Easy Breezy Beef Stew

Good Tuesday morning!

I've added a couple more pics of Roxie and friend in the Gallery. I have over 100 left over from Saturday, but I promise I'll take beagle photos this afternoon to give you something different to look forward to tomorrow!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Tune in tomorrow. I'm announcing a new contest, and you will definitely want to be a part of this one. My wonderful Cranberry Spice candle from Yucatan Trading is almost gone. That means I will be making the trek to Bluff Park sometime next week to purchase a new candle. A Butt Naked candle. And for one of you lucky readers of A Simple Life, I'll be giving away a second Butt Naked candle I plan on purchasing while at the store.

You may think you do not want a candle named Butt Naked... but you would be so wrong.

I'll have the rules posted tomorrow.

RANDOMNESS #2 - I found a Martha Stewart Party-Planning Guide this morning. I thought it was pretty interesting. She never ceases to amaze me... in a good way. I'll share some of it with you today.

1 Month Before:

Choose the type of party you want to throw.
Set the date.
Prepare your guest list.
Mail or e-mail invitations, or call guests to invite them.

The Enchanting Belinda says, "Okay. The above is very doable for me. I like planning a month ahead. I could easily do the '1 Month Before' part. Just call me 'Martha.'"

3 Weeks Before:

Choose the menu. Organize recipes for easy reference.
Create a timeline for preparing your chosen recipes.
Read through recipes and make lists of the ingredients you need to buy.
Try out any new recipes you want to troubleshoot.
Prepare any items that can be frozen.
Arrange to borrow, rent or buy serving pieces and other items you might need.

The Enchanting Belinda says, "All righty. I can definitely choose the menu. No problem there. I can also eliminate the 'troubleshooting' part of the above by using my already vast knowledge of tried and true recipes I've made over the years. I can also borrow paper plates, etc. from one of my neighbors one hour before the party. Been there, done that."

2 Weeks Before:

If you're throwing a potluck, let guests know what to make.
Practice setting your table.

The Enchanting Belinda says, "Uh, yeah. We're having a potluck. I can totally notify the guests. I may or may not practice setting my table. Wait. We all know I will NOT practice setting my table. I've cut down on this part of the process considerably."

1 Week Before:

Call or e-mail guests who have not RSVP'd to see if they plan to attend.
Make space in refrigerator so you'll have room to store groceries.
Prepare recipes that keep well up to a week.

The Enchanting Belinda says, "I have foraging teenagers living in my house. Nothing keeps well up to a week. I barely have time to get it off the stove top or out of the microwave. This could present a problem."

I'll post the rest of the Guide tomorrow. Just so you know, I am keeping this with my cookbooks, because (even though I'm poking a little fun) it really is a very useful organization tool.

And that's why I'm here. To borrow ideas from others to make your life (and mine) more SIMPLE!

Easy Breezy Beef Stew

I decided to make beef stew for last Sunday's lunch. I THOUGHT I had the stew meat, the beef stew seasoning packet, carrots, potatoes, extra gravy, etc., etc.

However, on Saturday night as I was throwing everything into the slow cooker, I couldn't find the gravy OR the seasoning packet. Hmmm. I could very well have left that bag at the grocery store.

I was already extremely comfortable in my pajamas, and I had no desire to make a Wal-Mart run... or to ask Mikie to make a Wal-Mart run. I decided to raid the pantry.

I found a package of Bear Creek Vegetable Beef Soup Mix. After reading the back of the package, I discovered a beef stew recipe. Eureka! But it wasn't a slow cooker recipe. Sadness!

I decided to experiment, and since 35 percent of all of my cooking experiments succeed, I was very hopeful. Guess what? I can now say 36 percent of my cooking experiments succeed!

You will need the following:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds stew meat
1 package Bear Creek Vegetable Beef Soup Mix
6 cups water
1 handful of baby carrots (optional)
1 container of fresh mushrooms, washed (optional)
1 yellow onion (peeled, but still whole)

1. Add all of the above in the slow cooker.

2. Cook overnight on Low Setting. (I started the slow cooker at 11:00 p.m. and turned it to warm at 6:00 a.m. It was just right.)

3. Serve with cornbread, salad, Milo's Sweet Tea, etc.

It was very good. The package instructions tell you to add 8 cups of water. While the 6 cups of water made a thick stew, if you want the gravy a little thin, you can add up to 8 cups.

An easier Sunday dinner has yet to be made. Enjoy!

Have a terrific Tuesday. It is so beautiful in Central Alabama today. I have a bunch of Easter ideas to share tomorrow and Thursday, so don't forget to visit if you get a chance.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda