Oven Beef Stew

This is a super easy recipe that turns out every time. 

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

This would also work for chicken or pork stew too!

The first thing you may notice is there are no amounts in the ingredient list.

Use the amount that suits you. If you are feeding a crew, add more vegetables and add an extra tin of soup. 

Serve with bread for a hearty dinner.

Oven Beef Stew

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Stew beef cut into bite size pieces

Large onion chopped 

Celery chopped

Carrots chopped

Potatoes cut into chunks

Envelope onion soup mix

2-3 tins mushroom soup

Frozen peas

Heat oven to 350*F

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In an oven proof casserole with lid put all ingredients except frozen peas.

Give it a good stir and put the lid on it.

Put into oven at 350*F for 2 hours

Take out of oven and add frozen peas.

Stir and put back in oven for 15-20 minutes.

Take out and dinner is served!

Add some bread or buns and your meal is complete.

Enjoy!!

Barnwood Bathroom Shelf

I love the look of barnwood in my house. 

Recently I redid my bathroom and added a couple of barnwood shelves. 

This small one is near the sink and is a perfect place to add a bit of colour with some flowers!

I could also find a really cool antique looking cup or mug and and use the shelf for a toothbrush station.

I just happen to like the look of the flowers for right now.

The key attached to the bottom is something I found at an antique store and I thought maybe a hand towel might hang off of it. Unfortunately....my towels are too big. I will have to sew a small fabric loop on them to make this work.

All in all I was pretty happy with the result.

I painted the walls a concrete grey and purchased red towels to go with the red in the wood.

I love the look...

Meatball Soup

Here's a super recipe that literally takes under 30 minutes to make and is extremely tasty.

This recipe was given to me by a friend and I make it often.

I do tend to double the recipe as everyone likes seconds.

Meatball Soup

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2 cups water

1 can beef broth 

1 lg can diced tomatoes 

1 package of onion soup mix

1 can sliced tomatoes

1 cup sliced carrots

1/4 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup chopped parsley 

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp oregano 

1/4 tsp basil

1 bay leaf

Meatballs 

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Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. 

Turn down heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Add precooked meatballs and simmer 15 minutes more.

Use as many meatballs as you feel you need. 

Enjoy! This really is delicious!!

Let me know how you like it. 

Mexican salad

Nothing is easier than this salad......

Forget the lettuce leaves that every man hates....

I mean ....really....lettuce leaves.....am I on a diet????? 

You must have heard this at least once...

And... YES....You are on a diet!  ( just don't tell him)

This is a refreshing ...satisfying salad.

Serve as a main dish or a side....

You will get rave revues either way!!

Yummy ....I didn't say salad.......salad 

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1 can black beans ...... Drained

1can corn .....drained

1 pepper.... Red,yellow,green, or orange

Catalina salad dressing

Corn chips

Mix the beans,corn and peppers together.....

Dish up ...

Top with a few corn chips for crunch....

Catalina dressing on top.....

Yum....

A salad....a meal..

..who knew something this simple was sooooo good ?

Pho

I love pho!

We used to go out for pho until I realized that the ingredients were few and that I could make a great bowl of pho myself!

Plus I can make it to my liking not the restaurants ! ( I like it a bit hot.... Hubby not so much) 

Pho

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10 cups water

1/3 cup chicken soup base or Bovril or oxo  **to taste**

2 whole garlic cloves

2 star anise ( I get them at a bulk store)

5 cardamom seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1 large onion peeled and left whole

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar
Sliced cooked chicken

1 tsp Chilli paste * this is optional, but even just a little of it really makes the soup. Add more to taste

*** 1 tbsp peanut butter ... Again optional but it gives it a unique taste. I like the satay flavour.

*** vegetables .... Cut small.... Again optional.

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In a large pot bring 10 cups of water to a boil

Add enough chicken soup base to make give it a bit of a chicken flavour.

Add garlic cloves , star anise , cardamom seeds , cinnamon stick and onion

Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the spices and onion from the pot.

Add ginger

Add white sugar , salt , black pepper and garlic salt.

Add fish sauce

Add brown sugar

Add chilli paste

Simmer for 10 minutes.

At this point I added 2 carrots thinly sliced and some small brocolli florets. Mainly because I try to sneak in as many vegetables as I can, but also because it's really yummy this way.

I also added 1 tbsp of peanut butter ( trust me it works)

In another pot add rice noodles to boiling water and follow the directions on the package.

( I have used spaghetti noodles in a pinch and they work awesome too. )

Put some noodles in a bowl...

Add some soup....

Better than restaurant style .....

I really do love this soup...