Cheesy Potato Soup

This is my most favorite soup! Add some french bread or rolls and your set! It's perfect with all these cold days we've been having! I usually double it or 1 1/2 it so we have leftovers! It's soooo yummy!

4 Cups Chicken Broth
2-3 medium potatoes, diced
1 Cup onions, chopped
2 large carrots, grated

Parboil that for 45 minutes in an open kettle.

White Sauce:
6 Tbsp. Butter
6 Tbsp. Flour
3-4 Cups Milk

Add white sauce to the veggie broth and add 3 Cups Monterey Jack or Colby Jack Cheese shredded at the very last. Let it all settle in together for at least 20 minutes.

Note: You might want to make it in a big stock pot so when you add your white sauce and cheese you have enough room :)

Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Stew

This is my first post to the kitchen, yeahhh! I made this today, and it is very yummy - just throw it all in the slow cooker and its ready in 8 hours. It is from WW so very low fat and calories.
This is also known as Tzimmes, a classic Jewish recipe.

2 Cups chopped onions
3 pound lean beef chuck shoulder, or brisket, or pot roast boneless, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large garlic cloves (I used 5-we like garlic)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 pound baby carrots, cut in half if large
8 small uncooked new (i used small baby red) potatoes cut in half
16 prunes or dried apricots
4 TBS fresh lemon juice, divided (from 2 small lemons)
5 tsp honey, divided
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup beef broth or beef stock

Place onion, beef, garlic, sweet potatoes, carrots, new potatoes, prunes, 2 TBSP of lemon juice and 1 TBSP of honey in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and broth: stir well.

Cook on low setting for 7 to 8 hours. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in 2 tsp honey and 2 TBSP lemon juice, cover and cook on low for 5 minutes.

For a thicker gravy, spoon 1 TBSP of flour into a cup and stir in 1/4 cup of the liquid from stew until it is lump free. Add the flour mixture to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes.

8 serving