Stuffed.

Well, hi there!  

We've been keeping busy in our little neck of the woods and enjoying every minute of this crazy season of our lives.  Let's play a quick game of catch-up, shall we?!

We celebrated the 60th (SIXTIETH!!!!) wedding anniversary of these two beautiful people...my grandparents.  

We welcomed a new baby into the family...my precious nephew. We are SO very in love.

We traveled to our favorite place in the world...Colorado!...for a long weekend full of hiking, exploring, and LOTS of eating :)  More on that trip this week!!!

We celebrated Halloween with some of our favorites and a fun hayride through the 'hood.  Gone are the days when I have a say in the boys costumes.  Just how it should be, right?!  :)

And now we're currently in the process of a little home makeover.  There's so much we want to do, but first we're starting with shiplap and new light fixtures.  Here's a little peek...

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year (EEEKS!!! My first time!!!) and I'm thinking it'll be more like ThanksChristmas.  Thanksgiving decor in the dining room and Christmas everywhere else, hahaha.  

So that's just a little preview of our lives lately.  One thing that hasn't changed is making dinner every night for these humans in my house.  They're always hungry and I'm always in the kitchen.  Unfortunately, my boys still don't have a palate for roast beef so they didn't get to enjoy this delicious meal with me & Mr. Spouse. In all honesty, we were happy they didn't because it meant more for us!  

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK STUFFED PEPPERS

4 green bell peppers, hollowed out and seeded

1 TBSP. olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 C. chopped baby bella mushrooms OR 3 cans of slice mushrooms 

1-2 packages of roast beef deli meat

1 C. beef broth

Salt & pepper, to taste (OR montreal steak seasoning, to taste)

8 slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese

Okay, so this is one of those recipes you can really altar to fit your tastes, but y'all.  Y'ALL.  These are just SO.SO.GOOD!!!!!!!!  Here's what we did....

First we hollowed out and seeded our peppers (four in total).

Then place 1 slice of cheese in each pepper.  I had mozzarella on hand, so that's what we used.  Provolone would be amazing, too!

Now add the olive oil and garlic to the skillet, heat ,and saute for about 1-2 minutes.

Then toss in the sliced onions and chopped mushrooms.  I always have mushrooms on hand because I love them in everything, so I used fresh for this recipe.  HOWEVER, you can definitely take a shortcut and use 1-3 small cans of sliced mushrooms if that makes it easier for you!  

Saute for about 5-10 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.

Cut your roast beef into bite sized pieces and add to the onion/mushroom/garlic mixture.  I only used 1 package, but wish I would've had two!  

Add the beef broth, stir, and bring to a boil.  And be sure to add your spices here, too.  We used salt and pepper, but montreal steak seasoning would be outstanding with this, too.  

Cook until liquid is evaporated and remove from heat.

Now stuff each pepper to the brim.  

And cover with another slice of cheese.

Because I like gooey, stringy cheese instead of browned, I went ahead and greased a sheet of aluminum foil and placed it over the top of the peppers before putting them in the oven.

Bake at 350 for about 30-45 minutes or until peppers are soft.

You could also wait until the last 10 minutes or so to add the cheese and then return to the oven until melted.  Whatever works for you!  

I really do love stuffed peppers, but this might be my favorite of all!!!  The flavor is outstanding!  And so filling, too!!!

This is now one of my go-to recipes.  Easy prep, minimal mess, and delicious to boot. 

 A Mr. AND Mrs. Spouse favorite for sure :)  

"SOUP"er Tuesday

I wish there were a magical weather button we could press when the season changes from Summer to Fall.  At the strike of midnight on September 22nd, not only would the season change, but so would the hot temperatures.  I'm a summer girl through and through, but cooler weather wouldn't be terrible right about now.  Nothing drastic, just a relief, y'know?!   We always joke that maybe if we start making "fall"ish recipes like soups and stews, maybe we'll will on the cooler weather.  Sorta like a rain dance, but the only thing dancing will be our taste buds :)     

Just to test out the waters, I decided it was time for our annual first-soup-of-the-season because why not?!  We love a good soup...especially during the cooler months...so I decided to try out a new-to-me recipe that turned out to be an instant hit!!  The best thing about soup is the (typically) easy prep, minimal clean up, and delectable flavors...and soup makes the best leftovers, too!!  

STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

via The Country Cook

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

2 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 (10 oz.) can tomato soup

1 (14 oz.) can of chicken OR beef broth  (I used chicken)

2 C. cooked rice

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 TBSP. sugar

salt & pepper, to taste

red pepper flakes (optional), to taste

shredded cheddar (optional) for topping

Alright...let's get started, shall we?!

First let's go ahead and chop our onion and bell pepper.  I used a green bell pepper because in a dish like this, I feel like the green gives me a more savory flavor.  I'm sure red/orange/yellow would be great too, with just a slight variation in the flavor profile.

Add the ground beef & diced peppers & onion to a large skillet and cook on medium heat until the meat is browned.

Drain the excess grease from the meat and return the meat/peppers/onion to a large stockpot.  Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato soup, and broth.  I used chicken broth, but the recipe says you can use either chicken or beef.

Cook rice in a separate saucepan and add to the meat mixture.

Then toss in the sugar, garlic powder, and salt/pepper.  I had to do a few little taste tests to be sure I added the right amount of both.  I also tossed in some red pepper flakes because we do like a little bit of heat in our meals.  

Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes to give the flavors time to meld.  

When you're ready to serve, top with some shredded cheese and maybe a few Saltines!  

Y'all...this was DELICIOUS!!!  Anytime Mr. Spouse goes back for seconds, I know I found a winner.  I'm excited to add a new recipe to our expanding rotation of soups!!!  I think you'll love it if you try it, too!!!

It Tastes Like The First 3 Years of Marriage

When Adam and I were first married 11 years ago, I knew nothing about cooking. 

Wait.  I take that back.  

I could scramble the heck outta some eggs and I could toast a pretty decent piece of bread.

The first three years of our marriage really proved how much my husband loved me for me.  Lord knows he didn't love me for my culinary prowess.  We dined on lots of taco salads, fiesta chicken (gag), chicken squares (can't even say those two words around Adam without causing bouts of nausea), and Hamburger Helper.  Oh dear...we loved us some Hamburger Helper (of the beef stroganoff variety, of course).

When I found this recipe in my little recipe box, the ingredients didn't make me think about stroganoff in the least.  But as soon as Adam walked in the door, he said it smelled like our first few years of marriage.  "Are you making stroganoff???"  Then he took a bite.  "This sure tastes like stroganoff smells.".  I'm going to take that as a good thing because this one pot dish was delightfully tasty!  And he went back for seconds.  Always a sign of a good meal!!!

CHEESY TORTELLINI & BEEF

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning.

1 C. Water

1 (15 oz.) can beef broth

1 beef bouillon cube

1 (20 oz.) pkg. cheese tortellini

1/2 C. shredded Italian Blend Cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

All you'll need to prep for this dish is one pan.  One large-ish pan/skillet.  Es todo.  

In a large skillet, brown the beef. 

Once the meat is browned, remove from heat and drain.  Return meat to skillet and add the Montreal Steak Seasoning.  Stir to combine and heat on high.

Add the water, beef broth, and bouillon cube.  Stir well.  

Bring to a boil and add the package of tortellini (I used the refrigerated Buitoni 3 cheese tortellini).  Cook until tortellini is heated through...about 6-10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and drain the tortellini and beef mixture.  Return to skillet and toss in the shredded Italian blend cheese.  Cover with a lid until the cheese is melted (2-3 minutes).

You could also serve this with an additional sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese if you so desire.  We sure did :)  Is there really such thing as too much cheese?!

Voila! 

A delightfully delicious one skillet supper!!!  My FAVORITE kind of meal!  

Easy prep, easy clean-up.  And tasty to boot.

