Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I have officially started doing the crockpot like twice a week. I think I will call myself a CROCKSTAR! :) Seems fitting....
Its just too easy, using the slow cooker or "crockpot." I usually have the crockpot liners but recently its been an extra expense, so its been looked over a lot. But I highly recommend getting them if you happen to see them and want to try them out. No mess! (or hardly one at all) I'm in!!!

So I am usually feeding 4-5 people who usually go back for seconds so this meal really goes a long way for your dollar. I truly appreciate the value a cheap meal that's quick but still somewhat healthy.
I steam some frozen green beans to throw on the side and toast up some garlic bread for a nice CRUNCH! Easy to cook up and Easy to clean up! That's my kind of Wednesday night!! 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. beef stir fry strips or cubed stew meat
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Cream of Golden Mushroom
1 Large onion or two small ones, chopped
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef stock or water
1 cup sour cream
Salt and Pepper


Directions:

In the slow cooker, spray lightly with olive oil. Salt and Pepper your beef and throw into crockpot.

In a large bowl mix together your soups, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and stock or water. Pour on top of your beef. Mix well with a large spoon so all strips are covered. 

Cook on LOW for 6 hours.

Add 1 cup of sour cream and mix well. Put lid back on and leave for 30 minutes.

In the 30 minute wait for the sour cream to blend well, you can boil your egg noodles. Drain. and then add to your crockpot. Mix well! 

Enjoy!!!! 

Garlic toast before it was "toasted" 

5-6 slices of bread 

Butter 

Minced garlic 

Pop in oven under broiler for 5 minutes. 

Italian Cloud Cookies-Vanilla Bean Icing

I've mentioned before how I have and will always continue to have a sweet tooth. Its terrible, blah blah, YOLO. Yes I said YOLO :) And sweets are just something I am not willing to give up....Its for the benefit of the ones around me, truly. It keeps me sane to bake sweets and consume them. :) Okay. So now that we've clearly went over that again I can move on to sharing this recipe...It's a true TREAT!
Italian Cloud Cookies with a Vanilla Bean Icing!

My husband and his family owned a pizzeria for about 14 years and my sister in law, Kelley took care of all the sweets. She makes some amazing cupcakes and did personal orders all the time. Plus had a variety at the dessert bar for you to choose from. I love cupcakes but sometimes I'd like a cookie....I've always loved cookies and baking them so I decided to try out a few cookie recipes and put them out at the dessert bar along with cupcakes. I did Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Monster cookies etc. but really wanted to do an Italian staple that customers might enjoy. So, the Italian Cloud Cookie was born :) It became a request more than any other cookie I had ever made, even by my husband and mother in law. I knew this recipe was a true winner and would be one that would definitely stick around. Its a lot like a sugar cookie but very small, soft, moist, fluffy, and lightly sweetened cookie that melts in your mouth.
........................The secret ingredient.....RICOTTA CHEESE!



Ingredients:

~1 cup butter ( yup, 2 sticks ) softened
~2 cups granulated sugar
~2 eggs
~15 oz. Ricotta cheese
~1 teaspoon almond extract
~4 cups AP flour
~2 teaspoons baking powder
~1 teaspoon salt

Icing:

~1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
~3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
~Caviar of one vanilla bean pod



DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl of an electric mixer cream together butter, sugar, eggs on medium speed.

Add Ricotta cheese and mix until smooth. Add Almond extract, mix again.

In a medium bowl mix your 4 cups of AP flour with baking soda and salt.

Gradually add the flour mixture to wet ingredients on low until the dough forms. It will be a tad sticky.

Drop the dough by small level spoonfuls onto a baking sheet covered with foil or parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will just be started to get golden brown on top and bottom edges.

Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack. When cooled, drizzle your icing on top and allow icing to fully set before storing.


ICING DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. Then add your caviar from vanilla bean. Stir well! 

Funny, looks like a biscuit with gravy on it