Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was the first American to write a recipe for ice cream? Did you know that Mrs. Hill’s New Cook Book was the major southern cookbook published in the aftermath of the Civil War?  If not, you definitely need to read American Food Writing: An Anthology With Classic Recipes.  This is an excellent collection of essays, anecdotes, and recipes that span over three centuries (and yes, some of the old recipes aren’t too bad either!).  There is really interesting chapter on the thirteen course meal (I am still trying to figure out how to eat that much and can you imagine the dishes?!?).  There are more than 50 recipes that range from vintage (like the Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream recipe) to modern (like Lady Bird’s Pedernales Chili). Some surprising authors that are included in here are Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Whitman, Thomas Wolfe, Willa Cather, and Langston Hughes.  Who knew they all were interested in food?  Chefs and critics discuss culinary philosophies and offer advice on the finer points of techniques too. This is a must have for all foodies.

I always love easy to make slow cooker recipes. I love being able to throw together a few things in the morning, and then have supper ready for that evening. Like tonight, Bill was over an hour late, but the kids and I were able to eat.

1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce)
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 lb beef stew meat
4 potatoes
1 bag baby carrots (16oz)
1 large onion, cut into chunks
3 tbsp tastefully Simple Bacon Bacon Seasoning (A couple pieces of chopped up bacon should work too)
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp water

Mix broth, dressing, BBQ sauce, and oregano in a bowl. Put all remaining ingredients in the slow cooker except for the flour and water.  Pour bowl mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 8 - 9 hours (or 4 - 5 hours on high).

Fifteen minutes before you want to serve, use a slotted spoon and transfer meat and veggies to a serving bowl.  Cover with foil.

In a bowl, mix the flour and water until well blended.  Stir into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.  Spoon over meat and vegetables.

We were so hungry when I made this easy to make slow cooker that I forgot to take pictures!

3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 chopped onion
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 lbs boneless round steak
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup water

Place the potatoes, onion, and carrots into the slow cooker. Cut the steak into six pieces and place meat on top of the vegetables. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, soup, and water. Then pour the mixture over the beef.

Cover and cook on low for 7 - 10 hours.

This easy to make recipe is take off of our well known french toasts. However, if you are looking for something a little different, definitely try out these french toast rounds.

I recommend using Wolferman’s English Muffins for this recipe for several reasons.  First, I love the size of them.  That is literally the first thing you will notice.  If you are like me, you are buying whatever is cheaper at the store.  However, cheap does not equal same quality.  Wolferman’s English Muffins are double the size of what I normally buy.  I also noticed right away that I didn’t have to slice these open.  With little ones, I try to use knives the least amount as possible.  These you just have to gently pull them apart.  These are super yummy too.  I cannot believe the taste difference.  When you open the bag, you immediately can smell the flavor.  The cinnamon and raison english muffins is one of the best scents.  Another favorite flavor for our house was the Apple Orchards (I liked the scent of this one too).  If you need english muffins, I highly recommend Wolferman’s.  Without further ado, here is the recipe:

4 Wolferman’s 1910 Original Signature English Muffins (you could also use the Honey & Oats, Cinnamon & Raisin, and Cranberry English Muffins)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until well blended. Heat a lightly oiled griddle to medium/hot. Dip both sides of the muffin halves into the egg mixture. Place slices on heated griddle. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Both my kids and I liked this (hubby missed it due to being at the Chicago Bears game).  Let me know if you have a great french toast recipe I should try on our next bag of English muffins.

Now, you know I like to pass along tips (like my tip of the day feature I do daily).  If any of you are food bloggers (and I know several of you are), you definitely need to check out Dragon Naturally Speaking (and the Mac version is called Dictate.  Since I have a PC, I own Dragon Naturally Speaking).  I know you are asking yourself why?  Well, this software has literally made writing posts for this blog ten times easier!

How many times have you found yourself writing yourself notes on recipes that you are making?  I know I do this all the time — especially when I am modifying a recipe for my family.  I also find myself writing notes that I want to include on my posts on the recipe itself.  Wouldn’t life be easier if you could dictate this recipe while you were cooking it?  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to add your notes when you were making the recipe instead of having to remember them?  I can’t tell you how much time I have saved using this software. Want to see how easy this is to use?

Now, if he can use it on a windy day, you can use it in your kitchen. I use mine with screaming children in the background with no problems (note: if you accidentally swear, because you burned yourself it, it will record those words down. Not that I know this from experience or anything). I am writing this post right now with Dragon Naturally Speaking, and my children are right here playing like they normally do. Now, I have a wired headset for my computer. I just keep everything right next to the stove, so I can keep the headset on and cook. However, you can buy Bluetooth headsets, and will not have that problem! Oh yeah, and instead of typing what you normally do (if you don’t know, check out Dragon’s typing speed test), you can be typing around 150 words per minute. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. Watch the difference:

Amazing, isn’t it? Now, there are so many more uses that you can use this for in your home. You don’t need a cooking blog to make use of this. I have four other blogs I use this on. I also am able to answer emails, IMs, and even making out my grocery shopping list! What uses for this would you have in your house?