Pot Roast

Pot roast is one of my family's all time favorite dinners.  They gobble it up and always ask for seconds.  What I love about it is that it requires very little effort from me.  I just throw the ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook all day.  Whip up some mashed potatoes and a veggie and you're good to go.   Here's the skinny...
Ingredients
3-4 pound roast (we use wild game, but a boneless chuck roast is perfect)
1 onion, diced
2 cups water
1/2 cup brown gravy mix
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
Salt & pepper
Directions
Place everything  but the roast into a crock pot, stir it well.  Set roast on top and spoon some of the mixture over the top of the roast.  Cook on low for about 8 hours, high for 6 hours or until tender.  Meat should easily pull apart when it is done.  You can pull it in the crock pot, or slice off pieces and pull them on the plate.  Spoon some gravy over the top and enjoy!
[if gravy is not thick enough you can add more gravy mix after removing the meat.  Or pour gravy into a pan and bring to a boil, whisk in 2 tablespoons of corn starch mixed into 1/4 cup cold water.  Keep whisking until you get your desired consistency.]

*You can also do this in the oven.  Follow the same directions in a roasting pan with lid or cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 3 1/2 hours.
*I don't care for veggies and potatoes cooked with the meat.  But if you'd like, you can throw in some potatoes, carrots, and/or celery into the crock pot.

Tomato Parmesan Soup

Since we got three inches of snow last night (& it's still coming down), I've digressed back into soup mode.  I was slowly moving towards spring style fare.  Even started daydreaming about bbq-ing.  But those dreams have been crushed by the thick blanket of snow outside.  The good thing is I love soup, and this soup is out of this world!  It's a whole new level of tomato soup.  Besides tasting amazing, the best part about this soup is how easy it is to make.  Dice up a few veggies, open a few cans, pour them all in a crock pot and at the end of the day it's ready for you to puree it and dish up.  Make some fancy grilled cheese sandwiches using sharp cheddar and sourdough to accompany the soup, and dinner will knock their socks off.  Here's the DL...
Ingredients
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried basil (or 1/4 cup fresh basil)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup flour
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half & half, warmed
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, garlic powder, basil, and chicken broth in large slow cooker.  Cover & cook on low for 5-7 hours.
About half hour before serving, in saucepan melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in flour & cook 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.  Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup.  Add three more cups of soup and stir until smooth. Add the flour soup mixture back into the slow cooker.  Mix in the Parmesan cheese and warmed half & half.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Cover and continue to cook on low for another 30 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend soup until it is smooth & creamy.  Serve & enjoy.
*If you like chunky tomato soup skip the last step.
*No immersion blender?  Just pour the soup into your regular blend, works just as well.