Monthly Archives: July 2012

Casseroles, Crock pot, Main Dishes

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken & Rice Casserole

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Slow cookers are amazing, because you just put dinner in, go off to work or class, and come home to a fresh hot meal. I had a busy day planned, so I decided to use up some freezer food and make dinner a snap: I would make chicken casserole in the Crock Pot.
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Ingredients:
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 bag frozen vegetables
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Seasonings (Nature’s, black pepper and garlic)
Step 1: Put the chicken on the bottom of the sprayed pot.
Step 2: Mix rice & water, pour in.
Step 3: Cover with cream of chicken soup.
Step 4: Add the frozen veggies.
Then just cover tightly and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through before serving. Makes about 4 servings. Simple, cheap, quick. Enjoy!
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Urban foraging

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One of the many fringe benefits to going to walks/runs around the neighborhood is that I get to know where things are. If you just pay attention to your surroundings, there are so many interesting things to see! I am always on the lookout for a new source of free fruit, because the majority of people in a college town have no idea what a mulberry is, let alone will eat them. Therefore all the “wild” fruit goes to waste smashed on the ground or eaten by birds. I’ve heard that there is some law stating that any fruit which hangs over property lines is public property, but I’m not sure…
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Anyways, so I was jogging yesterday, and noticed a tree with dark purply-red leaves, with small smashed circles of pulp all around it. I stopped to inspect, and it was a plum tree! Tiny, golf-ball-sized reddish plums. I of course picked a few, and took them home to wash and try them. They were amazing! The flesh gave as soon as you bit into it, the outer pulp was sweet and soft, while the pulp closest to the seed was more sour and tangy.
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I had never had a plum like this from a store. And after 3, I did not get sick in any way, so I went back for more today! Just from what I could reach, and carry home, I got probably 4 dozen little plums. These will be great to snack on and take to the lake tomorrow for the 4th! And I feel no guilt, because judging from the amount of fruit on the ground, and the amount still left on the tree, even if the tree’s owners wanted some they will still find plenty.
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Another fruit tree I’ve found is a gigantic mulberry tree. This one was in front of a house for rent, and the porch was the perfect height to gather. The owner was home fixing it up, so I asked if I could pick the mulberries, and he said he didn’t even know what they are! Growing up, my grandmother had 8 mulberry trees, so our hands and faces were stained purple all summer long. I rushed home for a bucket and spent an hour re-living childhood…
Moral of the story is, get outside and be observant! You never know what free treats you may find.