Menu Board

One of my New Years Resolutions this year was to get back on the menu planning wagon. My friend Crystal suggested we take a little inspiration and make menu boards like these. I am so excited about how mine turned out.

I started by making a list of about 30 recipes that our family enjoys. Then I wrote them on my cards (I used white index cards that I cut in half horizontally). My plan is to write the ingredient list on the back of each card to make meal planning even easier, but I haven't finished this yet.

This was especially easy for me to make because Rowdy in Room 30 had all of the printables available! So, I just printed and cut. For my actual board I used an old picture frame that I had turned into a chalkboard awhile back with chalkboard paint. I used clothes pins for my days of the week. To make my card and pen holder I just used an empty toilet paper roll that I taped on the bottom. Then I hot glued everything on.

My family loves this menu board. They love looking and seeing what is for dinner. I also thought it would be fun from time to time to let them help plan the meals by going through the cards or letting everyone pick a card for the week.

I also made extra cards for nights for nights when we have other dinner plans, "Dinner with Family", "Out to Eat", "Leftovers", "Peine Family" (our small group), "Freezer Meal".

I think this is going to really keep me on track with my menu planning. Plus, it is pretty to look at... win/win!

Easy Peasent Bread

There is just something about making fresh bread from scratch that gives you that ultimate Suzie Homemaker feel. I love that feeling. I suggest wearing an apron too... that really takes it up a notch.

I have a bread machine that I stole borrowed from my Grandma. It was never used before and it has been really fun to experiment with different bread machine breads and doughs. I especially love making pizza dough in the bread machine. The only downside is that I don't love the way it looks so I don't like having it out on my counter all the time. So, every time I want to make bread I have to go down to the basement and drag up the machine... It's enough some evenings to pretend we are going low-carb.

I had been reading a lot about Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and have been very intrigued  But, I don't have a big container with a lid so I hadn't given their method a try yet. When I came across THIS recipe on Pinterest I was intrigued and excited. The title suggested there were only 5 ingredients and it was the easiest bread you will ever make. I was SOLD!

And then we tasted it. Oh my goodness. It really is so easy and so amazingly delicious. My kiddos help me mix it up in the late afternoon and we have amazing hot bread with dinner. I am not going to go into instructions here because Alexandra's Kitchen does such an amazing job and gives some really great tips. But, I thought I would share a few of my pics of the process...

Sugar, flour (I used a combo of all purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour and was very happy with the consistency), yeast, kosher salt, and water. I also used honey instead of sugar on one batch and that was delicious too!

I have to interject here and say that proofing yeast used to scare me. I am not sure why. But, it really is easy peasy. The recipe offers this tip and it works like a charm... to get your water the perfect temp for your yeast add 1/2 cup boiling water to 1 1/2 cups cold water and voila...

Mix it all up. I don't mix completely, just get it all combined.

My kitchen is pretty cold, especially in the winter. So, to get the bread to rise I like to heat up my oven and then turn it off and then put in my bowl of dough with a damp warm towel over it.

BUTTER up your Pyrex bowls!

Ahhhh.... perfection.

If I can do it anyone can.

Linking up today at Raising Homemakers!

Donuts For Everyone

Since getting over beings sick the last two weeks, I am loving feeling good enough again to make breakfast for my favorite peeps in the morning! This morning I thought it might be fun to try my hand at "homemade donuts"... kind of! You make these babies using refrigerator biscuits. They were easy and SO delicious, especially while they were still warm!

Apparently these babies are finger lickin' good! I used this recipe here. These make a super quick and easy breakfast or would be fun to serve while watching your favorite Halloween movie this weekend while drinking apple cider! 

Freezer Cooking

Before my sister abandoned me moved to Kansas City she and I would get together and do freezer cooking. It was fun to do it together. Now I am all on my own. But, me and two other girls do meet up once a month to do a freezer meal exchange. 

