beef stew (my grandmother's recipe)

in a dutch oven, brown:
1-1 1/2 pounds of stew beef
1 large onion, medium dice

add:
4 cups water
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp each pepper and paprika
dash of allspice

while that's stewing, cut up:
4 large potatoes into 1" cubes
4 carrots into 1 1/2" pieces, then into "pillars" that are longer and thinner than they are wide
4 parsnips cut like carrots (see above)

add veggies to meat and onion. cook til done, adding more water to cover, if necessary.
when cooked, combine 2 Tbs cornstarch w/ 1 cup cold water. add to broth to thicken it.
remove both bay leaves. allow stew to cool sufficiently and serve.

beef barley stew w/ sweet potatoes

in a large pot, heat:
2 Tbs canola oil
over high heat.

add:
2 1/2 lbs stew beef
in batches. cook until browned (4-5 minutes), stirring occasionally.
remove beef from pot; set aside.

add:
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
cook til softened (8-10 minutes)

sprinkle with:
2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt

add reserved beef and
2 cans beef broth plus
2 cups water
bring to a boil.

stir in:
2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 cup uncooked barley
reduce heat to low.

cover. simmer til beef and barley and sweet potatoes are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.