Classic Beef Stew

Apparently what I really wanted was classic stew. Don't get me wrong, Parker's Stew was good, but I just needed that nostalgic classic taste. I still had a plethora of stew meat in the freezer, so I thawed out another pound of it and snatched my father/mother-in-law's recipe. Oh and by the way- it was in a super cute recipe book their church had compiled in 1988. I can't wait to try some of the other recipes!

1-1 1/2 lb stewing beef cut into 1-2 inch pieces (I used 1 lb)
2 tbsp oil
1-2 bay leaves (I used 2)
6 cups boiling water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic (I used 2)
1 medium onion (I used 2 small onions)
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
dash allspice and cloves (I just used allspice)
6 carrots (I used a 1 lb bag of baby carrots)
4 potatoes- cut into cubes- about 2 inches

Brown meat in oil. Add water, spices and seasonings. Cover and simmer (don't boil) 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves. Add carrots and potatoes. Cook 1/2 hour.

Dumplings (optional...but not according to Carl- he says they are a must)

Mix:
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 egg shell of milk (approx 1/8 cup)

Form into small balls (they will expand in the water) and add drop into boiling water. Cook approximately 20 minutes. (If you start these right after you put the carrots and potatoes in, it times very nicely)

After the 20 minutes (and now your carrots and potatoes have probably cooked for 30) put the dumplings in the stew and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve! (Enough for 6 hearty servings)

This is such a great recipe. Carl even said "The beef is just melting in my mouth!" I agreed! Just be careful and patient. I didn't want to wait any longer so we dove right in, and I'm still nursing the roof of my mouth because I burned it :(