[honeychile]

Chicken Salad:

4-6 Chicken breasts
mayo
celery seed
minced celery
1 lemon
green grapes
pecans


Poach the chicken breasts until cooked through by putting them on a steamer rack over a pan of water with the half the lemon sliced into the water. While they are cooking and cooling, slice the grapes in half, and if the pecans aren't already in pieces, break them without bruising them.

Cut the chicken into smallish bite sizes, and toss in a bowl with the grapes, pecans, celery, and a sprinkle of celery seed. Use just enough mayo to hold everything together. The concept is to be able to get a piece of chicken, pecan, grape, and celery in each forkful.

If you're serving out of a bowl/dish, slice the rest of the lemon, cut the rind in one place, and twist the slices over the top. Refrigerate immediately!! Sam and Ella should never accompany your mayo-based salads!!

My favorite way of serving chicken salad is in Puff Pastry shells, with either an olive or a maraschino cherry on each.


Pot Roast

3-4 pounds beef roast, fat trimmed off
2 bags of carrot stick (about 1 pound)
8 potatoes, peeled & quartered (or smaller)
garlic powder
onion flakes
Recipe is for a crockpot with a removable crock!

Cover all sides of the trimmed meat with garlic powder. Brown the meat on the stove, keeping it browned but not burnt. Have about four cups of water at hand. Remove the fully browned meat, and place in crock pot. Add about one cup of water to the pot where the roast was, and keep stirring to loosen the browning. Slowly add the rest of the water and the onion flakes, stirring the entire time.

Add the au jus to the meat, and let the meat cook on low overnight (depending on crockpot - I do mine for about 3 hours). Put the crock in the refrigerator, and skim off the fat either in the morning, or after a few hours. Add the carrots & potatoes, putting the meat on top. Cook on high until cooked but firm.

*Option: if you want a gravy instead of an au jus, mix 1 T. with a half cup of water, shake in a water, and add this mixture to the au jus mix.