Cooking a Winter Stew with DealDash

 

I don’t know about you, but I know that my family eats differently in winter than in summer. Let’s take a peek at a wintery meal we can prepare with help from DealDash .

My family eats a lot of soups and stews during the cold and wintery months. It seems to be a common theme in cooking magazines, as well as with people I know. Not only are they filling, moderately healthy (depending on what you add), they are also something that you can make with just items that you have on hand in the freezer and pantry. That means if it’s cold and snowing outside you won’t have to leave your cozy little nest of a home to go to the supermarket.

One of my favorite kitchen items in the winter is my crock pot/slow cooker. I actually have 3 crock pots of different sizes – a huge one that can accommodate a roast, a medium one that’s great for a stew or for soup, and a smaller one that can be for a gravy or fondue. I get a lot of use out of these in the winter months, if you don’t already have a crock pot (or three!) check them out on DealDash, here.

Hamilton Beach 5-Quart Portable Slow Cooker

If you are just getting started with using a slow cooker, you might be interested in a simple stew recipe:

Simple Beef Stew

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 3 potatoes, diced
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped

How do you do it? Simple!

  1. Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
  2. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

That’s it! And really, one of the great things about a stew like this is if you are missing an ingredient, such as the celery or the carrots you can always exclude that item, or even swap it for a different item such as peas. Personally, since I am allergic to fish and seafood I exclude the Worcestershire sauce and add in a splash of soy sauce instead. It’s delicious!

Hamilton Beach 70950 SaladXpress Counter-top Food Processor Electric w/ConesKitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, Apple GreenT-Fal Initiatives 18-Piece Nonstick Inside and Out Cookware Set

I hope this article has encouraged you to try to make a simple winter stew with your slow cooker.  If you’re interested in getting some items to help you with cooking at home head on over to DealDash. DealDash has food processors, stand mixers, cookware, and plenty of other items that you can use. Check out the Kitchen & Appliances category and I’m sure that you’ll find something that you can use to make your kitchen better. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

What Will We Do With All of These Presents?

Let’s face it, as wonderful as Christmas is, the aftermath can be a mess! What are you going to do with all of your extra stuff? Let DealDash help.

First off, if you hosted your family’s Christmas celebration, I bet you have a lot of food left. So let’s talk about food storage first. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like it when my foods are stored sharing containers in the fridge. The flavors and smells kind of meld together and I just don’t care for it. So when I am hosting people in my home I make sure that I have plenty of extra food storage containers handy and ready to go. If you are in need of food storage containers check out DealDash’s Kitchen & Appliances section, there are a few different options that come up frequently for auction. I personally prefer the glass ones, but they do tend to be a bit more expensive than their plastic counterparts, and also get very hot to touch after you have heated them in the microwave.

Rubbermaid 40-Piece Food Storage SetPyrex Premium Glass Lids Storage Container Set (Set of 3)

How about all of those new DVDs, Blu-Rays, books, and video games that you or your kid’s might have gotten for Christmas? You might need to expand your entertainment storage a little bit by getting a new bookshelf or cabinet so you can display your new items. DealDash has a ton of different options, try browsing the Home & Office category on DealDash. I know that one of my husband’s biggest complaints is that we have too many DVDs and books just randomly stashed around the family room and kid’s playroom. That problem is easily solved by getting one of these great storage units.

Systembuild 9 Cube Storage - Resort CherrySouth Shore Storage CabinetSauder O'Sullivan Multimedia Storage Tower

 

Lastly, and probably the most prolific if you have younger children – toy storage! The Toys, Kids, & Baby section on DealDash has a ton, of course! There are different toy storage options for both boys, girls, and also in neutral colors. At my house we have one of each of these options – it’s a great way to be able to organize the toys that specifically belong to either my son or daughter, and then the neutral bins I store the toys that they like to share together, such as the Legos and other building toys, art supplies, puzzles, and other things.

