i was hungry for something warm and fuzzy to usher in the cold weather so i looked up a couple of recipes then threw the things that i liked about each together and walla! lol...the verdict...it was really tender, extremely flavorful and definitely a keeper! :P 1 1/2 pound oxtail (i bought mine from raised right meats...it's the store that's always right at the end of the farmer's market) 1 can chicken broth 1 can beef broth 1/2 small can tomato paste 2 teaspoons italian seasoning (i used the spice hunter blend and it had basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, sage, oregano) 2 bay leaves salt and pepper splash of red wine or sherry a bunch of butter :P 3/4 small bag of baby carrots leave whole 1 parsnip rough chopped 1 leek rough chopped 3 garlic cloves smashed with the back of a knife 1 yellow onion chopped 2 stalks of celery rough chopped 4 montrously huge cherry tomatoes halved as much baby red potatoes as you want leave whole i had to work early the next day and knew that other than making my coffee, i would pretty much be useless in the morning so i did most of my prep work the night before. i marinated the oxtail in a blend of onion and garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper as well as a little bit of cayenne pepper while i chopped up the other ingredients. when everything was ready to go, i heated up my saute pan and melted some butter and oil (the oil prevents the butter from burning). in a bowl, i put two spoons of flour, then coated each oxtail individually with flour to soak up the moisture then browned it in the pan. remove the oxtails and set aside. in the same pan, saute the onions and garlic until tender and translucent. (stir and saute for a minute or two in between adding each ingredient) add the herbs. add tomato paste. add all vegetables except potatoes. add oxtails back into the pan. add both cans of broth and let it simmer for a little bit until it comes to a boil. remove from heat and mix in the wine. (at this point, i stuck it all into a big container, put it in the fridge, and went to bed :) if you're a morning person...you can continue on to the next step.) set slow cooker to cook on low for eight hours. add mixture and put in the potatoes...making sure that you have enough liquid to cover up the meat and potatoes. go to work. kiss ass. paint some pottery. love on some kids. sing some silly rhyming songs you completely made up. get a phone call from your husband wondering if it's supposed to be boiling. get him to try and describe to you what kind of boil it is. realize it's just a slow boil. cease panic because damnit, you worked hard on this meal! :p come home, dish up and enjoy the fruits of your labor! woohoo! oh, and take a picture first. have a great one y'all! hugs. p/s i garnished with some mint leaves and cut up red chillies for some added zing but you don't have too. it's good either way. you can't see it but i also served it over some plain white rice at the bottom of the bowl before heaping it all on.

From WW online POINTS® Value: 6 Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 480 min Level of Difficulty: Easy This tasty stew gets some zing from fresh ginger and a touch of sweetness from ground cinnamon. It's an easy recipe: just toss everything into your slow cooker and set it on low. Ingredients: 1 pound(s) lean leg of lamb, stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/2 cup(s) canned beef broth 1 large onion(s), chopped 1 large garlic clove(s), minced 14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained 15 oz canned chickpeas 2 tsp ginger root, freshly grated 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp table salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice Instructions: * Place lamb in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, except lemon juice; stir well. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 7 to 8 hours. * Stir in lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes for flavors to blend. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving. NOTES: The picture is of the 2 servings of leftovers. I forgot to take a picture before eating. I served it over whole wheat couscous. I also used pre-ground ginger because I stupidly was peeling the fresh ginger over the trash and dropped it in :-( It tasted fantastic, but probably would have been even better with fresh ginger.