Counter Top Cooking: Beef Stew

Winter comfort food fueled Jacob and Esther's cooking skills with savory aroma and fantastic chunky beef stew.
They pounded a thick round steak then I cut off the excess fat.
They mixed the dredging flour and bread crumbs while I heated a heavy saute pan with butter.
I cut the meat into small chunks and they rolled it in the flour mixture.
They mounded the chunks on a platter so I could brown the beef.
They washed the baby carrots, drained the canned mushrooms,decided how much of the chopped onion should go in, and  took pinches of dried herbs then added them to the cooker.  The joy of sticking a fork into a large jar of canned tomatoes and flopping each red ball into the mixture brought raucous laughter.  (I always wondered why there were so many  tomatoes in a good stew... it's just a fun thing to do!)
Each felt the need to put in a beef bouillon cube, a touch of salt and a good shake of celery salt to boot.  In went the liquid from the tomato jar, and a half jar of water.
They made a great meal to take home and present to each of their Moms.  Cousins cooking together - pure enjoyment.

Ingredients for a fine, filling stew:
4 lb thick round steak
2 T butter
1/2 c flour
1/2 c fine bread crumbs
8 oz bag baby carrots
1 small onion, chopped
1 t each dried: parsley, oregano, basil
pinch of salt
1/2 t celery salt
1 qt jar canned tomatoes
2 c water
2 bouillon cubes

Aprons are a must with my cooking with the grands.  

That and plenty of clean up time.  But oh the memories, the comfort of having them in the kitchen with me... it is a place that I love to be, and now we share this working space, as Jacob and Esther have ownership!  Their older cousins taught me the joy of watching youth create out of eggs, milk and flour: Waffles, unending piles of waffles that disappeared when they visited.  Such lessons are life's pleasure!