What's For Supper? Beef Tips & Rice

Don't you love cooking with a crock-pot? I do! So easy and so delicious. Years ago, most of the recipes that I had for a crock-pot called for cheeses and canned foods. I started searching for ways to make my crock-pot meals a little more "healthy". 😌 And really, not hard to do if you use your basic knowledge of food and nutrition and a little common sense. 😉

5 Healthy Tips About Food For Your Crock-Pot Meal

Before we get started, just a few things to remember when it comes to cooking healthy:

• Use fresh ingredients as much as possible. Fresh frozen is a good second option.
• Limit your creams, sauces and canned foods.
• Limit your fats.
• Use lean meats (some people braise the meat before putting it in the crock).
• Limit your sodium

Recently we became "empty nesters". That means I am no longer cooking for 3 and whoever(s) shows up at the door (at dinner time) or comes home from band practice with our daughter. (Side note, we LOVED those days and miss them.) I am also not revolving & planning around a busy school aged child's schedule. I am having to plan and cook smaller meals so we do not have left overs for days. 😄 After 4 days of the same thing, well we are tired of it. And lets be honest, do we want to "freeze" everything? I would just rather adjust and prepare accordingly. 😌 Freshly prepared food is always better. Which brings me to my most recent purchase. A 2 Quart Crockpot!  You see, to get the most efficiency out of your crock-pot it needs to be at least 2/3's full when you use it to cook a meal. I have one huge crock-pot and one standard. I found I was using the standard more and more and still not filling 1/2 full. So for less than 10 bucks I decided to invest in this little jewel. You can prepare 2-4 servings, perfect for empty nesters and takes up very little space. 

My Most Recent Crock-Pot, 2-4 Servings

By the way, all the photos in this post are made with my cell phone and a little "spruce up" in Lightroom. So please excuse the "lack" of professional quality, not that I have ever made that a priority. 😄 Below is my Beef Tips & Rice Recipe:

Beef Tips & Rice

Beef Tips Served Over Brown Basmati Rice

You want to start with lean beef cubed. It can be from a roast, sirloin, flank steak or even tenderloin. I used "stew meat" I bought at Costo. They cut it up from one of the meats that I recommended and it is very lean. Some people like to braise it, but I don't. Using enough beef tips to fill up a 1 pint ziplock bag, I just add a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch in a bowl with it and mix it well. (Seems to make a nice gravy.) I also like to slice up my veggies and have them ready. 1/2 small - medium onion, 1/2 sweet bell pepper and 1/2 of a pint of mushrooms. Add the beef and the veggies to the crock-pot. Next you want to add 1/3 cup of red cooking wine (I am sure reg wine is fine if you have it), 1 teaspoon of Braggs Amino Acids (You can find this at most health food stores like Sprouts and sometimes Publix will have it in stock.), a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic. Give it all a good mix.

If you notice, I did not add salt. I am on a low sodium diet and rarely add salt to anything. You could, but we find it plenty salty with the Amino Acids and red cooking wine.

Place your lid on the pot and to cook all day turn it on the low setting. To cook 1/2 of a day cook it on the high setting. 

The Meat is Tender & Juicy and Using the Cornstarch, Makes It's Own Gravy

Brown Basmati Rice

You will want to take 1 cup of brown rice, put it in a sieve and rinse it off before cooking. Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil and add 1 beef bouillon cube (adds flavor) and  the cup of  rice (rinsed). Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low-simmer, and cook 40 minutes. Remove from heat (with lid on!) and steam for 10 minutes.  (I purchase my brown basmati rice in bulk -small bulk- at Sprouts.)

When your rice is ready, plate it up! Add a salad or any green vegetable and you will have a wonderful, healthy meal. Comfort food (I think this qualifies) can be Healthy! One of those wonderful...

Little Things in Life

Hugs,

Missy

Opps! Almost forgot the recipe card!

Printable Link:

Beef Tips & Rice ~ Crock-Pot

If you try it out, please let me know how you like it! I love comments. Especially nice ones. 😊

Delicious Old Fashion Lemonade

So what do you do with Lemons?  

Make lemonade of course!  

We are going into the hot days of summer and I can think of nothing better than an ice cold glass of fresh lemonade.  When I was growing up, this was a real treat for us.  That is, homemade, fresh squeezed lemonade. My mom would cook it on the stove, let it cool then add ice and water and it would be so good! And so much better than the store bought frozen concentrate or the powdered kind.  

Delicious & refreshing on a hot summer day.  

Here in the deep south, we really do like the summers and there is nothing better than sitting outside on the porch or next to the pool on an afternoon drinking a nice iced cold tall glass of lemonade.  Nothing better to cool you off make you feel refreshed!  

