Author Archives: mydaughterandiblog

Flashback: Crockpot Beef Stew

Posted in main dishes, things we like to eat by

 

Well, it’s 80* in November again, so it seemed very fitting to repost this delicious beef stew recipe! My Daughter and I- Crockpot Beef Stew

Everyone is talking about comfort food, snow and seriously, Christmas decorations! While it may be like the arctic in 50% of the U.S. – we are having Santa Ana’s in Southern California right now. When it is 75-85 degrees during the day, it’s hard to get excited about making a hot and hearty meal. But I persevered with a fall recipe and I’m so glad I did. Jordan and I visited the farmer’s market on Saturday and got a beautiful bunch of rainbow colored carrots. I remembered that I had some stew meat in the freezer along with some red potatoes and sweet potatoes in the pantry. I looked online for beef stew recipes that I could throw in the crockpot and then I modified it a bit. So in record time, we had a delicious and hearty meal. I loved the addition of the sweet potatoes. It was so colorful and flavorful. I also loved how everything just got dumped in- it truly was a one pot meal. No browning the meat before. Yay! The meat was tender and the beef stew had a rich flavor.

We made a batch of our delicious one hour cast iron focaccia to go with it. Who cares if we ate the stew in our shorts and tank tops – it was delicious!

My Daughter and I- Crockpot Beef Stew 1

The Best Crockpot Beef Stew
Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat, (cut into bite-sized pieces), I used a bit less
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T minced garlic
6 oz can tomato paste
32 oz beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups carrots, diced
5 – 6 small red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 cups frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water

1. Combine the first 12 ingredients in the crock pot and mix well. Cook on LOW for 10 hours or on HIGH for 6-7 hours.

2. About 30 minutes before serving, mix the flour and the water together in a small dish and pour into the crockpot. Mix until well combined. This will add a nice thickness to the stew. Next add in your frozen peas and corn. Continue cooking covered for 30 minutes.

Recipe found on familyfreshmeals.com and adapted slightly.

Cindy

Fashion Friday- Fall Feelings

Posted in Fashion Friday, obsessions by

Hey! It’s been way too long since our last Fashion Friday- I’ve missed it! Here are a few fun Fall-y looking things I’ve seen around and loved.

I hope that you’re having an amazing week!

Hampshire Chambray Overall Dress

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Cute and simple.

Receiving Earrings

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Aren’t these gorgeous? I love the color.

Denver Seamed Top

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This looks so comfy- I’m a little unsure how the seams down the front would look in person though.

Printblock Shirtdress

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I tried this on at Loft and loved it, but it seemed a little too formal for my day to day life. It was a great length and cut though!

Birchwood Crochet Accent Blouse

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This color is so beautiful and the detail around the neckline is incredible.

Floral Button Back Swing Shell

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Another thing I saw in person and really liked. I didn’t try it on, so I’m not sure how “swingy” it is.

Stand Your Underground Booties

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Velvet booties might not be the most practical choice, but they sure are fun!

Dot Striped Henley Blouse

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I love this- a perfect classic.

Jordan

Where in the world have you been? Part 1

Posted in the important stuff by

It has been a long time since we have posted anything on the blog- it has been on my mind and quite honestly I have missed it.  So much has happened in the last several months so I thought I’d try to give a bit of an update and include some pictures.  I hope to start posting new recipes again soon.

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July – We went backpacking again.  Last year we went on a 60 mile, eight day trip with a few friends (read the post here). This year Jordan and I decided to do the whole John Muir Trail, all 210 miles of it.

 Well, we were out for 20 days, but we only did 185 miles because of some unforeseen challenges.  We hope to finish the last 25 miles next year.  It was such an amazing experience- brutally hard and breathtakingly beautiful!  We met some of the nicest people too which was an incredible blessing.

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This was one of many nights that we got to camp together and commiserate about the day’s challenges!

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Just like last year, the scenery was what kept us going! The sunset over Wanda Lake was beyond beautiful! 

