Welcome to my corner of the web! I am sure many of you have been here before, I see quite a few of familiar faces. I will try not to bore you with my introduction, dont worry! I am a newly homeschooling Christ loving mom of 3. I have been married to my husband for over a decade, and couldnt imagine my life with anyone else. I live in the sunny state of Florida, right around the corner from my parents, whom I am extremely close to (and yes, by choice!)
I started this blog as a way to share my passion for my savior, and to share our families story. My youngest daughter, Emma Grace is a transplant patient who is also autistic (Those “Pray for Emma” Buttons you see on your favorite blogs are for our Emma Grace). She has touched many of your lives in a very personal way, and we are continually amazed and blessed by your support.
I host Faith Lifts, a group blog for Christian Women and also am the co-founder of an amazing Chrisitian womens forum, Moms of Grace.
Ministry is my passion. My relationship with my savior is paramount in my life. My family blows me away every single moment.
So, what is the topic today at my party? Keep on reading!
I know it seems odd, to launch the Ultimate Blog Party with a crockpot Recipe swap- but hear me out- Ive been saving this announcement for a few weeks…..
My husband was approached with a rather large promotion about 2 weeks ago. We sat patiently (well, he did- I did major damage to my nails) and prayed that if this was the road we were to go down, that it would be an easy transition. He was formally offered the job last week, within the same company he currently works for (a company he has only been with since last June, mind you- Go Mark!). Downside- this job requires quite a bit of travel, so I am going to be left to provide dinners for my children (my husband is the cook, by choice,.. Thankfully he is very very good at it!). My children are concerned. Really, they are.
Those who know me in person (and quite a few of you do, including my parents *wave*) you know that I was not blessed with the ability to cook. People have always told me that it cant be as bad as I say it is- but ask Mark what happend when I tried to make Taco Suprise…. (the dog wouldnt even eat it, if that tells you anything!)
So, in honor of my husbands new job which requires travel, I am looking for crockpot recipe’s. Share your favorite (easy) recipes (my children are thanking you already), and while you are leaving a comment, congratulate my husband on a job well done!
Now go mingle! (Dont worry, I didnt cook anything!) And dont forget to add my feeds to your bloglines, I have some great posts lined up (and you just may see a picture of my final results with your recipes, which should be fun..sadly that could go either way!
Dont forget to visit other party goers: The Ultimate Blog Party Hostess
I visit you all the time so I’ll gather up my crock pot recipe’s and send them your way.
If I didn’t cook, my poor family would starve. My husband can’t even make instant saimin! LOL! Just wanted to stop by and say Hi. Thank you again for the awesome blog design!
Here via the Ultimate Blog Party!
I’m here all the time, but tend to be kinda quiet.
I wish you all the best in your new homeschooling efforts — I think you’re doing a great thing for your kids.
Yay for your husband’s new job! That’s terrific news.
I have a wonderful recipe for Vegetarian Cashew Chili (even meat lovers are crazy about it) linked in my Ultimate Blog Party post — you might try that one.
WOOHOO Mark!
I will have to get a recipe from my mom for you – she makes them up all the time! She is a whiz with the crock pot. Not me though!!!
THANKS for the designs and for everything you do. YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi!!!!!!!
)
crockpot recipes??
i always sautee my onions first on the stove and then add whatever meat and herbs etc, often i open a jar of pasta sauce, pour over, and turn up the heat…..
our crockpot used to cook meat and veggies, but since our family has expanded i really need to upgrade to a larger pot
well. i did just post something and it got eaten
(
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i wrote some waffle about how i generally just throw things into my crockpot and turn it on. can’t go wrong !!!!!!
happy cooking and happy partying
Hi Heather
with winter just being just around the corner here in New Zealand I look forward to the recipes too
I willbe back to read them
It’s nice to meet you, thanks for inviting us to your blog. Have a great party week
Found you through Mr. Linky at The Ultimate Blog Party!
Congrats on your husbands new job! I can’t help with the crockpot recipes since I don’t have one of my own. I want one though. But I’ve also had disasters that even the animals wouldn’t eat.
I will see if I can think of another really easy recipe for you and come back to post it!
I love the idea of a recipe swap, I’ll have to grab some and come back. Nice to meet you.
Congrats! I sent you what I made last night, not in the mail of course hee hee hee
It is UBER easy, and you seriously can’t go wrong, even NOAH ate it! And that says a lot. Since it didn’t have mac and cheese anywhere near it!
Love you
What a great idea for a party idea. I will be adding my recipe later in the day. I always enjoy reading your blog.
