Hey guys!

 

Sorry I’ve been MIA. I’ve been getting addicted to the idea of “Lazy Sundays” and have been slacking on “Blogging Sundays” – my apologies.

 

This past weekend has been quite productive though. I’ve cooked Beef Stew for the first time, and made Apple Muffin – both of which I’ll share with you today.

 

Old-Time Beef Stew

 

 

I came across the idea of making beef stew because I’ve never made anything that required cooking time of over 30 minutes – my usuals are stir-fry, salmon, pasta, salads, quick soups, etc.

 

 

So, I’ve decided to challenge myself with the beef stew – which takes 2 hours and 30 minutes.

 

Don’t be intimidated by it (because I was too). It’s easier than you think – just make sure you have 2.5 hours to spend at home. You know, in case things catch on fire and such, my usual worries.

 

I found the recipe on Food Network. The instructions is only one short paragraph, perhaps to make up for the long cooking time.

 

Ingredients

2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (did not use)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Steph’s addition:

1 can of Chicago lager (leftover from friend’s visit)

 

Directions

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

 

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/old-time-beef-stew-recipe.html?oc=linkback

 

 

I wasn’t able to find Worcestershire sauce at Trader Joe’s (where I almost exclusively shop at) and was too lazy to explore additional options while carrying all my groceries, so I skipped it from my experiment.

 

The Result

 

UGGGGGH – I stupidly pressed the Delete button on my iPhone instead of Export button, and of course, by reflex, I pressed the Delete Photo prompt too quickly before thinking about what I was doing. (Note to self: write about the power of habit as a Psychology post?)

 

Imagine a nice picture of << beef stew and a side salad and nice cup of Joe>>. It was a nice lunch.

 

Ah well. Instead, I can share with you what I still have in my fridge now…

 

 

I can also share pictures of other bloggers’ beef stews. It is almost what it looks like when I made it…

 

 

Let me know if you guys try it! Would love to hear the results 🙂

 

– S