I have been playing around with ingredients lately and I bought a pork tenderloin to try out. I love teriyaki sauce so I thought I’d give it a whirl with a pork tenderloin.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Crock-Pot Recipe

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth, or if you have chicken stock on hand, use about a tablespoon of that.
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, or use fresh – totally up to you.
• 1 packet of onion soup mix
• Salt & pepper

In a frying pan, sprinkle with salt & pepper, then brown the pork tenderloin with olive oil. I used light, but that’s up to your preference.

Brown on all sides, including the ends.

In your crock-pot, mix together the teriyaki sauce, chicken broth or chicken stock, minced garlic and onion soup mix. Once the pork tenderloin is in the crock-pot, use a spoon and pour some of the liquid over the pork tenderloin.

Cover and cook on high for 8 hours.

Once it’s done, the smell is amazing! Take it out, cut, serve and enjoy!

The salt and pepper are all that you really need to add. The combination between the onion soup mix and the teriyaki sauce really season this beautifully!

With this meal, I used some of the leftover juice from the all day simmer to make a brown gravy.

Put in a pan, add some corn starch, wisk and add to the meat.

Serve with your choice of sides and enjoy your Crock-Pot Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin!

I seriously don’t know what I’d do without my Crock-Pot! I don’t like to slave hours over a meal when it takes just 5 minutes for the family to scarf it down.

When you are getting ready to head out to do some grocery shopping, how do you prepare yourself? I have tried several things ranging from setting reminders on my phone to post it notes to remind me of all the things I need to get, components for recipes that I want to try and even gift ideas for family for the upcoming holidays. I have been using a new app on my iPad that I really like called Grocery Guru.

What is Grocery Guru?

Simply put, Grocery Guru is the ultimate shopping tool. Grocery Guru is a FREE mobile application that allows you to create customized grocery lists on your cell phone that you can then sync with your computer! You can watch the video below on all the cool features of the Grocery Guru app and how it can help you get grocery shopping done in the most efficient way.

With Grocery Guru, you are able to create lists, check off items in store on your phone and share with friends to help get the job done. Create, manage and share your grocery lists at home and in-store with Grocery Guru. While I do not have my iPhone anymore, you are able to use this on the iPad. Four words: I. Love. This. App! Anytime I go out for a day of errands and grocery shopping, I take my iPad with me to help keep me on track with what all I need to do.

Once you download Grocery Guru, you are able to see your grocery lists, create a new list, invite friends to check out Grocery Guru and more.

Within my lists, I have created two lists. On Friday, Kambry and I are going to run some errands and visit Sam’s so that we can stock up on some bulk items. Also, with the upcoming holidays, I created a whole list all in itself that has gift ideas for friends and family, as well as a list of the kids’ ‘wants and needs’ for clothes, toys, etc. for Christmas. There are so many times that I will be out and someone will call and ask what one of the kids has on their wish list for birthdays or Christmas. With this list, I can pull up their wish list right away.

There are so many different categories within the lists that you create.

Here is what it looks like once you get your list created. I love that it organizes everything in to the appropriate department.

What platforms is Grocery Guru available on?

Currently, Grocery Guru is available on:

• iPhone
• Blackberry
• Android

You can download the app here.

Another thing that I have found that I love about Grocery Guru, is that you can look up recipes and get some new ideas for dinner… and along with those recipes, it has all the ingredients that you need just like a Build A Burger Bar for yummy burgers to solve just about everyone’s taste. I am always looking for new recipes for my family, so this is a great addition!

If you are like me and are always on the go or always trying to find ways to keep your lists organized, Grocery Guru is a great app to get you organized! You don’t have to have just Android, iPhone or Blackberry – as I said above, I have this on my iPad and it works beautifully!

For more information on Grocery Guru, be sure to check out http://see.walmart.com/groceryguru

I am working on a campaign for Lunchbox and will be compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

It’s just about that time of year where we are pulling out the fall clothes and where hot cocoa sounds oh so yummy! I looked in my cabinets only to find that hubby had drank all of our instant hot cocoa mix, so I decided to try something new.

