Rosemary Olive Oil Crock Pot Bread

I got this recipe from hostthetoast.com and it was submitted by Morgan.  Making breads is one of my favorite things to do so I had to give this a try.  I thought it turned out well and it is supposed to be like the rosemary bread that is served at Macaroni Grill but I haven't had it so don't know about that.
It was a fun experiment and I liked the bread but think that if I make it again I will just bake it in the oven and be done with it.  It is easy and you don't need a mixer, and if you don't want to turn your oven on, it works.  I did brown it under the broiler after it was cooked until it browned.

3 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 packet dry active yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 1/4 C warm water
1/4 C fresh rosemary, chopped, divided (I used dried and 1/8 C)
3 TB olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt, divided (I  would increase the salt to 1 1/2 tsp.)

You will also need parchment paper, paper towels, and a crock pot.

Mix together water, yeast, and sugar and let sit 10 minutes.  The mixture should become bubbly.  Stir in half the salt (1/2 tsp or more if you choose to increase it) 2 tsp. of the rosemary, olive oil, and all of the flour.   Mix until fully combined.  Work it together with your hands if necessary.
Put dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a towel.   Let it rise for 1 hour.  Remove the dough from the bowl gently and form into a ball on a floured surface.   Let sit for another 20 minutes.Set the crock pot to high.
 Line the pot with two pieces of parchment paper, leaving at least 2 inches hanging out of each side of the pot.   Place the dough in the crock pot and sprinkle it with the remaining salt and rosemary.  Drape paper towels over the top of the crock pot and then place the lid on.   This should capture any moisture that would sit on the lid and prevent it from dripping back onto the bread.  Cook the bread for 2 hours, and remove from the crock pot.  It will most likely still be a bit pale on the outside.   It tastes all right, but put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put it under the broiler for a quick 3 to 5 minutes to get a crunchier, darker crust..  Let cool before slicing.  Serve with extra olive oil drizzled on top if desired.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (Crockpot)

I know it's crazy two posts in one week!  I don't know if I'm just procrastinating the things I should really be doing right now or if I just couldn't wait any longer to share this tasty recipe.  Unfortunately we are still in winter mode in my neck of the woods (woke to snow today).  My family really liked this soup, even my husband who isn't much of a soup eater had seconds (and he didn't even require crackers).  I did make a few change ups to the below recipe:
-I bought wild rice pilaf in the bulk section at my grocery store rather than just plain wild rice, which it comes with seasoning in it already so I didn't use all the parsley it called for, like a 1/3 tbs of the dried parsley.
- I added mushrooms
-I was out of soup base so I just used some bouillon cubes
-I didn't add the roux (flour, butter, and cream mixture) till the last 30 min. if you are going to do the same don't make the roux till just before adding it. (just take my word on this one or at least warm it up again before adding it)
-Just a note to myself- I will add the full 10 c stock next time for a little thinner consistancy.
This could be a great recipe to use up turkey leftovers as well.  Hurry and make this soup before spring decides to show up!

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

8-10 cups chicken stock, divided
8 oz. uncooked wild rice
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
Mushrooms, sliced
2 TBS chicken soup base (I like Better than Bouillon)
4 TBS butter
1/2 c flour
2 c half and half or cream
2 c diced cooked chicken
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped (or one TBS dried parsley flakes)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put eight cups of stock and the uncooked wild rice into the crock pot set to high.
Saute onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms in oil, till onion is transparent. Season with pepper.  Add the veggies to the rice.  Stir in the soup base.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or on low 6-8 hours) until the wild rice and veggies are sufficiently tender.

In the same skillet over medium heat, melt 1/2 stick of butter, whisk in the flour, and cook for a minute or two.  Gradually add the half-and-half or cream, whisking constantly.  You may will to thin this mixture out with an additional cup of stock at this point.  Once thickened and completely smooth, add the white sauce to the crock pot and stir to combine.  Add the chicken and the parsley (and another cup of stock if you prefer a thinner soup), and cook on high for another 15-20 minutes until heated through.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Lindsey's Luscious (adapted from taste of home)