Heart to Heart: At Home with Shanna

First, I've got 6 shoots booked in the next 2 weeks. I can squeeze one more in Friday, June 26th in the morning or late afternoon if anyone is interested in that day. Otherwise, I'm now booking for July. I'm also going to take a limited amount of appts in August. It is soooo hot and soooo mosquitoey and soooo uncomfortable in August. I may just book evening shoots in August if I feel like a lot of people are really set on a shoot during that month.

To the goods...

You guys recognize Shanna, don't you?

She has amazing Christmas decorations and it turns out that she also has an amazing crockpot. It's a good thing she puts that crockpot to good use or I might've called her frivolous. Actually, she's the crockpot queen in my facebook circles. She cooks out of her crockpot several nights a week and she's almost smug about it. Oh, Vivi, it's the easiest thing and my family just loves what I make. Rather than allowing Shanna to forge on in her domestic superiority I decided to invite her to the blog. And since she accepted my invitation to share a few of her secrets, I won't call her frivolous or smug. I'll call her the Crockpot Queen. How you like them apples?

Recipe Numero Uno:

Sunday Crockpot Chicken

4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
poultry seasoning
sliced American cheese

2 cans cream of celery
3/4 cup of sour cream

1 box of chicken stuffing (use low sodium if you can find it)
1 stick of butter, melted.

First, you cut your chicken into cubes. I learned that my granite countertops are beautiful AND functional. From now on I'll be hacking up my poultry on the countertop. And, disinfecting with Clorox, of course.

the chicken cubes will go into the crockpot first

sprinkle with some of the poultry seasoning

layer the sliced cheese on top of the chicken

next, you'll mix up the 2 cans of cream of celery and the sour cream in a bowl

layer the mixture on top of the cheese

sprinkle the dry stuffing on top of the mixture

drizzle the melted butter on top

Cook this on low 4 to 6 hours, but be careful not to overcook so you don't dry out your chicken.

Shanna sent this crockpot home with me and this got RAVE reviews at the Killion home. It was Thanksgiving supper in a bowl! Ideally, I would've plated a pretty bowl of this for a final picture, but when it was time to eat the thought of pausing for a photo never entered my mind. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Her amazing crockpot is sitting next to me all cleaned up and ready to go home. I considered staging a burglary in which the robbers would've taken this beautiful piece of cookware, but I know it's not Christian. I'm a Christian (despite my past road-raging, bird-flipping tendencies). I'll just be a good girl until Christmas rolls around afterwhich I may resume my road-raging, bird-flipping tendencies. Or just politely honk for 32 seconds. Polite is Christian.

Recipe Numero Dos

Sloppy Sloppy Joes

4 lbs. lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 cup chopped onion sauteed with the meat
1 28 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 cans of tomato soup
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of ketchup
3 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder

brown your meat, drain it and put it in the crockpot

dump everything else in...

Mix everything together and cook on low 4 to 6 hours.

I didn't get to personally sample this, but she assured me it's a family favorite and it smelled divine. I'm sure you could half this recipe as it makes a lot.

Now, everybody, hail to the Queen.
The Crockpot Queen.

Thank you, Shanna!