Recipe(tried): Gina's Fabulous Chuck Roast and Carrots and The Best Bread Pudding and Warm Whiskey Sauce

Hey Y'all!

It's been quite a long time since I have posted...I believe I left off when my kitchen was being re-modeled. It did turn out fabulously, a true cook's kitchen with all the amenities we all love.

Then I got busy with my yard and my gardens (front, sides and back) and all of them are blooming beauties. Lots and lots of petunias, geraniums, gerberas, agapanthus, and many other pretty flowers. Including a patch on the side of the house devoted to butterflies. Lots of milkweeds for the larvae to feed on and become Monarchs...just keeping me busy!

Anyway, this is the third time I made this recipe...first with a brisket and then with chuck roast. Here's the beauty of this baby, you prepare it, takes about 5 minutes or so and then it cooks for 3 hours at 325 in a dutch oven in the oven. Mmmmmm, tender to the bone and the gravy it makes, to die for!!! My Mom is making the rice now. She has been here for the past 4 weeks taking great care of me. (I had a hysterectomy 4 weeks ago, feeling great and getting stronger every day.) You can also make mashed potatoes instead of rice, but whatever you do, do one of them for that awesome gravy! Here's the recipe along with the greatest, and I do mean the greatest Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce for dessert.

I just had to share!

Happy Cooking! Gina

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GINA'S FABULOUS CHUCK ROAST AND CARROTS

1 chuck roast or 4 lb. brisket (trim all fat)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. Jane's Crazy Salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp. brown sugar
6 carrots, scrapped and cut into big chunks
2 celery stalks, cut
4 prunes, chopped

Season meat with paprika, garlic salt and Jane's Crazy Salt. Brown in oil over medium high heat until nicely browned. Take meat out and place in Dutch Oven.

Saute the chopped onions in the oil and when golden, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Pour over the meat.

Add 1/2 cup water to pot and scrape all the brown up. Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar and stir and pour over the meat. Add the carrots, celery, and chopped prunes over the meat.

Put the lid on and bake in the oven at 325 for 3 hours.

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THE BEST BREAD PUDDING AND WHISKEY SAUCE

6 cups milk
3 cups sugar
8 eggs, beaten
2 loaves 2-3 day old French or Italian bread
1 cup golden raisins
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
6 Tbsp. butter (plus more for buttering pan)

Combine the milk, sugar, and eggs.

In a large bowl, cut up the bread, pour in the milk mixture. Add the raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir well. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes to soak in good.

Use a 9x13-inch baking pan, butter it good. Pour in the bread mixture and dot with the 6 Tbsp. butter.

Shake a little bit more of cinnamon over it and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve with the warm Whiskey Sauce. I keep the sauce in an old glass milk bottle.

WARM WHISKEY SAUCE:
2 sticks butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 to 1/2 cup whiskey

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, add the sugar and eggs and stir until nice and smooth with no lumps.

When thickened a bit, about 5 minutes over medium heat, take off the heat and add the whiskey blending well.

Keeps well in fridge for about 1 week (if pudding lasts that long). To re-heat, serve over square of pudding and pop into microwave for 1/2 minute.

Delicious and soul-satisfying!!!!