I just wanted to tell you all that I used Paula Deans recipe, but with some tweaks and the beef stew came out amazing! This is definitely going to be a keeper. For anyone who's interested, here are the things I did different then her recipe.
First off, I dredged the beef in flour that I seasoned with salt and a good amount of pepper. I went a little heavier with the things I know we like- an extra clove of garlic, two bay leaves, a little more Worcester sauce and black pepper. Then her recipe calls for water, but I used beef stock instead. When I added in the carrots and celery, I also added a bag of the mixed small potatoes (white, gold, purple) that I quartered. The recipe called for cornstarch, to thicken the sauce, which I didn't have. So once the potatoes softened up, I pulled a bunch out and mashed them and put them back in. The natural starch in the potatoes thickened it up perfectly. And lastly, since there was no rush, I cooked it longer then the recipe called for so that everything would soak up the flavors.
I really made it for tomorrow nights dinner, but it smelled so good that DH and I had to each have a small bowl. We crushed some Fritos on top. Yummy! DH doesn't even like beef stew all that much, but he loved it and said it was the best he's ever had.