Beef Stew

Beef Stew is a classic and with the chilly temperatures moving through the weekend and next weekend, this is the perfect meal to serve up. It's homey, warm, and fulfilling. Make some garlic bread to pair with it, and if you're anything like my husband then you will dip that bread straight into the stew! I hope you have a really lovely weekend and let me know if you try this recipe out!

• What You'll Need
• 8 cups water
• 2 lbs stew beef
• Olive oil
• 5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 TSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 TSP paprika
• 1 dash cloves (not whole cloves)
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 golden potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 or more TBSP cornstarch
• Salt and pepper to taste

• What You'll Do
• In a large pot, cook the onions in olive oil. When they are almost translucent add the meat and brown it, adding extra olive oil if needed. 
• Once the meat has cooked, add the water, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaf, pepper, salt, paprika, and cloves. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the bay leaf, then add the quartered potatoes, sliced carrots, and diced celery. Cover and cook for 40 minutes longer.
• To thicken the broth, make a cornstarch and water mixture (follow directions on cornstarch box). Do this as many times as needed to get the desired thickness. 
• Stir the cornstarch in and cook the stew once more until bubbly. Then serve.

Steak & Mushroom Cream Sauce

Are you more of sides person like me?! Not sure if you're a side person? Let me help...do you prefer gobbling up the sides over the main meat? If you answered, yes, then you too are a sides kind of person. But, in my house, as I'm sure is typical in most homes, my husband is the main meat kind of person. And this is one of those meals that combines our different preferences seamlessly. I get a giant heaping of sides, while enjoying some meat, and he can have as much meat as he likes! It's a win win, and you don't turn that type of recipe down!

• What You'll Need
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz. button mushrooms or white mushrooms
• 1 lb. steak, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 cup low-sodium beef stock
• 1 TSP dried mustard
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 TSP dried parsley or 1 TBSP fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• Dash of garlic salt
• Salt & pepper to taste

• What You'll Do
• Heat the butter in a skillet, and cook the chopped onions and sliced mushrooms over medium heat until they soften, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and set aside. 
• Next add the cut steak to the skillet and fry until cooked to your liking.
• Add half the beef stock, dried mustard, parsley, bay leaf, and dash of garlic salt. Salt and pepper to taste, don't overdo on the salt. Let the beef simmer in it, letting some of the beef stock cook off. 
• Add the mushrooms and onion back to the skillet.
• Stir in the sour cream and bring to a low bubble. 
• Serve over mashed potatoes.

Serve this over my whipped mashed potatoes and steam up some broccoli! 

Cream of Mushroom Meatballs

And so husband's favorite recipes continue as we celebrate his birthday all week long!  Today I'm featuring last night's dinner, which was cream of mushroom meatballs. This recipes really couldn't be easier and less time consuming. We paired the creamy meatballs with homemade mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli; it was a light meal, but filling. This dish is so versatile that really you could pair it with anything, like egg noodles and a different vegetable. The options are endless.

• What You'll Need
• 1 lb. hamburger (we go for the leanest)
• 2 cans cream of mushroom
• Milk
• Garlic Salt
• Pepper
• Onion Powder

• What You'll Do
• Season your meat with the garlic salt, pepper, and onion powder. Be conservative and add to your personal preference. You can always season the meat with other spices. Roll the meat into medium size balls.
• Add the meatballs to a skillet and cook them, removing them from the heat once cooked through. You can cover them with a paper towel and leave in a warm spot. 
• Drain any grease you may have in the skillet, then add the two cans of cream of mushroom and half of a can of milk. Stir well. 
• Let the cream come to a boil, stirring constantly so as not to burn it, then turn it back to low. Add the meatballs back to the sauce for about five minutes. 

Super easy meal for busy weeknights. The sauce goes great over mashed potatoes or egg noodles too!

From The Kitchen To The Blog

I'm Astleigh, wife, designer, coffee drink (of all kinds) enthusiast, lover of fall, reality TV watcher, Bible believer, baker, and blogger. Typically you can find me at Hill Collection writing about the mine and husband's adventures, projects, home design, and lifestyle. Several months ago I began playing with the idea of starting up a new blog, focused solely around the food cooked and baked in the Hills' kitchen. After all, the kitchen seems to be the heart of the home, and it's where we spend a majority of our time.

With plenty of thought and a brainstorming session, I decided Flour Darling would be the home for all my recipes. My online recipe box, with dishes ranging from appetizers to desserts. And I'm most excited to feature dishes inspired by the seasons and holidays. It's going to keep my kitchen festive, and I'm super smitten with that! 

I'm so delighted to have you here, in my virtual kitchen where I'll be sharing one of my greatest joys! Flour Darling will keep me searching for novel ways to prepare food, new recipes, and twists on family classics. Grab a pen and paper, jot down your favorites and must-tries, and leave me words of advice from one cook/baker to another as we go along!

Now for a recipe! With the official close to summer imminent in a short few weeks, I've decided to share some of my favorite summer meals first. Because those beautiful fruits aren't going to be around much longer, evening BBQ's will become fewer, and the fall foods are ready to be made!

• What You'll Need
• 5 lb. ribs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBSP garlic salt
• 1 TBSP paprika
• 1 TBSP onion powder
• Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ Sauce

• What You'll Do
• In a small bowl combine sugar and spices. Mix well. 
• Cut off the thin membrane of fat from the back of the ribs. Set the ribs meaty side down on two layers of tin foil. Rub the spice mixture to coat both sides. 
• Put an additional two layers of tin foil on top of the ribs and crimp the edges tightly to seal the ribs inside. 
• Place on a baking sheet and stick in the oven for 2 hours and 15 minutes at 300°.
• After the ribs have cooked, pull them out of the oven and cut them every three bones to separate into portions.
• Baste both sides of the ribs with BBQ sauce and finish cooking on the grill, two minutes on each side. Remove from the grill once the ribs have been caramelized.