Stopping by on the party train. I have a crockpot recipe that, when I first found it, I thought was a joke. It really works.I don’t remember where I found it.
Roaster chicken from your crockpot (like you can get at the grocery deli for about $4)
Take 1 Whole Roaster Chicken (I like Tyson but any brand will do). Wash it off and pat it dry. Dig your finger just under the skin of the breast to release the fibers holding it to the meat. Place your preferred spices under the skin (I use garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and sometimes a little celery salt or oregano) Wad up about 4 pieces of foil into balls. Place the foil balls in the bottom of the crockpot and lay chicken on top, breast side up. Put the lid on and let it cook on low all day (high doesn’t work very well). Do not add any liquid to pot- foil balls will not hurt crockpot.
Your home will smell awesome and the chicken will fall apart. Be careful lifting it out of the pot. Enjoy!
Hi Heather! Congrats to your husband on the promotion. I’ll be posting a couple of my favorite crockpot recipes on Monday (have to get my thoughts together).
I really appreciate your honesty about your husband’s travel and the affect it might have on your family. I knew many women who had no idea of that and approached it with their eyes closed. Kudos on you and husband explaining it to your kids too.
Love your blog and why not…it’s Swank Web Style.
Congratulations on your husband’s promotion. I’ll have to dig through my recipes to see if I can find one for the crockpot. Good luck on your cooking adventure
I can’t help much with the recipes, but I wish you well in your family’s new endeavors! My husband travels a lot, so I know the challenges. Best wishes!
Go Mark!!
Heather, my crockpot cooking tends to consist of just throwing in whatever I can find and hoping for the best.
here via the blog party! nice to ‘meet’ you!
Vegetable Casserole
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups carrots, cut in 3-inch strips
2 cups celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 cups tomato juice
2 cans (15 ounces each), green beans, drained, or 3 to 4 cups frozen thawed
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
3 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
PREPARATION:
Cook carrots in boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Mix all ingredients together in covered casserole or slow cooker.
Oven: Dot with 2 tablespoons butter and bake at 325° for 2 hours.
Slow Cooker: Dot with 2 tablespoons butter and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.
Great party. I left you the link to my crockpot main dishes. I do have some desserts & appetizers as well, love the crockpot so much I have 4!!! 2 3qt, 1 1.5 qt & 1 small one (great for dips & small stuff)! OK, Party on!!!
WTG Mark! proud of you Brother!
Party on SIS!
Love ya!
Oops, forgot to comment on the Traveling hubby and dinner situation. Me? I just make what I know the boys like. Grilled Cheese and soup are a big favorite! I use my crockpot very little. But I love it! will have to check out the ideas you get. PIZZA HUT is a big winner here also! LOL
Love ya!
Congratulations Mark!!! I love your Crockpot Recipe swap idea! I’ll have to dig some of my stand-bys out and send them your way! I’m here all the time, but still wanted to say Hello!!!
Just cruising the party sites to say hello! Congratulations to your husband! Nice to meet you!
This was a great stop on the party hopping frenzy.
I stopped munching for a while to read Emma’s story. Wow. I’m so glad that you have God as your strength! His grace is real and it’s it’s totally amazing.
My crockpot is 25 years old. My favorite thing to make in it is cheese fondue (Velveeta, sharp cheddar, white wine and a sprinkling of herbs). Of course, it’s really too big for effective dipping, but I’m too cheap to buy a fondue pot!
Congrats to your hubby! I’m just stopping by to say hello! It was nice to meet you. I will be back to read more about your family soon!
What a great idea for the recipe swap. I don’t cook much either but I will go through my recipes and see what I can find. I’ll be back.
Blog hopping around the party!
Dana (Romanian Adventure)
Stopped in to say hi! Have a great week! I have been here before but will visit more later! I am a pedi OT and loved reading about your daughter!
Stacey
i love my crock pot! the easiet thing I do is baked potatoes in there.. little water, throw the potatoes in and they’re ready for supper when done on low!
Don’t forget to stop by and grab some party favors @ the 160acrewoods!
Amydeanne
~ lover of MOG’s!!!
Hey Heather,
Just stopping by to say thanks for all the ministry stuff you do — I have just recently found you, Moms of Grace, 5 Minutes for Moms and all the other wonderful places out there on the net. I have been blessed so much in this past few weeks just reading stories from everyone! I hope to give back to the community soon!
Congratulations to Mark! That’s truly awesome news! Wish I could help with the recipes, but I am a drive-thru girl myself. It’s a good thing cooking skills weren’t high on my hubby’s lists of wants!
Have a blessed week!
Lisa B.
