Bachelorette party was a success!
My friends and I traveled down to WinStar casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. That’s a sprawling casino and resort near the Oklahoma-Texas border. I had never gambled before, but I was in the presence of one of the best gamblers (my friend Jordann). My best friend drove up from Austin, and another bestie from Wichita Falls, and we all had a blast.
On our quick 2 hour drive down there from OKC, we found this cute little boutique off the highway near Ardmore. Of course, we had to stop in. We took a ton of pictures with all of the cool retro stuff they had outside, and each one of us bought something from inside.
Two days, multiple margaritas, and one holy sunburn later and I was back at home. Now, the countdown to the wedding is really on. Today marks just two weeks until the big day. Can you believe it?! I feel like it was just yesterday that I go engaged, not a year and a half ago. Wowzer.
I’ve been so busy preparing for the wedding that I haven’t had much time to blog or cook. You’ll probably see even less of me the next few weeks…but don’t fret! I’ll be back to my near-daily blogging again soon.
So, this year’s Squash September won’t be nearly as jam-packed as last year, but I still have this recipe and another to share with you. This one was a winner, and the original recipe didn’t even call for squash! I thought butternut would be a nice addition to this incredibly hearty stew.
I’ve never made a stew with two different types of meat before. This worked well, and the pork came out surprisingly tender. I love all the different flavors that were mixed in with the stew: parsnips (sweet), apples, rosemary, thyme, beef…it all went well.
Farmers Market Stew
A hearty slow-cooker stew with pork, beef, and fall harvest vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. beef stew meat
- 2 thick cut pork chops, cubed
- 1 TBS. olive oil
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 apples, cored, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 TBS. flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tsp. beef buillon granules
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. rosemary
Directions
- Place beef and pork in a large ziploc bag. Add one tablespoon flour. Seal and shake until meat is well coated. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add coated meat and cook until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.
- Place meat in a slow cooker. Add vegetables and apples. Sprinkle remaining flour over the top.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, apple cider, water, beef bouillon, wine, thyme and rosemary. Stir. Pour over vegetables and meat. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Look at how thick these chops are! Make sure to get some good thick ones like this from your butcher.
Place beef and pork in a large ziploc bag. Add one tablespoon flour. Seal and shake until meat is well coated. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add coated meat and cook until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.
Place meat in a slow cooker. Add vegetables and apples. Sprinkle remaining flour over the top.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, apple cider, water, beef bouillon, wine, thyme and rosemary. Stir. Pour over vegetables and meat. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.
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congrats on your engagement and upcoming wedding! Marriage is a beautiful thing!
Thank you!
WinStar is nuts. I’ve only been for a concert, but walking through the casino to get there was like never ending. Glad the party was a success, and I kinda can’t believe your wedding is 2 weeks away!
It’s such a crazy place! I loved it, and the road trip was even better. Adventure Road, hah! Now just a week away…gulp…
Exciting!!