Crock Pot ABUNDANCE!

Okay, now I'm excited! I just looked at Passionate Homemaking's updated Crock Pot Carnival and there are a TON of recipes! I love it!

I love when something else does the work for me and I have time to move my furniture around or spray-paint a garage sale shelf or learn how to use my sewing machine...Oh, I mean, have more time to play with my baby...that's what I meant to say.

I don't know how my mom did it...She just spent all day, everyday, playing with and taking care of the seven of us. I never saw her spray-paint ONE shelf!

Roast & Mushroom Sauce in the Crock Pot

My mom made this one, often, when I was growing up.

It's Easy, quick to prepare and very tasty!

The original Recipe calls for a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and an envelope of dry onion soup mix.

As I've been reading my labels a little closer, lately, I have been wanting to find tasty alternatives to products with ingredients such as vegetable oil, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate (MSG), high fructose corn syrup, etc. Although I spend more time in my kitchen these days, it is still a place where I am not at all creative...I just get on the Internet and copy other people's ideas and recipes.

Enjoy your Roast!

Roast & Mushroom Sauce in the Crock Pot

1 (2 to 2 1/2lb.) boneless beef chuck roast
-we have, many times, used a sirloin roast and often a much bigger one (for leftovers!)
3 garlic cloves (or garlic powder) - more if you like! Salt Pepper
1 Condensed Creamed Soup Substitute (Recipe from Passionate Homemaking)
-I cut the milk almost in half, and used the full amount of soup made from this recipe
-OR use a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
6 potatoes (or how ever many can fit in your crock pot!), cut into chunky pieces
-my sister uses sweet potatoes and it's really yummy, too!
4 large carrots (again, more if you want), cut into chunky pieces
1 onion (cut into chunky pieces)

• Place veggies in first - as many as will fit under the roast and still allow the Lid to close (so the juices will run down over them)

• Place the roast in the crock pot and rub with garlic

• SPrinkle a light layer of Salt and Pepper on to the roast
  

• Place any remaining veggies around and on top of the roast

• Pour the Mushroom Soup over the top and spread around a little

• Cook on LOW for 6-8 hrs or until Roast is tender

Serve with whole wheat noodles or dinner rolls!

Costco Crock Pot COUPON!

Going along with the "Crock Pot" Theme...I wanted to mention, though I'm sure you could figure this out on your own, that Costco has a coupon starting on November 11th, for $10 OFF the 6 qt. crock pot. At my Costco (for the "cash and carry" price), that makes it only $30!

It's a really good deal. I wound up having to break down and get one last month (I'll take my receipt in and get the $10 off). I broke the lid to my old one and, ridiculously enough, you can't even get a replacement. I even checked 4 different times at my local SAVERS...no crock pots.

I guess the Lord decided that I should have a nice, bigger, newer one! And, now for $10 less!

Crockpot Carnival

Hey Everyone, Lindsay (at Passionatehomemaking) is doing a Nourishing Crock Pot Carnival...and I am joining in on the fun. I figured I would pass the word. I mean, you know what they say..."A Crock pot's a girl's best friend"...or was that Diamonds...or chocolate?

Anyway, this particular "Carnival" is focused on Crock Pot dishes with more of a "less processed" and"Whole Foods" identity (less additives and preservatives, no genetically modified ingredients, preparing food that is closer to it's original state, etc.)

For instance, If I wind up posting a recipe I have that originally calls for a packet of Lipton's Onion Soup and a can of Campbell's cream of Mushroom Soup...I would look for substitutions that did not include the Modified Food Starch or High Fructose Corn Syrup...and so on.

I bring this up to say...You can still use the recipes even if this sort of thing isn't "your bag" at the moment. Just substitute in your old favorites and ENJOY! I'm hoping to get some really great recipes...I need all the help I can get!

Check out Passionate Homemaking's original Blog Post HERE.

Wanting to be the "Lovely" Me

What do you do in the moment of complete frustrations? I have, for far too long, completely given into the aggression inside of me at the sight of my inconvenient and aggravating circumstance.

Lately, I have had many opportunities, as identified by ME, to react out of emotion and in a selfish manner. I am sad to say that most every time I have, indeed, gone ahead and allowed my "feeling" to free itself, therefore reacting in an unloving and ungodly way.

Surprisingly, this has failed to make me feel "happy" or "vindicated". I would have thought that doing what I WANT would render much better results.

Ah, but how quickly I forget that I am a slave to Righteousness and am bound to what is Good and wonderful and have been completely freed from the hopelessness of my sin, through the gift of GRACE from my Perfect SAVIOR.

Why WOULD my continued unruly and unlovely behavior make me feel anything but Crummy?!

That gentle voice I hear as I know full well that I have two choices in how I act, is the voice of the Spirit of the Lord. And HE LOVES ME.

Ta DA! (Bibs...again)

I found a GREAT BIB!! I just love taking her bib off and not having the food be all over her clothes. It's really long and really is waterproof and sturdy. I just wipe it off (and only on occasion ;)

It's $10 (totally annoying price...but totally worth it). When my husband gets excited about a purchase I made...I know it's a good one! He would prefer we just all just sit in an empty house with large T.V.s...we could keep the baby naked, therefore not having to worry about stained clothes!

I got this one at Babies R Us (Bumpkins Junior Bib). They always have those "15% off one item coupons!

"Learning"

It's fun to watch Gwendolyn practicing her table manner. She's just so expressive and proud of absolutely everything she does.

Her development is so interesting to me. I've been finding that her growing and learning represents, to me, my own "growth". Although, I must say, she takes her stumbling in better stride than I!

And, like Gwendolyn, I sometimes wind up taking some steps backward. But the Lord, has promised to "complete the work he has begun in me". Praise The LORD!