How it works is each of us pick 2 recipes and we make 3 meals from each recipe. So, we all walk away with 6 freezer meals. It is a big time and money saver. 

Last month one of my freezer meals was a complete disaster. So, in order to avoid getting kicked out of the group I decided to stick with some tried and true recipes this month. I went with Baked Ziti and Tater Tot Casserole. Crowd pleasers for sure.

I thought I would share the recipes for your own freezer cooking pleasure.

First up. Baked Ziti. Here is what your counter will look like if you are making 3 batches! But, I will give the recipe to just make one and then you can double or triple it! Also, this makes a good sized pan. So, if you have a smaller family you could easily make one recipe and divide it into two smaller pans and have two zitis!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained (preferably done the night before by your wonderful hubby... at least that is the route I chose to go this time around, thanks Babe!)

1 pound ziti, cooked to al dente

2 cans spaghetti sauce (24 oz)

8 slices provolone cheese

1 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 C. sour cream

some Italian seasoning (optional)

 Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (skip if you are going to be freezing)
2. Combine spaghetti sauce, ground beef, and Italian Seasoning in a large mixing bowl
3. In a 9x13 pan layer 1/2 of your cooked ziti noodles, next layer provolone cheese, next layer put your sour cream, then add a layer of 1/2 of your sauce, followed by the rest of your ziti noodles, then layer your mozarella cheese, followed by topping with remaining sauce.
4. If cooking immediately bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted.
5. If freezing, cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to make thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed above.

Next up is Tater Tot Casserole. Super easy and freezes well too. Here was what I started with:

 Ingredients (for one pan)
1 1/2 lb. tater tots
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained,
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C. milk
cheddar cheese to top

Directions:
1. Combine ground beef, soup, and milk
2. Spread ground beef mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 pan
3. Layer the tater tots... at this point it is good to have a handy little helper :)

4. At this point you can begin baking at 350 degrees, covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncover, top with cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
5. If freezing cover with foil and freeze cheese separately.Then when ready to cook thaw completely and then follow instructions above.

Happy Freezer Cooking!

Veggie Panini

In the spirit of healthier eating I thought I would share one of my new favorite lunches today. It is a veggie panini and I seriously can't get enough of these things. 

To make one of these babies you will need:

hummus (I will share my homemade recipe soon!)

whole wheat sandwich rounds

1/4-1/2 an avocado mashed 

onions, mushrooms, and peppers (sliced)

spinach

tomato (sliced)

After you have made your hummus (or opened a tub from the store, there are lots of yummy ones out there) sautee the onions, mushrooms, and peppers in skillet. I don't use any oil at all. I find that the onions and mushrooms release enough liquid to caramelize everything nicely. Then assemble your sandwich with hummus on one side, avocado on the other, then in the middle add your sauteed veggies, spinach and tomato. 

I have a Cuisinart Griddler that I use to make paninis but you could use whatever panini press you have or a skillet would work just fine too! 

The possibilities are endless with this little guy and it comes together fairly quickly. I have started sauteeing a big batch of veggies earlier in the week and keeping them on hand to throw into paninis or spaghetti sauce or whatever else I am cooking!

And the best part is that these will leave you totally full without even an ounce of guilt! 

 and linking up at Raising Homemakers!

Banana "Ice-cream"

My wonderful next door neighbor has been eating super healthy and trying lots of new recipes after watching the movie Forks Over Knives. And this has benefited me greatly as she has shared some of her new foods with me! Um, freshly baked bread anyone? She passed along this "recipe" last week and I have to admit... I was doubtful!

To make this banana "ice-cream" you need frozen bananas and peanut butter or vanilla.

Yep. That is it.

Cut up bananas and freeze for 2-3 hours. (I used a banana per person). Then put in food processor or blender and blend until creamy. Add a little vanilla or some peanut butter (it is up to you) and enjoy! It really does have the consistency of ice-cream. My kiddos gobbled it down which was awesome.

Who would have thought you could eat  ice-cream every day with no guilt?

