2021 Tuesday To-Do Post #41: First Place, a Finish and One-Pot Beef Stew

Warning!

 Dates on calendar are closer than they appear! 

(I recently read that...um, somewhere...)

Good gracious, here come those holidays!

Let's link up to Texas Quilt Gal's Tuesday To-Do

and start checking things off the list!

First, I have big news to share on the cadet!

West Point had their first track meet of the season

on Saturday and guess who took first in pole vault?

And then he went on to set a new personal record:

16 feet, 4.75 inches!

This put him in the vaulters' "5m Club"--as they

call it--and he's now ranked #13 in the country!

After a couple rough years (injury & Covid), he's back and

he'll be climbing vaulting his way up that ranking now!

Update on the other son's stolen truck:

The truck is now fixed ($800) and he's back to a

normal stress-level for his last week of school--EVER .

Two degrees, (3.9 gpa) in 3.5 yrs at Creighton University. 

Always pulling a very full load of classes (18+ hours)

and working lots of hours.  He'll be taking a couple

days off and then going right into his big-boy job.

Way to go, kiddo!

Now, for my to-do's of last week:

It seems forever since I made any real progress in the

sewing room.  And with so much going on, I didn't

expect to get much done but here I am today with

!finally! a decent amount to show.  I've been pushing

myself through a funk and it seems to be working.

(Caffeine helps!)

Firstly, I finally finished G's quilt--binding and all.

It's too cold outside for a better pic so these will

have to do.  (Winter decided to show up finally.)

And for J's quilt, I completed about 160 flying geese,

stopping to wait on one last fabric to show up.  I now

have it in my hands so I'll be finishing those today.

Being short on time, I am using this

Flying Geese pattern by Quilting Treasures.

It finishes at 67x76; I'm making it for a twin

bed so I'll need to do some altering with the borders.

Pattern can be found at Bear Creek Quilting Company.

They have lots of free patterns if you have your coffee

handy and want to peruse away your morning.

No progress on the quilting of HVP but I need to get

on it if I'm going to get J's quilt done, too.

How is everyone else doing with their holiday to-do's?

If you're feeling bogged down like I was last week, might

I suggest first just get off your duff.  I know it's hard, just

do it--now.  Next, make a list.  Then blare some spirited

holiday music, get to work and start checking things off. 

The more you get done, the more you want to get things done! 

And now for our family's most favorite beef stew.  I never

thought beef stew would be among my faves but this one

just warms you down to your toes.  

If you have a good Irish soda bread recipe, I recommend

making that to go with it.  At some point, it became the

required companion for this in our home.

I might share that recipe next time.

I typically make this the nights the boys arrive home for

Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It just seems like the type of

hearty food that's good to come home to.  It warms your

body and soul; great for anyone under the weather!

The leftovers might even be better so you may want to

double it depending on how many are in your home.  If my

boys are both home, there won't be much left over so I

guess you could say it serves 5-6.  

I'm usually able to save some fresh parsley from the garden

before the elements get to it and we usually still have some of

our own potatoes and I freeze the carrots in big, hearty chunks

  just for this.  I realize these aren't usually options for most people,

but it sure makes a difference in flavor.  I buy beef stew meat

to make it easier, though it usually does need a little trimming.

Choose a nice dry red wine--sweetness would kill the flavor.

All chefs say never cook with any wine you wouldn't drink

so forget that grocery store "cooking wine".  Besides, you'll

need some to enjoy with your meal.   A nice weeknight wine

that works well in this is Bonanza's Cab Sav.

(I think I've used Coppola Claret as well?)

 

ONE-POT BEEF STEW

Southern Living Oct 2016

1 1/2 lb beef Chuck roast, trimmed, cut into chunks

1 t freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 t salt, divided

1 T oil

3 med carrots, peeled and chunked 

1 med yellow onion, cut into wedges

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 c dry red wine

2 T flour

4 c beef broth

12 oz baby new potatoes (larger ones halved)

2 T whole grain mustard

1 T red wine vinegar

1/4 c loosely packed flat leaf parsley

Sprinkle beef with pepper and 1 t salt.  Heat oil in Dutch oven.

  Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally till brown on all sides

(about 6 mins).  Remove to plate.   Add carrots and onions to

Dutch oven; cook, stirring often until carrots and onions start

 to soften, 4-6 mins.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 min.  Add

red wine; cook until liquid has almost evaporated, 10-12 mins,

stirring and scraping any loosened browning on bottom of pan.

Whisk flour into 1/4 c beef broth in a small bowl.  Add to Dutch

oven, stirring quickly (it will thicken); stir in remaining broth.

Add beef and remaining salt.  Bring to boil; reduce to low.

Cover and simmer 45 min.  Add potatoes and cook until

potatoes are tender, about 20 mins.  Stir in mustard and

vinegar.  (At this point you can "hold" it till dinner time,

aka, flights are in, kids get home, etc.)

Sprinkle each serving with parsley and enjoy.

If you love pepper, add some extra for a bit of kick.

Freshly ground, please!

And don't forget that whole-grain mustard

at the end.  It's what makes this pop! 

My to-do's for next week:

~Finish quilting HVP~

~Finish J's quilt top, backing and load up~

~Maybe squeeze in a weekday golf round by myself?~

I skipped this last week to get caught up; it's too cold

now but later this week...just maybe.

Other things

Plan Christmas menu

Finish garden clean up

Add curtains, straw to coop for winter

Wrap gifts; check Christmas list

Happy holiday quilting!