VAL'S SLOW COOKER HONEY-GARLIC BEEF STEW Recipe; Coalinga-CA

I woke up in the mood for beef stew 🥩🥣

I also wanted a change 🤔 from my usual beef stew recipe, and I wanted to make it an immune boosting meal ⚕️ … so, eyeballing the garlic infused honey 🧄🐝 on the counter; I decided to use some of that, with ingredients I pulled 🤞 from what I had in the pantry & in the 'fridge - and came up with this interesting version 👨‍🍳

The kitchen smelled SO GOOD 😋 while the stew simmered it's way to a nose-tantalizing, tongue-pleasing, deliciousness 😁

Val's Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Beef Stew, served with Homestyle Biscuits on the side.

Val's Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Beef Stew Recipe ~4 servings

1 lb. Beef Chuck, boneless & cut to 1-inch cubes * 1/2 c. Red Wine * 3/4 c. Beef Broth * 1/4 cup Honey * 3 sm. Mini Peppers * 1 Roma Tomato * 1/2 Yellow Onion, quartered * 2 sm. Shiitake Mushrooms, quartered * 2 med. Carrots, washed & sliced * 5 sm. Potatoes, rinsed & quartered * 1 sm. Zucchini squash, shredded * 4 cloves garlic, whole * 1-1/2 TBSP Flour * 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning * 1 sm. Bay Leaf * Salt & Black Pepper, to taste (I use a salt substitute) * 1 TBSP. Parsley, chopped 

8-Qt. Slowcooker Crockpot; Manual Pull Food Chopper; 1 Vegetable Shredder-Grater; 1 Tea Ball (for Bay Leaf); Measuring Spoons; 1 Lrg. Pyrex Measuring Cup; 1 sm. Whisk; 1 Lrg. Cooking Spoon; Soup Bowls

Beef Stew Ingredients.

1) In the Pyrex cup - blend the wine, beef broth, & honey; set aside.

2) Place beef cubes in the slow cooker crock; add potatoes, carrots & garlic cloves.

Beef, potatoes, carrots & garlic.

3) Slice and seed the peppers & tomato - place inside the food chopper; add onion & mushrooms … slice to your desired preference; set aside.

Peppers, tomato, onion & mushrooms; chopped.

4) Shred zucchini: blend with chopped veggies - add to meat & vegetable mixture in crock. Blend well to incorporate crock mixture.

Shredded zucchini.

5) Add the flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and parsley, to the prepared liquid mixture … and add to crockpot medley. Put the bay leaf inside the tea ball and place in the center of the crockpot mixture. Place lid on top, and set temperature to HIGH.

6) In about 2 hours, reduce heat from High to LOW; cook another 4 hours.

3 YR ANNIVERSARY THOUGHTS; Coalinga-CA

January 2023~newly married.

So much has happened over the past 12 months 📅; it started out with several deaths (family and friends for both of us) - and those losses put a strain on an already challenging relationship … but with the wrapping up of December that ended with the surprising sudden death of his cousin Brenda … he quickly realized just how fragile life can be. He snapped to attention, and came to the realization that there isn't that much time left to quibble and squabble over things that really don't matter 🙄 in the grand scheme of things. He's understanding now that everything does not have to be a fight to be right 🤠😤 … it's okay to relax and let some things slide ✌️, for peace on the Homefront 💞🕊️

((((PRAISE THE LORD!)))) 🙏👏

That’s why he's decided not to waste any more time on "what if's" 🚧, and he's started not taking our limited amount of time on this Earth, for granted, saying, "Baby - we're living the best of our Life, visiting & seeing places and things most people never get to. If we don't like where we are, or who our neighbors are … we can just hook up, and go. I'm liking the retirement life: I can finally slow down long enough to enjoy the towns along the highways and byways; I never could do that before, racing between jobs, like I was. Each day counts. Each moment is a treasure. And now, that I've found you - you, who is my best of friends, who is a comfort and makes me glad I'm still alive, these are the important things in life. I could live another five, or ten years … maybe longer, who knows - and you could, too; but enjoying this life together, is what makes them worth living. I love you, Baby."