Great idea. I will post a crockpot recipe later this week and link it up. Congrats.
Hi Heather!
Couldn’t resist joining your party! Thanks for having me!!
Congratulations to your husband on his promotion!
Happy Partying,
Christine
I just put one of our standbys up on my blog. I’ll try to add a few more later.
You’re such a sweetie! Father, bless this transition and bless this family. Provide for their every need, even recipes that are easy and nutricious so this precious mom can rest in Your presence. Amen.
Be blessed…off to visit more blogs from the party!!
Hi – so nice to meet you! I giggled when I read about the dog not eating a particular meal you made…I had one of those and my 4 kids LOVE to tell that story to anyone who will listen! =)
I’ll stop by with a crockpot recipe or two.
Hope you can swing down my “street” and visit for a while! =)
Nice to meet you and your family. I just love your blog. It is close to my heart. Have a fun Party weekend. I will be back again…
Way to go, Mark. It sure didn’t take him long to show them what he can do.
I have several good crockpot recipes – all guaranteed successes, of course. LOL I’ll send some your way.
Great party, Heather.
Congratulations on the great news… and, Heather, you will LOVE crockpotting. I have a ton of recipes I’ll be happy to share with you. I use my crock pot a lot… it’s so much easier when we’re working to throw something in there in the morning and not have to worry about coming up with supper when we get in.
Hugs.
Hi! Just stopping by on the party circuit! I have a great recipe for crockpot italian chicken. It’s flexible, and if you change up the seasonings, it’s still delicious!
I throw some chicken pieces in the pot, chunk up a couple of roma tomatoes, four or five red potatoes and an onion. Throw that in, too. (Sometimes I chunk a zucchini and add that for fun, but it’s definately optional.)
Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, and a generous sprinkling of italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to coat everything well. Cover and cook on low. I put mine on about 10:00 am and it’s ready by the time everyone is in from work. My husband and four teenagers love it.
VARIATIONS I have tried and really liked: lemon pepper seasoning, cajun seasoning and carribean spicy rub.
Enjoy, and nice to meet you! Stop by my place for some virtual coffee if you get a chance!
~TaunaLen
Hi, I’m Michelle, here via the Ultimate Blog Party!
I’m afraid I don’t cook, so I don’t have a recipe to share, but maybe I’ll send my hubby some of the ones you’ve shared.
Hope you are having a great time!
Try chili in the crock pot. You can’t really go wrong if you just throw some beans, tomatos, ground beef and spices in the crock pot. It’s my go-to meal whenever I can’t think of anything else to do.
Have a great party!
Heather,
I LOVE my crockpot. I have a ton of recipes. I am not sure which ones to share. Got all day? LOL!
Just kidding. I know how busy you are.
I am going to post my roast beef over at my site, but I wanted to congratulate your hubby! It is great that he got his promotion.
I also wanted to thank you for all you do. MOG is one of my most favorite sites.
Melissa
It is so nice to meet you, Heather! I have seen the “Emma” buttons all over the place but it is so nice to finally view her site!
Congrats on your husband’s promotion. I am definately not a gourmet chef myself! LOL I will for sure post a recipe on your linky.
Beautiful family and BLOG!
Linda
I’m totally with you on the cooking thing! I actually have a cookbook dedicated to nothing but crock pot recipes, so I’ll dig it out tonight and post a couple of recipes for you later!
And big congrats to Mark! Tell your kids they’ll be JUST FINE!
I’m stopping in from the Ultimate Blog Party
I too have a child with autism. A blessing and a trial at times. As for the crock pot… one of my favorite things to do is a like a chicken gravy that you serve over rice or noodles.
6-8 chicken breasts
2 packages of Zesty Italian seasoning mix
place in crock pot – sprinkle mix over chicken – cover and cook for 3-4 hours on low
shred the chicken
in a blender mix:
1 large can evaporated milk (sorry, I don’t have the size written on here:S)
8 oz cream cheese
2 cans undiluted cream of chicken soup
mix together – pur over chicken in a large pot – cover and cook 30 minutes more on low – serve over rice or noodles
I have some pretty picky eaters in this house, but they all like this one! I have some great soup recipes too, if you’d like them!
I will send a recipe your way either tonight or tomorrow –my friend just cooked this for our family and it is Awesome! I have not yet read your story on Emma but I will be back because I have seen her pictures on many sites. Have fun at the party and visit my site if you get time.
I came by for the party. I love my crockpot but don’t use it nearly enough. Maybe I’ll learn a few new recipes right along with you!
Hi! I’m here for the Ultimate Blog Party!
Party on!!