Ever since my baby was born, I feel like I've sucked at being a housewife. My poor husband is stuck eating sandwiches most days for dinner. How boring!

This past week, I have been trying to find good crockpot meals to make for dinner. The problem is, I've noticed that most of the pinned crockpot recipes on Pinterest take A LOT of prep work. That just isn't practical for this new momma. I'm sure there are others of you in the same boat I'm in.

Anyways, there have been several go-to crockpot recipes I made quite frequently before I was even pregnant and I realized it wouldn't hurt to resurrect them. I've adapted one of the ones I found online to make it my own and seeing as I made it yesterday for dinner, I'd definitely say it's doable with a newborn in the house! This recipe makes about 4 servings (for big eaters!), but it'd be quite easy to double if you want some leftovers!

Enjoy!

Recipe: Crockpot Beef and Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Alright folks. I told you in a previous post that if my attempt at making homemade coffee creamer came out good, I would share the recipe. Well, it came out amaaaaazing. I feel like I'm drinking REAL coffee now! It would be wrong of me to not give Crystal from MrsHappyHomemaker.com a shout out though; after all, she is the one who came up with this glorious recipe. THANK YOU, CRYSTAL!!

It is SUCH a simple recipe with a TON of variations. I made the French Vanilla one for this first attempt so that is the recipe I will be sharing...but if you want to try all the other flavors, visit Crystal's original post here!

Recipe: Homemade Coffee Creamer

Ingredients:

Instructions:

I live in England. So naturally, you can't find many of the delicacies most Americans take for granted—one of them being none other than (drumroll, please!) coffee creamer.

My fellow American friend living in the UK and I have recently been discussing making our own coffee creamers. It was kinda just something we talked about without actually doing...until today. I built up the courage to do some research. I was expecting to find recipes with a bajillion different ingredients that I'd never be able to find in England, but to my pleasant surprise, I found one that looks feasible!

Stay tuned, folks! If this comes out good, I will most definitely be sharing the recipe!

I'm quite obsessive compulsive in the kitchen. I have a hard time sharing the kitchen with other people because everyone does things differently. One thing that I am extremely careful about, that most people don't even notice, is keeping spice bottles clean. I absolutely hate when I pick up a salt shaker and it makes my hands sticky.

Despite my OCD, old bottle of spices often do get sticky. This is why, with the not-so-often-used spices, rather than buying my own bottle, I prefer to make it on an as needed basis. Cajun Seasoning is one of those things I use only one every blue moon. Today, I made my own!

Recipe: Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Ingredients:

Last week, [I think it was last week—time is a blur in my head when Craig is off from work] I shopped at Aldi for my groceries instead of the normal Tesco. My order was £30-something instead of the £40-something it would have been in Tesco. I felt like it was a revolutionary shopping trip and Craig and I decided we were going to continue to shop at Aldi from now on.

Mysupermarket.co.uk is an INCREDIBLE shopping tool. (There's an American version out there too, for you American readers...check out mysupermarket.com!) It lets you pick your items from any store and it compares prices with all the other popular grocery stores! If it can't find a specific item, it replaces it with something similar. I've been using this site since I moved to the UK and it's been soooo helpful. It also helps me not to go wild when I get to the store and see a bunch of things on sale because then I already have my list of items I am planning to buy.

Last week, when Craig and I went, I used the mobile app for this site and took screenshots for him. We both went around the store looking at the images of the items on our phones and racing to see who could find more items first. It was actually fun! Who ever thought food shopping could be that much of an adventure!

Moral of the story: I think everyone should check out this site!

I looooove eggs. I can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never get sick of them. Sometimes, I am lazy and just scramble them really quickly because I can't be bothered to wait to eat. Other days, like today, I feel like being a little more creative. A potato hash is one of those meals that can't really go wrong! It has a bunch of my favorite ingredients and is quite easy to make!

