Crock Pot Beef Stew

Every year I have a post-Thanksgiving holiday tradition - black Friday shopping. But, let me clarify, I'm not one of those people who waits in line at midnight; nothing I'm interested in buying is that important to miss out on sleep and stand in line in the freezing cold. Instead, I go shopping Friday afternoon, after all the crazies have gone to bed, and to observe the carnage (as my brother likes to call it). Usually I'm just looking for household goods and clothes on sale, and possibly some Christmas gifts for family and friends. This year I think I did pretty well, scoring both a crock pot and waffle maker for $8 each at Target. While these aren't name-brand items, after testing them both, I can say they work perfectly fine for my needs. Bellow is the first recipe I made in my little crock pot (it's only 1.5 quarts) and it came out tasting delicious and made my whole apartment smell wonderful!

Crock Pot Beef Stew
Adapted from the Crock Pot "Recipe Collection"
3 servings

Ingredients:
1/8 cup plus 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb beef for stew, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 oz carrots, peeled and chopped (I used baby carrots, since they were on hand, but I imagine big carrots would be much easier to work with!)
1/8 cup chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp water

 1. Combine 1/8 cup flour, salt, and pepper in gallon sized resealable plastic bag.

2. Add the beef. Close and shake bag to coat beef.

3. Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef to brown.

4. Place beef in 1.5 quart crock pot.

5. Add remaining ingredients, except 1/2 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp water. Stir well. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours.

6. An hour before serving, combine 1/2 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp water in a small bowl. Stir until mixture becomes a paste. Stir mixture into stew, mixing well. Cover and cook until thickened.

7. Enjoy!

Nutritional Info per Serving:
Calories 421; Total Fat 19g; Cholesterol 100mg; Sodium 560mg; Total Carbs 29g; Protein 33g