There's nothing a good meal can't cure!

Okay, so a good meal doesn't cure everything, but when I'm stressed, cooking and shopping are my saviors.

Since shopping isn't happening any time soon, my boyfriend Darryl and I decided to make a hearty stew!

 This isn't a recipe from the culinary expert Mama Ito, it's actually from Darryl's mom.  We're getting everyone and their mother involved!  Applications to be a part of the magic are always accepted :)

Beef Stew:
2-3 lbs. lean stew meat (1-inch cubes)
1.5 cups of flour (we used whole wheat flour and it surprisingly wasn't a disaster)
Add 1 tsp of both SEASONED salt (Lawry's) and pepper to the flour
1 medium onion (1/2 inch slices)
1 stalk of celery (1/2 inch slices - we used 3 stalks)
1 can (14.5 oz) tomatoes (we use diced tomatoes)
1 bay leaf
6-8 cups of water
6-8 beef bouillon cubes
2-3 red skin potatoes (peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes -- we used 1/2 inch cubes)
5 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
4 TBSP oil (add more if meat starts to stick while browning)

1. Add oil to a large pot, turn burner on low.

2. Put flour, seasoned salt, and pepper into a big Ziploc bag.  Put meat in and shake until coated.  Don't throw bag of flour away!

3. Add meat to the pot, making sure to shake excess flour off. Add onions and brown with the meat, stirring frequently.
4. When meat is browned, add 6 cups of water.  It the water doesn't cover the meat, add 1/2 cup more at a time.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes, stirring every so often.
6. Add celery, tomatoes (with juice), and the bay leaf.  Add 5 beef bouillon cubes.  Continue simmering and stirring for 15 minutes.
7. Taste the gravy.  Add more bouillon if it needs more flavor, add more water if it's too salty.  It might also need some pepper.
8. Continue simmering for 30 minutes, and once the 30 minutes are up, test how tender the meat is.  Simmer longer if it isn't tender.
9. Once the meat is tender, thicken the stew by putting leftover flour into a cup with an equal amount of water (1/2 cup flour + 1/2 cup water, etc.) and adding to the stew.  Keep adding until you reach your desired thickness.  Bring to a boil.

10.  Throw the potatoes and carrots in and cook 20 minutes.  I usually throw them in earlier than this step since I like mine really soft (probably add them around step 6!)
11. Serve with rice, bread, or whatever you prefer.

Eat!