I don't know if anyone else has the same experience, but often I'll start writing a blog with the intention of discussing one topic and instead something completely different comes out. I just kind of go with it, because then I already have another blog waiting in the wings for those weeks when I may have a little writer's block. Of course, I've discovered that the subject of healthy living is easy to talk about, especially now that friends regularly send me links to articles or products related to healthy living (for which I am very grateful...keep them coming!!). All in all, I may end up posting more often than once a week simply because there is so much information.

In my last post, for example, I intended to share a recipe with you guys, but something completely unrelated took over and the recipe wouldn't have fit. So now I can tell you what happened a few weeks ago. We had an appointment right after church one Sunday morning, and I knew we'd be starving by the time we got home. To make lunch easier and quicker, I cubed a grass-fed beef roast and tossed it in the crockpot with carrots, onions, a few spices, and a little water with the intention of returning to a simmering, delicious beef stew. Unfortunately, the lean beef soaked up all the water, leaving tender, perfectly cooked meat and veggies but no broth. How can you have stew without broth? You can't, obviously.

I started to panic because the whole point of this exercise was to have lunch ready to go. Then I had a brilliant idea. I put three cups of organic, reduced sodium beef broth in a saucepot and turned the heat up to high. As the broth heated, I tossed in some spices...a little salt and pepper, but primarily Penzeys English Prime Rib Rub, which may be the most glorious blend of spices ever...and stirred it regularly so nothing burned. I also took a little unbleached flour and water and whisked the two together to form a gravy base. Once the broth was boiling, I poured the flour mixture into the pan a little at a time, whisking constantly between additions to make sure it dissolved thoroughly before adding more. Once the broth was a good consistency (a little thinner than my normal gravy), I turned the heat down and scooped the beef and veggies into the pot. I let it simmer for 10-15 minutes to give the flavors time to mingle and get to know one another. The result was even better than I hoped...even J gobbled it up and he's not a huge beef stew fan. He said it tasted even better than the Campbell's chunky beef soup...high praise indeed. ;)

Then I had an even more brilliant idea...what a perfect way to use leftovers when we have a beef pot roast! If your family is anything like mine, they don't always appreciate leftovers the next day. I do my best to turn them into something exciting, but my creativity is somewhat limited in this regard so I'm very excited to have a new weapon in my arsenal. I hope it helps some of you as well!