Slow Cooker Beef Recipe & Flat Bread

The other day I was scrolling Instagram and there was a video for a slow cooker recipe.  I had all the ingredients and just needed to buy some beef and potatoes.  I put the slow cooker on around midday on high and about half an hour before I was serving I made some flat breads to go with it instead of having it with rice.   It was so delicious and warming on the first day of winter in Australia and the flat bread was great for mopping up all the sauce.

SLOW COOKER BEEF RECIPE

500gms diced beef [recipe called for double that however I just used half - you could use 1kgs]

3-4 carrots chopped into large size chunks

4 potatoes chopped into quarters [I used the little packet of Aldi Microwave potatoes for size]

2 large onions chopped

Peas & Beans [optional - to be put in at the end of cooking]

3 cups of beef stock

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup of plain flour

Salt & Pepper to taste.

METHOD

Dice beef into large cubes if not already diced.

Place in pan with some olive oil to brown the beef and then put into slow cooker.

Using the same pan, place potatoes and carrots in the pan and brown, and then put them in the slow cooker.

Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of plain flour over the beef and vegetables in the slow cooker and stir until everything is covered.

Back to the stove top; add garlic and herbs and onion to the pan and cook for a few minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir through, then pour in the beef stock and bring to the boil.

When reaching the boil place this into slow cooker.

Add the bay leaves and parsley [note I didn't use either of these].

About 15-20 minutes before you want to eat dinner, place some beans and peas into the slow cooker and stir through.  You could also add other greens at this stage like baby spinach for extra nutrition at this stage.

FLAT BREAD RECIPE

Here is a link to my flat bread post from 2017.  The ingredients for the flat bread is as follows:-

250gms Self Raising Flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt [recipe calls for 1 teaspoon however it's too salty for us so we use half]

1 teaspoon baking powder

250gms Natural Yoghurt - I used Greek Yoghurt

Around here - Simple Living blog posts

It was years ago that I started on the "Simple Living" lifestyle all because I read an article by Rhonda Hetzel from Down to Earth blog which was in the Burke's Backyard Magazine.  At the time I was in Melbourne visiting relatives who had a wonderful veggie patch and they would go outside and pick fresh veggies lettuce, cucumber, capsicum, shallots for a salad for dinner.  It really inspired me to want to grow fresh veggies and get chickens which was about 10 years ago.  I thought it might be fun to go back and read some old posts of when I started out to see how far we have come.

First of all check out this beautiful home grown lettuce picked from the garden yesterday.  I need to refresh my veggie garden as I have neglected it while I have been painting inside the house however I have got quite a few lettuces growing which is handy for summer salads.

This was my very first blog post on 7th July, 2012.

In 2013 I started making the Five Seed Bread in the Thermomix which is our families favourite.

Again in 2013 our first pasta making session, love seeing how little the kids are.

2013 was a big year for tying things and I made some home made butter.

I joined in a blog link called "Slow Living Essentials" where we posted an update on what we had been up to.

Our first home made tortillas were a big hit.  We actually now make Rhonda's flat bread recipe all the time now.

Again in 2013 our first home grown potatoes were very exciting.

in 2014 we started making home made baked beans and have been using this recipe ever since.  We never buy store bought baked beans now.  I make a big batch and then freeze some in containers for the week.

James made his first Turkish Bread with the Thermomix.

When I first started making laundry powder which I love.  I tried making a laundry liquid however I didn't like it so I have stuck with this recipe which I love.

My first time making soap which I've only made 3 times.

In 2013 we started making our own Vanilla.

My sisters and I made our first mozzarella cheese in January 2014 and we loved it.  Sadly we haven't given it another go however I think next year I will focus on this.

Our first home grown cucumbers were so exciting Sienna had to cut it up herself.

Our suburb getting into the community spirit by creating a local Farmers Market.

One of my favourite books I've read about creating a simple living life.

I started crocheting a knee blanket.

Making homemade Granola.

Meeting Rhonda and Hanno from Down to Earth Blog at a talk at a local library.  She was the inspiration that led me to these wonderful activities.

The easiest way to clean your microwave. Once I learnt this trick I have never looked back so simple.

