NOT weight watchers approved

First of all...I watched the movie Julie & Julia.

So, I cooked an omelet this morning...you should have seen me shakin' that pan all over the place, making a racket...but, I gotta tell ya...Julia Child definitely knows a thing or two, cuz that omelet turned out pretty nice if I do say so myself...

This in turn got me in the mood to cook...especially on a day like today:

And so, what is a perfect meal when the air is bitter and the snow is falling?  (well, white chicken chilli is a top choice, but I made that yesterday...) So, we went with Beef Stew and Mashed Potatoes...

And now begins the craziness that is my life when I bring the camera into the kitchen...

Welcome...

I want to begin by saying that I wasn't necessarily what mother would call a homemaker's dream.  I would rather have scrubbed a toilet than clean dirty dishes...and I steered clear of the kitchen any time I could.  My poor mom, wanting to develop in me the skills of a homemaker: sewing, cooking, cleaning...yep, it was me and the basketball hoop and/or the books...

that is until I got married and then I kicked myself thoroughly for not heeding my mother's advice...

So the fact that I am even posting the following is quite a miracle in and of itself...my very first meal that I cooked for my dear husband was given to me by my brother's wife (then girlfriend...she was off to a MUCH better start than me for sure!) But this recipe isn't the first meal...I actually came across it about 5 years ago and in that time have gained a bit more confidence in the kitchen and therefore "tweaked" it a bit, to make it my own...

Without further ado:  Beef Stew  (hee hee...that rhymed)

You start off with some EVOO in the fryin' pan and brown yourself up some MEAT!

Seeing as I have younguns, I cut those beef stew pieces even smaller, into bite sizes (which also reduces the amount of time has to cook in the end as well)

Next, you get out a big onion and some garlic (yep that's garlic from the ole garden...are you liking the twang that I seem to have acquired?...must have to do with "home-cookin'" and watching too much Paula Deen) And lest you think I dare show you another lovely picture of me in goggles whilst chopping onions...think again...

While you enlist younger children to stir/brown the meat, you get yourself on over to the saute' of the onion and garlic...

Throw about 3 TBsp to 1/4 cup of flour onto the onions and keep browning them...they'll look a litle like yellow-y mashed potatoes...

Next, comes the good part...get some red wine...we use the good stuff that my hubby made in the basement...mmmmm, so delicious!  Add 3/4 cup of red wine to the onion/garlic saute.

Also add 3/4 cup water mixed with about 2-3 TBsp tomato paste...

Let that simmer while you head over and get a bunch o' carrots chopped up...

I like to steam them for a bit (again, less time in the oven if you get some of the cookin' done ahead of time)

Once the sauce gets to boiling, pour in the drained, browned meat...

and then add the carrots too...

Put that all into a baking dish, cover and put in the over at 300 degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half. 

Once it gets to only having about 20 minutes left in the oven, you can start on those mashed potatoes...my fave are yukon gold...but we can't find any of those in the store right now, so we settled for russet...but after I "doctor" them up with butter, milk, cream cheese and salt...oooooweeeee, they are YUMMY...

Put it all together and you get a warm, delicious meal that your tummy will thank you for later!  The scales probably won't, but everyone needs a break now and then:)

Happy Day!

Beef Stew Recipe

3 TBsp Olive Oil (half for browning meat, half for onion/garlic saute)
1.5 lbs beef chuck
1 onion
1 clove garlic (or more if you like the taste)
3 TBsp flour
3/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup water
2-3 TBsp tomatoe paste
a bunch of carrots (add as much or little as you want)

Preheat over to 300.
Heat oil & brown meat (set aside after draining)
saute chopped onion and garlic in oil
sprinkle flour over onion/garlic
saute until brown
stir in the wine
mix up the water & paste and pour that in as well
season to taste (meaning salt & pepper:)
wait until it thickens
return the meat and add the carrots (somewhere in there you can steam the cut carrots before adding to sauce)
Boil and then add to a baking dish, cover and put in over for 1 - 1.5 hours at 300

Make those mashed potatoes and serve along side or put the stew on top:)

Enjoy!