'Baked' Potatoes

A super easy way to bake potatoes. Great for Sunday dinner (they cook while you are gone) or if it's too hot to turn on the oven. (Though why you would want hot potatoes when it's that hot out I don't know.) Anyway, here it is.

6 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean and left whole

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil. Stack the wrapped potatoes in the crock pot. Do not add any liquid. Put the lid on and cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 10 hours. Fewer potatoes = less time.

Cooking Beans the easy way (in the Crock Pot)

Here's a recipe for cooking beans in the crock pot. I love it because there is no soaking, you can pretty much ignore them while they are cooking, and they are so much cheaper than canned beans! Did I mention it's really easy?

1 (16-oz.) package of dried beans, rinsed and picked over
5 cups very hot tap water

1. In a 3-1/2 quart crock pot, combine the beans and hot water.
2. Cover and cook on the high heat setting 3 to 4 hours (or on low heat for 5 to 7 hours), until the beans are tender but not falling apart.
3. Drain the beans into a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well before using.

The cooking time can vary depending on the size and age of the beans.

If you don't want to use the cooked beans all at once, you can put them in ziploc bags and store them in the freezer. Then just pull them out and toss them in your soups, salads, whatever!

Calling all Crock Pot Recipes!!!!

Ladies,

If you get a moment, would you please post your favorite crock pot recipe. (or as many as you like) :)

Beatta, I have had a request for your homemade syrup recipe. Could you post that?

Thanks

Health Study

Hey Ladies-

As some of you may remember I had a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum during my pregnancy. I am trying to participate in a study to look at genetic factors related to this condition in the hope that some useful information might be gleaned to help women with this condition in the future.

I am looking for a volunteer to be my control. This person needs to have at least 2 pregnancies that went beyond 27 weeks, little or no nausea with the pregnancies, and no weight loss due to nausea.

If you volunteer to be my control, you will be asked to contribute genetic material, via a swab of the mouth and fill out some health questionnaires. They will mail the cotton swabs to you so you don't have to do any travel.

If anyone is willing and able to do this, please let me know.

Thanks,
Kristen

Joy School Tips

So, I am thinking about starting a Joy School for Tommy and I am wondering if the girls who have done this (or just have any ideas) could give me some tips/advice. Does anyone have any experience in this? I would like it to be just about once a week and pretty simple. Thanks.