Homemade Pot Roast/Beef Stew with Veggies (Crock Pot)

Just popping in real quick to share another delicious, crock pot recipe. You just throw everything into your crock pot and let it cook away :-). I paired my dish with some homemade, hand whipped garlic mashed potatoes with Hawaiian Rolls on the side. Enjoy!

Homemade Pot Roast/Beef Stew with Veggies

·         2 lb Chuck Roast (with a little fat for flavor)

·         1-2 Whole Onion peeled and cut in half

·         7-8 Organic Carrots peeled and chopped into 2 inch chunks

·         5 medium to small Yellow Idaho Potatoes washed peeled sliced into medium chunks

·         1 pkg McCormick Brown Gravy

·         3 cups of low sodium beef broth

·         2 sprigs of Thyme

·         2 sprigs of Rosemary

·         Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder

·         Olive Oil

Cover the bottom of your skillet with olive oil or vegetable oil; Heat it (make sure it’s good and hot), Wash-Peel-Chop onions, organic carrots and potatoes, season them with a little salt/pepper; Place them into your hot pan to cook for 5 minutes (or until brown); Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside; Rinse your Chuck Roast and pat it dry; Season it with a good amount of salt & pepper on both sides; Sear it on both sides in the hot skillet for 5-7 minutes on each side (until brown); Place the Chuck Roast into the crock pot; In that same hot skillet pour in 1 ½ cups of Beef Broth; Add 1 pkg of brown gravy mix; Whisk the liquids and scrape the access browned bits from the bottom of the pan; Sprinkle a little onion powder & garlic powder over your chuck roast; Pour the liquid from the skillet into your crock pot; Add the veggies (onions, carrots, potatoes) thyme & rosemary; Pour the remaining 1 ½ to 2 cups of beef broth over the meat and veggies until they are covered; Turn the crock pot temperature on high for the first 3 hours and on low for the remaining 2 ½-3 hours until meat is falling apart and ready to serve. Remove the meat from the pot onto a plate and shred the beef (discard fat) and return it to the pot; Remove the sprigs of rosemary & thyme and use it for garnish J

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 ½ to 6 hours

Stuffed Peppers-- Healthy Version :-)

Last night, I revised my stuffed pepper recipe and made a healthier version of it. I normally just eye every ingredient and make mental notes of what I put in it. However, I've had a few requests and the meal was such a hit, that I want to keep it in rotation. Here's a recipe that I put together from what I can remember from my metal notes. Give it a try and ENJOY!!!

 

Stuffed Peppers

• 1 lb of lean ground turkey

• 1/2 cup of chopped onions, red/yellow/green peppers (I buy them already chopped and frozen by PictSweet…. You can find them in the frozen vegetable section at wal mart, food lion and etc…)

• 1 can of organic crushed tomatoes (any brand…. I used Hunts I think)

• 1/2 jar of organic pasta sauce (I make my own but will buy Prego or Ragu onion/tomato/garlic brand in a time crunch and it taste GREAT)

• Multi-Grain Medley (this is the healthier version in place of white rice… It comes in a box made by Minute Rice with 4 pre-portioned bags… I used only 1 bag for this meal… it is a mixture of brown rice, red rice, wild rice and quinoa… it is 100% whole grain and gluten free)

• seasonings… 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, a dash of sugar, a few dashes of salt and black pepper

• fat free cheese OR any shredded cheese on top… you don’t really need to keep it fat free since you’ll only use a little on each pepper 

• Green Bell Peppers (4-6... for this recipe, I used 4 peppers cut in half for a total of 8 stuffed peppers)

Directions

• Boil the rice per the directions, set it aside in a large mixing bowl once it’s cooked.

• Cook your ground turkey in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil (or whatever oil you prefer)

• Drain your turkey and return it to the stove

• Add in the chopped onions and peppers until they cook for about 3-5 minutes

• Add in your seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper)

• Add your can of crushed tomatoes, sauce and a little sugar to bring out the flavors

• Let it cook for about 5-7 minutes

• Pour your meat mixture into the mixing bowl with the muti grain medley… Combine them all together until you get your desired consistency. You don’t want it to be too runny because it will run out of the peppers when it cooks.

