Crock Pot Applesauce

The last week of September is when many classrooms around the United States remember an American Legend by the name of Johnny Appleseed.  My class was no exception.  We spent the week of his birthday learning about the tall tale genre and the real person, John Chapman, from which the Johnny Appleseed story originated.  To conclude our unit of study my students enjoyed some rather tasty crock pot applesauce that we had prepared together earlier in the morning.  To find a recipe that would please even the pickiest of critics (second graders) I did some online research and eventually, after borrowing a couple of ideas from here and there, came up with one that was just right! 

Here's my simple and delicious recipe for homemade applesauce:

First, peel and core 12 large gala apples.  We used an old fashion apple peeler that my teaching partner brought in from home and demonstrated how to use with the help of all our eager students.  I'm looking into buying one myself.  The one below is only $28.00 from William Sonoma.

William Sonoma Peeler/Corer

Next, we sliced the peeled/cored apples into quarters and placed the pieces into a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice and stirred together well.  Then, we added 1/4 cup of apple juice to the bottom of the crockpot, topped it with the apple mixture, covered and let it cook on high for about four hours.  In between I would occasionally peek on it and give it a stir.  The aroma of the apples cooking was delightful!  Before serving to my students I used a potato masher to break the cooked apples down into a sauce and gave it about a half hour to cool.  The sauce was still warm but not too hot and the kids loved it!



Turkey Enchilada Pasta

After Thanksgiving I had an abundance of turkey leftover so I tried another Better Homes and Gardens casserole recipe called enchilada pasta.  The original calls for chicken but turkey was a suitable substitution. 

Here's what you need:
1 12-oz. pkg. dried jumbo shell macaroni
3 large green and/or red sweet peppers, chopped 
1-1/2 cups chopped red onion
1 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (or turkey)
1 16-oz. can refried beans
1/2 of a 1.25 oz. envelope taco seasoning mix (3 Tbsp.)
2 10-oz. cans enchilada sauce
1 8-oz. pkg. shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend
1 cup sliced green onions
2 cups tortilla chips, crushed (2 oz.)
Avocado dip and/or sour cream


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse; drain and set aside.
2. In skillet cook sweet peppers, onion, jalapeño, and 1/4 tsp. salt in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, beans, taco seasoning mix, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup each of the cheese and green onions.
3. Divide filling among shells. Spread 1 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce in 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange shells atop sauce. Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce.
4. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chips and remaining green onions. Serve with avocado dip and/or sour cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Thanksgiving Favorites

Last year I posted our Thanksgiving favorites.  This year I am posting them again, with a few new additions.  The first is my variation of Paula Deen's recipe for green bean casserole. 

Green Bean Casserole



Here's what you need:
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced green beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
1 cup grated Swiss cheese 


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter.  Add mushroom soup and half of the onion rings and cook over low heat until thick. Meanwhile, boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans to a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish and cover with Swiss cheese.  Pour mushroom soup mixture over beans and top with the rest of the onion rings.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serves 6.

The next two recipes are from the Sioux City Junior League cookbook "Cornsilk" and have been a part of our Thanksgiving since leaving Iowa eighteen years ago.

Oven Mashed Potatoes

Here's what you need:
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
1 cup half and half
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp. minced dry onions
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt
Paprika


Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Cook potatoes until tender but firm, about 15 minutes; drain. In large bowl, mash potatoes with half of the melted butter and the half and half. With hand mixer, beat in softened cream cheese and seasonings. Beat until very fluffy. Pile in large casserole dish. Add rest of butter on top and a dash of paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Potatoes should be slightly browned on top when done. These can be made the night before and reheated the next day.

Sweet Potato Rum Nut Casserole



Here's what you need:

3 18-ounce cans sweet potatoes
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
6 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup rum


Directions:
Mash sweet potatoes. Add salt, pepper, 1 cup brown sugar and pecans. Spread in 9x13 pan, making 3 or 4 indentations down length of casserole. Melt butter and stir in flour and remaining brown sugar. Add evaporated milk and cook until quite thick. Thin with rum and pour over casserole. Garnish with pecans. Bake for 1/2 hour or until hot at 300 degrees.

