Hello My Friends,

This very simple Recipe can be made in either a Crockpot or Conventional oven. If cooking in oven brown pork chops in hot skillet 2 mins each side. I find this step is not necessary in the crockpot.

Just imagine pork chops resting on a bed of sliced apples dotted with butter and dusted with brown sugar and cinnamon. Then imagine sherry poured over the top.

Sherry Apple Pork Chops

6 medium thickness porkchops
3 large apples peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 TSP Cinamon
2 TBSP butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry Sherry

Arrange apple slices in pan or bottome of crockpot. Sprinkle on brown sugar and cinamon. Dot with butter. Arrange pork chops on top of apples. Salt & pepper to taste. Pour Sherry over top.

Crock pot on low 4 to 6 hours or a Conventional oven 350F for one hour.

My family prefers this with egg noodles and baby carrots.

Have A Merry Christmas & A Very Happy New Year,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

My Niece and her family were down here in NC visiting over the Holidays, and she reminded me of a favorite recipe that I haven't tried in a while. This is one especially for my good Friend Myrna, and another good Friend that we don't see very much of lately, Judy Smith, both of whom are from up in the same area of our wonderful Country as my Niece.

You see, Becky and her Husband live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which has a rich heritage of German culture. One of her favorite dishes from the area, and one of my favorites as well, includes a delicious combination of sauerkraut, potatoes and sausage. I've always enjoyed this recipe on cold winter evenings, such as we have had lately, along with muffins and fruit.

Slow-Cooked Sauerkraut Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium potato, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 pounds smoked kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 can (32 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
• 4 cups Progresso ® Chicken Broth
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cubed cooked chicken
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 to 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

• In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the vegetables are tender. Skim fat. Garnish with bacon.

Yield: 10-12 servings (about 3 quarts).

Have A Happy & Prosperous New Year,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

Here's a few of the Black Family Traditions for New Year's Day, but cooked the easy way, in the Crockpot. Hope you all like them.

First of all, this Pork and Sauerkraut recipe has been in the Family for years. We love this recipe, but it is not your typical pork roast and sauerkraut. It has a sweet and sour taste and is wonderful served with mashed potatoes and cornbread.

Crockpot Pork Roast With Sauerkraut

Ingreadients:

2 – 3 lb. pork roast

2 lb. bag of sauerkraut, undrained (I use the kind that is usually found in the meat department and not in cans, but you can use the cans)

1 cup apple juice

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup water

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1/3 cup brown sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Sprinkle pork roast with salt and pepper and place in crockpot. (Cut to fit pot if roast is too big) In a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together with a spoon.

Pour the mixture over the roast. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours until meat is cooked and tender. Remove roast and pull apart. Remove kraut with a slotted spoon. Everyone I have ever served this to has loved it. The recipe can also be halved and you can make this with pork chops or ribs, rather than a Pork Roast.

Here's another true Family favorite around my house, a really easy Southern chowder good for a New Years Day meal or just to warm up a cold winter evening. Serve it with a green salad and cornbread.

Slow Cooker Hoppin' John Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups instant white rice
• 1 pound ground beef sirloin
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas with liquid
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef broth
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1/2 cup water, or as needed

Directions

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions, and set aside. Meanwhile, combine the ground sirloin, green pepper and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, and crumbling beef until no longer pink. Drain off grease.
2. Place the rice and beef mixture into a 5 quart slow cooker. Add the black-eyed peas, beef broth, diced tomatoes with green chilies and enough water to cover everything.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours.

Finally, I originally got these quite a while back from a coworker who made these one time for an office holiday potluck. These Collard greens are cooked all day along with ham shanks and pickled jalapenos.

Slow Cooker Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 4 bunches collard greens - rinsed, trimmed and chopped
• 1 pound ham shanks
• 4 pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ground black pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste

Directions

1. Fill a large pot about 1/2 full with water. Place the ham shanks into the water, and as many of the greens as you can fit. Bring to a gentle boil.
2. As soon as the greens begin wilting, start transferring the greens to the slow cooker. Alternate layers of greens with the ham shanks and jalapeno until the slow cooker is full. Stir in the baking soda, olive oil, pepper and garlic powder. Cover, and bring to a boil on High. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

Have A Blessed New Year My Friends,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

Here's a little something totally different for the New Year. This is the easiest recipe I've found for making Pozole. Your kitchen never smelled so good! Excellent on cool or cold day. Just garnish it with cilantro and sliced radishes and serve it along with a side of Mexican rice and tortillas.

Slow Cooker Pozole

Ingredients

• 1 dried chile negro (pasilla) soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, and drained
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cubed
• 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can yellow hominy, drained
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

Directions

1. Remove the stem from the rehydrated chile pepper. Combine with 1 can of chicken broth in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Pour into a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Pour in the remaining can of chicken broth, and add the beef broth, pork, chicken, onion, garlic, green chilies, and white and yellow hominy. Season with the bay leaf, oregano, and cumin. Cover, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours, or on Low for 6 to 7 hours. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Have A Great Week My Friends,

Phil

Hello Everyone,

Today's Crock Pot recipe is easy to assemble and needs no attention while it cooks. The flavors blend nicely to give it a wholesome earthy flavor that is unbelievably vegetarian, and this filling vegetarian stew is great year-round. Serve with a dry Chardonnay and garlic bread.

White Bean, Spinach, and Barley Stew

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked pearl barley

• 3 cups water

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 3/4 cup small fresh mushrooms

• 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

• 2 tablespoons white wine

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained

• 2 cups fresh spinach

• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Bring the barley and water to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until tender.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Season with rosemary. Mix the mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, and wine into the pot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Season with red pepper flakes. Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

Have A Great Week,

Phil