Delta Children Disney Mickey Mouse Toy OrganizerDisney Multi-Bin Toy OrganizerTot Tutors Toy Organizer

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas together and got everything that you were wishing for! Good luck and happy bidding everyone.

 

Great Christmas Gift Series: Gift Cards

 

Welcome to DealDash’s “Great Christmas Gifts.” series –  If you’re a person who struggles every year trying to think of gifts to get your family and friends, this series is for YOU!

Well, if you still haven’t figured out what to get for the absolute hardest people to shop for on your list, I guess it’s come down to gift cards! Some people think that gift cards are a little too impersonal, kind of like giving cash, but if you are able to tailor the specific gift card to the person’s interests and tastes then it becomes less impersonal, and more like a great idea!

The first thing that you should think about when choosing a gift card for someone is what their specific interests are. It wouldn’t make any sense to get a couch potato a gift card to a sporting goods store, now would it? DealDash has tons of gift cards for just about every type of interest that a person could have. I have prepared a handy list of people that you might be shopping for and gift card choices that might work for them (each of the options are clickable to take you directly to the DealDash page):

Mom/Grandma: Barnes & Noble,  Kohl’s

Dad/Grandpa: Advance Auto Parts, Lowe’s

Brother/Uncle: Gamestop, Cabela Sports

Sister/Aunt: American Eagle, Bath & Body Works

Of course, there are probably tons of people on your list that you really don’t know all that well but you would like to get them a little something anyway – such as a teacher, co-worker, mailman, neighbor, or friend of a friend. For these types of people I suggest $10 gift cards from places such as:

Dunkin’ Donuts

Subway

Wal*Mart

CVS

As I said before, though, gift cards can be thought of as a little impersonal for a close family member, so I would suggest that if you are going to go with a gift card then you might want to pair it with something small that you know they like such as a favorite candy bar or some lottery tickets. However, for a person that you don’t see too often or don’t know that well personally they are a great gift to let them know that you thought about them during the holidays

If you are interested in seeing even more gift cards from many different places and in many different denominations, check out DealDash’s Gift Card section. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

 

 

 

Surviving the Holidays With Help from DealDash

 

As fun as the holidays are, some people just can’t get into the spirit. Here are some tips to help get through the next few weeks.

No matter what the reason, be it Seasonal Effective Disorder, baby blues, or just a dislike of the holidays in general you have a right to your feelings, and you’re going to need to find ways to keep yourself busy during the next few weeks. Here are some ideas to start off your thought process.

How about learning a new skill, such as cooking a specific meal or food item? Everyone else is baking Christmas cookies or planning on roasting a turkey, but how about you learn how to make home made pasta? It’s much more delicious than store bought pasta, and you can make it as healthy (or not!) as you choose. If you have a Kitchenaid stand mixer you can make pasta really quickly and easily. Here is a simple recipe you can follow:

Ingredients:

    • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, sifted (plus extra flour for preparing)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 Tablespoons water

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Cobalt BlueKitchenAid Pasta Roller Attachment

Directions:

 

  • Place eggs, water, flour and salt in mixer bowl. Attached bowl and flat beater. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 30 to 60 seconds. Add more water if the dough is too dry, in 1/2 Tablespoon increments.
  • Change out the flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes. Remove the dough and knead by hand for 2 minutes. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Cut dough into four pieces before processing with pasta sheet attachment. Take one piece and flatten into a rectangular shape. Adding flour to both sides. Be sure to cover the other pieces. Attach the pasta sheet roller to your stand mixer and set it to #1. Turn on the stand mixer to speed 2 and run the pasta dough through the pasta sheet roller. While on #1, fold the dough in half and run it through again. Do this several times.
  • Adding a little bit of flour on each side of the dough again, change setting to #2 and pass the pasta dough through the sheet roller. Do this twice and then twice each on #3 and then #4. If you want thicker dough, don’t do the #4 setting.
  • Once again, add flour to each side of your long pasta sheet. Change the attachment to your spaghetti or fettuccine cutter and turn on to speed 2. Run the pasta sheet through and with your left hand, hold on to the pasta as it comes through the cutter. Allow pasta to dry for a few minutes before boiling.
  • When boiling your pasta, it only needs 3 to 7 minutes to boil.

