“Laughter is and always will be the best form of therapy.” – Audrey Hepburn
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
We celebrated our son’s birthday this week, which also includes the first day of spring. Our grandkids are getting ‘old’ where we aren’t as goofy any more… I decided to pull a photo from the first week of spring from 8 years ago… where we were being very goofy, wrapping them in ‘mummy’ wrap!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
The birthday boy chose pot roast with potatoes and carrots for his birthday dinner. This recipe from thecozycook.com fit the bill!
CROCK POT ROAST
- 3-4 pound chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
MEAT SEASONING
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon EACH: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
GRAVY
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillion
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
SIDES
- 2 pounds baby potatoes
- 2 pounds green top carrots
FOR THE END
- 3 tablespoons corn starch plus 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pat roast completely dry. Combine seasonings and massage it onto all sides of the roast, followed by the flour.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is shiny and heated, add roast and sear each side for 2-3 minutes, until a brown crust has developed.
- Whisk together the gravy ingredients and add some of it to the skillet that you used to sear the roast. “Clean” the bottom and sides and add it to the crock pot, along with the rest of the gravy mixture.
- Cut the potatoes in quarters. Peel and cut the carrots in thirds and in half lengthwise.
- Arrange the potatoes around the roast and top with carrots. Place the lid securely on top and leave it untouched until the end.
- Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.
- Carefully remove the carrots, potatoes, and roast and set on a serving platter. Tent with foil.
- Transfer the juices to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk together the corn starch with cold water and add it to the gravy. Whisk to incorporate, and lower heat to simmer to thicken until ready to serve.
