menu plan: beef stew

i decided to let the menu plan slide last week.  i made a plan for this week, but it seems to be sliding again anyway.  oh well.  i think i have the january blues.  good thing february is around the corner.  i sure hope that groundhog doesn't see his shadow this weekend.  i can't take much more of this single digit stuff.  shiver.  beef stew does help though.  do you have a favorite beef stew recipe?  this is what i dump into the crock pot . . .

beef stew:
potatoes (i boil them a little first as i don't like how the crock pot cooks them)
carrots (i usually throw these in the potato boil too)
stew beef (i used 2 packages - about 2 pounds)
salt and pepper to taste
1 package onion soup mix
1/2 bag frozen diced onion (or 1 medium onion, diced)
1 can creamed corn
3 small cans of V8 juice (about 24 ounces)
1/2 stick butter

and now i am wondering why i brought tuna and carrot sticks for lunch today.  tuna and carrot sticks are not cold weather food.  grumble grumble.