A new recipe I'm trying this year is one I found on the blog A Year Of Slowcooking.  I'm always a fan of throwing some ingredients into a crockpot and forgetting about it for a couple of hours...

Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

You will need:
12 oz cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Rinse off the cranberries and put them into your crockpot. Add the orange juice and water.  Add the sugar and the cinnamon.  Cover and cook on high. It will take about 3 hours.  Stir every hour or so. When the skin from the cranberries has softened, the cranberries will "pop" when pushed with a spoon up against the side of the crock. It wasn't until about 2 hours in that my cranberries were soft enough to do this.  Smoosh all of the cranberries. Stir well.  Heat enough for it to be warm throughout. Take the lid off and heat on high for another 30 to 45 minutes.

The final recipe I am preparing is Sandra Lee's cornbread casserole.  I found this semi-homemade recipe on her Thanksgiving special on Food Network and thought it looked delicious! 

Cornbread Dressing

You will need:

1 large egg

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound store bought cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup frozen diced onions, thawed
2 tablespoons Italian herb marinade mix (recommended: Durkee Grill Creations)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (14.75-ounce) can cream style sweet corn
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. In a small bowl beat 1 egg with the chicken broth. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients and egg mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour.

Casseroles Galore

Fall weather has finally arrived in Texas and I'm looking forward to having the girls home for Thanksgiving.  I've always been a fan of Tyler Florence and was excited to see his Thanksgiving dinner featured on the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  Not finding the recipes in the magazine I resorted to searching their website where I found his delicious alternatives to the traditional sides I make every year.  The recipes looked fabulous and for a moment I even considered changing our usual menu to something different this year.  I  quickly came to my senses, however, knowing how my family, especially the girls, expect, love and look forward to the same meal I have been making for years.  They are creatures of tradition, kind of like me.  However, I did stumble upon, in my search for Tyler's Thanksgiving dishes, a link to Better Homes and Gardens best casserole dishes EVER.  So, after browsing through a variety of recipes I was dying to try a few on the family over the next month as the weather turns colder.  Nothing like a yummy casserole to warm you up on a chilly night.  Although it was difficult to pick one from a list of many mouth watering choices, I decided to  try the Tuscan Cheese Potato Bake as a side dish to our Sunday dinner this weekend.  It serves 8-10 so I will half the below recipe.  If it passes the "Richard test" then I will make it again over the holidays.  Crossing my fingers that it's delicious because it looks divine!

Ingredients

2 lb. red potatoes
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. fontina cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (1 cup)
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Snipped fresh parsley (optional)


Directions


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside. Scrub potatoes; cut in 1-inch pieces. In large saucepan cook potatoes in lightly salted boiling water 12 to 15 minutes or until tender; drain.
2. In a 12-inch skillet cook and stir garlic and thyme in butter over medium heat for 1 minute; add potatoes. Coarsely mash potatoes. Stir in buttermilk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Fold in fontina cheese, half of the Parmesan, and the blue cheese. Evenly spread in baking dish.
3. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, panko, Italian seasoning, and oil; toss with a fork to combine. Evenly sprinkle over potato mixture in dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden. Sprinkle with snipped fresh parsley. Yummm...
   

Dante's Kitchen and Banana Pecan Pancakes

 Two weeks ago we loaded up our Tahoe with all of the necessities Meg would need to survive in college and headed east on I-10 to Baton Rouge.  After five hours on the road we spent several more unpacking and hauling all her stuff into her dorm, which just happens to be on the third floor of a building without an elevator in the Louisiana summer heat.  Now I know the true meaning of miserable.  On the positive side, it was a workout for us all and I may have shed a pound or two.

Meg's Dorm

Exhausted and hungry, we treated Meg to lunch at The Chimes right outside of the campus before we said our goodbyes.  Tears flowed, as we pulled away. Thank goodness we kept it together until we got in the car and on the road. I didn't want her to feel any of the pain we felt leaving her even though it broke our hearts.

