1 (1 lb) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 t basil
• 1/4 t garlic
• 1/4 t oregano
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 (12 oz) bottle vegetable juice cocktail
• 1 C water
• 1/2 C uncooked penne pasta

How to Make It:

1. Place the beans, mixed vegetables and tomatoes into the crock pot.
2. Sprinkle in the basil, garlic, oregano and salt.
3. Pour the vegetable juice cocktail and water into the mixture and stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook on the low setting for 7 1/2 hours.
5. Stir in the uncooked pasta and increase the heat to high.
6. Recover and cook an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Serving Size: 6

1/2 C of the pasta may look a little skimpy but in all reality by the time it has cooked in the crock pot you will have just the right amount for your soup. If you purchase diced tomatoes with the garlic, basil and oregano added you won't need to add those spices to your soup.

As this  Penne Pasta and Cannellini Bean Slow Cooker Soup Recipe makes a very filling starter, it can be followed by a very light main course such as a chicken salad and crispy rolls.

A Little Bit Of Everything Slow Cooker Soup Recipe

What can be more welcoming on a cold winter's day than coming home to a tasty homemade soup and freshly baked homemade bread? Well it is easy to do if you have a West Bend Slow Cooker and a Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker.

The slow cooker can be set to cook your delicious little bit of everything slow cooker soup and the breadmaker has a delay timer which allow you to set it so that the bread will be ready when you get home.

To give you an idea of how easy slow cooker soups are to make, here is a recipe of A Little Bit Of Everything Slow Cooker Soup recipe:

What You Need:

• 1 T canola oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (19 oz) can minestrone soup
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained well
• 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (4 oz) can green chilies, chopped
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t onion powder

How to Make It:

1. Place the oil in your West Bend Slow Cooker's pot over medium heat.
2. Break up the ground beef into the pot and add the onions.
3. Cook 12 minutes or until the meat is completely browned.
4. Drain well and pat the excess grease off with a paper towel.
5. Pour in the minestrone soup, pinto beans, tomatoes, corn and the chilies.
6. Sprinkle in the salt, garlic and onion powder.
7. Stir from the bottom up to incorporate all the ingredients together.
8. Cover and cook on the low heat setting 6 hours.

Serving Size: 8

This great soup is made up of things everyone has in their pantry and refrigerator. Try adding a few of your own ideas such as canned green beans, peas or carrots to see if you can come up with you very own "a little bit of everything soup recipe."

This is the ideal soup for the busy mom who will be playing taxi driver all day. You can set your West Bend Slow Cooker, set your Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker and do what you have to do and come home to your fully cooked meal.

Bean And Sausage Bake In Your Dutch Oven

If you have a Dutch oven, such as the All Clad Dutch Oven 5.5, you will love all the one pot meals you can make with them. What is even better, you do not have to watch the pot as much as when you are cooking on the stove. So, you can do other things while dinner is taking care of itself.

This Bean And Sausage Bake only takes a little more than half and hour to make and it is surprisingly tasty. So, here is your recipe:

Bean And Sausage Bake In Your Dutch Oven

What You Need:

• 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (14 oz.) cans of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 t dried thyme
• 1 t celery seeds
• 1/2 t of salt
• 1/4 t of pepper
• 6 (1 ½ lbs.) sausage links
• 1 zucchini, sliced thin
• 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, drained

How to Make It:

1. Set the oven temperature to 450 degrees allowing the oven to preheat.
2. Spray the lid, sides and bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven with a non stick cooking spray.
3. Scatter the onions over the bottom of the pan.
4. Scatter the garlic over the onions.
5. Place the beans into the pan and spread them out into a smooth layer.
6. Sprinkle the beans with the thyme, celery seeds, salt and pepper
7. Lay the sausage links in a single layer over the beans.
8. Add the zucchini and tomatoes.
9. Cover the pan and bake 35 minutes or until the beans are tender the sausage is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

Any type of pork sausage links works well in this dish but if you want to make it a low fat dish use turkey sausage instead. 5 or 6 fresh tomatoes, chopped may be used in place of the canned tomatoes if you prefer.

