"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end."
Isaiah 9:6-7a
Merry Christmas! I can't believe Christmas Eve is already here! We are just relaxing today, reading Christmas books and watching Christmas movies, addressing our Christmas cards, and enjoying time together. I finally have a moment to wrap up my 30-Day crockpot recipe spree!
The last day of the challenge I made an easy creamy vegetable soup. The kids even thought it was really good. It was perfect for the evening because we ate early and then went to the Austin Trail of Lights! I had lots left over, so I froze enough for two more meals! Yay!!
Friday, my husband returned from a week in India, so I wanted to have a nice special meal made for him. We have been cutting down on meat for several months, but I thought he would enjoy this yummy Beef Chuck Roast dinner. I took my older kids to the mall Friday, so I was glad to have dinner slow-cooking the whole day while we were gone. We were stuck in parking lot traffic for over an hour upon leaving, so it was a good thing dinner was already made!! My mom made yummy mashed potatoes, and dinner was ready when we made it home. Unfortunately, Todd's flight was delayed, and he didn't make it home in time for dinner, but he had some for lunch Saturday and loved it! I froze the rest for another meal--I will make tacos out of the leftovers, and I'll post about that when it happens (easy way to convert leftovers into taco filling).
Last night we had friends over to go to a local live nativity, so we ate hot dogs from the grill, and I made a very festive, yummy, perfect side for cookouts--"Party Beans!" I doubled the batch, and will freeze for later. Everyone raved about the beans, and my friend even told me she doesn't ever really like beans as a stand-alone side dish but she tried these beans, and loved them. She said they were very flavorful! So that tells you something! Enjoy the recipes and enjoy your Christmas!!
Blessings!
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Makes 12-15 Servings (full 7-quart slow cooker)
3 14-oz. cans chicken stock (I used vegetable)
3 15-oz. cans cream style corn
3 cups fat-free milk
48-oz. pckg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 onion, chopped (you can pre-sautée if you want it ready sooner)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Combine all ingredients except pepper in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low 3 hours.
3. Serve with warm bread and sprinkle fresh pepper over each bowl to taste.
Variations:
*Add 2 potatoes, cubed, in step one (if you're in a hurry to have it ready, pre-boil)
*Add salt, pepper, and fresh herbs to taste in step 1.
Beef Roast with Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers
Makes 10 servings
4- to 5-lb. beef chuck roast, cut in half
2 14 1/2 oz. cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
16-oz. jar salsa, your choice of mild, medium, or hot
2 or 3 medium onions, cut into chunks
1 or 2 green or red bell peppers, sliced
1. Brown roast on all sides in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place in slow cooker.
2. Combine tomatoes and salsa in bowl. Spoon over meat in slow cooker.
3. Arrange onions around meat.
4. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender but not dry.
5. Add pepper slices 1 hour before serving, pushing them down into the sauce.
6. Remove meat from slow cooker and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Place on serving platter and top with vegetables and sauce.
7. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
Partytime Beans
Makes 14-16 servings
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 packed brown sugar
2 bay leaves
2-3 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper
16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 1/2 oz. can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
15-oz. can Lima beans, rinsed and drained
15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 1/2 oz. can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1. Combine first 10 ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
3. Cover. Cook on low 5-7 hours, or until onion and peppers are tender.
4. Remove bay leaves before serving.
5. Serve with grilled hamburgers or hot dogs, tossed salad or veggie tray, chips, fruit and cookies.
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