thefreshawards – Mummy To Twins Plus One

Make Slow Cooked Beef & Veggie Casserole

I love going to the Veggie Patch in Blackheath. As the name suggests they sell fresh produce: fruit and vegetables. However, they also sell pasta, sauces, and all sorts of yummy things.

The Veggie Patch at Blackheath. This greengrocer supplies lovely fresh produce with great service.

Pasta, sauces and other yummy things available at the Veggie Patch at Blackheath.

The produce always looks so fresh, the staff that work there are super friendly, and seem to really care about what they are doing. Everyone that works at The Veggie Patch treats the produce with such care.

The wonderful fresh produce from the Veggie Patch at Blackheath. They even have FREE delivery.

Another nice thing that makes me love this fruit and veg shop is that it is a small business and I am helping the local economy by shopping here.

I even purchased my meat from the local butcher (The Blackheath Butchers) and the crusty bread for this meal at the bakery (The Sourdough Bakery in Blackheath) both located in Blackheath, just doors down from the Veggie Patch. Hence, it makes all the shopping so convenient.

Sourdough with sunflower seeds. This bread is so yummy you just want to have more of it.

My slow Cooked Beef & Vegetable Casserole

I don’t have a slow cooker but I have a fancy looking casserole dish (It is a pretty blue and has white spots – very funky and retro looking). Due to not having a slow cooker my casserole dish ends up acting like one instead. I add all the ingredients. Put it in the oven and let it cook for hours. Job done, and a delicious one too!

You might say that this is rather old school regarding slow cooking, and you are probably right.

I have looked at getting the new slow cookers but they are very big and will take up an enormous amount of space that I don’t have in my small kitchen with limited counter tops.

This recipe for slow cooked beef & vegetable casserole is perfect for those cool autumn nights and when it gets even colder in winter. You can have a nice piece of crusty bread with this dish, and a glass of red wine. I’m sure you would not want much more after this. Aside, from having a roaring wood burning fire that is.

So how do you make my scrumptious casserole? Read on to find out how easy this really is.

Before you get started, make sure to heat up the oven. Set it to 180 ℃

INGREDIENTS:

2 carrots
A big handful of beans
6-8 small potatoes cut up finely
3-4 pieces of broccolini
1 onion chopped to small or bite sized pieces
6-8 mushrooms roughly chopped up
1 tin of Diced Italian Tomatoes with Basil, garlic, and onion. My tin was from Woolworths but you can have any really, it is up to you and what type of casserole you are making.
Beerenberg Taka Tala Sauce and Marinade – I added the whole jar (This sauce was also purchased at the Blackheath Butchers). It is up to you what sauce you use. You could use a red wine slow roasting casserole or any sauce for slow cooked meals. I know that this sauce is really a marinade but it works very well as a casserole or in a slow cooker.
You can serve this with mash potato or sometimes I like to add carrots or other vegetables to the mash as well. It gives lovely different colours and add to the flavour of the dish
If you decide that mash is not what you would prefer, then you can choose rice or maybe some leafy greens for a nice side to balance the meat and vegetables.

Note: You can substitute any vegetable or ingredient that you would rather. Also, if you have things in the fridge or cupboard that would work, use them, and have a tasty meal with items you already have.

I was going to have mash potato with this meal but decided against it due to adding potatoes to the mixture. Instead I’m having some rice and serving it with some crusty bread.

Another view of all the fabulous fresh vegetables.

METHOD:

Cut up all the vegetables and add the sauce as well as the tomatoes to the casserole dish.
Make sure to mix up all the ingredients before you add the meat.
Once the meat is added stir the ingredients again in the casserole dish.
Add the casserole into the oven and cook for a couple of hours. Check every 30 minutes or so to making sure to stir and to check if all is cooking okay and not sticking to the dish.
Once done the meat should be tender and the vegetables should be soft and melt in your mouth.
If you are having mash potato or other vegetables it is a good idea to get this ready now. You can take out the casserole from the oven as the dish would be extremely hot and keep the dinner warm.

I hope you enjoy my take on a slow cook casserole without using a slow cooker.

All cooked and finished. This slow cooked beef and veggie casserole is ready to eat.

Disclaimer: This post was written as an entry to The Fresh Awards 2017 Blogger Awards – Greengrocer Story. I go to the Veggie Patch regularly and love cooking with nice fresh produce.

