Recipe Review: Slow Cooker Whole Wheat Bread

I was a little bored last night and wanted to make some bread for the week.  I didn't get to this point until around 7:30.  By that point it's a little late to wait for everything to rise and then bake it, so I had to get creative.

I have this handy dandy cookbook:

There's lots of weird random stuff that you'd never really think of in here, one of which being slow cooker whole wheat bread.


The recipe was really easy, but the dough was more like a batter.  I had to put everything in a really small pan since it was the only dish that would fit inside of my slow cooker.

Besides those two issues I think it turned out great.  It's definitely a whole wheat bread, so there's not a ton of flavor, but it was quick and I didn't have to worry about letting the yeast rise.

Luckily for you guys, I've found the exact same recipe online.  Happy slow cooking!

Menu Sunday

I'm finally back!  I promise a full recap of our lovely family vacay at the beach last week, but I figured I'd do my normal thang first.

Here's what the Browns will be eating this week (with pictures!):

Mon: Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry

Shrimp were on sale this week and even though we were at the beach last week - I haven't had them in a really long time.  I'll also be adding in some broccoli and other veggies to make it a bit heartier.

Tues: Sausage and White Bean Casserole

I'll be using a cured sausage instead of the uncooked Italian sausage. I'll also be upping the amount of beans and taking down the amount of sausage to make it a bit healthier.

Wed:  Birthday party time!

Both of these lovely ladies have birthdays coming up (one was while we were at the beach).  We'll be celebrating one of our niece's 3rd birthday.  Thanks for being born Clara, now I don't have to cook dinner one night!

Thurs: Spinach and Goat Cheese Baked Stuffed Potatoes

KB's mom and stepdad planted lots of potatoes and now they're going crazy.  We have a huge bag and I'm not too sure what to do with them.  This recipe takes a lot longer than one I would normally try on a weeknight, but it looks so delicious.  Anything with goat cheese in it is automatically delicious in my book, so I think this will be a winner.

Fri:  I'm taking a vacation....again.
As soon as I get back to work tomorrow my co-worker is on vacation for a week, so not only do I have all of my stuff but also all of hers.  It'll be a crazy crazy week so I will not be cooking on Friday.  I'll probably be hibernating.

What goodies will you be eating this week?

Thoughts on a Thursday

Link up with Carolyn to play along!

I leave for the beach in 2 DAYS!!!  I'm so ready to not go to work and just be lazy.  Unfortunately the little dogs will not be attending and I will miss my little Rosie and Hooey terribly.

I've been hitting the fit train hard this week and according to my Wii Fit I'm only 2 pounds away from being in the "Normal" category.  This is apparently the thinnest I've been since last Christmas when I got my Wii so that's super exciting.  I wore some pants to work today that I haven't be able to wear in 2 years.  Go me! Hopefully I don't screw it up at the beach next week.

We had a nest of cardinals in the tree outside of our office/man cave/random room window and the babies are hatched and learning to eat.  Every morning this week I've seen the mommy and daddy birds showing two weird looking cardinals how to eat out of the feeder.  This past evening I saw them eating alone - they grow up so fast don't they!

I'm so ready to have super long hair again.  Up until this fall I had really long and really straight black hair.  It would always get really crazy when I went to the beach and I loved it.  In a stroke of weakness, I ended up cutting a lot of it off last fall.  It's taken forever to grow out and I'm so ready for it to be long.  My hair doesn't really do good in anything but really long.

What are your thoughts on a Thursday????

Withdrawals

Since when did Katy Perry get so funny? Maybe because the radio in my car has been broken for a week and I haven't been able to listen to cheesy pop songs, but I'm seriously loving this video.  I'm in annoying, repetitive pop withdrawal!

A Delicious Combination

Makes for a VERY crazy afternoon and one HUGE sugar rush headache.  Good thing I made some vegetable curry and brown rice for dinner....with lots of water!

Menu Sunday

Here's what the Browns will be eating this week:

Mon:  Eggplant Curry from last week.
          I was lazy and KB ate rotisserie chicken from Sam's one night last week.

Tues: Sausage with Cabbage and Corn Saute
          Cabbage was on sale this week and this looks delicious in a weird Irish/German food way.

Wed: Turkey-Mushroom Burgers
           These look easy and I love hamburgers.  I will be making these with ground chicken though since that was on sale at the store this week.

Thurs: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
           I like pasta and this looks delicious.  I'll be using the rest of the ground chicken from the night before.