And apparently reminiscent of our first three years of marriage ;)

Fun Finds & An Easy Meal

My mom's side of the family is Italian.  My great grandparents...Maw Maw & Paw Paw...are from Italy and the time spent with them growing up made for some of my most favorite childhood memories.  I was blessed enough to have them around until I was 21.  They were some of the most beautiful people.  My Maw-Maw started the tradition of Sunday pasta & zucca.  She made the pasta and the meatballs all from scratch.  She taught My grandma how to do the same and the tradition still lives on today.  Sunday Funday pasta & zucca with the family are my most favorite Sundays.  You've never had pasta, meatballs, and zucca until you've had my grandma's.  Best around, hands down (I know I'm biased ;)  

I still haven't mastered the art of making everything from scratch.  I won't attempt the pasta, but I'm getting better at the zucca.  Meatballs have always stumped me.  I can never make 'em quite like grandma.  And that's really a shame because they're amazingly delightful.  I did find this recipe recently and figured it was worth a shot.  How could I possibly screw up a baked version of grandma's fare?!  Luckily I didn't!!  Although they're nowhere near the same, they are just as delightful and delicious to boot!

BAKED MEATBALLS ALLA PARMIGIANA

via I Breathe, I'm Hungry

1- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

2 TBSP. fresh parsley, chopped

3/4 C. grated parmesan cheese

1/2 C. all purpose flour

2 eggs

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. dried minced onion

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 C. warm water

Parmigiana Topping

Marinara sauce (I use Victoria brand Marinara - Old World Style)

Mozzarella cheese

This really is a quite simple dish to prep and bake.   I like to prep mine during the day or even the night before , refrigerate, and then bake before serving.  

Combine parsley, parmesan, flour, eggs, salt, dried onion, italian seasoning, and water.  Whisk together until well mixed and add in the ground beef.  Now take off your rings because your hands are about to get dirty.  You'll want to mix the beef and the liquid mixture together by hand until it's well combined.  

Then you'll form the mixture into meatballs about 2" around like this...

Once your meatballs are prepped (you might need two baking dishes for this), pour one tablespoon of marinara over each meatball.  Then place slices of mozzarella on top of each marinara covered meatball.  

Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes and voila...

baked meatballs alla parmigiana!!!

Y'all...these are SO good!!! I'm really partial to my grandma's meatballs and don't often eat them unless she's the chef.  However, this recipe has definitely become a family favorite.  My youngest loves grandma's meatballs and he says these are "even just as delicious, mom!!  But grandma's are still my favorite."  Sweet boy knows what he likes.  These are great served on their own with a side of mashed potatoes, but they're just as good served over pasta....minus the melted mozzarella. 

Now I want to share a few fun finds that made my closet and holiday collection smile :)  

First up, Halloween.  I KNOW it's too early to talk about it.  I know.  But I also know that Home Goods/Marshall's sell out of this stuff with a quickness, so I went ahead and got a head start on my holiday shopping so I wouldn't miss out.  It's all put away and stored right now, but I'm tempted to start my Halloween decorating when September hits (is Sept. 1st too early?!?!?  #kidding  #sortof)

Do y'all shop at Ross??  I LOVE Ross.  Their home decor is on point.  Not always, but often.  It's definitely a hit or miss, but goodness...when it's a hit it's a home run!!  I ran in the other day while I was in town and found these fantastic wire baskets with wooden handles for a whopping $3 on clearance!  SOLD!  I bought them all.  I have no idea what I'll do with all of them, but this one makes a cute little home for my flour and sugar containers.  

I think I've told y'all before how our nearest grocery store is about 25 minutes away.  Well...we do have one in town, but they're overpriced and never have anything I need.  It's a pretty tiny little grocery store.  About a year ago our little town got a Wal Mart.  Since they have pretty much everything I need, I typically do my grocery shopping there.  While I was walking to checkout the other day I noticed a display of fitness gear.  Y'all...they have some CUTE stuff!!  And it's pretty decent quality, too!  New gear always makes me excited to workout, so I picked this up.  The whole outfit cost me $17.  Not too shabby.  So if you're looking for inexpensive workout clothes, head on over to Wal Mart and check out what they have in stock.  

We won't be experiencing any cool weather anytime soon here, but I know that my favorite store will sell out of their Fall/Winter clothes pretty quickly, so I went ahead and picked up a few (inexpensive) things for the change in weather (whenever that happens).  Just wanted to share in case you're anything like me!!

I know this isn't a flattering angle, but this sweater is the cutest!!!  It looks great with skinny jeans and covers enough of the lower half to wear with leggings, too!  The material isn't too thick or too thin...just right for cooler temps.  And it's soft, too.  For $17.90, it's a STEAL!

