What's for dinner?

I love when I am home from work because then I can cook!  I do not get to do this nearly enough.  Long hours and working out puts a damper in my "Giadaness"!

Tonight my family will be enjoying my "Old Time Beef Stew!"
I love this dish on a cool fall evening.  It is real comfort food.  It is also band friendly, and really satisfying.

I will share the recipe with you:

 Ingredients:

2 pounds of lean stew meat

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 C water

1 T Worcestershire sauce ( I use more like 3)

1 Clove Garlic  ( I use more like 4)

1 or 2 Bay Leaves

1 medium sweet onion sliced

1 tsp salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

1.5 tsp pepper

1.5 tsp paprika

Dash of ground allspice or cloves

3 large carrots, sliced

3 ribs celery, chopped

3 large potatoes quartered

2 T cornstarch

Instructions:

In a dutch oven on top of the stove, brown meat in hot oil.  Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice.  Cover and simmer for 1 1.5 hours.  Remove bay leaves.  Add carrots and celery and potatoes, cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes longer.  To thicken the gravy, remove 2 C of hot liquid.  Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 C of water and cornstarch until smooth.  Mix with a little hot liquid and return to the pot.  Stir and cook until bubbly.  Serve with hot bread or rolls.

My family loves this recipe and we have it often through out the fall and winter months.

I love it because I can dish up 1/2 cup containers and refrigerate and I have lunch for days at work.

Enjoy!