Brewmistress.

I know I've mentioned this before, but my other half (and a bunch of our friends) are home brewers. Today, two of them (Hi Brad and Zach!) and their girlfriends (Hi Sandra and Katelyn!) spent the afternoon/evening here brewing an BOATLOAD of beer. Before they commandeered my kitchen, I was able to put together a roast (Thanks, Sandra!) AND THEN, I reclaimed a corner of the kitchen and crocked a dessert.

This roast recipe came from one of the two cookbooks Santa dropped off. I picked it because it involved brewing something and I was intrigued by the coffee-ness.

"Coffee Beef Roast" (6 quart pot)

~1 roast (I used a 2.14 lb eye round cut.)
~2 teaspoons oil
~1 8 oz package fresh mushrooms, sliced
~1/2 cup sliced green onions
~2 garlic cloves, minced
~1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
~1 teaspoon liquid smoke (The recipe said it was optional which means, of course, that I HAD to buy it. Especially because I'd never heard of it before. Rules are rules, right?)
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1/2 teaspoon chili powder
~1/4 teaspoon pepper
~6 large red potatoes, quartered (Potatoes weren't in the original recipe. I added them because I was worried that there wasn't enough food for 6 people.
~1/4 cup cornstarch
~1/3 cup cold water

In a large skillet, brown roast on all sides in oil over medium-high heat.
Place roast in crock pot.
in a 5-qt. slow cooker.
In the same skillet, saute mushrooms, onions and garlic until tender.
Stir in the coffee, liquid smoke, salt, chili powder and pepper.
Pour mixture over roast.
Add potatoes to crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove roast and keep warm.
Pour cooking juices into a small bowl and skim fat.
In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth.
Gradually stir in 2 cups cooking juices.
Bring to a boil.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Serve with sliced beef.

12 servings.

Oh, pot roast. How I'm missed you so, so very much. We demolished it. I'll count that as a win.

Dessert came from the stack of recipe cards. I picked this one because we had all of the ingredients already in the house.

"Peanut Fudge Pudding Cake" (6 quart pot)

~1 c flour
~c sugar, divided
~1 1/2 t baking powder
~2/3 c milk
~2 T vegetable oil
~1 t vanilla extract
~1/2 c peanut butter
~1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
~1 c boiling water
~cool whip (or vanilla ice cream if prefer and, you know, plan ahead. We didn't because I didn't.)

Coat crock pot with Pam.
Combine flour, 1/2 c sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
Add milk, oil, vanilla, and peanut butter.
Mix until well blended.
Pour batter into crock pot.
Combine remaining 1/2 c sugar and cocoa in a small bowl.
Stir in water.
Pour into crock pot.
DO NOT STIR.
Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Allow cake to rest for 10 minutes.
Invert cake onto serving platter.
Serve warm with cool whip.

4 servings. (I stretched ours to 6.)

We demolished this, too. It wasn't as peanut buttery as I thought it was going to be, but as a HUGE fan of anything that is the chocolate peanut butter combo, this definitely hit the spot.