Winter warmer - Slow cooker hot pot

I know it's meant to be spring but if you were to look out of my window right now and at the rain, you could be forgiven for thinking it was mid winter! I am forever hopeful that warmer weather will be with us soon and that the slow cooker can be stuck in the back of the cupboard to gather dust until next winter. But until that happens ours will still be getting some use.
The beauty of using this kitchen gadget is that the combination of ingredients are endless. I rarely work to a set recipe, although I know there are some very good cookbooks available. I just generally use what needs using up.
Today I used some gravy beef, which I think is stewing steak, a couple onions some carrots and potatoes. Oh yes and some onions.
I fry off the onions, browning them a little and chuck 'em in the pot.
Then season the beef with flour, salt and pepper and brown in a frying pan
I then add some glugs of worchetershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, this gives a lovely flavour to the gravy. Then I crumble a couple of beef OXO cubes (cheats stock cubes) add some hot water, stir and then tip the lot into the pot.
Mix with the chunky cut veg, add some more hot water, I don't like to add too much.
Pop the lid on and go and spend the next few hours with the neighbours crocheting hexagons , well you don't have to do that, but that's what I did today.
Then when you come back, flick the switch to low or warm and eat when ready.
Delish! And it smells divine.