Apple Oatmeal

Thanks to Once a Month Mom! She's created another hit! :)

1 c old-fashioned oats
1 red apple, cored and diced
2 c milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours (mine was done in one hour.)

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken, Chicken & Rice Casserole

Visit here for a tutorial with pictures, and for broth making instructions.

Whole chickens are inexpensive and delicious, and you can make a good amount of broth from them, saving you even more money!

1 whole chicken
salt
pepper

Empty chicken cavity. Rinse chicken. Place into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Remove and slice or shred. Enjoy!

After dinner, I went ahead and made tomorrow's dinner:

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Shredded chicken
Frozen chopped broccoli
1 bag Ready Rice, Long Grain & Wild, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
Shredded cheddar

Mix rice, chicken, broccoli and soup in a sprayed baking dish. Bake, covered with foil, for 15 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle casserole with cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

*It will only be my daughter and I again tomorrow night, so I just used about 1 c chicken, 1 c broccoli, 1/2 bag rice (leftover from tonight), and half of the can of soup. I put it into a loaf pan, then into the fridge. Remove from fridge 20 minutes before baking.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I got this recipe from my friend Shannon, then tweaked it a bit. Yummy!

1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained
24 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c sour cream
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
Dash of hot pepper sauce

Beat cream cheese and sour cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, artichokes, garlic powder, lemon juice and hot sauce. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.