Crock Pot Roast & Cobbler

There's a nippy feeling in the air. I even saw a small flock of geese in their V formation flying over just the other day! Fall is coming. It makes me think of the fair, hay rides, wearing jackets in the morning waiting on the bus and running barefoot in the afternoons when the day warmed. Also, the last of the garden was usually coming in and grandma would make lots of soup. Mom would have that crock pot a bubbling.... the smells getting off the bus would make you run to the house to just get a taste!

I got so excited last week I ran out and change my lawn decorations then came in and threw a roast in the crockpot! 

Then I tried something I had wanted to for a long time.... Crockpot Cobbler!  It worked wonderfully. 

I threw it all in and we came home Sunday to a dinner my sweet grandmother would have been proud of!

My crockpot seems to be my best friend on busy days. One of the few things you can just leave running and come back in a few hours to enjoy! With not eating out very often I have come to appreciate this little device in so many ways in the last several years. So dearies.... pull that thing out of the back of your closet, remove the dust and crank it up! It's time for some yum!

Cobbler in a crock pot!

Easy Roast!
Roast
Salt
Garlic (opt.)
Onion
Carrots, celery, potatoes (or sweet potatoes!), green beans or other fresh veggie.
Water (apprx. 2 cups)

Brown the roast in a pan first with the salt, onion and garlic then place in the bottom of the crockpot.  Chop veggies and mound on top of the meat.  Pour water over the top.  Place on lid and turn it on.

3-8 hours depending on your crockpot settings!

Tip:  You can make cobbler in your crock pot too!  Just place the fruit and liquid in the bottom, pour on the topping, place the lid on and keep the setting low.  Fresh fruit or frozen fruit works best for this.

Meat Loaf with a Twist!

One night I was in the kitchen and running behind.  (Imagine that... seems more the norm.)  I had planned on hamburgers for dinner, but just did not want to roll out the patties.  Didn't want to stand there and flip... I was just in a non-conformist mood.  So I had this idea!  Meatloaf! 

Meatloaf is a word that has not been spoken in our household since tomatoes became a "no-no" in our main dishes.  I honestly had never known that meatloaf could be made without ketchup.  What to do?? I improvised and dug through my cabinets and concocted the following recipe.  It was truly not a beautiful main dish... being rather colorless.  (You can read here about my thing on colorful foods.)  I served it up to my family with some steamed broccoli on the side and held my breath!

My kids never cease to amaze me (on so many levels).  They scarffed that loaf down and asked for more.  I actually ended up making another for a Sunday meal at a friends house a few days later.  You just never know....

(This recipe could easily be adapted for your crockpot.)

I've posted my recipe and a copy of a completely different meatloaf recipe from the LivingWithout Magazine.  Both are sooooo yummy!

You Just Never Know Meatloaf

1 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey)
2 tbsp. dried onion flaked (or fresh)
1 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh)
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. gluten free oatmeal

Mush all this together in a bowl.  Knead until seasonings are completely mixed in.  Shape into a round "loaf" and place in large frying pan.  (I have surgical stainless steel pans that have "weighted" lids that help keep the moisture in and cook more evenly.  If your pans are not like this... just watch it a bit more carefully.)  Heat the frying pan on medium heat. You can brown one side of the meatloaf then flip it over or just leave it be.  It's up to your tastes.  I just put the lid on that baby and turned the heat down on low until it was done in the middle.  The oatmeal helped keep the moist loaf together.

Next time, I think I will shred some veggies and mix them in the loaf.  Anyway to get a veggie in a kid.

OK... if you WANT to... you CAN put ketchup on top!

==========================

This recipe comes from the http://www.livingwithout.com/ website.  (One of my fav magazines.)

Gluten-Free Meat Loaf
Serves 4

This unusual take on the classic American favorite contains no garlic, onion or peppers. You can substitute your favorite shredded vegetables in place of the broccoli and carrots. For a hint of sweetness, replace 4 tablespoons lime juice with an equal amount of orange juice.

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups mixed shredded broccoli stems and carrots
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup + 2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons apricot jam

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Put all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Knead with your hands or mix with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well blended.
3.Form meat mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake in preheated over for 35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve hot.

Each serving contains 622 calories, 45g total fat, 17g saturated fat, 3g trans fat, 159mg cholesterol, 14g carbohydrate, 182mg sodium, 1g fiber, 40g protein.

Recipe by Liz Scott.

Good nutrition is like a rainbow... sort of

You ask why?  Why is there a picture of dried split peas and lentils mixed together in my bowl?

Well it all started back in elemtary school.  Really!  When one day in nutrition and health they informed us that it was very important to have a variety of food.  Then they explained how our plate should be filled with a "rainbow of colors".  I came home armed with my new knowledge and inspected dinner every night according to it's colorfulness.  My family wasn't impressed.  To this day I still get snickers when I talk about how colorful some dish of food is.  [Families can be so supportive sometimes.]

Well, I am always on the look out on how to try to add in some fiber and beans in our diet.  They are so good for you.  Good for you and cheap!  And there I was all happily browning some ground beef with onion, garlic, carrots.... and realized... I forgot to soak the beans last night!  And, no, there weren't any in a can in the cabinet either.  What to do?? 

I dug through the cabinets and there I spied them..... Lentils!!! The amazing little bean that doesn't have to be pre-cooked.  Twenty minutes bubbling on the stove and yummy dinner would be served.  So there I was measuring out those cute little (yet non-colorful) beans.  Then I spied a small amount of green split peas.  Nice little brightly colored green peas.  "I shall just mix these in with the lentils and add some nice color to the soup." I said to myself.  [bad idea #1] Then I poured them in...... and one small brightly colored split pea dropped out and rolled onto the floor.  I stooped to pick it up......

Then it happened!  "NOOOOOOOOO!"  [Flashbacks started playing in my mind.]  How could I have done this???!!!  Didn't I remember???

The kids are running through the kitchen at this point.  "Go outside!  Go outside right now and take your brother and play!.... No forget setting the table... out!"

I suddenly remembered why I hadn't used that last small amount of brightly colored green split peas.  The last major hive outbreak we had with our then 2 year old had been from him eating a dried pea off the floor.  A floor we had swepted and checked and thought was o.k.  Somehow those little floor crawlers can sniff out a crumb of food from 3 houses down... particularly if they are allergic to it!

So I had sent the children out as I swept up the floor and my heartbeat slowed down.  Then I thought, I'll just separate those peas from the lentils.  [bad idea #2]  Ten minutes later..... frustration set in.  Beans are cheap.  I took this picture, then threw them out!  The risk was not worth those few cents of beans.  Next I proceeded to rinse another batch of lentils for the soup.

Alas, who thought fixing dinner would be so stressful!
Note to self: clean out the cabinets!  And throw out things we don't use anymore.... even if it is colorful!

For you.... a yummy fall soup that is great for when you forget the soak the beans overnight.

Lentil and Beef Soup:

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. garlic salt or chopped garlic (to taste... I like a lot)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Throw this all in the  pot and brown away. 

1 c. carrots, chopped

Throw these in as you get them chopped, and stir your meat mixture.

1 c. dried lentils
1 pinch thyme (opt.)
1 bay leaf (opt.)
4 c. water

Bring to a boil, then cut the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or until those non-colorful lentils are soft.

Serve over some brown rice, or a baked potato (if you can) or GF corn bread.  Yum!