Crock Pot Beef Stew

5 carrots
1 small celery head
1 medium onion
6 Yukon gold potatoes
2 beef bullion cubes
2 cups water
1.5 lbs stewing beef
Salt and pepper

Cube onions in 1 ½ inch cubes. Peel carrots and cut celery and carrots in 1-1 ½ inch cubes. Clean potato skins very well. Cube potatoes in 2 inch cubes leaving the skins on. Place all cut vegetables in bowl and add salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add bullion cubes into bowl and add 2 cups of water. Pour vegetable mixture into crock pot and top mixture with beef. Let cook on high for 7 – 8 hours.

Liebster Award Nomination

About a month and a half ago I got a nomination for the Liebster Award from Top Ate on Your Plate,  an award given to new food bloggers, with less than 200 followers, given from fellow food bloggers. Here are some of the questions Jen asked me:

1. What is your favorite post from your blog?
Penne Ala Vodka!! My mom’s Penne Ala Vodka is one of my favorite meals. It brings me home no matter where I am.
2. What’s your favorite: Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest?
I check Pinterest and Twitter on an hourly basis. I am obsessed. But I love that everything on Pinterest is interesting, new and creative. There are so many ideas and it is such a creative platform.
3. What is your strength as a blogger?
I try it all and like most. There are very few foods I am not going to try to create, recreate or make my own. I love food and appreciate all the different types of food from around the world.
4. What is your most memorable meal?
Memorable in not such a good way: I tried to make enchiladas per my boyfriend’s mom’s recipe. (She’s Mexican) No bueno. Poor guy sat there like a champ and pretended to like it until I took a bite and nearly spit it out. Yucko!
5. Wine, beer or spirits?
Wine. I am a complete wino! I love all Pacific Coast wines.
6. What ingredient could you not live without?
Garlic. Garlic can make any meal better. It is something I never skimp on.
7. What is your top desired travel destination?
Italy. The food, the wine, the landscape. I wouldn’t be able to stay for just a week. Literally salivating just thinking about it.
8. What is your favorite food blog?
I honestly don’t have one. I view so many food blogs regularly, it’s hard to pick one.
9. What state/country do you live in?
California
10. What are you blogging goals?
My blogging goals are vast. I love writing about food and sharing my recipes and my family’s recipes but my personal finance blogging goals is to keep myself in check and hold myself accountable.

Once again, the other Megan is back. For one month, yes a whole five weeks, at the end of November and beginning of December it was pretty chilly here in Los Angeles. The days were in the 50s and the nights were getting down to the 30s. Pull out your parkas people! The ice caps are freezing back over!! Megan’s parents were smart enough to escape to the Caribbean so she invited me over to have some soup, warm up and have some beverages. Here is the amazing soup she made me that night!! Enjoy.

Megan’s Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 15 oz can black beans
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz package of frozen whole kernel corn
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped bell pepper
1 10 oz can of Red Enchilada sauce
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1½ cup milk
2 chicken breasts

Optional Toppings:
Mexican cheese blend
Avocado
Sour cream
Tortilla chips

Combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion and bell peppers into a 5 quart crock pot. Place two whole chicken breast on top of the vegetable mixture. In a separate large bowl whisk together the sauce and soup. Slowly add in milk until mixture is smooth. Pour into crock pot, cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. If less time is needed cook on high for 4 hours. After completed, remove chicken and shred. Top with cheese, avocado, sour cream or tortillas.