Vegetable Beef Barley Soup in the Crockpot

I woke up to snow on the ground and a temperature in the teens...DEFINITE comfort food weather! The chopping is pretty time-consuming so it was perfect for a lazy weekend. It's a forgiving recipe so add and subtract ingredients depending on your tastes and contents of the crisper drawer. The beef was unbelievably tender after cooking all day!

What you Need:
-1-1.5 lb. of beef, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size pieces
-6 carrots, chopped
-1/2-1 onion, diced
-5 stalks celery, chopped
-1/2 C. barley
-1 beef bullion cube
-4 cups water
-1/2 C. red wine (optional)
-1 can diced tomato
-1/2-1 bell pepper, chopped
-1-2 C baby bella mushrooms, quartered
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 t. thyme
-1 t. garlic powder
-2 bay leaves

What to do:
-Heat oil in a skillet, cut beef into small pieces, and brown the meat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. While it's browning, start chopping all those vegetables!
-Put meat and all other ingredients into the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.