Pot Roast Soup!

Oh people, I have outdone myself, if I do say so myself...and myself says so!  I started out making soup, then I thought that all of the ingredients were the same as my pot roast so I did the same seasoning, w/ a hoot and a hey and a HOPE SHA-NA!  No idea what it would taste like and then WOWWWZAAAA!! 

So since I wasn't planning on it becoming the extravaganza that it was, I didn't take pics along the way.  But lucky for you I dug all of the cans and wrappers and crap out of the trash.  :)  JUST FOR YOU!  I can't be responsible for the taste if you use lesser products.  I mean, I have standards.  Ok, so here goes...

Buy some meat.  :)  Chuck roast preferably, and I happened to find chuck roast boneless short ribs at Albertson's yesterday.  Never knew they existed!  But just a regular chuck roast is fine, and it doesn't have to be big.  Like 2 or 3 lbs is fine.  More if you have a bigger pot.  I would recommend cutting the roast into about 6 big pieces.  No need to cut it smaller, it will fall apart w/ your spoon when it is done.

There's a printable recipe at the bottom of the page. (I hope!)  This is my trial run with that thing so we will see how it goes!

But basically this recipe has all of the pot roast fixin's, carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic.  I threw in some stewed tomatoes just because my grandma used to put them in her veggie soup so I did too.  They are big enough to not eat if you don't like them, but they really add a good flavor. 

So here are the pics of the good stuff, besides the veggies...

This is the freakin' bomb diggity!  It's the seasoning I use for my regular pot roast (which starts out FROZEN by the way!)  So I added it to the soup!

Have you seen this man?  This is STOCK, not broth!  Stock has more flavor because it is cooked w/ the beef AND tons of veggies.  Broth just uses the beef or chicken and is more bland.  I used one box, plus a little from the second box.

Here's the finished product.  Not Martha Stewart, but it is real.  You won't wonder why yours looks like this and the pic is so perty!

See that large piece of meat?  Thought it would be a problem, but nope!  Just falls apart, even with a spoon!! :)  My little ones even ate it, THAT is how good it is.  Ok, gonna shut up about it's amazing goodness because I hate to get your hopes up, but really...it's like a pot roast and gravy on a spoon!!  Do yourself a favor and chase it w/ a biscuit!!  You'll be glad you did.
  Printer friendly recipe

You are going to love me!

Well, it's technically not my recipe so you will probably love the Pioneer Woman.  But you can at least kiss the messenger! :)

Rib-Eye Steak With Whiskey Cream Sauce
makes 2 servings

5 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons diced onion
1/4 cup whiskey
1/4 cup beef stock or broth
dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup light cream (I used whole milk because I didn't have cream.  It was still delish, just thin.)
2 rib-eye steaks

Begin by melting 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a small skillet.  Add the onion and cook until brown, about 4 minutes.  When the onion is brown, turn off the burner temporarily so you won't ignite your kitchen or yourself.  Pour in the whiskey.  As soon as the whiskey evaporates, turn the burner on medium and pour in the beef stock or broth.  Add salt and pepper.  Now whisk in another tablespoon of butter.  Allow the mixture to bubble for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to low.  Over low heat, pour in the cream.  Whisk, adding more cream if the mixture looks too brothy.  Allow to simmer on very low heat while you prepare the steaks.  Stir occasionally.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Generously salt and pepper the steaks on both sides, then add them to the hot skillet.  For medium rare, cook for 2 minutes on each side for a thin steak, or 3 to 4 minutes on each side for a thick steak.  Place the steak on a plate and keep warm.  Spoon the sauce over the steak...and don't skimp!

Here's her website...http://thepioneerwoman.com/

and her cookbook is on my 'favorites' list, #2, to the right of this post.  Her recipes are great because she has pictures of each stage of cooking.  Not that you need it, but lets be honest...we all miss books w/ pictures. :)

The shame of it all!!!

