I know it's not Monday buy hey...

Post Christmas. Tree down. CHECK. Decorations away. CHECK. Toys have a home. CHECK. Pine needles up...ah, not quite. Three checks and a not quite. Pretty good. For Christmas I received a life long dream. A Crock Pot! Oh how I long to have sumptuous one-pot wonders. Steamy warm comfort food. Saucy things to make you think of Mama or covers, footed PJs maybe. Onions and carrots. Beef and gravy. Juices to sop. (OK, I'm back). Since I opened that beautiful piece of machinery, I have been on the hunt for recipes. However, being a single mom, I'm also looking for something to fit the ingredients I already have on hand. I run across this dish that would mean only one trip to the store to buy only 2 ingredients. Pepper Steak! No! Not that wonderful stuff you get from the Good East down the street with paper lanterns hanging about. But a number with black peppercorns and dijon mustard with a rather strange addition. Cream of celery soup. Now being an optomistic, I really think that perhaps this will turn out good. I'm hoping for a "but surprisingly, it was really very good" sort of a story. My hopes started to dry up when I got home last night after only about 4 of the 10 hours of cooking were completed. My littlest one says "EWWWW! Mama what is that stink?", to which I replied, "Don't say ewww, that's your dinner tomorrow". We all wanted to see what I may have conjured up in my, dun-dun-dun-duuunn:Crock Pot! As soon as I peaked into that pot I quickly shoved them off to bed. No need to see what I see and have everybody sick! It was horrible. The famed (or infamous) soup was dried on the top of this mound of sweating beef surrounded by droopy onions and odd looking carrots! I lifted the top to stir it up and a cloud of funk came wafting out. It smelled like it should have come off of a 14 year old on the soccer field! So, being a romantic and still looking for a "but surprisingly, it was really very good" story. I begin to stir. The greasy pond scum was supposed to be my dinner!?!?!? Well, maybe it'll all come together after it's all done.
Well, this morning I couldn't wait until I could see my wonderful pepper steak. You all will be happy to know, and I'm pleased to report that I have made the most appealing, warm, flavorful, kibbles and bits you could imagine! The dried up pieces of beef would make any Fido or spot proud. And what dog doesn't like gravy?
Now all I have to do it get a dog...