Not bad for something so simple

Sweet and Sour Beef Stew
The New Woman’s Day Cookbook Copyright 2005

1 Tbsp oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp mustard powder
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 lbs lean beef chunks for stew

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in a 1 ½ to 2-qt Dutch oven or other heavy stovetop-to-oven pot. Add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until golden. Add sugar, Worcestershire, mustard powder, vinegar and 2 cups of water; stir until blended. Bring to a simmer.
At this point I threw the mixture into the crockpot, added the floured beef and cooked it on high for a few hours until tender.
3. Meanwhile mix flour, salt and pepper in a large plastic food bag. Add beef; shake to coat. Add beef to pot; stir to coat.
4. Cover and bake 2 ½ hours or until meat is tender when pierced.

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I would have liked to have made the Old-Time Beef Stew again but we rarely have beer in the house. This recipe wasn't quite as flavorful but it was still very good for being such a simple dish to prepare. I prefer stews cooked in the oven but since we hit the 80s here this week, I had to make this is the crockpot and that worked out fine. This literally took less than 10 minutes for the prep work and sautéeing of the onions.

You'll all be happy to know that the freezer has basically been cleaned out. There might be one or two things still hiding in there but I'm going to Costco this weekend. Usually I have my recipes for next week planned by now but I still haven't decided on anything. I'm going to wait and see what I bring home from Costco. Maybe it will inspire me.

Question of the Day: If you shop at any of the warehouse stores, what do you usually buy there?