Beef Stew

When I was little, one of my favorite meals was beef stew. I would smell the aromas all through the house, and say, "Mmm, I LOVE beef stew!" Then my sister Jill would say, "Then why don't you go marry it? Haha!" And for some reason, that would make me upset. :D

I use about 1.5-2lbs of beef stew meat from the store. I chop the pieces up smaller than they are in the package because this is SOUP. So you need bite size pieces, obviously.

I went to my mom and asked her how to make beef stew, and she shrugged and said, "I just do what it says on the back of the seasoning packet!" SO, following the instructions on the back of beef stew seasoning packet, coat the meat, then cook it til brown on all sides, add the water and seasoning, and let it simmer for an hour. Then you can add whatever chopped veggies you like, but for me, I only do potatoes, carrots, and celery. If you decide to add other gross things, I simply cannot vouch for the taste of your beef stew. :D

But once I add the veggies, I throw away the instructions. I always add more water. If the vegetables are submerged, you've added too much. For each cup of water I put in, I add a beef bouillon cube. And lots of salt, if you like flavor. If you don't like flavor in your food, then I suppose you could skip the salt. I simmer the stew for awhile, about 1 1/2 hours. So, altogether, after you've simmered just the meat, and cut up your vegetables during that time, the stew will take about 2 hours and 45 minutes to cook.

I made this last night, along with some honey wheat bread. Us girls went outside to play in the evening, and when we came back in, our noses red and runny, and our fingers numb, it was so nice to come into a warm house with delicious smells of food around.

Lara: Sniff. Sniff. Mmm, mommy, I smell something really yummy. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff.

Mommy: I LOVE beef stew!