Our Trip to Walt Disney World (Part One)

For a background to how we decided to go to Disney, see this post:
http://memoirable.blogspot.com/2010/03/disneys-give-day-get-day-program.html

Due to me singing in the Choir at Palmetto Hills Presbyterian Church that Sunday and John playing in the Praise Band at The Bridge Presbyterian Church, we postponed the trip to Monday, November 8. We started packing the 'Burb and trailer very early Monday morning, but still didn't get on the road till around 7:00am.







We arrived at FW around 5:00pm. Check in was quick and we were in the 1500 loop as requested. We were in site 1506 which was great.

My dh was nervous about getting the tent set up before dark, so I took the younger children for a walk. Who do we run into, but Chip and Dale!



We played kickball with them for a while, then went back to check on progress at the site. The tent was up, so dh sent me back to the Sing-along with all the children while he made cold BLT's for dinner. (Sorry, no pictures of the campsite or the food. Oops!)

Here we are waiting for the Sing-along to start.




Then, we were chosen to "wake-up" Chip and Dale for the Sing-along! We got a certificate commemerating our Magical Moment, an autographed picture of Chip and Dale, and our picture taken with them.



Soon after that, we went back to the site, had dinner, and put the youngest to bed. I took some of the children back to the movie for a while, but we were all tired from our long drive and headed to bed pretty early.

The next morning, after a shower in the lovely restrooms and a quick breakfast, I headed to the Outpost, as per a note that had been dropped off at our site the night before. It seems check-in was quick because they forgot to swipe my card and charge me for camping there. We quickly got that straightened out.

The plan for that day was to tour the hotels, leaving my dh at the site so he could rest his bad knee before our big day at MK. But he had other ideas. He took my oldest boy to Big Cat Rescue in Tampa. It was such a great treat for him! He hopes to intern there when he gets older and then have his own place like that eventually. (Again, sorry no pictures. I had the camera.)

The rest of us headed for the Marina, with a quick stop at the playground.







We hopped on a boat and headed to Wilderness Lodge.





First thing we saw at Wilderness Lodge was a rabbit.



Then some ducks.




And, of course, the geyser.



We also liked seeing the pool. When we checked in, they had told the Meadow Swimming Pool was closed for the week, so we could use the Wilderness Lodge Pool instead.

Inside the lobby, we took pictures by a "gen-u-ine" totem pole.





My kids, kidding around at the stream.



We then got back on a boat and headed for the Contemporary.




They had a speed boat set up for pictures, and my dc couldn't resist.





We found more photo ops outside. (Sorry for the sideways picture!)





From there, we took the monorail to the Polynesian. Aloha, Cousin. Only one photo from there.



I had read that going from the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian was a nice walk. Not so true when you have five tired and hungry kids and you are carrying a big bag with food for all of you, plus the sweatshirts most of them no longer wanted to wear.

Still, we got there and found a nice place for lunch.




After lunch, we wandered around the hotel and then caught the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and then the boat back to Fort Wilderness. After a rest period enforced by Mean Ole Mom, we changed into swimsuits and headed for Wilderness Lodge.



Swimming was great, esp. the waterslide. I made everyone get out before it got dark and we took the bus back to Fort Wilderness. Hint: The back seats of the bus are heated from the engine. Very nice when you are cold and wet.

We got dressed and headed to the Sing-Along to wait for dh to return. Tonight, we played Duck, Duck, Goose with Chip and Dale. (sorry for the blurry picture)




After hamburgers for dinner, dh took the children to see Finding Nemo (not the advertised Sword in the Stone, which they promised to show the next night) while I put the little one to bed.


More in next post.

Our trip to Walt Disney World (Part Two)

Wednesday was our one park day. We got the first boat to the Magic Kingdom and arrived in time to see the end of the Rope Drop Ceremony. My youngest really loved seeing Mickey and Minnie right away.

We headed for the Will Call Window and redeemed our Give a Day, Get a Day vouchers. Once inside, we headed straight for Dumbo. I kind of regret that now, as I wish we had taken more time to enjoy Main Street. I also meant to stop in the Barber Shop and get 3yog some pixie dust.

