Beef-and-barley soup

Normally this would be Hobbit Soup (made FOR hobbits, not of, thank you very much), but I got distracted and forgot the mushrooms. Fungus or not, though, this was the perfect soup for a chilly winter day. It's hearty enough for Jonathan, and the crock pot is my favorite for fixing dinner whenever I have time... like 10:30 am. :-) I may have posted this recipe before, but it's still good. Enjoy!

1/2 lb bulk sausage
1 lb hamburger
slosh of Marsala or pretty much any other wine or beer handy
4 carrots
3 onions
mushrooms (if you remember)
2 beef bouillion cubes
generous amounts of thyme, salt, pepper
water
1 cup or so barley pearls

Brown the meat. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables and throw them into the crock pot on low. After browning, deglaze the pot with the wine and a little water, and throw that and the meat into the crock pot too. Add salt, pepper, bouillion cubes, and thyme, stir, and add water to cover everything. Set to low. Then put the barley pearls into about 2 cups of water to soak. Stir the soaked barley into the pot about an hour before serving.