August- We barely got home from our John Muir Trail trip and then we left on a two week family camping trip.  We went to June Lake, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.  We even took the family back onto the John Muir Trail for a little day hike.  Here are a few pictures from that adventure!

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Well that rounds out our summer- we pretty much camped the whole time! 

Watch for a post about Jordan going off to college, coming soon! 

Cindy

{Flashback} Zucchini Nut Bread

Posted in breakfast, sweets, things we like to eat by

 

We’ve been dreaming of zucchini bread around here, so we decided to go ahead and repost our favorite recipe for using up a bountiful harvest. zucchini bread 1 editedThis time of year it is all about the zucchini. How to use up the surplus of the lovely, green vegetable that grows so prolifically. I think people actually avoid me when they see me coming at them with bags of squash!

Today we decided to just go for the tried and true zucchini bread. We have made several different recipes, but I love the lemon zest in this one and also the cinnamon and nutmeg. Mmmmm, the house smells so good right now – I can’t wait for it to come out of the oven.

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The original recipe from The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook only makes one loaf. I figure if I am going to get everything dirty, I may as well make at least two loaves, so I doubled the recipe and modified it slightly.

Preheat oven to 350*. In mixing bowl beat together sugar, zucchini, and egg.

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Add oil and lemon zest and mix well.

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Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder…zucchini bread 6

and mix well.

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Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into a greased loaf pan, I sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar into the pan after spaying in a bit of oil.

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I also sprinkle a bit more of the cinnamon sugar onto the batter before putting it into the oven. Bake at 350* for 50 to 60 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a rack.

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Psych is definitely going to be an “Obsessions”  post sometime in the near future- we love that show! In fact, we just finished watching the Season 7 finale- it’s a sad day in our household.

Zucchini Nut Bread

(makes two loaves)

Preheat oven to 350*
3 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

In mixing bowl beat together sugar, zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon zest and mix well. Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder, and mix well. Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into a greased loaf pan, i sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar into the pan after spaying in a it of oil. I also sprinkle a bit more of the cinnamon sugar onto the batter before putting it into the oven. Bake at 350* for 50 to 60 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a rack.

Cindy & Jordan

Friday Favorites- Lots and Lots of Food

Posted in obsessions, other obsessions, the important stuff by

That seems to be a general trend around here, doesn’t it? Between my mom and I, we subscribe to a lot of different blogs- food, fashion and everything in between. It’s awesome to see what other blogger’s are up to- it’s so inspiring!

A handful of blog posts that popped up in my inbox this week were so great that I just had to share them with you all. And it just so happens that many of them are food related. So get ready to drool- hope you enjoy!

Gimme Some Oven: Banana Bread Smoothie

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Doesn’t this look and sound absolutely incredible?

A Beautiful Mess: Easy (and Healthy!) Three Ingredient Ice Cream

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You might remember a similar post on our blog- Banana Ice Cream. It’s a total hit during the summer- easy, healthy and delicious! That great thing about this post from A Beautiful Mess is that they include a ton of great ways to mix up the basic recipe.

Skunkboy Blog: 5 DIY’s I’m Dying to Try

DIY via Twine and Table

I’m not a crafty person- it’s just not one of my strengths. I loved this DIY post from Skunkboy blog though- so many cute ideas! I especially love the homemade fire starters (shown above). Also, the colorful backgammon game is amazing!

The Pioneer Woman: Crunchy French Toast

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Oh my goodness. This Crunchy French Toast looks like heaven- french toast battered in sweetened panko and then cooked in butter…yummmmmm.

Proverbs 31 Ministries: Why Did This Happen God?

unnamedLysa Terkeurst’s devotions are awesome- I’d highly recommend checking them out. I especially loved what she had to say about Philippians 4:12-13- a verse that can sometimes be tough to swallow, and is always tough to live out. Worth the read.

That’s it for today- have an amazing weekend!