Homemade Hot Cocoa

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Nestle Baking Cocoa
• 4 cups of milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a pan, whisk together the sugar, baking cocoa & cinnamon over medium heat. Gradually stir in the milk and vanilla. Stir constantly until hot, but do not boil. Feel free to add whipped cream on top! Sip and enjoy!

I use a Wolfgang Puck Bread Machine and love to make different things in it, other than just homemade bread. I have made pizza dough, as well as Monkey Bread. If you haven’t tried Monkey Bread – you are missing out!

Bread Machine Monkey Bread

Dough Ingredients (Put in machine in order as below)

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Topping Ingredients

• 1 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/4 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

Sugar Mixture

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

1. In the order of ingredients, place in bread machine. Make sure the yeast is on top of the dry mixture & doesn’t touch the liquid, until the bread machine is started.
2. At the top of the powdered mixture, place the yeast. Make sure that no liquid comes in contact with the yeast. Select dough cycle and press start.
3. When dough is complete, place dough on floured surface, knead and roll dough in to a long tube shape.
4. Cut dough in to 1 inch bites.
5. Drop one chunk at a time into the sugar mixture. Thoroughly coat dough pieces. I like to use a sifted spoon to get excess sugar off the rolled dough.
6. Layer them loosely in a greased Bundt or tube pan, staggering layers so you’re plopping each dough chunk over a space between two below.
7. Chop Pecans
8. In a medium saucepan on low heat, wisk together topping ingredients until smooth. Remove from heat.
9. Pour topping mixture over coated rolls in baking pan.
10. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till golden brown.
11. Remove from oven & enjoy!

Images of steps:

Steps 1 & 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

I can remember eating Chef Boyardee as a kid. Here I am, as an adult, and I still eat it and love it! My favorites are the Spaghetti & Meatballs and Mini Ravioli and Kambry’s favorite is the Mini Spaghetti & Meatballs and Mini Ravioli as well. There is 1/2 cup of vegetables per serving, so there’s another reason why I, as a mom, don’t mind feeding my family Chef Boyardee.

I love to cook, but there are times where I just don’t have the time to spend three hours on a meal that will take 5 seconds for the family to eat. While I love to eat Chef Boyardee just as they are, I had no idea that you could make quick and full family meals just from something like a lasagna bake from Chef Boyardee Ravioli or a casserole dish with pepperoni, cheese, milk, and Chef Boyardee spaghetti.

Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake

Ingredients

• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1-1/4 cups original baking mix
• 1/2 cup reduced fat (2%) milk
• 2 can (14.5 oz each) Chef Boyardee® Spaghetti & Meatballs
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup sliced turkey pepperoni

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13×9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine baking mix and milk in medium bowl; stir until soft dough forms.
2. Drop dough by spoonfuls on bottom of baking dish (will not completely cover bottom). Spoon 1 can spaghetti and meatballs over dough and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining can spaghetti and meatballs, remaining 1/4 cup cheese and pepperoni.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is done in centers and browned.

Cook’s Tips

Add your favorite pizza toppings, if desired. Get the kids involved with preparation; they can prepare the dough, layer the ingredients and top the dish with pepperoni.

I love to make casserole dishes and one of my favorites, as is the kids’, is a pasta bake with cheese, pepperoni and different shaped noodles. When I saw one of the Chef Boyardee Recipes used Chef Boyardee Spaghetti, I knew it was something that I wanted to try out. To my surprise, everyone in my family really liked it. Instead of making dough from scratch, we decided to drop in refrigerated biscuit dough, then sprinkled grated parmesan on top of the mozzarella cheese just before we baked it.

Looks pretty yummy, doesn’t it? It was! Another recipe that I am excited to try is the Ravioli Lasagna. Now that I have seen that you can make actual dishes with Chef Boyardee, I will be letting the creative juices flowing for some more yummy recipe ideas. I think it would be a good combination to add a can of Chef Boyardee Ravioli to the Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake to add different textures to the casserole.