 Sad and beside ourselves on how to deal with our new "empty nester" situation, we headed further south to New Orleans for the weekend to get our minds off of everything.  Margarita anyone?  Yes please... 

This would be our third trip in about a month, but we never get tired of it. We strolled through the streets of the French Quarter, me with camera in hand to capture whatever I fancy. We even got into a party at the House of Blues for Texans fans! Too bad the Texans lost.  Good for New Orleans though, so whatever!

Something different about this trip was that fact that I picked the  place to have brunch Saturday morning.  I did some research and found Dante's Kitchen.  It caught my eye because it didn't seem to be a tourist trap, prices were reasonable, and they promote the the local economy by working closely with nearby farmers and dairy producers when making their seasonal menus.  With a little prodding of Richard, who usually picks our restaurant destinations, I got my way and we ended up here late Saturday morning. 

We were not disappointed.  The restaurant is located in a quaint little neighborhood in the Garden District.  It actually is a house so there are different rooms you can dine in, each with it's own unique style. 

We were seated in the wine room.  We were alone for a bit, which was nice, but soon people started coming and our little room was full.  When it came time to order, Richard decided on shrimp and grits and was pleased. 

Picture from Tiny Test Kitchen

I went the sweet route and opted for the roasted banana pecan pancakes, which were to die for!  They were so good that just for a moment the sadness I had been feeling slipped away, almost like magic.

Picture from Food Network

Although it's only been two weeks, Meg already made the long trek home this past weekend for the three day weekend and a John Mayer concert she had tickets for on Sunday.  We made her a special breakfast each morning while she was back.  It's funny how what use to be a chore became a treat while she was here.  I thought for her last morning before heading back I would make a version of those yummy pancakes I had at Dante's.  I thought she'd enjoy them and was hoping they would work their magic and keep me from crying when she left again.  I found Tyler Florence's recipe on the Food Network website (below) and whipped them up just in time for her enjoy before leaving, again.  Good news is she left without the embarrassment of me crying in front of Kyle or his brother, thank goodness.  I miss her already...

 
Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk 
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
3 bananas, peeled and sliced in 1/4-inch circles
Maple Butter, recipe follows
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish


Directions:

In a large mixing bowl whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla together so they are well combined.  I didn't have buttermilk so I made it by adding a Tbsp. of vinegar to a measuring cup and filling the rest up with milk and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and stir with a spoon to get rid of the lumps. Fold in the pecans, most of the melted butter and whisk until batter is smooth.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium low heat and swirl around a little melted butter to keep the pancakes from sticking. Using a ladle pour the batter into the pan.

Cook the pancakes on 1 side until they are set and then lightly press the bananas into the batter. When small bubbles appear on the uncooked surface, flip the pancakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes.  Serve warm, topped with maple butter, sliced bananas and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Maple Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey


In a mixing bowl, using a spatula mash the butter with the maple syrup and honey until well blended. 

Houston Farmers Market, Pickles, and Spicy Green Beans

Last Saturday we headed to a farmer's market in Houston.  It was Brit's last weekend before heading back for her last semester of college.  Her dad's idea and it sounded fun so we all, including Milo, piled into the Tahoe and headed south.  Little did I know that later that day we would be making spicy pickles and green beans, but I'll get to that after a quick photo tour of our morning.  To get to the farmer's market you must first walk through this little produce outlet which is like a little grocery store with prices that can't be beat.  I wish I could go every weekend! 

Brit found some cherry tomatoes to buy.

And stopped to pose for a picture.  Milo wanted no part of it!

Once through the store we reached the farmer's market.

The vendors take a lot of pride in making their stands appealing to the eye. 

 Some even have samples for you to taste before purchasing.

Richard found plenty of stuff to buy.

Including a pepper plant that now resides on our back porch. 

After an hour or so of shopping we headed back to the store with pepper plant, fruit and veggies in hand .

 It was then our way out, that we noticed these small cucumbers and sparked the idea of making pickles.  So we bought a couple of pounds and headed home with no real clue how in the world to make them. 

