Oh yum, does that bread look good! It will be great toasted, I'm sure. We put off going grocery shopping as long as we could, so we had to do it this afternoon. What a mistake. It was a three-ring circus in there with every wacko under the sun (you know, those people who leave their cart in the middle of the aisle and take off for who-knows-where). One woman even had her cart in the aisle sideways. Just standing there looking at her list not noticing people in both directions were waiting to get past. GRRRR! We barely got all the groceries out of the car before the rain started so we're having BLT's for dinner tonight. The tomatoes at the farmer's market are so darned good this year.

I was going to suggest the pressure cooker. Without a manual, you can still get some good info online. I've included links below to the two most popular sources for pressure cooker recipes. Also, you could search online for the manual that accompanies your particular cooker. Once you get a general recipe for a pot roast that's about the weight of your cut of meat, you'll know how much liquid is needed and how long to cook it. Miss Vickie's Pressure Cooker Recipes Lorna Sass Recipes

LynnNM, I made onion soup with your recipe and served it at a dinner party last night. It got rave reviews all around. I didn't need swim goggles. My 44 year old Oster Regency mixer/blender/food processor/meat grinder quickly cut the onions into perfect thin slices. Not a tear was shed. Thanks for the recipe. In return here is another soup recipe that I make that everyone loves Ina Garten’s Winter Minestrone Soup Ingredients: Good olive oil 4 ounces pancetta, ½-inch-diced 1½ cups chopped yellow onions 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots) 2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks) 2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash 1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves) 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi 6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves 1/2 cup good dry white wine 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto Garlic Bruschetta (see recipe) Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot. Garlic Bruschetta 1 baguette Good olive oil 1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic. Here it is as a work in progress from when I made it in November This picture is from Ina Garten's website

That sounds like a German thing. The way I have had it is that the prune is wrapped in dough and the cooked like that. I guess your family just shortcut it, since it is really the same thing, just in a different form. That is much the origin of Penn Dutch slippery pot pie. Instead of actually making a pot pie they just slipped pieces of the dough into the hot pot of stew. It is easier and quicker and really the same thing. Last week I made for the second time some Momos, which are filled dumplings. It seems to be a popular thing around that part of the world that includes Tibet. Darn, they were good! Thinking of that again today. They are like Goyza dumplings. It is an acquired skill to fill and form the noodles. You use lots of cilantro, ginger and garlic. It seems that a lot of cultures have some kind of a filled noodle or dumpling or peroige or ravioli.