This lemonade is great to make ahead, take to an outing such as a family reunion or a picnic.  And it is wonderful to have on hand to serve friends and guests at your next BBQ! 

Below I have included the recipe.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!  If you do make it, let me know.  I would love to know how you liked it.  😊

Old Fashion Lemonade

• 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemons (seeds removed)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups of sugar (I like mine sweeter)
• slices of lemon and/or fresh mint for garnish
• 2 quarts of ice in a 1 gallon wide mouth plastic container

Pour water and sugar into a 2 quart pan and bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly.  (This is to make simple sugar water.)  After the sugar is dissolved, add the 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Bring back up to a soft boil and continue to stir for 1 minute.  Pour over ice in plastic or glass container, stir and add water and more ice to make one gallon.  Serve in glasses over ice and garnish with fresh sliced lemons or sprigs of mint.

Makes 1 gallon of delicious lemonade.

Enjoy!

I thought I would also include a print/downloadable copy for you as well.  Just click on the link Old Fashion Lemonade Recipe.  

Remember, time flies!  Be sure to enjoy

The little things in life!

Missy

Dinner Time!

Yum yum! Family favorite!

You will need a half a bag of Navy Beans (whole bag if you have a big pot and
like it heavy on the beans. ;-))

Some baking Soda. 2007! I hope this box still works!

A bowl of hot tap water.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the baking soda
into the bowl. Stir it around. Add the Navy Beans and let them soak 4-8 hours.

Beans will look plump and round. Pour them into a colander.

Rinse thoroughly.

Next you will need Apple Cider Vinegar.

I cook my beans in my grandma & grandpa's old 2 qt iron pot.
Beans taste so good when cooked in this pot. Yum!

Add about 2 tablespoons of the Apple Cider Vinegar to the Beans.
Between the Baking Soda Soak and the Apple Cider Vinegar, much of gas is removed from the beans. In other words, you will not have any indegistion and no
'Beano' needed after eating this chili.


I do like to add some chili powder to my beans. I cook them until they are tender.


Eeewwwuuuu! This photo is out of focus! This is a pot with about
5-6 chicken breasts. I add a few seasonings to them. Chilli powder, black pepper, garlic, dried minced onion. Little sea salt.


After the chicken is through cooking. Chop or shred the chicken and set aside. Strain the broth through a sieve and add back to the large pot. Discard sieve contents.


You will need a few more ingredients. I like Ro-Tel (and the really hot stuff, but my family likes the mild so I just add tobacco to my bowl...) cilantro (fresh, dried or in a tube), more garlic, I really love fresh bell or sweet pepper, or hot pepper, but my family does not, so I leave it out.


I also include a quart of tomatoes. I either used fresh or fresh frozen.
Can should be fine if that is what you have on hand.

Oh, and cannot forget! A blend of Cinnamon & Sugar! 1-2 Tablespoons. Sometimes I just add 1 tablespoon of Cinnimon. I do not want it all that sweet.

Add the Chicken back to the pot and cook for 2-4 hours.
(Chili can cook forever!) In a crock pot, it can cook all day.


And corn bread? Can't beat a box of Jiffy!


Garnish with cheese, onions, corn chips, whatever you like. Oh yum! This can last a few days. Great for a busy week. Always tastes better the next day.


And always great with a salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Quick Meal Any Time!

This is just plain old scramble eggs and vegetables. Very healthy, very quick. And sticks to your ribs!!!

What you see here is a bowl of fresh tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms. You will need to wash and spin spinach dry and of course, wash the rest of your veggies and pat them dry as well. This can be done up ahead of time. You can also add carrots, onion, broccoli, what ever you might have in your fridge that you need to use up.

I eat egg beaters. I eat a lot of egg beaters. If you are not an egg beater person, just crack open 2 eggs. If you want them low fat and don't mind eating egg whites use 4-5 eggs and remove the yoke. If you are like me and have to have yellow in your eggs, include one of those yokes in your eggs or just go buy egg beaters (1/2 -3/4 cup for one person).

I use an iron skillet that was one of my grandma's. I love cooking in iron pot, pans and skillets. Spray the skillet with Pam, heat it up, add your eggs then add your veggies. You can add some low fat cheese if you like. Feta or goat cheese is good too! This is also a good time to add any seasonings like sea salt, pepper, garlic, etc. (BTW, those tomatoes will not be in that iron skillet long enough to make any difference...so don't worry about it.)

This cooks very quickly so be ready to stir and have your plate ready. It is literally ready in just a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

Plate it up and serve with a slice of whole wheat or Ezeikel Bread. Yum!!!

Dessert Time!!!

Nan R Pudd'in!

