Really easy & Yummy French Dip

Ok here it is, the easiest french dip recipe you will ever make, and it tastes yummy too.
Ingredients:
1 Roast I usually use a shoulder Beef Roast, but I've used Pork Roasts too.
1 Can Beef Broth
1 Can French Onion Soup
1 Can Beef Consume (or you can just use 2 cans of French Onion Soup, that's what I do 'cause I like onions)
2 Medium Onions
Salt & Pepper to taste
Hoggie Buns, or hard rolls, or even toasted bread

Directions:
Place Roast into Crock Pot (it doesn't even have to be defrosted)
Pour soups over roast, I like to add the French onion soup last and try and dump as many onions on roast as possible.
Add sliced, cubed, chunked however you want to cut it onions on top of roast add a little salt and pepper for extra taste.
Set your crock pot on Low for 6 hours.
After roast fully cooked shred, or slice for sandwiches and ladle up broth in crock pot for Au Jus to dip sandwich in.
I like to toast my hoggie rolls and sometimes add Swiss cheese to the sandwiches.
ENJOY!
Amanda

Weekly Menu's?

A lot of the time I am flying by the seat of my pants with nothing to feed my family. This is never a good thing when I have 2 small people and a sweet (but very tired student) husband, a house to run and a full-time job outside of the home. I am finding that making a weekly menu really helps this way I only have to run the grocery store once (or twice if I forgot something). Here are a few other things that I have found and am trying to use to help manage my crazy life.

1. Weekly Menu
2. Pack lunches, backpacks, diaper bags the night before
3. Set the table for breakfast after everyone is in bed at night (when I come home from work)
4. Keep a calendar of everything you do so you can track and manage your time better (I like my white board for this)
5. Consider my day and what I can physically and emotionally handle. I wont go to the store if the kids are being crazy or I am over tired, I will forget things, or loose my temper nothing ever good comes of it.
6. Try and plan ahead as much as possible

What are things that you do to help you stay more organized and in control of your life. I need help :) Just for fun what does your weekly menu look like?

Here's mine for this week:
Pancakes & Eggs x1 meal
Chicken Alfredo x2 meals
Won Ton Chicken Salad x2 meals
French Dip Sandwiches x2 meals

I'll post the french dip recipe once I make it, it is the best and super easy a hit in our home. I've also decided to start adding one new recipe a week to expand my menu.

Happy Cooking!
Amanda

Pikes Place German Apple Cake

This is from a bakery on the famous Pike Place Marketplace in Seattle...

2 eggs
2 c sugar
2 c flour (I have used half and half wheat/white)
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
4 c grated apple
Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add rest of ingredients except apples and mix until combined. Mixture will be dry. Mix apples and any juice resulting from grating into mixture and mix well. Pour into 9x13 greased pan and cook for 60 minutes (or until done--test with a toothpick).
Serve sprinked with powdered sugar or cream cheese frosting.

Jeanne

Fresh Mediterranean Salad

I love fresh salads, the more toppings and textures the better. It eliminates the need for dressing!
Jeanne Call

Start with a bed of spring greens.
Add chopped fresh tomato
        3-4 baby sweet peppers
        some chopped red onion (sometimes I will lightly saute it so it doesn't have quite as strong a flavor)
       1/2 avocado, diced
       5-6 olives (green or kalamata)
       a couple tablespoons of feta or fresh parmesan cheese
       some chopped almonds
   Then lastly, lightly sprinkle with lemon juice--not too much.

If you want to make a meal out of it, add some protein, ex--a couple hard boiled eggs or some grilled chicken.

Asian Cole Slaw

FYI--I just threw things together when I came up with this, so just know that the measurements are approximations! =)
1 small head cabbage shredded
3 medium carrots thinly grated
1 apple diced
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/4 c mayonaise
1 T rice vinegar
1 t seasame oil
1 packet stevia (approx 1 t sugar)
salt to taste

Toss together apple, cabbage and carrots. Separately wisk together wet ingredients, stevia and salt and toss until combined. If not wet enough add a little mayo and rice vinegar until is as desired. Tastes good immediately, tastes even better the next day!

Variations that might be good:
Include a half cup drained pineapple, use toasted sesame seeds instead of or in addition to sunflower seeds, 1/2 c dried unsweetened coconut

Jeanne Call