Just so you know, my Mom has a culinary gene that she SO did not pass on to me. Sucks for me since I’m now pretty much forced to learn to cook (hello, living on one income means sayonara to dining out & costly convenience foods). So I asked my Mom to walk me through putting together one of her much celebrated crockpot roasts. I’ve made two so far and both times hubby snarfed it, so I know I did something right! First time I used beef and the second time a pork tenderloin. Both came out SO delicious, the meat just fell apart! We were able to make some slammin’ pot roast sandwiches with the leftovers too. Yay for me! But oh no, is there hope for me yet? Crap! No more pulling the “Sorry, I can’t cook, let’s take our guests out to dinner” card!

INGREDIENTS:

• Beef or pork roast
• Bag of baby carrots
• 1 stalk of Celery
• 5 sm. white or red potatoes
• 1/2 of a lrg. white/yellow onion
• Mrs. Dash
• Tarragon
• 1/2 a packet of onion soup mix
• 1 c. of water
• Jar of minced garlic
• 1 stick of butter
• Feta cheese
• Salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse your meat well.
2. Place a slow cooker liner in the crockpot, place piece of meat on bottom.
3. Cover the top/sides of the meat with a thin layer of minced garlic.
4. Add a generous amount of tarragon and Mrs. Dash.
5. Wash & cut up all the veggies (cut celery into 3″ long pieces, quarter potatoes, cut onion into half rings).
6. Layer veggies on the sides & top of meat, filling up the crockpot.
7. Add more tarragon, Mrs. Dash and salt & pepper.
8. Cut one stick of butter into pads and layer on top.
9. Dissolve the onion soup mix in 1 c. water (stir well) and pour evenly into crockpot.
10. Crumble feta cheese (as desired) on the very top.
11. Cook 8-9 hours on low.

MENU IDEA:
- Savory Crockpot Roast
- Favorite green salad
- Fresh rolls

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• Tagged with: Crockpot Meals, Recipes

We (the boys and I) have been in Tucson for the past 3 days. I’m currently speaking through the veil of several glasses of (much earned) Pinot Noir and I’m discovering the beauty of Pandora Radio via my Mom’s laptop. Enter in “Depeche Mode” and you’ll be in 80’s alternative heaven for life! We’re talking Joy Division kind of happy.

It has been an action filled week and I do believe my Mom may second guess herself the next time she says “you and the boys should come down and stay with us for a few days”. My kids have been monsters and that’s putting it nicely. Turns out they don’t do so well away from home. Oh well, practice makes perfect I say! They gotta get used to staying with Grandma/Grandpa so Daddy and I can have some much needed (but seldom received) adult time (/end day dream).

I was lucky enough to have my hair done today. Hello! I am now a hipster! Good-bye Mom hairdo! It’s short and dark! A few random blonde highlights in the very front. It will be a trip to wash in the shower tomorrow. Tonight was super cool. My aunt Elvia came over to watch “Confessions of a Shopaholic”. Boy do I relate to that movie! I think ANYONE with an addictive personality can relate to that movie. The kids both went down without much of a fight. Who could ask for more? (Me! More wine please!).

My Mom took Quentin to two quick stores today, she came back somewhat frazzled (and I quote one of her phrases, “He is SO not a joy to take shopping”). Then I went for my haircut and what did I encounter when I returned almost four hours later? A totally brain dead Grandma. Both Grandparents could hardlly wait for me to get back. They complained of temper tantrums, constantly cleaning up messes, blowout diapers, toddlers with feisty dispostions. Me? Yeah, welcome to my world bitches! (Ok, I totally would never say that. But I was thinkin’ it!). Share in the pain. Love it. Feel it. This is what what we all signed up for! You are grandparents. We are parents. Feel the burn.

• Tagged with: Mom is a 3-letter word

Today the universe slung me a healthy dose of karma, as I felt firsthand the cruel sarcasm behind the phrase, “Almost as fun as a root canal!”.

For THREE AND A HALF HOURS a less than gentle dentist did unmentionable things to one sad & weathered little molar. Excuse me Mr. Dentist? What did that molar ever do to you?

Now that all the yanking, pulling and merciless drilling is over, I sit here (Vicodin on tap) with a sore face & downtrodden heart. Damn you karma! This is all about that piece of Brach’s caramel I stole from the grocery store when I was six years old, isn’t it?!

Lesson learned: take better care of your teeth, see a dentist regularly, and maybe you’ll never have to GIVE someone $800.00 to perform chinese torture in your mouth.

• Tagged with: Dentist, Karma