Apple Roast Pork and Vegetables

When I moved out of my parents' house, they gave me a crock pot. I used it maybe twice. Crock pottery was just not my thing. It involved planning ahead - not my forte.

When I moved in with Aric, we discovered that we had the same crock pot. The only difference was that mine has a glass lid, while his has a plastic lid. Otherwise, they are identical.

For Christmas this year, both of our mothers got us crock pots, having heard us bemoan the terrible Cheesey Poop Sauce Spill in the Brand New Vehicle incident of 2009. Please don't ask. Only recently has the beef-n-cheese smell left my vehicle.

Aric's mom got us a lovely crock pot with a "little dipper" - a small quart crock pot that's very useful for melting chocolate for bonbons.

My mother got us the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go crock pot, with the lids that click on to the top and keep the lid in place. You can carry your crock pot (slow cooker, I guess, since it isn't Crock Pot brand) upside-down, if you so desire.

Long story short: we went from a two crock pot house to a FIVE crock pot house. I guess it's time to get better at this crock pot thing.

Aunt Janet and her endless recipe book to the rescue!

Apple Roast Pork and Vegetables

Ingredients
1 or 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tbsp. cooking oil
2 cups parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1.5 cups carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large green pepper, cut into 1 inch wide pieces
1 cup celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
6 oz. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions
1) Trim fat from the roast. If necessary, cut roast to fit into slow cooker. Brown roast in a large skillet on all sides in hot oil.
2) Meanwhile, place parsnips, carrots, green pepper, and celery into slow cooker. Sprinkle with tapioca. Combine apple juice concentrate, wine, beef bouillon, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and pour over vegetables. Place roast atop vegetables.
3) Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

We cooked our roast for 10 hours and it was incredible. While the roast cooked the whole house smelled of warm, sweet and spicy apple cider. When we pulled the pork out, it literally fell apart. It was incredible. And while I had my doubts about the green peppers (I've never cooked them in a slow cooker before), they came out beautifully.

I highly, highly recommend this recipe. It's warm and homey and requires very little attention. Perfect for a cold winter night.