My son has been archery hunting for the past few weeks – his second year, and he finally got his doe.  So tonight’s menu includes venison stew.  I simply use my beef stew recipe and substitute the venison instead, they family loves it and you can make a big enough batch to freeze a bowl for a quick supper later.

Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

1 1/2 pounds beef or venison for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces

Ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pounds medium potatoes, cut into cubes (about 3 cups)

4 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)

2 medium onions, cut into wedges

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 1/4 cups Beef Stock (I used 3 cups of hot water and three beef bullion cubes)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 cup thawed frozen peas

• Season the beef with black pepper.  Coat the beef with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef in 2 batches and cook until it’s well browned, stirring often.
• Place the potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic into a 5-quart slow cooker. Top with the beef. Add 3 cups of the stock, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaf.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Stir the remaining flour and stock in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the flour mixture and peas in the cooker. Increase the heat to HIGH. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.

It’s hard to believe my baby boy is actually out there shooting stuff…  I still remember when his favorite thing to do was play peek a boo for hours on end, now he’s old enough to carry a gun.  Guess I should be shopping for the best wrinkle cream for myself instead of the Victoria’s Secret lingerie…  Oh where, Oh where does the time go?