Beef Stew!

As you know, I got a crockpot for Christmas this year. I didn't quite know where to start, so my good friend Kim came over to show me the ropes. We went marketing and got celery, potatoes, onions, and carrots, stew beef, red wine and a can of beef broth.

When we got back to the apartment, we chopped and sliced the veggies, then dredged the beef in flour.



Once the meat was dredged, we browned it in a skillet, which Kim insists is the only way to cook meat in a crock pot.


Once the meat was ready, we popped it in the pot, covered it with the veggies, and then put in two cups of red wine, a can of beef broth, some crushed garlic, and a couple of bay leaves. I cooked it on high for 6 hours--since I was in the apartment for most of that time, the smells were so delicious it was torture to wait so long!


The end result was worth the wait and as a bonus, I used the remaining veggies to make crockpot chicken soup yesterday--all I did was put a couple of frozen chicken breasts in the crock with the vegetables, equal parts chicken broth and water, and some garlic. After a little over five hours on high, I took the chicken out, shredded it, and then put it back in for another half hour of cook time. Simple, fantastically easy, and perfect for another snowy weekend.