Rambling

So I have yet to post anything in June and the first week is already over, sheesh I'm slacking.

Yesterday I did a little reorganizing of the kitchen and cleaned all the stuff that hadn't been cleaned in a awhile, like the toaster oven. Holey Moley how many crumbs did that thing have. I had my fresh fruit displayed right near the stove which I think was harming the fruit so I moved it away where it can stay cool. I also took stuff off the counters that I never use, more space to put stuff that I do use more frequently. Now if I could only get motivated to do the closet, it's like a stock pile for junk yard pickers in there. It's one of those projects that you hate doing but once things come together and start looking organized and clean it makes you smile to look at. I'll have to remember that.

A couple of cooking shows started this week. I love Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef. I don't know what it is about it. I mean I can't smell or taste the food. I guess I enjoy watching people's technique and what sort of dishes they're making and hopefully maybe I can make them. Sometimes I tend to try the hardest recipes. Which, speaking of recipes, I made this recipe the other day for Mexican Style Shredded Tacos and it was fabulous. (http://onestopcook.wordpress.com) I did not crisp the corn tortillas and I wish I had or maybe next time I'll get shells or even better some fabulously wonderful thin tortilla chips from the "International Isle." I have to say I LOVE that isle. Coming from California I think I get used to the variety of foods available, but her in New Jersey it's a different variety. A lot more Greek and Italian....NOT THAT I'M COMPLAINING!!! <3<3

On another note, I was thinking about having a small herb garden, but I was reading that the herbs need at least 8 hours of sun... This poses a problem for me, the side that does get sun has huge trees in front and the back gets some morning sun and maybe some mid day sun as well and I'm not the type to go hunting around for sun to make sure the little herbsters get their needed sun. I also have a little window sill, but every time I put a plant there it gets knocked down by either a cat or a dog and there's dirt everywhere. It only took me 3 clean-ups to say no more! haha

Well, anyway, not the most exciting post, but had to start somewhere. Enjoy your Thirsty Thursday and have a wonderful weekend, I'm hoping it's full of sun! haha

Pot Roast

I made the most amazing pot roast. However, it was 70 degrees today and it was hard to stand in the kitchen next to the stove for this pot roast. I had tried beef with red wine and I had an extra bottle of beer so I wanted to use the beer. I also have a bottle of hard cider, but apparently most people don't use it with beef, they use it with pork! So guess who went to the store and got pork chops so I can use that bottle up...this girl! haha Anyway, back to the pot roast. Basically I went by this recipe Pot Roast Carbonnade but made a couple of changes because, although I love bacon, I don't like a really strong bacon flavoring. So this is what I used.

2 slices of bacon - 1 large onion, thinly sliced - 2 lbs of chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes - salt - fresh ground pepper - garlic powder - 2 stalks of celery thinly sliced - 1 TBSP of Olive Oil - 1 TBSP of butter - 1 1/2 TBSP of flour - 1 bottle of Stella, Beer (your favorite beer) - 2 bay leaves - couple sprigs of thyme - 1 can of chicken stock (I didn't have beef, lol) - 1 cup of water, add as needed - 4 carrots

I just made everything on the stove because I don't have a pot I could put in the oven. Cook the bacon until crispy, take out the bacon. Add the onion to the bacon grease and sweat the onion, add the celery in for just a couple minutes. Take out the onions and celery and set aside with bacon. Sprinkle the cubes of chuck roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder (I only used garlic powder on one side.) Sear the cubes on each side, I cooked these in batches. I added the olive oil and butter because I need it to sear the beef. Once the steak was finished I added the flour in for 1 minute, then added the onion, celery and bacon back in along with the 1 bottle of beer. Pour the beef back in, along with bay leaves, thyme, chicken stock, and a little bit of water. Stir. Add carrots in 30 minutes before eating. I kept this on the stove for about 2 hours and added a little bit of water here and there and stirred it every once in a while. I have to say I love the beer flavor better then the wine that I used. I will definitely be doing this again, but I'll probably add potatoes with the carrots.

Sorry for the camera phone picture. I can't wait to make this again. Hope you enjoy if you try it.