Relaxin'...

All cool, shootin' some b-ball outside of the school...well, that's a lie. I didn't do that. And no two guys that were up to no good started makin' trouble in my neighborhood. All was [almost] calm on the Western front. But I did take a couple of nights off from worrying about my sister's wedding or blogging or anything. I was starting to stress myself out with constant strategizing. I'd make a crap general. haha. So I should have posted the next recipe last night, but instead went out to a lovely dinner with my fella, took a long shower, and went to bed early (well, early for me anyway).

I do plan on getting more organized with this blog. One of the next items on my list titled "Things to Buy When I'm Not Broke" is a cord that allows me to load the pictures from my camera onto my computer. I got the camera secondhand, so I haven't even been able to use the pictures I've taken! One day there will be an end to these endless stock photos. I probably won't stop using funny memes, however...because they're funny. I didn't even know what the word "meme" meant until like a year ago. I'm not as much of an internet nerd as I seem to be. Lately I have spent an inordinate amount of time surfing because of my new job. We've had a ton of downtime in training...and what better way to fill in than with discovering the magic of the web?

One of the handy-dandy things I've found is how to make different produce last longer. I utilized a lot of the tips listed and they really seem to be working. Here's a little sampling:

1) Store asparagus like flowers (in vase with water, covered in plastic)
2) Use a solution made of 1 part vinegar (apple cider vinegar is preferable) and 10 parts water to soak berries. The berries will keep from getting soft, mushy, and moldy for a couple of extra weeks!
3) Store celery in the fridge crisper wrapped in aluminum foil.
4) Store apples with potatoes to keep the potatoes from budding.
5) Don't store apples and bananas together. The ethylene gas a fruit emits when it is ripening can actually make surrounding fruit go bad faster. Bananas and apples both emit high levels as compared to other fruits.

There are many more awesome ways to keep your groceries good longer at this website. It's easy to just do these things when you put your groceries away. It isn't majorly time-consuming and takes minimal effort. Give it a shot!

Now, the next recipe on the list is Pot Roast and Veggies (cooked in a crockpot, of course).

Admittedly, this is also a stock photo. But pretty close to being legit.

I took the original recipe from a pin that led here. Of course, I'm a rebel. I'm not one to follow directions to the letter. I make my own rules. And so, as I often do, I tweaked the recipe a little bit. Let me explain...

The original chef says:

"What you need:

• a two-pound roast, any visible fat trimmed away (I used bottom round)
• 1-2 pounds of small red potatoes, washed and halved, unpeeled
• 4-5 carrots, washed and cut into 2” chunks
• 1 white or vidalia onion, thickly sliced
• two celery ribs, washed and cut into 2” chunks
• 3-5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• a large-ish slow cooker

How to do it:

1. In the bottom of the crock pot, place the carrots, potatoes, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. Place the onion slices around the sides and on top of the meat. (My thinking here was to have the onion juices cook into the roast… yum.)
3. Pour the water into the slow cooker. Put the lid on and turn the cooker on “low”. Cook for 8-10 hours, or until the meat and potatoes are cooked and very tender.
4. Serve and enjoy!"

What I did differently (to make it EPIC...and cheaper): 

• I used around 1 3/4-2 T garlic powder instead of the cloves so I didn't have to add another thing to my grocery list.
• I used Russet potatoes instead of red. I actually like red better, but the Russets were on sale when I bought groceries and I used them for other recipes. Why buy 2 kinds of potatoes? What is this, Buckingham Palace?
• I didn't trim the fat. This was more laziness than anything, but I'm convinced that it also adds to the flavor. You don't have to sit there and chew on it. You can cut it off when you've got the roast beef on your plate. It was good enough for me as a kid and it's good enough for me now! 
• I cooked it differently. See, it was Sunday. And I was ready for a lazy day. I didn't get out of bed until after 11am/start cooking til after 12 and it said to cook the roast for 8 hours. So, I cooked it for about 2 1/2 hours on high and then switched to low. It was ready around 6:30pm. If you're not a slacker, you can just cook it normally, but I'm quite happy with the level of cooked-ness that it was.
• I added probably around 1/4 cup soy sauce and probably 1 T red wine vinegar for a little extra flavor. Don't get up in arms! I used low sodium soy sauce. Still not excellent for you, but much better than its alternative.

I love that this recipe used celery. That's not too common in roasts and I appreciated the extra green boost. Celery is one of the only foods that actually burns calories when you eat it because of the difficulty in digestion. It's excellent for you! I hate raw celery. But I'm trying to teach myself to like it. Cooked vegetables are good, but raw vegetables are better.

In any case, Tom (my fella, in case I haven't introduced him yet) was wowed. The roast beef was very tender, flavorful, juicy, and ever-so-slightly pink on the inside. Perfect. I will definitely use this method again! However, I will slow down next time. I sliced up my left thumb and forefinger pretty hardcore. Given, I was making like four freeze-ahead meals that day and just wanted to be done. Just be careful out there!

It's funny. I come across as a bit of a ball-buster; a "boss," if you will. Acquaintances might get the notion that I would be like this: 

Maybe sometimes, if I think you're a tool.

But since Tom and I have been dating, it's been more like this:

Haylee Turner: Pissing feminists off since 1990.

Just because you enjoy cooking/cleaning/house decor doesn't mean you can't also kick ass. You don't have to be one or the other, mo-fos! My daddy was a Marine, a sheriff's deputy, and a stellar athlete in his younger days. And you know what? He's one of the best chefs I know. BOOM.