Thursday, October 20, 2011

What's for Dinner?

It's clear that on days that I work it's necessary to put something in the crock pot for the family dinner.

Even though the Other Mother has plenty of energy to work 8 or 9 hours out in the yard, she just can't manage cooking anymore. And, at 90 years old you shouldn't be cooking!

This morning I ran to the store for the fixings for chili. It's very cold and damp here in northern Illinois. The other day was beautiful and the farmer's were scrambling their combines out into the fields to get as much harvesting done as they could. The weathermen were calling for rain and cold. Driving down the road late Tuesday night we spotted the lights of the heavy equipment, harvesting corn well into the wee hours.


Harvesting the crop.

I walked the aisles of the food store, picking up the necessary chili supplies. At the checkout I ran firefighters from the local firehouse.


One of our local firefighting crews.

"So, what's for dinner gentlemen?" I asked.

"I'm making a roast with potatoes and vegetables," he answered.

"What time is dinner?"

"Six o'clock, if we don't have an alarm."

"Oh, too bad, I'll be at work."

I wonder, do they run out of the firehouse and turn the oven off? There must be a few ruined dinners.

As we were walking through the parking lot I gave them the easy recipe for shredded beef sandwiches - awesome!

SHREDDED BEEF

1 pot roast
1 pkg. Lipton's onion soup mix
1 cup water

Cut pot roast into chunks and place in the crock pot with onion mix and water. Cover and cook on high for 10 hours or more. Shred the beef and serve on crusty rolls.

Oh so good, a perfect fall dinner. Serve with a nice salad. Try it and let me know what you think.

So, what's for dinner at your house this evening?

12 comments:

Marilyn from Norfolk said...

Nothing special for dinner here. Does not seem quite cool enough for chili here in sunny Virginia. But please don't leave us hanging any longer about the comment from your co-worker about American's being strong. I am waiting impatiently to see what she meant by that.

Vee said...

That's just it, Suzanne, I never know from one day to the next. Menu planning is so not my thing. I will try your recipe because it sounds easy and good. Tonight, though, we're going out. Errands to run and it just makes it easier.

I've been watching the harvest come in from BC to your corner. It's always a blessing to know that it's coming in. Sorry that the farmers have had such late hours. Crappy weather!

Lisa D. said...

There's still harvesting going on around here too. I am always amazed by grain farmers; they are so much at the mercy of the weather - for planting in the spring, growing in the summer and harvesting come fall. And then at the mercy of the markets. A bumper crop does not always mean good money for it.
As for what's for supper here, it's noon, I haven't thought about the next meal yet!
I'm attempting to get better at longer range meal plans, but I'm not there yet. It will be essential when I have to leave the house in a couple more years and get a job.

Millicent said...

Well, we finally have some respite from the horrible heat we experience in Texas this summer. The highs this weekend will be around 80. We are going camping, but there is a burn ban on anything that is not propane. Can't take a chance on ashes igniting something. We'll be having tacos, sloppy joes, hot dogs and eggs in a bag (for breakfast). Enjoy your weekend. I look forward to trying your pot roast sandwich recipe.

Lisa D. said...

Onion soup mix is on today's grocery list so we can try your recipe next week!

Donna@soakinginmustard.com said...

Tonight's dinner included hamburgers, rice pilaf and yummy asparagus! Oh yeah & oreos for dessert. LOL I will be trying your easy pulled beef Monday, sounds delicious and EASY!!
Thanks for sharing. Peace, Donna

life in red shoes said...

I was watching a show on TV about the men who run companies that harvest out your way. That's some hard, hot, dirty ,dangerous work and I'm sure most of don't give it a thought when we buy a bag of flour :(
Dinner? Tonight we went out for Chinese. However, the kids are coming over tomorrow to carve pumpkins, shredded beef sounds perfect :)

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a quick and easy meal. It also sounds delicious. I'm new to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that. You've created a great spot for your readers to visit and I really enjoyed the time I spent here. I'll defnitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Lisa D. said...

The Shredded Beef is in the crockpot right now, and I've already been sneaking tastes :) I found Onion Roasted Garlic soup to use.
It will go on homemade buns and be served with raw veggies and dip. I think the kids will like it.

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Connie (aka LOU) said...

Suzanne -

I've turned into a crock pot girl too. Just too hard to make a decent meal after I come home from working all day. I'm going to take a roast out of the freezer now and try it out. Love your harvesting pictures. It pulls at my heartstrings and takes me back to a very good place growing up. I remember one fall we were combining beans in November (way too late) and finished about 2:00 a.m. when the snow started flying. My task was then to go and get donuts for everyone for a mini celebration. I was up in a few hours to go to school that morning. Great memories.

Connie LOU

Mary Rex said...

I love my crock-pot! These days there so many good recipes on line. I like to make a turkey breast with simple seasonings or a big pot of tomato sauce that I can turn into other dinners. Your shredded beef sandwiches look great.
My other go to dinners are a microwave meatloaf that only takes about 15 minutes,(and which I usually double to make a batch of meatballs for the freezer)and breakfast-for-dinner...eggs, bacon and hashbrowns with a glass of OJ. Very satisfying at the end of the day and fast too.