Slow Cooker Dublin Coddle...

I've blogged before about Dublin Coddle.  My friend LB reminded me that it needed trying in the slow cooker.  It turned out SO delicious and was so much easier since I didn't bother with the layering and oven-cooking steps.

Part of what makes it so easy is my Ninja Slow Cooker.  (This is not a sponsored recommendation, I just LOVE my Ninja.)  It has stove-top settings, which makes browning of meat in its non-stick liner so convenient, and no extra pan to wash.  I just sliced the sausage and bacon and put it in the liner and set on 'high' stove-top setting.

While the meat started cooking, I chopped the onions and sliced the potatoes.  Carey had picked up baby carrots instead of whole carrots, so I used those straight from the package.

As soon as the vegetables were prepped, I stirred them into the liner with the bacon and sausage.  The bacon and sausage weren't fully cooked yet, but that was okay since it was going to slow cook for four more hours.  

I poured a can of Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup over the top.  Then I almost filled the empty soup can with water and poured that over the top too, twice (or about 2 cups of water).  I pushed the potatoes down into the liquid as much as possible.  The soup is salty enough that I don't even add additional salt...maybe just some ground black pepper if I think of it.

Then I added as much torn kale (with large stems removed) as I could fit into the room that was left at the top of the pot to steam.  I put the lid on, and switched from stove-top setting to the 'high - 4 hour' slow cook setting.  When it's done, I stir the kale into the rest of the ingredients before serving.

It is SO good, and it is everybody's favorite...so much more flavorful than it is photogenic.  Jared said he could eat it every day, so I make it often, as I almost always have everything on hand.  And now it's even easier in the slow cooker!

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked sausage, sliced

1/2 pound thick slicked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 onion, roughly chopped

5 to 6 potatoes, washed and sliced (I leave peel on)

3 carrots, washed and sliced (I leave peel on) or baby carrots

2 to 3 cups tightly packed torn kale, 

      washed and large stems removed

1 can Campbell's Condensed French Onion soup

2 cups water

Directions:

Cook the sausage and bacon a bit.  In the slow cooker liner mix the onion, potatoes, and carrots to the meats and toss.  Pour soup and water over top.  Top with kale.  Cover and cook for 4 hours on high slow cooker setting.  Stir the kale into the rest of the ingredients before serving.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Twist of Faith by Ellen J. Green

I got this one for free from Kindle First Reads.  When a young woman's adoptive mother dies, she comes across a photograph of a house, and her research into finding its meaning puts her in danger and brings up family mysteries.  I'm about a third of the way through.

Breakfast for Supper...

I heard that our grocery store is reorganizing their interior...rearranging whole sections, adding more freezer cases and another aisle...how are they going to squeeze them in?  I'll bet it makes me love grocery shopping even more!  Yeah, that's not going to happen.  

Word around the neighborhood is that it is a madhouse, and the renovations are expected to take a month!  I was thinking today about how to avoid it until the work is done.  I guess it's time to try ordering online and pick up curbside.

In the meantime, I had everything in the fridge to make breakfast for dinner last night.  Mmmmm...waffles!  I had Carey take the leftover waffles over to the kids.  They can warm them in the toaster for breakfast.

Making it Monday...

Today was quilting at the library day.  I went, but wasn't feeling great...not really bad, just not really feeling the sewing mojo...so I came home early without sewing a thing.

It was probably more that I was tired than anything.  I've been doing well on going to bed earlier and getting up earlier, but last night I backslid.  I stayed up and made cards.

I love the tassel trend.  I thought I'd try my hand at making my own, so I used a joining ring from my box of jewelry findings and some twine.  Easy peasy.

Okay, this butterfly one is not my favorite, but I was using up scraps.

I picked up this ribbon recently.  I was going to use it with some other papers, but those will wait.  These papers jumped out as a good match.

 It looked so nice, I used it twice!  :)

There's not a bit of stamping on any of these.  I was working on the coffee table, and didn't want to be pulling out a lot of supplies and then have to put them all back when I was done, so I went pretty minimal.

I owe some letters.  I don't want to fall (too far) behind on my 52 Letter in 52 Weeks for the year.  I'm hoping to exceed 52 letters this year, as I want to send at least one letter per month to my mother-in-law, and then send my regular 52 out to the rest of my address book.  These should get me started.

Frugal Friday File 2018, week 1...

Successes:
1.  I'm trying not to buy books this month.  It's not hard when the books are available through the library ebook website or if a hard copy is available in the library...even if I have to wait on the reserve list...but if I really want to read it and it's not available anywhere for free?  Ouch.  Standing firm.

2.  I took the time to complete three surveys for Sonic.  Occasionally a receipt has an offer to complete a survey within two weeks of receipt date to earn a validation ID worth a free large drink.  I used to throw receipts away without checking, or just put them in my purse and forget to follow through.  Now I spend a few minutes to complete the survey.  Usually the offers are few and far between, but for some reason I've gotten one on almost every visit over the past couple of weeks.  Three free drinks!

3.  I have work scheduled in a nearby town next week and the week after.  I had to be in that town yesterday for a medical appointment, so I made sure to swing by that branch to pick up a key so I wouldn't have to make another trip just for that purpose.

4.  I am thinking about finances and  future finances, trying to simplify some steps.  One of these involves changing which account the hub's paycheck is direct deposited into, one of them involves opening another account (free) at our credit union to use to hold budgeted funds until needed...an 'escrow' account if you will for property taxes, insurance premiums, etc., and adding our executor as  joint account holder so that they can more easily pay bills if either or both of us are unable to for whatever reason.  None of these activities have expenses involved, and hopefully they will organize things in a way to make it simpler in the future.

5.  Though I have the prescription in my purse, I haven't ordered new glasses yet...the cold weather is keeping me home (it's not unbearably cold for me, but it is hard on Rudy if left outside for long)...therefore, not much gasoline being used...or shopping being done...really not much needed...I've been thinking more about what can be donated and removed from the house.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  steak, baked potatoes
Sunday:   Hungarian Goulash Fusion
Monday:  New Year's family supper at Kasey's
Tuesday:  leftovers
Wednesday:  *fried chicken
Thursday:  *Schlotzky sandwiches
Friday:  Dublin Coddle

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen

Another WWII novel.  This one was borrowed from the library.

The One Year Bible

And I started on my year of daily readings that will take me through the Bible in its entirety.

2018 word of the year and goals...

Two thousand seventeen was not my most productive year...all that time reading, I guess.

My mother always said, "Have something to show for your time."  She was not a big fan of reading for that reason...very hard to read and knit (or sew or bake or clean) at the same time.

I had already decided not to do another reading challenge this year (not that I won't be reading).  Then I started thinking about what my focus for the year should be, and the word 'produce' popped into my head for many reasons.

• I feel the need to be more creatively productive.  (see definition verb 1 above)
• There are jobs needing doing around the house.  (see definition verb 2 above)
• I need to work on my health.  (see definition noun 1 above)

With my word of the year being 'produce,' here is my goals list for the year:

Attempt to reset sleep patterns -- this means I will strive to be early(er) to bed and early(er) to rise.

Eat breakfast -- that is my main health goal for the year.  I've decided to try a breakfast smoothie as a way of getting more fruits, vegetables, vitamins/nutrients, and fiber into each day.  

Be more productive both in work and creativity -- chores and art covered by the same goal?  Yes!  Produce!

and continue to:

Write it down -- continue with weekly listing goals and to-dos...this is the best way of keeping me on track and making progress  

Finances -- focus on frugality, weekly blog post for accountability (It did keep me thinking about it when I knew I had to blog weekly, so I guess I will keep it up.)

Home -- Swiffer one room daily 

Reduce possessions -- Divest myself of ten large items (furniture, etc)  I can't think of one thing that I managed to get rid of in 2017.  I will list items this year.

Quilting -- complete ten quilts/quilted projects  (keeping this at ten, though I only finished 4 projects last year)

Read the One-Year Bible

52 Letters in 52 Weeks

And with that I will wish you all a very Happy and Healthy (and productive) New Year!