Slow Cooker Breakfast Hash

Slow Cooker Breakfast Hash

8 to 10 frozen fully cooked sausage links or your favorite cooked frozen sausage

4 cups diced red potatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds)

4 medium carrots, diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)

2 tablespoons Watkins Grapeseed Oil, Original Flavor

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Four Peppercorn Blend, ground

1/4 teaspoon Watkins Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Watkins Black Pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon butter

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons maple syrup

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausages, turning occasionally, until heated through, 8-9 minutes. Combine next five ingredients in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Add 1 tablespoon dill, kosher salt, ground peppercorn blend and red pepper flakes. Arrange sausages on top of vegetable mixture. Cook, covered, on low until vegetables are tender, 5-6 hours. Transfer vegetables to a serving platter; sprinkle with feta cheese. Top with sausages.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Break eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl; slip into skillet. Reduce heat to low; cook slowly until whites are completely set. For sunny-side up eggs, cover pan and cook until yolks thicken, but are not hard. Arrange eggs over vegetables. Sprinkle with remaining dill, Pepper to taste; drizzle with maple syrup. Yield: 4 servings.

Try This:

Drop everything into the slow cooker before going to bed for a wonderful wake up breakfast aroma.  Or mix it up before heading to work so it's ready when you get home.

For a different twist, substitute any fully cooked favorite breakfast meat.  For super hungry breakfast eaters, use a variety of meats!

TIP:  Empty coffee cans make perfect storage or transporting containers for cookies.  Also, recycle containers from Watkins Soups Mixes for storage.

To learn more about Watkins, what I do, or to find a local consultant in your area,  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com.

Orange Cheesecake Brunch Rolls

Orange Cheesecake Brunch Rolls

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1-3/4 cups warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate or 2 teaspoons Watkins Orange Extract

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract

Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, eggs, butter, salt and 5 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, orange juice concentrate and vanilla until smooth. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll one portion into an 18-in. x 7-in. rectangle. Spread half of the filling to within 1/2 in. of edges.

Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices; place cut side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice and peel; drizzle over warm rolls. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen.

TIP:  Baking Multiples:  When baking more than one item at a time, make sure there's plenty of room between the pans, walls and racks of the oven so air circulates.

To learn more about Watkins, what I do, or to find a local consultant in your area,  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend

1 teaspoon Watkins Black Pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 pounds ground beef

Sauce

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 medium green pepper, finely chopped

3 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 Watkins Bay Leaves

1 teaspoon each Watkins Basil, Watkins Oregano and Watkins Parsley Flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon  Watkins Black Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Watkins Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Hot cooked spaghetti

In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, pepper and salt; stir in eggs. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. In a large skillet, brown meatballs in batches over medium heat; drain.

Place the first five sauce ingredients in a 6-qt. slow cooker; stir in garlic and seasonings. Add meatballs, stirring gently to coat. Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until meatballs are cooked through.

Remove bay leaves. Serve with spaghetti. Yield: 12 servings (about 3-1/2 quarts sauce).

Tip:  No-mess cupcake/muffin shortcut.  To avoid dribbling muffin or cupcake batter, use an ice cream scoop to dip up the right amount of batter for the tins.  This will save clean up time later and give consistent sizes for baking and appearance.

  

To learn more about Watkins, what I do, or to find a local consultant in your area,  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com.

Home Made Ice Cream - Super Easy

Home Made Ice cream - Easy - No ice cream freezer required

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons Watkins Baking Vanilla OR your favorite Watkins Extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups of heavy cream, cold (whipping cream)
1 metal loaf pan 9x5x3, chilled in the freezer

Directions

In a separate, large bowl mix together the condensed milk, vanilla or extract, & salt.
Whip the cream with a mixer on medium high speed until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Fold about 1 cup of the whipped into the condensed milk with a spatula.  Then add the remaining whipped cream until everything is well blended.  Pour into the chilled metal loaf pan.  Freeze, covered until completely frozen. 

If you are adding mix-ins like fruit, cookies etc.  Freeze the mixture for 2 hours until soft serve consistency.  Swirl in desired mix-ins with a spoon.  Then return to the freezer and continue to freeze for additional 3 hours. 