I am sure the mix-ins and variations with this recipe are endless. I plan on trying it topped with berries at some point this week!

Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake

All right ladies. Here is another "recipe" I got my hands on. Like the Ooey Gooey Chocolate Butter Cookies and the Butterscotch Poke Cake I hesitate to call it a recipe because it is just too easy. But, what it lacks in difficulty it makes up for in pure deliciousness. My good friend Crystal shared this recipe with me over lunch on Monday and I was able to run to the store and grab a few ingredients and have a yummy dessert to take to a friend's house for dinner within about an hour.

To make this Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake you need
1/2 stick butter
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix pie filling and pineapple and spread evenly into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle box of yellow cake mix all over the top (don't mix in). Slice butter in thin slices and set all over the top of cake mix. Bake for an hour.

And as Truvy from Steel Magnolia's would do I chose to serve it with ice-cream to "cut the sweetness".

I am linking up at Raising Homemakers and Raising Mighty Arrows!

Dinner is in the Freezer

Is there anything more beautiful than a freezer packed with meals ready to be eaten?

My sister and I have been on a freezer cooking kick lately. We get together for a day every few weeks and spend several hours cooking and then part ways with several meals a piece. I am now obsessed and in love with freezer cooking. I have a board on Pinterest dedicated to just freezer cooking and another board with freezer meals that can then go straight to the crockpot.

What I love about freezer meals is the time it saves. Not only the time cooking but the time cleaning. With little kiddos right before dinner can be the hardest time of day. Not having to spend time prepping dinner in the evenings has been a life saver!

Last time my sister and I got together we made several recipes from this site.

My sister and I also did our first freezer meal swap with another friend of ours. If you aren't familiar with a freezer meal swap it is when everyone makes a few meals and they make enough for themselves and for everyone else in the group. Then you trade and you have lots of different freezer meals. To start out we each made a soup and a casserole to trade. We shared beforehand what we were making to ensure a variety of meals. I made Skinny Taste's Enchilada Soup and mannicoti (which I now can't find the recipe for but I will be searching because I need to make it again!).

Have you ever done a freezer meal swap? Do you do any freezer cooking? Care to share any of your favorites?

I heart {Homemade Granola}

Have you seen the price of quality granola at the store lately? To get something without high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils at the top of the ingredient list you have to pay almost $5 for a teeny tiny bag. Which is pretty ridiculous once I realized how totally easy it is to make some yourself!

To whip up your own batch at home gather these ingredients:

4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

2 tsp. vanilla

salt to taste

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. Spread out mixture in a cookie sheet and cook for 2 hours at 200 degrees, stirring every half hour. Store in an airtight container.

I think I will be making a double batch next time!

Butterscotch Poke Cake

I don't normally love short-cut recipes... canned frosting, get thee behind me... In fact, I am not sure if you can even call this a "recipe". However, this recipe whatever it is sounded too good to pass up. The required ingredients are: a chocolate cake mix, 2 boxes of butterscotch instant pudding and crushed cookies to go on top (and then the egg, oil, and water to make the cake and milk to make the pudding. This recipe is easy as pie cake., and your taste buds will thank you.

Bake the cake according to package directions and when slightly cooled use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake. Mix the pudding and milk and let sit for 2 minutes and then pour all over cake (getting it into the holes and spread over the top). Refrigerate for at least one hour and then top with crumbled cookies if desired. I used these ones and they were top notch. Serve cold and keep refrigerated.

The best part about this recipe is the possibilities are endless. Use any combination of cake mix, pudding, and cookies that you like!

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Butter Cookies

I was over at my neighbors house on Friday. We were drinking delicious coffee and letting the kiddos play. It was lovely. She served me some delicious Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies that she made using a yellow cake mix. But, she said any kind of cake mix works. We were going to a friends house that night so I thought these would be a great treat to take along. Being the amazing neighbor she is she even gave me a few of the ingredients that I didn't have on hand so I wouldn't have to run to the store. These are super easy to make and yummy. Our kids especially loved these. 