With BlogHer ‘11 coming up, I am adding some of the smaller sized microwave meals to my suitcase. Anytime I travel, I like to buy or take my own snacks to help save on eating out costs. At under a buck a piece, this is what I call savvy and smart planning on any budget. Too bad I can’t pack a casserole in my carry on otherwise I’d totally do it. LOL

For more recipes, please visit Ready-Set-Eat for more Chef Boyardee recipes.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. All opinions in this posting are 100% my own.

While I was at Midwest Moms Summit last weekend, I received a sample of 5 grain flax Foldit Flatbread. Today, I decided to try these bad boys out by making grilled min pizzas.

Super easy, super fast and super yummy!

Since our stove is out of commission for another week I used my countertop grill to make grilled personal pizzas.

I used:

• 1 package of Bobeli pizza sauce
• Sliced smoked honey ham sandwich meat
• 1 package of 5 grain flax Foldit Flatbread
• Mozzarella cheese; grated

First, I grilled each side of the flat bread to make the inside crispy, then I put grated cheese, pizza sauce, cut ham (you can use anything for toppings).

I closed the flatbread, then grilled on each side for a couple of minutes – and walah – personal grilled pizzas!

I have been traveling a lot lately, but I want my family to eat well while I am gone, so I have been trying out some new things. A couple of weeks ago, I thought I would cook up some chicken in the crock pot to use for a later time.

What I did:

• used my Crock Pot
• Put about 5 pounds of Chicken (I used chicken breast) in a Crock-pot
• Add in 1 can on Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
• Add in 2 cans of water from the soup can
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours
• Once it’s cooked, drain & put in Ziploc freezer bags in portions to your desire (I freeze in individual servings in case I want to make one meal, or four.)

Why did I do this? I wanted to try some easy meals later on for my family that I could prep for when I travel for my media events.

Today, I put one to the test. I took out about a pound of frozen chicken breast that I had in Ziploc baggies, to create something fresh for my family that didn’t take a a lot of time to create. I wasn’t sure what I was going to make, so I just went with what I had in my fridge. I took the frozen chicken, put it in a skillet on a low setting on my stove, put a little bit of water in the skillet, added a small amount of Country Bob’s BBQ in with the frozen chicken.

Oh. My. Gosh! YUM! This tasted like I had grilled the chicken off the grill!

I made some brown rice with chicken broth & chopped steamed veggies to go with it.

Wahah! EASY meal for the family and it’s still fresh!

Last week, I attended an event for Johnsonville Sausage in Milwaukee, WI: Johnsonville Sausage “Kitchen-to-Kitchen” Bloggers Event where I was able to meet the company, learn more about their products and even cook with Johnsonville.

At the Johnsonville Sausage “Kitchen-to-Kitchen” Bloggers Event, I was in attendance along with the following fabulous people:

• Melissa, StockPiling Moms (www.stockpilingmoms.com)
• Shelley, StockPiling Moms (www.stockpilingmoms.com)
• Robyn, Robyn’s Online World (www.robynsonlineworld.com)
• Stacy, Mom Central (www.momcentral.com)
• Paula, Bell’alimento (www.bellalimento.com)
• Laura, Real Mom Kitchen (http://realmomkitchen.com)
• Kristy, The Wicked Noodle (www.thewickednoodle.com)
• Louise, Mom Start (www.momstart.com)

On March 10th, we left The Iron Horse Hotel and headed towards Milwaukee Public Market where we were talked to about Johnsonville history and background information about Johnsonville Sausage where we also learned about their new product: Chicken Sausage. I will be honest, when I first heard ‘Chicken Sausage’, I wasn’t sure what to think. At first, it didn’t sound appealing to me. I am a very picky eater, and my kids are just as picky as I am, but I was ready to learn more and see how I could incorporate it in to my family’s meals.

I learned quite a bit about Johnsonville that I wanted to share with you.

