Valentine's Day Countdown

February is only a couple days away which means Valentine's is fast approaching. I always try to make the holidays fun and celebratory for my kids. We enjoy counting down to Christmas so why not do it with another holiday? Last year we started the tradition of counting down to Valentine's Day starting on February 1st.

We bought these foam mailboxes at Michael's and then my kids decorated them to their choosing. Each day there is a surprise waiting for them in their mailbox. You can read about it here. So, we're going to countdown again. The ends of the mailboxes kept popping open so I quickly added some hot glue and now they're permanently closed.

I wonder what goodies they'll find in their mailboxes this year?

Roast Burritos

I recently found a roast on a Manager's Special when I went to my grocery store. Of course, I snatched it up! Anytime you can find a good roast marked down is a steal of a deal! However, I didn't want to make just a traditional roast with veggies, mashed potatoes, etc. So, I searched the internet and found some recipes for burritos. I combined the recipes and used my own creativeness to come up with my own recipe. It's so simple and so good!


Put a roast in a crockpot and pour green chiles and tomato sauce over the top. Then, I seasoned it. Anytime I make Mexican food, I use the same seasonings: salt, pepper, season salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin powder. It may seem like a lot of seasonings, but I only use a little of each. You can also just buy a packet of taco seasoning.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be.

When it's done cooking, I transfered the roast to a smaller dish and shredded with forks. It smells so delicious!!!

Then, you're ready to fix your burrito. Heat up your tortilla. Our grocery store has a tortilleria and those are the only tortillas I buy. I have not attempted homemade tortillas yet, but I do remember watching my mom and grandma make them all the time. Some day I'll try it.

Fill your tortilla with the shredded roast and whatever toppings you like. My daughter likes her burrito very simple with some shredded cheese and salsa. Don't be jealous of my fancy dishes!

Roll, and enjoy!!! My picky 5 year old son asked for seconds so I knew dinner was a success.

Roast Burritos

2-3 lb. chuck roast

7 oz. can of green chiles, drained

8 oz. can of tomato sauce

salt, pepper, season salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin powder to taste

tortillas

Optional Toppings:

cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, sauteed onions and peppers, lettuce

Place roast in crockpot and cover with green chiles and tomato sauce. Season to taste. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. When done cooking, move roast to smaller dish and shred with forks. Place roast in heated tortillas and add your toppings of choice.


This concludes my 5 days of recipes. I'd love to hear your feedback. Did you try any? How did you like it? Would you like to see more recipes? If so, what kind? Coming up: Valentine's crafts, recipes, and ideas.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Potato soup, when made the right way, can warm your whole body. It's tasty, creamy, and is a great comfort food. I found this recipe on Betty Crocker. It was so easy to make and we really loved it.

You just need a package of frozen hashbrowns, chicken broth, onion, celery, flour, and milk.

For extra toppings you can use cheese, bacon bits, and green onions. Yum!

In a slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, and broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

In small bowl, mix flour into milk and stir into potato mixture. Increase setting to high and cook for 20-30 more minutes until mixture thickens. Stir in some cheese until melted. I also added some pepper, salt, and garlic powder for extra flavor.

Add your desired toppings and enjoy the yumminess!

32 oz. bag frozen, shredded hashbrowns


1/2 cup chopped onion


1 medium stalk of celery, chopped


32 oz. carton of chicken broth


1 cup water


3 Tbsp. flour


1 cup milk


Shredded cheese


Bacon bits


Chopped green onion





In slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, and broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. In small bowl, mix flour into milk and then add to the potato mixture. Increase setting to high and cook for 20-30 more minutes. Add some cheese and cook until melted. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder if desired. Stir, then serve with additional toppings.