After a call to his mom and one more stop at HEB for pickling salt, a set of mason jars and fresh dill we arrived home ready to get started.  The recipe we found was from my Better Home's Cookbook.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 pound 4 inch pickling cucumbers (5-6)

4-6 heads fresh dill

2 cloves of garlic, halved

1 3/4 cups water

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. pickling salt

Directions:

Rinse cucumbers.  Prepare pickling bottles.  Pack cucumbers loosely into a hot, sterilized quart jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Add dill and 2 cloves of garlic halved (We also added a couple dried chili peppers that we purchased at the farmer's market to make it spicy). Make a brine by combining water, vinegar and salt.  Bring to boiling.  Pour hot brine over cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Adjust lid.  Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.  Let stand 1 week before opening. 

I was a little unsure about the processing of the pickles so I found a website, Pick Your Own, that gave step by step directions including pictures for visual learners like me.  We decided to pickle some green beans, great in a Bloody Mary.  So here they are in their jars waiting for the big day when we open them and see if they are as good as they look!   

                   

   

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Pecan Green Beans

With Meg headed to college, we have been busy getting her ready which has left little time for nothing else.  Not that I'm complaining, the thought of her going breaks my heart so I have tried to enjoy every moment, even the stressful mother-daughter ones.  Well, with her leaving in less than a week she wanted to go through my recipe books and find dinners we could make together.  How sweet is that!  So, our first night of family cooking together was scalloped potatoes with ham and pecan green beans, true comfort food.  Both recipes come from Taste of Home.  It turned out great and she did most of the hard work, including peeling the potatoes!  We all loved it.  In fact, I had a big helping just a bit ago and think I can feel it attaching itself to my midsection as I type.  Can't wait to see what she decides to make tonight! 

 Pictures from Taste of Home

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
 Ingredients:
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups milk
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
• 1-1/2 cups chopped fully cooked ham
• 1 small onion, grated

 Directions
• In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour, parsley, salt, thyme and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
• Combine potatoes, ham and onion; place half in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the sauce; repeat layers. Cover and bake at 375° for 65-75 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Dot with remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 4 servings.

Pecan Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh green beans

• 4 Tbsp. chopped pecans

• 2 Tbsp. butter

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Place beans in saucepan and cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. 
• Meanwhile, in a skillet saute pecans in butter for three minutes or until golden brown. 
• Drain beans and add to skillet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. 

Steak Kabobs

We had steak kabobs for dinner last night.  It was the perfect summer dinner and another opportunity for my hubby to use his new grill.  Other than the cutting of veggies, it's really quite a simple and healthy meal.  Here's what we needed to make ours: 

2 lbs Steak 

1 Red Bell Pepper 

1 Yellow Bell Pepper

1 Zucchini

1 Yellow Squash

1 purple Onion

Fresh Mushrooms

Tomatoes

First we cut the steak and veggies (except the mushrooms) into inch cubes/pieces. Then, seasoned the meat using a steak seasoning and the veggies using Chef Paul's Vegetable Magic.  You can also use italian dressing to marinate the meat and veggies in separate containers in the refrigerator for several hours if you have the time.  Last, we skewered the ingredients, alternating between meat and vegetables.

Here's ours before hitting the grill.

Richard did the grilling and they turned out great.  I think next time we make kabobs I am going to do it a little more fancy by purchasing some of these cool skewers from Organize.com.

Egg and Hashbrown Casserole

We were so fortunate to have Richards's sister Marcy, her husband Paul and his parents come in town from Iowa for Meg's graduation.  I was preparing to make the usual sausage and egg dish for our guests, when Marcy offered to make her own different version that included hashbrowns in the recipe.  It sounded good so I stepped aside as she quickly whipped it together.  It was a hit with everyone.  Very delicious.  I especially like how simple it was to prepare the night before and ready to pop in the oven the next morning. 

Here's what you need:
1 package of Simply Potatoes shredded hashbrowns
1 package of cheddar cheese (2 cups)
1 can of Rotel with green chilies
1 cup of milk
9 eggs
1-2 cups diced ham

Directions:
In a large bowl beat eggs with milk.  Combine the remaining ingredients and transfer to a greased 9x13 casserole dish, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until set, at 350 degrees. 