• Wash your peppers, slice them in half and clean out the seeds…

• Stuff the peppers with the mixture and place them into a large baking pan

• Top them with shredded cheese, loosely cover them with foil and bake them for 30 minutes on 400-425 degrees

• Take the foil off and bake them for 5 more minutes until the cheese melts

• Let them cool for 10 minutes and INDULGE!!!

Morning Breakfast

Hi All.... my life is on the go, go, Gooooo but I wanted to take a minute to post a pic of my morning breakfast.  It's quick, simple and delicious!!!  I wanted a change from my normal smoothie :-)

2 egg Veggie Omelet (spinach, zucchini, onions, peppers, fat free cheese, salsa), 2 strips of turkey bacon and a nice warm cup of Orange Passion Fruit Jasmine Green Tea.

 After cleaning and chopping my veggies, I seasoned them (a little salt/pepper) and sauteed them with extra virgin olive oil.  I left my baby spinach raw because I wanted a little crunchiness/texture in my omelet. I sprinkled in a little fat free cheese as I folded the omelet over during the cooking/assembly process. I  topped it with a little salsa and paired it with 2 strips of turkey bacon.  My baby daughter and I indulged!!!  It was delish!!!

 

SMOOTHIES!!! Yummy DELICIOUSNESS!!!!!

Hey guys!  Just dropping by to share my latest and greatest find.... THE NUTRIBULLET!!!!! For months I researched and compared several blenders, juicers and such in search to find something that would help me make awesome smoothies. I finally settled with purchasing the Nutribullet!  You've probably seen the informercials, ads and etc... It compares with the Ninja.  I chose it because of the reviews, quality, price, size and convenience.  It doesn't require peeling (apples, pears and etc...) and you can throw in your fruits and veggies pretty much anyway you'd like. I prefer to purchase my fruits and veggies at the beginning of the week... wash, cut, peel and FREEZE whatever i'd like.... and take the portion out that is needed whenever I want to make a smoothie.  I am sooo in love with my Nutribullet that i've been making them every morning!  I make one for me and one for hubby.  I've even made a few to share with the kiddos.  Here are two smoothies i've made over the past week or so. I'll add more pix and recipes in the days and weeks to follow. Give them a try!!

  A handful of Pineapples, Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas (all pre-cut and frozen), Organic Spinach, Granola, Chi Seeds, Coconut, Crushed Ice, Water (fill halfway).... add a teaspoon of Stevia if needed.

Pineapple, Banana, Strawberry, Kale, Granola, Flax Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Crushed Ice and Water

 The recipe for this green smoothie is written on the actual picture..... enjoy!

 

A Night Out~ Gala

Soooo, i'm still recovering from last night's Gala but I wanted to log in to post a few pics of our fun night.  Hubby and I decided to support the kids' school by purchasing tickets ($100) to attend the Gala.  All proceeds went directly to our school building fund and teacher enrichment programs.  There was dinner, dancing, live auctions, silent auctions and giveaways.  Some people spent as much as $5700 for a single brick to be placed on our new school building.  It was an awesome night for a great cause. 

I spent quite some time trying to find a decent, inexpensive dress.  Just when I found "the one", I drove to the store (Dillard's) to purchase it only to find that they didn't have anymore!! I was devastated!!!  So, I spent the next 3 hours frantically walking from store to store trying on every dress I thought I could squeeze into until I found something.  It was shorter, tighter and more revealing than any dress i've ever worn but I thought it was different sooooo I went with it.  Hubby loved it of course AND I received many compliments as well as some uninvited stares (from other men) but that was to be expected. 

The Gala was held downtown on a roof top overlooking the city and the football stadium.  It was a bit chilly but is was GORGEOUS!!!  We had a great time!  I later had to take off the heels and slip into my slippers by the end of the night.  Here are a few pix...