Lentil Bacon Potato Soup

Ok, so I realize that the picture is not the most appetizing but I felt like I should still add it either way.
So the other day I tried a lentil soup at my sister-in-laws, and although it was good, I had this idea in my head of what I wanted it to taste like, so I went home the next day, looked up many recipes of lentil soup and came up with this concoction, (which if I say so myself turned out great!). Even Abel liked it (Haley's hubby) and what I hear is unless its meat and rice he is hard to please...haha.
Anyway, this is a very simple crock-pot recipe for you busy moms (or other busy people) and its hearty and warm for the cold weather.

Ingredients:
5 slices of bacon, diced
1/2 an onion, diced
4-5 carrots, chopped
1 lb. of dry lentils, rinsed and picked over
3-4 medium potatoes, washed or peeled and cubed
8 c of water
5 bouillon cubes (enough for 5 c of water)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Turn on your crock-pot to high heat and put in the bacon, onion, and carrot. (I cut them up as I went so they had a little time to start cooking while I was cutting up everything else) Add the lentils and 5 cups of water. Let them cook for 1 1/2-2 hours. Come back and add the last 3 cups of water, the bouillon and the potatoes. Cook for another 2-3 hours. This not exact so keep an eye on it. As soon as the lentils and potatoes are soft it is finished. You may need to add more water depending on the consistency you want (I really liked mine thick). Also taste it and if you need to add more bouillon, salt or pepper, go for it (even a bay leaf at the beginning would be a great idea!)
We ate this with a slice of crusty bread...yum!

Side notes: Keep in mind that this recipe is variable. If you want more onion or carrots or any other vegetables give it a try. Lentils have a great creamy texture so they really work well with many other ingredients. Let me know if you try something different, I'd love to hear of the variations you come up with!

Thanks for reading,
Sydney

Crock Pot Cinnamon Rolls

I am ALWAYS craving treats and I give into my cravings EVERY TIME. The craving I have the most is for homemade cinnamon rolls, my homemade cinnamon rolls. (It's actually a recipe I got from Sydney. Haha.) Either way, they are delicious, but it's hard to make them all the time because they just take so long from start to finish. I mean the dough has to rise, you have to roll them out, an then they have to rise again! Come on now. 

Anyway, I've been looking for a quicker and much easier way to satisfy my sweet tooth and I think I finally found a good way to do just that! I found this easy recipe to make called "cinnamon rolls"that you cook in the crock pot. I would actually consider this more of a cinnamon pull apart bread or maybe cinnamon buns. And they don't actually take less time, but they are a lot less hassle and they're pretty tasty. You just put them in the crock pot and forget about them.

This is the finished product with extra frosting! Just the way I like it!

I found this recipe from "Get Crocked".

1 can of biscuits (found in the refrigerated section of your grocery)

1/4 c. melted butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

pecan pieces (optional)

Glaze:

1 1/3 c. powdered sugar

2 T. milk

First, coat your crock pot lightly with cooking spray. Mix the melted butter and vanilla in one bowl. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Open your can of biscuits and dip them into the melted butter mixture, roll them into the sugar mixture, and then place them in the crock pot. Now would be the time to put in the pecan pieces if you want. I didn't have them, so I didn't use them.

 Turn your crock pot on low and place a paper towel between the rim and the lid. This will make it so no condensation drips down on the rolls and makes them gross. Cook for 2-3 hours. 

This is what mine looked like after cooking for about 40ish minutes. I couldn't help but keep peeking! I was skeptical that it would actually work.. But they do! And they taste GREAT!

When they are finished, pour a glaze or frosting over them and enjoy!! 

**Note: Depending on how hot your "low" setting is, I think they probably could be done in less time than 2 hours. I checked mine at 2 hours and they were done, so just make sure you check them. Also, if you have multiple layers of buns, the time may need to be adjusted.