EYELASH LACE-TRIM SWEATER, FOREVER 21

I know I'm late to the feather vest party and this trend is probably out, but I love it.  I looked everywhere for one last season and couldn't find the right color.  This is exactly what I was looking for.  I know I won't wear this all the time, so the $33 price tag is perfect for this occasional accessory. 

SIDE PANELED FAUX FUR VEST, FOREVER 21

Two Meals, One Leftover

If y'all read my post on Monday, you might remember me talking about the abundance of food we had on Easter Sunday.  Food for days.  I was in charge of making the world's most simple and savory pot roast. I only made one, but at the very last minute I got nervous not thinking we would have enough so I sent Mr. Spouse back to the grocery store to grab another.  Between the first roast, the ham, the pork, and the chicken and sausage, we didn't even make a dent in the last-minute-pot-roast I insisted on rushing out to get before the festivities began. 

 #sosorryMrSpouse

My husband isn't usually a leftover kind of a person.  He may be okay to eat leftovers for lunch the following day, but anything more than that probably won't happen.  I, on the other hand, could eat leftovers for days...especially when said leftovers are in the form of pasta.  We had this crockpot full of pot roast that wasn't even touched and I wasn't about to let it go to waste, so you can imagine how elated I was when Mr. Spouse said, "Don't go grocery shopping this week...let's just eat the pot roast for dinner."  WHA?!?!?!  I mean, I was definitely jumping for joy at the though of not having to run out for more groceries, but I also was thinking I might not want 5 full days of pot roast for dinner (as much as I do love leftovers). 

#overkill

I really do love pot roast.  Especially this simple & savory version.  But lawd.  Needless to say, it was of the utmost importance that we repurpose our protein so that we wouldn't tire of it.  Mr. Sposue ended up working late 2 nights this past week (spring sports are always a killer), so I only had to come up with two new-to-us meals.  I enjoyed the pot roast in all it's simple glory the nights he was working, but I was ready to change it up by the time Wednesday rolled around!!!  

If you have some leftover pot roast hanging around, maybe consider repurposing it for either of these two meals!!!  

When I lived in Dallas, I taught in Plano for the first 7 years of my teaching career.  We loved to enjoy Friday Happy Hours at the BEST little restaurant in old downtown Plano...Kelly's Eastside.  They always had the most delicious happy hour fare...for FREE!!!!! GAH!!!  I would always get the brisket quesadillas.  ALL of their food is insanely amazing, but those brisket quesadillas.  LAWD.  That was also one of our go-to post Sunday church meal spots, too.  My whole family loved it.  I miss that restaurant like crazy!

I wouldn't have thought to have brisket in my quesadilla, just like I wouldn't have imagined pot roast in quesadilla form either.  But that's just what I did.  Let's just say I was missing Kelly's and hoping I could kind of recreate that magic in my own kitchen.  I didn't come close, but these pot roast quesadillas were SO good!!!  

POT ROAST QUESADILLAS

2 flour or whole wheat tortillas

Shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese (to taste)

Pico de gallo (to taste) 

Pot Roast

Pot Roast gravy

Cooking spray

I used flour tortillas for this dish and sprayed the cooking spray on one side of each tortilla.  Place one tortilla in a lightly greased skillet and then take some of that gravy from the pot roast (we had tons leftover from the simple and savory recipe) and spread a thin layer on the bottom of the tortilla.  Top with the shredded cheese, pot roast, and then the pico de gallo.  Turn on the heat to a medim/high temperature.  Spread a thin layer of the pot roast gravy on the other tortilla and then place that on top (sandwich style).  Allow time for the bottom tortilla to brown and using two spatulas, carefully turn over to brown the other tortilla.  Heat until both sides are brown and cheese is melted.

Let me just say it again.  These were SO good!!!  I loved the addition of the pico de gallo...I could eat it with everything.  I typically get the pre-made tubs at the grocery store.  This was a definite winner and one we'll be sure to recreate when we have pot roast leftovers in the future!!!

