Road Trip to Chicago

With a ten and half hour trip in the car, there is not much to write about except driving with the flow of traffic got us to Chicago in nine hours. Here are snippets of our day:

Free coffee from Sheetz, wow-bonus. Banana Carmel Cake and Christmas pie for breakfast. Texted. Did Christmas cards and tried not to get car sick (on the windy Western PA-pike, right. Didn't get the cards done, damn it!). Had leftover ham sandwiches and spicy plantain chips. I drove for two out of the nine hours. (Of course, I was sleepy when it was my turn to drive so I sang badly to Coldplay, Blondie, KC & the Sunshine Band, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Rick James, Paul Oakenfold, War, Dave Grohl, ...) We snack on cheese and crackers, yogurt covered almonds, chocolate covered dried fruit, and more chippy snacks. Then I start to stir about Chicago.

We are not going to have any time to enjoy the city so I did not want to be tempted. Yet I had my Chicago! issue of Saveur Magazine and I did not want to miss out on experiencing Chicago. I have re-read this issue for the last month, eventually knowing we would not have time to visit Chi-town. So I resolved myself to not becoming attached to any of the places or restaurants in this issue. Last weekend I read the places to visit section again and got sad. Brad will owe me weekend in Chicago (we will fly the next time).

Packed car

The other sleepy driver
Missing co-pilot
When I saw the signs for Chicago. Since it was a drive by visit, I whip out my camera and took silly pictures. Yesterday, it was in the 50's and I thought I did not pack enough lighter clothes. My hands froze and Brad blasted the heat as I froze us taking drive-by photos of the Chicago skyline.

Caramel Banana Cake

I wanted to reel you in with the cake. Really - I am still hung up on my packing. Argh.

Always have a packing list before you pack. Being who I am, I still needed the packing list even though I was pretty much packed. I went through the bags and noted what I had. It helped as I realized I missed packing long underwear, a swim suit, (hey, there's hot springs in WY), and a few other items I can't remember now. That's another good reason to make a list - my failing memory. Also, I had to be packed as I hoped to leave work early on Tuesday. Two a.m. rolls around as I was adding to Brad's list because I would not have any time to run around grabbing last minute items. Plus, he had to pack the cooler food. Hmmm. Even with adding items to his list, they did not get packed?! Hello! There were some things that were gifts. Ugh.

Luckily I did have time to pack a few last minute items but did not have a chance to peruse my list until we were on the drive to Hagerstown. I missed a lot of little things on and off the list. So I let them go - or so I thought. I borrowed some things from Rox but it is not the same. I forgot that I am vacationing where strip malls pave the U.S. I guess I don't like to buy what I already have at home. (Frugal traveler) Plus, it makes the driving more efficient. We don't have to plan to go to a strip mall to buy face lotion or zip lock baggies or a small shovel! (I hope I am wrong as I've been told we will not need the shovel. I did buy really warm gloves from Costco - did you see them on George? I just can't make a fist because they are so thick.)

We arrived with hugs and kisses. We unwind a few hours before dinner. Crockpot chicken with apples and onions, crunchy coleslaw, salad and I forget whatelse but I remember dessert; Caramel Banana Cake. Yum! I will post the recipes later.

Packing Part Deux

The real packing began Monday night. With 20 things to do before a vacation, I cracked and here's what happened with my worries about all the wool and cycling clothes fashion.

How's it look - Smeeges was intrigued.

Packing

This is the first time that I have not pre-packed for an extended trip or vacation. I did not create a packing list, either. Okay, let me take that back, I did pre-pack. I forgot I placed every wool sweater I own (those made in Guatemala wools) and pants that I could wear long underwear under (maybe 3?!), on the floor of my closet last week. I guess I will be wearing my cycling thermal gear to stay warm. How unfashionable.

Mid-West Vacation

How many wool sweaters do I pack?! And why the mid-West after winter solstice? Family and friends. I have a week off to begin with as MU is closed for the holidays so I was able to request another week to make the vacation drivable. Woohoo! It shall be an adventure. We started packing the xc skis, hats I usually never wear in the East, the survival cooler, goodie-food bag and blankets. The malted milk balls, yogurt covered almonds, half dozen of speciality chips and cheese and more nuts will be enough to live on for two months. Alright, I am making Toll House cookies and banana bread, too. Maybe we will through in some fruit and veggies if we have room.

I will never know cold until I hit Chicago, Jackson Hole and Hamilton/Missoula at this time of year. Yeeeehaaaa! Happy Winter Solstice.

Reason for an Awesome Pot Roast

The cut of meat was a standing rib roast a.k.a. prime rib! So it was not my magical cooking.

Thank goodness I did not throw it out. Now I will have to make the dish with the chuck roast cut. Hopefully it will only be noticeable in my wallet and not on my taste buds.

Pot Roast

The dish may not look appetizing but it was damn yummy. I am not a red meat, pot roast kind-of-gal and I chowed. Brad pulled the roast out of the freezer a couple of days ago and then decided to south for warmer weather. As I looked in the fridge last night for a snack, I saw the roast. Damn. I gotta cook that thing or out the window goes some good meat and money. Cooking all that food for one sucks but it all worked out in the end.

I had to shop for most of the veggies this morning. Fine, I love market so off I went at 6 a.m. With veggies in tow and a sugar cookie (the shortbread kind/not cake-like sugar cookie)
stuffed in my mouth, I was off to throw everything in the crock.

Nine hours later after cooking on low, I had a fabulous meal.

Recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook:

'Skye's Braised Pot Roast with Vegetables"

Cooker: medium oval or large round Serves "6 to 8" (or 3 cyclists)
Setting & cook time: low for 8 to 9 hours

As usual, I did not follow the recipe to a "T".
1 tsp salt, 14/ to 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika (I used a handful of my homemade cajun seasoning)
3 to 3 1/2 lbs boneless chuck roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible and blotted dry
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped (I threw in 2 ribs)
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 to 3 carrots, cut into 1 inch thick coins (whatever - I scrubbed and chopped into hunks)
2 to 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch thick coins (market did not have parsnips, I bought a ruttabega-peeled and cut into wedges)
4 starchy potatoes, peeled or not (NOT-need the nutrients and lazy) cut into 8 pieces
1 cup of beef broth (I had a 14 oz can of chicken broth)

Put the veggies into the slow cooker with the potatoes as the top layer.

Combine salt, pepper & paprika. Rub all sides of the roast with the spice mix.

Place the meat on top of the potatoes. Pour the broth over the veggies and meat. I had an eggplant that needed to be cooked so I added that around the meat so it would not dissolve. If it did, the juices and veggies would still taste good. The eggplant did not dissolve but when I placed them in a bowl with the other veggies, juice and meat, they did disintegrate.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours.

I chose this recipe because I did not have to "brown" the meat and I am usually at work for 8 hours so I did not have to worry about the meal drying out. Prep time is not that long, just cleaning veggies, maybe peel and for sure - a bit of chopping. I would say that you do NOT need to add extra liquid as I did by using the whole can (14 oz) of broth. I was lazy and did not want to put the extra broth in the fridge and I confess, I was worried the liquid would evaporate. There was more than enough juice from the meat and veggies that 1 cup of broth is sufficient.