a listening husband and beef stew

In the months leading up to Christmas I had been dropping hints left and right to my husband that I wanted a crock pot. The idea of being able to leave dinner simmering for hours appealed to me. Low maintenance meals are great for this inexperienced cook! And as always, my wonderful husband delivered. He never said a word. However, on Christmas morning all wrapped up with a bow was my new crock pot. Eager to start, I spent the next couple of days flipping through my cookbooks and searching through thousands of yummy recipes on pinterest. I knew that I wanted to make a beef stew. Earlier that week my husband brought home some delicious beef. Finally, I settled on a recipe I found in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It turned out delicious!

Old Fashion Beef Stew

2 tablespoons flour

12 oz beef stew meat, cut into 3/4 inch cubes 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups of vegetable juice

1 cup beef broth 

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 cups of cubed potatoes 

1 1/2 frozen cut green beans

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn   

1 cup sliced carrots 

Slow Cooker Directions: 

Prepare and brown meat as directed. In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker layer meat, onions, potatoes, beans, corn and carrots. Combine 2 cups of vegetable juice, the broth, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, marjoram, pepper, and bay leaf. Pour over meat and vegetables in slow cookers. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on high heat setting cook for 5 to 6 hours. 

I will use this recipe again. However, instead of one cup of beef broth, I will increase the amount of broth to two or three cups and add water to the stew. I chose to set the heat setting on low, and by the time it was done cooking much of the liquid had simmered out. I also noticed that the stew lacked salt. I used a low sodium beef broth. Next time I will add salt. 

The stew is best served hot, on a cold day with warm bread to compliment it.