It's the first day of FALL! So I made EASY STEW!

I LOVE the FALL! It is my FAVORITE season! Hoodies, snuggling under a blanket, the leaves turning color... AND SOUP! I use my Crock Pot almost every day in the FALL! So, why not start Fall off with some stew (who cares if it is going to be 84* today! LOL! This stew is one of our staples. The kids LOVE it and it reminds me of HOME! My used to make this stew when I was growing up and, of course, I had to steal it too! YUMMO! So here it is! ENJOY!

EASY STEW

1 1/2- 2 pounds Raw Potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Carrots, sliced into circles
2 Celery (I am not a fan of celery...so I sometimes add celery puree)
1 Onion, chopped
1 Pound stew beef
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
4 cans Tomato Soup (I use Campbells. I am sure you could use a can of tomato juice too!)
1 T Tapioca (this thickens the broth)


Put all ingredients to the stew beef into the crock pot. Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Then stir is all up. Add the 4 cans of tomato soup over the top and sprinkle the tapioca over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours! EASY PEASY! It makes 6-8 servings!

This recipe is GREAT! If you want, you could add other veggies. Green Bean, tomatoes from your garden! When I was little we would add a little barley too! AND If you want it more like a soup... use beef broth instead. I usually use a whole box of Swanson's Beef Broth (48oz).

ENJOY your stew!

Creamy Dreamy Potato Soup

Oh dear! This recipe is YUMMY! and not that good for you, but I did use low-fat creme cheese! The leftovers were fabulous! My husband thought it was too cheesey (that is not really in my vocabulary because I think all things should be topped with cheese!), so maybe next time I won't add as much cream cheese, or add more chicken broth...BUT I thought it was perfect!
Creamy Dreamy Potato Soup
4 pounds of red potatoes, chopped into chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
16 oz low-fat (or regular) cream cheese (don't use no fat!!!)
optional toppings (as shown above):
crumbled bacon
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped green onion or chives

You can either make this soup on the stove-top or in your crock pot...it just depends on your day!

Stove-Top Directions: Place chopped potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and broth in a large pot. Boil until you can stick a fork in the potatoes and they are soft (NOT mushy), about 15 minutes. Then slice the cream cheese into chunks and add to the broth. Mix into the soup and let melt, takes about 5 minutes. (These 5 minutes are a good time to get all of the rest of your toppings finished!)

Crock Pot Directions: Place chopped potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and broth in your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8. About 30 minutes before it is finished add the sliced cream cheese chunks. Replace the lid and let cook for another 20 minutes. Stir the soup frequently to allow the cream cheese to melt and blend completely.

EASY Split Pea Soup (in the Crock Pot!)

This recipe is so easy! Our whole family loves it and the best part is the leftovers! The soup is fantastic the first day and phenomenal the second day. I got this recipe from Fix It and Forget It (if you don't have it, you need it!). It is a great cookbook for the busy Mom (or Dad).

Split Pea Soup
2 1/2 quarts of BOILING water (boil the water in a pot while you cut the veggies!)
1 pound split peas (rinsed and looked over)
3-4 carrots, chopped (I like mine in little squares)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound of ham (I buy mine already cut in little squares, or you can buy ham steaks and cut them up in little chunks, or you can use a ham hock, but I found that this is too fatty for my taste and more work)
salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot on high for 4 hours. And WALLAH, you have amazing soup packed with fiber and protein! So HEALTHY!

Taco Soup: Crock Pot Style!

This lovely is a family favorite! The whole family devours this one (even the little ones!). It is really easy too. Just dump all of these ingredients in a crock pot and go! There is a little prep (you have to brown the hamburger and saute the onions) but it is amazing!

Taco Soup
1 pound of hamburger
1 onion, chopped
2 cans of black beans
1 can tomato juice (32 oz...it's the bigger can)
1 can tomato soup
1 cup frozen corn
1-2 packets of taco seasoning (depending on desired spiciness)


cheese and sour cream for garnishing
Doritos or tortilla chips for added crunch


Brown pound of hamburger with the chopped onion. Drain.
Place all of the ingredients (not the garnish or the chips) into a large (4qt) crock pot and stir until combined. 
Cook for 4-6 hours on Low. (Mine is ready in 4!)
Serve hot with cheese and sour cream (and chips)