Yes....you CAN have Pot Roast, Miller!!!

 Ha ha!!! if only he was truly begging for it!!! It's always fun to make a pot roast, mashed potatoes, etc...and blame it on my boys!!! When in reality..I'm the one who is really craving it!!!! Don't ask me why...but when school starts back up I get the urge to cook "boy food"!!! Pot Roast, Meatloaf, you name it! It all sounds so good to me....which is exactly WHY  I made that Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits and even....FRIED OKRA!!

so...if you are craving anything like this...I hope you will give it a try!! It was so easy! And...you get to come home to the wonderful smell of dinner almost ready after a long day!!!

       Pot Roast

start with a 3 to 3 1/2lb.  English cut roast-sprinkle with lemon pepper

trim fat...not all, but a good bit of it

place in Slow Cooker....

add 1 bag of rinsed baby carrots

mix together in a bowl: 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
1 Can Golden Mushroom soup
1 soup can water
pour mixture over roast and cover tightly with lid.
Cook on low 8-9 hours until desired tenderness.
Remove to platter and keep warm;
in a small bowl mix 1 T cornstarch and a big spoonful of liquid from the roast...wisk till smooth and add to slow cooker. Turn heat to high and cook 10 minutes or so until slightly thickened for the gravy.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes: 5-6 red potatoes, peeled and scrubbed and rinsed well. Cut into cubes and cook until tender with water or chicken broth. Drain well....place in pan with 1/2 stick light butter...mash with potato masher and add desired amount of salt. Add 3/4 C or more warmed buttermilk and continue mashing....keep warm in oven or on stovetop...when ready to serve...ladle gravy from pot roast over them. Divine!!!!!

Fried Okra!! ( Yes people!!!! there are some us who really do still fry okra!!!..just ask Sharon!! )

this is a tried and true recipe....sometimes I add a "little this and that" but when I need to give this recipe to a child...this is how I do it!!!

15 pieces medium sized okra...wash it...pat dry...cut off top and then cut into desired size to fry

place in shallow bowl and cover with buttermilk ( I use non fat in everything) not that it matters here, but I figure every little bit helps!!!!

let soak for about an hour

in another shallow bowl mix 1 C self rising flour, 1/2 C white cornmeal and 1/2 C yellow cornmeal and    one t kosher salt and a generous supply of pepper!!!

In a medium sized frying pan....I have a Scan Pan from Viking and it is worth it's weight in gold!!!!

add Canola Oil to about 1/2-1" in depth and heat on medium high till almost sizzling

dredge the soaked okra...that you've somewhat drained!!! in the flour mixture and add to hot oil and fry in batches until golden brown...drain on paper towels....sprinkle with a little salt to taste

i'm guessing that the fact that we had fresh green beans from my garden doesn't really matter after all of this!!!!

I do hope you will try it! and at least pretend it's for the men in your family or a special occasion such as the first day of senior year in high school!!!! 

I will cook until my face turns blue as long as my boys will eat...because that makes THEM happy which in turn makes ME happy!!! and we all know the saying....

"If Mama aint happy....NOBODY'S happy!!!!"

Happy Cooking!!!