CROCK POT BEEF STEW

3 lbs. stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large onions, sliced
1/2 lb. large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch thick coins
3 large potatoes, in 1-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons flour (or enough to coat meat)
garlic and onion powder (for sprinkling)
1 quart beef stock

Be sure your Crock-Pot doesn't boil; it should simmer lightly. Boiling will make the beef stringy and dry, will ruin the flavor of the broth and make the vegetables mushy - the results will be like stew from a can.

Sprinkle the beef cubes lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and flour for extra flavor during browning.When using a Crock-Pot for beef stew, for extra flavor, brown the floured beef cubes in olive oil before transferring them to the Crock-Pot. Brown onions and add garlic towards the end of the browning but don't allow it to take on too much color. In a Crock-pot, add all the vegetables at the beginning; set the Crock-Pot to 170-190°F and leave to cook from 5-8 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.
If using a Dutch oven, add the vegetables during the last 35 minutes of cooking and simmer until tender. Add a few tablespoons of flour at the same time to thicken the gravy, if desired. The gravy may also be thickened by stirring a a tablespoon or so of cornstarch into cold water before adding to the stew. Be sure to allow ample time for the thickener to cook before serving time to avoid a raw flour taste.
Extra vegetables can be added if you have them on hand. Turnips, corn, sweet potatoes, fresh peas and green beans are all wonderful additions. A pinch of thyme and basil and bay leaf can be added, too.
This stew tastes even better the following day after the flavors have a chance to blend in the refrigerator.

The Real Scoop
by Andrew
This was good, but it had peas in it.  However, it was better than regular roast and potatoes.

Kale Chips

You have to reeealy like kale to enjoy this one.

Loosely wash, pat dry, and chop some kale into potato chip sized pieces.  I cut out all of the hard pieces, too.

Lay in one layer on two cookie sheets.
Admire the beauty.

Sprinkle with olive oil and salt (to taste).




Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes--till crispy.

These go bad within hours, so serve immediately.




The Real Scoop
by Andrew
These may be pretty, but do not let this fool you.  These are not fit for man nor beast.  Eeeew!

Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from Trisha Yearwood's new cooking show.  I'm not sure I like the show because she doesn't always give the quantities of ingredients and she seems to be trying too hard.  I'll give her one more week.

This recipe was YUMMY.  Very filling comfort food.  It would have been better on a cold winter day, and unfortunately, it was 612 degrees here tonight. 

Now for the recipe:

Combine and boil till potatoes are done:
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup frozen peas

While veggies are cooking, mix together:
1 1/2 cups of diced chicken
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 3/4 chicken stock (or chicken broth)

Drain veggies and add to gravy mixture.  When thick and bubbly, add 1 1/4 cup of milk.

After it bubbles again, pour mixture into an unbaked pie crust.  Top with another pie crust, and cut a few holes in the top.

Brush top crust with egg wash to prevent it from burning.

Bake at 425 degrees till crust is done, about 30 minutes.

Serve with cucumbers, biscuits or whatever!

If I were to do this again, I would make it with no chicken.  I know it's chicken pot pie, but I didn't like it.  The original recipe was meatless, and I think I'll stick with that plan, much to the horror of the boys in the house.  Ok...ok...I will most likely make two small ones.  We all win that way.

The Real Scoop
by Andrew
This had waaaaaay too many peas.  Keep the meat.  Lose the peas.

Wanda's Chicken Tamale Casserole

I had this recipe at friend Wanda's house last week and couldn't wait to make it for my next meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 small cans of chicken (or if you are ambitious like Wanda, boil and de-bone one small chicken, then cut the meat into small pieces
• 12 cut up corn tortillas
• 1 chopped medium onion
• 1 7 oz. can of green chilies
• 3 cans of undiluted cream of chicken soup
• 2 teasp. cumin
• dash of southwestern seasoning (like Ms. Dash's chipotle seasoning)

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. 
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and return to the oven till melted.

Serve with rice, beans, or salad.

The Real Scoop
by Andrew

This looked like a messy glob, but the taste was awesome!

Pie with historical significance to the Deckman Clan

Cobbler-style

Grandma Hammond's pies were made like cobblers, not really traditional pies. It didn't matter what pie filling she used, the crusts were always the same.

Instructions:
-- Bake the bottom crust till golden - about 10 min. at 375 degrees.

-- In the mean time, break up the second crust into small pieces.  (The colder the crust, the better, so I usually do this as soon as it comes out of the freezer.) 

-- Once the pieces are broken, top with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and enough sugar to coat the pieces.

Pie style

-- Stir till all pieces are coated.

-- When bottom crust comes out of the oven, add fruity pie filling.

-- Top the pie filling evenly with the crust pieces.

-- Bake till top is crispy (usually between 45 min and an hour).

Additional notes:
  -- If you only have one pie crust, just do the top crust and bake.  That is a more traditional cobbler.
-- You can cut fancy-schmancy shapes out of the top crust and roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mix. Place shapes close together on top.
-- Bake pie with cookie sheet covered in foil under it in case things boil over.
-- If you make this for me, I would like ice cream on the side. Or possibly some Cool Whip.

Spice Cake

While visiting Ohio over the summer, we made a spice cake with a top brand pancake mix.  The recipe was on the box and it looked so yummy!  Since Dad's favoite cake is spice cake, we had to give it a try!

Unfortunately, the cake was SO BAD that I won't even publish the recipe.  Not sure what the issue is lately, but I promise to find a good recipe SOON.

The Real Scoop
By Andrew

This picture was taken BEFORE we tried the cake.  If the picture had been taken after we took the 1st bite, you may or may not have seen spitting.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate & Bacon

While staying at Mom's, we tried this recipe that sounded like it had the fixins of something wonderful...

We found it on the Betty Crocker website.

Chocolate-Topped Peanut Butter-Bacon Bars

1 pouch Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
1 egg
10 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 9- or 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• 2 In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, oil, syrup and egg until soft dough forms. Reserve 1/4 cup bacon for garnish. Stir remaining bacon and peanuts into dough. Press evenly in pan.
• 3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Return to oven; bake 1 minute. Immediately spread chocolate over bars. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup bacon over chocolate. Cool completely, about 1 hour or until chocolate is set.
• 4 For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. 

I'm sorry to say that this one gets a bad review.  Perhaps it was the high Ohio humidity, but the cookie was extremely soft - to the point it tasted stale.  Unfortunately, there wasn't much bacon taste, even though I actually used more than the recipe required.  This one had so much potential!

The Real Scoop
By Andrew
I jumped up and down when I saw all three of my favorite foods in one recipe, but YUCK. 

I'm done with recipes for a while.  I need to go do something more manly.