Dutch Oven? Say WHAT?

A Dutch Oven from one of my boys -Not soo good, A Dutch Oven as something to cook/bake in, is excellent! I highly recommend that you invest in one. They can handle a large amount of heat and they are perfect for slow cooking. It's nice to be able to start something on your stove top and move it into your oven. Sturdy but very heavy pots. Sometimes, cumbersome to travel with. Anywho, tonight I made an amazing slow cooked Chuck Roast ... with all the fixin's - Garlic mashed potatoes , sauteed veggies -YUMM! Here is my recipe , I hope you give it a go :) 

• 1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth 
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
• 3/4 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub salt and pepper into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a dutch oven and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Take out meat and set it aside,  Add onions and garlic to skillet for 4 to 6 minutes to soften, return the meat now.... Combine the beef broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water, bay leaves and rosemary. Cover dutch oven bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove from pan, and seperate meat with a fork , if you like your gravy thicker add a little cold water mixed with a TBSP of cornstarch.  Serve with your favorite sides and pour gravy over the meat. 

Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary.

Hello My Name is Nathy and My Wish came True...

Hello My name is Nathy, I am 4 years old and my Disneyland Make-a-Wish came true.

On August 30th I woke up, had some vitals done and my home nurse checked my blood levels... and guess what? I was ready to go! :) A Limo, yes a Limo arrived at my house to pick me up, as well as my brothers and sister, Mom, and My Ma (Grandma) . I was extremely excited ! I've never rode in a Limo before, off to the Airport we go... Next stop Orange County!

We arrive at the Airport in Orange County, a little Chaos.... I'm restless and extremely excited to see Disneyland! We pickup our rental car and off to the Hotel we go, I am surprised there by my Aunties Yaya and Moni, and my Tata (Grandpa) they drove and met us.We check in, it's nice to settle down and rest a bit. We head off to Downtown Disney for dinner and some fun , tomorrow not only is it Disneyland day but it's my Birthday!! 

08/31 - Time to wake up! Happy Birthday to me :) I'm officially 4 years old today!

Time to head to Goofy's Kitchen for a all I can eat Birthday breakfast buffet.....  We arrive and I'm a little scared of Goofy and the Characters ... they are SOO big!! But my favorite was the sausage, and the Peanut Butter and Jelly pizza.... and they sang Happy Birthday to me. I feel soo special. 

Off to Disneyland we go, after a great filling breakfast . We get our tickets and we go to the Wish Lounge on Main street, where they have snacks, drinks, couches, toys, and movies for me. I'm able to use this room to rest throughout the day, in case I get a little tired or too hot. We also have a meet and greet set up with Woody. I'm excited for this. After waiting 30 minutes and watching Disney movies there is a knock at the door, it's Woody! Ok, I was scared(not as scared as my baby sister) but I warmed up to him enough to give him a big high 5, and we played with the toys together for about 20 minutes. 

After spending some time with my buddy Woody, the rest of the day is spent riding rides. We ride on Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan, Finding Nemo Submarine ride, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Light Year. I don't have to wait in any lines either. They gave me a special pass that has a green light on it that sends my family and I right to the front of the line. This made being able to ride more attractions easier, I'm not too patient and I can't stand out in the sun too long. My favorite snack at Disneyland was the Popcorn, I had 3 buckets of it! The end of the1st night I have to go to the Disney Medical center , I have a bad bloody nose, and they have to make sure my Platelet count is ok. After I get cleaned up and they are sure I'm ok, I get to leave. We start to head back to the hotel to rest up for another day of fun!

The next 2 days we spend between California Adventure and Disneyland. We even get to have dinner at the ESPN Zone (my older brother is excited about this one) ! My trip was Amazing I had the time of my life. I talk about my Disneyland trip and going back everyday. Thank you very much for helping with making my trip possible. Much Love and Hugs Nathy :)