I personally serve this dish with rice and a mixed salad. Of course, fresh home baked bread will also be very tasty, so if you have a breadmaker, such as a Cuisinart Cbk 100 Programmable Breadmaker, you can serve it with fresh crusty bread and it will be a real treat. So, try this Beans and Sausage Bake and see how tasty it is.

Delicate Crumpets Recipe

For a lazy weekend breakfast these delicate crumpets are always a hit. If you have an electric stand mixer, such as one of the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers, making these will be a breeze.

Delicate Crumpets Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons dry corn meal (not corn flour) you will find these in stores with Mexican supplies) in South Africa: mealie meal
• 2/3 cup of yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Break the egg into the milk and beat the mixture until it is light and frothy
2. Gradually add the dry ingredients whilst beating all the time
3. Add the oil and beat until well mixed
4. Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a hot griddle and when it is brown on the one side turn and brown on the other side.

These crumpets are a little different from the normal and really worth the trouble if you can get hold of all the ingredients. Try this delicate crumpets recipe and see how your family loves it.

Pumpkin Cake Custard

You do not have to think about tasty pumpkin dishes for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkin is tasty all year long, so if you have an electric stand mixer, such as one of the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers, try this recipe as this mixer makes it very easy.

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 C cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 TBSP cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. salt, divided
• 1/2 C dark brown sugar, packed firm
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 1/2 C + 2 TBSP grape seed oil
• 1 3/4 C pumpkin puree, divided
• 2 lg. eggs + 8 lg. egg yolks
• 1 1/4 C whole milk
• 1/2 C maple syrup

How to Make It:

1. Place the oven temperature on 350 degrees and allow the oven to heat while preparing the cake.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Place the flour into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the baking soda and baking powder and toss to combine.
5. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. salt.
6. Toss to make sure all the dry ingredients are combined together well.
7. Place the both sugars together in a separate bowl.
8. Add the oil and 1 C of the pumpkin puree to the sugar.
9. Beat with an electric mixer such as one of the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers, on medium speed 2 minutes.
10. Continue beating on low speed while adding the flour mixture.
11. Continue beating until the flour mixture is completely moistened.
12. Add one whole egg and beat well to combine.
13. Add the second egg and continue beating until thoroughly combined.
14. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
15. Bake 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
16. Remove and cool completely.
17. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
18. Whisk together the remaining 3/4C puree and the milk in a large mixing bowl.
19. Add the remaining salt, maple syrup and egg yolks to the mixture.
20. Continue to whisk the ingredients together until all the ingredients are incorporated together.
21. Break the cooled cake into small pieces and place the pieces into 8 oven safe custard cups.
22. Pour the custard mixture over the top of the cake pieces.
23. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the cake has completely absorbed the liquid.
24. Place the custard cups in a large baking pan.
25. Fill the baking pan with very hot water to where it reaches half way up the custard cups.
26. Cover the pan with foil making sure the foil fits tightly over the pan.
27. Bake 32 minutes or until set.

8 Servings

These custard cups remind you of old fashion bread pudding with a pumpkin twist. Fix them instead of the tradition bread pudding as a dessert with your Thanksgiving feast.

You will really surprise your family and friends with this exciting recipe. You can even experiment and use other fruit purees and see how that comes out. Apple sauce comes to mind.

Cool off with These Summertime Goodies When It’s Hot

Cool off with These Summertime Goodies When It’s Hot

During summer you can get some of the best fruit and veggies of the year. I love all the summer fruit and veggies such as plums, peaches, nectarines, grapes, summer squash, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, carrots, corn and so on. Raw fuir and veggies makes the ideal summer snack or dessert.

It is easy to grab a handful of grapes or strawberries as a snack on a hot summer’s day, or chop up some crisp, raw vegetables to enjoy with a creamy dip. There so many cool, summer recipes using your favorite fruits and veggies and so I thought I’d share some here.