We did take one picture on the way in.



Still, we only had about a 20 minute wait for Dumbo, while John got Fast Pass for Peter Pan. A Cast Member also gave him Fast Pass for Mickey's Philharmagic, which we never did use. Pictures from Dumbo.




We then skipped the Carousel, hoping to get back there later, to get to to ToonTown to meet the Princesses. On the way, a different Cast Member gave me Fast Pass to Mickey's Philharmagic. We didn't use them either.

In line to meet Princesses.



Meeting Sleeping Beauty.






Best part of the trip for my 3yog - Meeting Cinderella.






Meeting Belle.





Next, we meet up with dh and some of the boys. Not all the boys. Some were on Goofy's Barnstormer. And one was lost. :scared1: My dh thought he was with me and I thought he was with dh. I headed back in and was told by a very unconcerned Cast Member that he had headed in to meet the Fairies. Many, many uinderstanding parents let me through that line, but he wasn't there. Just when I thought I would freak out, dh called and said he was back with them. He had been through the Fairie and Princess lines. I was just glad he was okay.

I took him with me to go meet Mickey and Minnie, but he didn't want his picture taken.




After Peter Pan, we headed to It's a Small World.



Then over to the Buzz Lightyear ride.








After we left the Buzz Lightyear ride, we ran into Stitch. I think this picture shows just how much fun we were having.



I think I forgot some rides we hit - Haunted Mansion and Thunder Mountain RailRoad as well as The People Mover, Carousel of Progress, and Space Mountain

Then I took the girl's back to the carousel, stopping for pictures along the way.





While the girl's went to the Carousel, the boys rode the Tomorrowland Speedway. I thought the line would be quite long for that, so we took our time getting back to them. When we got back from our girl's only jaunt, two boys were missing. Dh had said they could go a few feet away from him to find us. They went all the way to the Carousel before returning to the meeting spot. Next time, I am putting them all on leashes! LOL

We had gotten FP for Splash Mountain, but it was closed when we went to redeem them. I asked a CM in a store and they checked and found out it was running again. We trekked over there and found they had no line. I rode with some of the children while dh waited with my none roller coaster riders. Then he took a few to ride it again. My youngest didn't like being wet, so I changed her and tucked her into her stroller. That was when we noticed the Electric Parade coming near us. We were able to get good spots near the bottom of the Splash Mountain drop. 3yo didn't get out, but watched from where she was. By the end, she was asleep.

I was worried about being in the park for the fireworks, but there was no way we could get far enough away in time for the noise not to bother her. Turns out, she slept throough the first half and enjoyed the second half. First time in her life she liked fireworks - she usually hated the noise. Just one more example of Disney Pixie Dust and the Grace of God in our lives. :thumbsup2

We took the boat back to FW and went quickly to sleep.

The next morning, after a late start, we headed for AKL. We had waited to hit it so 13yob was with us. It was nice, but maybe not worth the time to get there by bus. Here are the pictures we took there.






Then we took a bus to DTD. Our first stop was the Rainforest Cafe. You can see that everyone is starting to get tired.



And I was too tired to hold the camera steady.



I then took some pictures at World of Disney.






Then I dropped the camera. It didn't focus well after that.



The boys had fun at the Lego Store, spending money they had saved all summer just for this trip. We also used some money a friend had given us to have fun with to buy the youngest some Minnie Moouse Ears. Sorry I don't have a picture of them.

From DTD, we took the bus to the Contemporary so we could ride the monorail, as dh and 13yob had missed that the other day. We went a full circuit around plus one stop to get to MK. From there, we rode the boat to FW.

My ever-so-wonderful dh made hot dogs for dinner. We all went to the movie to make smores. After just a few minutes, the youngest was begging me to take her to bed. I happily obliged. After she was asleep, I started getting things ready for the trip home. Later that evening, I fell over a tent stake, so I brought home a big bruise as well.

