Monday, January 7, 2013

Vegetarian Stew Recipe

Friday was cold and windy. It was the perfect night to make my mom's beef stew recipe. Only I had one dilemma...my boyfriend is vegetarian. I took a risk and modified the beef stew to be vegetarian friendly. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he loved it and I still got my comfort food fix!


Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 garlic glove minced
2 rosemary sprigs
2 "Not-Beef" Bouillon Cubes
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 medium potatoes chopped in cubes
4 or 5 carrots chopped
1 16 oz. can white Cannellini beans rinsed
1 box of Lightlife's Smart Strips Seasoned Veggie Strips (or your preferred soy "meat")
(**If soy "meat" is not your thing, double up on the beans)
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
1/3 cup red wine (optional)

Method:
In large pot heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. Add the soy "meat", chopped onion, garlic, and rosemary to the oil; cook until tender and light in color. 
 Stir in red wine to loosen the ingredients. 
Add the flour; stir to a paste. 
 Gradually stir in 3 cups of water on medium heat, until mixture is slightly thickened. 
 Add 2 "No Meat" bouillon cubes and Worcester. 
 Add chopped vegetables. 
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer . Cover with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Tip* You may want to add more flour or more liquid depending on how thick you want the stew to be.
Tip* The stew tastes even better the second day!

Enjoy! 



Thursday, January 3, 2013

DIY Gift Tags (From Recycled Holiday Cards)

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holidays! I had a great time hibernating at my grandmother's house in Canada, eating lots, and relaxing with my family.
I like to keep my Christmas decorations up for a least a week or so after the New Year.  I don't like how my apartment feels empty when they're gone.  I guess that I can use it as motivation to try new projects!  
I have a little tip to share with you that's economically and environmentally friendly!  Last year I cut up the Christmas cards I received and saved them to make gift tags for this year.  I saw the idea on Pinterest (as usual).  Holiday cards are always so pretty, and I was happy to put them into use instead of throwing them away. (Plus they came in handy since I didn't need to buy tags from the store!)

Creating these tags were effortless!  

1. After cutting your cards, punch a hole.



2. Tie on a piece of ribbon.



3. Write your message on the back and tie the tag onto the gift! 

I hope you found this little tip useful for next year's gifting! 

Stay warm!