Is It Soup Yet?

Well I know how I make stew and I can tell you what I do. Ingredients: Beef onions (slice up into quarters) about 2 large carrots (cut up or use baby carrots) small bag celery (cut into slices) abour 4 pieces potatoes (slice into quarters)about 4 to 5 large spices: paparika, parsley flakes two packages of powdered gravy. Brown the beef in a frying pan, not cooking it through just enough to take the red off the outer edges. Take the beef and drippings and place in a large pot or a crock pot. Add in spices, powdered gravy mixes, onions and celery. Pour water over it so that everything with plenty of extra. Let simmer on low for about 4 hours. Now add in the potatoes and carrots. Add more water as needed. Let simmer until potatoes and carrots are soft. Usually I have enough in there where the pot is pretty full. The above amounts are estimates. You can add more or less. Now I will usually make dumplings as well if I have used the pot (they don't make well in the crock pot because the water has to boil). I don't have the recipe handy for this one but it's not hard and it's available in most cook books.