My friend and I got together to do baking at her property with a wonderful book that I had bought for myself and when she moved to her property I gifted her a copy too.

This is the best fluffiest bread roll recipe which we now make.

Planting out some new veggies.

Home made Christmas Ornaments using 3 ingredients.

The first time we made home made dumplings...OMG - amazing.

Hummus from scratch including cooking the chickpeas.

My absolute favourite book in the entire world about life with your kids and how quickly it goes.

Further on from cooking from scratch I went deeper this year listening to the podcasts of Jo and Tracey form Additive Free Lifestyle which was so informative and something that everyone needs to listen too.

Flat Bread

Last night I got Sienna to make some "Flat Breads" to go with our dinner which are so quick and easy and taste amazing.  The recipe is from Rhonda's last book called "The Simple Home".  I purchase all my books from The UK Book Depository which has free shipping worldwide and great prices.  I've been using them for the past 8 years. 

The Flat Breads are made up of Self Raising Flour, Salt, Baking Powder and Natural Yoghurt (I used Greek).  So quick and easy.  All the ingredients go into the Thermomix or you could use a food processor to mix it together to form a soft dough.  The dough is soft and a bit sticky so we just put some flour on the bench to roll it in and pat it.  There is no need to knead it (ha ha).  Just divide it up, and roll each piece thinly and cook for 2 minutes each side.  They are so soft and yummy and would be great to serve with dips.  If you haven't made these before I recommend you give them a go.

School Lunch Box Ideas

In our house it's usually sandwiches for school lunches with James having ham and Sienna having vegemite on her sandwich.  Today I made some Pizza Scrolls which will go in the freezer and I can just take one or two out to pop in their lunch boxes for a change from sandwiches.  They are super easy and don't take that long to make.

You can make any pizza dough recipe and use bread flour or plain flour however I always use bread flour with my pizza dough.  It take 5-10 minutes to sort out the dough and then leave it to rise for an hour or so before rolling it out.  I placed some glad bake (parchment paper) on the kitchen bench and put my dough on that and rolled it out flat.  I used tomato paste with herbs however I have previously used tomato sauce which was good as well.  Use whatever you have on hand is my motto with these scrolls.  I topped the dough with ham, cheese and some dried herbs today.  Roll it up and slice it using a bread knife and then lay flat on a tray and then bake them.  If you haven't tried making these before I suggest you give it a go as they are easy and tasty.  You could use any topping you like, bacon, spring onions or the old vegemite and cheese scrolls. The pizza scroll recipe is in my previous recipe post so check it out here.

Easy Ciabatta Bread

I've made this recipe before and thought I has posted about it however it's not on the blog so I'm typing it now so I have the recipe.  I always include links as well the the original recipe however over time with blogs disappearing so does the recipe so I like to write it out here so I have it forever and also have the link for as long as it's working.

This is the Easy Ciabatta Bread Thermomix Recipe which I'm making using my TM31 Thermomix which I've had for 13 years - still going strong.

If you don't own a Thermomix you can make a similar recipe that you can make without a Thermomix.

EASY CIABATTA BREAD [THERMOMIX]

INGREDIENTS

• 500gms Bakers Flour
• 470gms Warm Water
• 2 Teaspoons Dried Yeast
• 2 Teaspoons Salt

METHOD

1. Add all ingredients to the bowl, mix on Speed 6 / for 8 seconds.
2. Let the mixture rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
3. Turn up to Speed 9 / for 3 minutes on REVERSE.  [yes, 3 minutes] 
4. Dough will be very sticky - pour into a large well oiled bowl and let it sit for 2.5 hours until it has tripled in size.
5. Empty and scrape out the dough onto a well floured bench top.
6. Divide into 3 pieces, dust with a good amount of flour, then using a spatula shape roughly into flat balls and put on a tray with baking paper.
7. Leave to prove on the trays for 45 minutes.
8. While waiting, turn the oven to 250 degrees to heat up while proving.
9. Now, with well floured hands, pick up each dough gently and quickly flip it, stretching into a Ciabatta loaf shape [oblong].  The flipping helps spread the air bubbles - even it it looks a bit untidy, it will rise beautifully in the oven.
10. Bake at 250 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 200 degrees for another 15-20 minutes until the bread is starting to brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

NOTES:-

Preparation time - 3.5 hours

Total time start to finish - 4.0 hours

Makes 3 loaves [2 large and 1 small]

Level - EASY

Some Interesting Internet Reads

Here's a few things on the internet that might interest you.