The next morning, we packed up everything, except the Christmas decorations we managed to give away. The only other thing we brought home was the rashes my dh and dd had developed overnight. I think they are reacting to whatever pesticide was sprayed while they were sleeping in hammocks outside. We asked at check out what had been sprayed, but all they will tell us is it is a pesticide.

So, a few bumps and rashes, but overall, a wonderful trip to Walt Disney World!

Halloween 2010

Here are the children in their Halloween costumes.

Our Trip to Republic, MO

Our nephew, Nathaniel Crum, married Katie Killingsworth last week in Republic, Missouri and we were blessed to be there. It was a short trip with a lot of driving, but it was worth it.

We left Tuesday, May 4th after John mowed one last lawn. We had our “new-to-us” Suburban packed to the gills, but didn’t need the rack that attaches to the trailer hitch we had borrowed just in case. We hit Atlanta right before noon, but had no problems. We just stayed in the HOV lanes pretty much straight through town. After Birmingham, AL, we headed north to my friends’ house. We did take a small side trip to a covered bridge I found on the map which turned out to be lovely.

We got to the Siebert’s house around 6:00pm, I thought. I had forgotten about the time change – it was only 5:00pm! LOL That meant we had an extra hour for the children to play outside, the man to talk, and the women to chat and cook. We had baked potatoes for dinner with ground venison, onions, mushrooms, greens, cheese, and other toppings. It was a lovely evening! The boys slept on blow up mattresses in the boys’ room. In the girls’ room, Sarah slept in one girl’s bed (she slept on the floor) and Bekah slept in her port-a-crib. John and I shared the living room.

The next morning, we were up and out early. We awoke in Alabama, had breakfast in Mississippi, lunch in Tennessee, snack in Arkansas, and dinner in Missouri. Our snack in Hardy, Arkansas was nice because we found a lovely park with a playground. The children had fun playing on the playground and walking by the river before loading back into the ‘Burb for the last leg of our journey. Shortly after we arrived, the children were in the pool with their cousins, having fun! After dinner in our room, they went to bed. I stayed up reading and chatting with Jill while she waited for Peter and family to arrive.

Thursday was wedding day. After breakfast in the lobby, the children went back in the pool and I went to work ironing our wedding clothes. Once I finished that, we got showered and got ready and for the “non-rehearsal” luncheon. Jill had the great idea to have everyone give gifts to the happy couple that they thought would be needed to be a member of their new family. We gave a copy of the Princess Bride DVD, which every good Crum and Moir can quote by heart. Jill had gotten Subway sandwiches for the luncheon and ordered some FG-acceptable ones just for our clan. Yum!

After lunch, we went shopping at Wal-Mart, took a drive to the wedding venue, and then went to the local battlefield, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. It was a Civil War battlefield and we learned about the battle at the Visitor’s Center. Then we drove through the park and stopped for some sandwiches before going back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

The wedding was on the second floor of a converted barn. It was just right for this wedding. It was a celebration of Nathaniel, Katie, their love, and mostly, of the Wedding that this was a faint copy of – the Wedding-to-come of the Church to Christ!

The reception was in the same space as the wedding, with the tables and chairs moved while we were outside getting pictures taken. They had country music performed by the bride’s brother and his friends. Johnathan also sang a number that he wrote that was sweet which compared Nathaniel to a bear and Katie to a bird. The food was desserts and my children were very happy with homemade cookies and Teddy Grahams. Mostly, they played outside with the other children who were there. Sarah was very sweet and watched Peter’s girls and as well as Rebekah. Another highlight of the reception was having everyone’s pictures taken with props the photographer provided. I can’t wait to see how they turned out!

Here is a picture Lauren took of Sarah, Lauren, me, and Rebekah.




We went home shortly after the bride and groom left. Back at the hotel, I tried to quickly get everything organized for the next day so we could be out early the next morning. While we didn’t leave as early as hoped, we did get on the road by 8:00am, set to drive 9.5 hours to another family’s house for a stop-over before finishing the trip home Saturday. Once on the road, John decided it would best if we just drove straight home that night. Sarah was coming down with a cold and everyone had been exposed to chicken pox, so we didn’t want to infect the family we were supposed to visit. We didn’t get home until 1:00am! Still, we were home and happy to sleep in our own beds. After all that driving, I sure am glad the next wedding is in Greenville!

