Oven Beef Stew & Thankfulness

Ok, I've been quite lax in keeping up with this thing, haven't I? Probably 'cause I haven't made anything new and exciting!

Today is the Friday after Thanksgiving. I, for one, am thankful that I'm NOT shopping today! UGH..can't imagine fighting those crowds!

My sister and her husband and 2 kids are here visiting for the holiday. I'm very thankful for that. We have a great time visiting and laughing. Today is the day that we'll have our big Thanksgiving dinner. Our friend Dan will also be joining us again this year. We will miss our dear friends Kent and Mary Beth and their kids at our dinner this year! I'm thankful for email and phones, so that we can keep in touch while so far apart!

This year's appetizers include Hot and Spicy Cranberry dip, sausage, cheese and crackers, salsa and chips and veggies and dip. The main dinner is the usual...Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, pumpkin pie. MMMMM. I'm thankful for great food to eat! And for the ability to cook it!

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who got up at 7 or so this morning to go down to church to get the turkeys reheating for me. I got to sleep an extra hour or so because of that. He's the light of my life...Thankful doesn't even begin to describe it!

I'm thankful for 4 healthy kids. Each one of them is unique and special to me in their own way. God has blessed me more than words can say.

I'm also thankful for the many, many friends I've been blessed with...both in real life friends and the huge online community of friends I have. They keep me sane in an often crazy world!

OK....on to the recipe. When Sue Ann and Bill travel on Thanksgiving day, they don't feel like eating a huge meal, so we save it for Friday. Last night, I made my favorite stew...

Oven Beef Stew

Chop a couple of onions and put in bottom of a pan (I use my big roaster (that holds 3 sticky chickens, LOL). Put all the stew meat on top of the onion. Mix a couple tablespoons of flour, couple shakes of paperika and some pepper (to taste) together. Sprinkle over the beef. Sprinkle about 1/4 or so cup of Soy sauce over the floured meat.

Cover tightly and cook about an hour. Stir.

Add chunked potatoes and (baby) carrots. (last night I added 3 bags of baby carrots, and 20 potatoes, to my 4 onions and 3 big roasts chopped up).

Cover and bake an hour. Remove cover, stir and bake another 30 minutes or so. ( I don't always take the cover off...I just keep it on, as it is really thick already.

My FAVORITE!