ground beef stroganoff....

I've added another recipe to my dinnertime arsenal: Ground Beef Stroganoff. It's a classic and I forgot how much I enjoy it. Here's a simple recipe that will sure to have your family asking for seconds.

Ground Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/8 cup butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 bag egg noodles

In small skillet, cook onion in butter until golden. In a large skillet, combine meat, flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Add the cooked onions and brown meat. Add cream of mushroom soup and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sour cream and heat thoroughly.

About the time your meat is browned, bring a pot of water to a boil then add the egg noodles and cook to the direction on the package.

Serve ground beef over noodles. I topped it with a little sprinkle of fresh parmesan and served with a garden salad.

Yummy, yummy in my tummy! It certainly warms you up on these endlessly cold winter nights. 

signed, sealed, delivered: valentine's gifts...

I always manage to find the cutest things in the Target dollar center. A few weeks ago I saw these darling mini-mailboxes and knew they'd be perfect for Valentine's Day. 

I got one for my hubby, mom, dad and sister, and packed them with chocolates and a personal Valentine's note. 

You could fill it with all kinds of things:

• A bunch of love notes to be opened each day for the month
• Mementos from past dates
• Pictures through the years
• Jewelry, etc.  

They are cute little gifts that don't cost a lot but can be packed with meaning. 

Happy Valentine's Day to you and the ones you love! 

Target clearance round-up...

You can't beat Target for clearance deals. If you strike at the right time, you can score some great stuff for very little cheddar. Here are a few of the things I found recently:

These 8x10 silver frames were regularly $29.99 each. I got them for $4.98 each. BOOM! 

My gallery wall is coming together. 

This cute bowl is perfect to hold my salt for cooking and matches my olive oil decanter. Only $6.98.

I'd been looking for a table cloth for a side table in our guest room for at least 6 months. This one was $4.98 and good solid fabric. 

All this Target talk is making me want to go shopping! 

meet my new lover….

I met her at Anthropologie. For a cool $1000 she could be mine. So for now, she's just a dream. 

What a beauty! 

Crockpot Beef Stew…

As I type, we are getting hit with an ice storm on top of a couple inches of snow. This winter has been a doozy. I don't know about you but all this cold and snow makes me want to curl up with some piping hot comfort food. This Crockpot Beef Stew is a tried and true family favorite. 

You'll need: 

• 2 lbs of beef (any inexpensive cut will do)
• 1 bag of baby carrots
• 3 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 package of Knorr Vegetable mix
• 1 bottle of beer 
• 1 cup of water

I place the meat in the crock pot and then cover with the remaining ingredients to cover evenly. 

Then I pour the beer over the top. Any beer will do, but I always choose a more full-bodied beer for flavor. Then I fill up the bottle with water and pour that in as well. Cook on low 5-7 hours or 3-4 on high. The beef should just shred apart with a fork at this point. Salt and pepper to taste.

We had a lot left over, so a couple days later I spread crescent rolls on the bottom of a casserole dish, added in the leftover stew and topped with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

Two meals in one. Stay warm my friends!