One adventure I forgot to include was stopping at the Arkansas Welcome Center in Mammoth Spring, AR. The Welcome Center had clean restrooms and a lovely picnic area. There were also two water falls at opposite ends of a small lake. It took me a few seconds to remember where we were and conclude that it was a spring-fed lake. The water was very clearn and blue and looked very tempting. Until I got closer and saw a snake. Ever try to run without touching the ground? We saw about seven snakes at that stop. Yuck! We also saw lots of geese, ducks, pigeons, and even a few muskrats. Still didn't make up for the snakes. I don't like snakes.

Our Trip to Parris Island

Nine weeks ago, Thomas and David Crum went to Parris Island and became Recruit Crum, Thomas and Recruit Crum, David. Yesterday, they graduated from Boot Camp and officially became Marines. We are very proud of them both!

Right from the start, I knew we should go to their graduation. I didn't know that graduation was at 9:00am. I also didn't know that you should get to Parris Island early to get through vehicle inspection. When I learned these things, my resolve faltered. But in the end, I am very glad we went!

We started our preparations on Monday, by putting the children to bed a little early. We kept moving their bed time back so that Thursday night, they went to bed around 6:00pm. I got up at 1:00am to get showered and ready. At 2:00am, we woke the children up, hoping they would go right back to sleep in the Suburban. Nope, not gonna happen. They were very good and watched DVD's on the way down. They stopped the DVD's in time to see the sunrise as we drove onto Parris Island.

We got there earlier than I thought we would and the vehicle inspection was very quick - just a dog sniffing the outside of the 'Burb. But I was glad we got there early. The bleachers filled up quickly and we had a time saving seats for the boys family and freinds. In addition to us, there were 27 people who had come just for their graduation. They had all stayed near-by and visited with the boys the day before. It was wonderful to see how many people cared about them!

The graduation ceremony was very impressive. Afterwards, we got a chance to visit with the boys before they headed home. Their brother Matthew took this picture on the parade ground. We had a picnic lunch while most of the traffic cleared, and then drove home. Even with a stop to do some shopping. We were home by 4:30pm, tired but very happy and proud!

Disney's Give a Day, Get a Day Program

When I saw the commercials for the "Give a Day, Get a Day" Program for Disney, I was excited. I got frustrated Jan. 1st when I was unable to to register for any of the volunteer opportunities due to the high volume they were getting. However, I waited a few days and tried again and was able to sign us up. Rebekah is too young to volunteer, but they did let me sign up the rest of the children plus John and me to clean up at a local school.

February 26th (our day to work) finally arrived. We dropped off Rebekah at Aunt Beth's for a morning of fun and headed to Sue Cleveland Elementary. The school principal said they usually get 10-15 people to help clean-up. That day there were over 100. We picked up sticks, raked leaves, and picked up garbage. There were small statues under the leaves that weren't even visible when we got there. It was fun asking the various volunteers when they were planning to go to Disney. We finished all the work in under two hours and were able to pick up Bekah and head home for lunch.

Our vouchers arrived by e-mail a few days later and I have been planning our trip ever since. I thought at first we might go in September. However, I asked on the DisBoards if that was a good idea and they all said it would still be hot and very humid then. We have decided to postpone until November. There is a new ticker at the bottom of the blog that shows how long until our big vacation.

The plan at this point is to drive down on Sunday, November 7. We hope to stay four nights at Fort Wilderness Campground which is part of the Walt Disney World Resort. By staying on property, we would eligible to do many fun, free things. Campfires with Chip and Dale, sing-a-longs, movies outside, ride the monorail, watch the electric boat parade, just to name a few. If we get good weather, sleeping in the tent should be fine.

We would spend one day at Downtown Disney, which has free admission. It's really just a very nice shopping center, but all the stores are fun just to look at. Also, there is a Lego Store there that will probably be one of the highlights of the trip for the boys, not to mention a store where they can build their own light sabers. We might also spend a day looking at the other hotels on property, if we get bored just hanging out at the campground.