Recipe: Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (I used chocolate for these but am told you can use anything, my neighbor said pineapple cake mix is absolutely divine in these)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients together

Roll into small balls and roll in powdered sugar

Place on baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes

I made mine a little bigger so my baking time ended up being about 13 minutes.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

is supposedly breakfast. And while I totally understand this one thing is true: I DO NOT LIKE TO EAT BREAKFAST in the morning. I am perfectly happy with a big cup of coffee with a tad too much creamer. If it were up to me I would sip coffee all morning long and real food would not touch my lips until lunch time. But, I know this isn't good for me and I know my lack of breakfast is affecting my weight loss. I don't mind eating cereal or things like that for breakfast but then I am hungry within like an hour and that kind of defeats the purpose! So, I am trying to think of some good for me breakfasts that actually sound appealing...

Yesterday morning I enjoyed this deliciousness.

A toasted English muffin with almond butter and strawberries and a tiny bit of agave nectar on top. Two thumbs up for sure.

The only other breakfast I have found so far that I consistently like in the morning are smoothies. Do you have any favorite breakfasts?

Recipe: Baked Monte Cristo Sandwiches

The only thing better than a super easy recipe is a super easy recipe that is delicious... and the kids will eat it! This recipe was a real winner with all 5 of us which sadly, hardly ever happens.

Baked Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)

16 pieces of thinly sliced deli ham

8 pieces of swiss cheese

one egg

optional: powdered sugar and your favorite jam, or if you like savory opt for a good quality mustard

Directions:

Thaw puff pastry sheets for 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4

On each square put one piece of swiss cheese and 2 slices of ham

Fold puff pastry into a triangle and seal edges with a fork

Scramble one egg and brush the tops of each puff pastry triangle with a fork

Bake 20 minutes or until golden

This is a great base recipe and you could easily switch out toppings and sauces, types of meat and cheese, etc. The sky is the limit!

Breakfast Pizza

When I threw a baby shower last week for my friend Jenn I decided to make a breakfast pizza. The hubs liked it so much (he was able to sneak a piece when he got home) he requested it for breakfast the next morning.

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:

One loaf of frozen bread, thawed (I love Rhodes white bread in the orange bag)

1/2 C. ricotta cheese

3 eggs

1/4 C. heavy cream

1/4-1/2 C. (each) shredded cheddar cheese and montery jack cheese

3-4 strips of cooked bacon

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, roll out dough in a pizza pan

2. Scramble eggs, let cool completely, add heavy cream to eggs

3. Put ricotta cheese on dough (like you would pizza sauce), sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top

4. Layer both cheeses on to pizza

5. Layer on scrambled egg mixture

6. Top with bacon, bake in oven for 20-26 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted

Disclaimer: I have to thank Heather for teaching me the beauty and versatility of Rhodes bread dough.

Tip: I like to put my Rhodes dough in a ziplock bag sprayed with Pam overnight in the fridge and then take it out and let it sit on the counter for a few hours before using.

30 Day Salad Challenge

Please tell me that I am not the only one who added on a few pounds layers of insulation over the holidays. If only sugar cookies and coffee for breakfast wasn't so amazing. But, now that every last crumb of sugar cookies is gone (trust me, I have checked many times) it is back to reality.
In order to get started on taking off those new pounds, plus the ones I wanted to loose before I even added on the new ones... I decided I needed to get my eating back down to normal human portions. One of my biggest challenges is eating a healthy lunch. So, yesterday I decided to challenge myself to eat a salad for lunch everyday for the next 30 days.
Here was yesterdays-


It really was so good. Today's wasn't quite as healthy... I made a salad with some of our taco leftovers but no doubt it was still much better than a fast food lunch.
Hopefully I will come across a few fun new salad recipes to share along the way! And in the meantime, if you have a favorite healthy salad shoot that recipe my way! I would love to try it!

