Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Pot Roast 

adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 (2 1/2 pound) boneless beef chuck

roast

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to

taste

1 (1.2 ounce) package dry beef gravy mix

1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix

1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style

salad dressing mix

1/2 cup water, or as needed

5 whole peeled carrots (optional)

Directions:

1.	Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread the onion slices out into the bottom of the cooker.
2.	Spread the flour out onto a work surface. Sprinkle the chuck roast with salt and black pepper, and roll the roast in the flour to coat all sides. Using the edge of a small, sturdy plate, pound the flour into the meat. Place the floured roast into the cooker on top of the onions. Whisk together beef gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, and Italian dressing mix in a bowl, and whisk the mixes with water until smooth. Pour over the chuck roast. Distribute carrots around the meat.
3.	Cover the cooker, set to Low, and cook until the roast is tender and the gravy has thickened, about 8 hours. I made this for a large dinner party, so I doubled the recipe and it turned out just fine! I used the carrots and onions, and I think this would be great with some celery as well. The vegetables add to the flavor and help to absorb some of the sodium in the seasoning. I just put everything in the slow cooker in the morning and left it running until about 6pm. Not difficult at all! :)

Semester Recap

Sorry for the rather long hiatus! I've been in and out of town for the past two weeks on trips and have spent my time doing all kinds of lovely things that don't involve being tied down to technology. I've seen some incredible things in that short amount of time, and learned some pretty cool things that I'd like to share with you all as well. The semester is now officially over for me, so I'm looking forward to actually having the time to do all that, as well as work on some new projects to share with you guys!

I mentioned a few weeks go that I took a course this semester on costume technology. So I thought I'd share what I've made this semester as a result of that:

A laundry bag...

A kimono/robe: 

And last but not least, I finished my first dress made from scratch! 

I used this Cynthia Rowley pattern that I got for $1 during the Easter weekend sale at JoAnn's. 

I took a few creative liberties and made my own matching buttons, added a contrasting hem, and a waist tie. It zips up at the side and has pockets!

If you're interested, the pattern is available here.

I didn't get the chance to document the sewing process with these projects, but if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll try to answer them!

Garden Parties

Dress: thrifted ($4)

Hat: F21 ($6)

Shoes: Rack Room ($15)

I love spring. And flowers. And all things green. That is all.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Recipe number two from the dinner party. Quinoa is so great. If you haven't tried it yet, you should. I know it can sound like a health nut/food snob/gourmet thing, but it really isn't any harder to cook than rice and it's great if cooked right! This recipe's a good place to start!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

from AllRecipes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa 

1 tablespoon butter 

2 cups chicken broth 

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper 

1/2 cup diced red onion 

1 cup corn

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro 

1 large tomato, diced 

1/2 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon adobo seasoning 

1/2 cup feta cheese 

salt and black pepper to taste 

Directions:

1.

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water, and drain. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the quinoa until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the broth, about 10 minutes. Cool quinoa in refrigerator at least 10 minutes.

2.

Mix together green pepper, red onion, corn, black beans, cilantro, tomato, lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, adobo seasoning, and feta cheese in a large salad bowl. Lightly stir in the quinoa, and season with salt, pepper, and additional lime juice to taste, if desired. Chill the salad at least 30 minutes before serving; serve cold.

I followed all the directions for cooking the quinoa in broth, and added the vegetables/beans it called for. But for seasoning, I just added olive oil, pepper, salt, some garlic powder, pesto, and balsamic to taste. So no worries if you don't have the exact measurements or ingredients, you can always tweak it to your preference or available items!

Floral Prints

Dress: AE ($14)

Cardigan: thrifted ($3.50)

Shoes: Franco Fortini ($15)