Recipe: Fried Egg Over Potato Hash

Ingredients:

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Last night was a blast! I love spending time with friends and when that involves eating as well, it is absolutely perfect!

We went to Rodizio Rico, a Brazilian BBQ place in the city centre. It's one of those places where they give you this little token thing that has a red side and a green side. As long as you have it flipped with the green side showing, they keep coming by with large pieces of different kinds of meats. When you get full, you just flip it over to the red side so they know to stop. Since it was my third time there, I knew exactly which meats I wanted and which to avoid...so it made it easier to pace myself and not get way too full way too fast.

Afterwards, we went back to Dave and Clare's house and had ice cream. You can always make room for ice cream!

You know that feeling when you have a food craving that wont seem to go away until it is fulfilled? I've been craving some gooey, chewy chocolate chip cookies for a few weeks now. Stores just don't sell the gooey ones—and crunchy ones just aren't the same. So I decided to make my own.

Recipe: Homemade Gooey, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened 
• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed 
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (that's 180°C or gas mark 4 for you English folks). 
2. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 
3. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until completely incorporated. 
4. Add flour mixture in 3 additions; scraping down the bowl after each addition. 
5. Mix in chocolate chips. 
6. Either grease cookie sheets or cover in parchment paper. 
7. Drop 1 tablespoon sized balls onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. These cookies will spread! 
8. Bake 8-10 minutes in preheated oven. DO NOT bake more than 10 minutes. Warning: when you remove the cookies from the oven, they wont look done. Don't worry about that...take them out anyway.
9. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet (by this point they will look done!) and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If you are impatient and try to eat them before they are cool (we’ve all been this person!), the cookies will fall apart and they will seem underdone. Patience is a virtue!

I have a reputation among my family and friends of being a rabbit. I love snacking on raw vegetables!

Today, I experienced something strange. I bought some string beans from Tesco with the intention of eating them raw (as I often do with veggies). I happened to glance at the label and read, "Caution: Do not eat raw." I was confused why it was so dramatic sounding and proceeded to google it. Now, I'm scared. This is what I found.

Raw beans are poisonous because they contain prussic (hydrocyanic) acid, which is rendered not dangerous only by cooking. It was only in 1957 that prussic acid protein was discovered in string beans. A few hours after eating raw beans or bean seeds, some individuals become sick from low blood pressure, vomiting, stomach ache, circulation problems, convulsions, or heart palpitations. These poison symptoms are possible with all beans. The susceptibility to these reactions to beans is heriditary. Because they contain protein - Phasin?, raw beans can result in nausea and vomiting in sensitive people, which can be disrupted by heat. String beans nourish the blood and strengthen the nerves and bones. They help reduce high blood pressure and improve the function of insulin. However, they cannot replace medical treatments for diabetes. They are prophylactic/preventive. Correct preparation: Always eat green beans cooked or steamed -- as a side dish or a salad. Careful: raw beans are poisonous. Plant poisonings are the most common cause of calls to the poison control center. Poisonous plants include arnica, Aronstab, henbane, raw string beans, holly, dieffenbachia, yew, monkshood, foxglove (digitalis), laburnum, autumn crocus, cactus with poisonous spines, lupine, cockchafer, narcissus, oleander, castor, poppy, hemlock, thornapple, deadly nightshade, Christmas star, meadow hogweed, bryony, green and unripe potatoes, green pieces of grown potato tubers lying on the ground, and also green, unripe tomatoes and many other flowers and berries.

Doctor friends, what do you think?

I just can't do it.

I always either burn them or have oil splatters all over my kitchen.

What's the secret, people? Medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes per side?

PLEASE HELP ME.

Something so simple shouldn't be so difficult.

Up until two days ago, I had no idea what a Flapjack was. I've tasted store-bought flapjacks before, but the consistency was all wrong. I didn't even know that flapjacks were supposed to have oats in them! Based on the store-bought ones I tasted, I decided I don't really like flapjacks.

