Rainy Day Crockpot Stew!

This is me at the dentist before being shot full of numb and drilled to within an inch of my jaw.

I don’t mind dentists –my grandpa was a dentist and they are usually kind caring people and I know the more I cooperate the sooner they can get the job done and send me on my way.

I love my dentist, Melanie.  She often comes into the room humming, and has the most beautiful singing voice.  I bet YOU were never lulled and comforted while having your tooth reamed while your dentist hummed Motown beside you?

She came in with a cheerful greeting of “How are you today, Sunshine?” And I started singing right off ((Because I have a habit of being a juke-box this way)) “I’ve got Sunshine --- on a cloudy day….”  And she sang the NEXT line “When it’s cold outside –I”ve got the month of May …” FUN!

And then she cursed me for putting that ear-worm into her brain and thanked me that it would follow her all the day long.  So while she worked on me, she hummed “My Girl”  and I proceeded to find myself numb from my chin to my nose.  I'm not complaining ---when it comes to dentistry?  NUMB IS MY FRIEND!

It only took about an hour, and we were able to get by fixing that cracked molar with a filling, no crown needed for now, thank heavens!  It was still pretty deep, and the nerve was affected so off I went to the pharmacy for a zpac and pain meds.  While those were filling I ran next door to Food Lion and that’s where this post becomes relevant

It’s been rainy!  It’s very fall-like out there even if the temp is still hovering around 70.  I am in the mood to pull out the crock pot and let something simmer all day.  I know I’m going to need comfort food --- soft food---for dinner.  How about some Rainy Day Beef Stew?

The ingredients are simple:
2 lbs beef stew meat cut into small cubes
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper.

Shake flour, seasoned salt and pepper in a bag.  Toss in the beef cubes and shake to coat evenly.

All coated!

Brown the beef cubes in 3 Tlb vegtable oil, turning occasionally to brown meat on all sides.

Place the browned beef into the crockpot and add veggies of your choice.  I added:

1 cup peeled baby carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 medium onion chopped

4 small potatoes, washed and unpeeled, chunked.

Season with:

1 bay leaf

1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce

2 beef boullion cubes

3 cups water

1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup.

Cover and cook.  On low heat it will take 8 to 10 hours.  I set mine on medium, it should take about 6 hours for the veggies to be tender and the beef to be falling-apart yummy.

Ready for the lid and hours of simmering!

Season to taste after cooking – remember there was already salt in the flour, and the bouillon cubes are salty too.  If more thickening is desired, dissolve some flour in a small amount of water.  Turn the cooker up to HIGH and when it is boiling, stir it in.

An easy hearty rainy day meal – perfect with cornbread or biscuits from the oven.

Enjoy!