Lobster Bisque

You may need to get the kids out of the house to tackle this one. I made this before I had kids and it was awesome, don't know when I'll get to make it again.

Ingredients
2 T. olive oil 

3 lbs. lobster tails 

4 carrots, sliced 

4 onions, sliced 

4 celery stalk, diced

 2 C. dry white wine 

1/4 C. brandy 

12 C. water 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

3 T. tomato paste 

1 tsp. paprika 

1 pinch cayenne

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. tarragon 

3 bay leaves 

2 tsp. cracked black pepper 

1/4 C. butter 

1/4 C. flour 

3 C. whipping cream, heated 

Salt and white pepper, to taste 

1/4 C. dry sherry

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in 6-qt. saucepan until it begins to smoke. Add lobster pieces. Stir until lobster turns red. Separate shells from meat and return shells to pot. Chop meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
2. Add carrots, onions and celery to shells and stir until onion is tender. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add brandy. Bring to simmer and carefully ignite, keeping face and clothing away from flames. When flames die down, add water, garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne thyme, tarragon, bay leaves and black pepper. Stir well. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Strain through cheese cloth into clean 2-quart saucepan. 
4. Soften butter in small bowl and knead in flour. Bring lobster stock to boil. Add flour-butter mixture and stir with whisk until flour-butter mixture dissolves and soup is uniformly thick in texture, about 5 minutes. Add hot cream. 
5. Season with salt and white pepper. Simmer 1 minute. Add sherry and stir. Remove from heat .

Credit: Recipe Source.

Beef and Barley Stew

Ingredients
1 lb. beef chuck roast or stewing meat
2 T. flour
1/3 C. barley
1 bay leaf
2 T. butter
2 tablespoon oil
2 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cups water
1 can cream of celery soup
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 medium sized potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1.  In a large stock pot, add butter, oil and saute onions and celery.
2.  Coat beef with flour and add to pot.  Brown on all sides.
3.  Add salt, garlic powder, water, soup, bouillon, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 30 minutes.
4.  Add barley and carrots. Cook for 15 minutes. 
5.  Add potatoes.  Cook for 25 minutes or until potatoes are done.
6.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Remove bay leaf before serving.