Make Something Monday

Does dinner count?

Well, it's going to have to today. The way I feel right now, I don't know if I'll ever make anything else until the end of the month (during Regents week)! Let's just say, it was a looooong day. I still have to put Cub to sleep, pay bills, write thank-you cards, lesson plan, and read the next four chapters of Genesis! And I wanted to be asleep by 11! Never gonna happen.

This winter, we have been all about soups and beef stew. As many times as I've tried to be vegetarian, and God knows, I have tried...over and over...I guess I'm just a plain 'old carnivore! Boo to me! I love simmering my stews in red wine. Tonight, I finally got to try a recipe I first saw in a Jamie Oliver cookbook Julie gave me years ago...His recipe was a baked Guinness beef pot pie. Mine is the simple stew version.

Mama's Guinness Beef Stew:

1 lb beef stew meat

1 bottle Guinness stout

1 large onion

1 clove garlic

carrots and potatoes, optional

salt and pepper

Flour

Cumin

Canola, Olive, Safflower, or whatever kind of oil you have on hand.

1. Put a couple of tablespoons of flour in a plastic bag with a dash of salt, pepper, and cumin.

2.Place all the meat inside the bag and shake, shake, shake....to coat all pieces.

3. Slice the onion into rings and saute along with the garlic (crushed or sliced) in a few tablespoons veg. oil until carmelized.

4. In a 2 quart dutch oven (or soup-style pot) brown the meat in some veg. oil.

5. When browned on both sides add the onions and garlic, giving a few turns to combine.

6. Now the fun part...Add your bottle of Guinness. Don't forget to take a few sips, "to make sure it's not poison," as Cub's Nana would say!

7. Make sure to scrape those brown bits from the bottom of the pot...They are vital for a rich flavor and texture.

8. Bring it up to a boil, then lower the flame to a simmer. Cover. Check periodically and stir, from the bottom, making sure the bottom of your pot (and its ingredients) don't burn.

9. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until tender.

10. At this point, I add quartered red-skin potatoes and uncut baby carrots.

11. When the veggies are tender...It's done!

This stew is hearty and delicious. The malt flavor of the Guinness is strong, too. Sounds strange, but I like to add a big lump of butter on top and mix it all up before eating. We tend to eat this with those biscuits that are packaged in what looks like a foil-covered toilet paper tube. You know the ones! So much fun to open after a long day at work! Ha, ha...

I'll close with what I think has been the biggest bargain I've found in a long time...

I bought this t-shirt at Target yesterday for $1.50! Yup. I had to do a double and triple take, because this doesn't really seem like the kind of t-shirt you'd find at the red bulls-eye (for various reasons that will go unexplained), but it it's true. It's not very "me," but I'll find a way to make it work.

Happy Monday, All!