Tonight I made my Grandma Martin's beef stew. I never had the recipe, but it's easy to figure out. This stew reminds me of visiting with my grandma in her kitchen. . . the only warm room in her entire house. My grandparents grew up in the Great Depression, consequently they were very careful about spending any money and hardly ever turned the heat on. My grandma would heat the kitchen using her gas stove. I remember playing with my brothers and cousins in the living room with Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs, while wearing my coat. It was cold enough we could see our breath! It sounds crazy, but I loved every minute at her house!So here is my recipe for my Grandma's Beef Stew:
4 potatoes cubed
4 carrots sliced into round circles
4 to 6 stalks of celery, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
4 Beef Bullion cubes
4 cups beef stew meat
1 Can of stewed tomatoes
Put all ingredients in the crock pot and fill the rest with water. Add salt and pepper. Cook for four hours and serve.
So easy and so delicious!
3 comments:
It was Grandpa Martin who showed me how to cook a perfect stew. I think he learned how during his bachelor years--didn't get married until in his 30s.
He told me that you start with the onions, celery and herbs. Then about an hour before eating, add the carrots. They take longer to cook than the potatoes. About 15 minutes later, add the potatoes. That way they will be cooked but not soggy when it's time to eat.
I've always followed his instructions ever since. :)
I don't remember their house being that cold. . . I do remember it being cold, and maybe I did wear my coat, I just don't remember it. . . just that her kitchen was much warmer, I have great memmories of her and grandpa sitting with their feet propped up on the oven door. i do remember grandma using her oven to heat her house. my mom told me that was because her roommate was Henry B. Eyring's sister in college. And one day they had dinner with their parents, and so Henry Eyring (Henry B. Eyring's Father) was at dinner. He was a scientist. And he said something about how you shouldn't use your furnace or something. So they decided he was smart and they stopped using their furnace. you should ask my mom for the whole story. I don't know, I am sure I have it mixed up somehow, but I guess they didn't always do that.
Margaret, I didn't know that Grandpa Martin ever cooked anything out side the microwave. thanks for the story. I learned something new about Grandpa.
I might have to try that. It looks so good.
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