my best tips are not exactly cooking related, but help the act of cooking-

buy good tools. Dyson mats are a girls best friend (or go cheap and just buy the summer-y placemats made of perferated rubber); nothing will slidea round. I swear by my OXO Good Grips collection, especially the mixing bowls w/"no skid", big handle grips, whisk, can opener, chefs knife. I also cannot survive without the mini chopper for cutting up veggies, nuts, and chicken pieces. I organize the fridge door (salad dressing together, same for marinade/soy sauce etc, mustard with mayo and catsup etc)and keep it that way to save on those brain dead days. Buy or make a large bag of mixed salad. Use those green bags for fruit and veggies - they work really well just like the tv promised (buy them at the store to save money)

Marry a husband who likes t (or will learn) to cook. Make double batches and freeze 1/2 for those days you can barely get out of bed. Use a lipped tray on the table to help set/clear - just put the S&P, butter, salad dressing etc on it and put the tray (with everything still on it) right into the fridge.

can we buy the book?

Are the directions the same in American?

Yes. I will let you know when it's available.

great post Cindy and Vic, was curious any one have any easy Crock pot or slow cooker type of recipes?

Debs Recipe
Take a roast put in crock pot, then sprinkler a package of brown gravy mix on the meat, add a pak of baby carrots and a appropriate amount of those real good little red potatoes, and if you want some onion add it either if you want fresh or dehydrated now pour one to two cups of water over everything cover crock pot and or slow cooker and allow it to cook according to the direction of your unit, such as thawed meat verses frozen

Another recipe is Debs chicken and dumplings soup and or stew it is a filling meal and a fav of the kids and us cause its cheap and easy to fix

one can of cream of mushroom soup
one can of cream of celery soup
one can of cream of chicken
3-4 cans of water if it gets too thick add more water
mix all this well and bring to a slow easy boil on med, now add a can of biscuits 8-12 count now tear each biscuit into pieces and drop in the soup as they finish cooking they will come to the top use a large ladle and serve in bowls

She dines in Chernobyl.

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What Frank said above about the roast BUT---- I use Mrs. Grass French Onion Soup mix and some red cooking wine.

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Crock pot's great for making soup in.

Cheating: beef stock, package of mixed veggies, can diced tomatoes (can use chiles and tomatoes mixed if want spice), red cooking wine, couple of beef bouillon cubes, and a bit of barley. Barley thickens it (but puffs up a lot--don't use tons). Season with herbs to taste.

Soup:

very large pot
One whole roasting chicken (giblets removed) (I use Perdue oven stuffer roaster)
3 celery stalks (whole, scrub)
3 carrots (whole--scrub, don't peel)
1 onion (whole)
2-3 cloves garlic
salt
pepper
couple of dashes of Fines Herbes

cook until you think the chicken will fall apart (it will)---I simmer mine 4-6 hours.

remove chicken and veggies (can give veggies to dog once cooled)
remove chicken from bones (and gristle, fat, ucky skin)
return chicken to pot
chop some celery and onion (as you like)
chunk some carrots (as you like)
quarter potatoes (as you like)
taste broth--add salt, pepper, and herbs to taste
add 2-3 bouillon cubes

near end, cook noodles (bow ties, thick egg noodles--whatever floats your boat) in broth OR can add rice and cook in broth.


A variation can be made with adding mixed veggies, canned diced tomatoes.

Serve with crusty bread.

This morning I made this for DD for breakfast. It is so simple and you don't have to stand at the stove cooking it.

Toast an English muffin
Put 1 egg and a little butter/margarine in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put in micro for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
When eggs and English muffin are done, put them together to make the Egg "McMuffin" sandwich. Add cheese and/or precooked microwaved sausage patty if you wish.

DD's and DBF love these.

My Great Grandma called this Welsh Rarebit, and she was Welsh, but it's certainly not the traditional kind. I usually serve this with home-made soup on a cold winter "lazy" night . . .

- bread (usually 2 per person)
- sliced processed cheese (2 per person)
- bacon (6 strips per person)
- tomatoes cut thin, in penny slices
- onions cut thin, in rings

Cook the bacon 3/4 done. On a cookie sheet, stack one slice bread with a slice of cheese, then a layer of tomatoes, then 3 slices of bacon (ea), then 4 - 5 uncooked onion rings.

Broil in oven for about 10 min.

Very tasty, and very easy. Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Wiz's Crockpot Stew

1 lb of stewing beef, or cubed round steak

1 lb package baby carrots

3 sticks celery chopped in 1 inch pieces

4 medium potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes

1 package onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups beef broth (from a can or made from boullion powder)

1 cup dry red wine (bordeaux or similar)

Put veggies in crockpot, top with meat

Sprinkle the dry soup on top, then pour in the other ingredients.

Keep covered and cook on low 10 hours or on high 6 hours. Stir well before serving.

Serves 4-6 people

Kay's Smothered Chicken

large whole chicken, cut into pieces.
4 cups water
2 cups rice
1 pkg dry chicken noodle soup mix (Lipton, Wylers, Mrs. Grass, Maggi, or Knorr - FOUR serving pkg!)
1 tbsp butter, salt/pepper/parsley to taste

pour dry rice, powdered soup mix, and water, into a large oven-safe casserole dish, and stir a bit.

go whole-hog, and use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 or 6) if feeling rich, or very tired.

I prefer a nice big round glass dish, with large HANDLES for ease of use.

in fry pan, quickly sear chicken pieces in hot oil until nicely browned, (a few minutes) and plop 'em into casserole.

cover casserole, and put in oven to bake for an hour.

or rather, get somebody kind to LIFT the suckah, and put it in the oven FOR ya.

and while you're AT it, have THEM do the scary searing of the chicken pieces, ha ha ha!

the rice soaks up the flavoured soup-stock, and rises to surround the chicken pieces, smothering them, and cooking them thoroughly to tenderness, without all that standing, and turning at the stove.

if really tired, skip browning the chicken, but I gotta warn ya, it looks pretty PALE and unsightly, so, serve by CANDLELIGHT.



oh, and since you have a flock of elves to assist, have THEM do the dishes for ya...



oh, and to make the casserole a COMPLETE meal in one dish, add:

1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1 can green beans (or sliced fresh, if ya can find 'em)
1 diced medium onion
garlic if desired

add dried herbs to taste, and VOILA !!