Asian Pepper Steak

After I made this last week, we decided that it should be considered comfort food. To make it even better - it's slow cooker comfort food. I'm trying to expand my horizons of meals that are good and that can be made in the slow cooker since I'm spending more days with my grandparents. Let me know what you think. It's a Rachael Ray recipe, and if I was computer savvy, I'd post a quick link, but I'll just type it. :)

Slow-Cooker Recipe: Asian Pepper Steak

3 lbs. beef sirloin
3 Tbls cornstarch, for dusting meat
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 Tbls ginger, grated
1 large onion, sliced
3 red bell peppers, sliced
3 yellow bell peppers, sliced
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
4 Tbls brown sugar
3/4 C soy sauce
Ground black pepper to taste
2 C cooked rice

Topper:
2 C bean sprouts
1 C cilantro, roughly chopped
2 limes

serves 6-8

In a large skillet, sear the meat in some olive oil until nice and brown on both sides. Remove the steak to a cutting board and slice the steak into 1-inch thick strips.

Place the sliced steak into the crock-pot bowl, then dust the meat with cornstarch and mix the meat around until there is no more visible cornstarch. Add the remaining ingredients except for the topper ingredients to the crock-pot, then place a lid on top and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Serve in bowls with rice on bottom, then steak mixture and toppings.

Comfort Food....

Calling all recipes for comfort food... It seems there is a great deal of heartache, pain, and trauma all around us these days, whether it is in our own lives or the lives of those we hold dear. There is something about comfort food, and the act of feeding the body, sustaining ourselves physically, that helps to heal the wounded spirit as well. Post up your best recipes for comfort food - we could all use a little of that these days.

Garden Stew Recipe
cut round steak (or chuck roast) in small cubes (about 1/2" cubes), brown meat in frying pan in a little olive oil, then add some water and scrape up the brown bits...

put stew meat in roasting pan or dutch oven including brown bits and liquid

cut potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips into small cubes

put meat and vegetables in roasting pan or dutch oven and add water to cover all ingredients

cover roasting pan and cook at 325F in oven for 3 hrs.

This is comfort food in my family....this one soothes my soul, as well as my tummy!

Country Music Marathon

Hi ladies. Here is the scoop about the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN on April 24th, 2010.

The race starts at 7am on the morning of Saturday, April 24th, at Nashville's Centennial Park.

Entertainment: 50 bands playing live on 28 entertainment stages, hundreds of high school cheerleaders and thousands of spectators. Post-Race Concert: Music continues into the night as all race participants are treated to a free post race concert in downtown Nashville. Past performers include Phil Vassar, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Sarah Evans, Jo Dee Messina and “The Gambler” – Kenny Rogers.

I can get tickets for you all for $30 each, I think.

The two HQ hotels are $259 per night each. With us staying two nights, it a pretty hefty price tag, but we could probably find someplace less posh with a lower price tag, or maybe a little higher priced room split more ways, depending on who's interested. Link to the HQ hotels here:

Not to put pressure on, but we should probably book pretty soon; it's a pretty big race (like 35,000 people).

Whether we're able to go or not, I appreciate you all cheering me on. Thanks!

Sausage Vegetable Soup

Okay ladies--
It is Sunday night and i am back. This is the soup recipe that I really enjoyed. I am making it this week too. It was from Bon Appi......
2 T olive oil
1 pd sausage
1 large onion
2 large carrots (@ 1 3/4c)
2 large parsnips (@1 3/4c)
2 large stalks celery (@1c)
2 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1 pd brown lentils (@2 1/3c)
3 quarts of chicken broth
1 5oz package of baby spinich

Cook sausage until browned, remove. Saute onion, carrots, parsnips, celery and spicce in drippings. Add lentils stir to coat. Add broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat @ 20 min.
Add more broth if it bets too thick. Add sausage, simmer until veggies are tender. Add spinich and allow to wilt then serve.

I used venison sausage because i have it. They gave a specific kind--sorry i don't remember.
I will give the bread recipe later. I have more tweeking to do.

Clever Way to Peel a Potato from Cheryl

i do not have all of my things i want to enter in front of my but i wanted everyone to know that i was here and thinking about it. i am too sleepy to do it now but my goal is tomorrow. i have made that leek and potatoe soup before--mmmmm!

Happy Veterans Day!

I was explaining to JG all about Veterans Day....
And then he said, "You know David, the boy that killed the giant, well....he was a veteran!"

Thank you to our veterans that have fought for our country and the freedom we all enjoy.