Crockpot Beef & Gravy

I've had a very busy past week, including a trip to Moses Lake and a night stuck in a hotel in Cle Elum because our car's brakes stopped working. Yikes! But we're back now, and *almost* recovered from the trip. So, back to posting I go. Here's a recipe I got from my mom years ago. We had it for dinner last week.



Crockpot Beef & Gravy

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, trimmed of fat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup

Combine the two soups in a crockpot. Add meat, and stir until meat is covered by the sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve; add salt & pepper to taste.

Why I love it? Crockpot + 3 ingredients! What could be better? :) The meat tastes great, the sauce is good, and my whole family enjoys it. I served it with mashed red potatoes.

Chocolate Trifle

This is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite desserts to make, especially for a crowd. I've made several variations of it, too. You cannot go wrong with this!

Chocolate Trifle
Printable version here

1 (19.8 oz.) package brownie mix (plus ingredients listed on the box), or homemade brownies baked in a 9x13 pan
1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup water
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
16 oz. container Cool Whip, thawed*
Grated chocolate for garnish, optional

1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.

2. In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup water, then stir in pudding mix. Mix until smooth, then fold in half the container of Cool Whip until no streaks remain.

3. In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining Cool Whip. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto the top layer for garnish, if desired. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving. Serves 12.

Recipe Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Trifle/Detail.aspx

* The original recipe calls for 20 ounces of Cool Whip, but I have found one 16 ounce carton to be enough.

Why I love it? It's easy to make, it can be made beforehand, it easily serves a lot of people, it looks impressive, and it tastes fantastic!! Plus, if there are any leftovers, they taste good for several days. If they last that long ;) I make it in my Pampered Chef trifle bowl, and that fits perfectly.

Yogurt Berry Smoothie

A few months ago, I noticed this new product in the freezer section. Surely, I could make it at home for cheaper! :) So, here's what I did.

I froze a 6-ounce container of strawberry yogurt. It made 7 cubes (not quite full to the top). I looked online and found that the Yoplait ones use a 7.6 ounce bag of frozen yogurt & fruit, so I measured mine to be close to that. The smoothie ended up using 5 yogurt cubes & 4 large frozen strawberries.

Add to a blender with 1 cup of milk (I used skim milk), and blend until smooth

It made the perfect amount for me & two kids!

I've made these many times now, with different flavors of yogurt, different fruit, etc. The basic directions are the same:

Yogurt Smoothie (Serves 2)
Printable version here

1. Freeze yogurt in ice cube tray; freeze fruit.

2. In a blender, combine 5 yogurt cubes, frozen fruit (approx. 1/3 cup), and 1 cup milk. Blend until smooth.

Why I love it? They were great!! It had a good consistency (thick, but still drinkable through a straw), and a good balance of yogurt & fruit taste. By freezing the yogurt beforehand, it's so easy to make- just put in the frozen ingredients and milk, and voila! Easy snack or breakfast!

Roasted Tomato Soup

The first time I made this soup, I was amazed at how different it was from canned tomato soup.  I shouldn't have been surprised, because homemade is always better- but I was shocked at how good it was!  It tastes creamy, flavorful, and just real! Like what canned soup is trying to imitate!  Even though I don't like tomatoes (or even ketchup), I love this.

I served this with homemade multigrain bread.  I found the recipe from Our Best Bites, here.  It was the perfect complement to this soup!

Roasted Tomato Soup
Printable version here

6 cups (3 pints) cherry tomatoes
3 T. olive oil, divided
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. chopped onion
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 t. thyme
1 cup whipping cream (I use whole milk)

1. Heat the oven to 400º. On a baking sheet, combine the tomatoes, 2 T. oil, salt & pepper. Toss the ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots, about 35 to 45 minutes.

2. In a large pot, heat the butter and remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, the thyme, and the roasted tomatoes, including any liquid on the baking sheet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

3. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the soup until it's smooth. (You will need to do this in batches, and you might want to cool the soup a little before pureeing it) Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Without letting the soup boil, warm over medium heat, stirring often, until steaming. Add salt & pepper if necessary, and add a little sugar if it's too tart. Makes about 10 cups.

Recipe source: Family Fun magazine

* Last time I made this, I only made a half batch (to save money on ingredients). It made enough to feed my family of 2 adults & 2 kids, plus 1 bowl leftover. I used my immersion blender to puree it, being very careful not to splash myself with hot soup.

Why I love it? It's the best tomato soup I've ever had!! It had a more appealing feel than canned tomato soup- there was a little texture to it, and it just tasted real, like actual tomato soup! :) It's also a great way to use up tomatoes if you have a bunch of them. Plus, tomatoes are high in vitamin C! I've also served this with a yummy sourdough grilled cheese. Those 2 things combined tasted like they were from a restaurant!