Slow Cooker Stewed Chicken

 

          

                            

                     Originally published on comfortspringstation.com on 3/4/24 

                                            #16 in post visits in 2025!

                                  

January is a cold month even here in Florida.  Cold weather always makes me crave comfort food filled with vegetables, broth, and protein.  I just love a single pot meal.  Today I’m using a crockpot to make stewed chicken.  If you are wondering what the difference is between chicken soup and chicken stew, the main difference is the amount of liquid versus the ingredients.  In soup your ingredients are usually floating in the broth while the hearty stew is filled with chunks of vegetables and meat with some broth.  Often when I plan on making chicken soup, it is in reality a stew.

 

 

The necessary ingredients are probably in most kitchens already: onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and frozen green peas or green beans. You can add both the beans and peas if you like. If you wish to add corn or peppers, feel free to adjust to your taste or what you already have.  My mother always served her stews over rice and I continue to do that. It is optional of course. Take 10 to 15 minutes to put everything in the slow cooker but the frozen peas/beans, turn it on low, and come back 30 minutes before the stew is cooked to add the frozen veggies. Some people like to use chunks of boneless, skinless chicken, but I like to use skinless chicken with the bones.  I think it adds flavor to the dish. You may serve it without thickening it or add a corn starch and broth mix at the end. Cooking time depends on your crock pot as some pots cook faster than others.  Cook time is between 6 to 7 hours.  I always say make it your own recipe with the changes you like.  This dish can be frozen, but let it cool to room temperature before freezing.  To reheat place in a pot on low on your stove top. I personally don't like to freeze food with cooked potatoes in them. Freezing pretty much destroys what I like about potatoes. I'd remove the potatoes before freezing.

 

Slow Cooker Stewed Chicken

Use organic when available. Serves 6  Prep: 15 minutes Cook time: 6.5 hours

  

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 medium sweet onions diced
• 3 celery stalks diced and a few celery leaves
• 4 carrots peeled and sliced
• 2 large peeled potatoes cut into chunks
• 1 cup frozen green peas, green beans, or vegetable mix
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground garlic
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp optional: corn starch

Instructions

• Place onions, carrots, potatoes, and seasonings in bottom of slow cooker
• Stir to combine
• Season chicken with salt and pepper
• Place on top of vegetables
• Pour chicken broth over chicken
• Place lid on cooker and cook for 6 hours
• Add frozen peas/beans/corn 30 minutes before stew is ready
• If desired, remove chicken from crock pot and remove bone and shred or cut into chunks
• Remove bay leaf
• Optional: To thicken, use corn starch with 1 tablespoon of chicken stock from pot and whisk until smooth
• Add corn starch mix to pot and mix into stew
• Cook on high with lid off for 30 minutes for stew to thicken
• Serve with crusty bread or rolls

 

  

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

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Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake

 

                                           Published on comfortspringstation.com on 9/2/20

                                                            #7 in post visits in 2025!  

 Today's recipe is a fast and easy side dish with great nutritional value.  It has such a great autumn taste with sweet potatoes, apple, and cranberries. Another tasty option is to add a handful of nuts - pecans are wonderful in it. Even though this is the perfect fall holiday dish, I eat it often throughout the year with frozen or re-hydrated dried cranberries.  I’ve even used frozen sweet potato cubes and that worked.  I would never use anything but a fresh apple for best flavor and nutrition.  I try to eat a lot of color and this dish is a perfect example.   

  Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry BakeUse organic when available. Serves 4 15 prep   45 minutes cook  Total 1 hr   Ingredients 2 large sweet potatoes peeled & cubed1 large tart apple seeded & cubed (peeled if desired)1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or re-hydrated dried cranberries2 T olive oil1 t cinnamon1/4 c maple syrup or agave nectar2 T butter or margarine optional hand full of chopped pecans  Instructions Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C)Oil or spray baking dishPlace sweet potato, apple, cranberries & nuts if using in bowlAdd oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon to bowlMix well to coat ingredientsSpoon mixture into prepared baking dishPlace 2 slices of butter or margarine on top of mixtureCover dishBake 45 minutes  & serve warm  Enjoy!   

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All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

 

 

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Originally posted on comfortspringstation.com on 12/29/15. 

Updated post on 12/28/18.   

#3 most popular post in 2025    

Written more than 25 years ago, Robert Fulghum’s best-selling book of essays, All I Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten, still speaks to millions of readers today. I discovered his ideas some years ago during a conference. I made an 8″ x 11″ sheet with this essay, laminated it, and added a magnet. I have had it on my refrigerator ever since.

I periodically re-read the words and am always touched by his wisdom. Today, I share this essay with you. It is nearing the end of the year, and as we consider changes or resolutions to improve our lives, I suggest we all contemplate these simple truths. If each of us cleans up our own messes, lives a balanced life, and sticks together, consider how much happier our families, communities, nations, and world would be.

 You can still get this 2015 free printable: 

 

 

                                                                   Download

 Quote:

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don’t hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.

 Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all – the whole world – had cookies and milk at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

 And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

  

Over the years, I’ve made 2 versions of the quote. The first version was first shared in 2015 (above). I’ve developed a new version which I hope you like. This is more colorful with leaves and flowers. It is sized 8.5″ x 11″.

 

 

 

Download

 

 

I made a larger 11″ x 14″ version for an easier to read copy.

  

Download

 

 

As with all my printables, they are for your personal use.   Please do not post these images on your own site unless you link back here.

 

 

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Roasted Potatoes & Spinach

 

                                 Originally published on comfortspringstation.com on 3/4/24 

                                            #2 in post visits in 2025!

 

I love a side dish that includes fresh greens. It not only has a great flavor, but also ups the nutrition. Today’s recipe is roasted potatoes mingled with fresh spinach in a sauce of garlic, butter, and fresh rosemary. You can finish with a good shredded hard cheese like Parmesan or Pecorino if you like.

 

 

 

 

Roasted Potatoes & Spinach

Roasted potatoes mingle with fresh spinach in a sauce of garlic, butter, salt and fresh rosemary

Use organic when available. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 small potatoes quartered
• 4 tbsp butter or margarine
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional shredded cheese like Parmesan

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
• Place potatoes in a single layer in oven-proof casserole dish
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat
• Add garlic, and cook for a minute until starts to brown
• Stir in rosemary and cook just until fragrant
• Pour sauce over potatoes
• Season with salt and pepper
• Roast uncovered in oven for about 30 minutes until potatoes are fork tender
• Remove from oven and toss with spinach and grated cheese if using
• Return to oven for 1 to 2 minutes until spinach has wilted

Enjoy!

  

 

 

 

 

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January Morning Sky

 

 

 

For the last month, as snow storms hit other areas of the country, Florida has gotten multiple cold fronts coming in from the north. You wake up to gray skies, thin gray clouds, and little sun. It looks like snow clouds to me but we’re too far south. Often the cold fronts bring us cold to the bone rain. (I know it’s not cold to northerners, but it’s cold to Floridians.) So I am always happy when the gray is blown away and blue skies return with thin wispy white clouds.

 

 

 

 The photos are from a morning when the rain stopped, and the sun came out.

 

 

 

 

Just for fun, I’m sharing a funny meme I saw on Facebook.

 

 

 

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Why I'm Moving My Blog to Blogspot

 

 

 How comfortspringstation.com is now Carol On the Lake!

 

I've been blogging over 13 years using WordPress.org.  It has been difficult to work with at  times & keep up with the software changes.  I will be 78 years old in April, and I've decided to slow down on my blog.  I discussed this some at the beginning of January. Although I like WordPress, it does cost money. Yes, I had control, and the content was mine.  I no longer want to pay for my blog. Comfort Spring has problems with its HTML.  I am not a maven in this area nor an IT person. I can't even get a backup of it unless I pay several hundred dollars for a professional to do it. I am trying to not spend more $$$$ to do this. I can live without the whole blog. I've made a couple of drafts on blogger. It's easy to work with and I like that.

 Someday I'll stop blogging. I've seen blogs I visited when I first started just disappear. The bloggers had beautiful blogs with great posts.  When they quit blogging, those blogs were gone. One of the earliest bloggers who befriended me when I started is an exception. She hosted parties, wrote wonderful posts on decorating her home, and shared beautiful photos. Life comes in phases or stages. She sold her home in south Texas & moved to be close to her daughter in another city. Her blog from blogger is still online, even though it hasn't had an update since 2015.

Two years ago, I sold my home in Port Richey, Florida. I moved east to a condominium in Lakeland. I have my apartment decorated the way I like, there's no maintenance for me to worry about, and I can easily age in place here, hopefully indefinitely.  Every Monday afternoon I hear the workers from our lawn service company mowing, clipping, and blowing away grass.  There are 2 young ladies who clean the outside walkways in my condo building. It's mostly sunny days, and I'd rather be hot in the summer than freezing in the winter. Well, that's not exactly working this week, but still life is good.

 Now I am working on this new blog called "Carol On The Lakes". I am adding the top 20 most popular posts in 2025 according to my Jetpack plugin statistics. I hope done with the top 20 posts by next week.  Thanks for visiting & I'd love to hear what you think.

 

Easy Cucumber & Onion Salad

 

                                           Published on comfortspringstation.com on 6/21/21

                                                   Ranked #5 in post visits in 2025 

 

 There are some summer dishes that are just easy classics using fresh garden ingredients.  Today’s recipe is the perfect example, Cucumber & Onion Salad. Slice cucumbers and onion, mix a quick marinade of vinegar, sugar,  salt and pepper.  The longer you marinate it, the better it tastes, but you can do a quick pickling.

 

 

 

 

The kind of vinegar you use is really a personal choice. I really like organic apple cider vinegar’s crisp taste, plus it has such great benefits for your health. There are claims to all sorts of benefits, many of which are supported by science.  This includes weight loss, reduced cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels and improved symptoms of diabetes. Of course, if you prefer white vinegar, red wine vinegar or rice vinegar, feel free to substitute.

