Spooktackular Stew!

So tonight for dinner we are taking it back to the home land so to speak, I am making a traditional Irish Stew with a Halloween twist. It was a whopping 45 degrees here today and I thought something warm would be a good idea. So here we go.

You will need...

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced or 1Tbs Garlic Powder
• 8 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes.

Now we wait... I use this time to be "SuperMOM" you can follow suit or do something else to fill your time.

Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.) Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Coming out of the dark ages...

So we are more than likely going to buy a Camper today. While this means that we will more than likely spend more time in the beautiful Mountains that surround us, it also makes me sad to admit that I am too old to enjoy "tent camping" much longer. I want my boys to experience camping and I think this is the way we are going to have to do it. I am awfully excited though because the camper we are buying belonged to a Young Man who passed away suddenly and left behind 2 children and the money made from the sale will go directly to them. It always makes spending money feel better when you know its going to do good.

1st time for everything.

Well I did it. Yesterday was the first day I officially felt like a "bad mom". I was out running around town and my baby boy pooped in his diaper so I went to change him and when I got in the Diaper bag... NO DIAPERS! I have read about these things happening to other people and thought oh my goodness how can you forget to take diapers with you. Well that is what I get for thinking. So I changed him into a Burp rag and put 2 pairs of pants on him and headed home. He made it home without going potty again so that was good. I am just glad that I am a thrifty, fast thinking mom and had those supplies in the bag.

Applesauce is Awesome!

So today I am making some serious Applesauce to have for the kids this winter. I have a great recipe that I found a few years back on an internet cooking site. I am just so excited to share it with you all...

First you need Apples :-) The original recipe calls for 4 apples but I always make big batches of sauce and put it in jars. Today I am using about 9 medium sized "honey Crisp" Apples straight from the farms just up the road from our house.

You will need to have something to peel the apples and a knife to cut them. I use a peeler and an apple corer then use the knife to cut.

Peel the apples. make sure all the peelings are off of the fruit.


Core the apple so it's easier to cut. (you can omit this step if you want)

Cut the apples into small pieces.



Then Dump the cut apples into a crockpot to cook.

now you need the other ingredients...

You will need 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of Sugar, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, and a Sprinkle of Nutmeg.

Pour the water into the crock.


Then pour in the sugar.



Now add the Cinnamon and Nutmeg.



Now stir it all up and let it cook on HI for 3-4 hours.

Then sit back and enjoy the smell that fills your house... I know we will.

HELLO!

So here is my attempt at serious blogging. I am excited to try this out and see who out there actually cares about the things I have to say. Hopefully I will get some responses and feedback as I go. So here goes...