Bread Pudding

The week after Christmas some of our very best friends were in town and Nick and I got to be "real grown-ups" and meet them for dinner at a "real restraunt" read: real napkins, real silverware, and get this... no kids menu. It was devine I tell you.

We went to Harvest in St. Louis and I give it 2 thumbs up for sure. The ambiance was superb, the staff friendly, the menu was well put together... but none of it compared to the deliciousness that was the bread pudding... Apparently people come from miles around to partake of this delciousness... and now I see why.

Since then I have been searching the internet for a bread pudding recipe... but none seemed like they would fit the bill. But then, a friend mentioned that a friend of theirs had the REAL Harvest recipe! I had never thought to look for their actual recipe! So I "Googled" it and within minutes had the recipe in hand and was out the door at the store getting the ingredients (honestly, this is not much of an exaggeration at all.)

I couldn't find all of the exact ingredients and cheated a little on a few things. So, I will share my adapted version. But, feel free to make theirs! It is probably even better... although I got no complaints about this one.



Bread Pudding

Serves 12

Ingredients:

2 loves of brioche (I searched high and low and had to settle for European hearth bread which is probably nothing like brioche but all I could find)

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

3 egg yolks

3 whole eggs

powdered sugar for garnish

For the sauce:

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbs. light corn syrup

1 cup buttermilk

2 sticks butter

1/2 C. bourbon

Whipped Cream:

1 pint heavy cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f
2. Remove the crust from bread and cut loaves into 1 inch pieces. Place cubes in a large mixing bowl
3. In a saucepot combine milk, cream, 3/4 C. sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk togehter the eggs and egg yolks. Slowly pour half the hot milk mixture into the eggs and whisk to incorporate. Add remaining milk and whisk together.
5. Let egg mixture cool slightly and then pour over cubed bread. Toss the igredients together lightly and place in a greased 9x12 baking dish. Bake approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Make the sauce by combing all sauce igredients, except bourbon, in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from head and add bourbon, set aside.
7. Make the whipped cream by combining heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar by mixing with a mixer. Whip until stiff.
8. Serve bread pudding warm. Cut into desired size pieces, top with sauce and a dallop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Enjoy! Your mouth will thank you. Your scale might not.

 



5 ways I cut our grocery bill while eating better!

Recently we really tried to tighten the purse strings and really stick to our, excuse my language.... {budget}. I decided I wanted to try to save some money on groceries. But, I knew that extreme couponing was just not for me. I love to use coupons for household products but I really feel like for the most part when it comes to food most of the coupons are for processed foods that my family just doesn't need. Here are the top 5 things I did that helped me cut our grocery budget almost in half!

1. When I make our meal plan I try to make sure all of my ingredients will be used. For instance, if I know I will have a lot of leftover chicken I will plan a second meal around the leftovers.
2. When grocery shopping I always go to Aldi first! I am able to pay next to nothing for a lot of our staple items. Bonus: their milk is hormone free and they now sell Greek Yogurt!
3. I make almost everything I can from scratch. I don't buy pre-made spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, etc. Whenever possible I make it from scratch! I have even started making almost all of our breads and am able to make super healthy versions for a fraction of the cost!
4. I keep meals simple. Usually a main dish and a side dish. Ina Garten... you know, the Barefoot Contessa said that this is the way she prefers to make meals and although it has been hard for me to get used to and I still find myself trying to sneak in one more side... you know, for color! But, in reality, we are getting plenty to eat and meals are simpler to prepare!
5. I eat leftovers. I used to refuse to eat leftovers. But, then I realized it was time to put on my big girl panties and eat the food we had and be glad to have it! Now I actually enjoy eating leftovers and especially love when I can take them and create something totally different for lunch! Like last night's leftover bread became today's grilled cheese at lunch.

I do a few other things but those are the main CHANGES I made to save money on groceries! And the pay off has been great! We are eating healthier and yummier meals (yay for knowing what is IN your food!) and it has been nice on the wallet. What is your favorite way to save money on groceries?