I was considering a pot roast panini of some sort for last night's meal.  I'm sure that would've been great!  But we just had quesadillas the night before, so I wanted something a bit different that would incorporate more than just the pot roast and another helping of cheese and gravy.  I had a box of puff pastry shells I bought for something totally different, but I figured it would be fun to use them for this meal instead.  I also had a tub of mashed potatoes (you know those Country Crock refrigerated tubs?! #cheating) and wanted to use those as well.  Enter the Pot Roast Puff Pastry Bite.  

POT ROAST PUFF PASTRY BITES

Puff Pastry shells

Mashed Potatoes (homemade or refrigerated)

Pot Roast

French Fried Onions (optional)

This is too easy not to try!!!  Bake the puff pastry shells as directed on the package.  While the pastry shells are baking, heat up your pot roast and leftover or refrigerated mashed potatoes.  Remove the pastry shells from the oven and hollow out the center (just remove the tops and the doughy filling).  Place a spoonful of the mashed potatoes in the hollowed out center of the pastry shell.  We filled ours to the top, of course.  Then place a generous amount of the pot roast on top of the potatoes.  We had some leftover french fried onions from the green bean casserole we made on Sunday, so we put those to good use to and crumbled them right on top of the pot roast.  

They really were the perfect little bite!!  The pastry shells stayed intact and we were able to eat them just like we would a sandwich.  Mr. Spouse returned for 3rds and piled his high, so a fork and knife were essential for that serving :)  I absolutely LOVED the different textures of this meal and the flavor...well...OUTSTANDING.  This made the perfect dinner servings, but if you were so inclined, I could see these being served as a generous appetizer, too.  We will DEFINITELY be revisiting this meal in the future!!!  

Let's TACO 'Bout It

There's just something about a grilled cheese sandwich, isn't there?!  Or am I the only one with such strong feelings about them?!   My love for this age old classic has only grown stronger through the years.  My mom used to make the best grilled cheese sandwiches for us growing up.  She'd even add copious amounts of ham and that would sweeten the sandwich all the more.  If there's a grilled cheese sandwich on the menu when we're out to eat, you can bet that will be my choice each and every time.

I remember being in Chicago with Adam a couple of summers ago and we ate out the whole time we were there.  If I wasn't eating pizza, I was dining on grilled cheese....and the occasional hot dog (HELLO, Portillo's!!!!!!!)  Can you tell I have the taste palate of a 5-year-old?!  Some things never change, I guess :)

All that to be said, I do love a great variation on the tried and true classic.  THIS ONE is one of our favorites.  Bacon, avocado, and cheese?!  Does it really get much better than that?!?! Why yes...yes it does.  And it combines one of my favorite flavor profiles with all the gooey goodness of said cheese. 

 Enter the Taco Grilled Cheese.

TACO GRILLED CHEESE

via Closet Cooking

2 slices of either sourdough or potato bread

Butter

Fiesta Blend shredded cheese, to taste

Taco Meat

Pico de Gallo

Guacamole

Sour Cream

Salsa

Okay.  This dish deserves a little discussion.  

First up, you'll want to prep your taco meat (brown your ground beef and add in the taco seasoning...y'all know what I'm TACO'n about ;) Hahaha.  

Once your meat is good and ready to go, set it to the side and take out your bread.  Butter one side of each slice of bread (just like you would if you were making a traditional grilled cheese sandwich).  

Now...you can really prep this sandwich to your liking and pretty much any way you want it, but I'm going to share with you what I did to mine.  

I took about 2 spoonfuls of the taco meat and mixed it with just a little dollop of sour cream.  I sprinkled shredded fiesta blend cheese on one slice of bread and topped that cheese with the taco meat/sour cream mix.  I took a smidge of guacamole (pre-made) and spread a light layer over the taco meat.  I LOVE pico de gallo, so I tossed on quite a bit of that over the guac.  Then I topped that with the other slice of bread. 

As you can imagine, I had a pretty thick sandwich.  I couldn't imagine grilling it in my little skillet, so I used my panini press instead and it worked like a charm!!!!  The *perfect* sandwich!!!

My husband requested everything I had on mine with the addition of salsa.  I love salsa just as much as the next Tex-Mex lovin' person, but I didn't want my sandwich to be too saucy, so I just poured a bit on my plate and dipped my sandwich instead.  YUM!!!!!!

