Drip drip drop

Oregon, infamous for it's liquid sunshine, delivered some fantastic downpours over the course of yesterday. It marked just one of many wonderful rainy days to come. I woke early, excited that I would be forced to spend time inside, hopefully catching up on much needed housework. As Autumn quickly approaches I'm searching the depths of food blogs everywhere to find warm, inviting, and comforting food. Yesterday was my first sincere adventure in making beef stew. I figured the day was perfect for it, and after spending a large portion of the afternoon splashing in mud puddles, the 3YO could use a warm meal at the end of it all.

It didn't start off well, the beef stew. The beef I had taken out of the freezer had a green tint to it and a smell that made me curious. Leaving me a bit panicked because I had wanted to slow cook the stew, I made a quick run to the store to pick up some more beef. Fortunately my mom saved the day and informed me I could cook the stew on high for fewer hours and everything would turn out just fine. This is exactly what I did. While at the store I also picked up a bag of Rhodes, sadden that they didn't carry the whole wheat. Once home I searched both foodgwaker and TasteSpotting and found a simple enough recipe for Old Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe for Slow Cooker. Perfect.

My version of the recipe
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound lean stew beef (already diced)
½ onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cups beef broth
1 cup cold water
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
2 bay leaves
3 carrots, cut in pieces
4 medium potatoes, cut into pieces
3 celery stalks, cut into pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup cold water blended with 3 tablespoons flour for thickening

Directions
Wash, peel, and cut veggies into 1 inch pieces

Combine ¾ cup flour, 1 teaspoon garlic salt and 1 teaspoon paprika in a plastic bag, shake to mix well.

Toss the beef cubes in the flour and shake the bag to coat evenly. Remove the beef from the plastic bag, shaking off excess flour mixture.

Brown the beef in a skillet with a little oil in batches.

Place the beef at the bottom of the crockpot. Top with carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. Add the seasoning ingredients.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. A half hour before serving add the peas and the thickening mixture (1/3 cup of cold mixed with 3 tablespoons flour). Allow stew to thicken before serving.

I made a joke on Facebook that my stew is better than your stew. However, I felt my stew lacked in flavor. I added more salt and pepper and I think this made a world of difference. This is definitely a recipe I feel confident playing around with. It seems full proof and, considering my kitchen experiences, that is just what I need out a recipe. I can't wait for the left overs tonight.