Berry Fool: 

Easy to make but oh so yummy to eat. Your guests will be wowed with this delicious, summery dessert and your family will love it too.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups strawberries or 3 cups blackberries, blueberries or raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Gently rinse berries.
2. Hull strawberries if using.
3. Set aside a few berries for garnish, if you like.
4. In a medium bowl gently toss berries with sugar and lemon juice.
5. Let sit for 20 min.
6. Put berry mixture in a suitable container and blend with a hand blender, such as a KitchenAid KHB300 Hand Blender, until smooth or simply use a large fork to mash them a bit.
7. Set aside.
8. In a large bowl beat cream until soft peaks form.
9. Gently fold berry mixture into cream until evenly distributed.
10. Spoon into serving dishes, top with reserved berries for garnish, if you like, and serve immediately or keep chilled up to 1 hour.

So cool, fruity and delicious; a perfect treat all summer long.
Here’s a summertime treat perfect for kids:

Jell-O Ice Cream

What you need:

• 3-ounce package of your favorite flavor Jell-O
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups of your favorite flavor of ice cream or sherbet

What to do:

1. Completely dissolve Jell-O in boiling water.
2. Stir for 2 minutes. Add ice cream or sherbet by the spoonful, stirring until melted. Pour into individual dessert glasses or serving bowl.
3. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.
4. Garnish as desired with colorful berries.

Another flavor combination that makes a scrumptious summer treat sure to please any child or hubby is Vanilla Ice Cream and Orange flavored gelatin. This would be like an Orange Julius or Dreamsicle.

Come up with your own flavor combinations - let your taste buds be your guide.

Berry Fruity Shake, a summertime treat everyone will love to cool off with and is oh so easy to make.

What you need:

• 4 1/2 cups ice cubes
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 cups of your favorite berries, like blue, black and raspberry
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to do:

1. Fill the blender, such as one of the KitchenAid 5 Speed Blenders with Polycarbonate Jars, 3/4 full of ice cubes.
2. Pour in the milk, sugar, berries and vanilla. Blend until smooth.

When thinking of cool, summertime treats use your imagination and help your family stay cool, using all the wonderful and tasty summer fruit and veggies. Fruit is tasty and healthy and it is nature’s own goodness!

Exceptional Ruben Sandwich On The Grill Recipe

Making this tasty Ruben sandwich on the grill results in a very tasty sandwich. This is not your everyday Ruben sandwich recipe, the combination of ingredients will have your family guests come back for more, so make enough!

For the chopping it will be a good idea to use a food processor, such as one of the KitchenAid 700-Watt 12-Cup Food Processors.

Not Your Everyday Ruben Recipe

What You Need:

• 1/4 C ketchup
• 1/4 C mayonnaise
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 3 C cabbage, shredded
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1/4 C mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• Corned beef (1 1/2 lb) sliced thin
• 12 slices rye bread
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 6 slices Swiss cheese

How to Make It:

1. Place the ketchup, 1/4 C mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl and whisk being sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add the celery seed, paprika and cayenne, stir until mixed well and set aside.
3. Place the cabbage and onion in a large bowl and toss.
4. In a separate bowl whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt together.
5. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and onions and stir well.
6. Heat the grill to medium high.
7. Place the slices of corned beef on the grill and cook 30 seconds or just long enough to heat them through.
8. Butter one side of each piece of rye bread.
9. Spread the dressing mixture on the other side of each slice of bread.
10. Place a slice of cheese on 6 pieces of the bread on the dressing side.
11. Place all the bread slices on the grill butter side down and toast about 45 seconds or until lightly brown and the cheese is just beginning to melt.
12. Place the corn beef slices on top of the cheese.
13. Add the cabbage mixture and top with the other slice of bread.

This is not your typical Ruben sandwich. The combination of these ingredients together will keep them coming back for more.