Of course, this is one of those meals I'd love to have on the menu every week.  Heck...I'd love to eat this every single night!  HA!!!!  However, this is one of our indulgences and as you can imagine, we definitely INDULGE!!!!  I can't begin to tell you how unbelievably delicious this sandwich really is!!!  All the happiness of a taco in between two slices of buttered, grilled bread.  Heaven.  Absolute and total heaven.  As my 7-year-old would say, "it's a party in your mouth!!!!"  Yes, my friends.  A fiesta in your mouth for sure!!!!

Simple & Savory

It's Monday and I feel like I'm recovering from a holiday hangover. 

So much food.  And then more food on top of that.  Let's not forget the sweets.  Oh, the sweets.  And then a little more food.  Scratch that...A LOT more food.  And some more sweets.  Did I mention food?!  

 

Of course, there was celebrating, too.  Fellowship...family...friends.  All around just the perfect little weekend with my most favorite people.  

It was also Texas Antiques Week and I headed to Round Top with the girls for a little shopping and some prom fun.  It's only a couple of hours away, but we stayed the night so that we didn't have to rush back.  I had to call Mr. Spouse and ask for forgiveness when I bought my favorite new purse.  I mean, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?!  I sent him a picture of my fringe beauty and he asked if I had to kill Snuffleupagus to get it.  He wasn't impressed.

The weekend brought us lots of prepping and planning for our Easter festivities.  The boys loved dyeing their eggs with shaving cream and planting jellybeans for the Easter Bunny.  My kitchen smelled pretty good, too :)

The boys were up before the sun on Easter morning which was perfect for the purpose of getting ready for the early service at church.  They woke us up before scoping out their Easter goodies and picking the lollipops from their jellybean garden.

We hosted Easter this year and had quite a little...err, BIG...crowd.  The more the merrier.  We brought in some extra tables and chairs so that everyone would have a place to eat.  I have to say that I really do love our little house...it's got the perfect floor plan for entertaining!  These are just a couple of the tables at the front of the house.  We also had some in the kitchen and outside.  

I found these cute little eggs at Marshall's and had to have them, but had NO clue what I was going to do with them.  I decided to make little party favors for the ladies and use the eggs as gift wrap.  I just painted the wood circles black and used a white paint pen to write the words.

No Easter is complete without our traditional family confetti egg fight.  Between my brother and I, we had a little over 20 dozen confetti eggs!  It was a MESS!!!!  I'm still trying to get the confetti out of my hair!  HA!

I LOVE this pic...this is what kicked off the crackin' this year.

  #protectthebeverage

Enjoying the chaos :)

#thankgodforthewetdryvac

The kids hunted for Easter eggs...their favorite part of the celebration.  

And this precious love celebrated his birthday.

Speaking of birthdays, my baby turns 6 today!!!  What better way than to celebrate another year than with a slice of cake for breakfast?!  Yes, please!!!

Remember when I was talking about all that FOOD earlier?!  This *might* have ben the star of the show.  This simple and savory pot roast.  W.e had tons of meat from which to choose...ham, pork, chicken, sausage...but THIS pot roast.  Well..it was the best.  Hands down.  We served it with dinner rolls so our guests could make little sandwiches if they were so inclined.   AMAZING.

We have leftovers and plan on repurposing the roast in several different meals.  I'll have to report back on Friday to let you know what we did with it!  In the meantime, you definitely need to try this for yourself!!!!  You won't be disappointed!

SIMPLE AND SAVORY POT ROAST

2-3 lb. boneless chuck roast 

1 packet of Slow Cooker pot roast seasoning 

1 cup of water

1 packet of Au Jus seasoning

1 can of Coke (or Pepsi)

Combine the slow cookier pot roast seasoning with 1 cup of water and mix until combined.  Place your roast in your slow cooker and pour the pot roast seasoning /water mixture on top.  Now pop open a can of coke and pour that right on top, too.  Yes, the WHOLE thing.  Cook on low for 8 hours of high for 4.  I personally prefer the slow method :)  When the roast is ready, shred it all up inside the slow cooker and then pour the packet of Au Jus on top and mix well.  Serve and enjoy!!!