Father's Day and Beef Pot Roast

The girls and I just returned from a two-week trip covering well over 1,000 miles of driving - some of it driven with just the three of us and some of it driven with my father. It was a good trip, but I missed my husband and our daughters missed their daddy.

However, that time spent with my father and the three of us was precious and I'm glad we made the trip the way we did. It was great bonding time for all of us. I wouldn't necessarily have chosen a live tarantula in a snap-top plastic box to be a travel partner at my feet (my dad is an entomologist), but I soon forgot about it and remembered the days that I actually used to let one crawl on my hand when I was a child hanging out with my dad in the entomology lab while he was in grad school.

My children got to see a little bit of that life on this trip with him - a day doesn't pass when they are with "Papa" that they aren't pulling him in one direction or another to show him some new bug or insect and ask what it is - to be given the scientific name of the creature. They love it. I was that child once, too. (Now I'd rather not touch them, but at least I can usually tell whether it's a friend or foe.)

I love my dad. He put up with more than his fair share, I think, of the antics my brother, sister and I (and I'm the oldest so I no doubt taught many of those antics) pulled while we were growing up but loved us through them.

And I'm so thankful my husband is the father of our children. If I had written a recipe for my future husband and father of my children, I couldn't have possibly written the recipe to create this amazing man I married. God blessed me richly with the man in my life.

I love my husband. He is such a wonderful, loving, supportive, caring, strong husband and father. Yes, I missed him.

And because we just got back and I want to hang out with him as much as possible tomorrow, I'm making a no-fail, simple slow cooker meal that we all love, so that I can put it together tonight, turn it on tomorrow, and forget about it. (The recipe is adapted from one of the Rival owner's guides that came with one of my several crock pots.) This recipe makes the most tender, fall apart roast with a great flavor. (This is also one of my favorite no-fuss meals for Easter!)

And I'm thankful to my father-in-law for being the great dad that he is to my husband, and a wonderful "Grandpa" to our children.

I wish all of you out there a wonderful Father's Day with the fathers in your life. And if your father is no longer on earth, I wish you a day filled with wonderful memories of him.

Beef Pot Roast
Projected prep time: 10 minutes; Projected cook time: 10-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high)
A few handfuls of baby carrots
1 large onion, roughly sliced
1 beef roast (size varies, I always use between 2-3 pounds but you can use 4 pounds)
Several sprinkles kosher salt
Few shakes black pepper
1/2 cup gluten-free beef broth (I use 1 tsp. Watkins beef soup base in 1/2 cup of water)
(Optional: 1 1/2 tsp. Watkins Meat Magic added to broth)
Several glugs of balsamic vinegar
(Sometimes I quarter up some red potatoes to throw in with the vegetables, so do that if you'd like. I prefer, however, to serve rosemary oven-roasted red potatoes with it.)

Put carrots and most of the onion (and quartered potatoes if you are cooking them with the roast) in the bottom of crock. Season meat with salt and pepper then put in crock on top of carrots and onions. Add the rest of the onions on top of the meat. Pour broth over meat and potatoes. Pour balsamic vinegar around and on top of the meat and vegetables going around two or three times (several glugs). Cover and cook 10-12 hours on low and 4-6 hours on high. If you are able, turn the meat over once or twice while cooking.

You can prepare the night before and stick in the refrigerator if you prefer to make the meal later the next day.

Happy Father's Day!