I'm BACK...w/ Roast and Carrots

We had an 'issue' with our laptop and it has been gone for awhile getting fixed. I am SO happy to have it back!! I thought I'd share with you my FAVORITE way to cook roast and carrots!! My kids don't like cooked carrots and I never have either, but we all love these. The recipe for the roast is SO yummy!! It is great for French dip sandwiches or use the liquid to make gravy.

Crock pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 5 lb. boneless rump roast (pretty much any cut of meat will work)
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1/2 t seasoned salt
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t oregano
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 2 cups beef broth

Directions: Put everything together in the crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

To make gravy: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Mix in 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk in 2 cups of the liquid from the roast. Cook until it thickens to desired consistency.

This is also great for French dip sandwiches. Shred your meat, place in on bread of your choice and dip in the juice. We like to butter crusty rolls, sprinkle on some parmesan cheese and place under the broiler for a couple of minutes(until the cheese melts) before we put our meat on them and then dip. YUM!!

Sweet Carrots

Ingredients:

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 T butter
• 1 T sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Place everything together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cook until carrots are tender.

Mini Candy Apples

My sister, Heather, sent me this from Family Fun to try. They were fun and yummy!!

Ingredients:
4-inch lollipop sticks (I used tooth pics)
Melon baller
Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)
Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)
Small paper candy cups

1. First, cut the lollipop sticks in half at an angle (the pointy end will go into the apple pieces easier). With the melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apple. Each ball should have a section of apple peel. Push half of a lollipop stick into the peel of each ball. Pat the apple pieces dry.

2. Melt the chips according to the package directions. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted chips, then roll the apples in nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils, or coconut, if desired. Place the mini apples in paper candy cups to set.

I dipped the apples in caramel and then put mini-m&ms on them.

Shredded Pork Sandwiches

These were easy and yummy!! I was short on time and didn't get to make french bread, so I picked up a loaf between the two soccer practices. The pork was cooked in the crock pot and ready when we got home. Just had to throw it all together.

Shredded Pork Sandwiches

I'm not quite sure how to write this up. When I buy pork tenderloin, I usually cut it into 3 or 4 large pieces and then package them individually to freeze. I made this sandwich with one of those portions. My husband LOVES the hot cauliflower and the little hot yellow peppers that you buy in jars. I used some of the juice from the bottle to cook the pork in.

Directions: (sort of:)) Defrost pork. Salt and pepper pork and place in crock pot. Add juice from a jar of hot cauliflower or hot peppers. I add enough to come about 1/3 to 1/2 up the pork. Cook on low for 4-6 hours until the pork is cooked through. Shred pork in the crock pot. Slice a loaf of French bread in half(see pic above). I pull some of the bread out of the top and bottom of the bread to make room for the meat and toppings. My kids LOVE to snack on the yummy 'middle' bread while I finish the sandwiches. Butter both pieces of bread. Place them on a baking sheet in the oven under the broiler until they start to brown. Spread the pork on the bottom piece of the french bread, cover with shredded Monterrey jack cheese and place back under the broiler until the cheese melts. Add your favorite toppings and slice into individual servings. ENJOY!! --I hope this makes sense:)

Skeleton Veggie Tray

Just thought I'd share a picture of a veggie tray I made for my son's birthday a few years ago.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

We just had the most WONDERFUL weekend!! My sister and her family came to visit from Utah. They all left this morning and I MISS them already!!

A friend of mine gave me this recipe several years ago and I LOVE it!! We had this for dinner last night. Unfortunately, I got busy visiting and didn't have time to get rolls made before we decided dinner needed to be made. This soup is SO yummy in a nice crusty bread bowl or with crusty rolls on the side.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 10 oz broccoli
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cans chicken broth(14 1/2 ounce), ~6 cups
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 t. oregano
• 1/2 t. basil
• 9 oz package cheese tortellini(fresh in the clear plastic box in the cheese section)
• grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions: In a large pot combine chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, chicken, onions, carrots, water, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to boil. Add tortellini. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add broccoli and simmer and additional 5-10 minutes. or until broccoli is tender. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Fruit Dip

I LOVE this fruit dip!! Quick, easy and DELICIOUS!! Now I wish I would have bought more grapes while they were on sale last week!!

Fruit Dip

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2-3 T maple syrup

Directions: In a medium bowl combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth.

Quesadillas

We eat tacos and bean burritos quite often at our house. These are two inexpensive and easy meals. This past week I have tried to make the beans and taco meat into something that looks like a whole different meal:) So hear you go. Next time you make taco meat or cook a pot of beans try serving them up this way:)

Taco Quesadilla Rolls

Ingredients:

• Prepared Taco Meat
• Tortillas
• Cheese
• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Lettuce

Directions: Warm tortilla on a griddle or a large frying pan. Add cheese and taco meat to the top of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and let sit on the griddle/frying pan. Roll until all sides of the tortilla are warm and getting crunchy. Serve with salsa, sour cream and shredded lettuce.

Layered Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• Refried beans, or prepared beans(see below)
• Tortillas (I used 5 large tortillas)
• Cheese
• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Cilantro

Directions: Warm tortilla on griddle or large frying pan and spread with beans and cheese. Top with another tortilla. When the bottom tortilla is warm and getting crispy, flip the 'stack'. Top the crispy tortilla with beans and cheese and another tortilla. When the bottom tortilla is warm and getting crispy flip again. Repeat for desired number of layers. I did 5 tortillas with 4 layers of beans and cheese. These were SO yummy!! We loved the crispy tortilla layers!! For the beans: I cooked a pot of beans and put them in the food processor to make them smooth.