About Me

My photo
I live in the Pacific NW with my husband,our 85 pound black lab and the newest member of our family our adorable little boy! I love to cook, stick my hands in the dirt and grow veggies and flowers, etc., craft for gift giving, repurpose things from my grandmother, find a cozy corner and curl up with a good book, and most of all hang out with my boys and our furry one.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Getting ready

First and foremost - Happy Birthday to my dear friend Shaunna!   I hope that the year brings her deep belly laughs like we have gotten this year from the exploits of Beyonce and friends.  She has been a great ear for me through some tough times and I value her as my friend. 


In other news.......I have found that if I spend a couple of hours on Sunday doing a little cooking and prep that the week will go smoother for me.   As a result I spent the morning in the kitchen cooking up a storm.  

I made Enchilada's (dinner for Monday - leftovers on Wednesday), got the crock pot fired up with some Beef Barley stew, stuck some apples in the oven on low to dry (second batch of the weekend), made some egg muffins after the apples were done,  prepped some veggies for lunches for the week, froze the last of the corn (I just blanch it and freeze it in containers - worked great last year to have for soups and stews), made some oatmeal for breakfast if that sounds better than eggs - always good to have options.   It only took a couple of hours and the week will go more smoothly as a result.

Here are some pictures










No finished picture of the Beef Barley Stew as it's still cooking!
Here is the "recipe" of sorts.  I combined a bunch that I saw on the web.

1 lb stew meat
3 stalks of celery - chopped
3 carrots - chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes
a couple of shakes of paprika
4 cups of beef broth
3/4 cup of barley
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 onion  - chopped
1 ear of corn - shucked off the ear raw

Just threw it all in on low and let it simmer away all day.   Going to serve with some yummy bread that I got at the whole paycheck and perhaps a green salad.  

Whidbey pictures are coming soon......I have them downloaded just need a minute to organize.   Maybe some night this week.  Also saw The Rum Diaries with Johnny Depp.  If you love Johnny go if not then I would stay home or rent it.

Here's to a great week!

Update:  The Barley stew was delicous and a hit!   Made enough for two dinners and some for future freezer lunches.  

No comments:

Post a Comment