Mary Anne Black's Refrigerator Muffin Mix

Benjamin asked for this one from our friend Mary Anne. You'd never know from the great taste that it is quite good for you, too! Mary Anne tells us that she keeps the mix in the fridge and cooks up a few in the morning for breakfast.

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups natural wheat bran
2 cups all bran cereal
3 Tbsp baking soda
5 cups buttermilk or sour milk
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups raisins (or chocolate chips)

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients except baking soda. In another bowl, stir baking soda and buttermilk together. Add oil, eggs and molasses and beat well with mixer. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid and mix well. Stir in raisins. Store in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.

TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease pan or use paper muffin cups. Stir mixture well and fill tins 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Great slow-cook Chili

Here is our perfected recipe for chili in a slow cooker. Spicy enough to be great flavor, but mild enough that all the kids like it too! We've used this for many pot-luck dinners and it is always popular and appreciated.

2 lbs ground beef
2 onions, diced and cooked with the ground beef
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
28 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well (we often use a six-bean medley instead)
12 oz. can kernel corn, drained

14 oz can cut green beans

14 oz can cut yellow beans
20 to 24 oz can tomato sauce
1.5 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano leaves

Cook ground beef and onions, drain. Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 hours. Serve with your favorite breadrolls. Serves 6-9.

VEGAN VERSION:

Replace ground beef with 2 cans (about 15oz each) black beans which have been rinsed, drained and slightly mashed to give an appropriate texture.  Add 1/2 tsp salt to the recipe.  Caramelize onions in a small frypan, then add all ingredients to slow cooker.

Basic Three-Bean Salad

Use one or two cans (drained) total of any combination of the following:
Cut green beans
Cut yellow beans
Kernal corn

Add one or two cans (drained and rinced) of the following:
Red kidney beans
Chick-peas or garbonzo beans
Mixed bean salad beans

Chop finely and add:
Mild onion
Red or yellow pepper

Combine and pour over:
½ cup salad oil
½ cup cider vinegar (or other flavoured vinegar)
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt (optional)
Pepper
Herbs, to taste

Mix well, refrigerate before serving. Improves with marinating overnight or longer.

Cranberry Dijon Pork Roast

We have enjoyed this slow-cooker roast several times recently and it is a pleasant treat. The cranberries add a nice zing. This recipe is adapted from "The Slow Cooker Bible"

½ cup apple sauce
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 boneless pork loin roast (2-3 lbs), lean
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp grated orange peel (optional)
½ cup to 1 cup dried cranberries

Pour apple sauce into slow cooker. Combine allspice, salt and pepper; sprinkle over roast. Place meat in slow cooker. Blend mustard, honey, and orange peel and spread over roast. Sprinkle with cranberries.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours until meat is tender.

Remove meat to serving platter. Slice meat and serve with remaining sauce. Makes about 6-8 servings.