The Veggie Patch have a community spirit and update their window to help local groups and causes.

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Originally published March 29 2017

Flowers make you feel better

I love flowers.

They make me feel good and put a smile on my face.

If I want to cheer myself up I buy a bunch of flowers. It would be nice to be given one but I don’t wait for this to happen.

When I was working in the city I used to bring a nice bunch of flowers from my garden to put on my desk. If I could not get ample flowers to take to the office, I would stop by the florist on the way to work and grab a bunch of whatever is in season.

My lovely bunch of Dahlias and Alstroemeria that I purchased from Pam and Debbie at Fine Flowers. These look so pretty and put a big smile on my face.

The flowers were lovely smelling and cheered me up. Normally I would pick a bunch of Gerberas or the lovely smelling Jonquils.

I did the same thing when I was at home. I purchased flowers from the local florist and decorated the house with pretty and fragrant flowers.

My favourite local florist is Fine Flowers in Katoomba, I have been visiting them for over ten years now.

Pam and Debbie are the lovely ladies at Fine Flowers. Pam has owned the business for ten and half years and worked in the business for another fifteen years previously. So this is over 25 years of floristry experience.

I love coming in and having a chat and finding out what is in season and maybe what might look great to brighten up my desk and house.

What is in season currently?

Tulips and dahlias.

What has changed?

I asked Pam what have customers been asking for lately?

Normally Pam said that customers would order a bunch of flowers and have a bunch styled and designed by herself or Debbie. However she has noticed that customers are liking the idea of picking their own designs and choosing what flowers go with other flowers.

It is more of free form design.

Posies with roses that were tiny and cute were very popular for weddings. Now the trend is to have larger flowers not so styled and have them look like you have just picked them from the garden.

Customers like the brown paper and natural wrapping for bunches of flowers.

The lovely ladies at Fine Flowers Katoomba. Debbie on left and Pam on the right.

I even did a free form design. I combined two different flowers to make a big pretty bunch.

Popular Celebrations for Flowers

Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, Birthdays and New Babies are huge.

I asked Debbie and Pam if Easter was a busy time as well. They said it was, and that a lot of people come and purchase daisies for the Easter period. It is up to the individual which bloom takes their fancy but it is interesting that Easter is still a busy time. I suppose daisies make me think of rabbits, the Easter Bunny and nice roaming hills and lush lawn.

With Mother’s Day soon approaching I was keen to know what flowers or items were in demand at Fine Flowers?

I thought that red roses might be the flower of choice. However I was surprised by the answer.

For Mother’s Day all pastel/light coloured flowers were extremely popular and not just roses. Anything that might be pale pink, creams, pale everything. It does not even matter the age of the mother here, it could be for a new mum pale blooms will be purchased more so than brightly coloured ones.

Interesting don’t you think? Mums get the dainty, pretty and pale pastel coloured flowers.

I do love them and they do look pretty but I fall in the other percentage that love some bright blooms. I love colour and some nice bright Gerberas or maybe some vibrant purple Irises with some yellow Tulips or Daffodils.

So pretty and textural, the bright yellow Chrysanthemum Disbud (Spider).

The ladies at Fine Flowers said that bright coloured flowers are still purchased but not in the same quantities as the pale or pastel shades.

Do you love bright flowers like I do? Or prefer the pastel shades? Let us know what your favourites are.

My nice bunch of Dahlias and Alstroemeria on the hall stand at home. It the first thing you see when you come home and walk anywhere in the house. A perfect place for pretty flowers.

I loved my in season bunch of flowers that I purchased from my local florist. I am now keen to go back and get another bunch. This time I think tulips will be in order. They were so pretty and colourful. A good flower to brighten up a space and lift your mood this autumn.

Do you love flowers as much as I do?

I really like the fact that you can get such a great variety of flowers. This variety allows me to change the look of a room easily and helps lifts my spirits as well.

What is your favourite bunch to get from your florist?

Do you have some of your favourites in your garden? Let us know.

Disclaimer: This post was written as an entry to The Fresh Awards 2017 Blogger Awards – Florist Story. I go to Fine Flowers regularly and love freshening up my house, my office and anywhere with some fresh and vibrant flowers.

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