The other day would be for the Magic Kingdom. I don't know who Rebekah would like to meet more - Minnie Mouse or Cinderella. Either way, I think she will absolutely love it!

Thank you, Disney, for the "Give a day, Get a Day" Program. It looks to be a real blessing for our family.

Christmas Letter 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

As I look back on 2009, I rejoice is seeing how faithful God has been to us. John’s carpentry job petered out early in the year. He tried selling security systems, but has returned to handiwork and lawncare. There has not been much call for either of those recently, but we hope both will pick up in the coming year. In the meantime, God has provided for all of our needs and many of our wants.

One fun adventure we had in the Spring was a trip to our Nation’s Capitol. We stayed with John’s brother Bob and his wife Sandi. We went during what we hoped would be the height of the Cherry Blossom Festival, but the weather was cold and rainy. Instead of walking around to see the monuments, we drove by them and went to various Smithsonian Museums instead. Everyone’s favorite was The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. It is part of the Air and Space Museum and has many planes in a large hangar. The boys espescially enjoyed seeing the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and the Space Shuttle.

In August, we were invited to a wedding in Roanoke, VA. While John was game to try driving up and back in the same day, I was less enthusiastic. I asked various cyber-friends if anyone had some floor space in the area and we ended up staying with a dear Christian family about 30 minutes south of Roanoke. We made new friends and had a blast at the wedding. Afterwards, we drove home on the Blue Ridge Parkway, passing the place where John asked me to marry him many years ago.

Another highlight of our year was also courtesy of Bob and Sandi. They used some of their timeshare points to provide us with a suite to stay in at Myrtle Beach. We went in early December and had a wonderful time. Even though, once again, the weather was cold and rainy, we found plenty of fun things to do including swimming in the indoor pool, floating in the heated lazy river, and playing on the PS3 in the Game Room.

The children continue to grow at alarming rates. Sarah is 14 and taller than her mother! She is 5’10 ½” and I think she is hoping to reach 6 feet before she is done. Trey will be 13 next month and is anxious to pass mom in height. He, like all the boys, loves all things Lego and all things Star Wars. Many hours are devoted to building Star Wars scenes out of Legos in our house! Bobby just turned 11 and his favorite interests are Batman and bicycles. William, soon to be 9, loves playing computer games and goes through withdrawal if he doesn’t get a daily fix. Jeffrey turned 7 in August and he and Sarah had a great pool party at Beth May’s house. Rebekah will be 3 in February. Words cannot convey the delight she brings to our lives.

I continue to enjoy homeschooling the children. I also was able to worship God more through music this year when I auditioned for and made the new Fountain Inn Chorale. Our Christmas Concert included works by Shubert, Byrd, and Lauridsen. I am looking forward to rehearsals resuming in the Spring. I also sang once with the Palmetto Hills Presbyterian Church choir when they were in need of an additional soprano and hope to do so again.

Our prayers for you in the coming year are that God would reveal Himself to you in new and awesome ways and that He would draw you closer to Himself.

Merry Christmas!

John, Marty, Sarah, Trey, Bobby, William, Jeffrey, and Rebekah Moir

Our field trip to Cowpen's National Battlefield

Tuesday, October 6, 2009, we went on a field trip. We left around 8:30am and drove to Gastonia, NC. There, we went to Mary Jo's Cloth store. What a great place! Fabric everywhere. Much, much, much more than any fabric store around here and at reasonable prices. I bought material for two jumpers - one is a deep purple and the other is Lorraine Blue.

Next we drove to the Discovery Place Museum in Charlotte. Many of the exhibits were closed for renovations, but that just meant we weren't so overwhelmed and the crowds had stayed home. The top floor, where we started, had many experiments for the children to try. Levers, pulleys, wedges, optical illusions - we were entertained there for quite a while. Plus, they had a toddler play area in one corner so Rebekah and I could enjoy some special one-on-one play time.

The floor below had their special exhibit - Pirates and Sunken Treasure. We learned about recovering treasure from below the ocean and how strong hurricanes are, plus saw many artifacts. And of course, the boys loved the pirate-y stuff.