Fri:  Nothing!  I will be packing to go to the beach the next morning, so KB will have to fend for himself.  Oh goodness!

Thoughts on a Thursday

Head on over to Carolyn to link up!

• Yesterday my company hosted a Spa Day for us where everyone got money to spend at a local spa and didn't have to go to work.  I got a facial and a pedicure.  My facialist (if that's even a word) told me that I had a slight keratin build up in my skin and should only use organic products.  Since I work in the mecca of all things weird, vegan, green, non commercialized, I just nodded.
• I got my toes painted this lovely shade of green.  It's an organic polish and I'll be interested to see if it lasts as long as non-organic ones.  I'm a little skeptical.

•  Because of all my fun yesterday, today is super busy and is going by really slowly.  It doesn't help that I go to the beach in 10 days.
• The library was actually open when I wasn't at work yesterday and I got a new book.  It's been on my GoodReads for a while and I was surprised that the library in Podunkville NC actually had it.  The only bad part is that it's a good bit longer than I thought it was and I only have a few days to finish it before I leave on vacation.

What are your thoughts on a Thursday???

Guilty Pleasures

Last night I watched 3 episodes of this....

Yes it's cheesy, yes the acting is terrible, and yes I watch this show.


While eating these.....

Yes they are nothing but food dye, yes they are cheap, yes they are delicious.

In with the Old

I went shopping for some beach essentials this weekend.  Due to the limited shopping in Podunkville NC, I was forced into an Old Navy.  I haven't shopped in Old Navy for a good 5 years.  I was pleasantly surprised to find some cute, cheap stuff.

I got a few pairs of shorts and flip flops and a really cute bathing suit that apparently they aren't selling online anymore for only $30.  Score!

Menu Sunday

It's been a while since I've done a Menu Sunday post.  I've mostly been cooking easy stuff (ie hotdogs, frozen pizzas, etc) and haven't really been on the cooking bandwagon recently.  I finally have a week where I don't have lots of stuff going on to compromise my cooking skills.  This is what the Browns will be eating this week (with pictures!)

Mon: Salsa Chiken and Black Bean Soup

A Year of Slow Cooking is one of my favorite blogs.  This recipe looks super simple and I can't wait to try it out.

Tues: Curried Eggplant with Tomatoes and Basil

It's been a while since I've had eggplant.  The last time I had it I wasn't a big fan, but they were on sale at the grocery store this week, so I decided to give it a try.

Wed: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry-Chipotle Glaze

I'll actually be making quite a few substitutions to this recipe.  The podunk grocery store was out of raspberry preserves, so I'll be using red currant (why they had this and not raspberry who knows!).  Pork chops were also on sale, so we'll be using those instead.

Thurs: Monte Cristo Sandwiches

These look very easy and very tasty.  By the time Thursday rolls around I'll probably be needing something easy.  I'm also a huge sandwich fan, so these have an automatic A+ in my book.

Fri:  Something I don't cook!
       I'll probably have a wild night.......coming home and passing out on the couch while watching something terrible like "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding".

Thoughts on a Thursday

Join Carolyn for Thoughts on a Thursday!

• I'm so ready for Friday!  Even though it's been a short week, it's been pretty busy and I'm ready for it to be over.

• I go to the beach in 16 days!  I'm so ready for a vacation and to get some sun.

• My company is hosting a spa day for us next Wednesday.  I'm getting a facial, manicure and pedicure.  I'm looking around for some good nail colors.

• After seeing DSS's birthday post, I'm seriously wanting some rice krispie treats.  I need to find some good recipes that aren't too time consuming.

• KB (and almost all of my office) is running in a 5K tomorrow.  My company is running in the same race, but I gladly volunteered to stay behind and work.  I don't do 5Ks, but I especially don't do them when it's supposed to be 95 degrees.

• My flowers I planted are still alive.  I've tried to make an effort to keep them watered.  I planted some chive seeds and I think some of them are starting to sprout.  I can't wait until they get big enough for me to actually use them.

What are your thoughts on a Thursday???

So Appetizing

I have a lot of recipes for appetizers and cocktail fare, but since we live so far away from our co-workers and friends we don't do a whole lot of entertaining.

I decided that KB and I would have an appetizer for dinner and I made some "Crab Caliente" dip and homemade tortilla chips.  It was muy delicioso!

Mmmm spicy crab.

Mmmm homemade tortilla chips for dipping.