Beef Stew

Stew is a comfort food for me. For some reason it reminds me of my Mom and a warm house on cold days. It's the perfect dinner for autumn. This recipe took me maybe 20 minutes to throw together (chopping veggies and all) in the morning while we were eating breakfast and dinner was ready with no work at all in the evening. I definitely needed that today!
The meat turned out so tender this way. I would recommend adding a bit more flour to make the roux after the meat is cooked. Mine ended up still very liquidy when all was said and done.
12 small red potatoes, cubed
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes1/3 cup butter or stick margarine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (I used celery salt and it turned out just fine)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Place potatoes, carrots and onion in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a large skillet, brown beef in butter. Transfer beef to slow cooker leaving juices in the pan.
2. Stir flour into the pan drippings until blended; cook and stir until browned. Gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add salt, parsley, celery seed, thyme and pepper; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.