My husband are coming up on a decade of togetherness this year and we're not exactly the most romantic people. We show each other we care by doing nice things for one another but grand romantic gestures don't really exist. I think we got anniversary cards for one another this year past year but honestly I am not positive. One year I made dinner at home and I picked up red plates from Target and made heart shaped cheeseburgers for dinner. He has started to listen a little bit because 2 years ago and again this year Valentine's Days he's taking me out to dinner and not telling me where we are going. I understand Valentine's Day is for both of you so for years my husband argued that if we went out we should plan it together. Well, darn it I want to be surprised!
This year I am making him a gift. He plays soccer at least once a week and he's been playing on an indoor league for over a year now. So when I was out this past weekend at a fabric store, I spied a red fleece with soccer balls all over it. Since red is his favorite color and they had a nice solid black fleece as well I decided to pick up a couple yards and make him tie fleece blanket. He's always stealing mine so I thought I would surprise him with one of his own. I'm not exactly the most crafty person in the world so hopefully he appreciates this.
Since I can only work on it when he's not home I started it tonight. It's already half done and easier than I thought it would be. I had to go and hide it a little while ago since I do not know when he will be home. It's a suitcase in our closet, hopefully it's safe. I'll post a picture when it's done.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Crock Pot Sundays week 3
Ok so technically last week was week 3 but my husband went to the Pats game so I didn't make a crock pot meal.
This Sunday's meal of choice? Swiss steaks with mushrooms & onions
Ingredients:
2 onions sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2.5-3lbs of skirt steak sliced into 6-8oz pieces (I've just about given up on finding beef blade)
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of dried tyme
1 lb of white mushrooms
Take a skillet and heat vegetable oil on medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms & salt and cover for 5 mins. Uncover and cook the mushrooms until brown (anywhere from 5-10 mins). Add to the crock pot. In a separate skillet (or the same one once the mushrooms are done), add 2 tsp of vegetable oil and throw in your onions. thyme and paprika. Cook for about 8-10 mins until onions are soft and brown. Considering the paprika makes everything redish, I couldn't tell when the onions were brown so I went with soft. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Wisk in the broth and sherry, getting rid of any lumps.
At this point, I couldn't believe how this recipe was going to work with so little liquid but it does.
Add onions to the crock pot. Salt and pepper the meat and add to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or high for 5-7. Again, with my small 4 quart cookbook dinner was ready faster. I only had to cook mine of low for 5 hours.
I had a bunch of oil sitting on top of all the food in the crock pot so I took some sliced bread to soak it up. Bread is an amazing little sponge. Once the meat is cooked and fall apart-y, remove it from the crock pot. Add in the heavy cream, salt & pepper to taste and serve over the steak. I served the steak with white rice. My husband was a little skeptical of this meal about halfway through the cooking process because it didn't look all that appetizing but by the time it was done it was a whole lot better looking (and smelling)
Another winner in our book!
This Sunday's meal of choice? Swiss steaks with mushrooms & onions
Ingredients:
2 onions sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2.5-3lbs of skirt steak sliced into 6-8oz pieces (I've just about given up on finding beef blade)
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of dried tyme
1 lb of white mushrooms
Take a skillet and heat vegetable oil on medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms & salt and cover for 5 mins. Uncover and cook the mushrooms until brown (anywhere from 5-10 mins). Add to the crock pot. In a separate skillet (or the same one once the mushrooms are done), add 2 tsp of vegetable oil and throw in your onions. thyme and paprika. Cook for about 8-10 mins until onions are soft and brown. Considering the paprika makes everything redish, I couldn't tell when the onions were brown so I went with soft. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Wisk in the broth and sherry, getting rid of any lumps.
At this point, I couldn't believe how this recipe was going to work with so little liquid but it does.
Add onions to the crock pot. Salt and pepper the meat and add to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or high for 5-7. Again, with my small 4 quart cookbook dinner was ready faster. I only had to cook mine of low for 5 hours.
I had a bunch of oil sitting on top of all the food in the crock pot so I took some sliced bread to soak it up. Bread is an amazing little sponge. Once the meat is cooked and fall apart-y, remove it from the crock pot. Add in the heavy cream, salt & pepper to taste and serve over the steak. I served the steak with white rice. My husband was a little skeptical of this meal about halfway through the cooking process because it didn't look all that appetizing but by the time it was done it was a whole lot better looking (and smelling)
Another winner in our book!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Crock Pot Sundays week 2
Week two of making a slow cooker meal and another successful choice. This week?
