last night’s dinner

So. Good.

So. SO. Good.

YUM.

Here’s the recipe!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 C. beef broth
4 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 potatoes, diced (I left this part out, because we were already having potatoes on the side)

Recipe:

1. Place meat in the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Pour the dry mix over the meat and stir to coat the meat.

2. Next, stir in the garlic, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, carrots, and celery (and potato too, if you’d like).

3. Cover, and cook on the Low setting for 10-12 hours, or on High for 4-6 hours.

3 easy steps to perfect deliciousness.

Important information: I put this all together the night before I was going to eat it, then cooked it overnight. It sat in the fridge all day while I was at work and then I reheated it for dinner. All the flavors had plenty of time to mix together, which I’m sure is what made it EXTRA delicious. Zan whipped up the potato pancakes from scratch, mostly because that’s how he rolls. I wish I could do that, but I’m truly a recipe girl. Cooking’s not quite in my blood.

Are you a natural at cooking and/or baking?

I pretend to be, but really I have to try (and I try hard!).

back to school…

Similar items: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

I love the first days of school, when you’ve got your outfits all picked out and some new items in the mix. This weekend I did a little back-to-school shopping and came home with some real great stuff for fall. I hate to see summer go, as it’s without a doubt my favorite season, but I will welcome fall for the new clothes and tall boots (love!). Also, September is my birthday month, so I can’t complain there!

Happy Tuesday, all. 4 days til the weekend!

roof deck talk and a lesson on the Charles River.

Happy Labor Day! How wonderful does it feel to have the day off? I know it’s much appreciated over in this neck of the woods. Last night we went to a friend’s Labor Day party in Beacon Hill. It was on her roof deck and the night could not have been more perfect. We could see Back Bay and downtown and even Cambridge too. I just couldn’t stop thinking how amazing it all was, to get a view like this on such a beautiful night in late summer.

Wow, I just kept thinking. This is lucky.

Zan and I ventured in from “The ‘burbs” as Amy called it (we’re not really in the ‘burbs, just a hop and skip out of Cambridge in Arlington), and it was the first time I was taking the train into Boston from “over the river”. I have to admit- it felt a little funny. For those of you who aren’t from Boston, there’s a difference between living in Boston vs. Cambridge (think- Harvard) and that difference is a very clear landmark known as the Charles River.

Up until last week I always lived on the Boston side of the river and I LOVED it. But life brought me “over the river” and I have to admit I like it here too. The red line from Cambridge is suuuuper fast, and it took us about equal time to get into Boston from Arlington as it used to take me from Brookline. It was a pleasant surprise and is proof that I do not live in the suburbs. Arlington rocks.

What are you up to this Labor Day? I’m going to be doing a little more unpacking (it’s never ending!) and might even venture into Harvard Square to walk around for the afternoon. The weather is lovely here and I intend on soaking it all in before fall really takes over!

Scenes from Chatham…

While I’m busy rearranging furniture and living with boxes of stuff, here’s a glimpse back into the leisurely days of Cape Cod. It’s hard to believe I was there just two short weeks ago. It already seems a life time away…

I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves. My vacation to Chatham was just wonderful. I loved every day from sun up to sun down and am so sad to see summer end. This vacation was just what I needed to help me appreciate the glory of summer and I was so so glad to be able to spend the week with my parents and my Grammy Jean.

My favorite part? I could say the afternoons at the beach, or the lobster we enhaled on the last day, but I’m going to have to truly go with the outdoor shower, which I was sure to take advantage of every day after the beach. There may not be anything on earth more satisfying than taking a shower in the open air with the sun on your face. It’s heaven.

Goodbye, Cape Cod. Goodbye, summer! Until next year…. XOXO