Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Add beef to a gallon sized zip top bag, and then pour in flour. Zip bag closed, and shake to coat beef. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, in batches if necessary. You can add more oil if you feel it's needed. Once browned, transfer to a 6 quart slow cooker. The meat does not need to be cooked through, you just want to brown it on the outside. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil to the skillet. Add onions, garlic and celery and saute over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and coat the vegetables. Transfer to the slow cooker. Pour wine into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits. You're not trying to reduce the wine, you're just deglazing the pan and getting up any tasty bits that may have been left. Pour this into the slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf to slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. Stir in green beans 1 hour before the time is up. Serve with your favorite crusty bread, and enjoy!