I loved reading this story about how this family spends their money and sets their goals.  This series on how we spend money is other people sharing their budgets/expenses and living on Notes from the Frugal Trenches blog.

A new to me blog called Frugalwoods has an amazing story of a young couple who are dedicated to their goals and plans and save an amazing 70% of their income.  I read a lot of their stories and I love that they plan for themselves and live their own life.  They have now bought their dream property in Vermont and rented out their original home.  I'm sure you'll pick up a few tips reading their blog.

Wendy from My Abundant Life was on A Current Affair back in June 2014 when I wrote about it here.  She was on A Current Affair again tonight talking about home brand foods.  I do agree with home brand foods my only thoughts about it is it's the major supermarkets that are the winners in the profits but I know home brands are necessary as aside from people's mortgage payments food appears to be high on the list of monthly expenses.  Wendy writes about "bulk cooking" here.

I bought Lisa's book 100 Days of Real Food a while back and read it from cover to cover....this week I have picked it up again to read it from cover to cover again.  Her website is here.  I can't stress how much information is in this book about food labels about the misconception of grains etc. her website has a video tours of her pantry, fridge and freezer....you might think that sounds boring but I learnt a lot from watching all three particularly her freezer.  Her husbands family grew up with a cow, organic veggies and op shops so knew about real food.  She knew about (like most of us) healthy food, low fat etc. but when she looked into it she learnt a lot and wanted to share her information with people so they didn't have to start from scratch.  I highly recommend you buy this book or get if from the library.  The book has recipes and how to start in all areas of making changes.  They originally took a pledge to eat real food for 100 days but felt so much better, had more tasty food that they kept going. 

If you are looking for a financial year diary which is task based and to do list based Elise designed and created the "Get to Work Book".  I've been reading her blog for many years and her energy in achieving goals and getting things done is very inspiring.  She does do a calendar year diary as well but right now the financial year one is for sale.

Last week I participated in a photographic project called "Week in the Life" by US Memory Keeper Ali Edwards where you photograph your life for a 7 day period so sort of like a time capsule of your life at this moment.  That means the messy lounge room, the piles of washing, going grocery shopping, cooking dinner, putting the washing on the line, driving the kids to school.  Just imagine if you could look through a photo book of a 7 day period in your life when you were 10.  The car your family drove, the type of TV, breakfast cereals you etc. etc.  We have done this project for the past 7 years and I'm a little behind in getting these photos into photo books however I fully participate in the same week Ali does and lots of people around the world do as well.  This is my cover from my 2014 book which I just finished last month and got printed.

This weekend I'm making some homemade yoghurt for the kids using this recipe.

Baked Herb Potatoes from Andrea Decker look very tasty.  Andrea is an organized Mum to 3 little ones and I've been following her blog since before she had her first baby.

Reading this post from Jodi at Practising Simplicity it made me feel warm and fuzzy about quilts.  I was a quilter many years ago and having a hand made heirloom sounds really nice.  I did make the kids a quilt each a couple of years ago (oh how time flies).  This is Sienna receiving her quilt for her 8th Birthday. James loved it so much he wanted one too, so I made him one here.  Here's a post on making Sienna's.  One thing I did on the first quilt was just join the fabric together but on James I pinned the top and bottom strips and in between so they were all the same length and not stretched.

The kids requested Chicken and Leek pies for dinner when they each had a friend for a sleepover. The recipe is here and it's so delicious.  As we had left over mixture the next day I decided to make crepes for lunch and the kids loved them so much so that they requested the same for dinner so I had to make a new batch that night...totally worth it.  I bought this crepe maker from Kmart for $12 last year as an affordable holiday activity. 

With winter coming up warm breakfasts are great and this home made baked beans recipe is my family's favourite.