I have 2 versions, a low fat, low cal version and a fully loaded version. I have not made the fully loaded version in many many years, but I can still remember the recipe. ;-)

Not much to tell really, these are the ingredients that you need. :D

Almost forgot!!! You need 5 nearly dead ripe bananas! How could I have forgotten the bananas!

Mix the pudding according to the instructions and set aside.

Kids love making this dish. I made it as a teen. Really easy.

Slice your bananas and set aside.

Start layering ingredients in either parfait glasses, trifle dish or large dessert bowl.

Continue layering in this order: Vanilla Wafers, Vanilla (French Vanilla if you can find it) Pudding, Sliced Bananas, Lite Cool Whip. I like to do my layers thin and do 2 to 3 layers until I run out of ingredients or bananas.

Kids really like to help with this.

It makes a lovely presentation...

Best when made the day before and the ingredients have had time to meld overnight.

And is Yummy!

To make a version that is fully loaded you will need:
1-Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
*French Vanilla Pudding/Custard
1-Box of Vanilla Wafers
5-Ripe Bananas

Sugar to taste
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring

*French Vanilla Pudding-You can make a custard from a recipe of your choice or a cooked Jello brand. Prepare and cool in the fridge according to instructions before continuing with the rest of the Banana Pudding preparation.

When you French Vanilla Custard has cooled, whip heavy cream and as peaks begin to form, add sugar to taste and vanilla flavoring and set aside. Slice bananas and set aside. Now you may begin to layer the ingredients in your dish in the same way as the low cal version was done.

Wafers
Custard/Pudding
Sliced Bananas
Whipped Cream
Continue with layers until the dishes are full or ingredients are gone.

Just like with the low cal version, best when made the day before and the ingredients have had overnight to meld together.

When I take this dish to a party, I always double the recipe. The dish has always been emptied.

Enjoy!

Dinner Time!

It is Tuesday and I am posting a wonderful dish. It is great if you have a large family to feed or if you like leftovers. We are a busy family. I cook healthy (well you might change your mind after this one..), using fresh and fresh frozen ingredients and most of the time, from scratch. So I like to prepare meals that are quick, tasty and plenty of it. :-)

Tonight's menu (and a few other nights this week as well) is Turkey Crock Pot Roast. My husband can and will eat this whole dish in one sitting, so I have to warn him that it is for 2-3 meals or for him to take to work for lunch as well.

My family likes all white meat, so I buy a Turkey Breast Roast. It does not matter what brand. All are good. Some stores will sell "Natural" or "Organic". If you can find them and work them into your budget, by all means, get them. BTW, I usually toss the gravy packet. This recipe makes it's own and it is great like it is. You just need to strain it before serving.

Now, one thing you will rarely see in one of my meals or recipes is an onion. I am allergic to them. But just b/c I do not have them in my meals or recipes does not mean that you cannot add them if you and your family love them. :-)

Select fresh vegetables, celery, carrots and potatoes. Mushrooms are good too, that is if you have them on hand. (My mom would add an onion for the family pot, my tiny pot would be onionless, yes-the woman had to always prepared a separate dish for me...)

Clean & chop the veggies and set aside. Unwrap the turkey, rinse it off, leave the 'lattice' work around it and place it into the crock pot. Pour about 2 table spoons of olive oil on top of the turkey roast. Add some cracked pepper and a teaspoon of minced garlic or 2 cloves of crushed garlic. I do not add salt b/c most turkeys have been soaked in salt as a preservative. Read the label before adding salt.


Pour chopped veggies on top, place crock pot top onto crock pot. If cooking all day, turn on low. If cooking 1/2 day, turn on high. Leave alone and let the aroma fill the house.

Now, if your family likes dark meat, there is a turkey roast that is a white meat/dark meat combo that is really good. If you have a large family to feed, I think you can now get huge crock pots that will hold a whole turkey. You will just have to increase the amount of ingredients accordingly.

Now for the side--- Green Beans!


We love green beans and they are DD's favorite. I love to add a few sliced almonds to mine, sea salt and cracked pepper. And here in the deep south, we do not eat green beans with out BACON!!!! I know-this is the unhealthy part...

Y'all this meal is so good! For us 3, we can get 2-4 meals off of it depending on how hungry we are. Really great when I am teaching or shooting at night (I am the only cook in this house). When we have piano, dance, soccer, etc. Lots going on and coming and going. Sometimes I want to just throw something on the plate, put it in the microwave and get it to the table so we can move on. And still be healthy. This is one of those meals for us. :-)

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little addition to today's post. Zoey, our TAG (Timneh African Grey) is trying to learn how to whistle "Jesus Loves Me". We have been working on this a while. We had been working on the "Star Wars Theme", but she and I really love "Jesus Loves Me" and it is so cute to listen to her. I will have to look it up, but it seems like God's Word said something about birds singing His praises. I can tell that she really loves whistling this song.