• Ralph F. and Alice Strayer, along with friends, Carl & Anna Hirsch, opened a small butcher shop in the town of Johnsonville, Wisconsin. By 1956, they’d expanded all the way to Port Washington, just 30 minutes away!
• How did Johnsonville keep expanding? “One day, a customer ordered 40 pounds of hamburgers and 10 pounds of bratwurst… When he returned the following week and ordered 40 pounds of bratwurst and 10 pounds of hamburger, we knew we had something special.” Ralph Stayer – Ralph, Senior
• In 1968, there were still only 9 employees… there of them were Stayer family members.
• During the ‘70s, trucks took to the street and began delivering the “BIG TASTE” of Johnsonville throughout Wisconsin.
• Johnsonville remains a privately owned family company, but has grown to more than 1300 members. Johnsonville treats their employees as family members, not just workers.
• Johnsonville has raised more than $3 million for local charities. They give back in many ways.
• Johnsonville is pretty much the only national brand for Italian sausage.
• Johnsonville is the number one national brand of:
  - brats
  - Italian sausage
  - Smoked/cooked links
  - breakfast links and patties
  - Summer sausage
• Johnsonville products are available in all 50 states and in more than 33 countries.
• Johnsonville moved from being a ‘brat company’, to being a sausage company. I will say that when I used to think of Johnsonville, my first thoughts were grilling and tailgating & making brats for those parking lot tailgating parties. I saw quite a bit about Johnsonville that I was eager to check out.

Who exactly is Johnsonville?
Johnsonville is more than just a company:

• Recipe Ideas
• Cooking tips
• Meal solutions

Johnsonville isn’t just about brats that I thought they were initially about. Johnsonville is all about being a part of those special occasions with family and friends with meal ideas that will increase those picky eaters’ meals and add so much taste to those common meals that you make daily.

I learned a lot about Johnsonville, as a company, but when Chris came up to talk with us, we were able to learn more about the products that a lot of us buy from Johnsonville. There is a new product out that I was leery about, just because I am a picky eater.

• Introducing Johnsonville Chicken Sausage!
  – 50% less fat. 100% Johnsonville Taste!

The Johnsonville ‘Better for you items‘ started shipping to stores all around the country starting the week of March 10th, so you should be seeing the new Chicken Sausage in your stores soon!

Why Chicken Sausage? Well, if you are cooking daily for your family, they tend to get bored with the same thing over and over. The truth is … Moms need more solutions for their families and Johnsonville is here to help with those new solutions. As a mother, I like Johnsonville’s mission… to make moms happy!

Johnsonville Sausage is now offering 3 new flavors of Chicken Sausage:

• 3 cheese Italian style
• Chipotle & Monterrey Jack Cheese
• Apple

While we are talking about sausage and ideas on how you can incorporate it in, Johnsonville has built an entire campaign designed to help educate moms about sausage while also disseminating recipes. One that I am excited about are the Family Style Calzones.

There are so many uses for Italian Sausage, but here is a list of Johnsonville’s Top 10:

1. “Dressed” on a bun
2. Pasta Bake – Ziti, Lasagna, etc.
3. Pizza Topping
4. Meatloaf
5. Pasta with Sauce
6. Sausage, peppers and Onions
7. Corn Bread Stuffing
8. Soup/Stews
9. Breakfast Strata/Bake
10. Meatballs and Sauce

I do have a favorite dish that I make and it’s a pizza/pasta casserole dish with meat, a few different types of pasta, cheese and pepperoni. I have not added sausage in it, but I can say that I will be adding it the next time I make it! My kids would love it!

If this event wasn’t fabulous enough, I was able to meet, speak with and cook next to Melissa d’Arabian, host of Food Network’s “Ten Dollar Dinners”.

Yup, we got to cook with her. How awesome is that?

The kitchen was set up for a few different creations:

• Spicy Sausage Queso
• Johnsonville Three Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage Oven-Roasted Pasta Primavera
• Johnsonville Italian Meatballs
• Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

You can see all the detailed recipes here.

