Crockpot Ham & Potato Dish

We recently moved into a tiny house.  The kitchen is so small that I can hardly move around in it.  There is no counter space.  When the dishwasher door is open all of the way it barely misses the oven that is right across from it.  Needless to say, I have had to be very creative with my cooking.  We have been eating a lot of crockpot dishes lately.  Here is one that turned out pretty well.  I hope that you enjoy.

Crockpot Ham & Potato Dish:

1 can cream of mushroom soup (or home made)
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. diced, cooked ham
1 c. frozen broccoli
12 small potatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 T. minced onion
1 t. parsley

Place all of the ingredients in a crockpot.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Serve with bread. 

Emergency Bag

     My husband and I have been working on making emergency bags for each of our vehicles.  We have had a lot of snow, ice and fog here lately.  You never know when you might get stuck somewhere and need emergency supplies.  Here is a list of what we keep in our bags.  (It is important to make sure that you have enough supplies for each person that rides in your vehicle.)

1.)  backpack
2.)  wool blanket
3.)  water
4.)  granola bars
5.)  gloves
6.)  stocking hat
7.)  first aid kit
8.)  flashlight
9.)  jumper cables
10.) road flares
11.) sewing kit
12.) pocket knife
13.) hand warmers
14.) wool socks
15.) small shovel

Peppermint Bark

     It doesn't seem like the holidays unless I make peppermint bark.  I keep it in the freezer and when I want a cool holiday treat, I grab a couple pieces of bark and pop them into my mouth.  They are delicious and they give you minty fresh breath.  This is the easiest recipe on the planet to make and it does not take a lot of effort.  I like to use white chocolate for this recipe but you could use dark chocolate if you like it better.  It is a nice addition to the Christmas dessert table on a pretty plate. 

Peppermint Bark:

1 box candy canes
1 pkg white chocolate almond bark

Crush the candy canes with a hammer until you get small pieces.  Melt the chocolate in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for one minute.  Stir.  Keep melting one minute at a time until the chocolate is smooth.  (Make sure that you stir every 30 seconds so the chocolate does not burn.)  Stir the crushed candy into the melted chocolate.  Place several pieces of wax paper on the table or kitchen counter.  Pour the chocolate mixture on the wax and let harden for several hours.  Break into pieces and store in the freezer. 

Rosemary Peppermint Foot Scrub

     I thought you might like a gift idea for the holidays.  I made this today and it smells really good.  It is super easy to make.  Enjoy!

Rosemary Peppermint Foot Scrub:

2 c sea salt
1/4 c jojoba oil
1/4 c olive oil
1 t rosemary
6 drops peppermint essential oil
4 drops rosemary essential oil

Mix ingredients in a large bowl.  Put in glass jars.  To use: massage into feet & rinse

Slow Cooker Saurerkraut Pork

     I got invited to a harvest party this weekend.  It was kind of a crazy weekend and I didn't have a lot of time to cook something to take with me.  I decided that I needed a slow cooker meal that would taste great.  Here is what I came up with.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Saurerkraut Pork:

1 pork shoulder roast
salt & pepper to taste
1 quart jar of saurerkraut
6 large potatoes washed & cut into large chunks

Place the pork roast in a slow cooker.  Generously salt and pepper both sides.  Pour the jar of saurerkraut with the juice over the top of the pork. Cut up potatoes and place around the pork. Cook on the low setting for 7-8 hours.

Tuna Salad

     This recipe is the best with fresh tuna.  You can use canned tuna and it will taste just fine.  I like to eat it with Triscuit crackers.

Tuna Salad:

fresh cooked tuna or 1 can of tuna
1/4 c mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c diced black olives
1 diced avocado
6 diced cherry tomatoes

In a bowl, mix up all of the ingredients.  Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.  You can eat this plain or with crackers.

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

     This recipe is how I get my husband to eat zucchini.  It takes care of a chocolate craving for sure.  Have a blessed Wednesday!

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies:

1/2 c olive oil
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
2 c shredded zucchini
1/2 c cocoa
2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking soda

Frosting:
1/4 c butter
1 t vanilla
3 T cocoa
1/4 c heavy cream
2 c powdered sugar

In a large bowl, add oil, vanilla, eggs, sugar & zucchini.  Mix well.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Pour the batter into a greased 13x9 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Let cool completely. Mix up the frosting ingredients in a small bowl and frost the brownies.