- Pull out all of your ingredients.  
- Pull out meat and set to side so it can get closer to room temp.  
- Wash and chop veggies into big chunks.  
- *You do not need to peel the carrots. 
- Add chopped veggies to crockpot in order of carrots, celery and potatoes. Reserve onion. 
- Save the celery end and add to the crockpot, this adds flavor to the broth.  
- Add 4 cups of filtered water, 1 heaping tablespoon of salt and minced garlic to veggies.  
- To brown stew meat on stove top, add extra virgin olive oil, and, salt to pan and turn on to medium high heat. Add meat to a pre-heated pan for a few minutes on each side generously coating meat in salt and garlic powder as you cook. 
- Add meat to the slow cooker once browned but not cooked through.  
- Saute diced onion in same pan you used for the meat and add plus any juices to the pot.  
- Add 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and bay leaves to pot.  
- Set to low and cook for 6 hours.  
- Serve in large bowl or pull out veggies and meat separately for picky eaters.  
- Top with coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.