Crockpot Roast Beef

3/4 cup Root beer (not diet!)

1/3 cup hickory-flavored barbecue sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger root

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp each ground cumin and chili powder

1 sirloin tip roast (3 to 3.5 pounds)

salt and pepper

2 tsp olive oil or veg oil

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

2 tbsp cornstarch

To make sauce, combine root beer, barbecue sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, ginger root, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin and chili powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and let sauce boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. The sauce is very strong and concentrated at this point - don't worry it will mellow out once it's cooked in the beef juices.

Pat roast dry and paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add roast and brown it on all sides.

Place browned roast in a slow cooker. Arrange onion wedged around it. Pour sauce over roast. cover with lid and cook on low heat for 8 hours. 

Remove the roast and onions from the slow cooker (use a slotted spoon to scoop out the onions) Pour sauce from the crock pot into a medium saucepan. Skim off as much fat as possible. in a small bowl, mix cornstarch with an equal amount of water and stir until smooth. Add to sauce and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly, until sauce has thickened slightly.

To serve, slice roast thinly.  Spoon the sauce over top.

Baked Brie with Cranberry Caramelized Onions

One of my favorite appetizers

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion finely chopped
Pinch each salt and pepper
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp chopped dried cranberries
1 round brie cheese

In skillet, heat oil over medium heat; saute onion, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until light golden.

Sprinkle with sugar; cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Stir in vinegar and thyme, scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan; cook for 2 minutes. Scrape into bowl; let cool. Stir in cranberries.

Spread onion mixture over cheese. Place on small baking sheet; bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until cheese is softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to serving plate and serve with assorted crackers.

(Evil) Mini Donuts

Ingredients:

--1 can Pillsbury biscuit dough
--Small circle cutter (we used a water bottle or you could use the cup that comes with Children's Tylenol)
--1/2 cup cooking oil

Garnish (choose your favorite):

Powdered sugar, for dusting
Cinnamon Sugar
Sprinkles
Powdered Sugar glaze (mix powdered sugar with a little water and lemon juice until desired consistency)

Directions:

Put oil in a large skillet and turn on medium high heat. You want the doughnuts to be half covered with oil when cooking. Open biscuit can and separate onto a cutting board. Using circle cutter, cut out the center of the biscuits (be sure to cook the centers, too, for tasty doughnut holes!)

Place doughnuts a few at a time in oil, watch carefully and turn over when bottoms are browned.

Place on a baking rack with paper towels underneath it or drop in cinnamon sugar. Garnish as desired.

Microwave Chocolate Cake in a Mug

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons flour 

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

1 mug

Directions:

In the mug, mix flour, sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in one egg. Add the milk and oil and mix well.

Place in the centre of the microwave and nuke on high for three minutes. The cake will rice and then fall and settle back into the mug. Tip out onto a plate and serve (preferably with ice cream of course)