Nibbles

Some assorted musings...

K and I made a slow-cooker beef stroganoff for our co-worker Renee's send-off potluck and it turned out really well. The cooking was a bit of a revelation as I really found myself enjoying the process. The cutting of the meat, ths chopping of the vegetables, the mixing of the spices and that first scent of goodness wafting through the air. This is a positive sign and better yet, it was a hit! I'll add the recipe at the end of this post...

Saturday was a the first new weekend of a busy fall wedding season. One of my jobs is a sales and wedding coordinator for a historic hotel and spa. The Friday wedding was notable in food for these striking cupcakes done as the wedding cake. Saturday's nuptials continued the sweetness theme with a beautiful wedding cake, a candy station and a 9 pm ice cream bar! Those folks must have been on a sugar high for three days. Sunday's wedding became non-existent as the groom called the whole thing off the day before!! That was a first. Let's just say they ended up having a very upscale family reunion...

My unexpected Labor Day Sunday off was spent with Keith's extended family at their campsite at Watkin's Mill. It was a great day o' grub. Breakfast involved hole-in-ones(eggs cooked in the middle of french toast), K's Uncle Dave's famous breakfast potatoes and some killer bacon Keith's dad Ken made. We, along with AJ took Rhonda and family out for a much needed shopping trip after the aforementioned house fire so lunch was out at Tomfooleries. We had some good and saucy buffalo wings followed by a Con Queso Burger that was yum. Dinner back at camp involved Beer Can Chicken, Grandma's Salad (a sweet pasta salad) and corn on the cob. I missed the Labor Day breakfast which featured omelettes and Jill's well-known donut holes.

By the way, my obsession with food blogs and cookbooks has extended to Twitter and it's gettin' ugly....

Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff ( as printed in the The Best Slow-Cooker Cookbook Ever by Natalie Haughton)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. beef top round steak, trimmed of fat
1/2 lb. fresh white mushrooms sliced
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 cup dry sherry
3/4 cup canned beef broth
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup quick-mixing flour

Directions

1. Cut the beef into thin slices across the grain. Place in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart electric slow cooker. Add the mushrooms, scallions, onion, thyme, sherry, broth, dry mustard and garlic pepper. Mix well.

2. Cover and cook on the low heat setting about 8 hours, or until the beef is tender, stirring once, if possible. Increase the heat setting to high.

3. Mix together the sour cream and flour until thoroughly blended. Stir a little of the hot liquid from the slow cooker into the sour cream mixture; then stir the sour cream mixture into the slow cooker, mixing well. Cover and cook on high 30 to 40 minutes, or until thickened slightly.