I am literally trapped in Homecoming hell. Wonder why? Google ‘Texas and homecoming mums’ and you will see the bane of my existence at the moment. Rather than be normal like other parents and just go BUY a homecoming mum, I decide I need to MAKE them. Because you know, all the cussing and screaming and tears that are involved prove to my kids how much I love them. #whatever
Let me explain myself. I am severely craft challenged. The right side of my brain just does not function. Give me a 10 key? Excel spreadsheet? Stack of financials? My world is totally rocking. But sadly, I can barely thread a needle. No joke. I usually hand it over to Missy Prissy for her to do that. Yet here I am. Fingers burned by the hot glue gun and atrocious bows that my 10 thumbs just can’t seem to master. Thankfully I have a couple of angels who swoop in and rescue me from my despair when I get too bad and I want to lose myself in the bottom of a bottle of wine.
Despite all the homecoming madness…and the fact a tutor is arriving at my house later….and the fact the I have to take my Missy Prissy to an orthopedic Dr. today for her knee…. and the fact I now have to figure out how to decorate a homecoming float, I am relatively calm. Why? Because dinner is OFF my to-do list.
I almost feel like Charlie Sheen. #winning! Minus the porn star goddesses, and the tiger blood, and the maniacal rants (children, shut your mouths), and the multi-million dollar bank account…..er uhm…..ok, maybe not so like Charlie Sheen but you get my drift.
You see, yesterday I made another one of my go-to’s. Like the Creamy Italian Chicken, this needs to be made the day before so all the flavors can meld. It literally goes from oven to fridge then back to oven to warm up. It is called No Peek Beef Tips a la Good Gravy (it’s my blog – I can name it after me if I want to). There are a ton of recipes out there for this but this one has been tweaked to work for us. I love to tweak. Seriously, I am a major tweaker. And, it is sooooo easy. Literally dump everything into a giant cooking pot, slam the lid on, and leave it alone in the oven for 3 hours. 3 glorious hours of doing nothing…..though I did go see the new Bridget Jones movie while it was cooking (#winning)…then my prescription sunglasses went missing at the theater so maybe not so #winning.
This recipe is a double batch. Because you know, my kids like to take it for lunch and we have our Thursday night leftover event. You can add more meat if you like as well. It calls for 4 lbs of stew meat but I have been known to sneak in 5 lbs (because as I have mentioned before that I have a 200 lb wrestler in my house so we eat a lot of protein).
The response I received from the last recipe was overwhelming and so many of you liked it so I am hoping you enjoy this easy make ahead meal and it makes your week a little less stressful. Enjoy!
No Peek Beef Tips a la Good Gravy
Ingredients
4 lb cubed beef stew meat
2 envelopes brown gravy mix
2 envelopes onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or cream of potato)
1 cup water
1 cup red wine
(You will discover I love to cook with wine. In this recipe, it gives the sauce almost a beef bourguignon flavor. The alcohol cooks out! No worries for the kids!)
What to Do?
Preheat oven to 300°F
Dump everything into a large oven proof pot or a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Stir everything together to coat beef tips.
Cover with lid or foil. Just make sure the seal is tight.
Place in oven for 3 hours. NO PEEKING.
Enjoy your goddess like state of being for the moment.
Serve over rice or pasta mashed potatoes.
Enjoy the accolades from your family about what an awesome cook you are.
Good Gravy 