You can get a Kitchenaid mixer and all of it’s various attachments on DealDash. Just click this link here and it will take you to the auctions. If pasta making sounds fun but maybe a little too ambitious check out DealDash’s Kitchen & Appliances section and perhaps you can find a fun new kitchen gadget that’s more your speed.

Rachael Ray Hard Enamel Cookware 10pc set (2-tone Red)Oceanstar 6 Piece Bamboo Cooking Utensil SetRubbermaid 40-Piece Food Storage Set

If cooking really isn’t your thing, how about using your extra time off from work (assuming you get holiday time off!) and do some of those extra projects around the house that you have been putting off for a while now? I can think of a few projects off the top of my head that need doing around my house, and I bet you can, too. If you’re really not much of a handy sort, how about getting a basic tool set from DealDash? You could get something like the Essentials 34 piece tool kit and have just about everything you need for a small project. You can find that auction, and other tool kit auctions at this link here.

Essentials 34-Piece Around the House Tool Kit with Screwdriver

If you’re more advanced in your handiness you could pick up something a little trickier to use such as a rotary tool set or even a hammer drill. Check out the Home, Garden, & Tools section here on DealDash and see what you can discover.

Of course, there’s nothing more fun than sitting down at your computer and just browsing all of the different areas on DealDash. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

 

 

Great Christmas Gift Series: Let’s Talk Legos

 

Welcome to DealDash’s “Great Christmas Gifts.” series –  If you’re a person who struggles every year trying to think of gifts to get your family and friends, this series is for YOU!

 

Up until now we have mostly been talking about great Christmas gift ideas for older teens and adults. However, as everyone knows, the people who tend to get the most enjoyment out of Christmas is kids! Especially younger kids. In face, there are some grouchy people out there (Looking at you, Hubby!!) that think that Christmas gifts are JUST for kids!! Well, I don’t believe that, but I do think that shopping for kids can really be the most fun experience of the year, along with watching them open their presents on Christmas morning.

                                                                     1988

The first gift that I would like to highlight is really good for most ages of kids, as long as they are past the “putting things in their mouth” toddler stage – Legos! Every single kid that I have ever had the fun of interacting with loves Legos. When I was a kid back in the dark ages of the 1980s there really wasn’t a lot of Lego variety. They were mostly primary colors, and while they were unisex they were mostly marketed at little boys., though there were definitely some cool space sets that both genders could enjoy. Well, times have changed! Now there are Legos of every color, and so many different sets that encompass so many different interests of boys, girls, and both!

LEGO Disney Princess Cinderella's Dream Carriage Building Set

For example, above there is a picture of a great Lego set that was specifically targeted at girls that’s subject is Cinderella. It’s great for girls 6+, however my daughter has similar Lego sets that she absolutely loves and she’s only 4. Like I said, as long as kids are past the “chokables” stage of life, Lego is good for all ages. This Cinderella set is available for bidding at DealDash, check this link here.

There are also Lego sets for super hero fans, such as this Hulk or Spiderman set, both available on DealDash at this link here.

LEGO Super Heroes Hulk Lab Smash Play SetLEGO Super Heroes Spider-Helicopter Rescue Play Set

There are also many other Lego sets that come up on DealDash, just click this link here and you will be taken to all of the current and upcoming Lego products that DealDash offers, including video games as well as character sets.

I hope that you enjoyed reading about Lego sets, and if you’re interested in bidding on anything Lego, or if you have another type of toy in mind check out the Hobbies, Toys, Outdoors, and Games section on DealDash. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!