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This recipe is ALMOST out of season! I consider pot roast weather to be LONG over with, but this one is a bit lighter, so you might be able to enjoy it a bit longer.

Got a few half-empty (-full) bottles of wine lying around? Good! You can drown a hunk of meat and some veggies in them.

Slow Cooker Leftover Wine Pot Roast with Veggies

1 medium roast
1 bag baby carrots
1.5 c green beans, snipped
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ranch dressing mix packet
3 c water
3 c red wine*

*wine and water can be added depending on taste

Put all ingredients in a large crock pot and turn on medium. Cook on medium for 6-8 hours or until roast falls apart and is completely done.

Potatoes on the side were diced, drizzled with olive oil and rosemary and put on a cookie sheet in a 450° oven for 30 minutes.

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I’m not a white wine drinker, but if I’m wanting wine with a seafood dish, I always go with white. I like things a bit dryer too. Mark picked up this Callaway Sauvignon Blanc for $8 at HyVee when we made our linguine with shrimp and lemon oil again last week.

This wine was so delicious! It was a bit crisper and sweeter than I normally like, but it didn’t have that crappy alcoholic taste that most cheap wines have.

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My friend Molly had her annual Christmas party this year and I was lucky enough to be invited to the festivities. Molly makes the most awesome food and it’s always fun to get together with these girls — usually full-on crazy.

I was really excited to go because I finally got to introduce my fabulous beau to all my friends. Granted, he’s met most of them before — just not in boyfriend context.  We’ve been good friends for years so our circles have overlapped already a bit anyway.

Anywho — I made a giant spinach/spring mix salad and an awesome Better than Robert Redford cake. (yes, robert redford — because of the mixed bag that reads my blog!)

It was a fun time. We had a lot of wine and a lot of good food. Lots of good conversation and fun times with friends!

Here’s a few photos from the event … I’m hoping I captured the crazy as well as the cuteness of all the adorable people there! (I can haz cute friends?!)

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I’m not quite there yet, but the 25th birthday celebration has begun (also known as Calee’s 25th Birthday Parade of Awesomeness).

The official 25th birthday celebrations began a few weeks ago with Kelly‘s celebration. For her birthday, we did cake and wine (MollyCake) at Molly‘s place. Molly made an amazing raspberry lemon cake that was beautifully decorated.

Gorgeous!

Eloisa and I eating the leftover frosting. Yes. Leftover frosting. Amazing.

Kelly and Molly cutting the cake.

inside … YUM

me n shelly — tallest person in the room + shortest=epically cute.

AND the birthday celebration continued on Kelly’s b-day at Olde Main Brewery in Ames for dollar pint nights. Mmmm … Off Kilter.

ridiculously cute as usual.

Yay… Kelly, Maria and I. I <3 my girlies!

And now, for my b-day celebration!

On Saturday we went to the Appare Steakhouse in Des Moines for some sushi and steak (mostly sushi).  And then we went to the Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar in West Des Moines.

Kelly, Feleecia, me and Maria at Appare

Me and my boys, Mark and Matt. Related: I am ridiculously short.

Molly and I (pseudo roomies!) — I’ve been hanging out/staying at her place some of this month. Molly is awesome!

Steph and Nathan — the cutest awesomest couple EVAR. Seriously. Look up “made for each other” in the dictionary and you see their picture (not that you can look up a phrase in the dictionary, but hey, you get my drift).

Annnnndddd… no night would be complete without making out with some inanimate object.

This was just at the sushi place.  The piano bar was far less interesting.  We got there and had nowhere to sit. So we ended up on some couches by the bathroom. Kelly and Danielle got a fish bowl, which ended up being given to a bachelorette party. BECAUSE because because … some girl was waiting in line for the bathroom (which was being occupied by a couple that was getting busy) and TOTALLY puked all over herself and the floor right by where we were. Although it was hilarious, it was also disgusting, so we promptly left.

More is to come for the Birthday Parade of Awesomeness ™.  Thursday we shall have cake and some awesome TV watching (the office, project runway, sunny).  For my birthday cake, I requested a Cake Wreck.  Molly and I have something reaallllly awesome in mind.

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