I'm so envious of Emma's beautiful crochet projects, she whips them up in a matter of no time.  I need to get my crochet blanket on the go....it's still sitting on the couch in the family room.  With the cooler weather it's a good time.

If you think that making from scratch is not worth it, take a look at the price per kgs of these pita chips in the supermaket which Cath wrote on her blog Debt Free Cashed up and Laughing.

I made the "Flat Bread" recipe which are delicious out of Rhonda's new book which I wrote about here.  Next I need to make the Harvest Turnovers as they look fantastic.

Rhonda's New Book - The Simple Home

My book finally arrived on Thursday and I was so excited to start reading it.  Here's a sample of a couple of pages in the book which has some recipes including step by step instructions for making bread.  The book is broken down into 12 months from January to December with a different focus for each month including budgeting, meal planning, veggie garden planning etc.  You can read the book in order or pick a topic and focus on that.  The book is written with the Southern Hemisphere in mind however Rhonda has put a note at the back of the book for there Northern Hemisphere readers which chapters to read in order ie summer gardening in Australia is a different month then overseas.  So far I have read 2 chapters and it is written for a broad range of simple living families in mind.  Whether you are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70, whether you are single, married, with kids or retired there is lots of advice.

One thing I have always admired about Rhonda's blog is she does not "preach" ie she doesn't promote what she does as the way you have to do it. She tells people what they do in the hope that you may pick up tips or tricks but ultimately it's your family, your life and your routines and you can decide how your family wants to "live simply".  If you don't want to ever make bread, then don't.  If you want to go to the farmers markets and buy fresh veggies instead of growing your own if you don't have time then do what is right for your family.  The book is wonderful, it is well made and the pictures and instructions are wonderful.  It is a credit to Rhonda to pump out another amazing book which required hours of locking herself away in a room with her computer rather than just enjoying her life.  This is her last book and I'm very thankful I came across an article in the Burkes Backyard Magazine about about 8 years ago that she had written.  The fact that I was visiting with my in-laws in Melbourne who had a wonderful veggie patch also inspired me at the time.  I look forward to reading the rest of the book in the coming week.  I think the Harvest Turnovers below would be a big hit with my kids.

Note:  since I wrote this post I have made the flat breads and they are so easy and delicious.  Harvest Turnovers next on the list (21-05-2016).

Around Here - 22nd July, 2026

Hard to believe we are nearly at the end of July and only 5 months until 2027.  Nothing too exciting happening around here as the weeks seem to be the same and then on Sunday I spend with my family taking our Mum out for lunch as she is in aged care.  Getting old doesn't seem much fun in my opinion and as I'm 63 in September I need to be focusing more on health and longivity myself.

I've had a DEXA scan in 2023, 2024 and 2026 and surprizingly it says my bones are at high risk of fracture. DEXA scans can be up to $300 however I found a local place that does it for $90 and this is where the top footballers go so they are reptuable.  My muscles are good but body fat is not good [no surprize there] so it's time I stop burying my head in the sand and look after myself.  In 2017 I joined Sam Wood 28 program and lost about 16kgs and due to stresses in my personal life ended up gradually putting all that weight back on.  Then in December 2021 I did a 21 day no chocolate challenge for myself to stop that habit and then joined Weight Watchers and again lost 16kgs only to eventually put that back on again.

So here we are in 2026 and if not now, when?  I did rejoin the Sam Wood 28 Menopause Program in February and then I injured my shoulder with a 3mm tear so didn't do any exercises.  I have been going to the physio recently and it's getting better but it's still not great so this week I actually and a workout and it feels good to be back.  The recipes in the program are great and I need to get excited about cooking again.  It's funny when I meal planned each week for the 3 of us it seemed easier to cook for my family but as it's just me it doesn't seem as fulfilling.  I also cooked up a Sam Wood Brownie recipe made out of chickpeas which I can say is 10/10. I've cut it up into 18 little pieces so when I want a chocolate fix I know it's not full of rubbish and it's on hand in the freezer to have with a coffee.

