I love the Fall because the leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler.   I love all the sites and smells of Fall and especially having nights around the firepit out back.   We are thinking about planning a get together around the fire one evening and I was trying to find some fun foods that we could make around the campfire.  I ran across some unique ideas, but my most favorite is making smores!

Another idea I found was to take the core out of an apple, fill the inside with cinnamon and sugar and wrap it up in foil and put it on the fire for 10-15 minutes, it’s supposed to make it like applesauce that you can eat right out of the apple!  I am goin got give it a try.

Leave a comment with some of your favorite “around the campfire” foods!

I am always in search of good crock pot recipes to try. The crock pot is a busy Mom’s friend because I can jsut let it go.  So, I decided to experiment on my won and try and make a vegetable beef soup that the boys would eat and that I could freeze for the the upcoming colder months.  I must say that I impressed myself and the soup turned out really good and the boys loved it!

1 eye of round pot roast about 1-2 lbs cut up in small cubes

2 TBS butter

3 or four stalks of celerey cut up

1 medium onion cut up

1lb of baby carrots cut in half or threes

1/2 lb of fresh green beans washed and cut

1/2 bag of frozen corn

1/2 bag of frozen peas

3-5 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1 25 oz container of Swanson beef stock

3 small one serving cans of V8

1 container of Swanson beef broth-24-32 oz

Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper to taste

I season the meat to my liking, put butter in a good size pan, and brown meat, toss the meat in the crock pot and layer the following ingredients accordingly:  celery, onion, carrots, green beans, corn, peas, and potatoes on top. pour in beef stock, three cans of V8, and then add enough beef broth just to partially cover the potatoes.  Turn your crockpot on high for 6-7 hours or on low for  8-10 hours.  You can freeze and date the soup in small two serving containers or 1 quart containers.  Wahlah, you have a really good soup for cold days and nights!

As a stay at home mom, as you can imagine, I do a lot of cooking and meal preparations. I have recently been getting burned out on all the same things and was looking for a new recipe to try or just something different that the boys haven’t had. So I got out my crock pot which I love. It is one of those things that is so nice to have, especially when you don’t have a whole lot of time to be standing in the kitchen. I love the idea of being able to toss it all in there and just let it go for the day. So here is what I did and I made up the recipe all by myself…so I was quite proud! LOL

It is such a simple idea but it turned out to be really good. I put mine over two pieces of butter bread! You can also serve it over biscuits, sort of like chicken and dumplings. I served it with a fresh salad, and a dessert. You will have to give it a try and let me know what you think! You can also leave me a favorite crock pot recipe if you like too!

I decided to make hamburgers tonight and I had divided ground beef in freezer bags.  I always have to remove my rings to mix up the hamburger when it dawned on me to just thaw and mix it in the bag!  Here’s what I did for my hamburgers tonight…

1lb of ground beef

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Few dashes of worchestershire sauce

splash of soy sauce (my good friend Jack gave me this tip)

Onion powder (as much as you like)

Pepper (as much as you like)

Garlic powder ( as much as you like)

I just grilled mine on my George Foreman grill…but you can grill them or broil them

So I made spaghetti the other night and the boys loved it, but I didn’t exactly love the mess! They are both busy trying to master the use of their forks. Sometimes they do really well and other times the fork winds up on the floor and their hands are what works best. I had spaghetti noodles everywhere and although it was fun eating for them, mommy wasn’t having fun cleaning it up. So I think next time I will try a heartier noodle…like macaroni or rigatoni or something. The noodles taste the same but I think it will be easier for them to get their fork into.

I absolutely love my crock pot!  Since I am busy most days caring for my two lil guys, my meal preparation time is almost always limited.   So I started making use of my crock pot and have done some experimenting over time.  One of my favorite recipes, I call “Pork Chops in a Pot” seems to be a going favorite around here, so I thought I would share the recipe!  Also, if you have a favorite crock pot recipe, I invite you to share!  I am always looking for something new to try.

6 Boneless pork cutlets or chops (I trim off the fat)

One large Vidalia Onion (sliced in 1/2 inch rings)

2 TBS of the quick cooking “Minute” brand tapioca

4 TBS of apple juice

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 can of garlic and herb cream of mushroom soup

1 TBS of beef boullion granules

1/2 cup of water

2 TBS of worstershire sauce

1 8 oz can of mushrooms

I usually salt and pepper the chops and brown them in a lil bit of olive oil before tossing them in the crockpot..you don’t have to do the browning but I think it makes for more tender chops.  I place the onion rings on the bottom of the crock pot and place the pork chops on top.  I mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl and then poor them over the chops.  I usually set the crock pot on high and let it go for about 7-8 hours. I will make a mashed potato or some egg noodles and serve over top and WAHLAH…there ya have it!  Of course I have a vegetable and/or salad and rolls or something too!

My husband loves the German Spaghetti that I make, so I thought I would share it with you all. This dish is basically a layered spaghetti dish, that is great for a summer meal, but we make it a lot in our house. I typically use 1 lb of spaghetti and double the meat sauce.

German Spaghetti

1 Tbs oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/4 lb of ham (chopped in cubes)
1 lb of ground beef
1-3 beef boullion cubes (dissolved in 1/2 cup of water)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 small can of mushrooms
1/2 tsp of italian seasoning
1 Tbs worstershire sauce
1 lb of spaghetti cooked
1/2 lb of grated swiss cheese

-Brown onion and garlic in oil for 10 minutes. Brown ground beef and drain off fat, add ham.
-Add all other ingredients, except cheese and spaghetti, and simmer for 30-45min.
-Layer several times in the following order: Spaghetti, meat mixture, and cheese till all ingredients are used, cover the dish and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes.

I usually serve it with a fresh garden salad, some garlic bread, and make a fresh fruit salad. ENJOY!