No Bake Bar Cookies

No Bake Bar Cookies

2 cups sugar
4 Tb cocoa
1 stick butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats (rolled)

In heavy saucepan combine sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk. Bring to rolling boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter. Stir quickly until combined. Add oats. Mix well, working fast before mixture cools.

Lightly butter/oil 9x13 pan. Spread and press cookie mixture into pan. Let cool completely. Cut into squares.

Crockpot Teriyaki Beef

We have a big family. This is the amount for 10 people, but we generally eat seconds and there's a little left over. In other words, this is about 15-20 servings (since my little ones get small servings).


Crockpot Teriyaki Beef

5 lbs Beef chuck roast; cubed inch pieces
1/2 a #10 can of Pineapple Tidbits with juice
1 - 12 oz jar Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze
1 cup Brown sugar
6 cloves garlic; minced
2 cups Beef Broth
1 Tb sriracha sauce
1 tsp Sesame Chili Oil (found in Asian markets)
1/8 cup soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrins)


Cube beef into inch pieces. Add to 6 Qt crockpot.

Put pineapple over top of beef chunks.

Mix all other ingredients. Pour over beef and pineapple. Cover with lid. Turn to high. Cook 4-6 hours, until beef is tender.

Serve over rice.

Italian Vegetable Soup

All I can say is this soup is a winner. It took no more than 30 minutes from serving the family to the crockpot being empty. I'd call that a good meal.



Italian Vegetable Soup

1 lb Italian sausage
1 onion; chopped
3 potatoes; diced
2 carrots; sliced
4 stalks celery; chopped
1 can red kidney beans (if using dried - 2 cups soaked and boiled)
1 can garbanzo beans (if using dried - 2 cups soaked and boiled)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
6 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash
1/2 tsp each dried Basil, Thyme, Parsley
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrins)
5 Beef bullion cubes

Cook meat and onions together until meat is no longer pink and onions are translucent.

Prepare all vegetables.

Add everything to the crockpot. Mix well (especially the tomato paste).

Set crockpot to high. Cook 4-6 hours until all vegetables are done.

Season additionally if needed.

Vegetable Bake

There are so many variations to this recipe. Basically, throw in whatever vegetables you have lying around. There is no set amount to it. It's not a 'pretty' dish, but it tastes good.



I normally use:
2 lbs Brussels sprouts (stalk end cut off and Brussels sprout cut in half)
3 carrots
4 large or 6 small potatoes
1 lb mushrooms
1 lb green beans (fresh or frozen; not canned)
2-3 sweet potatoes
1 rutabaga
1 large onion
3 stalks celery

I may not put all of these in at once. It's pretty close though.

Preheat your oven to 425°

Chop the vegetables into 1 inch chunks. Put into a large roasting pan (something you roast your turkey in).


You can easily add meat to this. Cube cooked chicken, beef, pork, sausage, etc... Add to finished vegetables and mix well.

Sloppy Joes

I'm not much of a fan of the canned sloppy joe concoction. However, I do like homemade sloppy joes. I like to tinker with it some. This is how we make them at home.


Sloppy Joes

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
1/4 cup chopped dehydrated onion
1 Tbsp worcherstershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Brown hamburger and sausage. Add onions, worchestershire sauce, and a little salt to meat. Add all other ingredients. Simmer 10 minutes.

Serve on buns.

Pork Stew

When I cook in my slow cooker, I like to just throw it all together. I would rather let the crockpot do the cooking for me. Here's my recipe for pork stew, using raw pork, instead of browning it first.


Pork Stew

5 lb pork steak, cubed
5 small-medium potatoes, cubed
2 large carrots, quartered and cut in 1 inch pieces
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 cup frozen (or 1 can) peas
1 cup frozen (or 1 can) corn
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2-1 tsp Mrs Dash
1 bay leaf
2 cups water

Cube raw pork steak. Put in bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add 1/4 cup flour to pork. Stir until pork is covered with flour. Add bay leaf.

Add potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes on top of pork. Season with other 1/2 Tbsp salt, thyme, Mrs Dash, and Worcestershire sauce, and water.

Cover and cook Low 6-8 hours, or High 3-4 hours until meat and vegetables are tender.

When stew is finished, add 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 cup of frozen corn (or 1 can each - drained).

** I will stir the stew once at about 2 hours. That way the meat can be broken apart (as it sticks together), and all the vegetables are able to be submerged in the liquid. **

Bread Machine White Bread

I love making homemade bread. It's my favorite food. This is actually one I use in the bread machine. I'm not a big fan of bread machines, but the convenience aspect is great. Some days, when I'm doing a lot of cooking, or am out and about, I love the bread machine. This recipe is what my husband's grandmother.

3 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp butter
1 egg

Put on Large size, Light crust.
Put all ingredients in together. Even the yeast.
Push Start.
Mine takes about 4 hours.