Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love my crock pot and I tend to use it a lot during the winter when we are craving heartier meals. It is so handy, especially for weeknight meals. There is nothing better than coming home to the smells of something cooking and knowing that all the work is done for you and all you have to do it enjoy!

Tonight I tried a recipe for slow cooker beef stew from my latest cook book purchase (it really is an obsession) The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The recipe was easy to follow, but I did cheat a little bit and didn't brown the meat before putting it into the crock pot. This was for two reasons, 1. I was too lazy to do it the night before after having just cooked another meal and 2. I really didn't have time to do it this morning before leaving for work. However, the dish was still fantastic and really hit the spot on this dreary, rainy day.