Slow Cooker Winter Pot Roast with Purple Potatoes

 

Here’s proof that winter pot roasts can be pretty! I am absolutely one to eat with my eyes, and winter stews stereotypically tend to lose their luster after cook time. However, with bright purple potatoes and tricolored carrots, the end result is beautiful!

I’ve loved experimenting with Home Place’s grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork and lamb products through their subscription service. I truly believe food tastes better when you where you got it from! Code CARA1 gives you 30% off your first box.

Serves 2

1 pound Home Place Pastures beef bottom
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt + pepper
Handful fresh thyme + rosemary springs
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cups purple potatoes, chopped
1 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Dab the beef dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Sear roast until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Add herbs, shallot, and vegetables to a slow cooker. Transfer roast to center of the slow cooker. Pour beef and Worchestershire sauce over beef and vegetables. Sprinkle with garlic powder.

Cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Slice roast and serve with vegetables and au jus.

 

The Four Key Ingredients to a Guest-Ready Home for the Holidays

 

Our first opportunity to host this holiday season was, by all definitions, a mad dash. We used Thanksgiving Day as the driver of our new home’s construction deadlines and dream kitchen details; and if it weren’t for our out-of-town holiday guests—my in laws—I don’t think we all would’ve taken the deadline so seriously! Miraculously, the move and the design execution came together, and our door was open for an intimate family meal that I will forever cherish.

When it comes to hosting guests, your core elements of hospitality can be consistent despite your style or routine. Sure, I wish I had more furniture or decor in my guest rooms other than a bed and nightstands — but the mattresses were plush and comfortable, and magically, nothing else seemed to matter.

Here are my key ingredients to preparing a guest-ready home for the holidays:

Photos by Christen Jones Photography

COMFORT

Happiness consists of getting enough sleep, am I right? When starting from scratch in our new house with multiple guest rooms, I leaned on an organic, hypoallergenic, and affordable mattress that would arrive on time and unbox with complete ease. My Green Mattress was the perfect choice.

The best proof point? My in-laws bought a Green Mattress for their home after visiting us!

FLORALS + GREENERY

A centerpiece — whether a moss mound, a simple vase with branches from the backyard, or a professional organic masterpiece like this one by Everbloom Design — brings life and energy to a space. A couple of blooms in the bathroom or a corner plant from June Wren does so much for your home—and your mood—with little effort.

FINE WINE

Need I say more? Opening a bottle with your guests to enjoy over a meal or beforehand welcomes a warm toast and opportunity to celebrate simply being together. I loved the Rombauer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa for an earthy yet balanced sip.

DELICIOUS FOOD

This is a non-negotiable. Snacks in the pantry, charcuterie on the countertop, cookies in the oven, and a soup on the stove — no matter the level of formality, feeding your guests with a sense of intentionality is the greatest gift!