Crockpot/Slow cooker Stew Beef with rice

Hello again everyone. I know it's been a while since I last posted a recipe or free pattern. I've been through a lot in the last year and half. Today I'm bringing you a recipe that I've tested & tried.

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp/tablespoons veg oil (optional)

1-2 pounds stew meat cut into 2" pieces

1-2 cups diced onion (less if you don't like onions)

2-4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 1/2-5 cups beef broth (cubes or liquid)

1/2-1 tsp/teaspoons salt (optional)

1/2-1 tsp/teaspoons pepper

1/8-1/4 cup broth or water

1 1/2-3 tbsp/tablespoons cornstarch

2-4 cups precooked rice (don't add uncooked rice to the crockpot as it will get very mushy)

If you want to; take the veg oil and heat a large skillet over medium heat; add the beef and lightly brown on all sides; then add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Place in crockpot with remaining ingredients except cornstarch, broth or water. Set on low and cook for 5-6 hours. Combine broth or water with the cornstarch and stir into crockpot. Serve over the precooked rice. 

Pointed Hem Top

Hello again everyone. Twisted D here again to bring you another free crochet pattern. I got the idea from a pattern called "Pointed hem vest; done by Maz Kwok". I used a yarn called Escarcha which is 100% acrilic. It's 100 g/420 mts or 3.52 oz/459 yd. It's a very fine & thin yarn made in Mexico.The hook was a size bigger than the yarn called for but in the end it worked out fine! I did an inc of 1 dc on each side of the ch 2 sp every 4th row & I did those incs on an odd row. You can use any yarn you would like & any hook that you feel comfortable with. You can do your incs as often as you wish just remember the more you add the wider the point will get as it gets longer. This is a size L/Ex L. The chain should be divisable by a 3 or 4. 

American crochet terms used. 

Abbreviations & Materials used

Ch= chain

DC= double crochet

Flo = front loop only 

Inc= increase 

Sc = single crochet 

SP/SPs =space or space's

SK= skip

St = stich or stitches

FO= fasten off 

4mm crochet hook (or hook needed)

Special stitch= 2 dc V stitch; ( 2 dc ch 2 2 dc) in same space & 1; I dc V st ( I dc, ch 2, 1 dc), picot st, (sc, ch 5, sl st to top of sc, ch 1).

The chain 1 or  2 do not count as a stitch, place a dc or sc in the space below the ch 1 or 2.

Back Panel 

R 1. Ch 64 + 2,  place a dc in third ch from the hook, dc across to the end, ch 2, turn (64 DC)

R 2. DC across to end (64)

R 3 & 4.  repeat row 2.

R 5. *DC 16, ch 1, dc in next st, ch 1, dc 16,  ch 1,  dc in next st*, repeat from * to * 2 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 6. *DC 16, ch 1, dc 1, ch 2, dc 1, in same st, ch 1, dc 16*, repeat from* to * to end. You should have 3 V sts & 4 dc 16 Sps.

R 7. *DC 16, ch1, sk I,  dc 1 in next dc, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc 1, in next st, ch 1*, repeat from * to * 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 8. *DC 16, ch 1, sk 2 dc, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc V st in ch 2 sp, 2 dc in next 2 sts, ch 1* repeat from* to * 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 9 & 10 repeat row 8.

R 11. *DC 16, ch 1, sk I dc, dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc V st in ch 2 sp, ch 1* repeat from * to * 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R12. DC 16, ch 1, sk 2 dc, dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc V st in ch 2 sp, ch 1* repeat from * to * 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 13 & 14: repeat row 12.

R 15.  inc row; *dc 16, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 4 sts, 2 dc V st in ch 2 sp, dc in the next 4 sts, ch 1*, repeat from * to * 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 16. *DC 16, ch 1, sk 2 dcs, dc in the next 4 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 4 sts, ch 1* repeat from * to * 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 17 & 18. Repeat row 16.

