Crockpot Beef Stew

"Cooler" temperatures are slowing but surely coming and that means soup season is here! I have been looking for new soups or stews that would fit my on the go lifestyle. I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and knew it would be worth a shot!

Prep time is about 30-45 mins and cook time can be done in your slow cooker while you are at work. I made mine on my day off so I could test out the time limits and found that 4 1/2 hours on high will fully cook your stew or 7 1/2 - 8 hours on low.

This would be plenty of soup for a family of 4-5 OR in our case, dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow! WINNING!!

Lastly, ingredients for this soup are relatively cost effective and I do suggest checking your local farmers market first! The total cost for this soup was $17($3.50 a serving) and I still have carrots and celery left for snacking!

Cozy up and ENJOY!

~Erika

Ingredients:
2 lbs of stew meat
3 large carrots, cleaned and peeled
2 celery stalks, cleaned and chopped
3 large russet potatoes, cleaned/peeled/cubed
4 cups of beef broth
1 cup diced onion
5 gloves of garlic
1 cup dry red table wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
Pepper to taste

                                                  **Not pictured-Onion,Garlic, Balsamic**

Step One:
Turn crock pot on to desired temp for cook time.
Season stew meat with salt and pepper. Brown meat in a pan with olive oil. Once all meat has been browned, throw into crock pot.

Step Two:
Prep carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic and celery. Add to crock pot with the meat, beef broth, seasonings and remaining ingredients.

Step Three:
Cover with lid and let cook. Times do vary depending upon desired meal time.
7 1/2-8 hours on low
4 1/2-5 hours on high

**If you are going to cook this while you are at work, the low setting will work perfectly for most jobs. OR you can always use your lunch hour to run home and start the soup on high!**

Step Four:
ENJOY!

Original Post:
http://inspiringpretty.com/2013/09/06/fall-crockpot-beef-stew/

Peanut Butter Chex Patties

Do you love peanut butter? Do you love scotcharoos? Do you love desserts?
Ok. Good.

I started making this recipe the other night and ran out of peanut butter when it came time to top my patties and I said, the heck with it, these babies are delicious even without chocolate! Crazy, I know!
I will however give you the instructions to make the chocolate topping!

My only disclaimer is to make sure you have patience when it comes to this recipe because the main step takes a few mins of waiting around, stirring, waiting around, stirring... well you get the point!

Most of the ingredients I had at home but if you don't bake a lot, these are easy to find at a grocery store because many times the isle are right next to each other! :)

Simple Ingredients:
**Not pictured- Peanut Butter b/c I used fresh grounded**Store bought is just as awesome!

6 Cups of Chex Cereal

1 Cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

2 cups of peanut butter (1/2 cup used for topping)

2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (topping)

2 cups butterscotch chips (topping)
1 teaspoon vanilla (topping)

Step One:
Butter mixing bowl, add chex cereal to bowl and set aside.
In a small pan combine and melt corn syrup and sugar. Make sure to stir occasionally and remove promptly once it comes to a boil.

Step Two: 

Add 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter to syrup and mix until combined. Pour over cereal and fold until all cereal is covered.

Step Three:
Place parchment paper onto baking sheet or lightly grease. Form cereal into small balls and lay flat. They will start to take their own shape when they cool but this is OK!! Allow to cool for about 30 mins and ENJOY.... or move to making the chocolate topping!

Topping:
In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1/2 peanut butter, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and vanilla. Place into the microwave and stir every 10 seconds to avoid burning the chocolate!

Scoop or pour onto patties, let cool and as always...ENJOY!!

Orignal Recipe:
completerecipes.com