Speaking of bone health I've come across Dr Vonda Wright recently and she has written a book called Unbreakable which I bought but will need to sit down and read it.  She also has a youtube channel as well and says your bones need impact to stay healthy and says you need to stomp or jump 20-50 times a day as bones respond to this.  So either jump on the spot 20 times or jump from the bottom step inside or outside of your house if you have steps.  She also said you should be standing on one leg throughout the day to improve your balance for instance when you are brushing your teeth or waiting for the kettle to boil.  Dr Vonda Wright says everyone should be doing a DEXA scan to know all the stats about their body.  She also has a video on how to read a DEXA scan and what a T score in bone health means too.

There is so much change to a woman's body because of menopause, most I knew of and some I didn't know relating to bone density etc.  Now is the time to look after myself from the inside out.  Another thing is when we were younger we were out in the sun a lot and now as we are older we don't stay out in the sun so Vitamin D is important for bone health and yet for myself I'm never really in the sun anymore so my next blood test we are testing Vitamin D as well so I may have to take a supplement. 

I don't buy clothes for myself because that doesn't make me feel good but I love buying cookbooks.  I came across this wonderful cookbook by Catie Gett who ran "The Staple Store" in Melbourne for over 10 years and then she closed it.  She opened the store to help people get into wholefoods and made up products that were made of dry ingredients and spices and then all you had to do was add a couple of things and dinner is cooked.  This is her why and I think she is amazing.

As an example this "Not so Dahl" recipe which was her most popular product she is giving away some of her recipes for free.  The idea is to mix up these dry mixes yourself in batches so have 5 containers of it in the cupboard and half the work is done.  Mix the dry ingredients and then add a tin of tomatoes and some water and cook for 35-40 minutes.  This recipe can also be cooked in a rice cooker if you have one.  I read the book from cover to cover and love her story and she has old photos through out the book of her growing up cooking with her parents. This would be a good book to request your local library get in however I'm so glad I got one myself.  She said that when she closed the shop money was really tight and then food security became a big mission for her so the recipes in this book are all afforable because she knows what it's like.  I absolutely LOVED this book and her story and also a single Mum looking at ways of educating people about whole foods in an affordable way.

Made a batch of pickled red onions.

I bought this bread bag to store my sourdough on the bench and it can also be used in the freezer. I had seen lots of these types of things advertised but someone I follow from the Sunshine Coast has been using one of these for a year and they recommended it so purchased it.

This is where I got the Bread Bag from.

  

Worst Victoria Sponge ever - epic flop goodness knows what happened.

Got these out from the Library, didn't really love the

cookbook but the Clean & Green Book 100% great.

EPIC FAIL - This is how flat they were, don't know what

happened it was one of Nancy's recipes.

Evening sunset.

On my walk.

Teddy wondering why I am jumping around dancing.

Getting ready to make the Sam Wood Brownie Recipe

I cut each log into 3 pieces and put them in the freezer 10/10 recipe.

Enjoy your week, let me know if you have any healthy recipe treats that you love.

Around here - Rhonda from Down to Earth Blog

Hearing the sad news today that Rhonda's husband Hanno passed away yesterday.  Thinking of her and her family at this very difficult time.  Hanno had been in hospital for a while and then palliative care passing away yesterday.  I think even if you know someone is at the end of their life it still comes as a complete shock to the family.

I came across Rhonda back in 2008 when I was staying with in-laws in Melbourne reading through their gardening magazines.  Rhonda was a contributor on simple living in one of the magazines which is no longer published.  This lead me to her blog "Down to Earth" which lead me to starting a veggie garden, getting chickens and generally looking at life through a different lens.

Whilst her website isn't updated any more due to Rhonda looking after Hanno over the last year or so, all her recipes, budgeting tips, and posts about simple living are still available.  She has a wealth of information on how she went about giving up her career and staying home to have a better quality and simple life.  Rhonda and Hanno have two grown up sons and grandchildren who live close by.

Hanno

Rhonda, myself and my friend Karin at a local Library talk on Simple Living

A few of Rhonda's recipes are her home made biscuits which are super economical.

Rhonda's book call The Simple Home.

I made some soap after reading Rhonda's blog posts on the subject.

I made Ginger Beer following Rhonda's instructions.

Rhonda's post about the NYT Five Minute Bread recipe.

Flat breads from Rhonda's book.