Easy Taco Chili
Two medium onions (minced)- I cried a lot doing this)
1lb ground beef (85% lean or less)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs brown sugar
1 can beans (I used Goya red beans) drained and rinsed
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1 taco seasoning packet
1 tbs milk
1 piece of white bread
Combine the garlic powder, taco seasoning packet, tomato paste, oil, and onions together. Microwave until onions are soft and throw into the crockpot. Add in the beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix. Tear the bread in a bowl into pieces and mush together with the milk using a fork. Add in the meat and mix with your hands. Add the meat to the crockpot and break apart the big pieces of meat. Cook in low for 6-8hrs or high from 3-5. It doesn't look all that appealing but it tastes fantastic!
Easy Taco Chili
Two medium onions (minced)- I cried a lot doing this)
1lb ground beef (85% lean or less)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs brown sugar
1 can beans (I used Goya red beans) drained and rinsed
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1 taco seasoning packet
1 tbs milk
1 piece of white bread
Combine the garlic powder, taco seasoning packet, tomato paste, oil, and onions together. Microwave until onions are soft and throw into the crockpot. Add in the beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix. Tear the bread in a bowl into pieces and mush together with the milk using a fork. Add in the meat and mix with your hands. Add the meat to the crockpot and break apart the big pieces of meat. Cook in low for 6-8hrs or high from 3-5. It doesn't look all that appealing but it tastes fantastic!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Crock Pot Sundays
I made my first crock pot meal with my new cookbook this weekend. I forgot to take a picture but it did come out mighty tasty! This week we made Beef & Noodle soup
I have a 4 quart crockpot so my cook times were a little different than the original recipe so I'll include both.
Cast of characters:
1 onion cut up small
4 cloves of garlic (I use the stuff from a jar)
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp of dried thyme
1 box & 1 can of beef broth
8 oz of baby bella mushrooms (the recipe said cremini but my store didn't have any)
3 carrots peeled and chopped (or a handful of baby carrots)
2 pieces of celery chopped
2 tbs soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1.5 lbs beef blade steak, trim some of the fat*
a little salt & pepper for seasoning
2 cups of wide egg noodles
*my store didn't have beef blade so i used chuck. I want to try again with the right cut of meat to see if there is a difference
microwave the onions, garlic, tomato paste, oil & thyme in a bowl. You're trying to get the onions softened. It took me 2 mins but adjust as necessary. Stir and throw in the crockpot.
Add the broth, soy sauce, carrots, celery, mushrooms and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Season the meat with some salt and pepper and add it to the crock pot. The recipe says on low 9 hrs and high 5 to 7 hours. I think the creators of the cookbook had a larger crock pot. Mine took 4 hrs on high to cook up. Once the meat is cooked & tender, remove the meat, take out the bay leaves, turn off the crockpot for about 5 mins. Shred the beef, get rid of any excess fat that may be on top of the liquid in the crockpot (I didn't have any). Once you turn off the crockpot, you'll want to cook the egg noodles. The egg noodles cook separately and once drained, you'll add them to the crockpot along with the shredded beef. Enjoy!
I have a 4 quart crockpot so my cook times were a little different than the original recipe so I'll include both.
Cast of characters:
1 onion cut up small
4 cloves of garlic (I use the stuff from a jar)
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp of dried thyme
1 box & 1 can of beef broth
8 oz of baby bella mushrooms (the recipe said cremini but my store didn't have any)
3 carrots peeled and chopped (or a handful of baby carrots)
2 pieces of celery chopped
2 tbs soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1.5 lbs beef blade steak, trim some of the fat*
a little salt & pepper for seasoning
2 cups of wide egg noodles
*my store didn't have beef blade so i used chuck. I want to try again with the right cut of meat to see if there is a difference
microwave the onions, garlic, tomato paste, oil & thyme in a bowl. You're trying to get the onions softened. It took me 2 mins but adjust as necessary. Stir and throw in the crockpot.
Add the broth, soy sauce, carrots, celery, mushrooms and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Season the meat with some salt and pepper and add it to the crock pot. The recipe says on low 9 hrs and high 5 to 7 hours. I think the creators of the cookbook had a larger crock pot. Mine took 4 hrs on high to cook up. Once the meat is cooked & tender, remove the meat, take out the bay leaves, turn off the crockpot for about 5 mins. Shred the beef, get rid of any excess fat that may be on top of the liquid in the crockpot (I didn't have any). Once you turn off the crockpot, you'll want to cook the egg noodles. The egg noodles cook separately and once drained, you'll add them to the crockpot along with the shredded beef. Enjoy!
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