For Suzi:

I was dubious about the olives and butternut squash, but this was yum.

Basque Lamb Shanks

Serves 4

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3 lamb shanks (about 3 lbs)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup dried white beans

6 cloves garlic

1 cup chicken or beef stock, or water

1 cup red wine

2 sprigs thyme

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

½ butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

½ cup black olives, pitted

salt and pepper to taste

--Combine flour and salt in a plastic bag. One at a time, add lamb shanks and shake to coat completely.

--In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and cook lamb for 15-20 minutes, turning to brown all sides.

--Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker and add the beans, garlic, stock or water, wine, thyme, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours. Add the squash and cook on low for another 3 hours, until the lamb is falling off the bone and the squash is tender. In a pinch, the squash can be added at the beginning of cooking.

--Just before serving, stir in the olives and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mmm megan that looks so yummy.

Oooh, that sounds full of nummy possibility. Would probably need to be a weekend meal with the 5 hours and then 3 hours thing.

I feel like a kid with a new toy (my mini-crock pot). Shopping today was more fun that it has been in a while, looking for things that would work together in there. Looks like I have some more things to put on next weeks shopping list.

I don't see any reason why you couldn't put in the squash with the rest at the beginning, as they say. Of course, anything that calls for browning I prefer to do on the weekend anyway.

Note: I put the olives in on top at the 5 hour mark instead of waiting until the end.

The recipe actually called for 4 lamb shanks, but they looked so big I only bought two, which was fine, but I think I would use 3 next time. It all falls off the bone and ends up as stew anyway.

Timelies all!

Huh. So I'm the first person to post this morning. (Yes, I have the day off)

have the day off also and slept in. of course mac got up earlier and I still could go back and sleep more, I swear.

At some point we're going to the movies.

I has to work. I hates it.

Is the Hadron Collider named after a person named Hadron? Because I cannot stop reading it as the Hardon collider and am wondering if Mr. or Ms. Hadron have that problem with the name.

ETA: I found out, after about a year of speaking is LOLcat phrases at work that NO ONE KNOW WHAT A LOLCAT WAS!!! And they must have thought I was completely crazy for saying things like "I can has copy paper?"

A hadron is a kind of particle. But you're so not the first to think that (note that largehardoncollider.com is NSFW)

That makes more sense, amych. I was thinking that in naming something with Large and Collider, they should have avoided using Mr. Hardon's name

Oh Julianne Moore, what the hell were you thinking. Just NO. [link]

Is that made of black velcro, or did she just wriggle into a worn-out tire and staple a dress to the underside?