Goody, it's beef stew season

Sam's had the nicest chuck roasts last Wednesday.  I froze them because I was knee deep in fish at the time.  I had a craving for beef stew and got the meat ready last night so that I could bring it to room temperature for the slow cooker.
The herbs are still flourishing and I piled them in with the chuck roasts. I covered both pieces with Lipton's onion dry soup mix, a dry Ranch dressing packet, a few strips of pepper bacon, some red wine (just in the bottom of the cooker because the meat makes the liquid.) However, throughout the hours of slow cooking, I kept adding red wine. I squeezed in some tomato paste for flavor although I like the rich dark brown gravy better than a tomato based stew. So I was careful not to squeeze the tube too much. The meat turned out to be so tender it could not be sliced.  It just melted beautifully.  An hour before the end of the cycle I put in carrots, onions, potatoes and at the last minute frozen peas.  You all know how to make beef stew, it is just comforting to relate its process.

I cannot believe this beautiful weather we are having in October.  It feels like summer.  Bella, our Yorkie, hurt her leg and hip twirling early yesterday morning.  So she has been out baking her body in the last of the summer sunshine. I hate it when my dogs get hurt.  By the way, have you watched Dr. Jeff Rocky Mountain Vet?  I think it is on Animal Planet.  He is so wonderful and a real blessing to those who have little or no money but a strong love of their pets. (He is also battling cancer himself yet he works on.) It's a new season this week and I watched all of his shows last season.  He has 100,000 pet patients and a staff of thirty nurses, doctors, office help, and technicians.  It is such an interesting show.  I agree with him; these people running puppy mills breeding dogs literally to death should be in jail. When they can no longer produce they kill them or call a rescue crew to pick them up, even giving the rescuers a time limit to get them or they shoot the dogs. When they are picked up they are already half dead and in deplorable condition. These dogs have never been out of a cage. I'd say there ought to be a law, but Congress can't get anything done as it is, so why even dream of that.  Well, that's a downer.

Enjoy your October.  It's a slow easy fall here at Many Branches.