Mess in the kitchen…

I’ve never been the best cook in this house, which is why I consider myself lucky to be married to a woman who happens to be a fantastic cook. That however doesn’t stop me from trying my hand at the art every now and then, just to ease Leah’s burden. She deserves a bit of a break as often as I can provide it. I’m known for making a decent Mac & Cheese or Hamburger Helper when she needs a little help. Lately, I have been expanding my arsonal of things to cook. A few years into my marriage I expanded to Spagetti and Lasanga. When I went to South Korea, I learned how to do a little Oriental cooking, such as some great stir frys and other stuff. Today I’m going a little further, and trying my had at a little stew. Nothing too challenging, but something I’ve never tried before. I didn’t want to use the oven that much today, so I broke out the Crockpot that someone gave to us for our wedding, and hit the internet for a good recipe. This is what I came up with:

Crockpot Beef Stew:

– 1 lb. Stew Beef
– 2 cans beef broth
– 2 small cans tomato paste
– 3-4 handfulls of assorted veggies (I used frozen veggies)
– 1 lb. fresh mushrooms (quartered)
– 1 large onion (diced)
– 1/4 c. flour
– 1 tsp. paprika
– 1 1/2 tsp. salt
– 1/2 tsp. pepper

I went to the grocery store to pick up the stuff I didn’t have, and just finished preparing and it’s all in the crockpot. It’s set on high, and according to the instructions it should cook for 4-5 hours when set on the level. I hope Leah is a little surprised by this, cause she’s always the one making the stew and this recipe is a lot different from the one she usually uses.

But now I’ve got to get back to the kitchen and do a little cleaning. I don’t know what it is about me, but whenever I make anything, I leave an enormous mess in the kitchen. So it’s one thing to make something for Leah as a surprise, but I’ve got to make sure the kitchen is in the exact same state as I found it or in this case better than what I found it in. One day when I made Spagetti, I was really messy and Leah took a huge fit at me. And I don’t blame here, there was sauce splattered on the wall beside the oven, and just junk all over the place.

‘If cooking were an art, then what the hell is this?’ she asked with a sharpe, condeseding tone.

‘Jackson Pollack?’ I said with an innocent smile.

Well, I’ve got to get back to the kitchen. once I’ve finished cleaning the kitchen, I might do a few loads of laundry and then come back for an entry or two if I have time. Until then… take care!

Peter