Crockpot Wednesday: French Dips with Mushrooms and Onions

This was a new recipe and we will definitely be having it again! I didn't follow the recipe exact, so you are gonna get my version!!

French Dips with Mushrooms and Onions
3 pound beef roast
1 package of mushrooms, sliced (it called for portobellos, but I went the cheap route and got regular mushrooms!!)
1 red onion, sliced
2 cups water (it called for a can of beef broth, but I figured it would make it's own broth while cooking so I just used water! Joe said it was full of flavor!)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Hoagie buns
Cheese

Brown roast on all sides and place in crockpot. Put sliced mushrooms and onions on top and add 2 cups of water. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

When fully cooked, shred roast. Put meat on hoagie bun, top with the cooked mushrooms and onions and a slice of cheese. Pair it with a cup of the delicious Au Jus!

Mmm-Mmm-Mmm!!

Crockpot Wednesday: Sunday Chicken Dinner

Well, it's not Sunday as the recipe implies - but I figured it would taste good no matter what day I made it! I was wanting something yummy, but light and fresh. This was just the recipe! And the best part is, I had all the ingredients on hand already!

Sunday Chicken Dinner


4 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup fresh cut green beans
4 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken thighs (or 2 chicken breasts)
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt



Layer carrots, onion, green beans, potatoes, and chicken in crockpot. Mix water and seasonings and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. (I'm sure you could cook it on low for around 8 hours)


This one even got a thumbs up from Joe!

Crockpot Wednesday: Spicy Chicken Burritos

We love this spicy chicken mix - though if you don't like it spicy, it is easy enough to make mild!

Here's the recipe!

Spicy Chicken Burritos

2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T. Chili powder

2 T. Olive oil

2 T. Lime juice

1 tsp. salt

1 jalapeno, minced (leave out if you prefer it mild)

Put chicken in crockpot. In a bowl mix the garlic, chili powder, oil, lime juice, salt and jalapeno - pour over chicken. Stir to coat the chicken. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 5 hours. When fully cooked, shred the chicken. Fill tortillas with the chicken mix and your other favorite toppings. Then, of course, enjoy your scrumptious, but oh-so-easy, meal!

Crockpot Wednesday: Chalupa

Chalupa is one of our fav meals around here! Joe's family makes this quite often and it is one of the recipes his mom gave me when we first got married. It is super simple - throw everything together and walk away. And it is super delicious as well!
Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 pound pork loin roast
1/2 pound dried pinto beans
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tbs. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbs. chili powder
4 oz. diced green chilies
1/2 Tbs. salt


Put all ingredients in the crockpot and cover with water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Bone and shred the pork and then cook on high to desired consistency (generally it is about right anyway, so I don't normal cook any longer). Serve over chips and top with sour cream, cheese, salsa, etc.

*note: you do not have to presoak the beans.

This turned out great, as usual! Hard to mess this one up! I serve mine with a side of guacamole and Asian cole slaw! Hey, the slaw was leftover from lunch - don't worry, I don't normal combine Asian and Mexican food in the same meal!

Crockpot Wednesday: Ham and mashed potatoes

So, I decided one day that Wednesday's supper should always be something made in the crockpot. Since Wednesday is usually one of my busiest days at work and then we have church in the evening, it doesn't leave much time OR energy to cook a good supper. So, I decided I should plan to use my crockpot each Wednesday.

Yes, my crockpot is dirty - it is well used!

Then I decided that I could share my recipes on my blog each week. Yes, I know there are PLENTY of blogs out there with crockpot recipes. Some are probably more exciting than mine! But hey, if I am gonna get into the habit of using my crockpot each week, why not blog about it?!

Now, I am planning on using my crockpot each week, does that mean that I actually will? No. I am planning to post my recipe each week, does that mean that I actually will? No! I promise to REALLY try to post my recipe each week - but please, don't hold me to it!!

So, for the first week, I hadn't really planned much ahead, so I just threw a ham in the crockpot. No, I don't mean one of those ground up, smooshed together shaped things you find at the store. No, this was a nice, homegrown ham roast! One of my absolute fav things to eat! I put it in the crockpot at noon, set it on high and came home to the smell of supper being ready. Now, I did have to boil some taters and mash them, cause...umm... you can't have ham without mashed taters!! Oh, and I put some butter, sour cream, and chives in my taters - very good combo!

I don't have a picture of this delicious meal - I scarfed it down too fast!! Good ole comfort food! Well, and at that point I hadn't planned to start blogging about my crockpot adventures! Let me tell you, though, it sure was nice to come home and relax between work and church!

Oh, and the leftover ham makes AWESOME omlettes and REAL ham sandwiches!

Stick around for the next edition of Crockpot Wednesday!

Hiking Adventure

Last year, Joe and I went to Picture Canyon for an afternoon of hiking and had a great time. So great of a time that we wanted to go again and asked Moe and Jess to come with us. Jess was excited about it as it would be an opportunity to use her new camera!

We first went in search of the Indian rock art on the canyon walls.

Then the guys just HAD to climb as high as they could! Jess and I opted to stay on the ground - hey, someone had to take their picture!
Then we went off hiking. Last time Joe and I went to Picture Canyon, we went off the trail and did our own exploring - this time we stuck to the trail. We lost the trail once and Joe decided to go climbing again - you know, to get up high and see if he could see the trail! So he climbs straight up this cliff - crazy guy - and once he was at the top he announced the trail was up there. What?! I didn't have faith in myself to climb straight up - so Jess and I found a different spot that wasn't quite as steep. We were almost to the top when Joe yells at us from the bottom - apparently he had walked back down the trail and it would have been much easier to get to the top! Oh, well, we did indeed make it. Then we all looked down from where Joe climbed up originally. Yikes - he was even shocked at how straight up the climb was!

We took a little break at the top to enjoy the rugged landscape!

And to think, we went out hiking - in short sleeves - in mid-January!! It was such a beautiful day! We hope we can find more hiking spots to visit again soon!

Crazy Mutt

What happened to that quiet scared little puppy that wouldn't even come out of her cage? Now, Lela is anywhere BUT in her cage! This dog, I don't know what to do with her! She has learned to jump a 6 foot fence - there just is no keeping her in. Thankfully, when we call her, she usually comes home. And if we have to go looking for her, if she sees the car she will follow us home. We just can't seem to keep her in - she loves her freedom, I guess! She comes home and jumps back in and prances around all proud of herself. Then there was the day she brought home some road kill - yuck - I have no idea what it once was!! We have decided to get one of those fences and a shock collar to teach her her boundaries. (I know, I know - sounds so cruel! In my defense, it gives TWO warnings before it will zap her!) Problem is, the weather has just been so nasty out, we haven't braved it to install the fence. We may just have to buckle down and do it - I fear someday she will get out and never come back. Maybe Lela was meant to live in the country - where she can roam freely. Maybe someday we will live in the country and she can. But we just can't bear the thought of giving her to someone else - she is too much a part of our lives now. I love how she peeks at us out the hole in the fence when we come and go. And how when we get home she runs to the back door and waits and if we don't come out right away she has the silliest little sound she makes that is somewhere between a growl and a whine! I love watching Lela and Joe play chase! Oh, what am I gonna do with you, Lela-dog?!