the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon 2-18 web | Page 20

Page 20A beaconsports @live.com By Melanie Alexander Welcome to By a new year with all that it brings- promises Maxine of change- with anticipation Klump of events such as marriages, graduations, Community travel and all Correspondent the other experiences that life embraces. For our family, it [email protected] means the arrival of a new THE BEACON baby with the birth of a first grandchild for daughter Maria and son-in-law Chris. Their daughter, Jennifer (along with husband Nick) will welcome a daughter to their home during January. Of course, all the family members are buzzing with excitement. True to tradition, Maria is already talking about the foods she’ll prepare ahead of time and freeze. This beef stew will be one of my contributions for the family. I love the aroma of something in the slow cooker bubbling away all day. It brings back memories of childhood. (No, slow cookers were not part of the appliances in kitchens of the day. Mom placed a large heavy pot on the back burner of the stove and had to remember to check every so often to make sure enough liquid was still maintained to have the good gravy available.) This recipe is adapted from The Joy of Cooking, one of my favorite basic cookbooks and one of the places I consult when someone asks about a recipe. I always chuckle when I’m using old fashioned print words to text a recipe to someone! Beef Stew 2 pounds stew beef (such as chuck or short ribs) 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning mix ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ cup flour If you are starting with a whole chuck roast, cut meat into 1-inch cubes). Combine remaining ingredients and dredge cubed meat into the mixture. Heat a heavy skillet or Dutch oven (large heavy saucepan) over medium high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and slowly brown meat on all sides. Be careful not to crowd the pieces- work in batches if needed. Remove the meat and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the following: 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot chopped 1 small rib celery, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped Cover and cook, stirring often, over medium high heat about 5 minutes. Add: 2 bay leaves ½ tablespoon dried Italian herbs ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper Transfer to crockpot being careful to include any browned bits from the pan. You may stop at this point and refrigerate overnight and then place the mixture into the crockpot the next morning. Add 2-3 cups beef or chicken broth 2-3 carrots cut into chunks 3-4 potatoes peeled and cut into chunks Cover and cook until February 2018 vegetables are tender (several hours in the crockpot). When you’re ready to eat, remove the meat and vegetables to a large bowl. Thicken the broth (if needed) using the stove top. Just before removing gravy to bowl, add about 1 tablespoon butter. Adjust seasonings as needed. My family loves this with O biscuits or a warmed Italian type bread. Alternate directions for using stove top for entire preparation. Cook the beef in the broth on low heat until fork tender about 1½ to 2 hours. Add vegetables and continue cooking until they are tender, about 30-40 minutes. ur Communities LAWRENCEBURG By Debbie Acasio Community Correspondent [email protected] Looking back over the holiday season, I must say that I am truly thankful for all that Lawrenceburg and surrounding communities had to offer. My friend Rhonda Sharp always tells me she has to come to Indiana for fun and good food. We watched the Lawrenceburg pet parade and browsed and shopped, enjoying the cute, creative wooden snowmen dis- played at each business along the way. I hope you all got a chance to see them! I heard that a lot of laughs have been shared this past season at the Ice Rink. I would be remiss if I did not mention a few other places I had the joy of visiting during the holidays. I ran into Rob- bie King at a beautiful holiday display in Rising Sun. While visiting Aurora, I did not miss my chance to pet the reindeer and see the great Dickens Village Display. I got a chance to say hello to some of the folks who work so hard to make Miracle on Main Street a success: Judy Hizer, Nancy Turner, and Roger and Debbie Fehling. My trip to Oldenburg was like something out of a Christmas movie. Yes, I rode the horse-drawn wagon, did the craft show, and sat with Santa. However, the highlight of my day was the Holy Cross Catholic Church presentation of the Boars Head Festival. While there, I ran into Ruth Bernhard, Jen- ny Fritch, and Joe and Paula Smith. Last, but not least, I have to mention my favorite area light display. My friends Sherri and Chuck Heck’s home on the corner of Collier Ridge and State Route 48 is always a show stopper. They put in endless hours putting up (and don’t forget taking down) thousands of lights and is well worth the short drive from Lawrenceburg to see. Enjoy the winter! Spring is right around the corner! IF YOU LIKE THE BEACON…PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS, AND TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR ADS IN THE BEACON. THANK YOU!