My boys both have trees in their bedrooms and I decided to get one for little girl this year. I know I am starting her early! I went with the cutest little pink tree and got a small box of ornaments. I went to hang the ornaments and realized the hooks were in the ornament box up in the attic. So I had two choices....wait for my hubby to come home and get them or improvise. Of course I improvised!
Supplies Needed: Mini Paper Clips
I have an over abundance of paper clips for some reason -they must have been on special at back-to-school time. I took a bunch of pretty colored ones and all I did was unwind them into an S shape.
Then you hook them onto the ornaments.
After hooking the ornaments with the paper clips, hang them on your tree! Super easy and inexpensive!
I love to read and mostly read mysteries. I was reading a series about a restaurant owner who solves crimes in her hometown and in between chapters were recipes. This slow cooker pot roast recipe caught my eye and we had to try it instead of our normal onion soup recipe. It came out so good it is a definite keeper! I wasn't planning on posting it so there aren't my usual step by step photos.....but hopefully the end result will make you try it!
Ingredients needed:
1 boneless beef chuck roast about 2.5 to 3 lbs.
2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
3 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1 can low sodium fat free beef broth about 14.5 ounces
1 can low sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp. butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms
New potatoes, we used half bag golden yellow
1 16 ounce bag baby carrots
Mix the flour and steak seasoning together. Rub the roast on all sides with flour mixture. Over medium high heat the canola oil in a skillet. When heated, sear the roast on both sides until browned. Place the roast in the slow cooker. (I use slow cooker bags to line the cooker and make clean up much easier!)
Add the beef broth to the hot skillet and deglaze. Then pour the broth into the slow cooker. And don't add any extra water!
Next, in the skillet melt the butter and sauté half the onion until it browns slightly. Pour the cream of mushroom soup over the roast in the slow cooker. Then spoon the sauté onion on top of the soup. Then add the rest of the onion and half the sliced mushrooms. Cook on high for three hours. After three hours, add the baby carrots, the potatoes, and the remaining mushrooms. Cook for another three hours on high. After that remove and enjoy! This recipe makes enough juice and it is thick enough it is perfect for a gravy! YUM!
While cleaning out my craft supplies, I found MORE pinecones. Who knows why I had so many, but I couldn't throw them out! Here is what I came up with to use up a bunch.......
All you need is a glass vase or container and fill it with pinecones. I had a bunch of different sized ones. Then I took a scrap piece of ribbon and tied it around the vase in a bow. I love how it looks and it filled an empty space on a coffee table! Now hopefully I won't find any more pinecones while cleaning!
