Time to make a list...

I love knit picks :)

Check 'em out and make your own wish list!

Day 31

My final day in the 31 Day Challenge was great.  Again, I used someone else's recipe so I won't actually write it out.  I highly recommend checking it out though, it was tasty and totally awesome because it was made in the slow cooker!  It was a meal inspired by the fast food joint Panda Express.  I served my chicken over brown rice with a couple of pot stickers on the side.  Chinese "Take-In"!

Orange Chicken

Recipe and directions here

Well, I'm finished.  I'm kind of going through withdrawls.  I spent the last 31 days really thinking about what I was putting in front of my family.  It was fun and challenging.  Was it tough?  Yeah, but I'd totally do it again.  Maybe you'll join me next year?

Day 30

I made the most amazing cookies tonight.  I found them on another blog, so rather than copying the recipe (copyrights and all), I will just give you the link.  I promise you, they are extremely easy and delicious!

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

Recipe here

Day 29

We love crescent roll hot dogs in our house.  It is a great go-to dinner on busy week nights.  In honor of Halloween, I ''dressed'' them up a bit...

Mummy Dogs

Ingredients...

Crescent rolls
Hot Dogs

Directions...

Press out crescent rolls in rectangles (two triangles together) being careful to press out the seams as much as possible.
Using a pizza roller, cut strips out of the dough.
Wrap the hot dogs with the strips of dough.
Bake according to package directions on crescent roll containers.

Day 28

Today's dish was both a success and a failure.  The failure was that the dish was supposed to look like this:

recipe and picture here

 instead it looked like this:

So instead of getting stuffed baked apples, I got applesauce.  Good thing it tasted amazing!  Another bonus, it made the house smell very fall-ish.  Like I had been baking all day :)

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Ingredients...

6 small McIntosh apples
1/4 cup backed brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons raisins (I used golden raisins and currents)
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water

Directions...

Core apples, leaving bottom intact, with a paring knife.
Place apples in a single layer in slow cooker
Stir together all the other ingredients, minus water and orange juice and spoon into cored apples.
Pour orange juice and water over apples
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. 
If your apples completely fall apart, like mine did, stir well and pull out the whole skins (or just mash them up too if you like the texture).
Enjoy!

Day 27

Tonight's dinner was superb. I mean really, melted cheese? On bread? and Sausage?  If you've ever thought fondue was too fancy or hard to make, let me allay your fears.  It is easy.  And it is delicious (even if it is fancy...)!  This would be a great appetizer, but we always make it into a meal.

you can find the original recipe here

Swiss Fondue

Ingredients...

1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 pound Emmental cheese, grated
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay works well)
1 garlic clove, cut in half
4 tablespoon Kirsch (cherry brandy)*
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Ground pepper

Directions...

Toss the grated cheeses together with the cornstarch.
Rub the inside of a heavy saucepan with the cut garlic clove.
Add wine and 2 tablespoons Kirsch (* I never add Krisch, only because I never have it.  I just add more wine to the mix) and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cheese mixture by handful, stirring, until mixture is hot and smooth.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons Kirsch (or wine) if mixture is too thick.
Season with nutmeg and pepper, to taste.
Transfer to a fondue pot and serve immediately with dippers of choice.

We love these dippers:  rye bread, sourdough bread, tart green apples, roasted potatoes, roasted broccoli, sausage.

Day 26

Here's another great slow cooker meal.  I didn't cut the chicken before putting it in the slow cooker.  Right before serving, I used the back of a spoon and broke the chicken apart.  This makes enough food to feed a crowd, or for freezing for a later date.

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients...

2 pounds chicken breasts
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
15 ounce can tomato sauce
6 ounce tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions...

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve over pasta.