I need another weekend

I need another weekend to just collapse and do nothing. How can someone who has no family here be so busy?

Friday's errands just rolled into Saturday, of course. I took the 6:20AM bus up to Wal-Mart (it's open 24/7 now, till Christmas) and spent two hours stocking up on litter, household items and getting half a month's supply of groceries. Cabbed home, with a full trunk and back seat. Whew.

Then it was out again for more running around, picking up a few things here and there, plus a couple more grocery items I couldn't get at Wal-Mart.

Home to laundry and more laundry, cooking and cleaning. It's a blur. Seriously.

Today I went back to Wal-Mart and Zellers...for myself. The boys magically did a little bit of Christmas shopping for me for a change, and all on sale, too--aren't you impressed? They even helped wrapped everything up and put it under the tree. I suppose that's superbly silly, but I did it so they could have the fun of the paper and boxes on Christmas Day. And so I could have the fun of watching them.

The best purchase I came home with was two pairs of Merrell winter boots, much needed. I have hikers, but not winter hikers. I saw these in SportChek, last year's boots, $150 down to $100. And it was buy one pair (any) and get the second (any) for 50% off. I bought two pairs of the same boots. And I suppose that also sounds silly, but when I wear the first pair out, I'll have a second pair. Years ago I had bought summer hikers from the same store and they were the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever had. I wore them to death and ended up mentally kicking myself for not buying two pairs at the time.

And if anyone in my family sends  some Christmas money, I might be able to pay them off. LOL.

Now I have a beef stew in the oven, enough to feed about 6 people, so feel free to teleport over if you eat meat.  :-)

Usually I make stew in my crock pot, but Mom had emailed me this recipe, which I'm trying for the first time:

Oven Stew from one of Jean Paré's cookbooks:

2 lbs stewing beef

5 potatoes, quartered

2 onions, quartered

5 carrots, halved if large

28 ounce tin stewed or diced tomatoes

2 tsp beef stock powder

3 TBSP minute Tapioca

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt (can omit if using the beef stock powder, it's salty enough)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar

(Of course you can use whatever root vegetables you wish!)

Put the meat in a roasting pan. Sprinkle tapioca and other dry ingredients over the meat. Then sprinkle lemon juice and worcestershire over the meat and spices. Add veggies, pour tomatoes over all. 

Bake covered -- 250F for 3 hours or 225F for 4 hours, or whatever suits you best.

Covered in tomatoes and ready to cook!

Mom says it's the best stew she's ever made, so we'll see!

I hope everyone's had a great weekend, with some time for relaxing amid the season's craziness.

Universal Blessings, Light and Mercy to All Beings.