Beef Roast w/Vegetables

We are nine days into Autumn!  

I knew I wanted to go walking in our beautiful 

woods today, hoping I would NOT 

see any wolves or bears!   Anyhow, ...

before leaving the house, I 

combined some goodies for our 

supper ("dinner" to city folks!) and 

let the oven do the rest.  The meal I 

put together happened to be color coordinated 

with the beauty I saw on my walk (see below).

My Lazy Easy Day Meal!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (3-5 lb.) beef roast-- you can use a pork roast if you prefer.  If you can't afford a 'large' roast, use a little one-- that will work, too.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt.
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
• 1 can (15 oz.?) vegetable OR beef stock.
• 6 large carrots, cut into chunks (3 carrots, if making smaller quantity in slow cooker).
• 1 large onion, cut into whatever size pieces you like.
• 6 large stalks of celery, cut into 1" pieces (3 stalks, if making smaller quantity in slow cooker).
• 3 lb. bag of small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into halves (OR as few as 8  potatoes if using a slow cooker for smaller quantity.)
• 2 cans of 10.75 oz. cream of mushroom soup (I like the 99% fat free variety).
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage.

DIRECTIONS:

• Spray 6 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven OR slow cooker container with non-stick spray.
• Prepare carrots, onion, celery, potatoes and put them in the bottom.
• Pour the vegetable OR beef stock over the layer of vegetables.

• Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the roast and season it well with the garlic salt and ground pepper (rub it in). 
• Lay the roast on top of the mixed vegetable layer.  (The side of the roast with the most fat on it should be on top-- upwards. I  k-n-o-w,... it's said that FAT gives flavor, but I just cannot resist trimming excess fat off-- now, I didn't say "ALL", I only said "...excess"!) 

• Smear the cream of mushroom on top of the roast and then sprinkle that with the thyme and sage. 

• Cover and cook for about 5-6 hours in oven at 295-degrees, OR for about 8 - 10 hours in slow cooker on LOW.  (As I checked on its 'progress' after a few hours, I ladled some of the sauce over the top of the roast.)

I think you will like how this makes your home smell.

I think you will like how easy it was to make.

I think you will like how moist the meat is.

I think you will like it, period!

Here,... try it!

Below:  A week or so ago, Bruce came over 
with AMBITION, lawn equipment and more!  
Before long, the yard around the cabin 
was freed of brush, and the VERY overgrown 

grass was cut (for the first time in a 
couple of years, I might add!).   Today, when I went 
'back there', ...everything looked 
SO-O-O-O pretty!