I'm so ashamed that I have neglected my blog.  I have an excuse...iPad be thy name.  And I'm not surfing the internet or Facebooking!  It's those freakin' games!!  lol  Words with Friends and Angry Birds seem to occupy a lot of my down time.  Well, not exactly down time per se, but time that I am DOWN on the floor w/ the kids.  A mama can only play so much.  So the young'uns seem to be content w/ me just being on the floor w/ them even if I have my new 'tick-a-pooter' with me.  (I hope Kaitlyn says it this way forever.  It's worth the teasing, don't cha think? :)  )


So first things first!  GRANOLA BARS!!!  Sweet Heavenly Mother!  I got tired of giving Kaitlyn those Quaker Chewy Granola bars that are really just candy bars.  The kid would live off of them if I let her!  But I won't.  So here's a super easy recipe that I made today and I don't know how many calories they have, but let me just say that I ate 3 small squares ( just couldn't STOP myself!) and I wasn't hungry for 5 hours.  Ruh roh.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Playgroup-Granola-Bars/Detail.aspx

I found that 25 minutes is long enough to cook them in my oven.  Be careful not to scorch the bottoms!  I think just about the time you really start smelling them, they are pretty much done.  And don't worry if they seem very crumbly when they are warm.  They firm up when they cool.  Almost too firm, but I find a good crunch relieves some good stress. :)

I took some pics of the finished product...

  Ok, I cannot tell a lie.  This pic isn't the whole story...

Ok, THERE!  You happy?...what?  Yes it's a 13x9, what's your point?!

FINE!!  But we had company!!  And you have no idea how much toddlers can eat!!  And ADAM!  Yeah, that's right...Adam had some too!  So there!


Now the only ingredient slightly funky in this recipe is the wheat germ.  Looks like this...

Noticed this while taking the pic.  Good thing cuz that sucker was on his way back to the pantry!  Refrigerate, people!


And if you are saying to yourself, "Oh, I have wheat germ!", then I am sorry to inform you that we need to redefine the nature of our relationship.  And I will need a letter describing the exact reason for having said germ.  And the recipe.  I will need the recipe in which you used this.  Minimum 3 paragraphs.  Thank you.


Ok, so on to one more recipe.  Since I'm here, ya know.  I've been on a kick lately & I eat Georgia Cracker Salad almost every day for lunch.  Forgive my pics because I was just taking them on the fly since I had my camera sitting there.  Super easy!


Chop up tomatoes and cucumbers.  I used about 1/3-1/2 of a hot house cucumber and 1/2 of a tomato.  Only because I was too lazy to go get another tomato.  I usually like 1 whole tomato, but I digress...

I know you know what cucumbers and tomatoes look like, but in my fantasy I am channeling the Pioneer Woman.  If you don't know her...see me.

Now add yourself a little dollop of the mayo!  Just eyeball it (channeling Rachael Ray!) but about half of a kitchen soup spoon.  Just enough to get things moist.

Ok, so maybe today I was a little liberal w/ it.  Shut up.

If you are feeling a little saucy, add yourself some chili paste. :)  This is also a good way to keep peeps out of your salad!  Although Kaitlyn could eat this whole bowl by herself and it is a good way to get her veggies, so I often forego the spice.

Now add in some of these puppies!!  I use about 6 Saltine crackers.  Note:  When you are serving this to a crowd, put the crackers in and IMMEDIATELY serve!  Those suckers only stay crunchy for about 5 minutes.

These are crackers.  ;)

Add just a pinch of salt.  Pinch I say!  But with the pepper...now bear with me...hear me now, believe me later...I use 18 grinds.  ~cringing~  I know!!  Sounds like a lot!  But I tell you, add it a few grinds at a time and you'll see what I mean.  When you hit 18, its like magic happens!!  I'm not a huge pepper person either.  But it just takes it to the next level!!  Hopefully your grinder gives you a fine grind.  Otherwise, you're on your own. 

See what I'm saying?!  LOTS of pepper.  Ok, now I know this doesn't look too appetizing.  And to be honest, I'm not sure if the crackers are in there yet...oh wait...I see some!  Ok, crackers are in!  More crackers are better but I'm trying to cut back, ya know.  Carbs and all that.  :)