We had intended to go from there to Cowpen's, but it was still early, so we went to King's Mountain National Military Park. We watched a movie about the battle that happen there (239 years, less one day from when we were there), and then walked the Battle Field Trail, with wayside exhibits teaching more about the battle. It was interesting to learn that the battle took place from about 3:00pm to 4:00pm. We did it from 4:00 to 5:00, but if you account for daylight savings time (not used then), we were there about the same time.

From there, we drove to Cowpen's National Battlefield. The Overmountain Victory Trail Volunteers had a program telling, through narration and reenacting, of the journey patriots from Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina took to get to King's Mountain (including an overnight stay at Cowpen's) and of the battle. They even enlisted the children there to help portray tired Patriots. They were supposed to gallop in on pretend horses and then, at the right moment, lie down and pretend to go to sleep. Of course my boys collapsed in exhaustion with exaggerated falls. As Trey noted, "That's what happens when actors marry!" LOL

It was a wonderful day full of opportunities for learning and great memories.

Our annual trip to Six Flags over GA

For the past few years, the children have earned free tickets to Six Flags through their reading program. One of the MOMYS (Mothers of Many Young Siblings) organizes a group for homeschoolers. I also get a free ticket as their teacher. :-)

This year, we went on July 20. It was a wonderful day! The weather was perfect - sunny but not too hot. Best of all, Trey did not throw up! The previous trips, he has always gotten very sick before we even get out of GA.

Sarah was too old to earn a free ticket this year and she doesn't like amusement parks anyway. (What's up with that?) She asked if she could stay with Aunt Beth, which was fine with all of us. The night before we went, we realized that bringing Rebekah would only strain our day more. She also went to Beth's and they all had a wonderful day according to all reports.

We got to Six Flags at around eleven o-clock after a brief pitstop at the GA Welcome Center. We paid extra and parked in premium parking which was well worth it. I handed each boy a bagel and a bottle of water and we headed for the park. I had paid for a ticket for Li'L John on-line and printed it at Beth's when we dropped the girl's off, so we were able to go right to the entrance gate. I was surprised when security told me I wasn't allowed to wear a bandana in the park, but when I explained it was for religious reasons, they allowed me to keep it on. I think if it had been plain white like I usually wear, it wold have been fine. They said the problem was gangs wear certain printed bandanas so they have banned all printed bandanas.

The first thing we did was split up to go to our favorite roller coasters. I took Bob, William, and Jeffrey to Dahlonga Mine Train. It is a moderately thrilling coaster which was just enough for us. Okay, a bit much for William. He had been sad up to that point that he wasn't tall enough for the Superman:Ultimate Flight. After the Mine train, he wasn't sure he would ever go on a roller coaster again. He was okay once we got off, but he was screaming the whole way around.

John and Trey went on Goliath. The Six Flag site describes it as "It’s big, it’s mean, and it wants to take you for a ride. Meet Goliath—the gigantic steel coaster the other rides call 'Sir.' " Ask them about it sometime. They love to describe it in detail.

We met up near the carousel. Jeffrey rode it 5 times. There are other rides near there that the children enjoy. Bob rode the hot air balloon ride 3 times (at least) and Trey and William drove the Hanson cars. Some of the boys also rode the Rockin' Tugboat. John and I sat and rested in the rocking chairs around the carousel.

Next,we headed for the bumper cars. The line was quick, so the boys went on it again while I took someone (Jeffrey?)to the restroom. We briefly considered going on Splash Water Falls, as it had just opened, but the line was already very long, so we headed out of the park for lunch.

There was a nice, covered area near the entrance where they sell tickets on the more crowded days. This day the area was mostly deserted. I left John there with most of the boys and walked to the car with Trey to get lunch. I got new water bottles for everyone and Coke for John and me. I was able to fit all that in my backpack along with the bologna. Then I just had to carry the sandwich rolls and pretzels which all fit in one ziploc bag. Once back at our "picnic area" John made the sandwiches and we had a nice relaxing lunch.

