Gravy Tip

I can make a mean white sauce, but when it comes to the meat gravy, I fall more than short.

the first problem was that my concoction ended up looking like meat jelly (gross). My mom makes her gravy with corn starch, this is the result. Use flour. SOOOOOOO much better.

The second, is that it gets WAY too lumpy. (Also gross.) So, I called in the big guns, aka G-ma Teasdale.

Her tip is to take a small, clean jar and put your flour in cold water and stir it together. Most people do this and then put it in the broth, but Grandma then puts the lid on the jar and shakes "the living hell out of it." LOL The lumps that are left after stirring go away. I just tried it and I have myself some pretty perfect gravy.

Woo Hoo!

Lunch Ideas

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/feature/famf89lunchbox/famf89lunchbox.html?campaign-NLC-NL_Wkdr&link=Section4Link1

I didn't want to copy all of these so here is the link for school lunch ideas.

Mmmmm..... Stew.....

After a long day of work or school, there's nothing better than this comforting and flavorful supper! Braised Beef with Garden Vegetables & Herbs from Campbell's Kitchen Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless beef for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes Ground black pepper Vegetable cooking spray 2 medium onions, cut into wedges 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 carton (18.3 ounces) Campbell's® V8® Butternut Squash Soup 1 large potato, cut into cubes (about 2 cups) 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 cup) Fresh parsley Directions: Season the beef with the black pepper. Spray a 6-quart saucepot with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the beef and cook until it's well browned, stirring often. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender-crisp. Stir the soup in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Add the potato and carrots to the saucepot. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Serve with a crisp green salad and a loaf of Pepperidge Farm® Hot & Crusty Bread.