To purchase, learn more about Watkins,  what I do or find a local consultant  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com

 

Soft Ginger Cookies

Soft Ginger Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon Watkins Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Additional sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until puffy and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

To purchase, learn more about Watkins, what I do or find a local consultant please visit our website at www.trustednaturalhomeproducts.com

Curried Couscous Salad

Curried Couscous Salad

1-1/2 cups/375 mL water
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Chicken Soup & Gravy
1 cup/250 mL uncooked instant couscous
1/2 cup/125 mL sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup/125 mL raisins
1/2 cup/125 mL chopped red apple
1/4 cup/60 mL sliced green onions
Curry Dressing (recipe below)

Curry Dressing

2 cups/500 mL plain nonfat yogurt
2 to 3 tbsp/30 to 45 mL brown sugar, to taste
1 tbsp/15 mL lemon juice
2-1/2 tsp/12.5 mL Watkins Curry Powder
1/2 to 3/4 tsp/2.5 to 4 mL, to taste Watkins Cinnamon
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL
Mix all ingredients until well-combined.

In medium saucepan, bring water and soup base to a boil. Stir in couscous; remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes; fluff with a fork. Place in a large bowl along with all of the remaining ingredients; toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to allow flavors to develop. Stir before serving.

To purchase, learn more about Watkins,  what I do or find a local consultant  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com

Wilted lettuce?  Add lemon juice to a bowl of cold water and soak the lettuce in the fridge for an hour.

Coca Cola Cake

Coca Cola Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Cinnamon

1 can (12 ounces) cola

1 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup baking cocoa

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract

Glaze

1 can (12 ounces) cola

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup baking cocoa

4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13x9-in. baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk the first five ingredients. In a small saucepan, combine cola, butter and cocoa; bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until blended; add to flour mixture, whisking constantly.

Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

About 15 minutes before cake is done, prepare glaze. In a small saucepan, bring cola to a boil; cook 12-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in butter and cocoa until butter is melted; remove from heat. Add confectioner's sugar; stir until smooth. Pour immediately over hot cake. Yield: 15 servings.

Tip:  Sprinkle a bundt pan greased with Watkins Cooking Spray with sugar instead of flour and your baked cake will pop right out.

To learn more about Watkins,  what I do or find a local consultant  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com

Beef Stew

Photo Credit - Creative Commons Zero

Beef Stew 

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes     

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 cups water
1-1/2 cups fresh baby carrots

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon browning sauce, optional

1 tablespoon Watkins Beef Soup and Gravy Mix, or to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon  Watkins Black Pepper

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup cold water

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Place the beef, potatoes, water, carrots, soup, onion, celery, Worcestershire sauce, browning sauce if desired,b eef soup base, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours.

Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Stir in peas. Cover and cook on high until thickened, 30 minutes. Yield: 8 servings (3 quarts).

Tip:  Cake writing like a pro - Use a toothpick to sketch letters onto a frosted cake before you try to write your message with icing.  If you make a mistake, smooth the top and start again.  When you're happy with your lettering simple apply icing along the sketched lines.

To learn more about Watkins, what I do, or to find a local consultant in your area,  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com.

Make It Yourself Marble Cake

Make It Yourself Marble Cake

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons plus 1-1/4 cups butter, softened, divided

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs

3 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Frosting

3/4 cup butter, softened

6-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract

1/2 to 2/3 cup 2% milk

2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over barely simmering water, melt chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of three greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.

In a large bowl, cream remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Remove 2 cups batter to a small bowl; stir in cooled chocolate mixture and, if desired, chocolate chips until blended. Drop plain and chocolate batters by tablespoonfuls into prepared pans, dividing batters evenly among pans. To make batter level in pans, bang cake pans several times on counter.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency.

If cake layers have rounded tops, trim with a serrated knife to make level. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake.

Drop cooled chocolate by 1/2 teaspoonfuls over frosting. Using a large offset spatula, smear chocolate to create a marble design in frosting. Yield: 16 servings


Tip: Cake cooling - To cool a cake that has just come out of the oven, place the pan on a wet towel.  The cake is less likely to stick to the pan if it's cooled this way.

To learn more about Watkins,  what I do or find a local consultant  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com

Good and Spicy Deviled Eggs

Good and Spicy Deviled Eggs

12 hard-boiled large eggs

6 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sour cream

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel

1 teaspoon Watkins Cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon Watkins Black Pepper

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Add 3 tablespoons cilantro, mayonnaise, onions, sour cream, jalapeno, lime peel, cumin, salt and pepper; mix well. Stuff or pipe into egg whites. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with remaining cilantro. Yield: 2 dozen.

Tip:  Soak wooden BBQ skewers in water for 1/2 hour prior to grilling kebobs.  Your skewers won't burn as easily.

To learn more about Watkins,  what I do or find a local consultant  please visit our website at   www.productsof1868.com