Happy St Patrick's Day!

At this time last year, Micah and I were wandering around Covent Garden, enjoying the St Paddy's Day Festival with authentic Irish cuisine... and even giant leprechaun's offering kisses to the ladies!

What we enjoyed MOST was the Irish Beef Stew!

It was mouth-wateringly tasty... thick beef stew simmered in Guinness and poured over creamy mash potatoes. Mmmm!

Because we couldn't buy some at Covent Garden, we decided that THIS YEAR we'd make our own! So, thanks to the Internet and Google search engine, I found a fabulous recipe.

It was super-yummy... would you like to make some? Here is the recipe... including a few alterations from Micah!

2lbs beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed

2-3 tbl flour

2 tbl olive oil

1 tsp butter

2 bay leaves

1 lrg yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 C beef stock

Approx 1 pint Guinness

1/2 lb baby carrots (or about 4 large carrots peeled & chopped)

salt & pepper to taste

First, evenly coat the meat in the flour, then brown it in a hot skillet with the oil and butter. Add bay leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Remove meat and put into crock pot. Leave bay leaves in the skillet. Add onion, garlic, thyme & rosemary to skillet and saute till onions soften and turn golden. Put everything over the meat in the crock pot.

Put 1/2 the beef stock in the skillet to deglaze it, then pour it into the crock pot along with the rest of the beef stock and Guinness. Layer carrots over the top, then add salt & pepper.

Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8 hours. When almost finished, make mash potatoes... serve beef stew over a big pile of mash and consume with gumption!