Tour of Hubbell and Hudson

For Valentine's Day last weekend we took my mother to Grimaldi's for lunch.  Not quite next door, but right around the corner from it is a fabulous little market called Hubbell and Hudson.  My hubby loves this place and I have to admit that I do too because it is not your everyday grocery store.   Since my mother had never been we decided to give her a quick tour before lunch. I love that today's phones have cameras because I can discreetly take pictures, which is what I did!

Right when you enter you see the Bistro, which we have not eaten at yet but after peeking inside, I want to soon.  The deli area is to the left.  To the right of the bistro are stairs leading to their Viking Cooking School where anyone can attend and learn how to prepare a variety of meals from experienced chefs.   My youngest daughter, Megan, bought a class for her and her boyfriend to attend in March as a birthday/Valentine's Day gift. I can't wait for them to go and let us know all about it! Hubby and I have wanted to take a class since it opened last year.

Here are a few of the salads that are made fresh each morning.  The homemade mac and cheese caught my eye, yummm...

Around the corner is the deli, which has the best sandwiches.  You can order one to go or take it upstairs along with your favorite beverage and salad and enjoy your lunch in a quaint little eating area that overlooks the store.

There's my hubby and mother.  What are they eating?

Oh, aged sharp cheddar cheese, I think I'll stop and taste too.

So, is it looking like just a typical grocery store?  Well, I thought so to until I saw the homemade pasta...

and the incredible wine selection...

or the many different varieties of olive oils!

So, how do you pick one?  Well you can try each if you want. I tried one plain...

and one with seasonings.

Coffee anyone?  The fresh coffee bar is fabulous.  Every coffee imaginable is available to purchase and have ground fresh.  There are even coffee fire logs!  I have never heard of such a thing but I'm intrigued.

This is my hubby's favorite part of the market. 

Here he is gazing at the aged beef.

They have a large selection or organic fruits and vegetables.

I don't know why I took a picture of the Le Creuset display, I can't afford to buy them, but a girl can dream.  By the way, the tiny little cast iron pot is $55.  We had to look twice to make sure it wasn't a mistake!  Didn't dare look at the price of the large ones.

The bread section is divine, many different types.  We  decided we needed to came back after lunch and buy some to take home.

Just around the corner from the bread are a variety of delicious looking desserts.  I thought the heart shaped pastries looked pretty and tasty.

At this point we were starving so we headed to Grimaldi's for lunch but returned with full tummies and bought some bread, cheese, salami and a greek pasta salad to snack on later.  I love pasta salads, they remind me of summer.  Below is an easy recipe for a tasty greek salad and a gyro sandwich.  Can't wait to make them both for my family on a warm spring day in the near future (crossing fingers)!

Greek Pasta Salad

4 cups penne or other pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper (optional)
1/2 cup KALAMATA Pitted Greek Olives, halved 
3 scallions,chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese


Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to bowl. Add  cucumber, tomato, peppers, olives and scallions.  In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Add to pasta mixture, toss to combine.  Add feta just before serving.  


*A helpful tip when making pasta salads is to save a little pasta cooking water to stir into the salad if it needs moistening at serving time.

Crockpot Gyros

1 slow-cooker liner
2 lb boneless beef chuck steak, about 11⁄4 in. thick
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp pepper
pocketless pitas

 Yogurt-Dill Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
1 Tbsp snipped fresh dill
1⁄4 tsp salt



Line a 3-qt or larger slow-cooker with liner and place beef in the liner.  Mix oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in small bowl. Pour over beef, turning to coat. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours until meat is tender. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt-dill sauce ingredients, cover and refrigerate.  Once beef is done, remove to a cutting board and slice. Return beef to juices in slow-cooker to keep warm. Warm pitas as package directs; top with sliced meat, dill sauce, and your favorite veggies.  I like to add a little tomato and sliced purple onion to mine.  Serve with greek pasta salad.