While I was out I had the crockpot simmering! We had a delicious Beef Stew with Fluffy Dumplings and spiced Rum and Eggnog! Nothing gets me ready for Christmas like Rum and Eggnog and a comforting Stew.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Adapted from Skinny Ms.
1.5 lb stewing beef
1 cup mushrooms, cut into quarters
4 large carrots, sliced into thick rounds
1/2 cup peas
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup chopped flat parsley
Add all ingredients, except parsley, to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or when beef is very tender.
With 15 minutes left add peas and dumplings. (I forgot to add the peas 😞)
Remove bay leaf before serving and garnish with chopped parsley. (I forgot to add the parsley 😞)
Fluffy Dumplings
Adapted from Just A Pinch
1 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
Mix all ingredients together so that it is sticky but able to drop from a tablespoon. Last 15 minutes before serving your stew drop in broth with a tablespoon.
On Friday morning Ninja and Dad went out shovelling at 5am. When they got home Ninja fired up the BBQ. MBesty and her family came over for a little holiday cheer and gift sharing. They are… picky eaters 😳. Not in a bad way but in a very selective way 😂. The past few years I try to make things I know they will like, like Bacon Wrapped Potatoes because who doesn’t like bacon wrapped potatoes tossed in a delicious honey sauce?!?!
This year we BBQ’ed and made miniature Yorkshire Puddings stuffed with Prime Rib drizzled with Au Jus.
Yeah.
Yum!
Of course I was entertaining so I didn’t take any good pictures of our tasty little bites. I was too busy opening…
Seriously. 😳
How lucky am I? I have some seriously good friends that are expecting a seriously good dinner 😳😊! I was so taken aback that I forgot to look at the clock and had to rush our guests out 😉 to get to G & G’s for some gingerbread house making. Thank you MBesty, PSBesty and M & D Piper!!! I hope you enjoy your Timmy’s coffee and Movie pass… OMG 😡 I suck.
When we got to my InLaws the driveway was too slippery to get up so we parked at the bottom and walked up. It was gorgeous. I love the quiet of fresh fallen snow. ❄️
Christmas Eve Day was super low key. We didn’t do much but watch Indiana Jones or Christmas movies and HBear opened up her new pearl necklace from PSBesty.
They especially liked the birthday cupcakes at the end of the service.
When we got home Ninja had dinner all ready for us. We had delicious brown sugared ham, cranberry almond rice and candied bacon green beans! Recipes will follow in the next few weeks.
After dinner we worked on our letters to Santa! HBear apparently had been working for some time on hers because it was 8 pages!!!! 😂
Mommy and Daddy got new pjs too!
Once HBear set up (We totally ran out of milk lol so Scotch was suggested 😜) and off to bed…
We began to set up.
The Girls slept until 7:30 am and G & G & Papa came in around 8am. We had a fabulous morning! The Girls are getting older so it was easier to maintain some order and patience. I especially loved the homemade gifts the Girls made for everyone! They got to pick out the 1st gifts and they chose homemade gifts they made for others instead of gifts for themselves! 💛🎄
We all got so spoiled! I got everything I asked for and so much more! After presents we all sat down for our annual breakfast with cinnamon buns and mimosas. My most favourite breakfast ever!
and went up to do a shot with Mommies. It will NEVER be the same without her here for the holidays but when I look back at where I was 3 years ago… 2 years ago or even last year… I am grateful that I have come so far. I see the growth and the happiness that I can actually feel again makes me smile and know that she is with me in spirit. My Christmas miracle is to feel happiness despite the sadness. I got through a whole holiday without tears! Thank you Mommies for giving me the strength to not only get through it but enjoy it as well.
Someone got the LEGO Millennium Falcon!!!
Since Christmas we have been just hanging out. It has been snowing so we have just cuddled and played with all our new toys!