When we got back into the park, we headed for the Gotham area. Trey and Bob rode the Gotham City Crime Wave (swings ride) and then we all looked at the Bat Mobile. After that, the boys wanted to go to the go-cart ride. They were so disappointed that it cost extra. :-(

We rested for a while in the Thomas the Tank Engine area while the boys played on the playground. Then they decided if the couldn't do go-carts, they wanted to drive something. I took Bob to the Hanson Cars while John took the other boys back to the bumper cars. We agreed to meet up at the Log Flume. We should have meet at the carousel again, as there is so much there that the boys enjoy.

Our last ride was the Log Flume. Jeffrey didn't want to go but both John and I did so he had no choice. William was nervous at first, but he decided to enjoy it and did.

That was our last ride for the day. We didn't have much traffic on the way home and got to Beth's around 8:00. John dropped us off and and went to get some McDonald's for dinner. He got gas while out and returned the Suburban to his parents after dropping off dinner.

All in all, a wonderful day. And Trey never got sick. :-D (By bedtime, the other three boys felt yucky, but no one did get sick.)

Crockpot recipes

Okay, some friends on Facebook want my crockpot recipes, so here I am to type them out. At least this way I will still have them if my hard copy disappears. The bean recipe is posted further down - just do a search.

Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
8 oz. dry macaroni, cooked
2 cans (13 oz. each) evaporated milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I sometimes use Sargentos Mexican 4 cheese blend)
3 TBSP melted butter (I just put room temp. butter in the crockpot on low when I start to cook the macaroni) 1/4 minced onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in crockpot and mix thoroughly. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours.

Pot Roast
Ingredients:
A hunk of beef - I buy whatever is on sale really cheap
Morton's Nature's Seasons Seasonings Blend (or your favorite seasoning blend)
Dried Minced Onion
1 cup prepared beef broth

Liberally coat beef with seasoning blend and onion on all sides. Put it in crockpot. If desired, add veggies (carrots, potatoes, whatever) and pour in beef broth. Cook on low all day.

Crockpot Stuffing

First thing I do is make Herb Bread.
Place in the bread maker in the order recommended:
1 1/8 cups water
1 egg
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/8 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. sage
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup oats
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
The center always falls on the loaf for me. I'm not sure why, but since I am using it for stuffing, I don't care.

Once the loaf has cooled, I cube it and toast it on low heat for a few hours in the oven to dry it out. The stuffing recipe calls for 12 cups dry bread cubes. I believe I usually add some regular bread to make up that amount.

For stuffing:
1 cup butter
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. sage
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups chicken broth
12 cups dry bread cubes

Saute celery and onions in butter until softened. Mix with spices, eggs, and broth until well blended. Add bread and stir to blend. Cook in crockpot on high for 45 minutes; reduce to low and cook for 6 hours.

"Baked" Potatoes

Wash potatoes and dry thoroughly (otherwise they will get rusty from the foil). Prick with fork. Wrap them in foil. Fill Crock-Pot with 6 to 12 potatoes. Cover. Cook on Low 8 to 10 hours (High: 2 1/2 to 4 hours).

French Dip
Hunk of beef, with fat trimmed
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder

Put beef in crockpot. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over beef then add enough water to almost cover meat. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours, or until beef is very tender. Remove meat from broth and fork shred. Put meat on sandwich rolls and serve with broth for dipping.

Smothered Cube Steak
Cube Steaks (It's a thin steak usually tenderized by poking full of holes. Often used for minute steaks)
Beef Gravy (see below)

Pour gravy over steaks and cook on low 8-10 hours.

Beef Gravy*
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef bouillon

Melt butter in saute pan. Cook onions in butter until translucent. Stir in flour. Add bouillon and bring to boil. Stir and boil for one minute.

* I double this recipe to use with Cube Steak recipe.

Tropical Chicken
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 8 oz. cans pineapple chucks
6 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated ginger

Place first three ingredients in crockpot. Combine last three and pour over chicken. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serve over rice, if desired.

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soda - Sprite, 7-up, whatever
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta, if desired.