R 19. Inc row,  *dc 16, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 5 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 5 sts, ch 1*, repeat from * to * 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 20. *DC 16, ch 1, sk 2 dc, dc in the next 5 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 5 sts, ch 1*, repeat from * to *, 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 21 & 22. Repeat row 20.

R 23. * DC 16, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 6 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, ch 1, repeat from * to *, 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 24: *DC 16, ch 1, sk 2, dc in the next 6 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, ch 1, repeat from * to *, 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 25 & 26 repeat row 24.

R 27: * DC 16, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 7 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, ch 1, repeat from * to *, 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 28: * DC 16, ch1, sk 2, dc in the next 7 sts, ch 1*, repeat from * to *, 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 29 & 30: repeat row 28.

R 31: * DC 16, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 8 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 8 sts, ch 1* repeat from * to *, 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 32: * DC 16, ch 1, sk 2, dc in the next 8 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 8 sts, ch 1*, repeat from * to *, 3 more times, ch 2, turn.

R 33 & 34: repeat row 32.

Repeat this process until you have 51 rows which is the last inc row, you should have 12 or 13 sts on each side of the ch 2 sp, do 3 more rows like row 32, fo & set aside. You should have a total of 54 rows when finished.

Finished back panel

Front Panel (make 2)

R 1: Ch 15+2; dc in the 3rd ch from the hook and across to the end, ch 2, turn.

R 2, 3 & 4: dc across to end, ch 2, turn.

R 5: DC 5, ch 1, dc 5, ch 1, dc 5, ch 2, turn.

R 6: *DC 5, ch 1, dc in ch 1 sp, ch 1* repeat from * to *, 1 more time, ch 2, turn.

R 7: * DC 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc in ch 1 sp, 1 dc V st in the next st, dc in next st, ch 1* repeat from * to *, 1 more time, ch 2, turn

R 8: *DC 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc in next st, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in next st, ch 1*, repeat from * to *, 1 more time, ch 2, turn. You should have 2 V sts & 3 5 dc sections.

R 9: * DC 5, ch 1, sk 2, dc in the next st, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in next dc, sk 1, ch 1* repeat from * to *, 1 more time, ch 2, turn.r

R 10: *DC 5, ch 1, sk 2, dc in next st, 2 dc V st  in the ch 2 sp, dc in next st, sk 2, ch 1* repeat from * to * 1 more time, ch 2, turn.

R 11: inc row; * dc 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, DC in next 2 sts,ch 1* repeat from * to * 1 more time, ch 2, turn.

R 12, 13 & 14: * DC 5, ch 1, sk 2, dc in the next 2, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 2:sts, ch 1* repeat from * to * 1 more time, ch 2, turn.dc

R 15: inc row; *DC 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 3 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 3 sts, ch 1,* repeat from * to * 1 more time, ch 2, turn.

R 16, 17 & 18: * DC 5, ch 1, sk 2, dc in the next 3 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 3 sts, ch 1,* repeat from * to * 1 more time, ch 2, turn.

R 19: inc row; *DC 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next 4 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 4 sts, ch 1* repeat from * to *:1 more time, ch 2, turn.

R 20, 21 & 22: * DC 5, ch 1, sk 2, dc in the next 4 sts, 2 dc V st in the ch 2 sp, dc in the next 4 sts, ch 1* repeat from * to * 1 more time, ch 2, turn.

Repeat this process until you get to row 51 which will be the last inc row, you should have 12 or 13 sts on each side of the ch 2 sp, do 3 more rows like row 20. FO, set aside. Repeat this pattern for the second panel. You should have a total of 54 rows when finished.

Assembly: mattress st or sl st shoulders seams together. Place a stitch marker where you want to stop at on the side seams for your arms to go through & repeat mattress st or sl st, fo. Place a stitch marker into the st you want to stop at on the front opening & mattress st or sl st together, fo..

Finished Front Panel

All done enjoy your new top.