It's that time of year again ...

I love this time of year, when it starts getting cooler and I can make more soups and stews. Don't get me wrong, I love the summer and I'm always ready for it when it comes. But I like the crisp fall weather and the warm, comfort foods that come with it. This stew is one of my favorites. I even asked for it for my birthday dinner one year ... and my birthday is in August. I love it that much! I also made it for our Halloween dinner with Philip's family this last weekend everyone who ate it commented on how good it was. It's really easy to make and I love being able to throw it together in the morning and have a hot meal ready for me when I get home from work. 

Skier's Stew

2 1/2 pounds stew meat

8 medium potatoes, diced

8 large carrots, diced (Sometimes, to save time, I'll just cut about 20 baby carrots into thirds and throw those in.)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can tomato sauce

1 package dried onion soup

Layer beef and vegetables in crock pot. Top with soups and tomato sauce. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or cook on low for 6-8 hours. Simmer another 2-3 hours. Stir just before serving.

This is also good with diced onion and/or mushrooms added in. 

This is one of the the slow cookers I have. My mom gave it to me for Christmas last year and I use it when I cook something in a slow cooker that I'm taking somewhere. It has a handy little strap that fits over the lid and around each handle to keep things from spilling. I also love the "keep warm" feature for those times when the food is done, but we're not quite ready to eat yet.

I also have a 6-quart slow cooker that's great for larger meals. It's nice to cook a large amount of soup in it and freeze some for a quick meal later on.