Beef Stew

Yeah, remember when I thought it would be a great idea to start this blog. Oops.

Don't worry...we've been eating! My nausea isn't quite as bad as it was a few weeks ago, so I'm even managing to eat in the mornings now. But our meals have been pretty uneventful and uninventive. Boring, if you will.

But I did have a success story this week! I made one of my staples, the old stand-by: Beef Stew. I have a basic slow-cooker recipe that I followed for years, but it requires a lot of prep work: browning the meat, then sauteeing the veggies, then making a sauce with broth and flour and herbs. Hey, Slow Cooker Cookbook: I use my slow cooker to CUT BACK on cooking time. Geez. Give me a break.

But it dawned on me that maybe I don't HAVE to listen to my cookbook. So I cut out a couple of the steps. I still browned the stew beef, and then added flour and broth to the pan to make a gravy. But all the veggies (this time I used mushrooms, celery, carrots and parsnips) I just chopped and dumped in the slow cooker, and then mixed the meat and the broth in.

I was fortunate enough to make this recipe on one of the coldest days we've had so far, so walking from the bus stop shivering into a house filled with the smell of delicious stew was an experience akin to attaining enlightment. Served with mashed potatoes, it was the perfect winter meal.

Results:
Me: Love. Parsnips were a nice addition. I ate the rest of the mashed potatoes straight out of the fridge later. Shame.
Jeff: Always a fan of my beef stew.
Charlotte: I was surprised at how much she liked it! She ate a pretty large portion, and wasn't selective about just picking out mushrooms, either. Hooray!

Verdict: Make it again!