Saucy Drumsticks and Thighs

I'm back with a new recipe!  I won't go into the details of why I haven't posted lately, let's just say that life can get a little hectic!  I think I'm trying to balance quite a few things in my life right now and something had to give!  I will have to say though, that during this time I have made a lot of progress on our 2010 family digital scrapbook...it's one of my goals to finish it before the summer!  Between that, chasing Little Man every where, being sick, doing two Beth Moore Bible Studies at one time, my Thirty-One business, and basically keeping up with the house...I've been one busy momma!  I have still taken the time to make nutritious, delicious food for my family so I thought I would spend a little time today sharing one with all of you!  This one is from one of my favorite slow cooker cookbooks, it's called "Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook."  I highly recommend it if you love your crock pot.  I received it as a Christmas present while I was in college and use it so much that the pages are falling out of it! :)  So let's get right to it!

Saucy Drumsticks and Thighs
6 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
6 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons chicken-flavored bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper *add this at the very end, if at all!  Red Pepper Flakes have a tendency to get extra "flavorful" when stewing in a crockpot all day.  Trust me on this one!

Place chicken in slow cooker.  Combine tomatoes and remaining ingredients; stir well.  Pour over chicken.  Cover; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour.  Reduce to low-heat and cook 4-5 hours until chicken is tender.   Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice!
So, I didn't realize until I started to post this how much I deviate from the recommended cooking times.  Typically when I am using my crock pot, it's because I have a lot going on that day and don't have time to babysit dinner!  So I rarely put something in for one hour and then change the temperature after that!  For this recipe, I typically throw it all together and leave it on low for about 6-7 hours until it just falls apart!  Also, I prefer to use all boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  It seems a little healthier to me and I don't have to sift through dinner trying to make sure I remove all of the bones.  Oh, and sometimes you can't find just the right can of tomatoes (the ones with just garlic), so if I can't I usually get anything that sounds Italian...basil, oregano, garlic..you get the idea!
This is a family favorite and depending on how many pounds of chicken you use, you can usually get a good couple of days worth of meals out of it.  We usually pile it on top of some egg noodles and eat it with a big salad!  Voila...dinner is done.  Hope you enjoy it!