Green Smoothies

One of my most dearest friends, Heidi (who REALLY should start a blog! She is always making super, yummy and healthy recipes) mentioned she had started making green smoothies and totally inspired me to get "back on the wagon". And she shared that her green smoothies go beyond spinach and that she also uses kale, arugala, and baby romaine.

I noticed I had a big container of spinach but could tell that it would be bad within a few days. Then I remembered how you can puree and freeze your veggies for homemade baby food and decided to apply the logic to smoothies!

In this picture I filled by blender up with Kale, added about 1/2 cup of water and pureed it all up.

Then I poured the puree into ice cube trays until frozen. The below pictures are of my spinach puree.

Once they were frozen I popped them out and put them in a freezer bag. Now it will be super easy to throw then into smoothies without worrying about my greens going bad. And I could even mix greens in the smoothies.

My kiddos love green smoothies, or dinosaur smoothies as we call them a lot of the time. This is such a great way to get those awesome leafy greens into their tummies! This is especially great to do as we are going into cold and flu season!

Green Smoothie (makes 2)

3-4 spinach cubes

1/3-1/2 C. Greek Yogurt (I had the vanilla bean kind on hand)

1 banana

2-3 Tbs. ground flax seeds

1/2 C. frozen strawberries

1/2 C. frozen peaches

1/3 C. water

Pink Smoothie (makes 2)

3-4 kale cubes

1/2 C. Greek yogurt

1 banana

1/2 C. frozen raspberries

splash of lime juice

1/3 C. water

The best part about making smoothies is that you can use whatever is available, you can easily use frozen ingredients, and you can experiment and have lots of variety!

Recipe: Apple Crisp

Since our little trip to Eckert’s we have a lot of apples on hand! Which is a major yay! I made homemade applesauce the other day… but it was gone before I had a chance to snap a picture. But, oh my goodness! The jarred stuff is NOTHING like the real thing! That will be a “make again” for sure.
Tonight in order to use up a few more apples I decided to make a homemade apple crisp! The hubs and I were having a late dinner sans kids (I made this again, oh yeah!).
I looked up a few recipes and kind of mashed together what I liked and came up with this one!
Apple Crisp
Ingredients:

• 5 or 6 apples (I used a mixture of what I had from apple picking)
  
• 1/2 C. butter, softened
  
• 1 C. sugar + a little for sprinkling
  
• 1 C. flour (I used whole wheat flour)
  
• 1 C. old fashioned oats
  
• a sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Peal, core, and slice apples
   
2. Place apples in a pie plate
   
3. Combine butter, 1 C. sugar, flour, and oats in a food processor until crumbly
   
4. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over apples
   
5. Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples
   
6. Bake at 350 degrees or until done

Enjoy!

P.S. I have added a place at the top right corner where you can subscribe to Life With the Little R's via e-mail. I don't always add new posts to Facebook and so if you don't have something like Google Reader you might miss a post or two. So, feel free to subscribe and have new blog posts delivered straight to your inbox!

Recipe: Pepperocini Roast

I am not a big fan of traditional roast. I don't know, the meat always seems kind of dry and like it is missing something! And don't even get me started on the cooked carrots and potatos people usually serve with it! I know, it is like un-American or something! But, I am a big fan of anything easy that I can throw into my crockpot! Well, it doesn't get much easier than a 3 ingredient recipe! So, to make this you will need a 3-4 pound roast, a jar of pepperocinis, and 4-5 cloves of garlic.

(I really wish I had a picture but we just ate it too fast! Ha!) 

Thinly slice your garlic cloves. Then take the point of your knife and pierce the roast all over, inserting a piece of garlic into each slit. Put roast in crock pot and pour entire jar of pepperocinis  on top. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred or chop up beef when finished and return to liquid.

Last night we had this on tacos but it is also delcious on a crusty bun with cheese or just eat it with a fork!