Sunday, Sunday

There are times when it is most appropriate to make it easy on myself, yet serve my family something they'll enjoy. Today, even though it's a Monday, I have a lot to do this week and decided to make it easy on myself with our menu plan. This morning, I had a chuck steak in the fridge that was needing to be used. So I put the ol' crock pot on the glass cutting board next to the stove and coated the inside with cooking spray. Then I mixed five cups of hot water in a bowl and added a package of onion soup mix and a giant heaping tablespoon of Better Than Bullion Beef to the hot water and mixed until it all dissolved. Poured it over the meat. This was at 8:38 this morning. It's now almost 3 pm and it smells so good in here! I will be adding a small bag of baby carrots and some sliced potato wedges soon. We are trying to cut back on meat consumption, helping our weight loss goals as well as the food budget. Now we can afford more gasoline! (Just kidding!)

We will have some toast with this, maybe some salad. It is blustery and overcast today-perfect to get some things done AND have dinner ready around 5:30-6:00 without much effort!

Super supper, easy-peasy. One pan. Healthy, hot and good-it's a good Monday after all! I have always liked Monday, even when I was a little girl. I always saw them as hope-I know, that sounds weird. But even back then, I knew it could take one moment to change my life, and had this eternal hope that it was coming. And Monday, the start of a new week, meant I could get away from my home life, even if it was to go to school. (I loved school until I got into high school). That life-changing moment didn't happen for many years, and I have learned that sometimes you have to make your own moments happen, but I carefully weigh the consequences first. But that is no guarantee, either. Life throws you curve balls and you have to decide how to move, if at all...and then there is the fact that sometimes there are lots of choices, and sometimes none.

Those of you not familiar with Better Than Bullion products, they are in the soup aisle next to the bullions. I use them not only for their incredible taste, but also because they do not have any MSG. (Something I am trying to eliminate from our diet.) These are so rich and good, once tried, I doubt you will go back to "regular" bullions. Can't find it? Go to www.SUPERIORTOUCH.COM . Even some onion soup mixes have MSG, but this is really, REALLY good stuff here, folks! Depending on what flavor you buy, it makes super great chicken or beef gravy, soup, added to stir fry, and any recipes that call for chicken/beef/mushroom/ham/veggie stock. (I am not sure how many flavors they have! I got the website off the jar.) Just a little cornstarch added to beef juices in the crock pot and waaalaah! Gravy! (And no, no one is compensating me for this people-just sharing something we REALLY enjoy!)

Dinner's at 6-ish, y'all. Bring dessert...preferably something chocolate.....cheesecake-y, molten something-or-other, etc...