Easy Vegetable Stew

I'm really looking forward to the fall--which has me thinking about my favorite fall dishes!  Cue the delicious vegetable stew!!  This one has a lot of ingredients, but only a few steps.  There isn't much preparation, it requires few dirty dishes, and is done within an hour!  Give it a shot--I committed it to memory after a few attempts.  It's worth it! 

1 1/2-2 lbs stew meat
32 oz frozen bag of vegetables (I buy the bag that has corn, green beans, carrots, and peas in it)
1 Can tomato Sauce
1 Can diced tomatoes
One Garlic clove, minced.
One medium onion, minced.
1 large or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped.
1/2 Cup Ketchup*
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Two bouillon cubes
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
Water--about six cups
Optional: Better than bouillon

*Ketchup is very important to this recipe.  It tastes very bland without it.  So, I wouldn't recommend skipping it. 

• Sear meat in oil and garlic.  Add "Better than Bouillon" now if you wish. 
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cover with water (usually at least 6 cups)
• Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.  Make sure potatoes are soft before serving. 

I love to serve this stew with cornbread.  Also, I'm convinced it's more delicious the next day.  Even my husband, who isn't a huge fan of vegetables, loves this recipe!  Best of all, besides the potatoes--you can consider all of this non-perishable food!  So, you can keep it all on hand for when you are in a bind!  :)  I hope you enjoy this stew as much as we have!!   

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork BBQ

Need to feed a large group?  Don't have a grill?  Try this!

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork BBQ
Super easy!  Delish!  Good for days--so make extra!

Ingredients:
1 pork roast (about four pounds)
Root Beer--a six pack or a 2 liter
1 Bottle of BBQ sauce (I recommend staying away from sweet sauce--you'll get sweet from the root beer)
1 onion (you can have more if you like onion in your BBQ--we just use it for flavoring)
Salt and Pepper--just a few sprinkles

• Cut an onion in 3-4 pieces.  Leave them big enough to take out easily later.
• Put the pork roast in the crockpot.
• Fill it with root beer so that the roast is half way covered.
• Salt and pepper
• Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours
• Take out roast, pull apart with a fork on a plate
• Get a ladle and drain some of the rootbeer (more than half)
• Take out onions and discard
• Add roast back, and pour bottle of BBQ in the crockpot
• Add minced onions if you like
• Mix and add more rootbeer as needed (depends on how juicy you want your BBQ to be)
• Let it cook in the crockpot on high for an hour or so
• Serve on buns with whatever sides you like (we like potato chips--so easy!)

This is so easy, and pretty amazing.  It's good to make and then have a BBQ sandwich for lunch all week!  I highly recommend it!

I'm no Betty Crocker...

Alright. I wish I was one of those women that just loved cooking. I wish that I enjoyed the smell of something baking in the oven, the aroma of something simmering on the stove, or the beauty of a meal plated perfectly.  But the sad truth is--I don't like to cook. I find it tiring, stressful, and it gets very hot in the kitchen. Being that I am only six months postpartum, I tend to have hot flashes these days. (More on the joys of motherhood in another post)
In fact, it is not uncommon for me to ruin a recipe.  I'm kind of a disaster in the kitchen--needing multiple trips to the store for one recipe, misreading directions and making dishes that are inedible.  My husband just grins and shakes his head.  Never critiques my cooking. He's so kind.

But...I do enjoy feeding my family. I decided that I would occasionally post recipes to my blog. However, I must warn you. These are not recipes that require lots of dishes, measurements, effort, and time in the kitchen. They are--what I strive to find. The easiest recipes ever that require minimal effort but are still quite delicious. They are difficult to screw up--because I am no Rachel Ray. Also, most of the time, you can remember them--so no cookbook required. (Although I do keep them written in a cookbook of my own--I just rarely have to use it.)

So, here is your fair warning. My recipes will not make you feel or look like an amazing cook.  They aren't made from scratch.  They  are not gourmet, or intricate.  They are simple.  Delicious.  And very casual. :)