Mouth-Watering Crock Pot Beef & Barley Stew

I'm going to tell you right from the get-go.  This was an INCREDIBLE dinner!!!  It was so melt-in-your-mouth good I can't even wait to have some leftovers.  I don't make beef very often.  First, I never seem to cook it right and it ends up being tough.  Second, it's very expensive.  Since I cooked it in the crock pot, though, it was pretty fool-proof.  As for the cost, yes, a beef roast is pretty pricey.  But if you wait for your grocery store to have a sale on them you can get really good deals.  This roast cost $19.53 (yikes!!!) BUT it was a "buy one get one free" sale.  So, for two 3+ lb boneless beef roasts it cost me $9.77 and THAT is a GREAT deal.  Keep your eye on the weekly grocery store sale papers!

I originally found this recipe on dLife, but I made changes to it, as usual.  Here's what you need:

3 lb boneless sirloin tip roast
32 oz low sodium, low fat beef broth
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 lb sliced carrots
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 C pearled barley
1 bay leaf
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
A little salt, maybe 1/2 tsp

As for the barley, I found mine in the bulk bins at Sprouts (farmer's market) and it was very inexpensive.  Here's what it looks like raw. 

I cut my roast into 3 pieces.  Then I just added everything to the crock pot, and I put the bay leaf on top so it would be easy to find and take out before serving...remember, you can't eat bay leaves.  The directions for the original recipe said to cook on low heat for 9 or 10 hours or on high heat for 4 1/2-5 1/2 hours.  I put mine on the low heat setting and it was fall apart tender in just 7 hours.  I guess maybe different crock pots cook differently.

This is what it looks like when you first put it in the pot.

When it was done cooking I took out the 3 pieces of beef, put it on a cutting board and shredded it up.  Then I put it back in the crock pot and stirred it all up.  I tell you, I couldn't even cut the meat; it was too soft.  It literally just feel apart under my fork.  Scrumptious!!!  I served it with a slice of sour dough bread, but you can omit that to save calories and carbs.

My whole family just completely loved this.  Sami, my vegetarian, missed out though.  I have some left overs, and I can't wait to dig it into it.  And, if you remember, I got 2 roasts for the price of 1, so I still have another roast in the freezer that I can make this again with.  This is going to be soooo good on a cold winter day.  So thick, hearty and filling.  It's stick-to-your-ribs good.  And I'm not exaggerating. 

This pot will serve about 12 with 1 C servings.  286 calories, 8g fat, 2.8g saturated fat, 66mg cholesterol, 314.6mg sodium, 297.5mg potassium, 22.5g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 30g protein. (7 Points Plus) This is really great on calories, carbs and protein.

This dish will be a crowd-pleaser, for sure.  Again, watch the sales in your grocer's meat department, and when you find a good deal on a boneless beef roast, pick one (or two) up.

Hearty Eating!
Lisa
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Caramel Grapes?! They Taste Just Like Miniature Caramel Apples!

So since I can't sit and munch on a sticky, chewy caramel apple this fall, I couldn't resist trying out this great idea I saw on Pinterest.  Caramel grapes!  I know, right?  Grapes???  Yes!  Don't let that throw you.  If you want to experience the taste of a caramel apple, but don't want to be strapped with all the calories and carbs, you've got to try these.  These little cuties will take away your craving for the fall-time treat with much less damage to the waistline and glucose levels.  It's very easy.  A little time consuming, but I had my daughter help and it went much faster.

All you need are large green seedless grapes, 1 C caramel chips, 1 C salted peanuts, 2 Tbsp whipping cream or heavy cream and toothpicks.  I didn't know what caramel "chips" were, but they were right in the Halloween candy section.  They are little tiny caramel balls specifically for melting and making caramel apples with.  I'm sure that regular caramels would work too.  They just may take longer to melt than the little bits.

First, I chopped up the peanuts to small bits using my very handy Ninja Express Chop.  Then, put the caramel chips and cream in a little pot on medium heat and stir a lot until they are melted.  Then just turn the burner down to 1 while you are dipping the grapes.  All you do is put the toothpick in the grape, swirl it around in the melted caramel and then dip in the peanuts. 

What a fun fall party idea, isn't it?  Make sure your peanuts are salted.  The salty taste mixed with the sweet richness of the caramel is to die for.  Three grapes is approximately 140 calories (be careful!!!), and 15.2g carbs.  These aren't exactly "healthy", but like I said, it's better than sitting down with a whole caramel and peanut covered apple.  Fun, fun party idea!  Just be strict with yourself and limit how many you eat.

Lisa
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