I love anything that is stewlike, even in the summer. I've also been trying to take better care of my health and veggies are a big staple of this. It's so hard to eat enough vegetables to keep one healthy, though. My grandma makes this pot of stuff that has: tomato juice, ground beef and potatoes in it. Doesn't sound all that appetizing, huh? However, I've taken this base and added some touches of my own to come up with a staple in my diet. I hope you enjoy:

1 lb. Ground Beef (I prefer 96/4 lean or better)
One large can of tomato juice (I like Red Gold brand)
5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks to your taste
5 celery stalks, cut into chunks to your taste
3 large potatoes (red or other) skin on, cut into chunks to your taste
1/4 medium cabbage (if desired)
Basil
Garlic Powder
Pepper

Put ground beef on to brown, stirring occasionally. Chop vegetables while ground beef is browning (don't forget to stir that hamburger). I've listed a few veggies, but you can really put in whatever you like. When ground beef is browned (and drained, if necessary), turn down to medium heat. Throw in all of the veggies and stir up with the ground beef. Add about a half handful of basil (dried, if fresh use a little less, chopped), about a Tbsp. of garlic powder and pepper to taste. Mix again, add in tomato juice, cook until veggies are tender. About 35-40 minutes, tops.

Healthy for you with great veggies, some lean protein and there will be plenty for leftovers (it's what I had for lunch yesterday and today). Serve with garlic bread or any other kind of rolls and a salad for even more veggie goodness.

Enjoy!

PS. You can use baby carrots, but after watching a show about how these are "made" I decided to stop buying. They are still healthy for you, but I think it's an incredibly wasteful process and part of my resolutions this year was to be less wasteful of food. I'll be using the rest of that cabbage from the goulash for smoked sausage and cabbage tonight.