I'm glad he is learning to relax in our marital relationship 🥰

I feel a happy freedom with Holland, than I ever have with anyone else. Truth.

Year 3 is looking good, going forward 💝🦁😘

I'm glad that our friendship 🤝 has turned into something more 💖; I'm glad we both decided to "stick". Through thick & thin 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

HOLLAND'S LIVER TACOS Recipe; COALINGA-CA

YES! I do know how questionable this 🌮 recipe sounds … but, it really is a tasty liver meal.

The bacon grease is the beneficial flavoring, and when taco seasoning is added - the savory blending of the two overrides the strong liver taste many people find hard to get past.

My highly anemic blood needs the iron liver infuses into my body ⚕️; I do take mineral iron supplements, but sometimes my body rejects those. Food is my best chance of retaining mineral intake, and my husband - understanding I need this particular mineral source 🦁❤️ is always on the lookout 👀 for liver (as I am) every time we grocery shop: some times beef liver is not always available, so we come home with chicken liver - which is good, also. But I like beef liver, so when we find it, it's like a lotto win for me 👏😁

This trip to the grocery store garnered us a couple bags of liver; and Holland said, "Instead of the regular liver and onions - which is good - why don't we try something a little bit different: how about liver tacos?" My eyebrows rose, just like yours … but I was game to try it 🤞 Holland's food experiments 👨‍🍳 are usually a tasty surprise treat 😉

My husband eats tacos every chance he gets - and he says he has actually made elk liver tacos in his bachelorhood days 🤠🤔: I can't even imagine that! Elk meat is far more pungent than beef.

I gotta say, these things were pretty good 🤝 And the secret to a good liver meal is to eat the liver offering while it is hot.  

HOLLAND'S LIVER TACOS Recipe ~serves 4

1 pkg. 10 ct. med-size Flour Tortilla's * 1-1/2 TBSP. rendered Bacon Grease * 1/4 head of Cabbage, sliced thin (I used red cabbage) * 1/2 Yellow Onion, sliced thin * 1-lb. Beef Liver, sliced & cut into thin strips * Taco Seasoning * Taco Sauce

1 Cutting Board; 1 Lrg. Kitchen Knife; Kitchen Scissors; 1 Lrg. Skillet; 1 Cooking Spatula; Paper Plates

1) On the cutting board, slice the cabbage & onion.

In the skillet over medium heat, melt the bacon grease … add the cabbage and onion to skillet: cook and stir, until cabbage and onion are tender to the bite.

Rendered Bacon Grease.

Bacon Grease, sliced cabbage & onion; simmer until tender to the bite.

2) While cabbage and onion is softening, prepare the liver slices by slicing them into thin strips with kitchen scissors (this will be messy); set liver slices aside until needed.

Liver & Taco Seasoning.

With scissors, cut liver into thin slices.

3) When cabbage and onions are cooked to your satisfaction, add the liver strips, and sprinkle taco seasoning (to taste) over all; cook and stir until seasoning is incorporated, and liver is cooked through - about 10 or 15 minutes (the meat strips are thin, so check often to make sure it does not over-cook).

Add liver slices & seasoning to softened cabbage & onion; cook on medium heat until liver is cooked through; about 10 or 15 minutes.

4) When you are satisfied with the cooked meat, remove the tortillas from their package, and spoon some liver mixture on the tortilla & roll up like a burrito (in this case, a soft taco):

Place liver mixture on soft tortilla & roll like a burrito.

It's really pretty good tasting.

I have to admit that while my husband's taco suggestion sounded kinda sketchy to me … it did pack a tasty surprise with the first bite 🌮😋

I'll be making - and enjoying these liver taco's, again 👍: next time I'll try green cabbage & shredded cheddar cheese.