Beef Stew

1 tablespoon oil, divided

1 pound small white mushrooms

Cooking spray

2 cups chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

*1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)

2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth

2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled white potato (about 1 pound)

1 1/2 cups (1-inch) slices carrot (about 12 ounces)

2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

*If doing GF, use 2 Clubhouse GF gravy packets or your choice of GF Flour

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown. Spoon mushrooms into a large bowl. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add onion mixture to mushroom mixture.

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to mushroom mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add thyme and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is just tender. Stir in potato and carrot. Simmer, uncovered, 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beef and vegetables are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

CROCK POT DIRECTIONS

Omit oil, unless you desire to brown onions and garlic before adding to crock pot. Add all dry ingredients to crock pot and stir to coat vegetables and meat with flour and spices. Add beef broth and stir. Cook low(4-6hrs) or high (2-3hrs). Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with thyme sprigs if desired.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

I took a few recipes and tweaked until I was satisfied. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Wet ingredients
1 cup butter
1.5 cups white sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp flavoring. (I use almond, but vanilla is nice too.)
1 cup sour cream

Dry ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4-4.5 cups flour

Directions
Once the butter and eggs are at room temperature, cream butter and white sugar together. Add other wet ingredients. Set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Make well in center. Add wet to dry, and mix together.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. After greasing your hand or spoon, use it to spread and even out cookie dough on cookie sheet. If you do not want to ice them, simply sprinkle dough before baking. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F. If icing, do so after completly cool.

Slice into squares and enjoy!