Comfort Food for A Rainy Day

I accompanied my daughter to the store last weekend, and having decided to make some beef stew, I went to check out the packages of beef stew meat.  I was shocked that they wanted close to $7.00 for a small package!  I looked around and found a nice chuck steak for about $5.00, with very little fat.  It was a nice size piece of steak and we only have 4 to feed, so we purchased that and a large can of tomato puree.  Sunday I trimmed off the fat and cut the steak into bite size pieces.  I browned them in a little olive oil, seasoned them with meat tenderizer, pepper, a little lite salt, and some mesquite seasoning.  These are all available at your local Walmart.  After I browned it for a little, I added Worcestershire Sauce and continued to cook the steak.

I don't know what's happened to the potato crops anymore, but they aren't much bigger than a good sized tangerine, so I dumped about 10 of them in the sink, scrubbed them clean and cut them into 4 pieces and put them in the stew pot about 3/4 full of cold water.  I added about 1/2 large bag of small carrots, cut a large onion into 4 pieces and separated the layers and added that to the pot.  The meat was nicely browned, so I then added it to the stew vegetables and put it on a medium flame. 

As the stew began to cook, I added a little more salt, and added a large can of tomato puree and brought it to a boil.  I then reduced the heat to a little less than a medium flame to prevent it from boiling over, added a lid and let it simmer for most of the day.  Then, just before turning off the flame and enjoying this succulent dish, I added about 1/2 cup more of Worcestershire Sauce and stirred to mix it into the stew.  It smelled heavenly.

I didn't make anything extra except some brown and serve biscuits with butter, but nothing else was needed.  The stew was the best I've ever made.  You don't have to get carried away with the Worcestershire Sauce, but we are big fans of it, and it really spiced up the meal.  Use as much, or as little as desired.  I'll list the ingredient's below and you might want to try making some garlic bread to go with it if you aren't a biscuit fan.  My daughter loves biscuits, so that's what we had.
It really made for a hearty meal and the rain and the smell of the stew cooking, just added a cozy feel to the day.  You might also try serving hot tea with lots of cream and sugar with it.  I didn't, but it would have been just the icing on the cake.

Ingredients:   Chuck Steak, trim off fat
                        and cut into bite sized pieces
                        10 medium size potatoes
                        cleaned and cut into 4ths
                        1/2 bag of small pre-cleaned carrots
                        1 large onion cut into 4 pieces
                        Meat tenderizer
                        Lite Salt
                        Pepper
                        Mesquite Seasoning
                        Worcestershire
                        Olive Oil

ENJOY!

If you are a working Mom, you can relate to this little poem of mine, especially if you have tiny tots and more work than you can ever accomplish.  I wrote it at work one morning and had a good laugh at myself and felt a lot better!  So read and enjoy and laugh at the mad rush we all have lived in at one time or another.

       My Three Angels

My house is a mess, that's certain,
for within it's walls you see,
live 3 lovely, active children
that get the better of me!

I work all day like their Daddy,
& when my day is done, I get
home and to my amazement,
my work has just begun!

I can't sit down to read a good book,
or sew a new dress or 2,
I can't relax for a minute,
'cause there's still so much to do!

Dinner is waiting.....in the freezer,
the dishes are begging for soap!
The kids will be home any minute,
and Mommy just stands like a dope!

Wondering how all this got started,
and which room to start on tonight,
but it all is delightful, if messy,
when I kiss my three angels goodnight!

Enjoy your family!  The housework can wait.  There will be plenty of time later to clean to your heart's content.  Don't miss out on the best years of your own life, ... being a Mom.