I do not add water to the marinade like many recipes.  The cucumbers release water as they soak.  If you find the dressing too strong, you can dilute it with a little water.  I’ve seen many recipes for this dish that call for a lot of sugar.  If you need to increase the sugar, try increasing to the same amount as the vinegar – 2/3 cup.  If like me, you love fresh herbs, sprinkle a little dill on the salad.  Parsley or basil is also good.  Also, I am using a red onion as I love the color in the salad, but you could easily slice a white one too. A Vidalia is a good choice.

 

 

Cucumber & Onion Salad

 

Use organic when available. If you want to make a traditional southern marinade, it’s a simple recipe.

An easy and refreshing side dish of fresh cucumber and onion slices in a marinade of vinegar and sugar, with salt and pepper. Serves 5

Cuisine American

 

 Ingredients

• 4 large cucumbers
• 1 onion, red or white
• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine or rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional fresh herbs like dill or basil

 

 

 

 Instructions

•     Peel and slice cucumber into thin slices
•     Halve and slice onion into thin slices
•     Mix cucumbers and onions in large bowl
•     Mix in second bowl vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper
•     Stir until sugar dissolves
•     Pour marinade over vegetables and toss to coat
•     Optional sprinkle fresh dill, parsley, or basil on salad
•     Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes
•     Serve chilled

 

Enjoy your fresh garden salad!

 

 

 

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Cheesy Broccoli Potato Bake

 Originally Published 9/6/21 on comfortspringstation.com

#1 in post visits in 2025!

 

Two of my favorite vegetables are broccoli & potatoes.Today's recipe combines the two with melted cheese for a comforting side dish or main entrée for a meatless meal. Add a salad & a piece of fruit to complete a vegetarian dinner. I'm using grated Gouda & mozzarella in my dish, but you could use cheddar cheese instead of Gouda.  Mozzarella is relatively low in fat & calories.  This makes it a healthier cheese option. I also chose low or no fat dairy products to lower the fat content of the dish, but you'd never know it from the taste.

 

 

If you do meal planning for your family, I would suggest you make baked potatoes one night with 3 extra potatoes. Use the 3 the next day with this cheesy casserole. I use broccoli florets & stem in the casserole. Peel the stem & chop. As a matter of fact, if you use the florets the day before, you can easily just use the stem pieces in this dish.

 

Cheesy Broccoli & Potato Bake

Use organic when available. Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main entrée.

 

Ingredients

  3 medium baked potatoes cooled
  1 large head of broccoli
  1/2 cup low fat sour cream
  1/4 cup skim milk
  1/4 tsp dried garlic powder
  1/4 tsp dried onion powder
  2 spring onions trimmed and sliced
 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded Gouda cheese
 1/2 cup low fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
 salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C)
• Spray casserole dish with cooking spray
• Break head of broccoli into florets
• Trim. peel, and chop broccoli stem
• Steam broccoli until crispy tender
• Reserve 1 tbsp of each cheese
• Mix all ingredients together to coat
• Arrange ingredients in a casserole dish
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes
• Sprinkle reserved cheese on top
• Return to oven to melt cheese
• Serve hot 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

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A Fast Meal of Linguine With Red Clam Sauce

 

                                          Published on comfortspringstation.com on 2/6/23

                                                Ranked #4 in visits in 2025! 

Need a meal in a hurry? Today’s recipe is an Italian pasta classic, Linguine with Red Clam Sauce. Delicious clams in a savory tomato sauce make an easy meal that is on the table in 30 minutes. I’m using canned clams, which can be a staple pantry item, for a quick meal. Drain the clams and reserve the clam juice. You’ll use juice from 2 cans in this recipe and add more if the sauce is too thick. You can use the rest in other recipes. The classic dish calls for linguine, but if you don’t have it, spaghetti works well too. Start with a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce. Add a few flavorful ingredients like capers and anchovy paste and cook with a quality white wine. If you try it with a cheap not so good wine, you can tell the difference in flavor.

 

Linguine with Red Clam Sauce

Use organic when available. Serves 4

A fast and easy meal of delicious clams in a savory tomato sauce over linguine.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

• 4 cans 6 oz cans of chopped clams (or minced clams)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 clove garlic minced
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp anchovy paste
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 24 oz jar of tomato pasta sauce like marinara
• 1 lb linguine or spaghetti
• 1/2 cup good quality dry white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Drain clams and reserve liquid
• Put oil in pan over medium heat & add garlic, parsley, capers, anchovy paste, & pepper flakes
• Cook for 2 minutes but don't brown garlic
• Add pasta sauce
• Rinse sauce jar with 1/4 cup of clam juice & add to pan
• Add clam juice from 2 cans of clams (reserve clams) & white wine
• Stir well
• Bring to simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes
• Cook pasta in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente
• Drain pasta and return to big pot (no heat)
• Add clams to sauce
• Pour sauce over pasta
• Put lid on pot and let it sit for about 3 minutes to finish cooking w/o heat
• Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, & pepper
• Serve with crusty bread and a green salad
• Optional garnish chopped fresh parsley or extra cheese 

  Enjoy!

 

  

 

 

 

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