Stacy from Mom Central was busy at work making Johnsonville Italian Meatballs.

I was over with my group making Spicy Sausage Queso. I chose to be with this group because Queso is a weakness of mine!

We couldn’t get it in the bowl fast enough before everyone was dipping garlic toast in it for a taste. This. Was. Amazing!

While we were all cooking, I had a chance to sneak a picture in with Melissa d’Arabian. She is such a doll and so full of amazing energy!

Before we sat down to eat, we got a group picture of our Johnsonville group.

Once all our stations were finished cooking our dishes, the table was being set for us to sit down, eat and chat with each other about our thoughts about out creations.

With there being 4 people in our household and 3 of the 4 being picky eaters, I am so excited to try some new recipes for my family from Johnsonville’s sausage products!

Be sure to check out Johnsonville.com this fall for a chance to win an amazing trip! This is a “Say ‘CHEESE’! Social Media Driven Program” where you can win a trip to Italy!

While I was in Milwaukee, WI in March 2011 for a Kitchen-to-Kitchen blogger event for Johnsonville Sausage, we were taught, hands on, how to make a few dishes so I wanted to share those recipes with you!

• Spicy Sausage Queso
• Johnsonville Three Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage Oven-Roasted Pasta Primavera
• Johnsonville Italian Meatballs
• Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Johnsonville Spicy Sausage Queso

1 package (16 ounces) Johnsonville® Hot All Natural Ground Italian Sausage
2 pounds Velveeta® process cheese, cubed
1 jar (16 ounces) chunky salsa
2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Garlic toast

In a skillet, cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink; drain. Place cheese in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until melted, stirring every 2 minutes. Stir in the salsa, seasonings and sausage. Microwave 2 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with garlic toast.

Tips:

• add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a spicier dish.
• serve garlic toast with diced tomatoes and chopped black olives
• to serve in a bread bowl, cut off the top of a round loaf of bread; carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1-inch shell. Cube removed bread. Spoon queso into bread shell. Serve with bread cubes.

Yield: 6 cups

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Johnsonville Three Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage Oven-Roasted Pasta Primavera

1 medium zucchini, sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 package (12 ounces) Johnsonville Three Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage, sliced
12 ounces uncooked linguine
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. Add the oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased shallow baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle sausage over vegetables. Bake 5 minutes longer or until sausage is heated through.

Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl. Add sausage mixture and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

6 servings.

Prep: 30 minutes. Bake: 35 minutes.

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Johnsonville Italian Meatballs

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup milk
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 package (19.76 ounces) Johnsonville® Mild Italian Sausage Links

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, milk and onion. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to the bread crumb mixture and mix well. Shape into 20 meatballs. Arrange meatballs on a shallow baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through (160°F). Serve with your favorite sauce and spaghetti.

6 servings.

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min.

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Johnsonville Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

48 large fresh mushrooms
1 package (19.76 ounces) Johnsonville® Mild Italian Sausage Links
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove mushroom stems and discard. Place mushroom caps on foil-lined baking sheets; set aside. Remove sausage casings. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat. Stir in bread crumbs and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, parsley, lemon juice and garlic until smooth. Combine cream cheese mixture and sausage. Fill each mushroom cap with sausage and cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned.

Yield: 48 appetizers.

For more recipes, please be sure to visit www.johnsonville.com

I cannot tell you how much I love my Crock-Pot and how often I use it. If you are looking for that ‘must have’ for a kitchen, it is a Crock-Pot. Love it! here are some fun and tasty recipes that you will love this Superbowl weekend, as well as for Valentine’s Day!

Candy in the Crock-Pot®? Go for it… along with a host of other sweet treats this Valentine’s Day.

