Random Musing:

I kinda just discovered that I am a BIG fan of stews. My parents never really fed my sister and I stews when we were growing up. Probably because their parents never really made them for them when they were growing up, so I'm kind of just discovering them. The value of a good stew cannot be underestimated. I mean, it warms you up on a cold day, can make you feel better when you are sick (note: MUST be of the chicken family of stews), its easy to eat if you've just had extensive dental work done and are left sensitive (ask Liz about her exciting day), its difficult to overeat on, and finally they are easy on the pocketbook. They are also very easy to make-- so much so that even a poor cook can make a successful stew. Just use whatever you have laying around. A little of this and a dab ot that to give it a little kick! Perfect. If you ever feel like you've screwed up and made it too rich or spicy, just add more water to dilute it down, and now you have even MORE stew! Wow, you just can't lose with this stuff! I see myself eating alot more stew in the years to come. If we ever have lots of kids (over 6 kids), I'll probably invest in an old world cast-iron cauldron for stewmaking. You can make a LOT of stew in those things. I'd probably use a wooden paddle to stir it. It would be great!