Beef Stroganoff - in the crockpot

This is a new recipe for me that I found online on one of my searches. This is how I tend to find a lot of the things I cook because I will have a craving and I just start searching until I find a recipe that looks like it will be a good one.

I loved the beef sirloin tip in this dish. So tender and tons of flavor. I bought the thinly sliced ones at my local grocery store. It called for 1 1/2 lbs. of meat, but I could only find packages that were either just a little over a pound, or 3 lbs or more. I opted to have a little less meat and I also skipped out on the mushrooms that this recipe called for. But if you like them, I'm sure it would give a lot more fullness to this dish. It was very rich and a bit tangy. It calls for 2 Tbsp of Mustard that you add at the end along with some flour, water and an 8 oz carton of sour cream (I opted for Light S.C.). So, I think that the Mustard and also the Worcestershire gives it some real zip. I really liked it at first, but couldn't decide if I loved it. It was a different flavor for me. But I think it kept growing on me because I couldn't keep out of it. I am craving the rich flavor and am REALLY looking forward to diving into my leftovers tomorrow.

Here's a link to the recipe. Please let me know if you try this one. I love hearing feedback and if you guys loved or hated the dish and if you are enjoying the food I am posting. Interaction is my favorite part about blogging, so don't be silent out there. :-)



Parents Review: One thumb up. David was working tonight, so he hasn't had any yet, but I LOVE it. I think he will too!

Kids Review: Little Girl gagged and made all this drama when she half licked at it, but then I forced her to chew and swallow a real piece and she changed her tune and said, "MMMM. Now that was really great!" Such a stinker. Baby Boy gobbled it up. They both love red meat. We don't eat it all that often, but when we do, they both tend to be happy campers!

Favorite Brownies

You already have the recipe for the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies on the left of this tray, but you're going to need this new recipe too. I have been making these basic, chocolatey, chewy and soft brownies with big chunks of chocolate for about 14 years. I got this recipe out of one of the early cookbooks I purchased in the newlywed stage of my life. It is one of the many recipes that I have come to love from this old book.

Here it is:

Favorite Brownies:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs (or egg substitute)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter and vanilla. Add eggs. Combine dry ingredients, then add to sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spread in an 8 inch square pan. Bake for 35 minutes.



Parents and Kids Review: Seconds, please??? Love!!!

Baked Brown Rice & Asparagus Side Dish

I made one of my favorite recipes for dinner tonight - Cheddar, Cranberry, Apple Turkey Meatballs in the Crock pot. They were the best ones I've ever done before. So, so good.

I paired it with Brown Rice and tried making it a little differently. I found this recipe that tells you how to BAKE the rice instead of cooking it on the stovetop. My rice usually comes out a little mushy or dry or something that's not quite right. I'd heard about this different method and wanted to try it. Alton Brown from The Food Network has this recipe that I used tonight. It was so easy and David and I loved it. The only thing I did differently was I used half beef broth and half water when they called for all water. SO YUMMY!!

Then, I made the asparagus that you see in the picture above. Here's the simple recipe for these. It was easy and had a ton of flavor. It was such a nice change from just steaming it or roasting it, which is what I normally do.

I hope you enjoy these. Let me know what you think!

Parents Review: I will start baking my rice like this forever and always. I also love the asparagus prepared this way. Will do it again.

Kids Review: Asked for seconds and thirds of the rice. They wanted nothing to do with the Asparagus this way, but they gobbled up some plain steamed asparagus.