My Apologies

Sorry I have not posted in a while after promising to post 2 times per week.

We now have chickens, 13 in fact, 10 hens and 3 roosters. They are only babies now and we call them our experimental chickens. Even here in Louisiana the autumn can be cool at night. We were keeping them in a small cage in the laundry room at night for warmth, but my son has allergies. Today we moved them to the big pen in the yard. I hope they survive.

Next, I suppose we will get some cattle. Probably only 2 calves for beef. Hunting season is almost here and Mr. Sullivan is sure to harvest a few deer. I apologize to animal rights people and respect your opinion I just do not share your opinion. Here is this week's recipe. I hope you enjoy this tasty and economical dish.

Today's Recipe: Stew

INGREDIENTS
1 pound cubed beef stew meat, or venision, or pork, or whatever meat you happen to have
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups water
1 onion, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
3 carrots, quartered
3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

DIRECTIONS
Dredge beef in flour and then, in a medium stock pot, brown beef on all sides in shortening. Add salt, pepper, water, onion, paprika, garlic, and bay leave. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender.
Add carrots and potatoes and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender.
Remove bay leave and meat from stew, add 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch and mix, in order to thicken stew. After mixing let sit for a few minutes to thicken, if not to desired thickness add more flour or cornstarch and repeat.
Once thickened return meat and add corn to stew, heat through and serve.

Money saving no-brainer: Enjoy your leftovers. Most homes and offices have a microwave for reheating dishes. Double your recipes and freeze individual servings for a quick grab and go lunch. For beverages, put in freezer the night before. This will serve as an icepack to keep food cold and will be thawed by lunch time.

Thanks for reading,

Mrs. Sullivan