Our Sunday Dinner

Even though I'm NOT a fan of the weather turning cooler, I do like that it makes me want to cook pots of soup and make homemade bread.  I never really follow a recipe for making stew, but I tried to pay attention to the quantities I added today and the family all loved it!

Hearty Beef Stew

2 pounds beef round steak, cubed

1/3 C. flour

1 - 2 T. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 C. water

2 T. beef bouillon granules

2 cans condensed tomato soup

4 - 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 ribs of celery, sliced

1 pound bag of baby carrots

1 C. frozen peas (optional)

salt and pepper

Place flour in large ziplock bag and add beef cubes.  Shake to coat evenly.  Heat oil in large pot over high heat and add beef.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Stir frequently to brown meat evenly.  Stir in onion, scraping bottom of pan.  Add water and bouillon. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Add soup and vegetables, cover and simmer for one more hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more bouillon, salt or pepper if needed. Stir in peas just before serving.  Serve hot with freshly baked bread.

Homemade White Bread

2 T. yeast

2 1/2 C. warm water

2 C. warm milk

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. shortening

2 T. salt

12 - 14 C. flour

In large bowl (or mixer) soften yeast in 1 water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening, salt, milk and 4 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Gradually add more flour as necessary to form soft dough. Place in very large bowl, sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with sprayed wax paper. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and let rise for 3o more minutes.

Divide into 4 portions and shape into loaves. Place in well greased loaf pans (9" x  5"), seam side down. Cover with sprayed waxed paper and let rise until dough is above the top of the pans, 30 - 60 minutes. Bake at 375* for 30 - 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bottom. Remove from pans immediately onto wire racks.

(I like to make two regular loaves and two cinnamon loaves.  For the cinnamon bread, flatten each portion of dough into a rectangle and spread with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll dough into loaf shape, seal ends and place in pans, seam sides down.  Let rise and bake as directed.)