Classic Beef Stew

Oh, the temperatures are starting to drop, the sun is rising later and going down a little earlier, the season is definitely changing.  It's time to prepare for the winter evenings ahead, and comfort food is a big part of that.

I have been looking for a good beef stew recipe. One that's not hard to make, but still has good beef flavor.  I was also looking for a recipe in which the vegetables still tasted like vegetables when I served it. This recipe totally hits the mark.  Full of flavor, meat so soft your fork melts into it, and vegetables so succulent and moist. This meal has become top of the list in our house. And it's pretty easy to prepare. It's the kind of meal you can make when the weather outside in less-inviting.  You can stay inside and enjoy all of the aroma that comes from cooking this wonderful beef stew.


Classic Beef Stew

1lb roast (tip, chuck, round, etc) cut into 1in pieces
2 c water
1 c (1 can) beef broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 c baby carrots or 2 med carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 med potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 c cold water
2 Tbs flour
salt and pepper to taste
3c cooked noodles (egg noodles, bowtie, campanelle, etc)


In a 4-qt dutch oven, brown the meat in some heated oil. Once the meat is completely browned, about 15 minutes, add the water, beef broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer and let the meat cook for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Add the vegetables and the bay leaf. Cover and allow the broth to simmer with the vegetables for another 20 - 30 minutes, depending on how soft you like your vegetables. Meanwhile, heat the water for your noodles and cook them according to the package instructions.

Mix the cold water with the flour until it's well blended. Add it to the stew and allow it to boil for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve with the stew poured over the noodles. Makes about 4 servings. Enjoy!

Finished the Little Ditties

So, I hit up the local sewing supply store and bought a couple of zippers, some velcro, and of course, more thread (always running out of that stuff).  I wanted to try a couple of different closure techniques to see which I like the best. First, I made a couple more bags. I made the width of the bottom a little smaller than the first 2 (again, experimenting).

Then, I attached the different closure systems...

For the Velcro, it was pretty straight-forward stitching it inside the bag. It works well, but I'm worried it will get dirty after lot of use or loose it's grippy-ness.

The addition of the zipper before completion was quite a challenge.  I had a really hard time working with the small size that was not the exact size as the zipper. I also really wanted to hidden seams for the lining inside the bag, so I couldn't attache the zipper before attaching the two sides together. So, I was not so impressed with that one.

When I added the zipper after I completed the bag, things went much smoother.  I also think it gave a nicer finished look. If I continue making more with zippers, I think this is the way I want to do it. I will need to perfect my skill at zipper attachment in general, though.

Overall, I'm really happy with them.  They are ready for snack storage on our next outing.  I want to try one more thing with the velcro; more of a flap that comes up and over the top.  It would be a very versatile pattern that I could use in various sizes, if it works.  We'll see.  Maybe something I can try this weekend, or maybe not until next week. 

Until then, I am hoping to finish Seuss today.  It's such a nice day, it's perfect for a little quilting. I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish Friday. And now, it's back to work.

Little Ditties

I'm into the whole homemade, natural approach to raising my kids.  Is everything free of preservatives? No.  I try to do what I can, but realize there's a point.  I also try to recycle and be aware of my consumption, but again, there's limits.  A friend started using cloth food baggies several months ago and told me about them.  I was intrigued, which brings me to my other weakness.  I am guilty of seeing something and thinking; I could make that!

Fast forward a year and you will finally arrive to the place where I actually try making these little baggies.  I decided to use laminate cotton (really cool stuff that's recently become popular for lunch bags and the like) and line the baggies with PUL fabric. Both are leak resistant and safe for foods to be in contact. 

Here's my first attempt, which was too thick and too stiff...

So, I moved on to a new technique and it went much better...

I still need to add fasteners. I think I am going to try velcro for these first 2, but I might try zippers on some of them as well.  We'll see how well they work in action.  It would be kind of cute to make a lunch bag that matches all of these little ditties; I could have a whole set. :)

I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced today.  Looking forward to seeing what everyone is working on.