Take the Crock-Pot® to a land far more tempting, forbidden and exciting than soups and stews. That’s good eating, but this time of year, it’s time to sweeten things up a bit and let the sweet scent of treats permeate the air, tempt the taste buds and satisfy the tummy. Courtesy of CrockPot.com, below are 5 sweet treat recipes love birds can create together, or for each other, this Valentine’s Day. All become decadent, heavenly morsels after a little slow simmer action in this enduring kitchen appliance that’s sporting a more designer look these days (and makes a great gift for your sweetie too!)…

Crock-Pot® Designer Series Slow Cookers (MSRP: $49.99-$69.99)

A stylish take on the original and a multi-function party favorite… Just add ingredients and go. From creating sweet treats to simmering warm winter beverages to easy weeknight meal preparation, the Crock-Pot® Designer Series Slow Cookers are the ultimate combination of design and function, contemporizing the art of slow cooking. Sleek design elements complement the modern kitchen and serve as an eye-catching centerpiece to any gathering. Consisting of unique geometric shapes with distinctive stainless steel, polished and black finishes, these slow cookers have a 6-quart capacity, hideaway handles, and a digital timer in a choice of manual or programmable models. Visit www.crockpot.com

Or try this mini version Crock-Pot® for fantastic fondues & decadent dips…

Crock-Pot® Little Dipper® Warmer (MSRP: $19.99)

is made for warming fantastic fondues, decadent dips and then enjoying bite-size mini treats in the comfort of home. Forget running back and forth to the kitchen to reheat foods; focus on each other instead! Just add ingredients or pre-made dip to the 16-oz crock, plug in and enjoy. Attractive stainless steel finish looks great in any setting. Recipes included. Visit www.crockpot.com

*** RECIPES *** Courtesy of CrockPot.com

CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS ****

• 2 pounds white candy coating, in pieces
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 ounces sweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Combine ingredients except nuts in slow cooker. Cover; cook on High for 1 hour, or until melted. Stir in nuts. Drop spoonfuls on wax paper to make clusters. Let stand until hardened.

CHEERY CHOCOLATE CHERRY FONDUE *****

• 1/3 cup honey
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup light cream
• 3 tablespoons Kirsch
• Pieces of apple, banana, pineapple, pear, strawberries, and assorted cookies, for dipping

Place first four ingredients in the stoneware. Once the chocolate begins to melt, stir to combine ingredients. Serve with cookies or fruit on skewers for dipping.

CARAMEL RUM FONDUE ***

• 14 ounces caramels
• 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon rum, or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
• 2/3 cup cream

Combine caramels and cream in stoneware. Cover and cook until melted, 2 to 3 hours. Stir in marshmallows and rum/rum extract. Continue cooking ½ to 1 hour. Serve with apple wedges, pound cake, doughnuts, or marshmallows.

CRÈME BRULEE *****

For Custard

• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups whipping cream

For Meringue

• 3 egg whites
• pinch cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar

Custard Directions

Place ramekin dishes into Crock-Pot® stoneware; add boiling water to come half way up the sides of the dishes. (Use 6- 6-oz (3/4 cup/175 ml) oven-proof custard dishes or ramekins, makes approximately 4 cups custard.)

In medium bowl, combine maple syrup, 3 egg yolks and 1 egg. In small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream to a gentle boil, remove from heat: very slowly whisk cream into egg mixture taking care to not add too quickly or it will cook the egg. Divide custard mixture evenly between ramekins dishes leaving 1-inch from the top; close lid and cook for 1 hour or until set. Remove carefully using tongs or oven mitts and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Place dishes onto baking sheet, refrigerate 2 hours or completely chill up to 24 hours in advance.

Meringue Directions

Just before serving or up to 1 hour in advance, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form. Preheat broiler to HIGH; pat each custard dry with paper towel to remove any moisture; top each with approximately 1/2 cup meringue. Broil until meringue is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 2 hours.

SUGARED & SPICED PECANS ***

• 1 pound pecan halves
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Lightly coat the stoneware with cooking spray. Place the pecans in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker and add the butter and sugar, stirring until the pecans are well-coated. Cover; cook on High for 10 minutes. Reduce to Low and cook for 2 hours, or until the pecans are well-glazed. Just before serving, toss the pecans with the seasonings. Serve while warm.