Then, a friend came over for a baking day. She brought along her mother's flapjack recipe and made a new convert out of me.

Two days later, I desperately needed to make a new tray because my husband and I had already finished the previous batch! It is the simplest recipe ever....Here's to getting fat! :P

Recipe: Flapjacks

Ingredients:

• 150 grams butter (2/3 cup)
• 2 Tbsp. golden syrup or treacle (molasses)
• 200 grams sugar (1 cup)
• 300 grams oats (3 1/3 cups)

Instructions:

1. Melt butter and syrup
2. Mix in sugar and then the oats
3. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet
4. Bake at 170ºC for 15-20 minutes

Yesterday, we had some friends over after church. I made a Mexican food feast but then made an English dessert (or pudding, as they call it here in the land of Eng) to go along with it. I'm working on mastering my crumbles.

This is a recipe that was given to me by a friend, but I altered it slightly to make it a tad more American. I can't help myself :P

The photo isn't so great....I completely forgot about taking a photo until after we dug into it! But at least it gives some sort of visual!

Mixed Fruit Crumble

Homemade Pumpkin Pie
Makes 2 traditional sized pies

Ingredients: 
• 2 cups pumpkin purée
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (increase to 1 cup if you like your pie sweeter)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp ground cloves if you don't have any pumpkin pie spice on hand)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy, almond or rice milk (I prefer soy!)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly.
2. Pour mixture into pie crusts.
3. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for 45 additional minutes.

I thought living in a country that lacked Target was bad...and then I realized I lacked more than Target...Trader Joe's is lacking too! What a catastrophe!

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water (or apple juice!)
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée

Instructions:
1. Combine everything in a medium saucepan over medium-low, stirring occasionally.
2. Once mixture begins to bubble, lower heat and allow to simmer.
3. Check roughly every 10 minutes and stir so the mixture along the edges of the saucepan doesn't burn.
4. When mixture becomes thick (so it doesn't slip off of a spoon—roughly 40-50 minutes), remove from heat.
5. Allow to cool, then enjoy!
6. Store in a glass jar inside the fridge.

• One (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 2 tsp sugar 
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
• 1 tsp salt 
• Cornmeal, for the baking sheet

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• ½ tsp baking soda 
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt 
• ½ tsp cinnamon 
• 2 Tbsp butter (room temp.) 
• ½ cup pumpkin purée 
• ⅓ cup brown sugar 
• ⅓ cup white sugar 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1½ cup rolled oats 
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries or nuts (optional)

Hilda Grahnat, one of my favorite bloggers, posted a blog on her favorite holiday snack. I, along with several others, requested her recipe and she was kind enough to share it! I did a little bit of altering, since ingredients are a little different in Sweden than they are in America so here is my final recipe! (Decimal measurements might be a little awkward too, but they will suffice!) Enjoy! :)

.6 cup golden honey
1 cup brown sugar
7 oz butter
3/4 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tbsp ground cloves
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
.6 cup heavy cream
1 tsp baking soda
5 cups flour

Stir honey, brown sugar, butter and spices to a batter. This is easiest if the butter is either melted or room temperature. Whip cream into foam and mix it in with the batter. Mix baking soda with flour and add flour to batter little by little. Make a "dough loaf" and let cool in the refrigerator over night, covered in aluminum foil.

Use rolling pin to make a thin layer of the dough. Use extra flour on the roller if the dough too sticky, but not too much! Use baking shapes and lift the shaped cookies onto a baking pan covered in foil. Bake at 395˚F for 6-10 minutes or until brown enough. Careful, they burn easily! Move onto a cooling rack. Serve when cool and store leftovers in a closed metal or glass (not plastic) jar.

By the way, this recipe makes approximately 7 dozen cookies. Yes, SEVEN dozen, aka 84 cookies. A lot, I know. Perfect for family gatherings for the holidays.

(Photo Credit: Yours Truly—had to give myself some credit since I'm pleased with the way this photo came out!)